Sheet metal fastening clip

Abstract

The present invention provides a fastener mounting clip for use in securing a fastener to sheet material having a bore hole formed therein. The fastener mounting clip is preferably formed of a single sheet of thin spring steel. The mounting clip includes a rectilinear planar surface having opposing guide arms and opposing retainer arms extending beneath its outer edge at obtuse angles. The guide arms are operative to minimize the insertion force required for seating the fastener mounting clip in the bore hole formed in the sheet material. The retaining arms are resiliently flexible and compress and expand during insertion wherein a top end of the retaining arm abuts against the sheet material when the fastener mounting clip is fully seated within the bore hole. The planar surface includes support tabs for supporting the planar surface in the plane of the sheet material and also includes a recessed aperture for receiving and retaining a fastener therein.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A fastener mounting clip for securing a fastener in a bore hole formed in the sheet material, said mounting clip comprising: 
 a planar surface having a recessed aperture formed central thereto and an outside edge, said aperture operative to receive and retain the fastener;    at least two elongated guide arms formed on the outside edge of the planar surface and each having a free end, said at least two elongated guide arms stand spaced apart and extend beneath the planar surface wherein said at least two guide arms are operative to guide the mounting clip into the bore hole formed in the sheet material;    at least two resilient retaining arms formed on the outside edge of the planar surface, said at least two retaining arms stand spaced apart and extend beneath the planar surface, said retaining arms operative to compress and expand upon insertion of the mounting clip into the bore hole wherein a top end of the retaining arms abut against a bottom surface of the sheet material and a bottom end of the retaining arms are shrouded by said free ends of the guide arms; and    at least two support tabs extending outwardly for the outside edge of the planar surface and operative to abut against a top surface of the sheet material.    
     
     
         2 . The fastener mounting clip of  claim 1  wherein the at least two resilient retaining arms are formed in loops.  
     
     
         3 . The fastener mounting clip of  claim 1  formed of a single piece of sheet material.  
     
     
         4 . The fastener mounting clip of  claim 1  wherein the planar surface is rectilinear.  
     
     
         5 . The fastener mounting clip of claim I wherein the guide arms extend beneath the planar surface at an obtuse angle.  
     
     
         6 . The fastener mounting clip of  claim 5  wherein the obtuse angle is between 95 and 110 degrees.  
     
     
         7 . The fastener mounting clip of  claim 1  wherein the free ends of the guide arms are V-shaped.  
     
     
         8 . A fastener mounting clip assembly for securing a fastener in a bore hole formed in sheet material, said mounting clip assembly comprising: 
 a U-shaped retainer portion having: 
 a U-base with an aperture formed at its center;  
 opposing spring arms, each spring arm extending above the U-base and having a U-shaped notch formed between two retaining wedges, said retaining wedges extend along outer edges of the spring arms and having a tapered end adjacent the U-base; and  
   a U-shaped carrier portion dimensioned to receive the U-shaped retainer portion, said U-shaped carrier having: 
 a carrier base having a protruding cylindrical aperture formed central to and extending upwardly; said cylindrical aperture dimensioned to be received through the aperture formed in the U-base and operative to receive and retain the fastener therein; and  
 opposing inverted L-shaped arms having a body portion and a base portion, said body portion extending upwardly from the carrier base and said base portion extending outwardly from the carrier base, said body portion having bilateral notches dimensioned to interlockingly engage the retaining wedges of the spring arms and wherein the fastener mounting clip is dimensioned to be received in the bore hole of the sheet material such that the retaining wedges abut a bottom surface of the sheet material and the base portion of the L-shaped arms abut a top surface of the sheet material.  
   
     
     
         9 . The fastener assembly of  claim 7  wherein the U-base further comprises at least one stabilizer tab disposed at the center aperture.