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US 9,428,226 B2Granted
Magnetic vehicle attachment system for use with non-magnetic body structure
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsJohn Joyce, Todd Jared Konet
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle headliner attachment system for mounting a headliner to a non-magnetic roof structure includes a headliner with an interior and an exterior surface, a magnet affixed to the exterior surface of the headliner, and a ferromagnetic clip mounted to the non-magnetic roof structure. The magnet and the ferromagnetic clip enable magnetic attachment of the headliner to the non-magnetic roof structure.
Claims18
A vehicle headliner attachment system comprising:
- a headliner having interior and exterior surfaces;
- a magnet affixed to the exterior surface;
- a non-magnetic roof structure having a hollow structural member with two apertures extending through a bottom wall thereof;
- and
- a ferromagnetic clip having a central planar body extending along a longitudinal axis, said planar body magnetically attached to the magnet and extending between two self-retaining upstanding spring clips separately retained in the two apertures to secure the headliner to the non-magnetic roof structure, wherein the spring clips are disposed at opposing terminal edges of the ferromagnetic clip, and wherein the spring clips are operable in opposing directions along the longitudinal axis.
2 more elements
A vehicle trim component attachment system comprising:
- a magnet affixed to a trim component exterior surface;
- a non-magnetic structure having a pair of spaced apertures extending through an interior wall thereof;
- and
- a ferromagnetic clip having a planar body magnetically attached to the magnet and a pair of spring clips operable along a longitudinal axis of the planar body and protruding from terminal ends thereof to extend through and snap into the spaced apertures.
1 more element
A vehicle headliner attachment system comprising:
- a non-magnetic roof structure having a header coupled with a side rail, each spanning along a portion of a vehicle structure, each comprising aluminum, and each including apertures spaced along a length thereof and extending through a bottom wall into a hollow interior thereof;
- a plurality of clips, each having a ferromagnetic planar body and a pair of opposing spring clips extending from terminal edges of the planar body along a longitudinal axis of the planar body, the spring clips operable along the longitudinal axis, wherein the spring clips secure within a corresponding pair of apertures and through the bottom wall;
- a headliner having an exterior surface;
- and
- a plurality of magnets affixed about the exterior surface that removably attach to the plurality of clips for mounting the headliner to the non-magnetic roof structure.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.