Retaining clip and clamping device for clamping and orienting a retaining clip of this type
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- KOMAX TAPING GMBH & CO KG
- Filing Date
- 2024-04-15
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-29
AI Technical Summary
Existing retaining clips face issues with reliable centering and alignment when clamped, as they can move or twist within clamping devices, limiting their versatility and precision in applications like motor vehicle components.
The retaining clip features protruding or recessed positioning elements with circumferential ramps, and a clamping device with matching clamping elements, ensuring secure gripping and alignment, while allowing non-standard shapes and orientations for the clip's functional areas.
This design enables standardized gripping areas for various functions, prevents twisting, and ensures precise centering and alignment of the retaining clip, supporting high forces and multiple orientations, thus enhancing the clip's usability and structural simplicity.
Smart Images
Figure EP2024060197_26122024_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001]komax-16 Description Retaining clip and clamping device for clamping and aligning one of such a retaining clips The invention relates to a retaining clip with a gripping area designed for gripping by a clamping device. Furthermore, the invention relates to a clamping device for clamping and aligning one of the retaining clips according to one of the preceding claims, with two clamping jaws that can be moved against one another. A retaining clip with a clamping device is known, for example, from EP 3 796 493 A1. The retaining clip has a fir tree profile for fastening to another component and a link beam. The link beam is used to fasten a line element. The clamping device clamps the retaining clip to the link beam so that its ends protrude. A disadvantage, however, is that the retaining clip can be moved in the clamping device or can be gripped at different points.Furthermore, DE 196 33 058 A1 discloses a retaining clip and a tool for attaching the retaining clip. The retaining clip has two legs, each with a wraparound portion for attachment to another component. The tool has a channel into which the retaining clip is inserted so that the legs are pressed together. This limits the possible shapes of this retaining clip. In addition, the retaining clip can twist in the tool, so that precise positioning is not guaranteed. The invention is based on the problem of developing a retaining clip of the type mentioned at the outset such that it is reliably centered and aligned when clamped with the clamping device. Furthermore, a clamping device is to be created which enables reliable alignment and centering of the retaining clip during clamping.The first-mentioned problem is solved according to the invention in that the gripping area has at least one protruding or recessed positioning element, in that at least one ramp extends over the entire circumference of the at least one positioning element, and in that the at least one ramp is inclined to the axis of the positioning element. This design separates the gripping area from the other components of the retaining clip. The areas of the retaining clip located outside the gripping area can therefore be designed in almost any way. This separation enables the production of a retaining clip with a standardized gripping area for various functions, such as holding line sections or fastening components to structures, for example of motor vehicles. Thanks to the invention, the gripping area has a shape such that the ramps of the gripping area can be designed to correspond to ramps of the clamping device.The ramps can be either linear or curved. When gripped and thus clamped with the clamping device, the retaining clip is reliably centered and aligned. According to another advantageous development of the invention, the retaining clip is structurally particularly simple if the protruding positioning element has a curved conical or pyramidal shape. If the material of the retaining clip is sufficiently thick, according to another advantageous development of the invention, protruding positioning elements can be easily avoided if the recessed positioning element has a funnel shape. According to another advantageous development of the invention, the retaining clip is structurally particularly simple if the at least one positioning element has a non-circular cross-section.This design allows the at least one positioning element to be easily gripped by means of correspondingly shaped clamping jaws thanks to the ramps. The non-circular design of the positioning element allows the retaining clip to be easily gripped without twisting. In the simplest case, the at least one positioning element has a rectangular cross-section. According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, particularly tilt-proof gripping of the retaining clip can be ensured if the retaining clip has a positioning element on each of two opposite sides. According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the positioning elements are capable of supporting high forces if the axes of the two positioning elements are aligned.According to another advantageous development of the invention, the structural design of the retaining clip is further simplified if the at least one positioning element protrudes from a linkage beam provided for linking to a line element. According to another advantageous development of the invention, the retaining clip can be gripped in any orientation if the gripping area of the retaining clip is designed symmetrically with two identical positioning elements. This design eliminates the need for alignment of the retaining clip in the clamping device. Asymmetrical retaining clips should be able to be gripped in the correct position by the clamping device. According to another advantageous development of the invention, the intended alignment of the retaining clip in the clamping device can be easily ensured if the gripping area of the retaining clip is designed asymmetrically.The asymmetrical design of the gripping area can be achieved, for example, by having only one positioning element in the gripping area or by having different positioning elements on different sides. The second problem, namely the creation of a clamping device that enables reliable alignment and centering of the retaining clip during clamping, is solved according to the invention in that at least one of the clamping jaws has a clamping element designed to correspond to the positioning element of the retaining clip. Due to this design, the clamping device and retaining clip are shaped in their abutting areas such that the clamping element supports the positioning element in every spatial direction during gripping. This enables reliable alignment and centering of the retaining clip during gripping and clamping.According to another advantageous development of the invention, the clamping device is particularly simple in design if the at least one clamping element has ramps designed to complement the ramps of the retaining clip. According to another advantageous development of the invention, reliable, tilt-proof clamping of the retaining clip can be easily achieved if the direction of movement of the clamping elements during gripping runs in the axial direction of the at least one positioning element. According to another advantageous development of the invention, the retaining clip can be gripped particularly reliably if the clamping jaws each have a clamping element. The invention permits numerous embodiments. To further clarify the basic principle, two of them are shown in the drawing and are described below. Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a device for mounting a retaining clip on a line element, Fig.1. Fig. 2 shows an enlarged section of a clamping device of the apparatus from Fig. 1 with the retaining clip, Fig. 3 shows the clamping device when gripping the retaining clip from Fig. 1 from the side, Fig. 4 shows the clamping device when gripping the retaining clip from Fig. 1 in a plan view, Fig. 5 shows a further embodiment of a retaining clip with a clamping device. Figure 1 shows a device for mounting a retaining clip 1 on a line element 2 shown in dash-dotted lines, with a clamping device 3 for the retaining clip 1. The clamping device 3 has two clamping jaws 6, 7, each arranged on a disc element 4, 5. The disc elements 4, 5 have a central recess 8 for the line element 2 and an opening 9 for inserting the line element 2. The disc elements 4, 5 with the opening 9 are therefore C-shaped. The disc elements 4, 5 can be rotated relative to one another, thus moving the clamping jaws 6, 7 towards or away from one another.In order to move the retaining clip 1 in the intended orientation relative to the line element 2, the disk elements 4, 5 can be rotated synchronously with the retaining clip 1. Furthermore, the disk elements 4, 5 can be moved perpendicular to the axis of the line element 2 in guides (not shown). Figure 2 shows an enlarged view of the clamping jaws 6, 7 of the clamping device 3 from Figure 1 with the retaining clip 1 before clamping. The retaining clip 1 has a gripping area 10, a functional area 11 with two linkage bars 12, 13, and a fastening section 14. The fastening section 14 serves to fasten the retaining clip 1 in a structure (not shown), for example a body panel of a motor vehicle, and has a hook-shaped profile. Alternatively, the fastening section 14 can also have a Christmas tree profile or legs with wraparound sections known from the prior art.The articulation beams 12, 13 are used to attach the line element 2 shown in Figure 1. The line element 2 can be attached to these articulation beams 12, 13, for example, using adhesive tape. Alternatively, the functional area 11 can also have locking means or clamps for attachment to other components. The gripping area 10 has two positioning elements 15, 16 pointing away from each other and protruding. The positioning elements 15, 16 are arranged on a common axis shown in dash-dotted lines. Furthermore, the positioning elements 15, 16, with ramps 17, 18 extending over the entire circumference, have a rectangular cross-section resembling a truncated pyramid. Due to their rectangular shape, the positioning elements 15, 16 are non-circular. The clamping jaws 6, 7 of the clamping device 3 have clamping elements 19, 20 designed correspondingly to the positioning elements 15, 16 of the retaining clip 1.The clamping elements 19, 20 have ramps 21, 22 that complement the ramps 17, 18 of the retaining clip 1. The clamping elements 19, 20 are pressed against the positioning elements 15, 16 in the direction of their axes to grip the retaining clip 1. Due to the corresponding complementary shapes of the clamping elements 19, 20 and the positioning elements 15, 16, the retaining clip 1 is reliably clamped, centered, and aligned during gripping. The clamping elements 19, 20 have slots 23, 24 that lead to the ramps 21, 22 and are thus capable of slight spring deflection. Figures 3 and 4 show the retaining clip 1 in the clamped state by the clamping device 3 in two views. The retaining clip 1 is held by the clamping device 3 in every spatial axis. Figure 5 shows a further embodiment of a retaining clip 101 and a tensioning device 103, which differs from that of Figures 1 to 4 in that the retaining clip 101 has a functional area 111 with a cable tie 125.To ensure that the retaining clip 101 can be gripped in the correct position, a gripping area 110 with two different positioning elements 115, 116 is designed asymmetrically. One of the positioning elements 115 protrudes on one side of the gripping area 110, as described in relation to Figure 2. The positioning element 116 on the other side is recessed and has a funnel shape. The clamping device 103 has clamping elements 119, 120 that are complementary to the positioning elements 115, 116. As in the embodiment according to Figures 2 to 4, ramps 119, 120 of clamping elements 106, 107 and ramps 117, 118 of the positioning elements 115, 116 extend over their entire circumference.
Claims
Protection claims 1. Retaining clip (1, 101) with a gripping area (10, 110) designed to be gripped by a clamping device (3, 103), characterized in that the gripping area (10, 110) has at least one protruding or recessed positioning element (15, 16, 115, 116), that at least one ramp (17, 18, 117, 118) extends over the entire circumference of the at least one positioning element (15, 16, 115, 116) and that the at least one ramp (17, 18, 117, 118) is inclined to the axis of the positioning element (15, 16, 115, 116).
2. Retaining clip according to claim 1, characterized in that the protruding positioning element (15, 16, 115) has a curved, conical, or pyramidal shape.
3. Retaining clip according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the recessed positioning element (116) has a funnel shape. 4.Retaining clip according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the at least one positioning element (15, 16, 115, 116) has a non-circular cross-section.
5. Retaining clip according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the retaining clip (1, 101) has a positioning element (15, 16, 115, 116) on each of two opposite sides.
6. Retaining clip according to at least one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the axes of the two positioning elements (15, 16, 115, 116) are aligned.
7. Retaining clip according to at least one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the at least one positioning element (15, 16) protrudes from a linkage bar (12, 13) provided for linking to a line element (2).
8. Retaining clip according to at least one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the gripping area (10) of the retaining clip (1) with two identical positioning elements (15, 16) is designed symmetrically.
9. Retaining clip according to at least one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the gripping area (110) of the retaining clip (101) is designed asymmetrically.
10. Clamping device (3, 103) for clamping and aligning one of the retaining clips (1, 101) according to one of the preceding claims, with two clamping jaws (6, 7, 106, 107) which can be moved relative to one another, characterized in that at least one of the clamping jaws (6, 7, 106, 107) has a clamping element (10, 20, 119, 120) designed correspondingly to the positioning element (15, 16, 115, 116) of the retaining clip (1, 101).
11. Clamping device according to claim 10, characterized in that the at least one clamping element (10, 20, 119, 120) has ramps (21, 22, 121, 122) complementary to the ramps (17, 18, 117, 118) of the retaining clip (1, 101).
12. Clamping device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the direction of movement of the clamping elements (10, 20, 119, 120) during gripping runs in the axial direction of the at least one positioning element (15, 16, 115, 116).
13. Clamping device according to at least one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the clamping jaws (6, 7, 106, 107) each have a clamping element (10, 20, 119, 120).