Vehicle, a clip assembly for the vehicle, and a method of manufacturing the clip assembly

1. A clip assembly for a vehicle, the assembly comprising:

a first housing adapted to be attached to the vehicle;

a second housing attached to the first housing to define a pre-deployed position and detached from the first housing to define a deployed position;

a strap formed of a plurality of strands braided together, with the strap affixed to the first and second housings to tether together the first and second housings in both the pre-deployed and deployed positions; and

an attachment member attachable to the first housing and detachable from the first housing to adjust the attachment member relative to the first housing.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of the first and second housings includes a first tab extending outwardly therefrom and wherein another one of the first and second housings includes a first shoulder, with the first tab engaging the first shoulder to attach together the first and second housings in the pre-deployed position.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein one of the first and second housings includes a second tab extending outwardly therefrom and generally aligning with the first tab in a spaced relationship and wherein another one of the first and second housings includes a second shoulder generally aligning with the first shoulder in a spaced relationship, with the second tab engaging the second shoulder to attach together the first and second housings in the pre-deployed position.

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the first housing includes the first and second shoulders and the second housing includes the first and second tabs.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the first housing defines a first aperture such that the first housing presents the first shoulder adjacent to the first aperture, with the first tab disposed through the first aperture when in the pre-deployed position, and wherein the first housing defines a second aperture generally aligning with the first aperture in a spaced relationship such that the first housing presents the second shoulder adjacent to the second aperture, with the second tab disposed through the second aperture when in the pre-deployed position.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein the first housing includes a base wall and a plurality of first side walls extending from the base wall in a spaced and generally parallel relationship, with a first end of the strap affixed to one of the first side walls.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein the first housing includes a plurality of second side walls extending from the base wall in a spaced and generally parallel relationship, with the first side walls disposed adjacent to the second side walls such that the first and second side walls cooperate with each other, and wherein the base wall and one of the second side walls cooperate to define the first aperture, and wherein the base wall and another one of the second side walls cooperate to define the second aperture, with one of the second side walls presenting the first shoulder and the other one of the second side walls presenting the second shoulder.

8. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein the first and second side walls extend away from the base wall to define a recess therebetween such that a first leg of the first tab and a second leg of the second tab are each disposed inside the recess when the first and second housings are attached to each other in the pre-deployed position.

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein the second housing includes a body having a first side end and a second side end spaced from each other, with the first and second legs each extending from the body, and wherein a second end of the strap is affixed to one of the first and second side ends, with the body covering the recess when the first and second housings are attached to each other in the pre-deployed position.

10. An assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein the attachment member extends outwardly from the base wall away from the recess, with the attachment member rotatable relative to the base wall to change an orientation of the attachment member relative to the first housing.

11. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle structure;

a trim panel coupled to the vehicle structure;

a clip assembly including a first housing attached to the vehicle structure and a second housing attached to the trim panel such that the clip assembly couples the trim panel to the vehicle structure, with the second housing attached to the first housing to define a pre-deployed position and detached from the first housing to define a deployed position;

wherein the clip assembly includes a strap formed of a plurality of strands braided together, with the strap affixed to the first and second housings to tether together the first and second housings in both the pre-deployed and deployed positions; and

wherein the clip assembly includes an attachment member attachable to the first housing and detachable from the first housing to adjust the attachment member relative to the first housing.

12. A vehicle as set forth in claim 11 wherein a first end of the strap is affixed to the first housing and a second end of the strap is affixed to the second housing to tether together the first and second housings, and wherein one of the first and second housings include a first tab and a second tab each extending outwardly therefrom, and wherein another one of the first and second housings include a first shoulder and a second shoulder, with the first tab engaging the first shoulder and the second tab engaging the second shoulder to attach together the first and second housings in the pre-deployed position.

13. A vehicle as set forth in claim 12 wherein the first housing includes the first and second shoulders and the second housing includes the first and second tabs, and wherein the first housing defines a first aperture such that the first housing presents the first shoulder adjacent to the first aperture, and wherein the first housing defines a second aperture generally aligning with the first aperture in a spaced relationship such that the first housing presents the second shoulder adjacent to the second aperture, with the first tab disposed through the first aperture when in the pre-deployed position and the second tab disposed through the second aperture when in the pre-deployed position.

14. A vehicle as set forth in claim 13 wherein the first housing includes a base wall and a plurality of first side walls extending from the base wall in a spaced and generally parallel relationship, with the first end of the strap affixed to one of the first side walls, and wherein the first housing includes a plurality of second side walls extending from the base wall in a spaced and generally parallel relationship, with the first side walls disposed adjacent to the second side walls such that the first and second side walls cooperate with each other, and wherein the base wall and one of the second side walls cooperate to define the first aperture, and wherein the base wall and another one of the second side walls cooperate to define the second aperture, with one of the second side walls presenting the first shoulder and the other one of the second side walls presenting the second shoulder.

15. A vehicle as set forth in claim 14 wherein the first and second side walls extend away from the base wall to define a recess therebetween, and wherein the base wall defines a hole cooperating with the recess, with the hole spaced from the first and second apertures, and wherein the attachment member is attached to the first housing with the hole and is rotatable relative to the first housing to change an orientation of the attachment member relative to the first housing, with the attachment member engaging the vehicle structure to attach the clip assembly to the vehicle structure in both the pre-deployed and deployed positions.

16. A vehicle as set forth in claim 15 wherein the second housing includes a body having a first side end and a second side end spaced from each other, with the second end of the strap affixed to one of the first and second side ends, and wherein the second housing includes an arm extending from the body adjacent to one of the first and second side ends and extending in a spaced relationship toward another one of the first and second side ends to define a slit, with the trim panel disposed in the slit to attach the second housing to the trim panel in both the pre-deployed and deployed positions.

17. A method of manufacturing a clip assembly, the method comprising:

providing a strap formed of a plurality of strands braided together;

affixing a first housing to a first end of the strap;

affixing a second housing to a second end of the strap such that the strap tethers together the first and second housings to define the clip assembly;

attaching an attachment member to the first housing to further define the clip assembly, and wherein attaching the attachment member to the first housing occurs after affixing the first housing to the first end of the strap.

18. A method as set forth in claim 17 wherein:

affixing the first housing to the first end of the strap includes bonding the first housing to the first end of the strap;

affixing the second housing to the second end of the strap includes bonding the second housing to the second end of the strap.

19. A method as set forth in claim 17 further comprising attaching the first and second housings to each other to define the clip assembly in a pre-deployed position and wherein attaching the first and second housing to each other occurs after attaching the attachment member to the first housing.

20. A method as set forth in claim 19 wherein attaching the first and second housings to each other includes engaging together a first tab of the second housing and a first shoulder of the first housing to attach the first and second housings to each other.