KIT ALLOWING SIMPLIFIED ASSEMBLY OF AN ACCESSORY ON A SUPPORT
The flexible curved arm support assembly allows tool-free attachment of vehicle accessories, addressing the need for manual screwing by enabling rapid and cost-effective assembly.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- FR2023012631
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-11-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-06
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-11-17
AI Technical Summary
Existing vehicle accessory assemblies require screwdrivers for assembly, leading to increased production costs and prolonged cycle times due to the need for manual screwing.
A support assembly with flexible curved arms that elastically deform to clamp a cylindrical accessory, allowing tool-free attachment to a vehicle structure, facilitated by sloped entrances and a screw fixation to a crossmember.
Enables rapid, cost-effective assembly of vehicle accessories without tools, reducing production time and costs.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: ASSEMBLY ALLOWING SIMPLIFIED ASSEMBLY OF AN ACCESSORY ONTO A SUPPORT
[0001] The present invention relates to an assembly which includes a support attached to 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 cross member.
[0002] It is known to have such an assembly which includes a support attached to the structure of the vehicle and an accessory fixed to the support, generally the attachment of the accessory to the support is done by means of screwing, which requires providing the operator with a screwdriver, which he must operate after having correctly positioned the accessory on the support.
[0003] Such an assembly is simple in design and inexpensive, 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 remedy these drawbacks.
[0005] It comprises, in fact, according to the invention, an assembly which includes a support attached to 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 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 crossmember, such that the first part of the support comprises 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 performing a clamping action allowing the accessory to be held.
[0006] According to a first feature 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 vehicle structure, the accessory comprising a support part which is projecting from said fixing part, said support part being adapted to be positioned in support against the flat surface of the vehicle structure.
[0007] According to a second feature of the invention, the inlet of the support housing has on each side a slope facilitating the introduction of the cylindrical surface of the attachment 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 having a rounded rim turned outwards from the housing, forming said slopes for the introduction of the accessory into said housing.
[0008] According to a third feature of the invention, the second part of the support is screwed onto the vehicle crossmember.
[0009] According to a fourth feature of the invention, the support is formed in one part, the first part of the support being made of material with 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 a horn 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 on the free ends of the flexible curved arm or the assembly of flexible curved arms, so as to widen the entrance of the housing by increasing the curvature of the flexible curved arm or the assembly of flexible curved arms, allowing the complete introduction of the cylindrical surface of the fixing part into the bottom of this housing.
[0012] The attached drawings illustrate the invention:
[0013] [Fig-1] represents a partial perspective view of an audible warning device such as po positioned on a support, the support itself being fixed 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 support for the horn.
[0015] [Fig.3] represents a partial cross-sectional view, according to the invention, of the warning device sound as positioned on the support, the support itself being fixed to the cross member of the vehicle structure.
[0016] Fig. 1 represents an assembly 1 comprising a support 2 attached to a cross member 3 of the vehicle structure and an accessory 4 fixed to the support 2, the accessory 4 being, in the embodiment as shown, a horn for a vehicle.
[0017] The audible warning device 4 includes 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 alarm 4 and a second part 22 which is screwed on the crossbeam 3.
[0019] The first part 21 of the support 2 includes 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 alarm 4 by elastic deformation of the flexible curved arm 23, increasing its curvature, the flexible curved arm 23 then performing a clamping action allowing the audible alarm 4 to be held.
[0020] In the embodiment as more particularly represented in [Fig.2], the support 2 is formed in one part, the first part 21 of the support 2 coming from material with 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 of 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 alarm 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 rim 24 turned outwards from the housing, forming the two slopes for introducing the cylindrical surface 42 of the fixing part 41 of the horn 4 into the housing of the support 2.
[0023] As 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 horn 4 having a support part 43 which is projecting from the fixing part 41 and which is adapted to be positioned in support 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 horn 4 so that it does not come out of the housing of the support 2 when the vehicle is moving.
[0025] Also particularly visible on [Fig.3] is a screw 5 which allows the support 2 to be secured by screwing onto the cross member 3 of the vehicle structure.
[0026] The present invention also relates to an assembly method which includes a radial pushing step of the fixing part 41 of the horn 4 on the rounded free ends 24 of the flexible curved arm 23 of the support 2 so as to widen said entry by increasing the curvature of the flexible curved arm 23, allowing the complete introduction of the fixing part 41 of the horn 4 into the bottom of the housing.
Claims
Demands
1. Assembly (1) comprising a support (2) integral with the structure (3) of the vehicle and an accessory (4) fixed to the support (2), the accessory (4) having a fastening part (41) which has a substantially cylindrical outer surface (42), the support (2) having a first part (21) which forms a housing receiving the cylindrical surface (42) of said fastening 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) has 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 fastening 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 clamping action allowing the accessory (4) to be retained.
2. Assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible curved arm (23) or the assembly 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 portion (43) which is projecting from said fixing portion (41), said support portion (43) being adapted to be positioned in support 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 inlet of 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 assembly of two flexible curved arms have a rounded rim (24) turned outwards from the housing, forming said introduction slopes of 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 one part, the first part (21) of the support (2) coming from material with 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 horn for a vehicle.
8. Method of assembling an assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a radial pushing step of the fixing part (41) of the accessory (4) along the free ends of the flexible curved arm (23) or of the assembly of flexible curved arms, so as to widen the entrance of the housing by increasing the curvature of the flexible curved arm (23) or of the assembly of flexible curved arms, allowing the complete introduction of the cylindrical surface (42) of the fixing part (41) to the bottom of the housing.
9. Vehicle comprising an assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.