Panel fastening rivet mechanism

A method of securing together separate panels having aligned pilot holes, the steps comprising:

• providing a retention clip assembly comprising:
• a body having a longitudinal axis;
• an enlarged flange with a pin insertion hole, wherein said enlarged flange defines diametrically opposed notches, said notches including radially inwardly directed tabs having facing end surfaces;
• a leg comprising:
• a plurality of spaced leg segments depending from said enlarged flange surrounding said pin insertion hole and defining a generally cylindrical leg with a central passage, wherein said diametrically opposed notches are aligned with diametrically opposed slits between said legs segments, wherein the distance between said end surfaces is approximately equal to the diameter of said leg of said body defined by said leg segments;
• each said leg segment including a radially inward cam projection at a distal end,
• a pin having
• an enlarged head portion;
• an elongate shaft depending from said head longitudinally slidable in said central passage and engageable with said cam projections on full insertion of said pin into said body;
• said pin including flexible fingers with radially outer surfaces spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of said leg, wherein said facing end surfaces of said radially inwardly directed tabs are in sliding contact with said flexible fingers on insertion of said pin into said body;
• said fingers deformable toward said shaft of said pin;
• the steps further comprising:
• inserting said body in the aligned pilot holes of panels until the enlarged flange of said body contacts one of the panels,
• inserting said shaft of said pin into said body until said head contacts said flange of said body and said shaft engages said cam projections and deforms said leg segments radially outward and deforming said flexible fingers on insertion of said pin into said body, and
• causing sliding contact of parallel portions of said flexible fingers and said facing end surfaces of said tabs on insertion of said pin into said body to deform said flexible fingers.