A floating nut structure and its installation and use method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a floating nut structure, comprising: a nut having a flange; an upper plate, which is sleeved on the outside of the nut and interference-fitted with the outer wall of the nut, and a pair of concave U-shaped notches are symmetrically provided on opposite sides of the upper plate; a lower plate, which has a through hole in the center and is sleeved on the outside of the flange of the nut, and a gap is provided between the through hole and the outer wall of the flange of the nut, and a pair of first claws are provided on the lower plate corresponding to the pair of U-shaped notches, and the first claws are fitted in the U-shaped notches and are arranged to be movable in both the horizontal and vertical planes along the U-shaped notches. The present invention also discloses a method for installing and using a floating nut structure. The floating nut of the present invention has a simple structure and is easy to use. By providing a movable gap between the upper plate, the lower plate and the movable nut, effective installation of components is achieved, which greatly improves production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automobile technology, and more particularly to a floating nut structure and an installation and use method thereof. Background Art

[0002] During the final assembly of the vehicle body and chassis, when a component needs to be installed on another component, it is generally connected through standard bolts and nuts or bolts and fixing screw holes. These two connection methods have a common problem, that is, the holes on a component and the holes on the mounting part are often misaligned, the axes between the two holes are not on the same straight line, or a certain assembly part and the assembled part have multiple holes that need to be installed. This problem is even more serious, resulting in the inability to effectively install other components due to the accumulation of production and assembly tolerances in automobile production, thereby reducing production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One purpose of the present invention is to provide a floating nut structure and an installation and use method thereof. The floating nut has a simple structure and is easy to use. By setting a movable gap between the upper plate, the lower plate and the movable nut, effective installation of components is achieved, greatly improving production efficiency.

[0004] In order to achieve these purposes and other advantages according to the present invention, a floating nut structure is provided, including: a nut having a flange; an upper plate, which is sleeved on the outside of the nut and interference fits with the outer side wall of the nut, and a pair of concave U-shaped notches are symmetrically provided on opposite sides of the upper plate; a lower plate, which has a through hole in the center and is sleeved outside the flange of the nut, and there is a gap between the through hole and the outer side wall of the flange of the nut, and a pair of first claws are provided on the lower plate corresponding to the pair of U-shaped notches, and the first claws are fitted in the U-shaped notch and are arranged to be movable in the horizontal plane and the vertical plane along the U-shaped notch.

[0005] Preferably, the center of the nut has a threaded hole, the nut is a hexagonal structure, and the flange is a circular structure.

[0006] Preferably, the upper plate has a through hole in the center, and a plurality of second claws are arranged circumferentially thereof. The second claws are integrally formed with the upper plate, and the second claws are plate-like structures that protrude toward the nut side and outward from the side surface of the upper plate. The upper plate is interference fit with the outer side wall of the nut through a plurality of second claws.

[0007] Preferably, four second claws are symmetrically arranged and arranged along the direction of a pair of U-shaped notches.

[0008] Preferably, a plurality of third claws are arranged circumferentially of the through hole of the lower plate and are integrally formed with the lower plate. The third claw is a plate-like structure inclined toward the nut. There is a gap between the third claw and the nut, and there is a gap between the vertex of the third claw and the upper plate.

[0009] Preferably, the number of the third clamping claws is four and they are symmetrically arranged along the direction of the pair of first clamping claws.

[0010] Preferably, the first clamping claw includes a vertical part, a curved part and a limiting part which are connected in sequence as one body, and the three constitute an S-shaped plate structure. The width of the first clamping claw is smaller than the width of the U-shaped notch. The bottom of the vertical part is integrally formed with the lower plate. The concave arc surface of the curved part is arranged toward the nut, and the limiting part is also arranged in an arc shape and is located above the upper plate.

[0011] Preferably, the through hole of the lower plate is recessed inward to form a groove for fixing the vertical portion of the first claw.

[0012] The present invention also provides a method for installing and using a floating nut structure, comprising the following steps:

[0013] Step 1: Pass the nut through the threaded hole through the positioning pin on the workbench, and place the nut on the workbench with the flange bottom facing downwards;

[0014] Step 2: Pass the lower plate through the nut through its central through hole and place it outside the flange of the nut, so that the bottom surface of the lower plate falls on the workbench;

[0015] Step 3: Place the upper plate on the pressing head of the press and start press fitting. Clamp the nut with the second claw on the upper plate. The gap between the concave arc surface of the curved part of the first claw and the bottom surface of the U-shaped notch and the gap between the first claw and the two sides of the U-shaped notch are the horizontal range of motion of the nut. The gap between the third claw on the lower plate and the upper plate, the height of the vertical part of the first claw, and the gap between the node between the curved part of the first claw and the limit part and the upper plate are the vertical range of motion of the nut.

[0016] Step 4: After the press-fitting is completed, remove the upper and lower plates.

[0017] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0018] 1. The floating nut of the present invention has a simple structure and is easy to install and use. Through the movable gap set between the upper plate, the lower plate and the movable nut, it has a multi-directional movable range, realizes the effective installation of components, and greatly improves production efficiency.

[0019] 2. Compared with other similar floating nut structures, the present invention solves the problem of nuts easily falling off after assembly. The floating nut structure of the present invention is not easy to fall off after assembly. Other similar nut structures use a clearance fit between the components during assembly, and each component has a large movable space. When dynamically transported, the movable nut often falls off. The present invention uses an interference fit between the components, with four interference contact points. It has been verified that the nut will not fall off regardless of static or dynamic transportation.

[0020] 3. Compared to other similar floating nut structures that are generally mounted on the vehicle body, the floating nut structure of the present invention can be mounted on both the vehicle body and the chassis. Due to the high strength and quality requirements of chassis structural components, the location where the floating nut is mounted often cannot be repaired or the cost of repair is high. If other similar structures are used, if the nut falls off, the chassis structural component will be scrapped or a large amount of manpower and material resources will be spent on repairing the chassis structural component. If the floating nut structure of the present invention is used, the above problems will not occur. The advantage of the structure of the present application is that the nut is not easy to fall off.

[0021] Other advantages, objectives and features of the present invention will be reflected in part from the following description and will be understood by those skilled in the art through study and practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention after assembly;

[0023] Figure 2 It is the explosion diagram of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 A top view of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention after assembly from another angle;

[0026] Figure 5 A bottom view of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the floating nut installation of the present invention.

[0028] Description of reference numerals:

[0029] 1. Nut, 2. Flange, 3. Upper plate, 4. Lower plate, 5. First jaw, 6. Second jaw, 7. Third jaw, 8. U-shaped notch, 9. Vertical part, 10. Bending part, 11. Limiting part, 12. Workbench, 13. Press head. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The present invention will be described in further detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can implement the invention with reference to the description.

[0031] It should be noted that the experimental methods described in the following embodiments are conventional methods unless otherwise specified, and the reagents and materials are commercially available unless otherwise specified; in the description of the present invention, the terms "horizontal", "longitudinal", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the present invention.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the present invention provides a floating nut structure, including: a nut 1, which has a flange 2; an upper plate 3, which is sleeved on the outside of the nut 1 and interference fits with the outer wall of the nut 1, and a pair of concave U-shaped notches 8 are symmetrically provided on the opposite sides of the upper plate 3; a lower plate 4, which has a through hole in the center and is sleeved outside the flange 2 of the nut 1, and there is a gap between the through hole and the outer wall of the flange 2 of the nut 1, and a pair of first claws 5 are provided on the lower plate 4 corresponding to the pair of U-shaped notches 8, and the first claws 5 are fitted in the U-shaped notch 8 and are arranged to be movable in the horizontal plane and the vertical plane along the U-shaped notch 8.

[0033] In the above technical solution, the present application provides a floating nut 1 structure for automobile body and chassis structural parts. The upper plate 3 is used to engage with the nut 1. The first claw 5 is elastic and will not deform after extrusion and assembly. The upper plate 3 can move horizontally within the first claw 5 through its U-shaped notch 8. There is a gap between the upper plate 3 and the lower plate 4, which allows vertical movement, thereby enabling the nut 1 to move in all directions.

[0034] In another technical solution, the nut 1 has a threaded hole at its center, is hexagonal in structure, and has a circular flange 2. The hexagonal upper end surface of the nut 1 increases the contact surface between the second claw 6 provided on the upper plate 3 and the outer wall of the nut 1, achieving a better interference fit.

[0035] In another technical solution, the center of the upper plate 3 has a through hole, and a plurality of second claws 6 are arranged around it. The second claws 6 are integrally formed with the upper plate 3. The second claws 6 are plate-like structures that protrude toward the nut 1 and outward from the side of the upper plate 3. The upper plate 3 is interference-fitted with the outer wall of the nut 1 through the plurality of second claws 6. The second claws 6 play the role of clamping the nut 1 to prevent the nut 1 from falling off. The plurality of second claws 6 achieve a tight engagement with the nut 1 through multiple points of action. The assembly of the various components of this product structure adopts an interference fit. The use of a claw structure has a small contact surface, and the force required for assembly is small. The requirements for assembly equipment are low, and it is easy and quick to assemble. If a shaft and hole structure is used, the contact surface is large, the pressure required for assembly is large, and the requirements for assembly equipment are high. During the rapid assembly process, the upper plate 3 and the lower plate 4 may be deformed, the qualified rate is low, and manpower and material resources are wasted.

[0036] In another technical solution, four second claws 6 are symmetrically arranged and arranged along the direction of a pair of U-shaped notches 8. The upper plate 3 is a long strip-shaped plate structure, and the four second claws 6 are also symmetrically distributed on both sides of the upper plate 3 along the length direction of the upper plate 3.

[0037] In another technical solution, multiple third claws 7 are provided circumferentially around the through-hole of the lower plate 4 and are integrally formed with the lower plate 4. The third claws 7 are plate-like structures inclined toward the nut 1, with a gap between the third claws 7 and the nut 1, and a gap between the apex of the third claw 7 and the upper plate 3. The lower plate 4 is movable, and the upper plate 3 and nut 1 are locked together. The gaps between the third claws 7 and the nut 1, and between the third claws 7 and the upper plate 3, serve to control the movement distance of the nut 1.

[0038] In another technical solution, four third claws 7 are provided and are symmetrically arranged along the direction of the pair of first claws 5. The lower plate 4 is also a long strip plate structure, and the four third claws 7 correspond exactly one to one with the four second claws 6 provided above in the vertical direction.

[0039] In another technical solution, the first clamping claw 5 includes a vertical portion 9, a curved portion 10 and a limiting portion 11 which are connected in sequence as one body, and the three constitute an S-shaped plate structure. The width of the first clamping claw 5 is smaller than the width of the U-shaped notch 8. The bottom of the vertical portion 9 is integrally formed with the lower plate 4. The concave arc surface of the curved portion 10 is set toward the nut 1, and the limiting portion 11 is also set to be arc-shaped and is located above the upper plate 3.

[0040] In the above technical solution, the vertical portion 9 of the first jaw 5 and the gap between the third jaw 7 and the upper plate 3 both control the vertical movement range of the nut 1. The gaps between the curved portion 10 of the first jaw 5 and the sides and bottom of the U-shaped notch 8 control the horizontal movement range of the nut 1. The stopper 11 of the first jaw 5 holds the upper plate 3 in place, preventing it from falling off, while also limiting the vertical movement range of the nut 1.

[0041] In another technical solution, the through hole of the lower plate 4 is recessed inward to form a groove for fixing the vertical portion 9 of the first claw 5. The first claw 5 is located between a pair of adjacent third claws 7, and the through hole of the lower plate 4 is arranged so that both the first claw 5 and the third claw 7 extend outward and upward from the through hole.

[0042] The present invention also provides a method for installing and using a floating nut 1 structure, comprising the following steps:

[0043] Step 1: The nut 1 passes through the locating pin on the workbench 12 through its threaded hole, and the flange 2 of the nut 1 falls downward on the workbench 12;

[0044] Step 2: The lower plate 4 passes through the nut 1 through its central through hole and is located outside the flange 2 of the nut 1, so that the bottom surface of the lower plate 4 falls on the workbench 12;

[0045] Step 3, place the upper plate 3 on the pressing head 13 of the press, and start press fitting. The nut 1 is clamped by the second claw 6 on the upper plate 3. The gap between the concave arc surface of the curved portion 10 of the first claw 5 and the bottom surface of the U-shaped notch 8, as well as the gap between the first claw 5 and the two sides of the U-shaped notch 8 are the horizontal range of motion of the nut 1. The gap between the third claw 7 on the lower plate 4 and the upper plate 3, the height of the vertical portion 9 of the first claw 5, and the gap between the node of the curved portion 10 of the first claw 5 and the limiting portion 11 and the upper plate 3 are the vertical range of motion of the nut 1.

[0046] Step 4: After the press-fitting is completed, remove the upper plate 3 and the lower plate 4.

[0047] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed above, they are not limited to the applications listed in the description and implementation methods. They can be fully applied to various fields suitable for the present invention. For those familiar with the art, additional modifications can be easily implemented. Therefore, without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and the scope of equivalents, the present invention is not limited to the specific details and illustrations shown and described herein.

Claims

1. A floating nut structure, characterized in that: include: a nut having a flange; An upper plate is sleeved on the outside of the nut and is interference-fitted with the outer wall of the nut, and a pair of inwardly concave U-shaped notches are symmetrically provided on opposite sides of the upper plate; A lower plate having a through hole at its center and sleeved on the outside of the flange of the nut, with a gap between the through hole and the outer side wall of the flange of the nut, and a pair of first claws provided at positions on the lower plate corresponding to the pair of U-shaped notches, the first claws being engaged in the U-shaped notches and being configured to be movable in both the horizontal and vertical planes along the U-shaped notches; A third claw is provided circumferentially around the through hole of the lower plate and is integrally formed with the lower plate. The third claw is a plate-shaped structure inclined toward the nut. There is a gap between the third claw and the nut, and there is a gap between the vertex of the third claw and the upper plate. There are four third claws and they are symmetrically arranged along the direction of the pair of first claws; The first clamping claw includes a vertical part, a curved part and a limiting part which are connected in sequence as one body, and the three constitute an S-shaped plate structure. The width of the first clamping claw is smaller than the width of the U-shaped notch. The bottom of the vertical part is integrally formed with the lower plate. The concave arc surface of the curved part is set toward the nut. The limiting part is also set to an arc shape and is located above the upper plate.

2. The floating nut structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The center of the nut is provided with a threaded hole, the nut is a hexagonal structure, and the flange is a circular structure.

3. The floating nut structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper plate has a through hole in the center and is circumferentially provided with a plurality of second claws. The second claws are integrally formed with the upper plate. The second claws are plate-like structures that protrude toward the nut side and outward from the side surface of the upper plate. The upper plate is interference fit with the outer side wall of the nut through the plurality of second claws.

4. The floating nut structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The four second claws are symmetrically arranged and arranged along the direction of a pair of U-shaped notches.

5. The floating nut structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The through hole of the lower plate is recessed inwardly to form a groove for fixing the vertical portion of the first claw.

6. A method for installing and using the floating nut structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The steps include: Step 1: Pass the nut through the threaded hole through the positioning pin on the workbench, and place the nut on the workbench with the flange bottom facing downwards; Step 2: Pass the lower plate through the nut through its central through hole and place it outside the flange of the nut, so that the bottom surface of the lower plate falls on the workbench; Step 3: Place the upper plate on the pressing head of the press and start press fitting. Clamp the nut with the second claw on the upper plate. The gap between the concave arc surface of the curved part of the first claw and the bottom surface of the U-shaped notch and the gap between the first claw and the two sides of the U-shaped notch are the horizontal range of motion of the nut. The gap between the third claw on the lower plate and the upper plate, the height of the vertical part of the first claw, and the gap between the node between the curved part of the first claw and the limit part and the upper plate are the vertical range of motion of the nut. Step 4: After the press-fitting is completed, remove the upper and lower plates.

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