Vehicle and a compression load limiter assembly for the vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9644669-B2
Application number	US-201313777242-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2013
Priority date	Feb 26, 2013
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle and a compression load limiter assembly for the vehicle are disclosed. The assembly includes a first component defining a first hole along a first axis to present a first wall radially spaced from the first axis. The assembly also includes a second component defining a second hole along a second axis to present a second wall radially spaced from the second axis. The first and second holes generally align with each other to couple together the first and second components. The assembly further includes a load limiter member including a first body portion engaging one of the first and second walls when disposed in one of the first and second holes. The first body portion has a radially compliant feature to allow movement of the load limiter member within one of the first and second holes in response to a force being applied to the load limiter member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A compression load limiter assembly for a vehicle, the assembly comprising:
a first component defining a first hole along a first axis to present a first wall radially spaced from the first axis;
a second component defining a second hole along a second axis to present a second wall radially spaced from the second axis, with the first and second holes generally aligning with each other to couple together the first and second components; and
a load limiter member including a first body portion engaging one of the first and second walls when disposed in one of the first and second holes, with the first body portion having a radially compliant feature to allow movement of the load limiter member within one of the first and second holes in response to a force being applied to the load limiter member;
wherein the first body portion includes an outer surface, with the radially compliant feature defined as a recess disposed in the outer surface to allow radial compliance of the load limiter member within one of the first and second holes in response to the force;
wherein the load limiter member includes a second body portion having an outer periphery, with the first body portion surrounding the outer periphery, and the second body portion directly abuts one of the first and second components;
wherein the recess is further defined as a plurality of recesses spaced from each other about the outer surface.

2. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the load limiter member is disposed in the second hole, with the outer surface engaging the second wall.

3. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the recesses are further defined as slots spaced from each other, with each of the slots including a pair of sides spaced from each other and a base disposed between respective sides.

4. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the recesses are further defined as serrations, with each of the serrations including a pair of side walls angled relative to each other such that respective side walls engage each other at the outer surface.

5. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second body portion defines a bore along a central axis, with the outer periphery facing away from the central axis, and further including a fastener disposed through the bore and the second hole into the first hole to secure together the first and second components.

6. The assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein the load limiter member includes a first end and a second end spaced from each other along the central axis, and wherein the first body portion includes a tapered portion tapering toward the central axis adjacent to the second end for guiding the load limiter member into one of the first and second holes, with the radially complaint feature spaced from the second end and extending from the first end.

7. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second body portion is formed of a metal material.

8. The assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein the metal material of the second body portion is steel.

9. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first body portion is formed of an elastomer material.

10. The assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein the elastomer material of the first body portion is rubber.

11. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the second component includes a main body and a flange extending outwardly from the main body, with the flange coupled to the first component, and with the second hole defined through the flange.

12. The assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein the first hole is further defined as a plurality of first holes spaced from each other to present respective first walls, and wherein the second hole is further defined as a plurality of second holes spaced from each other to present respective second walls, and wherein the load limiter member is further defined as a plurality of load limiter members, with one of the load limiter members disposed in each of the second holes.

13. The assembly as set forth in claim 12 further including a plurality of fasteners, with one of the fasteners disposed through each of the load limiter members and respective second holes into respective first holes to secure together the first and second components, and wherein the radially compliant feature of each of the load limiter members allow self-alignment of the load limiter members as the fasteners draw the second component into engagement with the first component to compensate for tolerances between respective first and second holes.

14. The assembly as set forth in claim 13 further including a sealant disposed along the flange and facing the first component to seal between the first and second components when secured to each other, with the radially compliant feature of each of the load limiter members allowing self-alignment of the load limiter members as the fasteners draw the second component into engagement with the first component to reduce movement of the flange to maintain the sealant between the first and second components.

15. A vehicle comprising:
an engine block defining a first hole along a first axis to present a first wall radially spaced from the first axis;
an oil pan including a flange defining a second hole along a second axis to present a second wall radially spaced from the second axis, with the first and second holes generally aligning with each other to couple together the engine block and the oil pan; and
a load limiter member directly abutting the engine block, and including a first body portion formed of an elastomer material and a second body portion formed of a metal material, with the second body portion having an outer periphery, and with the first body portion surrounding the outer periphery;
wherein the first body portion includes an outer surface engaging one of the first and second walls when disposed in one of the first and second holes, with the outer surface having a radially compliant feature to allow movement of the load limiter member within one of the first and second holes in response to a force being applied to the load limiter member;
wherein the radially compliant feature is defined as a plurality of recesses disposed in the outer surface to allow radial compliance of the load limiter member within one of the first and second holes in response to the force;
wherein the recesses are spaced from each other about the outer surface.

16. The vehicle as set forth in claim 15 wherein the first hole is further defined as a plurality of first holes spaced from each other to present respective first walls, and wherein the second hole is further defined as a plurality of second holes spaced from each other to present respective second walls, and wherein the load limiter member is further defined as a plurality of load limiter members, with one of the load limiter members disposed in each of the second holes, and further including a plurality of fasteners, with one of the fasteners disposed through each of the load limiter members and respective second holes into respective first holes to secure together the engine block and the oil pan, and wherein the radially compliant feature of each of the load limiter members allow self-alignment of the load limiter members as the fasteners draw the oil pan into engagement with the engine block to compensate for tolerances between respective first and second holes.

17. The vehicle as set forth in claim 16 further including a sealant disposed along the flange and facing the engine block to seal between the engine block and the oil pan when secured to

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Griffiths Leonard Barry
• Staley David R

Classifications

• F16B43/00 Primary

  Washers or equivalent devices; Other devices for supporting bolt-heads or nuts (circlips F16B21/18; {for indicating tensile load F16B31/02; forming a whole with the bolt or nut F16B33/00; locking bolts or nuts by means of a fixed plate or ring, or washer-like resilient plates F16B39/10, F16B39/24}) · 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

• F16B19/02 Primary

  Bolts or sleeves for positioning of machine parts, e.g. notched taper pins, fitting pins, sleeves, eccentric positioning rings · CPC title

• F16B13/04

  with parts gripping in the hole or behind the reverse side of the wall after inserting from the front ({F16B13/002 and F16B13/12 take precedence;} friction-grip releasable fastenings in general F16B2/00) · CPC title