Clip removal tool

Abstract

In the process of installing the underbody cover along the underside of the vehicle floor, clips attached to the underbody cover are snapped onto stud bolts with a single touch, holding the underbody cover in place on the vehicle floor. When removing the underbody cover during vehicle maintenance, the clips are rotated to detach them from the stud bolts. During this removal process, the clips tend to re-engage onto the stud bolts. This design makes it more difficult for the clips to re-engage, improving the ease of removal. [Solution] The removal tool 20 has a screw shaft 21, a gripping part 22, and an operating part 23. By rotating the operating part 23 while the screw shaft 21 is in coaxial contact with the stud bolt 1a, the clip 10 is rotated in the removal direction, and the clip 10 is removed from the stud bolt 1a. The screw shaft 21 abuts against the stud bolt 1a, preventing the clip 10 from being reattached.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a removal tool for a stud bolt of a clip that positions an under cover along, for example, the lower surface of a vehicle body floor.

Background Art

[0002] A resin under cover is attached along, for example, the lower surface of the floor of a vehicle. This improves vehicle performance by improving the flow of air under the vehicle floor or enhancing the quietness inside and outside the vehicle. In the vehicle assembly process, the under cover is bolted and attached at multiple locations while being positioned by clips. The clips disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have a cylindrical shape and engaging claws on the inner peripheral side. One clip is attached to each predetermined location of the under cover. On the other hand, stud bolts are provided at predetermined locations on the floor. By pressing the clip so that the stud bolt is inserted into the inner peripheral side, the engaging claws are engaged with the stud bolt and the clip is held by the stud bolt. As a result, the under cover is positioned at a predetermined position in one touch.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] While using the above-mentioned clips improves the ease of assembling the under cover, it presents a problem when removing the under cover for vehicle repair or maintenance, as the clips are difficult to remove. When removing the clips from the stud bolts, the removal tool is pressed against the clip and rotated in the loosening direction. This often causes the stud bolt to be reinserted into the inner circumference of the clip once it has been removed, causing the engaging claws to re-engage with the stud bolt. This makes the clip removal process time-consuming.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a solution that facilitates the removal of mounting members, such as undercovers, without compromising the ease of assembly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first invention is a removal tool used to remove a clip, which is used to attach a mounting member to a mounting member by engaging with a stud bolt provided on the mounting member, from the stud bolt. The removal tool has a screw shaft, a gripping portion provided on one end of the screw shaft, and an operating portion screw-fitted to the other end of the screw shaft. The removal tool has a clip engaging portion integrally provided with the operating portion and capable of rotationally engaging with the clip. With the other end of the screw shaft coaxially in contact with the stud bolt and the clip engaging portion rotationally engaged with the clip, the operating portion is rotated in the direction of clip removal, causing the screw shaft to protrude to the inner circumference of the clip, thereby removing the clip from the stud bolt.

[0007] According to the first invention, since the clip is removed from the stud bolt while the screw shaft is in coaxial contact with the stud bolt, the stud bolt will not be reinserted (re-fitted) into the inner circumference of the clip once it has been removed, and the state in which the clip is removed from the stud bolt is reliably maintained. This speeds up and simplifies the removal work of the mounting member.

[0008] The second invention is the first invention, further comprising a tapered fitting projection that fits into the tapered portion of the clip, and engaging projections that extend radially from the fitting projection to both sides and are inserted into the tool engagement groove of the clip.

[0009] According to the second invention, the clip engagement portion is reliably engaged with the clip when the operating portion is rotated.

[0010] The third invention is that, in the first or second invention, the screw shaft further has the same diameter as the stud bolt. According to the third invention, the clip can be easily removed from the stud bolt. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the under cover attached along the underside of the vehicle floor by clips engaging with the stud bolts. [Figure 2] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the under cover removed from the vehicle floor by the clips being detached from the stud bolts. [Figure 3] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the clip re-engaged on the stud bolt as the removed under cover is pushed upward. [Figure 4] This is a side view of the removal tool and clip according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a side view of the removal tool according to this embodiment. In this figure, the operating section is shown in a vertical cross-section. [Figure 6] This is a view taken along arrow VI in Figure 5, and is a top view of the operating section. [Figure 7] This figure shows the process of removing a clip using the removal tool according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure shows the state after the screw shaft has entered the inner circumference of the clip during the removal process, and the clip has been removed from the stud bolt. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, during the vehicle assembly process, the under cover 2 is positioned and held along the underside of the vehicle floor 1 via clips 10. In this embodiment, the vehicle floor 1 is shown as an example of a member to be attached, and the under cover 2 is shown as an example of a member to be attached. The under cover 2, which is positioned and held along the underside of the vehicle floor 1 by multiple clips 10, is attached by screwing it in at multiple points with fixing screws. In the figure, the screw fastening parts are omitted.

[0013] Stud bolts 1a are provided at, for example, two locations on the lower surface of the mounting member 1. One clip 10 is engaged with one of the stud bolts 1a. The clip 10 is a conventionally known type and has a cylindrical body portion 11 and a holder 12 made of resin. A flange portion 11a is provided on the lower side of the body portion 11, which protrudes laterally. A tapered fitting recess 11b is provided at the center of the lower side of the body portion 11. Two tool engagement grooves 11c are provided on the inner surface of the fitting recess 11b. The two tool engagement grooves 11c are arranged facing each other in the radial direction. The clip 10 can be removed by engaging a removal tool across the two opposing tool engagement grooves 11c and rotating it.

[0014] The main body portion 11 is inserted from the bottom side into the insertion hole 2a provided in the under cover 2. The flange portion 11a abuts against the bottom surface of the insertion hole 2a. The holder 12 is attached to the outer circumference of the main body portion 11 by inserting the main body portion 11, which is inserted through the insertion hole 2a, into the inner circumference. In this way, one clip 10 is pre-attached to the under cover 2. In this attached state, the main body portion 11 is mounted so that it cannot move up and down but can rotate around its axis.

[0015] A plurality of engaging claws 11d are integrally provided on the inner circumference of the main body portion 11. Threads that can be screwed onto the stud bolt 1a are formed on the tip surfaces of the respective engaging claws 11d. By elastically engaging each engaging claw 11d with the threads of the stud bolt 1a inserted on the inner peripheral side of the main body portion 11, the clip 10 is engaged with the stud bolt 1a. As a result, downward displacement of the clip 10 with respect to the stud bolt 1a is restricted, and the under cover 2 is positioned and held along the lower surface of the vehicle floor 1.

[0016] By using the positioning clip 10 in the vehicle assembly process, the attachment work of the under cover 2 can be simplified. On the other hand, when removing the under cover 2 for vehicle repair or the like, it is necessary to remove the clip 10 from the stud bolt 1a. As shown in FIG. 2, in order to remove the clip 10 from the stud bolt 1a, it is necessary to rotate the clip 10 in the removal direction (thread loosening direction, normally counterclockwise) with respect to the stud bolt 1a.

[0017] In the removal operation of the clip 10, since the clip 10 is rotated in the removal direction while being pressed upward, the engaging claws 11d of the clip 10 that have been once disengaged are likely to be refitted (re-engaged) with the stud bolt 1a as shown in FIG. 3. For this reason, it is assumed that the removal operation of the clip 10 is time-consuming and the removal operation of the under cover 2 cannot be performed efficiently.

[0018] By using the removal tool 20 according to this embodiment for the removal operation of the clip 10, the clip 10 can be removed from the stud bolt 1a while reliably preventing the above-mentioned refitting. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the removal tool 20 of this embodiment has one screw shaft 21, a gripping portion 22 provided on the lower side of the screw shaft 21, and an operating portion 23 screwed onto the upper side of the screw shaft 21.

[0019] The screw shaft 21 uses a screw shaft with the same diameter and pitch as the stud bolt 1a and has a right-handed thread. The screw shaft 21 has a length of about 15 centimeters, for example. The gripping portion 22 has a generally cylindrical shape that is easy for an operator to grip, for example, with the right hand, and is fixed to the lower part of the screw shaft 21 so as not to move axially and not to rotate around the axis.

[0020] The operating portion 23 has a generally cylindrical shape, and a screw hole 23a is provided at the center. The screw hole 23a is provided so as to penetrate vertically. The screw shaft 21 is screwed into the screw hole 23a. When the operator grips the operating portion 23, for example, with the left hand and rotates it in the screw tightening direction (clockwise) shown by the arrow in FIG. 5 with respect to the screw shaft 21, the operating portion 23 can be displaced downward relative to the screw shaft 21. When the operating portion 23 is displaced downward relative to the screw shaft 21, the amount of protrusion of the screw shaft 21 upward from the operating portion 23 increases.

[0021] A clip engaging portion 24 is integrally provided on the upper surface of the operating portion 23. The clip engaging portion 24 is engaged with the clip 10 with respect to rotation. As shown in FIG. 6, the clip engaging portion 24 has a tapered fitting protrusion 24a and two engaging protrusions 24b. The two engaging protrusions 24b are provided so as to project radially outward from both sides of the fitting protrusion 24a. The fitting protrusion 24a is fitted into the fitting recess 11b of the clip 10, and the two engaging protrusions 24b of the clip engaging portion 24 are inserted into the tool engaging groove 11c of the clip 10. Thereby, the operating portion 23 is integrated with the clip 10 with respect to rotation.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 7, in an actual removal operation, the operator holds the gripping portion 22, for example, with the right hand RH and holds the removal tool 20 in a posture of standing it upright upward, and presses the entire removal tool 20 against the clip 10. Thereby, the fitting protrusion 24a of the clip engaging portion 24 is fitted into the fitting recess 11b of the clip 10, and the two engaging protrusions 24b of the clip engaging portion 24 are inserted into the tool engaging groove 11c of the clip 10.

[0023] With the clip engagement portion 24 fitted into the fitting recess 11b of the clip 10, the operator rotates the operating portion 23 with their left hand, for example, in the screw tightening direction (clockwise) as indicated by the arrow in Figure 7. This causes the operating portion 23 to be displaced downward relative to the screw shaft 21. Consequently, the amount of upward protrusion of the screw shaft 21 from the operating portion 23 increases.

[0024] The lifting operation of the gripping portion 22 maintains the clip engaging portion 24 in a state where it is pressed against the clip 10. As a result, the rotational operation of the operating portion 23 in the screw tightening direction increases the amount that the screw shaft 21 protrudes upward from the operating portion 23, causing the screw shaft 21 to abut coaxially with the stud bolt 1a.

[0025] As the operating part 23 is rotated in the screw-tightening direction, the clip 10 rotates together in the same direction. This causes the clip 10 to rotate in the screw-loosening direction relative to the stud bolt 1a, and the clip 10 is displaced downward relative to the stud bolt 1a.

[0026] As shown in Figure 8, the entire clip 10 is fitted onto the screw shaft 21 by rotating the operating part 23, completely detaching it from the stud bolt 1a. At this stage, the screw shaft 21 is abutting against the stud bolt 1a, so the clip 10 is re-fitted to the stud bolt 1a, ensuring complete protection. Multiple clips 10 can be removed using the removal tool 20, each in a state where re-fitting to the stud bolt 1a is prevented.

[0027] In this state, the under cover 2 can be removed by unscrewing the screws that fasten it to the vehicle floor 1. First, remove the vehicle floor 1. Even when removing the clip 10 from the stud bolt 1a with the screw fastening to it removed, the under cover 2 can be quickly removed from the vehicle floor 1 by using the removal tool 20. After removing the under cover 2, the removal tool 20 can be removed from the clip 10 by rotating the screw shaft 21 in the loosening direction relative to the clip 10.

[0028] According to the removal tool 20 of this embodiment, the clip 10 is moved toward the screw shaft 21 by rotating the operating part 23 in the screw tightening direction and is completely removed from the stud bolt 1a. When the clip 10 is removed toward the screw shaft 21, the screw shaft 21 is in contact with the stud bolt 1a. This reliably prevents the clip 10 from re-fitting onto the stud bolt 1a, thereby speeding up and simplifying the removal of the under cover 2.

[0029] According to the removal tool 20 of the embodiment, the clip engagement portion 24 has a tapered fitting projection 24a that fits into the tapered fitting recess 11b of the clip 10, and engagement projections 24b that extend radially from the fitting projection 24a to both sides and are inserted into the tool engagement groove 11c of the clip 10. This ensures that the clip engagement portion 24 is reliably engaged with the clip 10 when the operating portion 23 is rotated.

[0030] According to the removal tool 20 of the embodiment, the screw shaft 21 has the same diameter and pitch as the stud bolt 1a. This allows the clip 10 to move smoothly from the stud bolt 1a to the screw shaft 21, thus speeding up the clip removal process.

[0031] Various modifications can be made to the embodiments described above. For example, although a configuration using a screw shaft 21 with the same diameter and pitch as the stud bolt 1a has been illustrated, a screw shaft with a different diameter and pitch may be used, as long as the engaging claws 11d of the clip 10 are securely engaged.

[0032] While the vehicle floor 1 is shown as the member to be mounted and the under cover 2 as the mounting member, the removal tool 20 shown can be used primarily for clips that attach or position and hold mounting members such as cover members to various parts of a vehicle (members to be mounted). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0033] 1…Vehicle floor (member to be mounted) 1a... Stud bolt 2…Under cover (mounting component) 2a…Through hole 10… Clip 11...Main body 11a…Flange portion, 11b…Matching recess, 11c…Tool engagement groove, 11d…Engaging claw 12…Holder 20…Removal tools 21... Screw shaft 22...Gripping part 23...Operation unit 23a... Screw hole 24...Clip engagement part 24a...Mating protrusion, 24b...Engaging protrusion RH…Right hand

Claims

1. A removal tool used to remove a clip, which engages with a stud bolt provided on a mounting member to attach a mounting member to the mounting member, from the stud bolt, Screw shaft and A gripping portion provided on one end of the screw shaft, An operating part screw-fitted to the other end of the aforementioned screw shaft, The operating section has a clip engaging portion that is integrally provided with the clip and is capable of engaging with the clip in terms of rotation, A removal tool configured such that the other end of the screw shaft is in coaxial contact with the stud bolt, and the clip engaging portion is rotationally engaged with the clip, and the operating portion is rotated in the direction of removing the clip so that the screw shaft protrudes toward the inner circumference of the clip, thereby removing the clip from the stud bolt.

2. A removal tool according to claim 1, The clip engagement portion is a removal tool having a tapered fitting projection that fits into the tapered portion of the clip, and engagement projections that extend radially from the fitting projection to both sides and are inserted into the tool engagement groove of the clip.

3. A removal tool according to claim 1 or 2, The screw shaft is a removal tool having the same diameter as the stud bolt.

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