Coupling consisting of coupling bolt and holder as well as method for connecting a first and a second component by means of the coupling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9976587-B2
Application number	US-201615160028-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2016
Priority date	May 20, 2015
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

Coupling by means of which a first and a second component are connectable to each other, having the following features: a coupling bolt having a fastening end, a holding head and a supporting section arranged therebetween, in which the holding head and the supporting section are connected to each other by means of a web, which is tapered with respect to the holding head, and the fastening end is fastenable at the first component, a holder having a keyhole and an abutting portion, in which an edge of the keyhole encloses a non-planar surface, the coupling bolt is lockable in the keyhole in a form-fit manner by means of an inserting-pivoting-movement and the holder is fastenable at the second component by means of a fastening structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Coupling by means of which a first and a second component are connectable to each other, comprising the following features:
a. a coupling bolt comprising a fastening end, a holding head and a supporting section arranged therebetween, in which the holding head and the supporting section are connected to each other by a web, which is tapered with respect to the holding head and the supporting section, and the fastening end is fastenable at the first component,
b. a holder having a keyhole and an abutting portion in which an edge of the keyhole encloses a non-planar surface, wherein the abutting portion consists of at least a second and a first areal segment, which each face the supporting section and which are arranged at least partly symmetrically around the lockingly arrangeable coupling bolt, and wherein the abutting portion is formed at least two-staged with respect to a longitudinal axis of a coupling bolt, which can be arranged in the keyhole in a locked manner, so that the abutting portion between the holding head and the supporting section of the coupling bolt is mechanically braceable, and wherein the coupling bolt is lockable in a form-fit manner in the keyhole by an inserting-pivoting-movement and the holder is fastenable at the second component by a fastening structure, wherein
c. the holding head and the supporting section protrude in radial or lateral direction beyond a cross-section of the web, and each form an undercut in longitudinal direction of the coupling bolt so that the holder may be supported at the holding head and the supporting section of the locked coupling bolt in opposite directions, wherein one of d 1 , d 2 , and d 3 are satisfied:
d1. the areal segments of the abutting portion are formed ball-shaped and a radius of the first ball-shaped areal segment is smaller than a radius of the second ball-shaped areal segment and in which the first ball-shaped areal segment is arranged adjacent to the keyhole, or
d2. the first areal segment is formed conically or ball-shaped and the second areal segment is formed conically or ball-shaped, wherein in the case of two conical areal segments, a cone angle of the first areal segment is smaller than a cone angle of the second areal segment, or
d3. the first areal segment is formed ball-shaped having a diameter which is smaller than a diameter of the supporting section, and in which the second areal segment is formed truncated cone-like so that the supporting section is tangentially engageable by the second areal segment.

2. Coupling according to claim 1 , in which the keyhole comprises an inserting section and a locking groove, in which the inserting section forms a through-passage portion for the holding head of the coupling bolt and a width of the locking groove is smaller than a diameter of the holding head and larger than a thickness of the tapered web.

3. Coupling according to claim 2 , in which the abutting portion of the holder is adapted to the shape of the supporting section of the coupling bolt so that the coupling bolt and the holder support each other at least partly in the locked condition.

4. Coupling according to claim 3 , in which the abutting portion has the shape of a ball socket, in a lateral surface of which the keyhole is formed.

5. Method for connecting a first and a second component by a form-fit working coupling, comprising the following features: a coupling bolt comprising a fastening end, a holding head and a supporting section arranged therebetween, in which the holding head and the supporting section are connected to each other by a web which is tapered with respect to the holding head and the supporting section, wherein the holding head and the supporting section protrude in radial or lateral direction beyond a cross-section of the web, and the fastening end is fastenable at the first component and a holder having a keyhole and an abutting portion, in which an edge of the keyhole encloses a non-planar surface, the coupling bolt is lockable in a form-fit manner in the keyhole by an inserting-pivoting-movement and the holder is fastenable at the second component by a fastening structure,
wherein the method comprises the following steps:
a. inserting the holding head into an inserting section of the keyhole so that the supporting section abuts the holder, and
b. pivoting the coupling bolt relative to the holder so that the tapered web between the holding head and the supporting section is arranged at least in a form-fit manner in a locking groove of the keyhole so that the holding head and the supporting section each form an undercut in longitudinal direction of the coupling bolt and the holder may be supported at the holding head and the supporting section of the coupling bolt in opposite directions wherein the supporting section is formed ball-shaped and is received in a ball socket-like abutting portion so that forces between the coupling bolt and the holder are transferred partly areally.

6. Method according to claim 5 , having the further step:
spring pre-tensioning the supporting section of the coupling bolt against the abutting portion of the holder by pivoting the tapered web in the locking groove.

7. Method according to claim 6 , wherein the supporting section is formed ball-shaped and is received in the ball socket-like abutting portion so that forces between the coupling bolt and the holder are transferred partly areally.

8. Method according to claim 6 , comprising the further step:
Creating a further connection between the first and the second component at the end of the pivoting movement, preferably by a plug-in coupling.

9. A first and a second component which are connected to each other, comprising the following features:
a. a coupling bolt comprising a fastening end, a holding head and a supporting section arranged therebetween, in which the holding head and the supporting section are connected to each other by a web which is tapered with respect to the holding head and the supporting section, and the fastening end is fastenable at the first component,
b. a holder having a keyhole and an abutting portion in which an edge of the keyhole encloses a non-planar surface, wherein the abutting portion consists of at least a second and a first areal segment, which each face the supporting section and which are arranged at least partly symmetrically around the lockingly arrangeable coupling bolt, and wherein the abutting portion is formed at least two-staged with respect to a longitudinal axis of a coupling bolt, which can be arranged in the keyhole in a locked manner, so that the abutting portion between the holding head and the supporting section of the coupling bolt is mechanically braceable, and wherein the coupling bolt is lockable in a form-fit manner in the keyhole by an inserting-pivoting-movement and the holder is fastenable at the second component by a fastening structure, wherein
c. the holding head and the supporting section protrude in a radial or lateral direction beyond a cross-section of the web, and each form an undercut in a longitudinal direction of the coupling bolt so that the holder may be supported at the holding head and the supporting section of the locked coupling bolt in opposite directions, wherein
d1. the areal segments of the abutting portion are formed ball-shaped and a radius of the first ball-shaped areal segment is smaller than a radius of the second ball-shaped areal segment and in which the first ball-shaped areal segment is arranged adjacent to the keyhole, or
d2. the first areal segment is formed conically or ball-shaped and the second areal segment is formed conically or ball-shaped, wherein in the case of two conical areal segments, a cone angle of the first areal segment is

Assignees

• Boellhoff Verbindungstechnik Gmbh

Inventors

• Heimann Vanessa
• Vorderwisch Alexander

Classifications

• F16B21/09 Primary

  Releasable fastening devices with a stud engaging a keyhole slot · CPC title

• Y10T403/32565

  Ball and socket with restricted movement about one axis · 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

• F16C11/106

  for ball joints · CPC title

• Y10T403/32573

  Ball stud passes through confining opening · CPC title