Bolt cap

Abstract

To provide a bolt cap that suppresses the impact noise generated when the bolt interferes with the mating object. [Solution] The bolt cap 10 comprises a cap body portion 12 that is attached to the head of the bolt, and an elastic portion 14 provided on the cap body portion 12 that is flexible in the axial direction of the bolt. The cap body portion 12 has a cover portion 16 that covers the top of the bolt head. The elastic portion 14 is formed on the surface of the cover portion 16 and is formed by winding a band of a predetermined width to define a cylindrical space on the inside.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bolt cap attached to the head of a bolt.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a bolt nut having a bolt, a cylindrical portion covering the top portion of the bolt, and a ring provided at an end portion of the cylindrical portion. The ring is formed with a circular cross section like an O-ring.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the technique described in Patent Document 1, when the ring receives an external force, since the cross section of the ring is circular, the ring may fall over and not collapse in the axial direction of the bolt. Therefore, there is a possibility that the impact sound when an object collides with the ring cannot be sufficiently suppressed.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a bolt cap that suppresses the impact sound generated by interference with an object.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a bolt cap according to an aspect of the present invention includes a cap main body portion attached to the head of a bolt, and an elastic portion provided on the cap main body portion and capable of flexing in the axial direction of the bolt. The cap main body portion has a cover portion that covers the top portion of the bolt. The elastic portion is formed on the surface of the cover portion and is formed by winding a band having a predetermined width to define a cylindrical space inside.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a bolt cap that suppresses the impact noise generated by interference with the mating object. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the bolt cap in the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of a bolt cap attached to a bolt. [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates the operation of the elastic part and is a cross-sectional view of the bolt cap in its installed state. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of the bolt cap in its installed state, showing the mating part shown in Figure 3 brought even closer to the cover. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bolt cap 10 of the embodiment. Figure 1(a) is a perspective view of the bolt cap 10 seen from the front, and Figure 1(b) is a perspective view of the bolt cap 10 seen from the back.

[0010] The bolt cap 10 is attached to the head of a bolt to protect it. The bolt cap 10 comprises a cap body 12 and an elastic part 14. The cap body 12 is cup-shaped and attached to the head 30a of the bolt. The elastic part 14 is provided on the cap body 12 and is flexible in the axial direction of the bolt.

[0011] The cap body portion 12 has a cover portion 16, a protruding portion 20, a cylindrical portion 22, and a flange portion 24. The cover portion 16 is formed in a disc shape and covers the top of the bolt head. The cylindrical portion 22 is connected to the outer periphery of the cover portion 16. The connecting portion between the cover portion 16 and the cylindrical portion 22 is formed in a curved shape. The flange portion 24 protrudes radially outward from the lower end of the cylindrical portion 22.

[0012] The protruding portions 20 are formed projecting from the back side of the cap body portion 12 and are formed in multiple locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction. The protruding portions 20 are formed to extend axially on the back surface of the cylindrical portion 22. The multiple protruding portions 20 engage with the head of the bolt. Note that the shape of the back surface of the cap body portion 12 is not limited to the configuration having multiple protruding portions 20, and may be any other shape as long as it engages with the head of the bolt. For example, the back surface of the cylindrical portion 22 may be formed in a hexagonal shape to match the hexagonal shape of the bolt head.

[0013] The elastic portion 14 is formed on the surface of the cover portion 16 and is formed in an arch shape by winding a band having a predetermined width W. The durability of the elastic portion 14 can be ensured by forming the elastic portion 14 with a constant predetermined width W. The elastic portion 14 is not limited to an arch shape, but may be formed in a cylindrical or elliptical shape and may be provided so as to rest on the cover portion 16. In any case, the elastic portion 14 can be made flexible by defining a hollow cylindrical space inside. The cylindrical space formed by the elastic portion 14 shown in Figure 1 is substantially cylindrical.

[0014] The cap body 12 and the elastic part 14 are integrally formed from the same soft material. This makes both the cap body 12 and the elastic part 14 flexible, making them easier to attach to a bolt, and also allows the elastic part 14 to bend easily in the axial direction. Furthermore, by forming the elastic part 14 in an arch shape or cylindrical shape, sufficient axial stroke of the elastic part 14 can be ensured.

[0015] The elastic portion 14 has a pair of connecting ends 26 that are connected to the surface of the cover portion 16 and are located apart from each other. For example, if the elastic portion 14 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is provided to rest on the cover portion 16, the cylindrical portion that is placed on top will overlap with the cover portion 16, increasing its thickness and potentially causing shrinkage. By forming the elastic portion 14 in an arch shape, the area in which the cover portion 16 becomes thicker can be reduced, thereby improving the accuracy of the molding. Since the pair of connecting ends 26 are spaced apart from each other, the elastic portion 14 is reliably compressed in the axial direction, and the impact noise can be sufficiently suppressed.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1(b), the cover portion 16 has an annular stepped portion 18 on the back surface, and the central side of the stepped portion 18 is thinner than the outer side of the stepped portion 18. By changing the wall thickness of the cover portion 16, the reaction force on the elastic portion 14 can be adjusted. Further, by thinning the central side of the cover portion 16, it can be made easier to bend, and the rigidity of the portion connected to the cylindrical portion 22 can be ensured.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the bolt cap 10 attached to the bolt 30. The cap main body portion 12 of the bolt cap 10 is attached to the head portion 30a of the bolt 30 and covers the surface of the head portion 30a. The bolt 30 is fastened to the attachment member 32. The attachment member 32 is, for example, a vehicle body panel.

[0018] The mating object 34 faces the cover portion 16 and the attachment member 32. The mating object 34 is an in-vehicle part, an interior part, or the like. Even when the distance between the attachment member 32 and the mating object 34 is the farthest, the elastic portion 14 is formed to have a size that abuts against the mating object 34. It is possible to suppress the collision between the elastic portion 14 and the mating object 34 due to vibration and suppress the generation of a knocking sound. Further, since the elastic portion 14 is soft and easy to bend, even if it collides with the mating object 34, the knocking sound can be reduced.

[0019] The elastic portion 14 is formed such that the cross-section along the axial direction of the bolt 30 is an arc shape. The elastic portion 14 is formed such that the angular width θ around the central axis C of the arc-shaped cross-section is 180 degrees or more. Thereby, a sufficient stroke amount in the axial direction of the elastic portion 14 can be ensured, and it can be made easy to bend. More preferably, the elastic portion 14 is formed such that the angular width θ around the central axis C of the arc-shaped cross-section is 225 degrees or more.

[0020] The predetermined width W1 of the elastic portion 14 shown in FIG. 1 is set to be at least half of the two-sided width W2 of the head portion 30a of the bolt 30 shown in FIG. 2. Thereby, by taking a sufficient width of the elastic portion 14, the crushing manner of the elastic portion 14 can be stabilized. For example, even if the elastic portion 14 receives an input from an inclined direction that is not orthogonal to the central axis C, it can be configured to be crushed without falling in the inclined direction.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the elastic portion 14 and is a cross-sectional view of the bolt cap 10 in the mounted state. The mating object 34 approaches the cover portion 16 and the elastic portion 14 is crushed. The elastic portion 14 is deformed so as to spread outward without being deformed so as to be recessed inward.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the bolt cap 10 in the mounted state and shows a state in which the mating object 34 shown in FIG. 3 is further brought closer to the cover portion 16. The mating object 34 approaches the cover portion 16 and the elastic portion 14 is in the most crushed state.

[0023] The elastic portion 14 hits the mating object 34 facing the cover portion 16 and is crushed toward the cover portion 16, and overlaps outside the pair of connecting end portions 26. When the elastic portion 14 is crushed, it spreads outward in the direction opposite to the pair of connecting end portions 26 without being recessed inward, and contacts the cover portion 16 outside the pair of connecting end portions 26. By overlapping the elastic portions 14, the input of the mating object 34 can be received in a state where the thickness of the elastic portion 14 is increased. Thereby, vibration can be further attenuated by the doubled elastic portion 14.

[0024] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it is also possible to add various design changes and other modifications to each embodiment based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and embodiments to which such modifications are added are also included in the scope of the present invention.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0025] 10 Bolt cap, 12 Cap main body portion, 14 Elastic portion, 16 Cover portion, 18 Step portion, 20 Ridge portion, 22 Cylindrical portion, 24 Flange portion, 26 Connecting end portion, 30 Bolt, 30a Head, 32 Mounting member, 34 Mating object.

Claims

1. The cap body that attaches to the bolt head, The cap body is provided with an elastic portion that is flexible in the axial direction of the bolt, The cap body has a cover portion that covers the top of the bolt, The bolt cap is characterized in that the elastic portion is formed on the surface of the cover portion and is formed by winding a band having a predetermined width around it to define a cylindrical space on the inside.

2. The bolt cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastic portion has a pair of connecting ends that are connected to the surface of the cover portion and are located apart from each other.

3. The bolt cap according to claim 2, characterized in that the elastic portion is in a state where it is crushed toward the cover portion when it comes into contact with the mating object opposite the cover portion, and overlaps on the outside of the pair of connecting ends.

4. The bolt cap according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cover portion has an annular stepped portion on its back surface, and the portion closer to the center than the stepped portion is thinner than the portion further out.

5. The bolt cap according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the predetermined width of the elastic portion is set to be half or more of the width across flats of the bolt head.

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