FASTENING ARRANGEMENT OF A DEVICE HOUSING OF A DEVICE TO A VEHICLE SHEET METAL OF A MOTOR VEHICLE AS WELL AS MOTOR VEHICLE AND DEVICE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a fastening arrangement for a device housing of a device or module on a vehicle body panel of a motor vehicle. The device housing rests against a first side of the vehicle body panel (e.g., on the outside), and a mounting extension of the device is inserted through a mounting opening in the vehicle body panel. A fastening screw is tightened such that it pulls a counter element in the mounting extension against a second side of the vehicle body panel opposite the first side (e.g., against the inside of the vehicle body panel).

[0002] Fastening arrangements are known from DE 10 2011 011072 A1, DE 10 2010 019383 A1, EP 1 748 512 A1 and DE 10 2008 044014 A1.

[0003] During vehicle assembly, a device can be attached to a vehicle body panel, such as the outer panel or skin, and thus supported or held in place by the panel. Examples of such devices include an antenna module, such as a roof antenna, a side indicator, or a windshield wiper motor. Mounting such a device to the vehicle body panel should be quick and easy to keep production costs down. Furthermore, the components used should be readily available and inexpensive.For one-sided mounting, a mounting opening or through-hole may be provided in the vehicle's sheet metal. Part of the device can be inserted through this opening, allowing the device housing to rest against the sheet metal on one side. The other part of the device, inserted through the opening, forms a support for the device on the opposite side. This part of the device, inserted through the mounting opening, is referred to here as the "mounting extension." The mounting process may involve inserting the mounting extension through the opening and then tightening a fastening screw. This aligns a mating element, such as a plate, within the mounting extension, creating a secure or positive fit (from the perspective of the device housing) against the edge of the mounting opening on the vehicle's sheet metal.

[0004] Modules or devices with plastic housings, and especially those with internal PCBA (printed circuit board assemblies), particularly those used as amplifiers / filters / blocking circuits in vehicle (windshield) antenna systems, are often manufactured without special structural support elements for reinforcement and / or without metal housings for cost reasons. Furthermore, to optimize the electrical ground connection of the PCBA to the vehicle, the circuit board is often electrically contacted directly via the mounting screw used to attach the housing to the vehicle's body panel. The required, often high, tightening torques are therefore transferred directly to the PCBA and the plastic of the housing. This frequently leads to impermissible force transmission to the affected components (especially the PCBA and the housing).

[0005] Excessive surface pressure resulting from the required tightening torque during assembly can cause unacceptable deformation of the plastic device housing and the PCBA (printed circuit board). This can lead to the destruction, detachment, or breakage of electronic components due to excessive mechanical stress on the device housing. When assembling a vehicle, 4 Nm (400 kg) cordless screwdrivers may be used for other components, creating the risk that these screwdrivers will also be used by mechanics for antenna modules or other devices on the vehicle's bodywork. This could cause the screwdriver to pull a printed circuit board (PCB) and / or a plastic housing component of the device into the mounting opening in the vehicle's bodywork (e.g., a roof opening), resulting in deformation.

[0006] The invention is based on the objective of reducing mechanical stresses in a plastic device housing in the fastening arrangement described above, and thus avoiding defects / damage caused by a high tightening torque.

[0007] The problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described by the dependent claims, the following description, and the figures.

[0008] As one solution, the invention comprises a fastening arrangement of a device housing of a device or module to a vehicle body panel of a motor vehicle, wherein the device housing rests against a first side of the vehicle body panel, and a mounting extension of the device is inserted through a mounting opening in the vehicle body panel (along an insertion direction), and a fastening screw projecting from the device housing into the mounting extension is tightened, thereby pulling a counter element arranged in the mounting extension against a second side of the vehicle body panel opposite the first side. The counter element itself can, for example, have a threaded hole into which the fastening screw is screwed. By turning or tightening the fastening screw, the counter element is pulled towards the second side of the vehicle body panel and can form a positive fit with the edge of the mounting opening, i.e., with the vehicle body panel.Alternatively, the counterpart can have a bore or through-hole through which the fastening screw is inserted, and a nut of the fastening screw can push the counterpart towards the vehicle sheet metal.

[0009] The force exerted by the tightened mounting screw between the screw head (inside the device housing on the first side of the vehicle sheet metal) and the mating element (on the other side of the vehicle sheet metal) also acts from the screw head onto a housing wall of the device housing on which the screw head rests or is supported. Thus, a force can be transmitted via the screw head into the housing wall of the device housing, thereby pulling the device housing into the mounting opening through deformation or pulling it towards the mounting opening. The mounting opening cannot usually be reduced in size, as the mounting extension containing the mating element must be inserted through it.The advantage of using the mounting extension is that installation only needs to be carried out from one side, i.e., from the first side. The device housing can be placed onto the mounting opening, the mounting extension and its counterpart can be inserted through the opening, and then, by tightening the fastening screw from the first side, the alignment and tightening of the counterpart towards the second side of the vehicle body panel can be achieved. However, the resulting larger size of the mounting opening means that the housing wall of the device is supported to a lesser extent when the screw head presses against it, as the screw head can have a smaller diameter than the mounting opening. This is particularly relevant at the forces described earlier, which are greater than 3 Nm.

[0010] To prevent deformation of the housing wall, such as that caused by the contact pressure of the mounting screw head, a support element is provided in the device housing. This support element has an outer dimension along at least one spatial direction parallel to a sheet metal surface of the vehicle body that is larger than or equal to the inner diameter of the mounting opening, or at most 20 percent smaller than the inner diameter in the same spatial direction. This support element transmits a force exerted by the tightening of the mounting screw through a housing wall of the device housing to the vehicle body, thereby preventing or at least reducing deformation of the device housing and / or a PCB located therein.To prevent damage caused by the applied screw force (force of the fastening screw), the support element is wider or larger than the mounting opening itself in at least one spatial direction, perpendicular to the insertion direction (along which the mounting extension has been inserted into the mounting opening), so that the support element rests on an edge of the mounting opening (with the housing wall located between the support element and the vehicle sheet metal in between). Preferably, the support element rests on the mounting opening in an area of ​​at least 40% of the mounting opening's contour, or it projects beyond the mounting opening in all directions, which improves force distribution. The support element can be designed, for example, as a plate or a disc. The support element can, for example, have a bore or through-hole through which the fastening screw is inserted.so that the screw head presses against or rests on the support element and can transfer the force or contact pressure to the support element, and the support element distributes or dissipates the force or contact pressure (instead of the housing wall) laterally, i.e., perpendicular to the insertion direction, towards the edge of the mounting opening. However, it has also proven advantageous if the outer dimension is equal to the inner diameter or at most 20 percent smaller than the inner diameter. In the latter case, the outer dimension of the support element is then at least 80 percent of the inner diameter. This is still sufficient because the housing wall of the device housing is sufficiently stable over the resulting short distance between the support element and the edge of the mounting hole to transmit the force without being damaged and / or significantly deformed. This is particularly true if...if the fastening screw is tightened with a torque of less than 6 Newton meters.

[0011] The invention offers the advantage that, regardless of the strength of a housing wall and thus regardless of the material used for the housing wall, the support element ensures that the force emanating from the screw head can be directed or guided via the support element to the edge of the mounting opening, i.e., towards the vehicle body panel. This eliminates the need for the housing wall material itself to be capable of transmitting the force to the vehicle body panel without deformation, and thus transversely to the insertion direction. The invention also includes further developments that offer additional advantages.

[0012] According to the invention, the support element has a curvature or bulge and a shape code that corresponds to a shape of a housing mounting in which the support element is inserted, and a bulge of the support element caused by the curvature points away from the vehicle sheet metal. This curvature or bulge can result, for example, from drilling the through-hole or bore into the support element with a drill bit, thereby pressing the support element in and causing it to no longer be, for example, a perfectly flat plate or disc, but rather having its edges raised relative to the center, for example, by more than one-tenth of a millimeter, but generally less than five-tenths of a millimeter. In other words, the curvature or bulge can give the support element the shape of a disc spring.Although this may be due to the production process, for example, the aforementioned drilling and / or punching of the support element from a sheet of metal, it can be advantageously utilized by ensuring, through form coding, that the support element, with its curvature or bulge, is aligned within the device housing in the mounting or mounting device in such a way that the support element acts as a disc spring, i.e., the screw head rests on the highest point of the curvature and the edge of the support element rests on the housing wall. The mounting device, for example, in the case of a plastic device housing, may be formed using an injection molding process. It may consist of a frame and / or stop elements (such as studs or ridges) whose contour corresponds to the contour specified by the form coding.An example of shape coding is that the support element is designed as a round disc with a projection in one direction, such as a corner. Generally, shape coding prevents rotational symmetry and / or mirror symmetry in the contour of the support element. Specifically, it prevents the support element from fitting into the mounting device with either side facing up or down. By using shape coding, the so-called Poka-Yoke principle ensures that an installer inserts the support element into the mounting device with the correct spatial orientation to achieve the effect of the disc spring, even if the curvature is not perceptible to the naked eye. Thus, even production-related and therefore unplanned curvature or warping of the support element can be used to advantage.

[0013] A further development involves the support element being made of a material that is harder and / or stiffer than the material of the housing wall. The support element (as an insert or washer) is positioned between the screw head and the housing wall and has a through-hole through which a bolt, screw shank, or threaded shank of the fastening screw is inserted. A steel material (various stainless steels, including tempered steels, are selectable by those skilled in the art) has proven particularly advantageous, preferably with a strength between 500 MPa and 1200 MPa.By selecting the material of the support element independently of the housing wall material, the housing wall can be optimized for a different application, such as sealing and / or manufacturing costs, while the support element still provides a sufficiently hard and / or rigid material to transfer the force from the screw head into the vehicle sheet metal. The device housing can generally be made of a plastic material, such as polycarbonate. The device housing can be manufactured, for example, using an injection molding process.

[0014] A further development includes the formation of at least one pin on the counter element, which is pressed into the paint and / or metal of the vehicle sheet metal at a respective insertion point on the second side of the vehicle sheet metal. The support element extends on the first side of the vehicle sheet metal opposite the respective insertion point, thus securing the vehicle sheet metal at the respective insertion point. The counter element can generally be designed, for example, as a disc or plate. When the fastening screw is tightened, the counter element is pulled by it against the second side of the vehicle sheet metal, i.e., for example, an inner side of the vehicle sheet metal. The force exerted by the counter element on the vehicle sheet metal can be used to secure at least one, e.g.,Two, three, or four prongs formed on the mating element are pressed into the vehicle body panel, for example, through its paint or lacquer and / or into the metal of the vehicle body panel. This allows an electrical connection to be established or provided from an electrical component of the device, such as a circuit board, to the vehicle body panel via the mounting screw and the mating element. The mating element itself is preferably made of an electrically conductive material, e.g., a metal, particularly steel. In addition to the choice of material, an advantage can be achieved through a coating, e.g., ZN-NI (zinc-nickel), which in particular ensures corrosion protection during the electrical connection to the vehicle body panel.Since a corresponding mechanical stress is exerted on the vehicle sheet metal at each insertion point of a mandrel, a sufficiently wide or large support element on the opposite side of the vehicle sheet metal can ensure that mechanical support is provided on this side, preventing the sheet metal from bulging towards the first side, for example, the outer side. A mandrel on the opposing element can be designed, for example, as a projection, point, or claw, which may be formed by bending a corner or point of the opposing element.

[0015] Previously, the support element was described as a plate or disc. However, the support element can also have an additional three-dimensional structure to aid in the transfer of force from the screw head to the vehicle body.

[0016] A further development includes the formation of a tab on at least one edge of the support element. This tab is inserted through a slot in the housing wall and rests directly on the vehicle body. The support element can thus rest directly on the vehicle body via the tab and does not need to rest on the housing wall material or transmit force to the vehicle body via the housing wall. This prevents the housing wall from being crushed between the support element and the vehicle body. The tab can be oriented or arranged in such a way that it rests against at least one insertion point of a pin, as previously described.In other words, a pin on the second side of the vehicle sheet presses into a puncture point that forms a bearing surface or bearing area for a tab of the support element on the opposite first side of the vehicle sheet.

[0017] A further development involves forming a collar on at least one edge of the support element, created by bending over an edge of the support element. A collar or a raised or bent edge can be achieved or formed, for example, by deep drawing the support element. By not designing the support element as a flat disc or plate, but rather having at least one edge, in particular two edges or all edges of the support element, raised, bent, or flanged relative to the plane of the plate, the bending stiffness of the support element is increased compared to a design as a plate or disc.

[0018] Further development involves attaching the support element to the screw head. For example, a screw head can be provided where the support element is a disc, perhaps pressed onto it, i.e., fitted onto the screw shank of the fastening screw by means of a press fit. In other words, the screw head is enlarged in diameter so that it has a dimension larger than the inner diameter of the mounting hole. The disc shape of the support element can be round or rectangular. Alternatively, the support element can be inserted into the device housing, e.g., into the described mounting device.

[0019] Further development involves the screw head and / or the support element securing a printed circuit board (PCB) of the device's electrical circuit within the device housing. In other words, the mounting screw also holds the PCB of the electrical circuit in place. The PCB is protected from being pushed in or deformed towards the mounting opening when the mounting screw is tightened, as the force exerted by the screw head can be transferred, for example, through the PCB or directly into the vehicle's sheet metal at the edge of the mounting opening. In other words, the support element also prevents the PCB from deforming.

[0020] The mounting extension with the counter element provided within it must meet two conditions. Firstly, it must fit through the mounting opening; secondly, while tightening the fastening screw, the counter element must be aligned with respect to the mounting opening in such a way that the counter element rests against the edge of the mounting opening and can no longer be pulled out of the mounting opening.

[0021] A further development includes the mounting opening having an elongated shape with a longitudinal dimension and a transverse dimension smaller than the longitudinal dimension (e.g., a rectangular shape), and the counter element being shorter than the longitudinal dimension or a diagonal of the elongated shape and longer than the transverse dimension, and being rotatably mounted in the mounting extension by an angle of rotation in a range of 40° to 140°, wherein the rotational position changes by tightening the fastening screw, so that the counter element is laterally rotated out of the side walls of the mounting extension by the tightening and rests against a stop of the mounting extension.In particular, the mounting extension is designed so that, when the device is mounted to the vehicle body, tightening the fastening screw changes the rotational position of the mating element from its initial mounting position. This causes a portion of the mating element to rotate laterally out of the mounting extension's side walls into a holding position, where it rests against a stop on the mounting extension. In other words, when the mounting extension is inserted, the mating element is aligned along the longitudinal dimension or direction of the mounting opening, allowing it to be inserted through the opening towards the other side of the vehicle body. When the fastening screw is then turned or tightened, the mating element rotates along with it until, after rotating within the specified angular range, it reaches a stop and is prevented from rotating further.However, this means that the mating element, with its longitudinal dimension, is positioned so perpendicular or at an angle to the mounting opening that it no longer fits the mounting opening (due to its smaller transverse dimension). Consequently, it can form a positive fit with the edges of the mounting opening, i.e., with the vehicle's sheet metal. Therefore, by inserting the mounting extension and tightening the fastening screw, the device can be attached to the vehicle's sheet metal. This simplifies the installation process.

[0022] A further development involves the support element resting on a ribbed structure formed on the housing wall. The housing wall can therefore have a ribbed structure or raised structures, such as ribs, on which the support element can rest. The shape of the ribbed structure guides the force transmitted from the support element to the vehicle body. The ribbed structure also represents a thickening of the housing wall compared to the area surrounding it, so that the stability or compressive strength of the housing wall can be adjusted by forming the ribbed structure. In particular, it is intended to form extensions on the housing wall using the ribbed structure that project beyond an edge of the support element, i.e., are wider or have a larger outer dimension than the support element.This allows the force distribution from the support element into the housing wall to be distributed over an area larger than the area covered by the support element itself.

[0023] Further development involves the device being designed as a roof antenna module, with the vehicle body serving as the roof of the motor vehicle. Particularly with a vehicle roof, it has proven advantageous to hold or secure devices, especially roof antennas, using the described mounting arrangement. Specifically, in this case, the device includes the described circuit board, which is held in the device housing by means of the mounting screw. The roof antenna module may, for example, contain an amplifier and / or a filter and / or a resonant circuit for an antenna.

[0024] As a further solution, the invention comprises a motor vehicle with a device attached to a vehicle body panel of the motor vehicle, wherein the device is attached by means of a fastening arrangement according to one of the preceding claims. In other words, a motor vehicle is also provided, which can be designed, for example, as a passenger car, truck, or passenger bus. The motor vehicle can be reliably manufactured because the device can be held on the vehicle body panel with minimal additional effort by means of the fastening screw and the counter element, without this causing deformation or damage to the housing of the device and / or a circuit board.

[0025] As a further solution, the invention comprises a device, in particular a roof antenna module, with a device housing and a mounting extension arranged thereon for insertion through a mounting opening in a vehicle body panel of a motor vehicle along an insertion direction, wherein a fastening screw projecting from the device housing into the mounting extension is connected to a counter element arranged in the mounting extension via a thread. A support element is provided in the device housing, which has an outer dimension along at least one spatial direction perpendicular to the insertion direction that is larger than an outer dimension of the mounting extension in the same spatial direction, and / or which has an outer dimension along at least one spatial direction transverse or perpendicular to the insertion direction that is equal to or larger than a transverse dimension of the mounting extension and / or than a longitudinal extent of the counter element.The device can be prepared for mounting in such a way that the mating element is already provided in the mounting extension, and the fastening screw already protrudes from the device housing into the mounting extension towards the mating element. By inserting the mounting extension into a mounting opening in a vehicle body panel and tightening or turning the fastening screw, the device can be attached to the vehicle body panel without damaging the device housing and / or a circuit board held by the fastening screw due to torque during tightening. The torque is, of course, limited, for example, to less than 6 Nm, particularly less than 5 Nm, but can be greater than 3 Nm. The mounting extension can, for example, be formed as a cage or by side walls and be designed to hold the mating element during mounting (before tightening the fastening screw).Here, the expert can use a well-known solution.

[0026] The invention also includes further developments of the device and the motor vehicle according to the invention, which have features already described in connection with the further developments of the fastening arrangement according to the invention. For this reason, the corresponding further developments of the method according to the invention are not described again here.

[0027] The invention also includes combinations of the features of the described embodiments.

[0028] An embodiment of the invention is described below. The following is shown: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a section of a part of an embodiment of the motor vehicle according to the invention; Fig. 2 a schematic representation of an exploded view of an embodiment of the device according to the invention; Fig. 3 a schematic representation of the device of Fig. 2 in the assembled state; Fig. 4 a schematic representation of a support element with shape coding; Fig. 5 a schematic representation of the support element with a curvature; Fig. 6 a schematic representation of an exploded view of a further embodiment of the device according to the invention; Fig. 7 a schematic representation of the device of Fig. 6 in the assembled state; Fig. 8 a schematic representation of a sectional view of an assembly extension with a counter element that is pressed into a vehicle sheet metal part by means of mandrels; Fig. 9 a schematic representation of the support element of Fig. 8 In the assembled state with an illustration of force flow; Fig. 10 a schematic representation of the counter element in an assembly position and a holding position, between which the position is changed by tightening a fastening screw. Fig. 11 a schematic representation of a support element with tabs and collar.

[0029] The embodiment described below is a preferred embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the described components each represent individual features of the invention that can be considered independently of one another. Each of these features further develops the invention independently and can therefore be considered part of the invention individually or in a combination other than that shown. Furthermore, the described embodiment can also be supplemented by other features of the invention already described.

[0030] In the figures, functionally identical elements are each provided with the same reference symbols.

[0031] Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a vehicle body panel 11 of a motor vehicle 10, which may, for example, be the roof of the motor vehicle 10. A module or device 13, which may, for example, be an antenna circuit or antenna of the motor vehicle 10, may be mounted on a first side 12 or outer surface of the vehicle body panel 11. To attach the device 13 to the vehicle body panel 11, the vehicle body panel 11 has a mounting opening 14 through which a mounting extension 15 of the device 13 may be inserted. The mounting extension 15 may be formed from or attached to a device housing 16 of the device 13. A counter element 17, for example, a plate or disc made of metal, may be arranged in the mounting extension 15.The device 13 may be provided with a fastening screw 18, which, by tightening or turning it via a thread 19' provided in a screw bolt or screw shank 19, may draw the counter element 17 against a second side 20 or the inside of the vehicle sheet metal 11, thereby clamping or fastening the device 13 to the vehicle sheet metal 11 via the fastening screw 18 and the counter element 17. The illustration shows how the counter element 17 may have pins 21 which, when the fastening screw 18 is turned or tightened, may be pressed into the vehicle sheet metal 11 at a respective insertion point 22. By tightening the fastening screw 18, a screw head 23 can exert a clamping force or pressure, or generally a force 24, on the device housing 16.To prevent the housing material 16 from transmitting the force 24 transversely to an insertion direction 25 of the mounting extension 15 to an edge 26 of the mounting opening 14, a support element 27 can be provided. This support element 27 can have a dimension 30 in at least one transverse direction 28, either transverse or perpendicular to the insertion direction 25 and thus parallel to a sheet metal surface 29 of the vehicle sheet 11, which is larger than the inner diameter 31 of the mounting opening 14. The support element 27 thus projects beyond the mounting opening 14 at least along the transverse direction 28, preferably all around the mounting opening. The support element 27 therefore rests indirectly on the respective edge 26 of the mounting opening 14 on the vehicle sheet 11 via a housing wall 33 made of a material 33' of the device housing 16. Fig. 1 This illustrates how the force 24 can be transferred in a force flow 34 from the screw head 23 via the support element 27 to the vehicle sheet metal 11. Only a compressive force acts on the material 33' of the device housing 16, whereby the material 33' is held or supported in the area of ​​the force flow 34 between the support element 27 on the one hand and the vehicle sheet metal 11 on the other, so that deformation or deflection of the device housing 16 due to the force 24 is avoided or at least reduced compared to a device housing that would only use the material 33 of the device housing 16 to transfer the force 24 from the screw head 23 to the vehicle sheet metal 11 instead of a support element 27.

[0032] The device housing 16 may have a formed or provided mounting device E into which the support element 27 may be inserted. As will be explained further below (see Fig. 4 ) can be achieved by means of shape coding so that a position or arrangement of the support element 27 in the edging device E can be uniquely enforced.

[0033] Fig. 2 Figure 13 shows an embodiment of the device 13 in which a circuit board 35 can additionally be held in the device housing 16 by means of the fastening screw 18. The device housing 16 may also include a housing cover 16', which, however, is not shown in the

[0034] The connection to the functionality described here does not need to be explained. The circuit board 35 can, for example, have an electrical contact area K on which the screw head 23 can rest, thus establishing an electrical connection between the contact area K and the fastening screw 18. The contact area K can be formed by a copper or aluminum layer of the circuit board. The fastening screw 18 and the counter element 17, and its connection to Fig. 1 The described pins 21 can thus establish an electrical connection at the insertion points 22 to the vehicle sheet metal 11 (in Fig. 1 (not shown) are created. The counter element 17 can be made of an electrically conductive material (electrical conductivity in particular at least 10,000 S / m), in particular a metal, for example steel. The support element 27 can also be made of a metal, in particular steel. The device housing 16 can be made of a plastic, for example polycarbonate.

[0035] A ribbed structure 36 may be formed or provided in the housing wall 33, upon which the support element 27 may be placed. The ribbed structure may be a raised structure or molding that projects above or away from a surrounding surface of the housing wall. The ribbed structure 36 may, firstly, increase the material thickness of the housing wall 33 in the area of ​​the contact surface of the support element 27 on the housing wall 33 compared to an surrounding area 37. Additionally or alternatively, the ribbed structure 36 may be used to extend or distribute the force 24 acting on the housing wall 33 from the support element 27 to an area at the edge of the support element 27, so that the force 24 can also act on the housing wall 33 beyond the edge of the support element 27.

[0036] Fig. 3 The device 13 is illustrated in its assembled state, in which the counter element 17 is secured against the (in) by the fastening screw 18. Fig. 3 (not shown) vehicle sheet metal 11 is drawn and pins 21 are pressed into the vehicle sheet metal 11 at the insertion points 22. The counter element 17 can bear against a mechanical stop 38, which blocks a rotational movement of the counter element 17 when turning or tightening the fastening screw 18, wherein the counter element 17 protrudes from a side wall 39 of the mounting extension 15 and thus forms a positive fit with respect to the mounting opening 14 in the vehicle sheet metal 11.

[0037] Fig. 4 Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the support element 27 with a shape coding 40, which prevents rotational symmetry of the support element 27. In particular, the shape coding 40 prevents the support element 27 from being inserted downwards, i.e., upside down, into the edging device E of a top surface 41.

[0038] Fig. 5 illustrates how to use form coding 40 (see Fig. 4 ) can be achieved such that a curvature 42 of the support element 27 is oriented in such a way that the support element 27 has the effect of a disc spring with regard to the transmission of the force 24 to the housing wall 33 of the housing 16, that is, the curvature 43 caused by the curvature is oriented away from the vehicle sheet metal 11 or its sheet metal surface. Fig. 5 To clarify, an incorrect arrangement 44 is illustrated, in which the curvature is aligned towards the vehicle sheet metal 11, so that the force 24 acts on the device housing 16 without the effect of a disc spring.

[0039] Fig. 6 Figure 1 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the device 13, in which the support element 27 can have one or more tabs 45, over which the support element 27 can rest directly on the vehicle sheet metal or the sheet metal surface 29. Fig. 7 The corresponding arrangement is illustrated as follows: Fig. 3 for the support element 27 with the tab or the several tabs 45.

[0040] Fig. 8 This illustrates how the force 24 can be transmitted by means of the tab 45 in a force flow 34 from the screw head 23 within the support element 27 to the vehicle sheet metal 11. For this purpose, at least one tab 45 can be inserted through a respective slot 46 in the housing wall 33, so that the respective tab 45 rests on the sheet metal surface 29 of the vehicle sheet metal 11. This allows the support element 27 to rest directly on the vehicle sheet metal 11.

[0041] The screw shaft 19 can be inserted through a through-opening 48 in the support element 27.

[0042] Fig. 8 Figure 15 further illustrates how, during assembly or insertion of the assembly extension 15 through the assembly opening 14 along the insertion direction 25, the counter element 17 can be positioned in an assembly position 49. If, during assembly, the fastening screw 18 is tightened 51 or turned using a tool 50, a tensile force 53 can be exerted on the counter element 17 via the thread 19' of the screw shank 19 and a thread 52 of the counter element 17. The counter element 17 can be supported against rotation by an edge 54, but further rotation 51' results from the thread 19' and the tensile force 53, causing the counter element 17 to move towards the assembly opening 14. In this movement, the counter element 17 is moved along the screw shank 19.Once the counter element 17 has moved past the edge 54, it can change from the mounting position 49 to a holding position 55 by means of a rotational movement 56, where it then abuts the described stop 38 and does not perform any further rotational movement 56 when tightening 51 or when further tightening the fastening screw 18. Thus, the counter element 17 is positioned "perpendicular" and protrudes from the side wall 39 of the mounting extension 15. When tightening 51 further, the counter element 17 moves 57 onto the vehicle sheet metal 11 until the insertion points 22 are reached, at which the pins 21 penetrate or are pressed into the vehicle sheet metal 11 when tightening 51 further.

[0043] The insertion points 22 are in particular opposite a bearing area 22' of the respective tab 45 on the sheet metal surface 29 of the vehicle sheet metal 11. In other words, the insertion points 22 and a respective bearing area 22' are arranged opposite each other on the two sides 12, 20 of the vehicle sheet metal 11.

[0044] Fig. 9 Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of the support element 27 with the described tabs 45. Additionally or alternatively, a collar 60 can be formed or shaped at an edge 61 of the support element. For example, the collar 60 can be formed by deep drawing a plate from which the support element 27 is to be formed. The collar 60 is particularly circumferential. Advantageously, the collar 60 can be used to adjust, specify, or increase the bending stiffness.

[0045] Fig. 10 shows once again from a different perspective the assembly position 49 and the holding position 55 of the counter element 17 in the assembly extension 15.

[0046] The figure shows how the mounting opening 14 can have an elongated shape 70, in which a longitudinal dimension 71 is larger than a transverse dimension 72. The shape 70 can, for example, be rectangular. A longitudinal extent 73 of the mating element 17 can be smaller than the longitudinal dimension 71 or a diagonal of the mounting opening 14 and larger than the transverse dimension 17. In the holding position 55, the mating element 17 can be aligned with its longitudinal extent 73 parallel to the transverse dimension 72. In the holding position 55, the counter element 17 can no longer be pulled out of the mounting opening 14 against the insertion direction 25, and the described positive locking between the counter element 17 and the vehicle sheet metal 11 is achieved. In contrast, in the mounting position 49, the longitudinal extension 73 can be aligned such that the counter element 17 can be inserted into the mounting extension 15 through the mounting opening 14.The change from the assembly position 49 to the holding position 55 results from the described rotation 51' by, for example, 45° or 90° or generally in the range between 40° and 140°.

[0047] A preferably metallic support element is thus inserted under the PCBA to distribute the force introduced by the fastening screw. This distributes the force over a larger area and prevents / reduces local deflection of the PCB and device housing. This measure is particularly necessary for fastenings (indirect screw fixing) with large mounting openings in the vehicle body and high tightening torques.

[0048] An alternative solution is to insert this support element above the PCBA, directly under the screw head, or to enlarge the screw head itself accordingly (e.g., as a molded-on washer or a pressed-on washer). This idea is applicable to screwed-together plastic housings with and without PCBA where the permissible stress would be exceeded.

[0049] When mounting other components, 4Nm (400kg) cordless screwdrivers can now be used, which no longer poses the risk of pulling the circuit board and / or plastic housing part (cage) of the antenna module into the roof opening and deforming it (problem with more than 4Nm i.e. 400kg).

[0050] A support element reduces deformation of the housing. To this end, it projects laterally (at least in one dimension) beyond the vehicle roof mounting opening and is shaped as: Washer-like element, i.e., as a plate or disc (preferred solution); screw head recess larger than the mounting opening; attachment with lateral bent tabs that, when pressed, press into slots (e.g., in the plastic housing part or cage) and that could rest directly on the vehicle sheet metal to transfer the pressure there (see Fig. 8 ), as a washer or large screw head or intermediate part.

[0051] Overall, this example shows how a support element can be provided to distribute the contact pressure of a screw head onto a housing wall and a PCB. Reference symbol list

[0052] 10 Motor vehicle 11 Vehicle sheet metal 12 First side 13 Device 14 Mounting opening 15 Mounting extension 16 Housing cover 16 Device housing 17 Counter element 17 Transverse dimension 19 Thread 19 Screw shank 20 Second side 21 Mandrels 22 Entry point 23 Screw head 24 Force 25 Insertion direction 26 Edge 27 Support element 28 Transverse direction 29 Sheet metal surface 30 Dimension 31 Inner diameter 33 Housing wall 33 Material 34 Force flow 35 Circuit board 36 Rib structure 37 Surrounding area 38 Stop 39 Side wall 40 Shape coding 41 Top side 42 Curvature 43 Bulge 44 Misalignment 45 Tab 46 Slot 48 Through opening 49 Mounting position 50 Tool 51 Tightening 52 Thread 53 Tensile force 54 Edge 55 Holding position 56 Rotational movement 57 Movement 60 Collar 61 Edge 70 Shape 71 Longitudinal dimension 72 Transverse dimension 73 Longitudinal extent

Claims

1. A fastening arrangement of a device housing (16) of a device (13) on a vehicle panel (11) of a motor vehicle (10), wherein a device housing (16) abuts on a first side (12) of the vehicle panel (11) and a mounting extension (15) of the device (13) is inserted through a mounting opening (14) of the vehicle panel (11), and a fastening screw (18) projecting from the device housing (16) into the mounting extension (15) is tightened and, as a result, pulls a counterpart member (17) disposed in the mounting extension (15) against a second side (20) of the vehicle panel (11) which is opposite the first side (12), characterised in that a supporting member (27) is provided in the device housing (16), which, along at least one spatial direction (28) parallel to a panel surface (29) of the vehicle panel (11), has an external dimension (30) which is larger than an internal diameter (31) of the mounting opening (14) or equal to the internal diameter (31) or smaller than the internal diameter (31) by at most 20 percent in the same spatial direction (28), and in that the supporting member (27) in this way transmits a force (24) exerted by the tightening (51) of a screw head (23) of the fastening screw (18) by way of the supporting member (27) through a housing wall (33) of the device housing (16) onto the vehicle panel (11), wherein the supporting member (27) has a curvature (42) and the supporting member (27) has a shape coding (40) which corresponds to a shape (70) of an enclosure means (E) of the device housing (16) in which the supporting member (27) is inserted, and a bulge (43) of the supporting member (27) caused by said curvature (42) faces away from the vehicle panel (11).

2. The fastening arrangement as claimed in the preceding claim, wherein the supporting member (27) is made of a material (33') that is harder and / or stiffer than a material (33') of the housing wall (33), wherein the supporting member (27) is disposed between the screw head (23) and the housing wall (33) and for this purpose has a through opening through which a screw shank (19) of the fastening screw (18) is inserted.

3. The fastening arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one spike (21) which, on the second side (20) of the vehicle panel (11), is pressed into a coat of paint of the vehicle panel (11) and / or into a metal of the vehicle panel (11) at a respective puncture site (22) is formed on the counterpart member (17), wherein the supporting member (27) extends opposite the respective puncture site (22) on the first side (12) of the vehicle panel (11) and in this way supports the vehicle panel (11) at the respective puncture site (22).

4. The fastening arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a tab (45) which is inserted through a respective slot (46) in the housing wall (33) and rests directly on the vehicle panel (11) is formed on at least one edge (61) of the supporting member (27).

5. The fastening arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a collar (60) which is created by bending a rim of the supporting member (27) is formed on at least one edge (61) of the supporting member (27).

6. The fastening arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the supporting member (27) is fastened to the screw head (23).

7. The fastening arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a printed circuit board (35), PCB, of an electric circuit of the device (13) is held in the device housing (16) by the screw head (23) and / or by the supporting member (27).

8. The fastening arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mounting opening (14) and / or the mounting extension (15) have / has an elongate shape (70) with a longitudinal dimension (71) and a transverse dimension (72) smaller in relation to the longitudinal dimension (71), and the counterpart member (17) is shorter than the longitudinal dimension (71) or a diagonal of the elongate shape (70) and longer than the transverse dimension (72), and is rotatably mounted in the mounting extension (15) by a rotation angle in a range from 40° to 140°, wherein the mounting extension (15) is configured such that, when the device is mounted on the vehicle panel (11), a rotational position of the counterpart member (17), starting from a mounting position (49), changes by tightening (51) the fastening screw (18) such that part of the counterpart member (17) is rotated laterally out of lateral walls (39) of the mounting extension (15) into a holding position (55) by the tightening (51) and abuts on a stop (38) of the mounting extension (15).

9. The fastening arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the supporting member (27) rests on a rib structure (36) formed on the housing wall (33).

10. The fastening arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (13) is designed as a roof antenna module and the vehicle panel (11) is a vehicle roof of the motor vehicle (10).

11. A motor vehicle (10) having a device (13) fastened to a vehicle panel (11) of the motor vehicle (10), wherein the device (13) is fastened by means of a fastening arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.