Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Bernard W Stone

James R Spaulding

Todd E Durocher

Olimpia Maria Hernandez

Craig A Rodriguez

Michael J Kelley

An item such as a passenger assist handle is anchored to an automotive framing component by a mounting stud passing through a hole in the framing component. The mounting stud includes a shaft with a helix at a first end and a threaded portion at a second end. The helix and threaded portion are of opposite hands and the threaded portion receives a stop nut thereon. The automotive framing component has a teardrop shaped opening therethrough having a first diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the shaft and a second diameter substantially equal to the radius of the helix. Upon threading the nut onto the shaft, while the stud is held initially stationary by frictional engagement between its surface and surfaces of the framing component adjacent to the teardrop shaped opening, the stop nut bottoms against a shoulder on the shaft and then begins rotating the shaft to drive the helix through the teardrop shaped opening. The stop nut then engages the base portion and urges the base portion of the item into a tight relationship with the faming component. Preferably, the mounting stud is made of an acetal homopolymer.

Arrangements for anchoring items to automotive framing components

A battery assembly for a vehicle includes a battery with a post extending therefrom. A terminal is connected to the post, and a blade extends from the terminal. A battery cable includes an attached connector. The connector is configured to receive the blade in a snap-in relationship. The blade includes a protrusion thereon, and the connector includes a spring member configured to provide sufficient normal force on the blade to force the blade against a wall of the connector to provide a reliable electrical contact. The spring member abuts the protrusion to secure the blade in the connector.

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Detroit, MI, United States of America

Bernard W Stone