KIT ALLOWING SIMPLIFIED ASSEMBLY OF AN ACCESSORY ON A SUPPORT

Abstract

The invention relates to an assembly (1) comprising a support (2) secured to the structure (3) of the vehicle and an accessory (4) fixed to the support (2), the accessory (4) having a fixing part (41) which comprises a substantially cylindrical outer surface (42), the support (2) comprising a first part (21) which forms a housing receiving the cylindrical surface (42) of said fixing part (41) and a second part (22) which is fixed to the structure (3), such that the first part (21) of the support (2) comprises a flexible curved arm (23) or a set of flexible curved arms forming an arc of a circle greater than 180°, allowing the introduction of the cylindrical surface (42) of the fixing part (41) of said accessory (4) by elastic deformation, increasing this curvature, this arm (23) or this set of arms then performing a tightening allowing the accessory (4) to be held in place. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: ASSEMBLY ALLOWING SIMPLIFIED ASSEMBLY OF AN ACCESSORY ON A SUPPORT

[0001] The present invention relates to an assembly which comprises a support secured to the structure of the vehicle and an accessory fixed to the support, the accessory having a fixing part which comprises a substantially cylindrical outer surface, the support comprising a first part which forms a housing receiving the cylindrical surface of said fixing part and a second part which is fixed to the cross member.

[0002] It is known to have such an assembly which comprises a support secured to the structure of the vehicle and an accessory fixed to the support, generally the fixing of the accessory to the support is done by screwing means, which requires providing the operator with a screwdriver, which he must manipulate after having correctly positioned the accessory on the support.

[0003] Such an assembly is of simple and inexpensive design, but imposes a cycle time during the assembly of the vehicle in the final assembly plant, which is long, and also requires the presence of a screwdriver, which increases the production cost of this assembly.

[0004] The device according to the invention makes it possible to overcome these drawbacks.

[0005] In fact, according to the invention, it comprises an assembly including a support integral with the structure of the vehicle and an accessory fixed to the support, the accessory having a fixing part which has a substantially cylindrical outer surface, the support having a first part which forms a housing receiving the cylindrical surface of said fixing part and a second part which is fixed to the crossbar, such that the first part of the support has a flexible curved arm or a set of flexible curved arms forming an arc of a circle greater than 180°, allowing the introduction of the cylindrical surface of the fixing part of said accessory by elastic deformation, increasing this curvature, this flexible curved arm or this set of flexible curved arms then effecting a clamping for holding the accessory.

[0006] According to a first characteristic of the invention, the flexible curved arm or the set of flexible curved arms of the first part of the support is positioned parallel to a flat surface of the structure of the vehicle, the accessory comprising a support part which projects from said fixing part, said support part being adapted to be positioned in abutment against the flat surface of the structure of the vehicle.

[0007] According to a second characteristic of the invention, the entrance to the support housing comprises on each side a slope facilitating the introduction of the cylindrical surface of the fixing part of the accessory into said housing; the two free ends of the flexible curved arm or of the set of two flexible curved arms comprising a rounded edge facing towards the outside of the housing, forming said slopes for introducing the accessory into said housing.

[0008] According to a third characteristic of the invention, the second part of the support is screwed onto the crossbar of the vehicle.

[0009] According to a fourth characteristic of the invention, the support is formed in one piece, the first part of the support being made of the same material as the flexible curved arm which extends symmetrically on either side of the first part, forming an arc of a circle greater than 180°.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment of this invention, the accessory is an audible warning device for a vehicle.

[0011] The present invention also relates to a method of assembling the assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a step of radially pushing the cylindrical part of the accessory onto the free ends of the flexible curved arm or of the set of flexible curved arms, so as to widen the entrance to the housing by increasing the curvature of the flexible curved arm or of the set of flexible curved arms, allowing the complete introduction of the cylindrical surface of the fixing part at the bottom of this housing.

[0012] The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

[0013] [Fig-1] represents a partial perspective view of a sound alarm such as po located on a support, the support itself being secured to a cross member of the vehicle structure.

[0014] [Fig.2] represents a perspective view, according to the invention, of the audible warning device and of the support for the horn.

[0015] [Fig.3] represents a partial sectional view, according to the invention, of the warning device sound as positioned on the support, the support itself being secured to the cross member of the vehicle structure.

[0016] [Fig.l] represents an assembly 1 comprising a support 2 secured to a cross member 3 of the structure of the vehicle and an accessory 4 fixed to the support 2, the accessory 4 being, in the embodiment as represented, an audible warning device for a vehicle.

[0017] The audible warning device 4 comprises a fixing part 41 which has a substantially cylindrical outer surface 42.

[0018] The support 2 comprises a first part 21 which forms a housing receiving the fixing part 41 of the audible warning device 4 and a second part 22 which is screwed on crossbar 3.

[0019] The first part 21 of the support 2 comprises a flexible curved arm 23 which forms an arc of a circle greater than 180°, forming a housing for the fixing part 41 of the audible warning device 4 by elastic deformation of the flexible curved arm 23, increasing its curvature, the flexible curved arm 23 then performing a tightening allowing the audible warning device 4 to be held in place.

[0020] In the embodiment as more particularly represented in [Fig.2], the support 2 is formed in a single part, the first part 21 of the support 2 coming from the same material as the flexible curved arm 23 which extends symmetrically on either side of the first part 21, forming the arc of a circle greater than 180°.

[0021] The entrance to the housing of the support 2 has on each side a slope facilitating the introduction of the cylindrical surface 42 of the fixing part 41 of the audible warning device 4 into the housing of the support 2.

[0022] To do this, the two free ends of the flexible curved arm 23 have a rounded edge 24 facing towards the outside of the housing, forming the two slopes for introducing the cylindrical surface 42 of the fixing part 41 of the audible alarm 4 into the housing of the support 2.

[0023] As more particularly visible in [Fig. 3], the flexible curved arm 23 of the support 2 is positioned parallel to a flat surface 31 of the cross member 3 of the vehicle structure, the audible warning device 4 comprising a support part 43 which projects from the fixing part 41 and which is adapted to be positioned in abutment against the flat surface 31 of the cross member 3 of the vehicle structure.

[0024] Such a flat surface 31 of the cross member 3 of the vehicle structure makes it possible to stabilize the audible warning device 4 so that it does not come out of the housing of the support 2 when the vehicle is moving.

[0025] Also more particularly visible in [Fig.3] is a screw 5 which makes it possible to secure the support 2 by screwing onto the cross member 3 of the vehicle structure.

[0026] The present invention also relates to an assembly method which comprises a step of radially pushing the fixing part 41 of the audible warning device 4 onto the rounded free ends 24 of the flexible curved arm 23 of the support 2 so as to widen said entrance by increasing the curvature of the flexible curved arm 23, allowing the complete introduction of the fixing part 41 of the audible warning device 4 into the bottom of the housing.

Claims

Claims

1. Assembly (1) comprising a support (2) secured to the structure (3) of the vehicle and an accessory (4) fixed to the support (2), the accessory (4) having a fixing part (41) which comprises a substantially cylindrical outer surface (42), the support (2) comprising a first part (21) which forms a housing receiving the cylindrical surface (42) of said fixing part (41) and a second part (22) which is fixed to the structure (3), characterized in that the first part (21) of the support (2) comprises a flexible curved arm (23) or a set of flexible curved arms forming an arc of a circle greater than 180°, allowing the introduction of the cylindrical surface (42) of the fixing part (41) of said accessory (4) by elastic deformation, increasing this curvature, this flexible curved arm (23) or this set of flexible curved arms then performing a tightening allowing the accessory (4) to be held in place.

2. Assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible curved arm (23) or the set of flexible curved arms of the first part (21) of the support (2) is positioned parallel to a flat surface (31) of the structure (3) of the vehicle, the accessory (4) comprising a support part (43) which projects from said fixing part (41), said support part (43) being adapted to be positioned in abutment against the flat surface (31) of the structure (3) of the vehicle.

3. Assembly (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the entrance to the housing of the support (2) has on each side a slope facilitating the introduction of the cylindrical surface (43) of the fixing part (41) of the accessory (4) into said housing.

4. Assembly (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the two free ends of the flexible curved arm (23) or of the set of two flexible curved arms comprise a rounded edge (24) facing towards the outside of the housing, forming said slopes for introducing the fixing part (41) of the accessory (4) into said housing.

5. Assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second part (22) of the support (2) is screwed onto the structure (3) of the vehicle.

6. Assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support (2) is formed in a single part, the first part (21) of the support (2) made of the same material as the flexible curved arm (23) which extends symmetrically on either side of said first part (21) forming said arc of a circle greater than 180°.

7. Assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the accessory (4) is a sound warning device for a vehicle.

8. Method of assembling an assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a step of radially pushing the fixing part (41) of the accessory (4) along the free ends of the flexible curved arm (23) or of the set of flexible curved arms, so as to widen the entrance to the housing by increasing the curvature of the flexible curved arm (23) or of the set of flexible curved arms, allowing the complete introduction of the cylindrical surface (42) of the fixing part (41) at the bottom of the housing.

9. Vehicle comprising an assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

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