Connection unit for connecting two components with a space in between

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11788564-B2
Application number	US-201917289650-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2019
Priority date	Oct 29, 2018
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

A connection unit for connecting a first component to a second component with a distance in between. The connection unit has a connection screw having a head in the shape of a first ball segment and a shank. The shank has an outer thread. The connection unit also has a base element having: a second outer thread, and a first portion having a first inner diameter; a through-opening is provided at a second axial end and has a second inner diameter which is smaller than the first inner diameter, and an outer side of the base element is in the shape of a second ball segment. The first portion and the through-opening are distanced axially and are connected by a transition portion, which at least partly provides a bearing surface for the head of the connection screw, and the shank extends through the through-opening.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A connection unit for connecting a first component with a second component with a distance in between, comprising:
a. a connection screw with a head in the shape of a first ball segment as well as a shank extending from there, with the shank having a first outer thread of a first thread direction,
b. a hollow-cylindrically shaped base element which includes the following features:
b1. adjacent to a first axial end, a second outer thread of a second thread direction for the fastening in the first component and radially inwardly, a first portion with a first inner diameter are provided,
b2. a through opening with a second inner diameter is provided at a second axial end, the diameter being smaller than the first inner diameter, and an outer side of the base element is designed in the shape of a second ball segment, wherein
b3. the first portion and the through opening are axially distanced from each other and connected by a transition portion, which at least partly provides an abutment surface for the head of the connection screw, and the shank of the connection screw extends through the through opening, wherein
c. the connection screw comprises at least one first engagement feature at the head and the base element comprises at least one axially extending second engagement feature, which interact with each other for the form-fit transmission of a rotation movement.

2. The connection unit according to claim 1 , in which the connection screw has a first drive feature at the side of the shank which faces away from the head.

3. The connection unit according to claim 2 , in which the connection screw has at least two first engagement features and the base element has at least two second engagement features with the first and the second engagement features each being spaced from each other circumferentially evenly.

4. The connection unit according to claim 2 , in which the at least one second engagement feature is a slot which extends radially through the base element and a portion with a smaller outer diameter is provided between the second outer thread of the base element and the second axial end of the base element.

5. The connection unit according to claim 1 , in which the second outer thread of the base element is configured in a self-cutting or self-grooving way.

6. The connection unit according to claim 1 , in which the shank of the connection screw has a threadless portion adjacent to the head and includes the first outer thread at a distance to the head.

7. The connection unit according to claim 6 , in which the connection screw has, in the threadless portion, a radial projection for supporting a sealing element.

8. The connection unit according to claim 1 , in which the base element has a second drive feature adjacent to the second axial end.

9. The connection unit according to claim 1 , in which the second inner diameter of the base element continuously tapers from the second axial end in the direction of the transition portion.

10. The connection unit according to claim 1 , which further includes an abutment element which is arranged on the shank of the connection screw.

11. The connection unit according to claim 10 , in which a first face side of the abutment element has the shape of a third ball segment which interacts with the second ball segment at the second axial end of the base element.

12. The connection unit according to claim 11 , in which the abutment element includes a sealing element at the second face side which faces away from the base element.

13. The connection unit according to claim 10 , in which the abutment element has a radial outer ring as well as a radial inner ring at a second face side which faces away from the base element, wherein the radial inner ring provides an axial anti-loss security for the connection screw.

14. The connection unit according to claim 10 , in which the abutment element comprises at least one radially inwardly protruding projection in a through opening as well as a third drive feature at a radial outer side, so that the abutment element is screwable onto the connection screw and provides an axial anti-loss security for the connection screw.

15. The connection unit according to claim 1 , in which the first thread direction and the second thread direction are the same.

16. A first component, in which a base element of a connection unit according to claim 1 is screwed in.

17. A connection of a first and a second component in which a base element of a connection unit according to claim 1 is screwed into the first component and the first outer thread of the connection screw extends at least partially through an opening in the second component as well as is in engagement with a fastening nut, whereby the connection screw is fixed in a predeterminable spatial angle.

Assignees

• Boellhoff Verbindungstechnik Gmbh

Inventors

• Heinrichs Heinrich

Classifications

• F16B5/025 Primary

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

• B60Q1/2642

  with provision for adjusting the alignment of the device housing with respect to the vehicle body · CPC title

• F16B5/0233 Primary

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

• B60Q2200/32

  Ball-joints · CPC title

• F16B5/02

  by means of fastening members using screw-thread ({F16B5/0004 takes precedence}; construction of screw-threaded connections F16B25/00 - F16B39/00) · CPC title