Fastener

Abstract

To provide a fastener which can secure a sufficient withdrawal force.SOLUTION: A fastener 10 comprises a first plate part having a free end at a tip, a second plate part lying opposite the first plate part and having a free end at a tip, and a connecting part connecting base ends of the first plate part and the second plate part to each other. Each of the first plate part and the second plate part includes: a lock part which is inclined so that an interval in an opposing direction is narrower toward a tip side, and locked to a rear edge of an attachment hole 14a; a first abutment part located on the tip side with respect to the lock part and abutting on a boss 12; and a second abutment part located on a base end side with respect to the lock part and abutting on the boss 12. An interval between a pair of the first abutment parts in the opposing direction when viewed along a width direction is equal to or smaller than plate thicknesses of the first plate part and the second plate part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fastener for attaching a component to a mounting member. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a clip having a U-shaped square bent portion formed in the center of a flat plate, inclined piece portions extending and spreading out on both sides of the square bent portion, a support piece portion bent from the inclined piece portion and extending inward, and a pair of locking pieces formed by inclining a portion of the inclined piece portion and the bent portion inward from each of the inclined piece portions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-65517 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the clip is attached to the rectangular window of the mounting member, the pair of support pieces can bend in directions toward each other, i.e., in a direction that releases the support on the rectangular window, so there is a risk that sufficient removal force may not be obtained.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a fastener which can ensure a sufficient removal force. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is a fastener that is attached to a boss and inserted into a mounting hole together with the boss, and includes a first plate portion having a free end at a tip, a second plate portion facing the first plate portion and having a free end at a tip, and a connecting portion connecting the base ends of the first plate portion and the second plate portion. The first plate portion and the second plate portion are inclined so that the distance between them in the opposing direction narrows toward the tip side, and each of them has a locking portion that locks onto the back edge of the mounting hole, a first abutting portion that is located further toward the tip side than the locking portion and abuts against the boss, and a second abutting portion that is located further toward the base end than the locking portion and abuts against the boss. The distance between the pair of first abutting portions in the opposing direction as viewed along the width direction is equal to or less than the plate thickness of the first plate portion and the second plate portion. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, a fastener capable of ensuring sufficient removal force can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example fastener attached to a boss. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a fastener according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3(a) is a front view of the fastener, FIG. 3(b) is a side view of the fastener, and FIG. 3(c) is a top view of the fastener. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of the fastener with the first plate portion and the second plate portion brought close to each other. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fastener attached to the boss. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] 1 is a perspective view of a fastener 10 of the embodiment attached to a boss 12. The fastener 10 is used to attach a part to a mounting member 14. The part may be an in-vehicle part such as an interior panel of a vehicle or an operation panel provided with switches for opening and closing windows, or a decorative part with a design such as a cover.

[0010] The boss 12 is integrally formed with the component and is formed to protrude from the back surface of the component. A plurality of bosses 12 are formed on the component. The tip of the boss 12 is formed in a tapered shape. The boss 12 has a boss body 12a and a side wall portion 12b. The boss body 12a is formed in a flat plate shape. A pair of side wall portions 12b are formed on both sides of the boss body 12a. The side wall portions 12b restrict the fastener 10 from moving in the width direction.

[0011] The mounting member 14 may be a trim panel, a vehicle body panel, etc. The mounting member 14 has a rectangular mounting hole 14a. A plurality of mounting holes 14a are formed in accordance with the positions of the bosses 12, and are formed with their long sides aligned.

[0012] Fastener 10 is attached to boss 12 of the component, which in turn is attached to mounting hole 14a of mounting member 14. In the event of failure of the component, fastener 10 can be withdrawn from mounting hole 14a without being removed from boss 12.

[0013] For example, if the component with the boss 12 is an operation panel, the larger the operation area where the operation switch is provided, the better. The boss 12 cannot be provided on the back side of the operation area, and is provided on the frame of the operation panel. Therefore, the interval L of the mounting holes 14a is made small, and the fastener 10 is formed so as to be insertable into the small mounting holes 14a.

[0014] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the fastener 10 of the embodiment. Also, Fig. 3(a) is a front view of the fastener 10, Fig. 3(b) is a side view of the fastener 10, and Fig. 3(c) is a top view of the fastener 10.

[0015] The fastener 10 is made of a metal material and is formed by cutting and pressing a metal plate. By forming it from a metal material, it can have a higher removal force than when it is formed from a resin material. The fastener 10 includes a first plate portion 20a, a second plate portion 20b, and a connecting portion 22.

[0016] The first plate portion 20a and the second plate portion 20b face each other and have a free end at the tip 21a. The connecting portion 22 connects the base end 21b of the first plate portion 20a and the second plate portion 20b. The first plate portion 20a and the second plate portion 20b can bend by spreading or approaching each other, and sandwich the boss 12. The direction in which the first plate portion 20a and the second plate portion 20b face each other is called the facing direction. In addition, the direction connecting the tip 21a to the base end 21b of the first plate portion 20a and the second plate portion 20b is called the extension direction or height direction. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the extension direction and the facing direction and connecting the pair of side wall portions 12b of the boss 12 is called the width direction.

[0017] The first plate portion 20a has a base end side plate portion 24a, an expanding plate portion 26a, a locking portion 28a, a claw portion 30a, a central piece portion 32, a first contact portion 40a, a second contact portion 42a, and a folded portion 44a. The base end side plate portion 24a extends from the base end 21b toward the tip end 21a, and the expanding plate portion 26a is formed so as to be connected to the base end side plate portion 24a and expand toward the tip end 21a. The expanding plate portion 26a is formed with a claw portion 30a. The claw portion 30a is locked so as to bite into the boss body 12a. This allows the fastener 10 to be attached to the boss 12 even if no hole is formed in the boss body 12a. The claw portion 30a is located at the center in the width direction.

[0018] The locking portion 28a is inclined so that the distance between it and the second plate portion 20b narrows toward the tip 21a, and locks onto the back edge of the mounting hole 14a. By locking the locking portion 28a onto the back edge of the mounting hole 14a, the boss 12 can be fixed to the mounting member 14. The locking portion 28a is bent from the widening plate portion 26a and inclined inwardly in the opposing direction toward the tip 21a. Since the locking portion 28a has an inclined surface, it can absorb changes in the plate thickness of the mounting member 14.

[0019] The central piece 32 is located on the tip 21a side of the first plate portion 20a, and is formed narrow with both sides cut out. The folded portion 44a is bent so as to fold back in the middle of the central piece 32, and protrudes outward in the opposing direction. The folded portion 44a can prevent the fastener 10 from dropping out of the mounting hole 14a. The central piece 32 is formed from the locking portion 28a to the folded portion 44a.

[0020] The first contact portion 40a is located closer to the tip 21a than the locking portion 28a, and is provided at a position where the locking portion 28a and the folded-back portion 44a are bent. This bending causes the first contact portion 40a to protrude inward in the opposing direction and come into contact with the boss body 12a.

[0021] The second contact portion 42a is located closer to the base end 21b than the locking portion 28a, and is provided at a position where the base end side plate portion 24a and the expanding plate portion 26a are bent. This bending causes the second contact portion 42a to protrude inward in the opposing direction and come into contact with the boss body 12a.

[0022] The second plate portion 20b has a base end side plate portion 24b, a widening plate portion 26b, a locking portion 28b, a claw portion 30b, a through hole portion 34, a side piece portion 36, a first contact portion 40b, a second contact portion 42b, and a folded portion 44b.

[0023] The base end side plate portion 24b extends from the base end 21b toward the tip end 21a. The expanding plate portion 26b is formed so as to be connected to the base end side plate portion 24b and to expand toward the tip end 21a. The expanding plate portion 26b is formed with a claw portion 30b. The claw portion 30b is engaged so as to bite into the boss body 12a.

[0024] The locking portion 28b is inclined so that the distance between the first plate portion 20a and the boss 12 narrows toward the tip 21a, and locks onto the rear edge of the mounting hole 14a. The locking portion 28b is locked onto the rear edge of the mounting hole 14a, so that the boss 12 can be fixed to the mounting member 14. The locking portion 28b is bent from the widening plate portion 26b and inclined inward toward the tip 21a.

[0025] The pair of side pieces 36 are located on the tip 21a side of the first plate portion 20a, and are cut out in the center. A through hole 34 is formed between the pair of side pieces 36. The folded-back portion 44b is bent so as to fold back halfway through the side piece 36, and protrudes outward in the opposing direction. The through hole 34 and the side piece 36 are formed from the locking portion 28b to the folded-back portion 44b.

[0026] The first contact portion 40b is located closer to the tip 21a than the locking portion 28b and is provided at a position where the locking portion 28b and the folded-back portion 44b are bent. This bending causes the first contact portion 40b to protrude inward in the opposing direction and come into contact with the boss body 12a.

[0027] The second contact portion 42b is located closer to the base end 21b than the locking portion 28b and the claw portion 30b, and is provided at a position where the base end side plate portion 24b and the widening plate portion 26b are bent. This bending causes the second contact portion 42b to protrude inward in the opposing direction and come into contact with the boss body 12a.

[0028] 3(a), the first contact portion 40a of the first plate portion 20a and the first contact portion 40b of the second plate portion 20b are formed to be shifted in the width direction. The first contact portion 40b of the second plate portion 20b has a through hole portion 34 into which the first contact portion 40a of the first plate portion 20a can enter. This allows the tip end 21a sides of the first plate portion 20a and the second plate portion 20b to intersect. Furthermore, by disposing the first contact portion 40a in the center, it is possible to prevent the first contact portion 40a from generating a rotational torque with respect to the boss body 12a.

[0029] The width direction length of the central piece 32 and the sum of the width direction lengths of the pair of side pieces 36 are set to be substantially the same. This allows the clamping force of the first contact portion 40a and the first contact portion 40b to be uniform.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3(b), the distance between the pair of first abutting portions 40a, 40b in the opposing direction as viewed along the width direction is equal to or less than the plate thickness of the first plate portion 20a and the second plate portion 20b. This makes it possible to prevent another fastener 10 from entering between the first abutting portion 40a and the first abutting portion 40b and becoming entangled when a plurality of fasteners 10 are transported together. In addition, the opposing direction of the fasteners 10 can be made compact. Furthermore, the distance between the pair of first abutting portions 40a, 40b in the opposing direction as viewed along the width direction is equal to or less than zero. The distance between the pair of first abutting portions 40a, 40b in the opposing direction may be a negative value, that is, the pair of first abutting portions 40a, 40b may be in a crossed state. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the fasteners 10 from becoming entangled. In addition, the opposing direction of the fasteners 10 can be made more compact.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3(b), the distance Lt between the pair of second abutting portions 42a, 42b in the opposing direction is narrower than the length of the connecting portion 22 in the opposing direction and narrower than the thickness of the boss body 12a. The pair of base end side plate portions 24a, 24b approach each other toward the tip 21a. As a result, the pair of second abutting portions 42a, 42b can be protruded inward in the opposing direction, so that when the fastener 10 is clamped by the boss body 12a, even if the first plate portion 20a and the second plate portion 20b bend in the opposing direction and the distance Lt between the pair of second abutting portions 42a, 42b in the opposing direction widens, the position of the pair of second abutting portions 42a, 42b relative to the boss body 12a can be easily set. The position where the pair of second abutting portions 42a, 42b contact the boss body 12a can be determined, and the load clamping the boss body 12a can be stabilized.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 3(b), the expanding plate portion 26a and the locking portion 28a have the same length in the extending direction. That is, the bending position between the expanding plate portion 26a and the locking portion 28a is located in the middle between the first contact portion 40a and the second contact portion 42a. This allows the force required to insert the fastener 10 into the mounting hole to be approximately the same as the force required to remove the fastener 10 from the mounting hole.

[0033] 4 is a perspective view of fastener 10 in a state in which first plate portion 20a and second plate portion 20b are brought close to each other. When first plate portion 20a and second plate portion 20b are brought close to each other, first abutting portion 40a and first abutting portion 40b are formed to be shifted in the width direction, so that center piece portion 32 enters through hole portion 34 and the tip sides of first plate portion 20a and second plate portion 20b intersect.

[0034] The distance between the first abutment portion 40a and the first abutment portion 40b in the opposing direction is determined by the bending process that brings the first plate portion 20a and the second plate portion 20b closer to each other. The first plate portion 20a and the second plate portion 20b return to the expanding direction due to springback when bending. Therefore, by making the center piece portion 32 enter the through hole portion 34, the distance between the first abutment portion 40a and the first abutment portion 40b in the opposing direction can be set to zero or less.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the fastener 10 attached to the boss 12. The first abutment portion 40a and the first abutment portion 40b hold the boss body 12a, and the second abutment portion 42a and the second abutment portion 42b hold the boss body 12a. As a result, the first plate portion 20a and the second plate portion 20b each abut against the boss body 12a like a double-supported piece. Therefore, when the fastener 10 and the boss 12 are pulled out of the mounting hole 14a, the first plate portion 20a and the second plate portion 20b are less likely to bend in a direction approaching each other, and the removal force can be increased. As a result, even if the fastener 10 is made thin and the amount of wrapping of the locking portion 28a and the locking portion 28b on the mounting hole 14a is reduced, a sufficient removal force can be secured. Therefore, the fastener 10 can be attached to the mounting hole 14a with a small interval L.

[0036] Furthermore, by clamping the fastener 10 to the boss 12 at two points, top and bottom, the fastener 10 can be stably fixed to the boss 12, reducing rattling during transportation and reducing rattling relative to the mounting member 14 when mounted.

[0037] 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 10 fastener, 12 boss, 12a boss body, 12b side wall portion, 14 mounting member, 14a mounting hole, 20a first plate portion, 20b second plate portion, 21a tip, 21b base end, 22 connecting portion, 24a, 24b base end side plate portion, 26a, 26b expansion plate portion, 28a, 28b locking portion, 30a, 30b claw portion, 32 central piece portion, 34 through hole portion, 36 side piece portion, 40a, 40b first abutment portion, 42a, 42b second abutment portion, 44 folded portion.

Claims

1. A fastener that is attached to a boss and inserted into a mounting hole together with the boss, A first plate portion having a free end at a tip end; a second plate portion facing the first plate portion and having a free end at a tip end; A connecting portion connecting a base end of the first plate portion and a base end of the second plate portion, The first plate portion and the second plate portion are a locking portion that is inclined such that the distance between the locking portions in the opposing direction becomes narrower toward the tip end and that locks onto the back edge of the mounting hole; a first contact portion located on a tip side of the locking portion and contacting the boss; a claw portion that engages with the boss at a position closer to the base end than the first contact portion; a second abutment portion that is located on the base end side of the claw portion, is provided at a position where the first plate portion and the second plate portion are bent, abuts against a boss, and expands or approaches in the opposing direction together with the claw portion in conjunction with the locking portion; and a folded-back portion that is folded back from the locking portion toward the tip end and that protrudes outward in the opposing direction. a distance between the pair of first contact portions in an opposing direction as viewed along the width direction is equal to or less than a plate thickness of the first plate portion and the second plate portion, The fastener is characterized in that the first contact portion is provided at a position where the folded-back portion is bent so as to fold back.

2. A distance between the pair of first contact portions in an opposing direction as viewed along the width direction is equal to or less than zero, The pair of first contact portions are formed to be shifted in the width direction, One of the first contact portions has a through-hole portion into which the other first contact portion can enter, The first contact portion is formed on a pair of side pieces that define the through hole portion therebetween, The fastener according to claim 1 , wherein the other first contact portion is formed on a central piece portion that can be inserted into the through hole portion.

3. 3. The fastener according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the pair of second contact portions in the opposing direction is narrower than a length of the connecting portions in the opposing direction.

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