Fastener for truck bed liner

Claim 1

In combination: a pick-up truck bed having a vertical outermost side which terminates into an upper rail having an upper horizontal portion and an inside vertical flange which forms an open side downwardly of the upper horizontal portion with the upper portion and flange having interior exposed walls, and a protective liner for at least the vertical side of the bed, the liner having an opening in an area below a lower end of the vertical flange and adjacent the open side of the rail, a fastener comprising: a body member; said body member havingan integral elongated extending section with a free end at the end thereof, said extending section having a length sufficient to extend and pass through said opening of the liner with said free end extending within the open side of the rail, a base plate at the end of said extending section opposite said free end, said base plate having a perimeter portion larger than the opening in the liner, said base plate having at the junction thereof with the upper surface of said extending section an edge engagable with an adjacent portion of the liner formed by the opening to create a pivot surface for the fastener, said base plate having an inside recess located at its lower end generally opposite said edge, said recess having a transverse dimension to receive the thickness of the liner therein, the vertical distance of the opening in the liner being smaller than the distance between said pivot surface and the exterior surface of said extending section adjacent said recess to an extend that when the fastener is inserted into the opening said free end will be brought into contact with the interior wall of the flange, in a manner to cause said extending section to deflect by forcible contact with the interior wall of the flange and wherein said recess will be caused to snap over the liner to fasten the liner to the bed.