Double-molded grab handle spacer for a motor vehicle

Abstract

A grab handle spacer includes a primary mounting receptacle, a secondary mounting receptacle, and a primary integral hinge connection. The grab handle spacer is double-molded from a thermoplastic material and a thermoplastic elastomer, allowing for bending, twisting, and curvature during the assembly process.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELDThis document relates generally to the field of automotive equipment and, more particularly, to a dual shaped handle spacer that allows multi-directional mobility to accommodate different sheet metal tolerance geometries and reduce roof lining clip insertion forces in an assembly plant.EP 3 275 727 B1 discloses a motor vehicle hand grip device consisting of a grip and a fastening part. DE 199 55 811 A1 discloses a retractable handle. DE 20 2013 104 126 U discloses a grab handle arrangement for a vehicle.BACKGROUNDA grab handle spacer is a plastic component that helps to unify the headliner attachment points to the metal sheet and allow for various headliner designs. In many applications, a grab handle spacer holds multiple resilient clips used to mount the headliner to the sheet metal roof component of the motor vehicle. Fig. 1 illustrates a prior art grab handle spacer S having a ribbed structure R to provide strength to the part. The general wall thickness is constant throughout the plastic component. As a result, the grip spacer S of the prior art is quite stiff.During headliner installation, the resilient clips on the grab handle spacers sometimes cannot be simultaneously inserted into the mounting holes in the sheet metal. Therefore, the last clip to be inserted must overcome a tension coming from the grab handle spacer. It should be appreciated that the clip attachment surfaces are not always directly aligned due to sheet metal variation. The rigidity of the grip spacer S of the prior art is not very effective for matching to sheet metal variations / tolerance variations, thereby producing a higher insertion force for completing the installation of the headliner clips.This document relates to a new and improved grab handle spacer that is double molded of thermoplastic material and thermoplastic elastomer to provide the necessary mobility to accommodate variation in sheet metal tolerance condition, reduce stress on the grab handle spacer component, and reduce clip insertion forces in an assembly plant.SUMMARYIn accordance with the objects and advantages described herein, a grab handle spacer for a motor vehicle is provided. This grab handle spacer comprises a one-piece body having a first part formed from a thermoplastic material and a second part formed from a thermoplastic elastomer. In one possible embodiment, the first part includes a first end of the one-piece body and a second end of the one-piece body. The first end includes a first receptacle and the second end includes a second receptacle. In addition, the second part includes a central portion of the one-piece body.The central portion includes two segments separated by a central opening to allow bending and twisting of the hand grip spacer to accommodate variations in the sheet metal attachment points. Further, the one-piece body includes a first transition portion between the first end and the middle part and a second transition portion between the second end and the middle part. The first transition portion includes a first part made of a thermoplastic material and a second part made of a thermoplastic elastomer. The second transition portion is made of a thermoplastic material.In an additional aspect, the grab handle spacer may further include a first fastener received in the first receptacle and a second fastener received in the second receptacle. The first fastener may be a first resilient headliner clip and the second fastener may be a second resilient headliner clip.Thermoplastic materials suitable for forming the grab handle spacer may be selected from a group consisting of acetal (POM), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (PC ABS), and mixtures thereof. Thermoplastic elastomeric materials suitable for forming the grab handle spacer may be selected from a group consisting primarily of styrene block copolymers (TPEs), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and mixtures thereof.Alternatively, the grab handle spacer for the motor vehicle may be described as comprising a body having a first fastener receiver, a second fastener receiver, and a central portion between the first fastener receiver and the second fastener receiver. The first fastener receiver and the second fastener receiver are made of a thermoplastic material, and the central portion is made of a thermoplastic elastomer. In one possible embodiment, the central portion includes two segments separated by a central opening. In one possible embodiment, the body is one-piece: that is, double-shaped as a single universal body.Alternatively, the grab handle spacer for a motor vehicle may be generally described as comprising a body having a first fastener receiver, a second fastener receiver, and a first integral hinge connection between the first fastener receiver and the second fastener receiver. In one possible embodiment, the grab handle spacer further includes a second integral hinge connection between the first fastener receiver and the first integral hinge connection. The first integral hinge connection may include a central opening. Further, the first integral hinge and the second integral hinge may be made of a thermoplastic elastomer, while the first fastener receiver and the second fastener receiver are made of a thermoplastic material suitable for receiving and holding an elastic clip such as a headliner clip.In the following description, some preferred embodiments of the grab handle spacer are shown and described. As it should be realized, other different embodiments of the grab handle spacer are possible, and its several details are modifiable in various, obvious aspects without departing from the grab handle spacer as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions are to be regarded as exemplary in nature and not as restrictive.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURESThe accompanying figures of the drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the grab handle spacer and together with the description serve to explain certain principles thereof. In the drawing figures, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art grab handle spacer formed entirely from a thermoplastic material. FIG. 2 is a detailed perspective view of the novel dual molded grab handle spacer having a one-piece body having a first portion molded from a thermoplastic material and a second portion molded from a thermoplastic elastomer. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a headliner assembly having four grab handle spacers for mounting a headliner and the grab handles to a sheet metal roof component of a motor vehicle. FIG. 4 is a detailed perspective view illustrating a grab handle spacer positioned between the sheet metal roof component and the headliner of a motor vehicle.Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the grab handle spacer, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures.DETAILED DESCRIPTIONReference is now made to Figure 2, which illustrates in detail the grab handle spacer 10 that is the subject of this document. The grab handle spacer 10 is double molded to have a one-piece body, with a first part 12 molded from a thermoplastic material and a second part 14 molded from a thermoplastic elastomer. Thermoplastic materials useful for forming the first portion 12 of the integral body of the grab handle spacer 10 to secure rigid structures and provide rigidity include, but are not limited to, acetal (POM), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (PC ABS), and mixtures thereof. Thermoplastic elastomeric materials useful for forming the second portion 14 of the unitary body of the grab handle spacer 10 to provide hinges and flexible structures include, but are not limited to, styrene block copolymers (TPEs), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and mixtures thereof.In particular, the first part 12 includes a first end 16 having a first fastener receiver 18 and a second end 20 having a second fastener receiver 22, and the second part 14 includes a central portion 24 disposed between the first end 16 / the first fastener receiver 18 and the second end 20 / the second fastener receiver 22. As shown, the central portion 24 includes two segments 26, 28 separated by a central opening 30 to allow bending and twisting of the grab handle spacer 10 (see action arrows A, B, and C) to accommodate variations in the position of attachment points to the metal sheet. Thus, it should be appreciated that the central portion 24 effectively forms a first integral hinge connection.As further shown in FIG. 2, the one-piece body includes a first transition portion 32 between the first end 16 / first fastener receiver 18 and the middle portion 24, and a transition portion 34 between the second end 20 / second fastener receiver 22 and the middle portion.The first transition portion includes a first portion 36 made of a thermoplastic material and a second portion 38 made of a thermoplastic elastomer. Therefore, the first transition portion acts as a second pivotal connection between the fastener receiver 22 and the first integral pivotal connection formed by the second portion 24, allowing bending and twisting as illustrated by action arrow D.The second transition section 34 of the illustrated embodiment is made exclusively of thermoplastic material.Reference is now made to FIG. 3 which shows how a headliner assembly 50 including a headliner 52, four handles 54 (not shown in FIG. 3 but shown in FIG. 4 ), and four handle spacers 10 is mounted to four mounting brackets 56 supported on the sheet metal roof component 58.The headliner assembly 50 is pre-assembled from the headliner 52, the four handles 54, and the four handle spacers 10. First, a first resilient fastening clip 60 is secured in each first receptacle 18 of each grab handle spacer 10 and a second resilient fastening clip 62 is secured in each second receptacle 22 of each grab handle spacer. The clips 60, 62 are then aligned with cooperating mounting apertures formed in the headliner 52. Screws or other suitable fasteners (not shown) are then used to secure the handles 54 to the handle spacers 10. That is, the screws engage the holes 64, 66 formed in the ends of the receptacles 18, 22 that hold the resilient clips 60, 62 while the headliner 52 is clamped between the grab handles 54 and the grab handle spacers 10.Reference is now made to FIG. 4 which shows in detail the attachment of a grab handle spacer 10 to a sheet metal mounting bracket 68 supported on the sheet metal roof component 70. That is, the resilient clips 60, 62 are pressed / snapped into cooperating apertures 72 in the mounting bracket 68 to complete the connection. It will be appreciated that the pivotal connections provided by the second portions 14 of the grab handle spacer 10 made of thermoplastic elastomeric material allow bending, twisting, and curving to accommodate manufacturing variations / tolerances to simplify the assembly process.The foregoing is for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. In light of the above teachings, obvious modifications and variations are possible. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims when interpreted according to the breadth to which they are entitled, juristically and fairly, according to the rules.

Claims

A handle spacer for an automotive vehicle, comprising: a one-piece body having a first part formed from a thermoplastic material and a second part formed from a thermoplastic elastomer, the first part including a first end of the one-piece body and a second end of the one-piece body, the second part including a central portion of the one-piece body, and the central portion including two segments separated by a central opening to allow the handle spacer to flex and twist to accommodate variations in the sheet metal attachment points.The handle spacer of claim 1, wherein the first end includes a first receptacle and the second end includes a second receptacle.The handle spacer of claim 2, wherein the one-piece body includes a first transition portion between the first end and the middle portion and a second transition portion between the second end and the middle portion.The handle spacer of claim 3, wherein the first transition portion includes a first portion comprised of a thermoplastic material and a second portion comprised of a thermoplastic elastomer.The handle spacer of claim 4, wherein the second transition portion is made of a thermoplastic material.The handle spacer of claim 5, further comprising a first fastener received in the first receptacle and a second fastener received in the second receptacle.The handle spacer of claim 6, wherein the first fastener is a first resilient clip and the second fastener is a second resilient clip.The handle spacer of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic material is selected from a group of materials consisting of acetal (POM), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (PC ABS), and mixtures thereof.The handle spacer of claim 8, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer is selected from a group of materials consisting of styrene block copolymers (TPEs), thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs), and mixtures thereof.A handle spacer for a motor vehicle, comprising: a body having a first fastener receiver, a second fastener receiver, and a central portion between the first fastener receiver and the second fastener receiver, wherein the first fastener receiver and the second fastener receiver are made of a thermoplastic material and the central portion is made of a thermoplastic elastomer, wherein the central portion includes two segments separated by a central opening to allow bending and twisting of the handle spacer to compensate for variations in the sheet metal attachment points.A handle spacer for a motor vehicle, comprising: a body having a first fastener receiver, a second fastener receiver, and a first integral hinge connection between the first fastener receiver and the second fastener receiver, the first integral hinge connection including a central opening.The handle spacer of claim 11, further comprising a second integral hinge connection between the first fastener receiver and the first integral hinge connection.The handle spacer of claim 12, wherein the first integral hinge and the second integral hinge are comprised of a thermoplastic elastomer while the first fastener receiver and the second fastener receiver are comprised of a thermoplastic material.

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