Fastener having an inner undercut region

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9933095-B2
Application number	US-201615333527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2016
Priority date	May 9, 2014
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A fastening means, in particular for a bellows, comprises a male end segment and a female end segment complementary to the male end segment. The fastening means can be used to fasten bellows to joint housings and/or shafts. The fastening means has an inner undercut region in order to provide an improved closing behavior of the fastening means.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fastening means, comprising:
a male end segment and a female end segment complementary to the male end segment,
wherein the female end segment comprises a base on which there is arranged approximately centrally a foot segment and two outer segments,
a head part being arranged on the foot segment, and
the two outer segments project beyond the head part in a longitudinal direction of the fastening means, the longitudinal direction being approximately perpendicular to the base,
the head part projecting laterally over an outer contour of the foot segment and having lower lateral surfaces transverse to a longitudinal direction of the fastening means for fitting at least one inner undercut region in a recess of the male end segment.

2. The fastening means according to claim 1 , wherein the foot segment proceeds from the base tapering to a minimum width b 3 .

3. The fastening means according to claim 1 , wherein a transition angle β between the base and the foot segment is in a range from 91° to approximately 110°.

4. The fastening means according to claim 1 , wherein arranged between lateral longitudinal surfaces of the foot segment and the lower lateral surfaces of the head part are radial regions having notch radii of at least approximately 0.3 millimeters.

5. The fastening means according to claim 1 , wherein at least parts of the lateral surfaces of the head part are curved with notch radii of at least approximately 0.3 millimeters.

6. The fastening means according to claim 1 , further comprising a lateral head surface of the head part in at least one sub-region approximately parallel to the base.

7. The fastening means according to claim 1 , wherein the outer segments have recesses in which extension parts of the male end segment may be arranged.

8. The fastening means according to claim 1 , wherein, in addition to the inner undercut region, the male end segment includes at least one outer undercut region.

9. The fastening means according to claim 1 , wherein the male end segment has a second foot segment that proceeds from a base tapering to a minimum width b 1 .

10. The fastening means according to claim 9 , wherein a transition angle γ between the base and the second foot segment of the male end segment is in a range from approximately 90.5° to approximately 110°.

11. The fastening means according to claim 9 , wherein, arranged on the male segment at an end of the second foot segment that faces away from the base, is a second head part with extension parts that form the inner undercut region.

12. The fastening means according to claim 11 , wherein the extension parts comprise lateral transverse surfaces to form at least one outer undercut region.

13. The fastening means according to claim 12 , further comprising at least one of:
an acute angle W, formed by the lateral transverse surfaces, with lateral longitudinal surfaces of the foot segment, in a range from approximately 45° to approximately 88° ; and
notch radii of at least 0.3 millimeters arranged in a region between the lateral longitudinal surfaces of the foot segment and lateral transverse surfaces of the extension parts.

14. The fastening means according to claim 11 , wherein longitudinal surfaces of the extension parts are approximately parallel to the outer wall of the fastening means.

15. The fastening means according to claim 11 , wherein between the extension parts of the second head part of the male segment is a recess that is complementary to the head part of the foot segment arranged on the base of the female end segment.

16. The fastening means according to claim 1 , wherein a length of the second foot segment and of the second head part including the extension parts is shorter than a width of the fastening means.

17. The fastening means according to claim 1 , wherein minimum widths b 21 and b 22 of both of the two outer segments of the female end segments of the female end segment, and a minimum width b 3 of the foot segment of the female end segment, are all selected based on one of the following:
(a) for a minimum width b 1 of a second foot segment of the male end segment a ratio b 1 :(b 21 +b 22 +b 3 ) is approximately 0.79 to approximately 1.27; or
(b) there is a recess that is arranged so as to be displaced beyond a base of the male end segment in a length direction of the fastening means, and longitudinal segments in a region of the recess have minimum widths b 11 and b 12 , so that a ratio of (b 11 +b 12 ):(b 21 +b 22 +b 3 ) is approximately 0.79 to approximately 1.27.

18. The fastening means according to claim 1 , wherein the fastening means is at least one of ribbon-like and closable to create a ring in which the male and the female end segments are connected to one another.

19. A system, comprising a bellows and a fastening means, the fastening means comprising:
a male end segment and a female end segment complementary to the male end segment,
wherein the female end segment comprises a base on which there is arranged approximately centrally a foot segment and two outer segments,
a head part being arranged on the foot segment, and
the two outer segments project beyond the head part in a longitudinal direction of the fastening means, the longitudinal direction being approximately perpendicular to the base,
the head part projecting laterally over an outer contour of the foot segment and having lower lateral surfaces transverse to a longitudinal direction of the fastening means for fitting at least one inner undercut region in a recess of the male end segment.

Assignees

• Gkn Driveline Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Deisinger Markus
• Schumacher Ralf
• Wette Joachim
• Ballas Daniela
• Gehrke Andreas
• Wenning Ludger
• Pfeifer Achim
• Lehmann Maik

Classifications

• Y10T24/148

  End-to-end integral band end connection · CPC title

• F16L33/02 Primary

  Hose-clips · CPC title

• F16B2/08 Primary

  using bands · CPC title