Panel mounting assembly

An assembly for connecting a panel to a vehicle, said assembly comprising:

• a clamp including a longitudinally extending strap portion having a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion including a projection having a distal end and a lateral element disposed on the projection between the distal end and the strap portion, wherein a first extent is defined along the projection from the distal end to the lateral element;
• and the second end portion including a receptacle defined by an interior wall having a single deflectable element disposed adjacent an opening of the receptacle and a shoulder defined by the interior wall disposed within the receptacle spaced at a distance from the deflectable element, wherein the interior wall along the distance is continuously non-stepped and has a second extent greater than the first extent, wherein the lateral element defines an effective outer diameter that is greater than an effective inner diameter defined by the deflectable element such that when the distal end is inserted into the receptacle and the lateral element is passed over the deflectable element the first and second end portions are disposed in an initially loosely coupled configuration defined by:
• (1) the lateral element disposed immediately adjacent the deflectable element, and (2) the lateral element freely longitudinally movable along the distance without impediment such that the clamp is disposed in a loose slip-fit orientation about a support structure of the vehicle;
• a pin removably coupled to the first end portion and adapted for connection to the panel;
• and
• a fastener inserted through the second end portion to engage the pin and draw the first and second end portions toward one another across the distance such that the first and second end portions are disposed in a finally tightly coupled configuration defined by the distal end further inserted the distance into the receptacle so that the lateral element is disposed contiguous with the shoulder and the strap portion is disposed in a substantially continuous contiguous non-slip-fit orientation connection about a periphery of a contour of the support structure.

A method of connecting a panel to a vehicle comprising:

• wrapping a longitudinally extending strap portion of a clamp about a periphery of a contour of a support structure of the vehicle;
• coupling initially in a loose configuration a first end portion and a second end portion of the clamp, wherein the first end portion includes a projection having a distal end and a lateral element disposed on the projection between the distal end and the strap portion, wherein a first extent is defined along the projection from the distal end to the lateral element;
• and the second end portion includes a receptacle defined by an interior wall having a single deflectable element disposed adjacent an opening of the receptacle and a shoulder defined by the interior wall disposed within the receptacle spaced at a distance from the deflectable element, wherein the interior wall along the distance is continuously non-stepped and has a second extent greater than the first extent and wherein the lateral element defines an effective outer diameter that is greater than an effective inner diameter defined by the deflectable element such that when the distal end is inserted into the receptacle and the lateral element is passed over the deflectable element the first and second end portions are disposed in an initially loosely coupled configuration defined by:
• (1) the lateral element disposed immediately adjacent the deflectable element and (2) the lateral element freely longitudinally movable along the distance without impediment such that the clamp is disposed in a loose slip-fit orientation about said support structure, the first and second end portions disposed at opposite longitudinal extents of the strap portion;
• connecting the panel to a pin;
• coupling the pin to the first end portion;
• drawing the first and second end portions toward one another across the distance with a fastener inserted through the second end portion and engaging the pin such that the first and second end portions are disposed in a finally tightly coupled configuration defined by the distal end further inserted the distance into the receptacle so that the lateral element is disposed contiguous with the shoulder and the strap portion is disposed in a substantially continuous contiguous non-slip-fit orientation about the periphery of the contour of the support structure.