US 12,454,971 B2
Cover fastening system for a vehicle
Gottfried Sailer, Stuttgart (DE); and Hans-Dieter Pomparew, Stuttgart (DE)
Assigned to Motherson Innovations Company Limited, London (GB)
Appl. No. 18/005,395
Filed by Motherson Innovations Company Limited, London (GB)
PCT Filed Aug. 16, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/072712
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 13, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/034239, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 17, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/065,624, filed on Aug. 14, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0272812 A1, Aug. 31, 2023
Int. Cl. B60R 13/04 (2006.01); B60R 13/02 (2006.01); F16B 2/20 (2006.01); F16B 2/22 (2006.01); F16B 5/12 (2006.01); F16B 21/08 (2006.01)
CPC F16B 5/126 (2013.01) [B60R 13/0206 (2013.01); B60R 13/04 (2013.01); F16B 2/22 (2013.01); F16B 21/086 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A cover fastening system for a vehicle external surface, comprising;
a cover having at least one locking pin arranged on an inner surface of the cover,
a shell having a hollow tube housing with an open end and having an inner wall, wherein the shell is mechanically engaged within a slot on a vehicle surface;
wherein the locking pin cooperates with the inner wall of the hollow tube of the shell to retain the cover such that the tapered portion of the locking pin lies outside the open end of the hollow tube housing,
wherein the locking pin has a first portion having a central stem provided with two or more protruding members on either side of the stem, wherein each protruding member has protrusions and recesses, and has a first end and a second end, wherein the second end is flattened at the top with the protruding member tapering towards it forming a tapered portion, and wherein the locking pin has a second portion having a first end fixed to the cover and a second end in connection with the first end of the first portion,
such that, when the locking pin is pressed into the shell, the protrusions are in pressure contact with the inner wall of the hollow tube housing causing the inner wall to deform, with the protrusions gripping the inner wall of the shell, and with the tapered portion lying outside a second open end of the hollow tube housing of the shell.