Fastener

Abstract

To provide a technique for preventing a fastener from disengaging from a mounting hole due to displacement of the fastener in a direction of a pair of elastic pieces facing each other.SOLUTION: A fastener 12 attached to a mounting hole formed in a mounting member comprises: a body part 22; a flange part 20 projecting radially outward from the body part 22; and a pair of elastic pieces 24 that are defined by a slit formed in the body part 22 and arranged to face each other. Each elastic piece 24 is formed such that the flange part 20 serves as a free end, and each elastic piece 24 has, at the free end, an engaging part that engages with an edge of the mounting hole. The slit has a facing edge that faces the free end. The facing edge has a recess or a projection, and enters the inside of the mounting hole in a fully mounted state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fastener that is attached to an attachment hole. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a fastener having a grommet and a pin. The grommet has a cylindrical portion, an engaging protrusion formed inside the cylindrical portion and engaging with the pin, a pair of axial slits formed in the cylindrical portion and extending in the axial direction, and a pair of elastic engaging pieces formed to be flexible and deformable via the pair of axial slits and engaging with the back side of the mounting hole. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-71149 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a fastener in which a pair of elastic pieces are engaged with a mounting hole, it is desirable that the fastener is less likely to come off when it tries to shift in the opposing direction of the pair of elastic pieces relative to the mounting hole.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for preventing a fastener from coming off from a mounting hole even when the fastener is displaced in the opposing direction of a pair of elastic pieces. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is a fastener to be attached to a mounting hole formed in a mounting member, comprising a main body, a flange extending radially outward from the main body, and a pair of opposing elastic pieces defined by a slit formed in the main body. The elastic pieces are formed so that the flange side is a free end, and the free end of the elastic piece has a locking portion that locks onto the edge of the mounting hole. The slit has an opposing edge facing the free end. The opposing edge has a concave or convex portion that fits inside the mounting hole when the fastening is complete. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique that makes it difficult for a fastener to come off from a mounting hole even when the fastener is displaced in the opposing direction of a pair of elastic pieces. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the mounting fixture of the embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting fixture in a fully mounted state. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of the fastener of the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the fastener of the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a side view of a modified fastener. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a mounting fixture 10 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting fixture 10 in a fully mounted state. The mounting fixture 10 is composed of a fastener 12 and a pin member 14. In the fully mounted state, the mounting fixture 10 is fixed to a first mounting member 16 and a second mounting member 18.

[0010] For example, the first mounting member 16 may be a vehicle body panel, and the second mounting member 18 may be an interior panel or an exterior component. Alternatively, the first mounting member 16 may be an interior panel, and the second mounting member 18 may be an on-vehicle component. The mounting fixture 10 is transported attached to the second mounting member 18, and is inserted into the first mounting hole 16a of the first mounting member 16, resulting in the completed mounting state shown in FIG. 2.

[0011] The pin member 14 has a pillar portion 30, a first protruding portion 32, a second protruding portion 34, and an expanded diameter portion 36. The first protruding portion 32 protrudes radially outward from the middle of the pillar portion 30. The second protruding portion 34 protrudes radially outward from the base end side of the pillar portion 30. The first protruding portion 32 and the second protruding portion 34 are arranged opposite each other.

[0012] The second mounting hole 18a of the second mounting member 18 has a portion of its outer periphery open, allowing it to be inserted from the side between the first overhanging portion 32 and the second overhanging portion 34. The first overhanging portion 32 and the second overhanging portion 34 sandwich the second mounting member 18 therebetween.

[0013] The expanded diameter portion 36 is located closer to the tip than the first protruding portion 32, and is inclined so that the diameter expands toward the tip of the column portion 30. The expanded diameter portion 36 catches on the inner surface of the fastener 12, as shown in FIG.

[0014] The fastener 12 is connected to the pin member 14 and attached to a first attachment hole 16a formed in the first attachment member 16. The fastener 12 comprises a flange portion 20, a main body portion 22, an elastic piece 24, and an insertion hole 26. The flange portion 20 is formed in an umbrella shape, projecting radially outward from one end of the main body portion 22. The main body portion 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the other end side is closed. An insertion hole 26 for inserting the pin member 14 is provided at one end of the main body portion 22. A reduced diameter portion 22a whose diameter decreases toward the opening is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the main body portion 22.

[0015] 2, the main body 22 extends from the rear surface to the front surface of the first mounting member 16, and the flange 20 is provided to hang down from one end of the main body 22. In the fully mounted state, the base end portion of the first protruding portion 32 rests on one end of the main body 22, and the expanded diameter portion 36 is hooked onto the reduced diameter portion 22a of the main body 22. The reduced diameter portion 22a is located at the base end of the elastic piece 24.

[0016] The elastic pieces 24 are formed as a pair facing each other and extend from the main body 22 toward the flange 20, with the main body 22 serving as the base end. The tip end of the elastic piece 24 is a free end, and the base end is connected to the main body 22. The elastic pieces 24 are formed to be flexible in the radial direction. The elastic pieces 24 engage with the back edge of the first mounting hole 16a of the first mounting member 16. The first mounting hole 16a is, for example, a circular hole. The elastic pieces 24 and the surrounding structure will be described with reference to new drawings.

[0017] Fig. 3 is a side view of fastener 12. In Fig. 3, only flange portion 20 is cut away. Fig. 4 is a partial perspective view of fastener 12. In Fig. 4, flange portion 20 is also cut away.

[0018] The main body 22 has slits 46 on the free end side and on both sides of the elastic piece 24. The slits 46 have a component that extends in the extension direction of the elastic piece 24 and a component that extends in the circumferential direction on the free end side of the elastic piece 24. The elastic piece 24 is formed by cutting out the side surface of the main body 22. The slits 46 have opposing edges 48 that face the free ends of the elastic pieces 24.

[0019] The elastic piece 24 has a locking portion 40, a protruding portion 42, and a recessed portion 44 on the free end side. The locking portion 40 locks onto the edge of the first mounting hole 16a as shown in FIG. 2. The protruding portion 42 is located radially inward of the locking portion 40 and protrudes toward an opposing edge 48. There are a pair of locking portions 40 and a pair of protruding portions 42. The recessed portion 44 is recessed more than the locking portion 40 and the protruding portion 42, and is located in the center of the free end portion of the elastic piece 24.

[0020] The opposing edge 48 has a protrusion 50 that protrudes from the opposing edge 48 toward the free end of the elastic piece 24. The protrusion 50 is located in the center of the opposing edge 48. The protrusion 50 can improve the shear force along the axial direction, and can improve the bonding strength when the resin flowing in from two gates meets at the position of the protrusion 50 during injection molding.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2 , the protrusions 50 on the facing edges 48 fit inside the first mounting holes 16a when the mounting is complete. Because the facing edges 48 fit into the first mounting holes 16a, when a load is applied in the opposing direction of the pair of elastic pieces 24 and the fastener 12 attempts to shift in that direction, the facing edges 48 abut against the inner edges of the first mounting holes 16a, preventing the fastener 12 from shifting and preventing the pair of elastic pieces 24 from disengaging. The protrusions 50 can be inserted into the first mounting holes 16a even if the first mounting member 16 has a thin plate thickness. Furthermore, forming the protrusions 50 on the facing edges 48 reduces the amount of material required compared to extending the entire facing edges 48 toward the elastic pieces 24. Furthermore, the protrusions 50 can be configured to partially thicken the facing edges 48 so as to avoid the locking portions 40 and protrusions 42 of the elastic pieces 24. If a prying force acts in the opposing direction of the pair of elastic pieces 24, causing the fastener 12 to tilt, there is a possibility that the first mounting member 16 will get caught between the free ends of the elastic pieces 24 and the slits 46. By forming the convex portions 50 on the opposing edges 48, it is possible to prevent the first mounting member 16 from getting caught between the free ends of the elastic pieces 24 and the slits 46.

[0022] The protruding portion 42 protrudes further toward the opposing edge 48 than the locking portion 40, and is located radially inward than the locking portion 40. Therefore, as shown in Figure 2, the protruding portion 42 is inserted into the first mounting hole 16a in the fully attached state. When a force is applied to pull out the pin member 14, the expanding diameter portion 36 spreads the pair of elastic pieces 24, but the protruding portion 42 catches on the inner surface of the first mounting hole 16a, preventing the pair of elastic pieces 24 from spreading, thereby improving the removal force.

[0023] The protrusions 42 are formed in pairs and are arranged circumferentially offset from the convex portions 50. The circumferential direction is the direction along the outer periphery of the main body 22, which is the width direction of the elastic piece 24. In other words, the convex portion 50 is located between the pair of protrusions 42. As a result, the protrusions 42 and the convex portions 50 are arranged alternately, and the width of the slit 46 located between the protrusions 42 and the convex portions 50 can be ensured. By ensuring the width of the slit 46, the strength of the slit 46 portion of the mold used to mold the fastener 12 can be ensured. Note that when multiple protrusions 50 are formed, the protrusions 42 are formed so that they are circumferentially offset from the convex portions 50 and alternate with each other.

[0024] The locking portions 40 and the protruding portions 42 are formed as a pair, spaced apart in the circumferential direction. A recessed portion 44 is formed between the pair of locking portions 40 and the pair of protruding portions 42. This allows a convex portion 50 to be disposed between the pair of locking portions 40 and the pair of protruding portions 42, ensuring the width of the slit 46.

[0025] The protrusion 50 has gently inclined slopes 50a on both sides. That is, the protrusion 50 is formed in a trapezoidal shape. This allows for smooth flow of the resin material during injection molding.

[0026] Figure 5 is a side view of a modified fastener 112. In Figure 5, only the flange portion 20 is shown cut away, and the first mounting member 16 is indicated by a dotted line. The modified fastener 112 differs from the fastener 12 shown in Figure 3 in the shape of the tip portion of the elastic piece 124 and the opposing edge 148.

[0027] The tubular portion 122 has slits 146 on the tip side and on both sides of the elastic piece 124, and the slits 146 have opposing edges 148 that face the tip of the elastic piece 124. The opposing edges 148 have recesses 150 and both side portions 152. The recesses 150 are formed to be recessed further than the both side portions 152 and recessed away from the tip of the elastic piece 124.

[0028] The elastic piece 124 has a locking portion 140 that locks onto the edge of the first mounting hole 16a, and a protruding portion 142 that protrudes further toward an opposing edge 148 than the locking portion 140 and is positioned radially inward than the locking portion 140. The protruding portion 142 is located in the center of the tip side of the elastic piece 124, and is arranged circumferentially offset from the recessed portion 150.

[0029] The first mounting member 16 is positioned so that it rests on the locking portion 140. As shown in FIG. 5, the side portions 152 and the first mounting member 16 are positioned so that they overlap, and the opposing edge 148 enters the inside of the first mounting hole 16a when the mounting is complete. As a result, when the fastener 112 attempts to shift in the direction in which the elastic pieces 124 face each other, the opposing edge 148 abuts against the inner edge of the first mounting hole 16a, preventing the fastener 112 from shifting and preventing the pair of elastic pieces 124 from disengaging. In addition, the pair of side portions 152 can improve the rigidity of both sides of the opposing edge 148.

[0030] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications such as design changes may be made to the embodiments based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and such modified embodiments may also be included within the scope of the present invention.

[0031] In the embodiment, the main body 22 is cylindrical and the first mounting hole 16a is a round hole, but this is not limiting. For example, the main body 22 may be rectangular and the first mounting hole 16a may be a square hole. Furthermore, the main body 22 may be substantially U-shaped in side view. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 10 mounting fixture, 12 fastener, 14 pin member, 16 first mounting member, 16a first mounting hole, 18 second mounting member, 18a second mounting hole, 20 flange portion, 22 main body portion, 22a reduced diameter portion, 24 elastic piece, 26 insertion hole, 30 column portion, 32 first protruding portion, 34 second protruding portion, 36 expanded diameter portion, 40 engaging portion, 42 protruding portion, 44 recessed portion, 46 slit, 48 opposing edge, 50 convex portion, 50a inclined portion.

Claims

1. A fastener to be attached to a mounting hole formed in a mounting member, a main body; a flange portion extending radially outward from the main body portion; a pair of elastic pieces that are defined by a slit formed in the main body and are arranged opposite to each other; The elastic piece is formed so that the flange portion side is a free end, The elastic piece has a locking portion on the free end side that locks onto the edge of the mounting hole, the slit has an opposing edge opposite the free end; The fastener is characterized in that the opposing edges have a recess or a protrusion, and enter inside the mounting hole when the fastener is fully mounted.

2. The opposing edges have protrusions that protrude from the opposing edges toward the tips of the elastic pieces, The fastener according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is disposed at a center of the opposing edge.

3. the elastic piece has a protruding portion that protrudes further toward the opposing edge than the locking portion and is positioned radially inward than the locking portion, The fastener according to claim 2 , wherein the protrusions are formed in pairs and are arranged circumferentially offset from the convex portions.

4. The fastener according to claim 3 , wherein the locking portion and the protruding portion are formed as a pair spaced apart in the circumferential direction.

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