Tolerance compensation assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11933345-B2
Application number	US-202118265216-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2021
Priority date	Dec 16, 2020
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A tolerance compensation arrangement for fastening first and second components with tolerance compensation in the distance between the first and second component, has a base unit with a cage element, a base element, a nut in the cage element, and an adjustment unit having a threaded sleeve with an outer thread and a dragging element. The thread of the threaded sleeve forms with the nut a first thread pairing of a first direction. A fastening screw can be inserted through an opening of the base unit and the adjustment unit, and the fastening screw is screwable into the base element via a second thread pairing of a second thread direction and is connectable to the adjustment unit via the dragging element, so that, when the fastening screw is screwed in, the adjustment unit is co-rotated and thereby moved into abutment with the second component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tolerance compensation arrangement for fastening a first component to a second component with automatic compensation of tolerances in the distance between the first component and the second component, comprising the following features:
a. a base unit with
a1. a cage element comprising a first passage opening on the inside as well as a fastening structure on its outer side for fastening in the first component,
a2. a base element which is arranged with a first axial end in the cage element and comprises an inner thread at the opposite second axial end, and
a3. a nut, which is arranged rotationally fixed and in a floatingly beared manner in the cage element adjacent to the first axial end of the base element, wherein the nut provides an inner thread, and

b. an adjustment unit comprising a threaded sleeve with an outer thread and a dragging element arranged therein with at least one radially inwardly projecting spring arm, wherein the outer thread of the threaded sleeve forms with the inner thread of the nut a first thread pairing of a first thread direction, wherein
c. the adjustment unit comprises an axial extension opposite to the first thread direction, which forms with the base unit a screwing out protection of the adjustment unit, while
d. a fastening screw is insertable through an opening of the base unit and of the adjustment unit, which fastening screw is screwable into the inner thread of the base element by means of a second thread pairing of a second thread direction opposite to the first one and is connectable to the adjustment unit via the dragging element by a releasable dragging connection, so that, when the fastening screw is screwed in, the adjustment unit is co-rotated and thereby moved into abutment with the second component.

2. The tolerance compensation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the cage element comprises radially inwardly adjacent to a passage opening two locking hooks arranged opposite to each other, so that the first axial end of the base element and the nut are arranged between the locking hooks and a step in the interior of the cage element in an axial direction in a loss-proof manner.

3. The tolerance compensation arrangement according to one of the claim 1 , wherein the dragging element comprises the axial extension so that the dragging element is arranged with a first axial end adjacent to a first axial end of the threaded sleeve.

4. The tolerance compensation arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein the axial extension at least partially comprises a projection projecting radially outwards beyond the core diameter of the outer thread of the threaded sleeve.

5. The tolerance compensation arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein the dragging element comprises two axial extensions, each of which comprises a projection projecting radially outwards beyond the core diameter of the outer thread of the threaded sleeve.

6. The tolerance compensation arrangement according to claim 1 , in which the adjustment unit further comprises a washer adjacent to a second axial end of the threaded sleeve, wherein the dragging element is retained in and/or at the threaded sleeve by means of an interference fit and/or by means of a form-fit.

7. The tolerance compensation arrangement according to claim 6 , wherein the second axial end of the dragging element is arranged flush with a first side of the washer.

8. The tolerance compensation arrangement according to claim 6 , wherein the dragging element comprises, adjacent to the second axial end, one radial projection, wherein the least one radial projection interacts with a recess of the washer.

9. The tolerance compensation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the base element, the nut, the threaded sleeve and the washer are made of metal.

10. A first component in combination with a tolerance compensation arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the tolerance compensation arrangement is fastened in the first component by means of the fastening structure of the cage element.

11. A first and a second component, which are fastened to each other via the tolerance compensation arrangement according to claim 1 and by means of a fastening screw.

12. A manufacturing method for a tolerance compensation arrangement according to claim 1 , comprising the following steps:
a. providing a base unit comprised of a cage element, a base element and a nut,
b. providing an adjustment unit comprising a threaded sleeve with an outer thread and a dragging element with at least one radially inwardly projecting spring arm, thereafter
c. screwing the threaded sleeve into the nut, wherein the outer thread of the threaded sleeve forms with the inner thread of the nut a first thread pairing of a first thread direction, wherein the adjustment unit comprises an axial extension opposite to the first thread direction which, together with the base unit, forms a screwing out protection of the adjustment unit.

13. The manufacturing method according to claim 12 , wherein the step of providing the base unit comprises
d. bending up locking hooks in the interior of the cage element,
e. inserting the base element and the nut into the cage element so that the base element is arranged with a first axial end in the cage element and the nut is arranged in a rotationally fixed and floatingly beared manner in the cage element adjacent to the first axial end of the base element, wherein, after inserting the base element and the nut, the locking hooks provide a loss protection for the base element and the nut in axial direction.

14. The manufacturing method according to claim 12 , which comprises the further steps:
f. providing a washer adjacent to a first axial end of the threaded sleeve,
g. inserting the dragging element into the threaded sleeve and into the washer, wherein the dragging element comprises the axial extension so that the dragging element is arranged with a first axial end adjacent to a first axial end of the threaded sleeve.

15. The manufacturing method according to claim 12 , wherein the base element, the nut, the threaded sleeve and the washer are made of metal.

Assignees

• Boellhoff Verbindungstechnik Gmbh

Inventors

• Funke Thomas
• Kahre Michael

Classifications

• F16B5/0233 Primary

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

• F16B5/025

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