DEVICE FOR ATTACHING OBJECTS IN A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A fastening device (1) for attaching a movable element to a reinforced wall comprises a fastening head (4) applied against a front face (21) of the cladding wall (2) and a fastening device (5) with flexible clips (50, 50') passing through the cladding wall (2) and the reinforcement piece (3). A locking pin (6) is inserted through the fastening head (4) and is interposed between the flexible clips (50, 50') to grip them simultaneously to the cladding wall (2) and the reinforcement piece (3). The reinforcing piece (3) is made of glass fiber-reinforced polyamide 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 adapted to cooperate in buttock with the ribs (312) and the rim (337) of the opening (33) respectively, and the support tabs (341) bear against the rear face (22) of the cladding wall (2). Figure for the abbreviation: Figure 1.

Description

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

[0001] The invention relates to the field of devices for attaching small objects or various articles 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 movable element to a reinforced wall consisting of a cladding wall and a reinforcing piece, the device comprising a hooking head applied against a front face of the cladding wall and located projecting from it, the head extending in a longitudinal direction by a fastening device with flexible clips passing through the cladding wall and the reinforcing piece in the longitudinal direction, a locking pin being inserted through the hooking head also passing through the cladding wall and the reinforcing piece and interposing itself between at least two flexible clips by spreading them apart to grip them simultaneously to the cladding wall and the reinforcing piece, the flexible clips having first conformations adapted to cooperate in buttock with a rear face of the cladding wall to press the hooking head against the cladding wall,as well as second and third conformations.

[0003] In the prior art, a hanging device described in patent application FR2203604 filed by the applicant is known, 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 panel that can be used as a reinforcing wall. This is the case, for example, in the area of ​​the side shelves in the trunk.

[0005] Furthermore, this fastening device can be subjected to significant weights (several kilograms). In addition, the area of ​​the trunk shelves is regularly exposed to periods of intense sunlight and heat, followed by a return to normal ambient temperature. However, the shelf trims are made of polypropylene, a material that deforms under stress when heated. The mounting hole of the fastening device is therefore likely to deform, or even enlarge to the point of causing the device to be pulled away from its support.

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

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

[0008] To this end, the invention proposes a fastening device of the type mentioned above, characterized in that the reinforcing piece is made of glass fiber-reinforced polyamide and comprises a base wall extending at a distance from the wall in 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 base wall, the horizontal walls extending at the front along the two horizontal edges of the central opening, providing a lip, and extending at the rear by support tabs, the front face comprising reinforcing ribs provided at the junction between the front face and the horizontal walls, in that the second and third conformations are adapted to cooperate in buttressing respectively with the ribs and the lip of the opening,and in that the support brackets are supported against the rear face of the cladding panel.

[0009] According to other features of the invention:

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

[0011] The rim measures 2 millimeters and the conformation extends to 0.3 millimeters from the horizontal wall in the locked 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 for mounting a fastening device characterized in that:

[0015] -in a first step, the wall is placed on a preparation table, with the front face facing the operator

[0016] -in a second step, the operator places the fastening means into the opening from the front face, using 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 fastening means, until the latter enters the opening of the reinforcement piece.

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

[0019] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description of examples of duct embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0020] [Fig.1] Fig.1 is a rear perspective general view of a fastening device shown without a fastening pin.

[0021] [Fig.2] Fig.2 is a cross-sectional view of the device of Fig.1 according to the CC plan, with the fixing pin,

[0022] [Fig.3] The [Fig.3] is a front perspective view of a reinforcement piece of the [Fig.1].

[0023] [Fig.4] Fig.4 is a front view of the attachment device of Fig.1, without the fixing pin.

[0024] [Fig.5] The [Fig.5] is a cross-sectional view along plane AA of the [Fig.4].

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

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

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

[0028] As described in [Fig. 1], a hanging device 1 for a movable element is arranged on a panel 2. The movable element (not shown) here refers to any object or article intended to be hung on the panel by means that will be detailed later. The panel 2 could, for example, be a side panel of a chest.

[0029] The wall 2 is visible to a user, for example from inside 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 exhibits general symmetry with respect to a vertical plane and with respect to a horizontal plane. It consists of a bottom wall 30 extending along a general plane parallel to the plane of the wall 2. The bottom wall 30 has a front face 31 facing inwards towards the interior of the passenger compartment and having a concavity, and a rear face 32 that is substantially flat. The bottom wall 30 has a central opening 33 having, on its rear face 32, the shape of a rectangle with 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, an upper one inclined upwards and towards the passenger compartment and a lower one 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 lip 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 with a 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 taller than they are thick, which makes them work only in compression.

[0038] At the front, the reinforcement piece 3 has 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 extend at the front by walls 350 extending in 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 lugs 341.

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

[0041] As illustrated in [Fig.2], the front face 343 of the legs 341 is intended to bear against 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 it.

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

[0044] As illustrated in Figures 2 and 6, a locking pin 6 is inserted through the latching head 4 along the longitudinal direction X. In [Fig. 2], the device 5 is shown in solid lines in its rest position when the pin 6 is not inserted and in dashed lines in its locking position when the pin 6 is inserted. This pin of The locking pin 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 fastening device 5, separating them from each other to grip them simultaneously to the first wall 2 and the reinforcement piece 3 according to a fastening pin principle. This type of fastening using a locking pin that secures the device to the walls is also called a "locking clip".

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

[0046] For the sake of clarity and to avoid making the description cumbersome, 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 fastening device of the invention without the locking pin, each clip 50, 50' comprises a U-shaped hoop whose arms 51 are connected to the fastening head 4. The arms 51 of the U meet in a central area 52 which supports a tab 53 extending longitudinally between the arms 51 of the U.

[0047] As illustrated in [Fig. 5], in the absence of constraint exerted by the locking pin 6, each clip 50, 50' extends globally in a plane inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction X at an angle between 5° and 20°. The two clips 50, 50' are arranged so as to converge opposite the hook 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' have first conformations 54 adapted to cooperate in buttock with a rear face 22 of the first wall 2 to press the hooking head 4 against the front face 21 of the first wall 2. The flexible clips also have second conformations 55 and third conformations 56 adapted to cooperate in buttock 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 rotated in opposite directions on the two clips. In other words, the conformations of the first clip 50 located 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 each consist of a tooth or shoulder extending transversely across the entire width of the tongue 53, visible from above. The width of the tongue 53 is considered along 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 second 3 walls. These flanks are inclined at an angle between 5° and 30° with respect to a transverse plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X, when the flexible clips 50, 50' are spread apart by the locking pin 6, as shown in [Fig. 2]. This inclination of the contact flanks facilitates wedging contact with the edges of the openings 23 and 33 of the wall 2 and the reinforcing piece when straightening the flexible clips 50, 50'. The straightening of the flexible clips goes as far as the jamming or pinching of the wall 2 between the hooking head 4 and the first conformation 54 and the jamming or pinching of the reinforcement piece 3 between the second 55 and third 56 conformations, thanks to this inclination of the contact sides.These clamping and pinching mechanisms 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 composing the reinforcement 3, consisting of PA6-GF-30, then works mainly in compression, a situation in which it is very resistant to heat and little subject to bending.

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

[0055] Indeed, a small displacement of the edges 337 can cause a displacement of the hook 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 hooked to this fixing 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 flaring and avoids this type of problem.

[0057] In addition, the general shape of the reinforcement 3 maintains 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 has a head 61 shaped to fit into a recess 41 of complementary shape formed in the latch head 4. The head 61 of the pin 6 is extended by a longitudinal body 62 passing through a central opening 42 in the latch 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 the locking pin is inserted between the clips.

[0059] The locking pin also includes a stop leg 64 extending vertically from the central arm 65 of the H. The stop leg 64 forms a ramp that is elastically pushed towards the longitudinal axis of the pin 6 upon contact with the edge of the central opening 42 of the latching head 4 when the locking pin 6 is inserted. The stop leg 64 elastically returns to its initial position by moving away from the edge of the central opening 42 of the latching head 4 when the locking pin 6 is fully inserted into the latching head 4, as shown in [Fig. 2]. The free end of the stop leg 64 protrudes laterally from the edge of the central opening 42 of the latching head 4, which locks the pin 6 in its inserted position within the latching head 4.

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

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

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

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

[0064] - The operator grasps the reinforcement piece 3 by its rear side with his other hand. 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 fastening means 4, until the latter enters the opening 33 of the reinforcement piece 3.

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

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

[0067] According to another aspect of the invention, the hanging device shall allow the hanging of an article or accessory using a fastening principle known as such and illustrated in document CN206564619U. This is achieved using a peripheral collar 43 provided on the hanging head 4. This collar 43 allows the hanging of various accessories.

[0068] The fastening system of the invention comprises, on the one hand, a male member consisting of a fastening device of the type described above, and on the other hand, a female member (not shown) integral with the accessory. It is specified that the female member comprises a recess into which the male member is at least partially inserted, as well as retractable claws or locking notches shaped to automatically grip the collar 43 of the fastening head 4 via elastic return means. The claws retract under the influence of a push button 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 fastening area on the wall.

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

[0070] A particular orientation of the attachment device has also been described, with the flexible clips arranged one above the other. Of course, the device can be rotated 90° so that the flexible clips are oriented in a substantially vertical manner.

[0071] The fastening 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 thinning.

[0072] The attachment device according to the invention provides a lightweight, compact, inexpensive reinforcement piece that does not require any other fixing area on the wall covering.

Claims

Demands

1. Attachment device (1) for a movable element to a reinforced wall consisting of a cladding wall (2) and a reinforcement piece (3), the device comprising an attachment head (4) applied against a front face (21) of the cladding wall (2) and located projecting from it, the head (4) extending along a longitudinal direction (X) by means of a fastening device (5) with flexible clips (50, 50') passing through the cladding wall (2) and the reinforcement piece (3) along the longitudinal direction (X), a locking pin (6) being inserted through the attachment head (4) also passing through the cladding wall (2) and the reinforcement piece (3) and interposing itself between at least two flexible clips (50, 50') by spreading them apart to grip them simultaneously to the cladding wall (2) and the reinforcement piece (3), flexible clips (50,50') comprising first conformations (54) adapted to cooperate in buttock with a rear face (22) of the cladding wall (2) to press the hook head (4) against the cladding wall (2), as well as second (55) and third (56) conformations, characterized in that the reinforcing piece (3) is made of glass fiber-reinforced polyamide and comprises a base wall (30) extending at a distance from the cladding wall (2) in a plane parallel to the cladding 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 base wall (30), the horizontal walls (34) extending at the front along the two horizontal edges (330) of the central opening (33) providing a lip (337), and extending at the rear by support legs (341),the front face (31) having reinforcing ribs (312) provided at the junction between the front face (31) and the horizontal walls (34), in that the second (55) and third (56) conformations are able to cooperate in buttressing 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 cladding wall (2).

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

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

4. Attachment device according to any 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 any 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. A method for mounting a fastening device according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: in a first step, the cladding panel (2) is placed on a preparation table, with the front face (21) facing the operator; in a second step, the operator places the fastening means (4) into the opening (23) from the front face (21) with one hand; in a third step, the operator grasps the reinforcement piece (3) with their other hand by its rear side, placing their fingers on the external faces (352) of the vertical walls (35), the vertical walls (35) extending perpendicularly from the rear face (32) of the panel (30) and forming a rectangular-profile peripheral wall with the horizontal walls (34); then they bring the reinforcement piece (3) from the rear face (22) of the panel (2) opposite the fastening means (4), until the latter enters the opening (33) of the reinforcing 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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