Delco Electronics Corporation

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Robert A Marrs

John W Willis

David R Osborn

Kurt J Hudoba

The end of a cable or other elongated object is held in a plastic retainer molded of one piece. The retainer has a base with a pocket for holding the object, upstanding supports alongside the pocket and a retaining element mounted between adjacent supports at each side of the pocket. The retaining element defines a snap element and resilient hinges, either flexible webs or torsion arms, which couple each end of the snap element to a support for rotation of the snap element about an axis. The axes are above the pocket and the snap element extends down to hold the object in the pocket. Optional over-center action provides a locking function. Release tabs on the retaining element extending above the axis permits release of the cable by pinching the tabs together. Grooves or ridges on the cable end engage the retainer for axial retention and permit axial adjustment as well. A receiving opening in the retainer is shaped to guide cable end insertion.

Snap retainer and retainer system

A device, such as a radio, has opposing vertical sides and a vehicle instrument panel includes a recess having a rearward access opening and opposing spaced apart side walls. Each side wall of the instrument panel recess includes an integrally formed longitudinally extending tapered dovetail rail. A pair of tapered dovetail slide members are each adapted to be fixedly mounted to an opposite side of the device. Each slide member includes an integral upper and lower finger transversely cantilevered away from the device. The upper and lower fingers are vertically spaced apart for matably receiving the respective dovetail rail therebetween by interference-fitted engagement therewith when the device is longitudinally inserted into the recess of the instrument panel. Thus, the slide members and dovetail rails cooperatively secure the device to the recess of the instrument panel to prevent movement of the device relative the instrument panel.

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Amboy, IN, United States of America

Robert A Marrs