Fuse box support and method for fixing such a support.

Abstract

The invention relates to a fuse box support (1) designed to be attached to a metal crossmember (2) of a vehicle, the support (1) being shaped to receive and secure a fuse box by clipping, the support (1) comprising a first part (9) designed to be attached to the crossmember (2) and having a first mounting tab (7) designed to interact with the fuse box to secure it, the support (1) comprising a second part (12) designed to be welded to the crossmember (2), the second part (12) having a second mounting tab (8) designed to interact with the fuse box, the second part (12) being shaped to allow adjustment of its position on the crossmember (2), before welding, in order to allow adjustment of the spacing between a first (7) and a second (8) tab to obtain a spacing dimension (Y) within a predefined range. (Figure 3)

Description

Title of the invention: Fuse box support and method for fixing such a support.

[0001] The technical field relates to fuse box supports, assemblies comprising such a support and a fuse box, as well as motor vehicles.

[0002] Motor vehicles are made of many different materials, each material obviously presenting its own specific processing constraints. Thus, a first component made of plastic material can easily be obtained, for example by molding, with relatively small tolerance ranges for each of its dimensions. Conversely, some materials require less precise assembly methods that generate large tolerance ranges, such as welding.

[0003] The tolerance ranges thus imposed by the different materials and the different assembly methods can make the combination of elements of different materials difficult to achieve, unless complex and costly adjustments are made.

[0004] In this context, each vehicle is equipped with a fuse box, belonging, for example, to the driver's cab wiring harness, generally made of plastic. This fuse box is usually attached to a metal crossmember. To facilitate the assembly of the fuse box, it is desirable to be able to clip it onto a support before securing it, for example, by screwing it onto the support. However, to achieve a clip-on connection, it is essential to maintain tight tolerances to ensure precise relative positioning of the clip-on elements of the box with those of the support. Therefore, when the support is metallic, the tolerances become incompatible with clip-on attachment.

[0005] Thus, there is a need for a solution that allows combining elements of different materials imposing different tolerance ranges.

[0006] The present invention aims to overcome the problems described above. In this technical context, one objective of the present invention is to provide a metal fuse box support designed to be welded to a crossmember and allowing a plastic fuse box to be clipped onto it.

[0007] To this end, the present invention relates to a fuse box support designed to be attached to a metal crossmember of a motor vehicle, the support being shaped to accommodate and to fix a fuse box by clipping it onto the support, the support comprising a first part designed to be attached to the cross member and having at least one first fixing tab designed to interact with the fuse box to secure it, the support comprising a second part designed to be welded to the cross member, the second part having at least one second fixing tab designed to interact with the fuse box to secure it, the second part being shaped to allow adjustment of its position on the cross member, before its welding to the cross member, in order to allow adjustment of the spacing between a first and a second tab to obtain a spacing dimension within a predefined range, when the first and second parts are secured to the cross member, to allow the box to be clipped.

[0008] The invention also relates to an assembly comprising a housing support according to the invention and a fuse box, having at least a first and a second clipping interfaces designed to interact respectively with at least a first and a second fixing tab in order to allow clipping of the housing onto the support.

[0009] The invention further relates to a motor vehicle having a support according to the invention or an assembly according to the invention.

[0010] The invention finally relates to a method of fixing a housing support according to the invention on a crossmember of a vehicle, the method comprising a first step consisting of fixing the first part to the crossmember, the first step being followed by a step consisting of adjusting the position of the second part on the crossmember in order to obtain a spacing dimension within a predefined interval to allow the clipping of the housing, the second step being followed by a third step consisting of welding the second part in the adjusted position of the second step.

[0011] Thus, the housing support according to the invention makes it possible to implement the method according to the invention to overcome the problems related to incompatible tolerance ranges. The first part is fixed to the cross member, and then the method is implemented to precisely adjust the positioning of the second part to obtain a spacing dimension within a predefined range compatible with clipping the housing to the assembly. Adjusting the position of the second part is easily achieved using suitable tooling that guarantees the desired spacing dimension.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first part forms a frame for receiving the fuse box.

[0013] According to one possibility of the support, the second part forms an L-shaped plate, one end of the plate allowing the housing to be clipped on, the other end allowing the position of the second fixing tab to be adjusted on the cross member before welding it.

[0014] In one embodiment of the housing support, each first and second The mounting bracket has a clipping hole designed to accommodate a clipping tab from the first and second clipping interfaces of the housing.

[0015] In one embodiment, the housing support includes screwing means designed to screw the clipped housing onto the support.

[0016] According to one possibility of the assembly, the casing is made of plastic.

[0017] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0018] [Fig-1] [Fig.1] represents a perspective view of an assembly according to the invention;

[0019] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] represents a cross-sectional view of the entire [Fig.l] showing the first and second fixing lugs;

[0020] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] represents a cross-sectional view of the support of [Fig.1], during the second step of the process according to the invention;

[0021] In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0022] A fuse box support 1 according to the invention, illustrated in the figures, is designed to be attached to a metal crossmember 2, illustrated in the figures, of a motor vehicle in order to accommodate and secure a fuse box 3, illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The fuse support 1 and the fuse box 3 form an assembly 4 according to the invention. In order to allow the fuse box 3 to be attached to the support 1, the fuse box 3 has a first 5 and a second 6 clipping interfaces, illustrated in [Fig. 1], designed to interact with at least one first mounting tab 7 and at least one second mounting tab 8 of the support 1, illustrated in [Fig. 3], respectively. The fuse box 3 is, for example, made of plastic. The support 1 is, for example, made of metal.

[0023] The support 1 comprises a first portion 9 designed to be attached to the cross member 2 and has a first mounting tab 7 designed to interact with the fuse box 3 to secure it. In this case, the first portion 9 comprises a first mounting tab 7. In the example illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the first portion 9 forms a frame 10 for receiving the fuse box 3. The frame 10 thus has, for example, a substantially rectangular shape to accommodate the box 3 within the space delimited by the frame 10. The first mounting tab 7 is, for example, located on a side 11 of the frame 10 opposite the cross member 2.

[0024] The support 1 includes a second part 12 designed to be welded to the cross member 2. The second part 12 also includes each second mounting tab 8 designed to interact with the fuse box 3, to secure it to the support 1. In this case, the second part 12 includes a second mounting tab 8. As illustrated in the figures, the second part 12 forms an L-shaped plate 13: a 14 of the ends 14, 15 of the plate 13 is shaped to allow the clipping of the housing 3, while the other end 15 is shaped to allow the fixing of the second part 12 onto the cross member 2.

[0025] The second part 12 is shaped to allow adjustment of its position on the cross member 2, before its welding to the cross member 2, as illustrated in [Fig.3], in order to allow adjustment of the spacing between a first 7 and a second 8 lugs, to obtain a Y dimension of spacing within a predefined range, when the first 9 and second 12 parts are secured to the cross member 2. The predefined range is chosen to allow clipping of the fuse box 3.

[0026] As illustrated in [Fig.3], each first 7 and second 8 fixing tab has a clipping hole 16, partially illustrated in [Fig.3], designed to accommodate a clipping tab 17, partially illustrated in [Fig.2], of the first 5 and second 6 clipping interfaces of the fuse box 3.

[0027] Advantageously, the housing support 1 includes screwing means, not illustrated, designed to screw the housing 3 clipped onto the support 1.

[0028] The support 1 enables the method according to the invention of attaching the fuse box support 1 to a crossmember 2 of the vehicle. The method comprises a first step of attaching the first part 9 to the crossmember 2. The first step is followed by a step of adjusting the position of the second part 12 on the crossmember 2, along the directions indicated by arrows Y+ and Y- in [Fig. 3], in order to obtain a spacing dimension Y within the predefined range to allow the fuse box 3 to be clipped in place. To illustrate the adjustment of the position of the second part 12, the latter is shown in three distinct positions in [Fig. 3]. The second step is then followed by a third step of welding the second part 12 in the position adjusted in the second step.

[0029] Thus, the housing support 1 allows the method to be implemented to overcome the problems related to incompatible tolerance ranges. The first part 9 is fixed to the cross member 2, and then the method is implemented to precisely adjust the positioning of the second part 12 to obtain the spacing dimension Y within the predefined range compatible with the clipping of the housing 3 of the assembly 4. Adjusting the position of the second part 12 is easily achieved using suitable tooling that guarantees the desired spacing dimension Y.

[0030] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the fuse box support described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be designed by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope and extent of the present invention.

Claims

Demands

1. Fuse box support (1) designed to be attached to a metal crossmember (2) of a motor vehicle, the support (1) being shaped to accommodate and to secure a fuse box (3) by clipping it onto the support (1), the support (1) comprising a first portion (9) designed to be attached to the crossmember (2) and having at least one first mounting tab designed to interact with the fuse box (3) to secure it, the support (1) comprising a second portion (12) designed to be welded to the crossmember (2), the second portion (12) having at least one second mounting tab designed to interact with the fuse box (3) to secure it, the second portion (12) being shaped to allow adjustment of its position on the crossmember (2), before its welding to the crossmember (2),in order to allow adjustment of the spacing between the first and second legs to obtain a spacing dimension (Y) within a predefined range, when the first (9) and second (12) parts are secured to the crossbar (2), to allow the housing (3) to be clipped in.

2. Housing support (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first part (9) forms a frame (10) for receiving the fuse box (3).

3. Housing support (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second part (12) forms an L-shaped plate (13), one (14) of the ends (14, 15) of the plate (13) allowing the housing (3) to be clipped on, the other end (15) allowing the position of the second fixing tab (8) on the cross member (2) to be adjusted before welding.

4. Housing support (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each first (7) and second (8) fixing tab has a clipping hole (16) designed to accommodate a clipping tab (17) of the first (5) and second (6) clipping interfaces of the housing (3).

5. Housing support (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises screwing means designed to screw the housing (3) clipped onto the support (1).

6. Assembly (4) comprising a housing support (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and a fuse box (3), having at least a first (5) and a second (6) clip-on interfaces designed to interact respectively with at least one first (7) and one second (8) fixing tab in order to allow the housing (3) to be clipped onto the support (1).

7. Assembly (4) according to claim 6 characterized in that the housing (3) is made of plastic.

8. Motor vehicle having a support (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or an assembly (4) according to claim 6 or 7.

9. Method of fixing a housing support (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 on a crossmember (2) of a vehicle, the method comprising a first step of fixing the first part (9) to the crossmember (2), the first step being followed by a step of adjusting the position of the second part (12) on the crossmember (2) in order to obtain a dimension (Y) of spacing within a predefined interval to allow the clipping of the housing (3), the second step being followed by a third step of welding the second part (12) in the adjusted position of the second step.

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