ADJUSTABLE FRAMELESS MOUNT

Abstract

The invention relates to an adjustable frameless fastener (102) comprising a female portion (104) including a stop surface; a male portion (106); and a locking mechanism (108). The female portion includes an opening (110) for receiving the male portion. The female and male portions interact with each other such that the male portion can be positioned at a fixed insertion depth within the opening relative to the female portion. The male portion is further provided with a head (120) having at least one pawl (112) for engaging, at least temporarily, in a fixed manner with the locking mechanism. Figure 4

Description

Title of the invention: ADJUSTABLE FRAMELESS FIXATION TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to an adjustable frameless fastener. In particular, the invention relates to an adjustable frameless fastener for enabling the mounting and positional adjustment of a trim panel relative to a vehicle chassis. Context

[0002] Mounting trim or cover panels on a bare vehicle body is time-consuming and difficult. The parts must be correctly spaced to ensure proper mounting and aesthetic appearance.

[0003] This can be achieved by using fine precision in manufacturing tolerances, however this results in increased cost and increased difficulty.

[0004] Another problem is that any fasteners used may interfere with any protective coating applied to the bare bodywork, and present a risk of corrosion at the location of the fastener. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present disclosure relates to an adjustable frameless fastener comprising: a female portion comprising a stop surface; a male portion; and a latch; the female portion comprising an opening for receiving the male portion, the female portion and the male portion interacting with each other such that the male portion can be arranged at a fixed insertion depth within the opening relative to the female portion; and the male portion being further provided with a head having at least one pawl for at least temporarily fixedly engaging the latch.

[0006] Suitably, the fixed insertion depth may be up to 3 mm, in other words the male part may be moved forward, or backward, relative to the female part by a distance of up to 3 mm. The travel of the male part within the opening is in a range of 3 mm.

[0007] Advantageously, a seal may be provided and arranged to prevent, in use, the ingress of water between the adjustable frameless fastener and a substrate. The adjustable frameless fastener may therefore self-seal a hole created to accommodate the adjustable frameless fastener in a substrate.

[0008] Preferably, the opening and the male part comprise complementary threads, thus allowing the male part to move forward or backward within the opening.

[0009] Suitably, the complementary threads have a pitch of 1 mm to ensure fine adjustment of the male part within the opening.

[0010] Advantageously, the male part comprises engagement means for a tool, such that the male part can be easily advanced or withdrawn within the opening by means of the tool.

[0011] Preferably, the lock, when engaged, holds the male portion in a fixed relationship with the female portion. The lock therefore prevents inadvertent movement of the male portion relative to the female portion when they are engaged.

[0012] Suitably, the pawl is at least partly formed by one or more notches around the head. The notches provide a fixed locking position and quantify the displacement of the male part relative to the female part.

[0013] Advantageously, the lock comprises a locking ring which can engage in a locked manner with the notches in order to maintain the positions of the male part and the female part.

[0014] Preferably, the latch comprises one or more fingers arranged to grip a portion, such that the latch holds the portion in position relative to the adjustable frameless fastener and the substrate when engaged.

[0015] Conveniently, the male portion is pre-inserted into the female portion, ready for use and eliminates the need for a user to construct the adjustable frameless attachment prior to use.

[0016] Advantageously, the one or more notches allow a rotation of 15 degrees per notch of the male part relative to the female part.

[0017] Preferably, adjusting one of the one or more notches results in a 0.06 mm change in the position of the male portion relative to the female portion.

[0018] Suitably, the male portion further comprises one or more fins arranged to interfere with one or more corresponding notches of the female portion. The fins provide a predefined distance between the male portion and the female portion, thereby avoiding unnecessary adjustment of the adjustable frameless fastener.

[0019] A frameless adjustable fastener, wherein the interaction of the one or more fins with the corresponding one or more notches produces an audible alert, which thereby informs a user of the effective action of the frameless adjustable fastener without visual inspection. Brief description of the drawings

[0020] Embodiments of the invention are now described, by way of example only, below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] [Fig.l] illustrates an exploded view of an adjustable frameless binding;

[0022] [Fig.2] illustrates a mode of operation of an adjustable frameless binding; and

[0023] [Fig. 3] illustrates a method of attaching a trim panel to a B-pillar » using an adjustable frameless mount.

[0024] [Fig.4] illustrates an exploded view of an adjustable frameless binding;

[0025] [Fig.5] illustrates a method of attaching a trim panel to a “B” pillar using an adjustable frameless fastener. Detailed description

[0026] Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience and is not limiting. The words and phrases "right", "left", "lower", "upper", "front", "rear", "up", "down", "downwards" designate directions in the drawings referred to and relate to the described component when assembled and mounted. The words and phrases "internal", "inward", "external" and "outward" refer to directions to and from, respectively, a designated centerline or geometric center of a member being described (e.g., a central axis), the particular meaning being readily apparent from the context of the description.

[0027] Further, as used herein, the terms "connected," "attached," "coupled," and "mounted" are intended to include direct connections between two elements without any other element interposed therebetween, as well as indirect connections between elements in which one or more other elements are interposed therebetween. The terminology includes the words specifically mentioned above, their derivatives, and words of similar scope.

[0028] Furthermore, unless otherwise indicated, the use of ordinal adjectives, such as "first", "second / second" and "third", etc., simply indicates that reference is being made to different instances of analogous objects and is not intended to imply that the objects so described must be in any given sequence, whether temporal, spatial, ranking or otherwise.

[0029] Identical reference numerals are used to represent identical characteristics throughout the document.

[0030] The illustrated exemplary embodiment(s) relates to an adjustable frameless fastener used for mounting and adjusting a trim panel to a vehicle chassis during vehicle manufacture. The adjustable frameless fastener is particularly suitable for use at the body-on-frame (BIW) stage of vehicle manufacture and may be used to attach a trim or dressing panel to the "B" pillar (the pillar between the front and rear doors of a car or the like, for example).

[0031] The provision of an adjustable frameless attachment allows the B-pillar cover, or any trim panel, to be mounted and adjusted both inside and outside the bodywork (i.e. from a position relatively close to a position distant from the vehicle body). The adjustment is in the order of a millimeter, Typically + / - 3 mm, although any suitable range can be used. This allows for relaxed tolerances during vehicle manufacture and assembly, while ensuring a high quality finish.

[0032] Once in place on the vehicle frame, the adjustable frameless fastener has a low profile and minimal clearance (protrusion from the frame surface) to allow mounting of a gasket or other panel on the vehicle frame over and covering the adjustable frameless fastener.

[0033] The adjustable frameless mount can be mounted without tools (i.e., by hand) to the vehicle frame, and the adjustable frameless mount adjusted inward / outward using a simple hand (non-electric) tool. A gasket is provided to form a watertight seal between the adjustable frameless mount and the vehicle frame, thereby preventing the ingress of water around the adjustable frameless mount and into the vehicle frame.

[0034] The drawings illustrate a novel adjustable frameless attachment design.

[0035] [Fig.l] shows an exploded diagram of the adjustable frameless attachment 102 which comprises a female portion 104, a male portion 106 and a latch 108. The female portion connects to the vehicle frame, normally housed within an opening 110. The female portion includes an abutment portion which abuts the vehicle frame and prevents the female portion from passing through the vehicle frame. A seal 406 may be provided at the interface between the abutment portion and the vehicle frame to form a watertight seal. The female portion includes a receiving opening for receiving the male portion. The male portion and the female portion interact with each other such that the male portion may be arranged at a fixed insertion depth relative to the female portion, for example via a thread and screw arrangement or any similar arrangement providing the same function.The male portion is provided with an engagement means 116 to allow the use of a tool to make the adjustment. This may be, for example, a screwdriver socket or drill bit. The male portion is further provided with a head 120 having at least one pawl 112 for at least temporarily fixedly engaging a latch 108, holding the male portion in a fixed position preventing inadvertent adjustment of the male portion relative to the female portion. The at least one pawl may be comprised of a series of notches 114 around a rim of the head of the male portion. The male and female portions may be provided pre-assembled with the male portion at least partially pre-inserted into the female portion.

[0036] A lock is provided which has complementary pawl engaging means for capturing the at least one pawl of the male part and thereby preventing movement of the male part (e.g., rotation) such that when the lock is in place, inadvertent adjustment of the male portion relative to the female portion is not permitted until the lock is removed. The lock may be in the form of a locking ring 122 including one or more fingers 118 that can engage another portion 202 to hold the locking ring in place around the male portion. The other portion may be a trim panel or trim, the male portion, the female portion, or multiple portions such that the lock holds the components in position relative to each other.

[0037] Figures 2 and 3 show methods of using the adjustable frameless fastener 102 and using the fastener to attach a trim panel respectively. The female portion 104 is inserted into the vehicle frame, or substrate 204, with the male portion 106 already in situ. The latch, attached via the fingers 118 to a portion 202, is placed over, or slid onto, the adjustable frameless fastener. Adjustment of the position of the male portion relative to the female portion is then effected (changing the final position inside / outside the trim or trim panel) via the engagement means 116 and the advancing / receding of the male portion 106 relative to the female portion, for example, via complementary threads. Once the setting is set, the lock is engaged with the ratchet on the male part, preventing any further unintentional adjustment.

[0038] Referring to [Fig. 4], there is shown another adjustable frameless fastener 102 of the disclosure. The adjustable frameless fastener 102 shares many features with the adjustable frameless fastener 102 of [Fig. 1], which bear the same reference numerals.

[0039] The adjustable frameless fastener 102 of [Fig. 4] further includes fins 402 located on the male portion 106 that are arranged to interfere with corresponding notches 404 on the female portion 104. The fins 402 prevent the male portion 106 from advancing too far into the opening 110 before use of the adjustable frameless fastener 102, thereby ensuring that the end user can begin use of the adjustable frameless fastener 102 from a defined starting point, and avoiding the need for the user to place the male portion 106 in a starting position before use of the adjustable frameless fastener 102.

[0040] The notches 404 hold the male portion 106 in place in transit via the fins 402 which are trapped by the notches 404. The notches 404 have inclined surfaces such that rotation of the male portion 106 relative to the female portion 104 causes the fins 402 to snap onto the notches 404, creating an audible alert indicating that the adjustable frameless fastener 102 is functioning as intended during adjustment without visual inspection.

[0041] Referring to [Fig. 5], there is shown a method of using the adjustable frameless fastener 102 of [Fig. 4]. The female portion 104 is inserted into the vehicle frame, or substrate 204, with the male portion 106 already in situ. The latch, attached via fingers 118 to a portion 202, is placed over, or slid onto, the adjustable frameless fastener. Adjustment of the position of the male portion relative to the female portion is then effected (which changes the final position inside / outside the trim or cladding panel) via the engagement means 116 and the advancement / retraction of the male portion 106 relative to the female portion, for example, via complementary threads. Once the setting is set, the lock is engaged with the ratchet on the male part, preventing any further unintentional adjustment.

[0042] The adjustable frameless fasteners described herein may be formed of any suitable material, including metals and / or plastics, or a combination thereof.

[0043] The adjustable frameless fasteners allow for mounting and adjustment of the B-pillar cover, any trim panel (i.e., part) inside and outside the body (i.e., substrate 204), with a tolerance of + / - 2.5 mm to 3 mm. This allows for wider manufacturing and assembly tolerances on the vehicle.

[0044] The adjustable frameless fixture has a very small gap to allow for the assembly of a gasket or other panel to the ceiling.

[0045] No power tools are required to attach and adjust the adjustable frameless bindings disclosed herein.

[0046] The part can be manufactured with the lock pre-attached.

[0047] The adjustable frameless attachment ensures the bodywork is sealed to prevent water from entering via the seal.

[0048] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the above detailed examples have been described by way of example only and without any limiting meaning, and that several changes and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as previously described. Various modifications of the above detailed examples are possible.

[0049] Throughout this specification, the words "include" and "contain", and variations thereof, mean "comprising, but not limited to", and are not intended to exclude (and do not exclude) other fractions, additives, components, wholes or steps.

[0050] Any features, integers, characteristics, compounds, moieties or chemical groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the invention are to be understood as applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless inconsistent therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including the abstract and the accompanying drawings), and / or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except for combinations where at least some of these features and / or steps are mutually exclusive. The invention is not limited to the details of any of the foregoing embodiments. The invention extends to any new feature, or new combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including the abstract and the accompanying drawings), or to any new step, or new combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed. List of reference signs

[0051] 102 adjustable frame

[0052] 104 female part

[0053] 106 male part

[0054] 108 lock

[0055] 110 opening

[0056] 112 ratchet

[0057] 114 notches

[0058] 116 engagement means

[0059] 118 fingers

[0060] 120 head

[0061] 122 locking ring

[0062] 202 part

[0063] 204 substrate

[0064] 402 fins

[0065] 404 notches

[0066] 406 seal

Claims

Claims

1. An adjustable frameless fastener (102) comprising: a female portion (104) comprising an abutment surface; a male portion (106); and a latch (108); wherein the female portion comprises an opening (110) for receiving the male portion, wherein the female portion and the male portion interact with each other such that the male portion can be arranged at a fixed insertion depth within the opening relative to the female portion; and wherein the male portion is further provided with a head (120) having at least one pawl (112) for at least temporarily fixedly engaging the latch.

2. An adjustable frameless fastener according to claim 1 wherein the fixed insertion depth has a range of up to 3 mm.

3. An adjustable frameless fastener according to claim 1 or 2 further comprising a seal (406) arranged to, in use, prevent the ingress of water between the adjustable frameless fastener and a substrate (204).

4. An adjustable frameless fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the opening and the male portion comprise complementary threads.

5. An adjustable frameless fastener according to claim 4 wherein the complementary threads have a pitch of 1 mm.

6. An adjustable frameless fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the male portion comprises engagement means (116) for a tool.

7. An adjustable frameless fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the lock, when engaged, holds the male portion in a fixed relationship with the female portion.

8. An adjustable frameless fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the ratchet is at least partly formed by one or more notches (114) around the head.

9. An adjustable frameless fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the lock comprises a locking ring (122).

10. An adjustable frameless fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the latch comprises one or more fingers (118) arranged to grip a portion (202).

11. An adjustable frameless fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the male portion is pre-inserted into the female portion.

12. An adjustable frameless fastener according to any one of claims 8 to 11 wherein the one or more notches allow a 15 degree rotation of the male portion relative to the female portion per notch.

13. An adjustable frameless fastener according to any one of claims 8 to 12 wherein adjusting one of the one or more notches results in a 0.06 mm change in the position of the male portion relative to the female portion.

14. An adjustable frameless fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein the male portion further comprises one or more fins (402) arranged to interfere with one or more corresponding notches (404) of the female portion.

15. An adjustable frameless fastener according to claim 14 wherein interaction of the one or more fins with the corresponding one or more notches produces an audible alert.

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