Method for fastening a first component to a second component of a vehicle and corresponding fastening device

Abstract

A method for fastening a first component (1) to a second component (2) of a vehicle (10), comprising the steps: a) arranging the first component (1) on the second component (2); b) inserting a fastening device (3) from the first component (1) into a recess (11) of the first component (1) and into a recess (12) of the second component (2) along an axis of rotation (20) of the fastening device (3) such that a pin (15) of the fastening device (3) is guided through the recess (11) of the first component (1) and through the recess (12) of the second component (2), at least one wing (8) of the fastening device (3) rests on the second component (2), and a head (6) of the fastening device (3) is arranged above the first component (1); and c) rotating the fastening device (3) about the axis of rotation (20) such that the at least one wing (8) is positioned between the first component (1) and the second component (2). component (2) is pushed,to prevent the first component (1) from resting on the second component (2), the first component (1) is clamped between the at least one wing (8) and the head (6), causing the fastening device (3) to spread, thereby forming a clamping connection between the fastening device (3) and the second component (2).

Description

The present invention relates to a method for fastening a first component, which is arranged on a second component, to this second component, as well as a corresponding fastening device and a vehicle which has such a fastening device. According to the state of the art, numerous fastening devices are known for fastening two components together, see for example DE 103 28 692 A1 , DE 10 2005 056 209 A1 , US 7 614 836 B2 , US 4 047 266 A , DE 200 01 945 U1 , DE 60 2005 001 799 T2 , DE 10 2008 028 382 A1 , DE 27 55 674 A1 . Furthermore, fastening devices are known from the publications DE 10 2008 028 382 A1 and DE 44 04 746 A1. However, these known fastening devices have two disadvantages: either the two components to be fastened are pressed together after the fastening device is installed, which can lead to chafing effects due to relative movement of the components; or the known fastening devices require numerous assembly steps, making the installation of the corresponding fastening device time-consuming. Therefore, the present invention aims to fasten two components together without these two components lying on top of each other after fastening, and wherein the fastening according to the invention can be assembled in just a few assembly steps. According to the invention, this problem is solved by a method for fastening a first component to a second component according to claim 1, by a fastening device according to claim 4, and by a vehicle according to claim 13. The dependent claims define preferred and advantageous embodiments of the present invention. Within the scope of the present invention, a method for fastening a first component to a second component of a vehicle is provided. This method comprises the following steps, which are to be carried out in the specified order. Step 1: The first component is positioned on the second component. This step is, of course, unnecessary if the components are already positioned on top of each other. Step 2: A fastening device is inserted from the first component into a recess of the first component and into a recess of the second component in the direction of an axis of rotation of the fastening device, such that the following occurs: A mandrel (i.e., an elongated part) of the fastening device extending along the axis of rotation is guided through the recess of the first component and through the recess of the second component. At least one wing (i.e.,One or more wings of the fastening device rest on the second component. A head of the fastening device is positioned above the first component. Step 3: The fastening device is rotated around its axis of rotation, particularly by turning the head 90° if it has two wings. This rotation of the fastening device alone causes the following: The at least one wing is pushed between the first and second components, preventing the first component from resting on the second. The first component is clamped between the at least one wing and the head. The fastening device is spread, creating a clamping connection between the fastening device and the second component. The method according to the invention has the following advantages: After the mounting device is installed, the two components are decoupled, preventing them from rubbing against each other even if they move relative to each other. If one of the components is a painted sheet metal part, this prevents corrosion caused by abrasion. To fasten the two components, only one fastening device needs to be handled, whereas according to the state of the art, especially when decoupling of the components is to be achieved, two or more fastening devices are usually necessary. To fasten the stacked components, the fastening device only needs to be inserted through the overlapping recesses of the first and second components and then rotated to secure the two components together. According to the prior art, more than two process steps are necessary, especially if the components are decoupled after the fastening device has been installed. The recess of the first component is designed such that the at least one wing, which in particular projects perpendicularly from the mandrel to the axis of rotation, can be guided through the recess of the first component if the fastening device has a specific first radial orientation with respect to its axis of rotation and is inserted into the recess in the direction of this axis of rotation. If, on the other hand, the fastening device has a different specific second radial orientation with respect to its axis of rotation, which, for example, in the case of two wings, is rotated by 90° relative to the first radial orientation about the axis of rotation, the wing(s) cannot be guided through the recess of the first component if the fastening device is to be inserted into this recess in the direction of the axis of rotation. The recess of the second component is designed such that, during the insertion step of the fastening device, the mandrel, together with the expanding arms of the fastening device which extend along the axis of rotation next to the mandrel, can be guided through this recess when the fastening device is in its first radial orientation. When the fastening device is rotated about the axis of rotation, the expanding arms are pushed outwards by the rotation of the mandrel, whereby a clamping connection between the expanding arms and this recess is also created due to the dimensions of the recess in the second component. Within the scope of the present invention, a fastening device for attaching a first component to a second component is also provided. The fastening device comprises a base body and an expanding body. The base body, in turn, comprises a mandrel extending in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the base body, at least one wing (i.e., one wing or more wings), and a head. The wing or wings extend outwards from the mandrel (in particular perpendicular to the longitudinal axis). The head is formed at one end of the mandrel and thus forms an end of the fastening device in the direction of the longitudinal axis. In a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the head has a larger area than the mandrel. The expanding body is rotatably mounted about the mandrel and has at least two expanding arms extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis. During assembly of the fastening device, the fastening device is inserted from the first component into the recess of the first component and into the recess of the second component, so that the mandrel, together with the spreading arms, is at least partially guided through both recesses, the wing(s) rest on the second component, and the head is positioned above the first component. By rotating the fastening device from its head, the mandrel rotates relative to the spreading arms, which cannot rotate due to the dimensions of the recess in the second component. Since the mandrel has a cross-section (e.g.,(with a rectangular cross-section) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, so that the spreading arms are spread outwards when the mandrel is rotated by the mandrel, the clamping connection between the fastening device (the spreading arms) and the second component is achieved solely through the rotation of the fastening device. Furthermore, the wings are pushed between the first and second components by the rotation of the fastening device, and the first component is clamped between the wings and the head. The assembly of the fastening device thus achieves the advantages of the method according to the invention that have already been described. To facilitate insertion of the wing(s) between the first and second components, each wing(s) can have a taper or wedge (bevel) at the end that first contacts the first component when the fastening device is rotated. Furthermore, the first component can have a taper or bevel at the edge of the recess at the points where the corresponding wing first contacts the first component when the fastening device is rotated, to further facilitate insertion of the wing between the first and second components. The spreading body may include an auxiliary connection which connects one end of a spreading arm to one end of another spreading arm in such a way that the auxiliary connection extends longitudinally over the end of the mandrel opposite the head when the spreading body is engaged with the base body. The auxiliary connection facilitates the insertion of the fastening device into the recesses of the first and second components and prevents premature spreading of the spreading arms. In particular, an anchor, which is formed longitudinally at the end of the mandrel opposite the head of the fastening device, prevents the base body and the expansion body from separating in the assembled state (the expansion body is rotated relative to the base body) if, for example, the head of the base body is pulled. In other words, the anchor prevents the components from being separated in the assembled state by ensuring that the base body cannot be detached from the expansion body by pulling. Furthermore, the anchor facilitates the insertion of the fastening device into the recesses of the first and second components. Furthermore, the fastening device may include an anti-rotation device to prevent unintentional twisting of the expanding body relative to the base body before the fastening device is mounted. Since the rotation of the expanding body relative to the base body may only occur after the fastening device has been inserted into the recesses of the first and second components, in order to form the clamping connection between the second component and the expanding arms of the expanding body, the expanding body and the base body must have a predetermined orientation upon insertion. The anti-rotation device according to the invention serves to ensure this orientation. In a preferred embodiment, the spreading body has a disc-like head with a recess through which the mandrel can be inserted and from which the spreading arms extend substantially along the longitudinal axis. By means of a clip connection, the disc-like head can be engaged with the base body in such a way that the spreading body is supported about the longitudinal axis relative to the mandrel (and thus the base body), but axial displacement (i.e., displacement along the longitudinal axis) of the spreading body relative to the base body is prevented. The connection by which the disc-like head can be brought into engagement with the base body can be achieved, for example, by an undercut. According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the disc-like head of the spreading body has at least one recess and the base body has at least one protrusion. According to a variant of this embodiment, the base body has at least one recess and the disc-like head of the spreading body has at least one protrusion. The at least one protrusion can engage with the at least one recess, thereby preventing the unintentional rotation of the spreading body relative to the base body. The recess(s) and protrusion(s) are arranged such that one or more of the protrusions engage with a corresponding number of recesses when the expanding body is engaged with the base body and is aligned with the base body in such a way that the expanding arms are not forced outwards by the mandrel. In other words, the recess(s) and protrusion(s) ensure that the expanding body is positioned relative to the base body as required for mounting the fastening device and prevent the expanding body from being unintentionally rotated relative to the base body before installation. The disc-shaped head or base body has, in particular, a number of depressions arranged circularly around the longitudinal axis. Each circular arc between two adjacent depressions has an angle β according to the following equation (1): Here, n corresponds to the even number of depressions. The other component, consisting of the base body and the disc-shaped head, has n / 2 protrusions, which are also arranged circularly around the longitudinal axis (or are equidistant from the longitudinal axis). An arc of a circle between these n protrusions has an angle of 2*β. When the fastening device is in a so-called delivery state (i.e., a ready-to-install state), the n / 2 protrusions of the base body (disc-shaped head) engage with n / 2 recesses of the disc-shaped head (base body). Conversely, when the fastening device is in a spreading state (i.e., a mounted state or a state in which the fastening device secures the first and second components), the n / 2 protrusions engage with the other n / 2 recesses. The specified angle between the recesses or protrusions may also have a certain tolerance of approximately 1 / 2.exhibit ±10%, so that the corresponding angle may be 10% larger or smaller than defined by equation (1) above. In other words, the n (e.g. four) recesses and the n / 2 (e.g. two) protrusions ensure that the expanding body is not unintentionally rotated relative to the base body either before assembly (in the delivery state) or after assembly (in the expanded state). Finally, the present invention discloses a vehicle with a fastening device according to the invention. The present invention is particularly suitable for mounting a sheet metal panel to a wheel arch liner of a vehicle. Of course, the present invention is not limited to this preferred field of application, since it is also suitable for fastening any two components to one another outside of vehicle construction, wherein the components are designed in a plate-like manner where the recess is located. The present invention is described in detail below with reference to preferred embodiments and the figures. Fig. 1 shows a fastening device according to the invention in the delivered state, viewed from the side in perspective. Fig. 2 shows the fastening device shown in Fig. 1 in the spread state, viewed obliquely from below in perspective. Fig. 3 shows the first component with a recess, which is arranged on the second component with a recess before the fastening device according to the invention is mounted. Fig. 4 shows a fastening device according to the invention in cross-section, which is inserted into the recesses of the first and second components but has not yet been rotated. Fig. 5 shows the fastening device of Fig. 4 in a different cross-section, after the fastening device has been rotated 90° about the longitudinal axis relative to Fig. 4.Figure 6 shows a partially enlarged view of the clip connection between the spreading body and the base body of a fastening device according to the invention. Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the spreading body from below. Figure 8 shows a vehicle according to the invention with two fastening devices according to the invention. Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a fastening device 3 according to the invention in its as-delivered state. The fastening device 3 consists of a base body 4 and an expanding body 5, which is rotatably engaged with the base body 4 about a longitudinal axis 20 (see Figs. 4 and 5). The base body 4 comprises a head 6, two wings 8, a pin 15, and an anchor 13, which is located at the end of the pin 15 opposite the head 6. The expanding body 5 consists of a disc-shaped head 9, on which two expanding arms 7, extending longitudinally downwards, are formed. The two lower ends of the expanding arms 7 are connected by means of an auxiliary connection 14. The auxiliary connection 14 serves, firstly, to facilitate the insertion of the fastening device 3 into the recesses 11, 12 (see Figs. 3, 4 to 5).5) to support, and secondly to prevent accidental pre-spreading of the spreading arms 7, which would make the insertion step more difficult. In the delivery state shown in Fig. 1, the fastening device 3 is delivered for mounting two components 1, 2 (see for example Fig. 4 and Fig. 5). In Fig. 2, the fastening device 3 shown in Fig. 1 is depicted in an expanded state or a mounted state, although for illustrative reasons the expanding arms 7 are shown in a relaxed state. To change the fastening device 3 from the delivery state of Fig. 1 to the expanded state of Fig. 2, the base body 4 is rotated 90° clockwise (looking down at the head 6). Since the spreading body 5 is prevented from rotating by the recess 12 of the second component 2 (see Fig. 3, Fig. 4 to Fig. 5), the base body 4 and thus the mandrel 15 rotate relative to the spreading body 5 and thus the spreading arms 7. Due to the essentially rectangular cross-section (perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 20) of the mandrel 15, the two spreading arms 7 are spread by the mandrel 15 (the longer side of the rectangle now lies between the spreading arms 7) in the spread state (see Fig.2) pushed outwards (which, as already explained, is not visible in Fig. 2 due to the relaxed state). By pushing the spreading arms 7 outwards, a clamping connection is created between the fastening device 3 and the component 2. By rotating the base body 4, the anchor 13 also rotates relative to the spreading arms 7 in such a way that the base body 4, in the assembled state (see Fig. 2), can no longer be separated from the spreading body 5 by pulling. If, for example, a pull is exerted on the head 6 of the base body 4, the spreading arms 7 prevent the anchor 13 from moving upwards (in Fig. 2), which also prevents the base body 4 from moving upwards and thus from being separated from the spreading body 5. This ensures a secure fastening of the components 1 and 2. In Fig. 3, the first component 1 is shown lying on top of the second component 2. The first component 1 has a substantially rectangular recess 11, while the second component 2 has a substantially square recess 12. The components are arranged one above the other such that the centers of the two recesses are substantially aligned. The recess 11 is adapted to a cross-section of the wings 8 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 20 such that when the fastening device 3 is inserted into the recesses 11, 12, only two orientations of the fastening device 3 are possible, each resulting from a 180° rotation of the fastening device 3 about the longitudinal axis 20. Figure 4 shows the fastening device 3 and components 1 and 2 in cross-section. Figure 4 depicts the fastening device 3 in its delivered state, with the fastening device 3 inserted into the recesses 11 and 12. The spreading arms 7 lie above and below the mandrel 15 (i.e., outside the plane of representation), so that the spreading arms 7 are not visible in Figure 4. Reference numeral 21 in Figure 4 indicates a tapered section of the wings 8, which facilitates the insertion of the wings 8 between the first component 1 and the second component 2. In Fig. 5, the fastening device 3 and the components 1 and 2 are also shown in cross-section. Fig. 5 shows the fastening device 3 in the spread state, i.e., the base body 4 is rotated by 90° compared to Fig. 4. Since the section shown in Fig. 5 is also rotated by 90° about the longitudinal axis 20 compared to the section shown in Fig. 4, the spreader arms 7 are visible in Fig. 5, even though the spreader arms 7 cannot rotate about the longitudinal axis due to the dimensions of the recess 12 in the second component 2. Similar to Fig. 2, the spreader arms 7 are shown in a relaxed state in Fig. 5, which can be seen from the fact that the mandrel 15 and the spreader arms 7 overlap in Fig. 5.This means that the spreading arms 7 are pushed outwards by the rotation of the base body 4 relative to the spreading body 5 (and thus the spreading arms 7) in accordance with this overlap, in order to form a clamping connection with the edges of the recess 12 of the second component 2 and thus with the second component 2. In Fig. 5, the wings 8 are arranged between the first component 1 and the second component 2. Furthermore, the first component 1 is clamped between the head 6 and the wings 8, which is illustrated by the overlapping of the head 6 and the first component 1. This spring action of the head 6 serves to compensate for manufacturing tolerances regarding the thicknesses of component 1 and / or component 2. In the assembled state, the first component 1 and the second component 2 are connected to the fastening device 3 by corresponding clamping connections, which also connects the first component 1 and the second component 2 to each other. Furthermore, the first component 1 is decoupled from the second component 2 by the wings 8, which advantageously prevents the first component 1 from rubbing against the second component 2 when the first component 1 moves relative to the second component 2. Figure 6 shows the clip connection between the base body 4 and the spreader body 5 in detail. A recess 17 in the area of ​​the head 6 of the base body 4 has an undercut, and the disc-shaped head 9 of the spreader body 5 also has a corresponding undercut (an angle α < 90°). This allows the disc-shaped head 9 to be clamped into the recess 17. This connection provides axial protection against loss of the spreader body 5 relative to the base body 4 by means of the undercut 16. In other words, the spreader body 5 is locked to the base body 4 to prevent axial displacement of the spreader body 5 relative to the base body 4. In Fig. 7, the expanding body 5 is shown in perspective from below. A recess 19 in the disc-shaped head 9 is visible, through which the mandrel 15 of the base body 4 can be guided to engage the base body 4 and the expanding body 5, as shown in Fig. 6. To prevent radial rotation (rotation of the expanding body 5 relative to the base body 4 about the longitudinal axis 20) both in the as-delivered state and in the expanded state, two diagonally opposite recesses in the disc-shaped head 9 engage with corresponding protrusions (not shown) in the head 6 of the base body 4. During assembly, this engagement is released by applying a sufficiently large rotational force about the longitudinal axis 20. This rotational force can be applied, for example, by means of a screw drive profile (e.g.,Torx, Allen) are applied to the head 8 of the base body in conjunction with a tool which engages in the screw drive profile. Finally, Fig. 8 shows a vehicle 10 according to the invention with two fastening devices 3 according to the invention, each of which mounts a wheel arch liner as component 1 (e.g., made of plastic) to a sheet metal part 2 of the vehicle 10. If, for example, the sheet metal part is painted, the fastening device ensures that the wheel arch liner 1 does not rub against the sheet metal part 2.

Claims

A method for fastening a first component (1) to a second component (2) of a vehicle (10), comprising the steps: a) arranging the first component (1) on the second component (2); b) inserting a fastening device (3) from the first component (1) into a recess (11) of the first component (1) and into a recess (12) of the second component (2) along an axis of rotation (20) of the fastening device (3) such that a pin (15) of the fastening device (3) is guided through the recess (11) of the first component (1) and through the recess (12) of the second component (2), at least one wing (8) of the fastening device (3) rests on the second component (2), and a head (6) of the fastening device (3) is arranged above the first component (1); and c) rotating the fastening device (3) about the axis of rotation (20) such that the at least one wing (8) is positioned between the first component (1) and the second component (2). component (2) is pushed,to prevent the first component (1) from resting on the second component (2), the first component (1) is clamped between the at least one wing (8) and the head (6), causing the fastening device (3) to spread, thereby forming a clamping connection between the fastening device (3) and the second component (2). Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the recess (11) of the first component (1) is designed such that the at least one wing (8) can be passed through the recess (11) of the first component (1) in a predetermined first radial orientation of the fastening device (3) with respect to the axis of rotation (20), and that the at least one wing (8) cannot be passed through the recess (11) of the first component (1) in a predetermined second radial orientation of the fastening device (3) with respect to the axis of rotation (20). Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the recess (12) of the second component (2) is designed such that in step b the mandrel (15) together with at least two spreading arms (7) of the fastening device (3), which extend along the axis of rotation (20) next to the mandrel (15), can be passed through the recess (12) of the second component (2), and that in step c by rotating the fastening device (3) the spreading arms (7) are spread outwards by the mandrel (15) such that the clamping connection between the spreading arms (7) and the recess (12) of the second component (2) is formed. Fastening device for fastening a first component (1) to a second component (2) of a vehicle (10), wherein the fastening device (3) comprises a base body (4) and a spreading body (5), wherein the base body (4) comprises a pin (15) extending along a longitudinal axis (22) of the base body (4), at least one wing (8) extending laterally away from the pin (15), and a head (6) formed at one end of the pin (15) in the longitudinal axis (22) and extending laterally to the pin (15), wherein the spreading body (5) comprises at least two spreading arms (7) extending along the longitudinal axis (22), and wherein the spreading body (5) is rotatably mounted about the pin (15), characterized in that the pin (15) has a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (22) such that a rotation of the spreading body (5) engaging with the base body (4) about the longitudinal axis (22)the spreading arms (7) can be spread outwards by the pin (15). Fastening device according to claim 4, characterized in that each wing (8) is tapered at the end to facilitate the insertion of the respective wing (8) between the first component (1) and the second component (2), which lie on top of each other, when the fastening device (3) is rotated about the longitudinal axis (22). Fastening device according to one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the spreading body (5) comprises an auxiliary connection (14) which connects an end of one of the spreading arms (7) with an end of another of the spreading arms (7) such that the auxiliary connection (14) extends over the end of the mandrel (15) opposite the head end in a state in which the spreading body (5) is engaged with the base body (4) in order to facilitate the insertion of the fastening device (3) into a recess (11) of the first component (1) and into a recess (12) of the second component (2). Fastening device according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the mandrel (15) comprises an anchor (13) which is formed at the end opposite the head end in order to prevent the base body (4) from being pulled off the spreader body (5) in a mounted state in which the spreader body (5) is rotated about the longitudinal axis (22) relative to the base body (4). Fastening device according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the fastening device (3) comprises an anti-rotation device to prevent unintentional rotation of the spreading body (5) relative to the base body (4) before assembly of the fastening device (3). Fastening device according to one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that the spreading body (5) has a disc-like head (9) with a recess (19) through which the mandrel (15) can be inserted and from which the at least two spreading arms (7) extend, and that the disc-like head (9) can be engaged with the base body (4) by means of a clip connection (16) such that the spreading body (5) is mounted about the longitudinal axis (22) relative to the mandrel and the base body (4), but axial displacement along the longitudinal axis of the spreading body (5) relative to the base body (4) is prevented. Fastening device according to claim 9, characterized in that the disc-like head (9) of the spreading body (5) or the base body (4) has at least one recess (18) and that the other has at least one protrusion, and that the at least one protrusion can be brought into engagement with the at least one recess (18) in order to prevent unintentional twisting of the spreading body (5) relative to the base body (4) before the fastening device (3) is mounted. Fastening device according to claim 10, characterized in that the disc-like head (9) of the spreading body (5) has four recesses (18) which are located at intervals of 90° on a circle around the longitudinal axis (22), that the base body (4) has two protrusions which are located at intervals of 180° on the circle, that the two protrusions are engaged with two of the recesses (18) when the fastening device (3) is in a delivery state, and that the protrusions are engaged with the other two recesses (18) when the fastening device (3) is in an expanded state. Fastening device according to one of claims 4 to 11, characterized in that the fastening device (3) is designed to carry out the method according to one of claims 1 to 3. Vehicle with a fastening device (3) according to one of claims 4 to 12.

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