Vehicle component fastener with enhanced pre-locking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10851827-B2
Application number	US-201816177897-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2018
Priority date	Nov 3, 2017
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle component fastener for fastening a first component to a second component of a vehicle, including a first part having a pin socket for receiving a head of a pin of the second component, and a second part having a fastening structure for fastening of the first component. The first part and the second part are connected to each other via a preassembly locking device in a preassembly position from which axial displacement into a final assembly position can occur. The preassembly locking device is releasable by introduction of the head of the ball pin or T pin into the pin socket such that the axial displacement into the final assembly position a) can be carried out with less effort than when the head of the ball pin or T pin is not introduced into the pin socket, or b) can be carried out at all.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle component fastener, wherein the vehicle component fastener is designed for fastening a first component to a second component of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle component fastener has a first part and a second part, wherein the first part has a pin socket for receiving a head of a ball pin or T pin of the second component, wherein the second part has a fastening structure for the fastening of the first component, wherein the first part and the second part are connected to each other via a preassembly locking device in a preassembly position, from which the first part and the second part are transferable by axial displacement in relation to each other into a final assembly position, wherein the axial displacement is in a axial direction in which displacement takes place from the preassembling position into the final assembly position, wherein the preassembly locking device is designed to be released by introduction of the head of the ball pin or T pin into the pin socket such that the axial displacement into the final assembly position
a) can be carried out with less of an axial insertion force than when the head of the ball pin or T pin is not introduced into the pin socket, or
b) can be carried out at all.

2. The vehicle component fastener as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the preassembly locking device has at least one sensing means which is designed to determine the state of the introduced head of the ball pin or T pin into the pin socket, and wherein the preassembly locking device is designed to be re-leased correspondingly depending on the state determined by the sensing means.

3. The vehicle component fastener as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the preassembly locking device includes
at least one recess in the pin socket and
at least one locking element of the second part,
wherein, in the preassembly position, the locking element protrudes from outside through the recess into an interior of the pin socket over an inner surface of the pin socket and is located in a first position,
wherein the locking element, when the locking element is pressed from inside out of the pin socket back into the recess such that the locking element protrudes less or no longer over the inner surface of the pin socket, is located in a second position,
wherein, when the locking element is located in the second position, the axial displacement into the final assembly position
a) can be carried out with less of an axial insertion force than when the locking element is located in the first position, or
b) can be carried out at all, whereas said axial displacement is not possible when the locking element is located in the first position.

4. The vehicle component fastener as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the preassembly locking device includes of at least one further locking element of the second part and at least one further recess of the pin socket, wherein, in the preassembly position, the locking elements protrude through the respective recesses, wherein the locking elements extend more in the axial direction than in a radial direction and are movable flexibly in the radial direction between the first and the second position.

5. The vehicle component fastener as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the respective locking element has a locking surface which, in the preassembly position, lies against a mating surface on the edge of the recess and which
a) impairs or
b) blocks the axial displacement into the final assembly position
by the locking surfaces and the mating surfaces being perpendicular to the axial displacement direction or angled in such a manner that a displacement bends the respective locking element from the first position in the direction opposed to the second position.

6. The vehicle component fastener as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the respective mating surface on a radial outer edge is beveled or rounded in a direction of the axial direction in which the displacement also takes place from the preassembly position into the final assembly position.

7. The vehicle component fastener as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the respective locking element has a radial inwardly directed projection which forms the respective sensing means.

8. The vehicle component fastener as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first part starting from each respective mating surface has an axial channel, or an axial recess, assigned to the respective sensing means, and wherein the respective sensing means is designed to be moved in the axial direction in the axial channel or the axial recess during the axial displacement into the final assembly position.

9. The vehicle component fastener as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the preassembly locking device is furthermore designed to produce a locking connection in the final assembly position.

10. The vehicle component fastener as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the locking element is designed to lock behind an edge of the ball pin or T pin or of the first part in the final assembly position.

11. A vehicle component fastener for fastening a first component to a second component of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle component fastener comprises a first part and a second part, wherein the first part has a pin socket for receiving a head of a ball pin or T pin of the second component, wherein the second part has a fastening structure for fastening of the first component, wherein the first part and the second part are connected to each other via a preassembly locking device in a preassembly position in which the first part is partially inserted into the second part, wherein the first part and the second part are transferable by axial displacement in relation to each other into a final assembly position in which the first part is fully inserted into the second part, wherein the axial displacement is in a axial direction in which displacement takes place from the preassembling position into the final assembly position, wherein the preassembly locking device is releasable by introduction of the head of the ball pin or T pin into the pin socket such that the axial displacement into the final assembly position
a) can be carried out with less of an axial insertion force than when the head of the ball pin or T pin is not introduced into the pin socket, or
b) can be carried out at all.

12. The vehicle component fastener as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the preassembly locking device has at least one inward projection which is positioned to be contacted by the head of the ball pin or T pin when inserted into the pin socket such that the preassembly locking device is released by contact between the inward projection and the head.

13. The vehicle component fastener as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the preassembly locking device includes
at least one recess in the pin socket and
at least one locking element of the second part,
wherein, in the preassembly position, the locking element protrudes from outside through the recess into an interior of the pin socket over an inner surface of the pin socket and is located in a first position,
wherein the locking element, when the locking element is pressed from inside out of the pin socket back into the recess such that the locking element protrudes less or no longer over the inner surface of the pin socket, is located in a second position,
wherein, when the locking element is located in the second position, the axial displacement into the final assembly position
a) can be carried out with less of an axial insertion force than when the locking element is located in the first position, or
b) can be carried out at all, whereas said axial displacement is not possible when the locking element is located in

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Bohl Marina
• Ammann Thiemo
• Elsner Markus

Classifications

• F16B21/06

  Releasable fastening devices with snap-action {(quickly-detachable or mountable nuts to threaded bolts F16B37/0842)} · CPC title

• F16B21/078

  the socket having a further molded-in or embedded component, e.g. a ring with snap-in teeth molded into it (F16B21/065 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16B21/073 Primary

  the socket having a resilient part on its inside · CPC title

• F16B21/10

  by separate parts ({F16B21/06 takes precedence}; key-type connection F16B3/00; locking screws or nuts against rotation by such means F16B39/04) · CPC title

• F16B5/10

  by means of bayonet connections ({F16B5/0092 takes precedence}; fastening devices locking by rotation F16B21/02) · CPC title