Mounting clip for attaching a component

Abstract

Fastening clip (10) for mounting a component (28), in particular a gas bag or a gas bag module, to a support (30), comprising a head section (12), a clip body (14), and retaining elements (16) projecting laterally from the clip body (14) and being elastically deflectable, wherein the clip body (14) defines an interior space and has windows (20) through which the retaining elements (16) project outwards from the interior space, wherein the clip body (14) has side walls (18) in which the windows (20) are formed, and wherein extensions (22) adjoin the side walls (18) from which the retaining elements (16) are formed, and the extensions (22) each extend from the side of the side wall (18) facing away from the head section (12), characterized in that the extensions (22) have retaining sections (22b) and adjoining free end sections (22c) and are bent inwards to such an extent are,that each retaining section (22b) of the extension (22) projects outwards through the window (20) of the associated side wall (18), and is bent back so far that the free end section (22c) is led back into the interior.

Description

The invention relates to a fastening clip for mounting a component, in particular a gas bag or a gas bag module, to a support, comprising a head section, a clip body, and retaining elements projecting laterally from the clip body, which are elastically deflectable. The invention further relates to an assembly comprising such a fastening clip and a support. From DE 20 2006 007 873 U1, a generic fastening clip is known that is suitable for attaching a gas bag to a body panel. The fastening clip has a foot section with several bending sections that can be inserted into an opening in the carrier. In this fastening clip, the bending sections are designed so that when the fastening clip is inserted, each bending section is bent around several axes. This distributes the deformation required to insert the fastening clip over several bending steps, thus reducing the force required (insertion force). The object of the invention is to enable a safety-relevant connection with a simply constructed fastening clip that can be inserted into a mounting opening with little force and ensures high holding forces. This problem is solved by a fastening clip with the features of claim 1. Advantageous and appropriate embodiments of the fastening clip according to the invention are specified in the dependent claims. The fastening clip according to the invention for mounting a component, in particular a gas bag or a gas bag module, to a support, comprises a head section, a clip body, and retaining elements projecting laterally from the clip body, which are elastically deflectable. The clip body defines an interior space and has windows through which the retaining elements project from the interior space to the outside. This design of the mounting clip allows the insertion force, determined by the elasticity of the retaining elements, to be kept low during installation, while the pull-off force required to remove the clip is many times higher. When a pull-off force is applied to the mounting clip, the retaining elements wedge themselves between a window edge of the clip body and the edge of the mounting opening in the carrier into which the mounting clip is inserted. Therefore, removing the mounting clip is only possible with complete deformation of the retaining elements. The design of the fastening clip according to the invention allows the clip body and the retaining elements, preferably also the head section, to be formed in one piece. This offers advantages both in manufacturing, because several components do not need to be assembled, and in logistics, because it simplifies storage and transport. The fastening clip according to the invention is preferably made entirely of steel in order to best meet the stability requirements. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the clip body has side walls in which the windows are formed, and extensions adjoining the side walls from which the retaining elements are formed. Such a design of the fastening clip is characterized by a clear, easily reproducible geometry and requires only a few forming steps during manufacturing. Optimal elastic deflection behavior of the laterally projecting retaining elements is achieved by a design in which the extensions extend from the side of the side wall facing away from the head section and are bent inwards so far that a retaining section of the extension protrudes outwards through the window of the associated side wall. To ensure that the retaining sections wedge themselves securely between the clip body and the edge of the mounting opening under load, the extensions are preferably bent in such a way that a free end section of the extension is guided back into the interior. This results in a significant increase in the release force. This type of jamming can be supported by the fact that the free end section of the process extends further towards the head section than the associated window. According to a particular aspect of the invention, the fastening clip includes a locking device which, in a mounted state, prevents the retaining elements from deflecting inwards. The locking device not only acts as a lock for the fastening clip, but also ensures that deformation of the retaining elements is only possible under extremely high force. The locking device preferably has first locking elements on the clip body and second locking elements on the retaining elements. At least under the influence of a pull-off force acting on the fastening clip, the first and second locking elements interact. According to a preferred embodiment of the locking device, the first locking elements are projections formed on the windows, and the second locking elements are indentations or openings formed on the corresponding extensions on the side facing the projections. Under load, the projections on the windows of the side walls engage in the indentations or openings of the extensions in such a way that the retaining sections cannot move inwards. To ensure the best possible introduction of the pull-off force acting on the fastening clip into the blocking device and the best possible conversion of this force in the blocking device, a design is provided in which the extensions each project from an edge of the window facing away from the head section and are directly opposite the indentations. The invention also provides an assembly with a fastening clip according to the invention and a carrier with a mounting opening that is adapted to the dimensions of the clip body. Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings, to which reference is made. The drawings show: - Fig. 1 a perspective view of a fastening clip according to the invention; - Fig. 2 a sectional view of the fastening clip from Fig. 1 in the assembled state; - Fig. 3 the fastening clip from Fig. 2 under load in the extension direction; and - Fig. 4 the fastening clip from Fig. 2 in the deformed state. The fastening clip 10 shown in Fig. 1, which serves to create a clip connection, comprises a head section 12, a clip body 14 and retaining elements 16. The fastening clip 10 is made entirely of steel and is formed from a single piece. The clip body 14, which consists of several side walls 18, extends from the widened, essentially flat head section 12. The side walls 18 are essentially planar and all extend in the same longitudinal direction from the head section 12. The clip body 14 with its side walls 18 defines an interior space of the fastening clip 10. Two opposing side walls 18 each have an essentially rectangular window 20 that allows access to the interior space of the fastening clip 10. The two side walls 18 with the windows 20 also have elongated extensions 22, from which the elastically deflectable retaining elements 16 are formed. For this purpose, the extensions 22, which extend from the side of the side wall facing away from the head section 12, are bent in a special way. The extensions 22 can be subdivided into a transition section 22a extending from the associated side wall 18, a retaining section 22b, and a free end section 22c. The transition section 22a is bent inwards so far that the adjoining retaining section 22b extends outwards from the interior of the fastening clip 10 through the window 20. The retaining section 22b is then bent back so that the adjoining free end section 22c is guided back into the interior of the fastening clip 10. The free end section 22c of the extension 22 extends further in the interior towards the head section 12 than the associated window 20. The distances between the two extensions 22, in particular between the retaining sections 22b and the free end sections 22c, are chosen such that the retaining sections 22b projecting outwards from the windows 20 can be deflected inwards at least so far that they no longer protrude laterally from the clip body 14, without the extensions 22 interfering with each other. The window frames each have a projection 24 on the side facing away from the head section 12, extending into the window 20 towards the head section 12. A recess 26, aligned with the projection 24, is formed on the corresponding extension 22. An opening may also be provided instead of the recess 26. The recess 26 is located on the side facing the projection 24 and is directly opposite it. The projections 24 and the recesses 26 together form a locking device, the operation of which is described in the following functional description of the fastening clip 10. Fig. 2 shows the fastening clip 10 in its assembled state, in which the fastening clip 10 secures a component 28, here a gas bag, to a support 30, here a body panel. For this purpose, the fastening clip 10 is pressed in an assembly direction A through an opening 32 of the component 28 and a corresponding assembly opening 34 of the support 30. The assembly opening 34 is dimensioned such that it is almost completely filled by the clip body 14. When the fastening clip 10 is inserted, the elastically deflectable extensions 22 are pressed inwards from the edge of the assembly opening 34 due to the ramp-like design of the laterally projecting retaining sections 22b. The extensions 22 are designed such that an insertion force of only approximately 30 N in the assembly direction is required for this action. Once the retaining sections 22b have passed through the mounting opening 34, they are pushed outwards by the elasticity of the extensions 22 through the windows 20 and engage behind the edge of the mounting opening 34, as shown in Fig. 2. This state essentially corresponds to the unloaded state of the fastening clip 10, or the retaining sections 22b exert only a slight force on the edge of the mounting opening 34. It is important that, in the mounted state, the indentations 26 of the extensions 22 lie over the projections 24 of the windows 20. If a pulling force acting against the mounting direction A is exerted on the fastening clip 10, for example by the expanding gas bag 28, the locking device formed by the projections 24 and indentations 26 prevents the fastening clip 10 from being pulled out of the mounting opening 34. As can be seen in Fig. 2, under the influence of the pulling force, the side walls 18 would move in the opposite direction to the mounting direction A, while the extensions 22, which are supported by the retaining sections 22b at the edge of the mounting opening 34, initially resist such movement. This presses the projections 24 firmly into the opposing indentations 26, so that the extensions 22, in particular the retaining sections 22b, are prevented from moving inwards. The retaining sections 22b thus remain in their position and secure the fastening clip 10 in its mounted state. If the pull-off force exceeds a certain threshold, the extensions 22 begin to deform under the load, as shown in Fig. 3. The retaining sections 22b are clamped between the clip body 14, more precisely the window edge with the projection 24, and the edge of the mounting opening 34. Since the free end sections 22c of the extensions 22 are guided back into the interior of the fastening clip 10, the retaining sections 22b are clamped in two layers between the window edge and the edge of the mounting opening 34. Thus, the deformation of the extensions 22 also strongly counteracts the removal of the fastening clip 10. Only when the pull-off force is high enough to allow the extensions 22 to deform completely is it possible to remove the fastening clip 10. This condition is shown in Fig. 4. The fastening clip 10 with its extensions 22 is designed such that the pull-off force required for complete deformation is approximately 100 times higher than the pressing force required for assembly and is generally not reached during intended use of the component 28 mounted with the fastening clip 10. Reference symbol list 10 Mounting clip 12 Head section 14 Clip body 16 Retaining element 18 Side wall 20 Window 22 Extension 22a Transition section 22b Retaining section 22c End section 24 Projection 26 Indentation 28 Component 30 Support 32 Component opening 28 34 Mounting opening

Claims

Fastening clip (10) for mounting a component (28), in particular a gas bag or a gas bag module, to a support (30), comprising a head section (12), a clip body (14), and retaining elements (16) projecting laterally from the clip body (14) and being elastically deflectable, wherein the clip body (14) defines an interior space and has windows (20) through which the retaining elements (16) project outwards from the interior space, wherein the clip body (14) has side walls (18) in which the windows (20) are formed, and wherein extensions (22) adjoin the side walls (18) from which the retaining elements (16) are formed, and the extensions (22) each extend from the side of the side wall (18) facing away from the head section (12), characterized in that the extensions (22) have retaining sections (22b) and adjoining free end sections (22c) and are bent inwards to such an extent are,that each retaining section (22b) of the extension (22) projects outwards through the window (20) of the associated side wall (18), and is bent back so far that the free end section (22c) is led back into the interior. Fastening clip (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the clip body (14) and the retaining elements (16), preferably also the head section (12), are formed in one piece. Fastening clip (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is made entirely of steel. Fastening clip (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the extensions (22) are each bent such that a free end section (22c) of the extension (22) is led back into the interior. Fastening clip (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that the free end section (22c) of the extension (22) extends further in the direction of the head section (12) than the associated window (20). Fastening clip (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a locking device which, in a mounted state, prevents the retaining elements (16) from deflecting inwards. Fastening clip (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that the blocking device has first blocking elements on the clip body (14) and second blocking elements on the retaining elements (16) which interact at least under the influence of a pull-off force acting on the fastening clip (10). Fastening clip (10) according to claim 7 and one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the first blocking elements are projections (24) formed on the windows (20) and the second blocking elements are indentations (26) or openings formed on the associated extensions (22) on the sides facing the projections (24). Fastening clip (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that the extensions (22) each project from an edge of the window (20) facing away from the head section (12) and are directly opposite the indentations (26) or openings. Assembly comprising a fastening clip (10) according to one of the preceding claims and a carrier (30) with a mounting opening (34) which is adapted to the dimensions of the clip body (14).

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