Apparatus for attaching a first component to a second component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10107318-B2
Application number	US-201615354459-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2016
Priority date	Dec 1, 2015
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for attaching a first component to a second component and comprises a base element which has a thread which defines a thread axis; a connection means for direct or indirect connection with shape matching and/or material continuity of the base element to the second component; and an adjustment element which receives the first component and is in threaded engagement with the base element such that the position of the first component is adjustable relative to the second component, viewed in the direction of the thread axis, by a rotation of the adjustment element relative to the base element, with the base element and/or the adjustment element being at least partly elastically deformable such that the adjustment element receives the first component free of clearance and is in threaded engagement with the base element free of clearance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for attaching a first component to a second component, the apparatus comprising:
a base element which has a thread which defines a thread axis;
a connection means for a direct or indirect connection with shape matching or material continuity of the base element to the second component;
an adjustment element which receives the first component and is in threaded engagement with the base element such that the position of the first component is adjustable relative to the second component, viewed in the direction of the thread axis, by a rotation of the adjustment element relative to the base element,
at least one of the base element and the adjustment element at least partly elastically deformable such that the adjustment element receives the first component free of clearance and is in threaded engagement free of clearance with the base element,
wherein the base element comprises a base element thread and the adjustment element comprises an adjustment element thread, with the base element thread and the adjustment element thread being adapted for a mutual threaded engagement, and with the base element thread, in the assembled state of the apparatus, having a first contour viewed in cross-section and the adjustment element thread having a second contour viewed in cross-section which is different from the first contour such that there is at least a radial overhang with a concentric alignment of the contours.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the threaded engagement between the base element and the adjustment element is self-locking.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein, in the non-assembled state of the apparatus, one of the contours is non-circular and defines a first periphery and the respective other contour is substantially circular and defines a second periphery.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 3 ,
wherein the non-circular contour is one of oval or elliptical.

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 3 ,
wherein a difference between the first periphery and the second periphery is at least approximately zero.

6. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein, in the non-assembled state of the apparatus, the base element thread has a non-circular contour and the adjustment element thread has a circular contour and is deformable such that the contour of the adjustment element thread adapts to the contour of the base element thread in the assembled state of the apparatus.

7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6 ,
wherein the adjustment element thread is elastically deformable.

8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein at least one engagement feature is provided at the adjustment element.

9. The apparatus in accordance with claim 8 ,
wherein the at least one engagement feature is for a tool.

10. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein at least one means is provided for a shape-matched and/or force-transmitting fixing of the first component to the adjustment element.

11. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the adjustment element has at least one radially outwardly projecting protrusion and at least one radially outwardly projecting counter-bearing, with the at least one protrusion and the at least one counter-bearing being arranged with a spacing from one another in the direction of the threaded axis to receive the first component between them in an at least approximately shape-matched manner.

12. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein at least one spring element is provided at the adjustment element which is deformable in the radial direction against its return force by the received first component.

13. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein a plurality of protrusions and/or a plurality of counter-bearings and/or a plurality of spring elements are each arranged distributed about the adjustment element in the peripheral direction.

14. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
further comprising a holder which is rotationally configured or mountable to the second component and can be brought into engagement with shape matching with the base element.

15. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the holder comprises an end face which faces the base element and at which at least one elevated portion or recess is formed and the base element has a surface at a constriction of a passage which faces the holder and at which at least one corresponding recess or elevated portion is formed.

16. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
further comprising a connection means for connecting the base element to the second component or to a holder which is mounted thereto and with the holder comprising a head and a shaft, with the base element and, optionally, the holder having a passage which extends in the direction of the thread axis for receiving the shaft, and with a constriction projecting radially inwardly into the passage at whose side remote from the holder an abutment surface for the head of the connection means is formed.

17. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the base element forms a non-round continuation at its end facing the second component and the second component has a correspondingly shaped opening into which the non-round continuation of the base element can be inserted.

18. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein, to connect the base element to the second component, a threaded bolt is formed at the second component and a screw nut is provided which can be screwed on the threaded bolt and the base element has a passage extending in the direction of the thread axis for receiving the screw nut and a constriction projects radially inwardly into the passage and serves to receive the threaded bolt such that the constriction is clamped between the screw nut and the second component in the assembled state of the apparatus.

19. The apparatus in accordance with claim 18 ,
further comprising a bush which is arranged between the constriction and the threaded bolt and has a flange which faces the second component and which is radially outwardly bounded by an outer flange side, with the outer flange side being profiled and being in engagement with shape matching with a complementarily profiled portion in the constriction to fix the base element rotationally fixedly to the second component.

20. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the adjustment element comprises an inner hollow cylinder and an outer hollow cylinder which coaxially surround the thread axis, with the inner hollow cylinder and the outer hollow cylinder being held radially at a distance by engagement features.

Assignees

• Witte Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Erpenbeck Till

Classifications

• F16B5/025 Primary

  specially designed to compensate for misalignement or to eliminate unwanted play · CPC title

• F16B39/284

  Locking by means of elastic deformation ({F16B39/2825, F16B39/36,} F16B39/38 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16B5/0258

  using resiliently deformable sleeves, grommets or inserts (F16B43/001 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16B43/02

  with special provisions for engaging surfaces which are not perpendicular to a bolt axis or do not surround the bolt · CPC title

• F16B5/0233 Primary

  allowing for adjustment perpendicular to the plane of the plates · CPC title