DEVICE FOR SECURING OBJECTS IN A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A hooking device (1) for fixing a movable element to a reinforced wall comprises a hooking head (4) applied against a front face (21) of the cladding wall (2) and a fixing device (5) with flexible clips (50, 50') passing through the cladding wall (2) and the reinforcing piece (3). A locking pin (6) is inserted through the hooking head (4) and is interposed between the flexible clips (50, 50') to grip them simultaneously to the cladding wall (2) and to the reinforcing piece (3). The reinforcing piece (3) is made of polyamide loaded with glass fibers and comprises a bottom wall (30), a concave front face (31), a flat rear face (32), a substantially rectangular central opening (33), a pair of horizontal walls (34), reinforcing ribs (312), a rim (337) and support tabs (341).The second (55) and third (56) conformations are capable of cooperating in abutment respectively with the ribs (312) and the rim (337) of the opening (33), and the support tabs (341) are in abutment against the rear face (22) of the covering wall (2). Figure for the abstract: figure 1.

Description

Title of the invention: DEVICE FOR HANGING OBJECTS IN A MOTOR VEHICLE

[0001] The invention relates to the field of devices for attaching small objects or various items to a wall or partition, in particular in the passenger compartment or trunk of a motor vehicle.

[0002] The invention relates more particularly to a device for attaching a mobile element to a reinforced wall consisting of a covering wall and a reinforcing piece, the device comprising a hooking head applied against a front face of the covering wall and located projecting therefrom, the head extending in a longitudinal direction by a fixing device with flexible clips passing through the covering wall and the reinforcing piece in the longitudinal direction, a locking pin being inserted through the hooking head, also passing through the covering wall and the reinforcing piece, and interposing between at least two flexible clips, moving them apart to grip them simultaneously to the covering wall and to the reinforcing piece, the flexible clips comprising first conformations capable of cooperating in abutment with a rear face of the covering wall to press the hooking head against the covering wall,as well as second and third conformations.

[0003] A hanging device described in patent application FR2203604 filed by the applicant is known in the state of the art, in which the device is mounted on a double wall, the inner wall being intended to form a reinforcement.

[0004] However, there is not always a second wall behind the trim wall that can be used as a reinforcing wall. This is the case, for example, in the area of ​​the trunk side shelves.

[0005] In addition, this attachment device may be subjected to significant weights (a few kilograms). In addition, the area of ​​the trunk shelves is regularly subjected to episodes of sunshine and significant heat, followed by returns to normal ambient temperature. However, the shelf linings are made of polypropylene, which is a material which has the characteristic of deforming under stress when hot. The hole for fixing the attachment device then risks deforming, or even enlarging to the point of causing said device to be torn from its support.

[0006] However, there is not always enough space in this area to provide a second reinforcing wall as in the prior art. In addition, such an addition can be expensive.

[0007] In order to overcome these drawbacks, the invention relates to a fastening device comprising a reinforcing part which effectively prevents deformations in the fixing zone, which is compact, effective and inexpensive.

[0008] To this end, the invention proposes a hanging device of the type mentioned above, characterized in that the reinforcing piece is made of polyamide loaded with glass fibers and comprises a bottom wall extending at a distance from the wall along a plane parallel to the wall, having a concave front face, a flat rear face and a substantially rectangular central opening, and a pair of horizontal walls arranged perpendicularly on either side of the bottom wall, the horizontal walls extending at the front along the two horizontal edges of the central opening, forming a rim, and extending at the rear by support tabs, the front face comprising reinforcing ribs formed at the junction between the front face and the horizontal walls, in that the second and third conformations are capable of cooperating in abutment respectively with the ribs and the rim of the opening,and in that the support legs bear against the rear face of the cladding wall.

[0009] According to other characteristics of the invention:

[0010] The reinforcement piece is made of polyamide loaded with glass fibers in a proportion of 15 to 40% and preferably 30%.

[0011] The rim measures 2 millimeters and the conformation extends 0.3 millimeters from the horizontal wall in the locking position.

[0012] The concave front face is formed of a flat central portion and two inclined upper and lower portions.

[0013] The support legs are connected to the vertical walls.

[0014] The invention also relates to a method of mounting a hanging device characterized in that:

[0015] -in a first step, the wall is placed on a preparation table, the front face being turned towards the operator

[0016] -in a second step, the operator places the fixing means in the opening from the front face, with one of his hands,

[0017] -in a third step, the operator grasps the reinforcement piece with his other hand by its rear side by placing his fingers on the external faces of the vertical walls, then he brings the reinforcement piece from the rear face of the wall opposite the fixing means, until the latter penetrates into the opening of the reinforcement piece.

[0018] -the operator locks the fixing with the fixing pin, the fixing means and the reinforcement piece being already pre-held on the cladding wall.

[0019] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the description of examples of embodiment of a conduit with reference to the appended drawings in which:

[0020] [Fig.l] [Fig.l] is a general rear perspective view of a fixing device shown without a fixing pin.

[0021] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a sectional view of the device of [Fig.l] according to the CC plan, with the fixing pin,

[0022] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a front perspective view of a reinforcement piece of [Fig.l].

[0023] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a front view of the hooking device of [Fig.l], without the fixing pin.

[0024] [Fig.5] [Fig.5] is a sectional view along plane AA of [Fig.4].

[0025] [Fig.6] [Fig.6] is a top view of [Fig.4], without the fixing pin.

[0026] [Fig.7] [Fig.7] is a top view of [Fig.4], with the fixing pin.

[0027] Identical or similar elements are designated by the same numbers of reference.

[0028] As described in [Fig.l], a device 1 for attaching a movable element is arranged on a covering wall 2. The movable element (not shown) here designates any object or article intended to be attached to the wall by means which will be detailed later. The wall 2 may for example be a cabinetwork of the side wall of a trunk.

[0029] The wall 2 is visible to a user, for example from the passenger compartment of a vehicle. It has a visible front face 21 and a non-visible rear face 22.

[0030] A reinforcing piece 3 is arranged at the rear of the wall 2 and therefore not visible to the user.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the reinforcing piece 3 has a general symmetry with respect to a vertical plane and with respect to a horizontal plane. It is constituted by a bottom wall 30 which extends along a general plane parallel to the plane of the wall 2. The bottom wall 30 has a front face 31 facing towards the interior of the passenger compartment and having a concavity, and a rear face 32 which is substantially flat. The bottom wall 30 is pierced with a central opening 33 having on the rear face 32 the shape of a rectangle having two opposite horizontal edges 330 and two opposite vertical edges 331.

[0032] The concavity of the front face 31 of the bottom wall 30 is formed by a central portion 310 parallel to the rear face 32 and by two inclined portions 311, one upper inclined upwards and towards the passenger compartment and the other lower inclined downwards and towards the passenger compartment. The central opening 33 passes through the three portions of the front face 31.

[0033] At the front, the central opening 33 thus has two opposite horizontal edges 332, a pair of opposite inclined upper edges 334, a pair of vertical edges 335 and a pair of opposite inclined lower edges 336.

[0034] A first pair of horizontal walls 34 extends perpendicularly on either side of the bottom wall 30.

[0035] At the rear, the walls 34 extend along the rear horizontal edges 330 of the opening 33, providing a rim 337 of approximately 2 millimeters with the edges 330 of the opening 33. A second pair of vertical walls 35 extends perpendicularly from the rear face 32 of the wall 30, at a distance from the vertical edges 331. The two pairs of walls 34 and 35 are connected to each other at the rear so as to form a peripheral wall of rectangular profile.

[0036] At the front, at the junction of the inclined portions 311 and the horizontal walls 34, are arranged reinforcing ribs 312.

[0037] The ribs 312 have the function of reinforcing the resistance to hot finishing of the edges 332. They are higher than they are thick, which makes them work only in compression.

[0038] At the front, the reinforcing piece 3 comprises support tabs 341 extending along a plane parallel to the wall 2, and connected to the front end edges 340 of the walls 34 by an inclined intermediate portion 342. The tabs 341 have a flat front face 343 and a flat rear face 344.

[0039] The vertical walls 35 are extended at the front by walls 350 extending along a plane perpendicular to the bottom wall 30 along the portions 310 and 311 of the front face 31 of the bottom wall 30. The walls 350 have an internal face 351 facing the fixing device and an external face 352. At the front, the walls 350 are connected to the horizontal walls 34 and to the support tabs 341.

[0040] The reinforcing part 3 is made of polyamide filled with glass fibers in a proportion of 15 to 40% and preferably 30%. It may be, for example, PA6-GF-30. This material has the advantage of being very stable to heat, which is important because the part is likely to be exposed to the sun and to high temperatures in the passenger compartment.

[0041] As illustrated in [Fig.2], the front face 343 of the legs 341 is intended to come into contact with the rear face 22 of the wall 2.

[0042] The device according to the invention comprises a hooking head 4 applied against the front face 21 of the wall 2 and located projecting from the latter.

[0043] The attachment head 4 extends in a longitudinal direction X by a fixing device 5 with flexible clips passing through the wall 2 in the longitudinal direction X.

[0044] As illustrated in Figures 2 and 6, a locking pin 6 is inserted through the hooking head 4 in the longitudinal direction X. In [Fig.2], the device 5 is shown in solid lines in the rest position when the pin 6 is not inserted and in dotted lines in the locking position when the pin 6 is inserted. This locking pin locking 6 also passes through the wall 2 and the reinforcement piece 3 and is interposed between at least two flexible clips 50, 50' of the fixing device 5, moving them apart from each other to grip them simultaneously to the first wall 2 and to the reinforcement piece 3 according to a fixing pin principle. This type of fixing using a locking pin guaranteeing fixing to the walls is also called a "lock clip".

[0045] The flexible clips 50, 50' consist of two rocker clips of the same geometries arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal central axis of the device. A first clip 50 is arranged in the upper part of the device while a second clip 50' is arranged in the lower part of the device, symmetrically to the first, i.e. inverted at 180° with respect to the latter.

[0046] For the sake of clarity and to avoid making the description too long, what is described with reference to the first clip applies to the second clip according to the symmetry indicated above. With reference to [Fig. 6], which illustrates the attachment device of the invention without the locking pin, each clip 50, 50' comprises a U-shaped hoop whose branches 51 are connected to the attachment head 4. The branches 51 of the U meet in a central zone 52 which supports a tab 53 extending longitudinally between the branches 51 of the U.

[0047] As illustrated in [Fig. 5], in the absence of stress exerted by the locking pin 6, each clip 50, 50' extends generally in a plane inclined relative to the longitudinal direction X by an angle of between 5° and 20°. The two clips 50, 50' are arranged so as to converge opposite the hooking head 4, so as to be able to be easily inserted into the openings 23, 33 provided respectively in the wall 2 and in the reinforcing piece 3.

[0048] Under the influence of the locking pin 6 during and after its insertion (figures 2 and 7) between the clips 50, 50', these move apart until they are straightened in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction X.

[0049] As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the flexible clips 50, 50' comprise first conformations 54 capable of cooperating in abutment with a rear face 22 of the first wall 2 to press the attachment head 4 against the front face 21 of the first wall 2. The flexible clips also comprise second conformations 55 and third conformations 56 capable of cooperating in abutment respectively with the ribs 312 and the rim 337 of the reinforcing element 3.

[0050] The first 54, second 55 and third 56 conformations are arranged on the tab 53 of each clip 50, 50', and turned in opposite directions on the two clips. In other words, the conformations of the first clip 50 arranged in the upper part are oriented upwards while the conformations of the second clip 50' are oriented downwards.

[0051] The first 54, second 55 and third 56 conformations are each constituted by a tooth or a shoulder extending transversely over the entire width of the tongue 53, visible from above. The width of the tongue 53 is considered in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction X.

[0052] The first 54, second 55 and third 56 conformations have contact flanks inclined with the first 2 or the second 3 walls. These flanks are inclined at an angle of between 5° and 30° relative to a transverse plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X, when the flexible clips 50, 50' are separated by the locking pin 6, as visible in [Fig.2]. This inclination of the contact flanks facilitates contact by wedging with the edges of the openings 23 and 33 of the wall 2 and of the reinforcement piece when the flexible clips 50, 50' are straightened. The straightening of the flexible clips goes as far as wedging or pinching the wall 2 between the hooking head 4 and the first conformation 54 and wedging or pinching the reinforcing piece 3 between the second 55 and third 56 conformations, thanks to this inclination of the contact flanks.These jams and pinches prevent small movements and friction that generate noise.

[0053] The reinforcement 3 therefore has a compact shape in which the horizontal walls 34 are located as close as possible to the conformations 56. The material making up the reinforcement 3, consisting of PA6-GF-30, then works mainly in compression, a situation in which it is very resistant to heat and not very subject to bending.

[0054] The stress-recovery zones formed by the rims 337 located between the edges 330 and the walls 34 are only 0.3 millimeters larger than the overlap by the conformations 56 and are supported by the reinforcing ribs 312. The rims 337 can thus be sufficiently short to prevent them from bending when hot.

[0055] Indeed, a small displacement of the edges 337 can cause a displacement of the attachment head 4 which is then no longer pressed against the wall 2. This can lead to a deformation of the wall 2, giving the impression that an object attached to this attachment point is hanging, which has a negative impact on the perceived quality.

[0056] The structure of the reinforcement 3 according to the invention therefore makes it particularly resistant to fining and avoids this type of inconvenience.

[0057] In addition, the general shape of the reinforcement 3 respects a uniform thickness over the entire part, to within 20%, which guarantees very good geometric stability during injection.

[0058] With reference to figures 2 and 7, the locking pin 6 comprises a head 61 shaped to fit into a recess 41 of complementary shape provided in the hooking head 4. The head 61 of the pin 6 is extended by a longitudinal body 62 passing through a central opening 42 emerging from the hooking head 4. The longitudinal body 62 of the pin 6 also has a cross section whose general shape is that of an H. The vertical branches 63 of the H define the height of spacing of the flexible clips 50, 50' when inserting the locking pin between the clips.

[0059] The locking pin also comprises a stop leg 64 rising vertically from the central branch 65 of the H. The stop leg 64 forms a ramp elastically pushed towards the longitudinal axis of the pin 6 in contact with the edge of the central opening 42 of the hooking head 4 during insertion of the locking pin 6. The stop leg 64 elastically returns to its initial position by escaping the edge of the central opening 42 of the hooking head 4 when the locking pin 6 is pushed completely into the hooking head 4, as can be seen in [Fig. 2]. The free end of the stop leg 64 projects laterally beyond the edge of the central opening 42 of the hooking head 4, which locks the pin 6 in its pushed-in position in the hooking head 4.

[0060] The end of the pin 6 opposite the head 61 is shaped like an ogive so as to facilitate the insertion of the pin into the attachment head 4 and between the flexible clips 50, 50'. The lateral branches 63 of the H-shaped section of the pin therefore have a pointed or ogive end.

[0061] The mounting of the hanging device 1 on a wall 2 by an operator comprises the following steps:

[0062] - The covering wall 2 is placed on a preparation table, the front face 21 being facing the operator

[0063] - The operator places the fixing means 4 in the opening 23 from the front face 21, with one of his hands.

[0064] - The operator grasps the reinforcement piece 3 with his other hand by its rear side by placing his fingers on the external faces 34x of the walls 34, then he brings the reinforcement piece 3 from the rear face 22 of the wall 2 opposite the fixing means 4, until the latter penetrates into the opening 33 of the reinforcement piece 3.

[0065] - The operator locks the fixing with the fixing pin 6, the fixing means 4 and the reinforcement piece 3 being already pre-maintained on the cladding wall 2.

[0066] An additional advantage is the elimination of noise or vibration phenomena which would be induced by micro-displacements of the device relative to the walls. The securing of the walls and the use of a locking pin under stress and blocked by the stop leg eliminate these micro-displacements.

[0067] According to another aspect of the invention, the attachment device must allow the attachment of an article or accessory using a fixing principle known as such and illustrated in document CN206564619U. For this purpose, a form of peripheral collar 43 provided on the attachment head 4 is used. This collar 43 allows the attachment of various accessories.

[0068] The fastening system of the invention comprises on the one hand a male member consisting of a hooking device of the above type, and on the other a female member (not shown) integral with the accessory. It is specified that the female member comprises a recess in which the male member is inserted at least in part as well as retractable claws or locking notches shaped to automatically grip the collar 43 of the hooking head 4 via elastic return means. The claws retract under the influence of a pusher manually actuated against the elastic return means, so as to release the peripheral collar 43 of the head 4 and to move the article or accessory away from its hooking zone on the wall.

[0069] Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments or variants described above and includes all the technical equivalents of these means.

[0070] A particular orientation of the attachment device has also been described, the flexible clips being arranged one above the other. Of course, the device can be pivoted 90° so that the flexible clips are oriented substantially vertically.

[0071] The attachment device according to the invention makes it possible to effectively secure the attachment point on side shelves of portable objects of significant weight (up to a few kilograms) including in summer temperature conditions, thanks to a compact reinforcement that is not very sensitive to finning.

[0072] The attachment device according to the invention provides a lightweight, space-saving, inexpensive reinforcement part which does not require any other fixing area on the cladding wall.

Claims

Claims

1. Device (1) for attaching a movable element to a reinforced wall consisting of a covering wall (2) and a reinforcing piece (3), the device comprising a hooking head (4) applied against a front face (21) of the covering wall (2) and projecting therefrom, the head (4) extending in a longitudinal direction (X) by a fixing device (5) with flexible clips (50, 50') passing through the covering wall (2) and the reinforcing piece (3) in the longitudinal direction (X), a locking pin (6) being inserted through the hooking head (4) also passing through the covering wall (2) and the reinforcing piece (3) and interposing itself between at least two flexible clips (50, 50') by spreading them apart to grip them simultaneously to the covering wall (2) and to the reinforcing piece (3), flexible clips (50,50') comprising first conformations (54) capable of cooperating in abutment with a rear face (22) of the covering wall (2) to press the hooking head (4) against the covering wall (2), as well as second (55) and third (56) conformations, characterized in that the reinforcing piece (3) is made of polyamide loaded with glass fibers and comprises a bottom wall (30) extending at a distance from the covering wall (2) along a plane parallel to the covering wall (2), having a concave front face (31), a flat rear face (32) and a substantially rectangular central opening (33), and a pair of horizontal walls (34) arranged perpendicularly on either side of the bottom wall (30), the horizontal walls (34) extending at the front along the two horizontal edges (330) of the central opening (33) while providing a rim (337), and extending at the rear by support legs (341),the front face (31) comprising reinforcing ribs (312) arranged at the junction between the front face (31) and the horizontal walls (34), in that the second (55) and third (56) conformations are capable of cooperating in abutment respectively with the ribs (312) and the rim (337) of the opening (33), and in that the support tabs (341) bear against the rear face (22) of the covering wall (2).,

2. Hanging device according to claim 1, characterized in that the reinforcing piece (3) is made of polyamide loaded with glass fibers in a proportion of 15 to 40% and preferably 30%.

3. Hanging device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rim (337) measures 2 millimeters and in that, in the locking position, the conformation (56) extends 0.3 millimeters from the horizontal wall (34).

4. Hanging device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the concave front face (31) is formed of a flat central portion (310) and two inclined upper and lower portions (311).

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support legs (341) are connected to vertical walls (35) extending perpendicularly from the rear face (32) of the wall (30) and forming a peripheral wall of rectangular profile with the horizontal walls (34).

6. Method for mounting a hanging device according to claims 1 to 5 characterized in that: in a first step, the covering wall (2) is placed on a preparation table, the front face (21) being turned towards the operator in a second step, the operator places the fixing means (4) in the opening (23) from the front face (21), with one of his hands, in a third step, the operator grasps with his other hand the reinforcing piece (3) by its rear side by placing his fingers on external faces (352) of the vertical walls (35), the vertical walls (35) extending perpendicularly from the rear face (32) of the wall (30) and forming a peripheral wall of rectangular profile with the horizontal walls (34) then he brings the reinforcing piece (3) from the rear face (22) of the wall (2) opposite the fixing means (4), until the latter penetrates into the opening (33) of the reinforcement piece (3).the operator locks the fixing with the fixing pin (6), the fixing means (4) and the reinforcement piece (3) being already pre-held on the cladding wall (2).

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