Fastening arrangement for attaching a component to a support

Abstract

Fastening arrangement for fastening a component (1) to a support element (5) of a vehicle, comprising at least one fastening element (11), the component (1), and the support element (5), wherein the fastening element (11) has a head part (31) to which the component (1) can be fastened, and a shaft part (33) which passes through a support element mounting opening (37) of the support element (5) and, on a support element side facing away from the head part (31), engages behind an opening edge (53) of the support element mounting opening (37), which shaft part (33) has an actuating section (49), upon actuation of which the shaft part (33) can be brought from a detent position into a release position with the build-up of a restoring force, in which position the fastening element (11) can be released from the support element mounting opening (37), wherein the actuating section (49) of the shaft part (33) is a tool attachment,which in an assembly position on the side facing the component (1) by a height offset (Δh, 1) protrudes from the support element mounting opening (37), wherein the shaft part (33) of the fastening element (11) has elastically adjustable shaft arms (35), each of which has a stop wall (39) projecting into the support element mounting opening (37), which abuts against the opening edge (53) of the support element mounting opening (37) during transverse movements (y) of the fastening element (11), wherein the shaft arms (35) converge at a shaft tip (41) opposite the head part (31), wherein outside a shaft space (43) delimited by the shaft arms (35), elastically adjustable locking legs (45) are formed, which engage behind the opening edge (53) of the support element mounting opening (37), and wherein a tool attachment (49) is formed on each of the locking legs (45), characterized in that the shaft arms (35) at the shaft tip (41) have plane-parallel shaft walls (44) which are in contact with one another.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a fastening arrangement for fastening a component, in particular a gas generator for a head airbag, to a vehicle-side support, that is to say a vehicle bodyshell structure, according to the preamble of patent claim 1 and to a fastening element according to patent claim 10 for such a fastening arrangement.

[0002] The gas generator of a head airbag is typically mounted to the vehicle's body shell using screws. Accordingly, its assembly involves significant component and manufacturing costs.

[0003] DE 10 2010 008 158 A1, on the other hand, discloses a fastening arrangement in which a component can be mounted on a vehicle-mounted support, the mounting being achieved using a fastening clip. The fastening clip has a head part to which the component can be fastened, and a shaft part that passes through a mounting opening in the support and, on the support side facing away from the head part, engages behind an opening edge of the support mounting opening. The shaft part has elastically adjustable shaft arms that are arranged on opposite sides of the head part and converge at a shaft tip opposite the head part. The two shaft arms are each extended at the shaft tip with locking legs that are guided back towards the head part and engage behind the support mounting opening.

[0004] In the above-mentioned DE 10 2010 008 158 A1, the locking legs of the fastening clip have actuating sections. The actuating sections are technically complex to access via corresponding tool access openings in the fastening clip head. This means that during disassembly, the upper side of the fastening clip head must be exposed and must not be covered by, for example, the component. Such fastening clips are generally susceptible to component tolerances, which are particularly noticeable with regard to the required assembly forces or rattling noises.

[0005] From DE 10 2007 033 541 A1, a generic fastening clip made of metal is known which has measures for stiffening the locking legs in order to provide sufficient dimensional stability, especially when an airbag is triggered.

[0006] Further fastening arrangements are known from DE 10 2006 041 924 A1, from US 2010 / 0 172 102 A1 and from DE 10 2007 015 110 A1.

[0007] The object of the invention is to provide a fastening arrangement for fastening a component, in particular an airbag gas generator, to a vehicle-side support, which enables a reliable connection of the component to the vehicle-side support even under mechanical stress.

[0008] The object is solved by the features of patent claim 1 or patent claim 10. Preferred developments of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims.

[0009] The invention is based on the problem that in the generic prior art described above, tool access to the fastening clip during disassembly can only be provided with complex assembly technology. Against this background, according to the invention, the actuating section of the shaft part is a tool attachment that protrudes from the carrier mounting opening by a height offset in the direction of the fastening element head part. In this way, easy access to the tool attachment is enabled without providing an additional tool access opening in the fastening clip head part. Preferably, the carrier mounting opening has at least one lateral edge recess in the opening edge through which the tool attachment of the fastening section is guided out of the carrier. The tool attachment of the fastening section is arranged laterally outside the fastening element head part by an offset dimension.When the tool attachment is actuated, the shaft part is moved from a locking position to a release position under a restoring force, in which the fastening element can be released from the carrier mounting opening.

[0010] When assembled, the fastener head protrudes from the support mounting opening by a first height offset. In contrast, the fastener head can protrude beyond the mounting opening by a second height offset that is greater than the first height offset. The fastener head can have positioning contours on the top side, to which the component can be mounted in the correct position, for example, using auxiliary mounting parts such as an ear clamp or the like.

[0011] Preferably, the fastener head is formed by a common base plate or body, which laterally transitions into angled shaft arms. The shaft arms of the shaft part are therefore all integrally formed on the common base plate. This results in a dimensionally stable body in the area of ​​the fastener head, which remains dimensionally stable even during transverse movements of the fastener within the mounting opening.

[0012] To further increase dimensional stability, the individual shaft arms of the shaft section can have outward-facing stop walls that protrude into the support mounting opening. During the aforementioned transverse movements of the fastening element due to mechanical stress, the stop walls therefore abut against the edge of the support mounting opening, while the actual locking connection between the fastening element and the support remains unaffected. Mechanical deformation of the shaft section can thus be further counteracted.

[0013] Preferably, the shaft arms forming the shaft part can be integrally formed on opposite sides of the base plate or the base body. The base plate (or the base body) can be substantially rectangular in shape, and can be extended at its opposite side edges by the shaft arms.

[0014] In the final assembly state, a clearance is created between the component and the opposite opening edge area, into which the tool attachment of the actuating section protrudes. This clearance is easily accessible for tools from the outside.

[0015] As can be seen from the previous description, the fastener head consists of a base body / base plate to which the shaft arms are integrally formed from a single material. At the opposite shaft tip, the shaft arms converge and define a free shaft space between them. The shaft arms are supported against each other at the shaft tip. To prevent the shaft arms from collapsing on one side during assembly / disassembly or during significant mechanical stress, the shaft arms are not linearly connected to one another at the shaft tip via rounded sections, but rather via plane-parallel shaft walls over a large area.

[0016] Elastically adjustable locking legs can be formed laterally outside the shaft space defined by the shaft arms. These engage behind the opening edge of the assembly opening and to which the tool attachment is molded. When technically implemented as a stamped and bent part, each of the two shaft arms can be extended at the shaft tip with a locking leg that is bent into a U-shape along a bending axis and guided back toward the head part.

[0017] As indicated above, the stop walls can abut against the edge of the mounting hole during transverse movements of the fastener. The tool attachment of the actuating section can be positioned laterally outside the stop wall in the transverse direction by a transverse offset. For this purpose, the aforementioned recess is incorporated in the edge of the mounting hole facing the stop wall, which ensures that the tool attachment remains unaffected by transverse movements of the fastener.

[0018] The locking leg formed on the respective shaft arm can have at least one laterally offset guide wall. In the locking position of the fastening element, one side edge of the stop wall is supported against the edge of the mounting opening with the guide wall interposed.

[0019] The fastener head part can define a passage through which an assembly aid, such as an ear clamp, can be guided to attach the component to the fastener.

[0020] In a preferred fastening arrangement, the component is an elongated gas generator for a head airbag. This can preferably be connected to a bodyshell support structure of the vehicle at two connection points spaced apart in the axial direction of the generator. For this purpose, the gas generator can have a hook element at the first connection point that engages underneath the support. The above-defined fastening element, with which the gas generator can be brought into a clip connection with the support, can be provided at the second connection point. To apply prestress to the hook element and the fastening element, it is advantageous if an abutment section, such as a stop bead or the like, is formed in the vehicle-side support between the two connection points. During assembly, the gas generator is first hooked with its hook element to the first connection point on the vehicle-side support.The gas generator, along with the pre-mounted fastening element, is then pivoted toward the corresponding mounting opening. During this assembly process, the gas generator is also supported against the support-side abutment stop, and then, under mechanical tension, the fastening element is locked into the support-side mounting opening.

[0021] The gas generator's ignition mechanism is integrated into an electrical circuit, allowing for a direct electrical ground connection between the gas generator and the vehicle's support structure. This requires a conductive electrical connection between the hook element and the support structure. To ensure this, the hook element can have a scratch or paint scraping contour that is pressed against the support structure under mechanical preload.

[0022] The advantageous embodiments and / or further developments of the invention explained above and / or reproduced in the subclaims can be used individually or in any combination with one another - except, for example, in cases of clear dependencies or incompatible alternatives.

[0023] The invention and its advantageous developments and further developments as well as their advantages are explained in more detail below with reference to drawings.

[0024] They show: Fig. 1 a side view of a vehicle with a partial cutaway showing the installation position of a head airbag module; Fig. 2 a fastening arrangement for connecting an airbag gas generator of the head airbag module to a bodyshell-side supporting sheet metal part; Fig. 3 a connection point of the gas generator on the supporting sheet metal part in an enlarged view; Fig. 4 the fastening element of the Fig. 3 shown connection point in unique position; Fig. 5 a hole geometry of a support plate part assembly opening at the Fig. 3 shown connection point; and Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 views of a hook element for connecting the gas generator to the supporting plate part.

[0025] In the Fig. Figure 1 shows a side view of a vehicle with a partial cutaway, which has a head airbag module with a gas generator 1 and a head airbag 3 folded, for example, in a roll-folded manner. The head airbag 3 extends in the vehicle's longitudinal direction x, starting from the A-pillar and extending beyond the B-pillar, along a roof pillar of the vehicle. The gas generator 1 is attached to a supporting sheet metal part 5 in the area of ​​the roof pillar.

[0026] In the Fig. Figure 2 shows a side view of a fastening arrangement for connecting the gas generator 1 to the supporting sheet metal part 5. Accordingly, the gas generator 1 is an elongated cylindrical component that is fastened to the supporting sheet metal part 5 at two connection points A, B, which are spaced apart from one another in the axial direction of the gas generator 1. Between the two connection points A, B, an abutment 7 is embossed as a bead in the supporting sheet metal part 5, on which the gas generator 1 rests with its central section, building up a mechanical preload described later. The two connection points A, B are subjected to preload in order to prevent, for example, rattling noises during driving. At connection point A, the gas generator 1 is fastened by means of a hook element 9, which engages under the supporting sheet metal part 5. At connection point B, the gas generator 1 is connected to the supporting sheet metal part 5 by means of a fastening clip 11.

[0027] Both the hook element 9 and the fastening clip 11 are designed as stamped and bent parts. Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, the hook element 9 is shown in isolation. Accordingly, the hook element 9 has a base plate 13, which at one edge merges into a U-shaped, elastically bendable support leg 15. The base plate 13 of the hook element 9 has positioning contours 17 on the upper side, which approximately follow the contour of the gas generator's outer circumference and ensure correct positioning of the gas generator 1. The base plate 13 is in the assembled position ( Fig. 2) is supported by the support leg 15 on the side of the supporting plate part 5 facing the generator, forming a passage 19 ( Fig. 4), through which an ear clamp 21 is passed, with which the hook element 9 is attached to the gas generator 1.

[0028] The base plate 13 of the hook element 9 has, according to the Fig. 6 has an abutment section 23 with bent sheet metal tabs 25 on its edge side opposite the support leg 15. The abutment section 23 of the hook element 9 is in the assembled position ( Fig. 2) through a mounting opening (not shown) in the supporting sheet metal part 13, so that its metal tabs 25 engage under the edge of the mounting opening on the side of the supporting sheet metal part 5 facing away from the generator. Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 are incorporated in the sheet metal tabs 25 in window-like cutouts 27, from which an acute-angled paint scraping contour 29 is bent out. The paint scraping contour 29 can be in the, in the Fig. 1, penetrate a layer of paint on the support plate part 5 and thus ensure electrical contact between the hook element 9 and the support plate part 5, which may be necessary for an electrical ground connection of the gas generator 1.

[0029] At connection point B, in the Fig. 2 the fastening clip 11 mentioned above is installed. The fastening clip 11 has in the detailed view from the Fig. 4 has a head part 31 and a shaft part 33 connected thereto. The head part 31 is in the Fig. 3 an approximately rectangular base plate, which in the assembly position ( Fig. 2) protrudes from the side of the supporting plate part 5 facing the generator. The head part 31 has in the Fig. 3 also has a positioning contour 17 on the top side for the correct positioning of the gas generator 1. On the underside of the head part 31 there is a further passage 19 ( Fig. 4), through which an ear clamp 21 can also be guided in order to secure the fastening clip 11 to the gas generator 1. At the opposite side edges, the head part 31 merges at first bending axes I in a uniform and one-piece manner into shaft arms 35 of the shaft part 33, which are angled therefrom. The two shaft arms 35 pass through a mounting opening 37 ( Fig. 5) of the supporting plate part 5 and project beyond its side facing away from the generator.

[0030] According to the Fig. 4, the shaft arms 35 are angled approximately at right angles to the base plate 31, forming stop walls 39, and further downwards along a bending axis II such that they converge at a shaft tip 41 opposite the head part 31. The two shaft arms 35 have shaft walls 44 at the shaft tip 41, which are aligned plane-parallel to one another, and on which the two shaft arms 35 are fully supported against one another. Each of the two shaft arms 35 is extended at the shaft tip 41 on bending axes III with locking legs 45, which are guided back towards the head part 31. The locking legs 45 engage with their free upper edges 47 under the opening edge of the mounting opening 37 of the Fig. 4 of the support plate part 5 indicated by dashed lines. In addition, an actuating section, i.e., a tool attachment 49, is formed on the free upper edges 47 of the locking legs 45. When the tool attachments 49 are actuated, the locking legs 45 of the shaft arms 35 can be pressed together into a release position, building up a restoring force, in which the locking connection is released and the fastening clip 11 can be removed.

[0031] In the in the Fig. In the assembly position shown in Figure 2, the two tool attachments 49 project upwards towards the head part 31 by a height offset Δh 1 from the support mounting opening 37. The head part 31 projects beyond the support plate part 5 by a second height offset Δh 2 which is greater than the first height offset Δh 1 of the tool attachments 49. In this way, a disassembly clearance 51 ( Fig. 2) in which the tool attachments 49 can be easily actuated.

[0032] As from the Fig. As can be seen from Figure 5, the cross section of the mounting opening 37 is approximately cross-shaped, with a total of four inner corner areas 38 which protrude into the mounting opening 37 and define edge recesses 40 between them.

[0033] The stop walls 39 of the fastening clip 11 ( Fig. 4) can be used for transverse movements y ( Fig. 4) of the fastening clip 11 within the mounting opening 37 against the stop edges 42 of the inner corner areas 38 of the opening edge 53 of the mounting opening 37. In the Fig. 3, the tool attachments 49 are arranged laterally outside the respective stop walls 39 by transverse offsets, viewed in the transverse direction, and protrude into the corresponding edge recesses 40 in the assembled position.

[0034] In order to achieve maximum clearance for actuating the tool attachments 49, Fig. 4, the edge length b of the stop edges 42 should be as small as possible. However, it should be noted that an increase in the edge length b of the stop edges 42 results in a corresponding reduction in the undercut provided for the locking legs 45. Against this background, an optimal ratio between dimension b and dimension a results when b is selected between 0.1 and 0.4 xa. For secure fastening, the ratio of d to c should also be between 0.1 and 0.4 xc.

[0035] During assembly, the gas generator 1 is guided in an inclined position to the supporting sheet metal part 5 and the hook element 9 of the gas generator 1 with its sheet metal tabs 25 is brought into undercut with the supporting sheet metal part 5, namely forming the first connection point A ( Fig. 2). The gas generator 1 is then placed in the Fig.2 is pivoted clockwise around the first connection point A in the direction of the support plate part support stop 7 and the shaft part 33 of the fastening clip 11 is inserted into the mounting opening 37. By building up the mechanical preload already mentioned above, the fastening clip 11 held on the gas generator 1 is brought into a locking connection with the support plate part 5.

Claims

[1] Fastening arrangement for fastening a component (1) to a support element (5) of a vehicle, comprising at least one fastening element (11), the component (1), and the support element (5), wherein the fastening element (11) has a head part (31) to which the component (1) can be fastened, and a shaft part (33) which passes through a support element mounting opening (37) of the support element (5) and, on a support element side facing away from the head part (31), engages behind an opening edge (53) of the support element mounting opening (37), which shaft part (33) has an actuating section (49), upon actuation of which the shaft part (33) can be brought from a detent position into a release position with the build-up of a restoring force, in which release position the fastening element (11) can be released from the support element mounting opening (37), wherein the actuating section (49) of the shaft part (33) is a tool attachment,which in an assembly position on the side facing the component (1) by a height offset (Δh, 1 ) protrudes from the support element mounting opening (37), wherein the shaft part (33) of the fastening element (11) has elastically adjustable shaft arms (35), each of which has a stop wall (39) projecting into the support element mounting opening (37), which abuts against the opening edge (53) of the support element mounting opening (37) during transverse movements (y) of the fastening element (11), wherein the shaft arms (35) converge at a shaft tip (41) opposite the head part (31), wherein elastically adjustable locking legs (45) are formed outside a shaft space (43) delimited by the shaft arms (35), which engage behind the opening edge (53) of the support element mounting opening (37), and wherein a tool attachment (49) is formed on each of the locking legs (45), characterized bythat the shaft arms (35) have plane-parallel shaft walls (44) at the shaft tip (41) which are in contact with one another. [2] Fastening arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by that the shaft arms (35) of the shaft part (33) merge into one another at the head part (31) to form a common base body in a uniform and / or one-piece manner, and that the head part (31) surrounds the support element mounting opening (37) by a second height offset (Δh 2 ) which is greater than the first height offset (Δh 1 ) is. [3] Fastening arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by that each of the shaft arms (35) is extended at the shaft tip (41) by one of the locking legs (45) which is guided back in the direction of the head part (31). [4] Fastening arrangement according to claim 1, characterized bythat the tool attachment (49) is arranged laterally outside the stop wall (39) by a transverse offset in the transverse direction (y), and that an edge recess (40) through which the tool attachment projects is incorporated in the opening edge (53) of the carrier element mounting opening (37). [5] Fastening arrangement according to claim 4, characterized by that the locking leg (45) has at least one laterally positioned guide wall (57), and that a side edge (58) of the stop wall (39) can be supported against the opening edge (53) of the support element mounting opening (37) with the guide wall (57) interposed. [6] Fastening arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by that the head part (31) of the fastening element (11) defines a passage (19) through which an auxiliary assembly element (21) for fastening the component (1) to the head part (31) of the fastening element (11) can be guided. [7] Fastening arrangement according to claim 1, characterized bythat the fastening arrangement has two connection points (A, B) to which the component (1) can be fastened, and that the component (1) has a hook element (9) at the first connection point (A) which engages under the support element (5), and that the component (1) is connected at the second connection point (B) by means of the fastening element (11). [8] Fastening arrangement according to claim 7, characterized by that an electrical ground connection between the component (1) and the carrier element (5) is made via the hook element (9), and that for electrical contact the hook element (9) has a scratching or scraping contour (29) which is pressed against the carrier element (5) under mechanical prestress. [9] Fastening arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by that the fastening element (11) is formed of the same material and in one piece as a metallic sheet metal stamped and bent part. [10] Fastening element for a fastening arrangement according to one of the preceding claims.

Images