Clinching spacer

Abstract

Countersinking or counterboring must be performed on the sheet metal each time, leading to increased processing time, reduced processing reproducibility, and variations in quality. Furthermore, with thin sheet metal such as 2mm or 3mm thickness, the clearance for the screw head may be insufficient, making it difficult to achieve a flush appearance. [Solution] In a clinching spacer that is press-fitted and fixed into a mounting hole in sheet metal, a female thread is not formed on the inner circumferential surface of the through hole, and a receiving recess for accommodating the screw head is integrally formed on one end of the through hole. Furthermore, the clinching portion includes a polygonal shape for preventing rotation, and this polygonal shape may be hexagonal. This allows for screw fastening without the need for countersinking or counterboring on the sheet metal side, reducing processing time and improving reproducibility. It facilitates flush mounting of countersunk screws, and can be applied to thin sheet metal using low-profile screws or small-diameter screws. In addition, by including a polygonal shape (e.g., hexagonal) for the outer shape of the clinching portion, it becomes easier to ensure the anti-rotation effect, suppressing co-rotation during screw fastening and improving workability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a self-clinching fastener used for sheet metal members, and particularly to a clinching spacer that secures the fit of the screw head during screw fastening while omitting countersinking or spot-facing operations on the sheet metal.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when it is desired to flush the screw head with respect to a sheet metal member, it is common to perform countersinking on the sheet metal side using a drill or the like and fasten using a countersunk screw (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Also, when fastening a thin sheet metal using a flat head screw or a small diameter screw (such as a No. 0 screw), in order to avoid interference of the screw head, spot-facing is performed on the sheet metal side to ensure clearance for the screw head. However, these countersinking or spot-facing operations increase the man-hours as the number of parts and the number of processing times increase, and quality variations are likely to occur due to processing position deviation, generation of burrs, deformation of the sheet metal, etc.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the above-described conventional technology, it is necessary to perform countersinking or spot-facing on the sheet metal side each time to accommodate the screw head, which increases the processing man-hours, reduces the processing reproducibility, and causes quality variations.

[0006] Furthermore, in a thin sheet metal with a thickness of 2t or 3t, etc., sufficient clearance for the screw head cannot be ensured, and it may be difficult to make the appearance flush.

[0007] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a clinching spacer that can ensure the screw head fits according to a predetermined screw diameter and screw head shape even without countersinking or counterboring on the sheet metal side, is applicable to thin sheet metal, reduces the number of work steps, and improves reproducibility. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention provides the following: [1] A clinching spacer that is fixed by press-fitting into a mounting hole formed in a sheet metal, comprising a cylindrical body, a through hole extending in the axial direction of the cylindrical body, and a clinching portion formed on the outer circumference of the cylindrical body for press-fitting and fixing to the sheet metal, wherein no female thread is formed on the inner surface of the through hole, and a receiving recess capable of accommodating the head of a screw is integrally provided on one end of the through hole, enabling the screw to pass through the through hole and be fastened to a screw hole or nut of a fastening target member located on the opposite side of the sheet metal. A clinching spacer as described in [2][1], wherein the screw is a countersunk screw, and the receiving recess is a countersunk portion into which the head of the countersunk screw abuts and sinks. A clinching spacer as described in [3][1], wherein the receiving recess is a counterbore portion composed of a cylindrical recess including the bottom surface. A clinching spacer as described in any one of [4][1] to [3], wherein the clinching portion has a polygonal outer shape to prevent rotation of the sheet metal. A clinching spacer as described in [5][4], wherein the polygonal shape is hexagonal. The clinching portion may have any shape that provides press-fit fixation and prevents rotation (prevention of coming loose), and may include, for example, a knurled shape, an annular groove shape, a ribbed shape, or a shape with a polygonal outer shape (for example, a hexagonal shape). [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, a recess for accommodating the screw head is formed in the clinching spacer which is press-fitted and fixed to the sheet metal. This eliminates the need to perform countersinking or counterboring on the sheet metal each time, thereby reducing processing time and improving the reproducibility of the work.

[0010] If the receiving recess is a countersunk portion, the head of the countersunk screw can be housed in the countersunk portion to create a flush surface, making it easier to achieve a flat appearance.

[0011] If the receiving recess is a counterbore, the head of a low-profile screw or small-diameter screw can be accommodated in the counterbore, allowing fastening to be performed without interference from the screw head even with thin sheet metal such as 2mm or 3mm thick, thus expanding the range of application to thin sheet metal.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the present invention, by including a form in which the outer shape of the clinching part is polygonal (for example, hexagonal), it becomes easier to ensure an anti-rotation effect on the sheet metal, and the co-rotation of the spacer during screw fastening can be suppressed, thereby improving workability. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This figure shows one embodiment of a clinching spacer that has an integrated countersunk portion for housing the head of a countersunk screw and is press-fitted and fixed to sheet metal. [Figure 2] This figure shows one embodiment of a clinching spacer that has an integrated counterbore for housing a screw head and is press-fitted and fixed to sheet metal. [Figure 3] This figure shows a clinching spacer, which is an alternative form of the clinching section, with a polygonal outer shape (e.g., hexagonal). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0015] ·Description of Claim 1 Referring to FIG. 1, an embodiment of the clinching spacer according to claim 1 will be described. The clinching spacer A1 shown in FIG. 1 is a cylindrical spacer body fixed by press-fitting into a mounting hole formed in a sheet metal, and has a cylindrical body portion. When the clinching spacer A1 is fixed to the sheet metal, a part of the cylindrical body portion protrudes from one side of the sheet metal.

[0016] On the outer periphery of the cylindrical body portion of the spacer A1, a clinching portion A for press-fitting and fixing to the sheet metal is formed.

[0017] A through hole B extending in the axial direction is formed in the spacer A1, and a female thread is not formed on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole B.

[0018] At one end side of the through hole B, a countersink portion is integrally formed where the head of a countersunk screw corresponding to a predetermined screw diameter abuts and sinks. The countersink portion includes an outer diameter C that defines the accommodation of the countersunk screw head and an inclined surface D that constitutes the countersink surface.

[0019] Thereby, when inserting the countersunk screw into the through hole B and fastening it to a screw hole or nut of a fastening target member arranged on the opposite side of the sheet metal, without performing a countersinking process on the sheet metal side, it becomes possible to fasten while accommodating the countersunk screw head in the countersink portion on the spacer A1 side and making it flush.

[0020] ·Description of claim 2 Referring to FIG. 2, an embodiment of the clinching spacer according to claim 2 will be described. The clinching spacer A2 shown in FIG. 2 is a cylindrical spacer body fixed by press-fitting into a mounting hole formed in a sheet metal, and has a cylindrical body portion. When the clinching spacer A2 is fixed to the sheet metal, a part of the cylindrical body portion protrudes from one side of the sheet metal.

[0021] On the outer periphery of the cylindrical body portion of the spacer A2, a clinching portion E for press-fitting and fixing to the sheet metal is formed.

[0022] Spacer A2 has a through hole F that extends in the axial direction, and no internal threads are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the through hole F.

[0023] A counterbore is integrally formed at one end of the through-hole F, capable of accommodating a screw head corresponding to a predetermined screw diameter and the outer diameter of the screw head. The counterbore consists of a cylindrical recess including the bottom surface. The cylindrical recess is defined by the outer diameter G of the counterbore and is shown as the counterbore shape H in side view. The through-hole in side view is shown as I.

[0024] As a result, when inserting a screw through the through hole F and fastening it to the screw hole or nut of the fastening target member located on the opposite side of the sheet metal, it becomes possible to fasten the screw while avoiding interference by housing the screw head of a low-profile screw or small-diameter screw in the counterbore on the spacer A2 side, without having to perform counterboring on the sheet metal side.

[0025] · Description of Claim 3 Referring to Figure 3, another embodiment of the clinching spacer according to claim 3 will be described. The clinching spacer A3 shown in Figure 3 is a cylindrical spacer body that is fixed by press-fitting into a mounting hole formed in a sheet metal, similar to the clinching spacer shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2, and comprises a cylindrical body and a through hole extending in the axial direction.

[0026] In the embodiment according to claim 3, the outer shape of the clinching portion formed on the outer circumference of the cylindrical body is polygonal in order to prevent rotation of the sheet metal. For example, as shown in Figure 3, by having polygonal ridges on the outer circumference of the clinching portion, a rotation-preventing effect on the sheet metal can be obtained when press-fitting and fixing, and the rotation of the spacer when fastening screws can be suppressed.

[0027] Explanation of Claim 4 In the embodiment according to claim 4, the polygonal shape is hexagonal. This makes it easier to more concretely ensure the anti-rotation effect and improves workability when fastening screws. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0028] A1 Clinching Spacer A. Clinching section (press-fit fixing section, anti-rotation / anti-loosening section) B. Through hole (a hole through which a countersunk screw passes) C Countersunk screw outer diameter D: Inclined surface representing the disc-kneading area A2 Clinching Spacer E. Clinching section (press-fit fixing section, anti-rotation / anti-loosening section) F Through hole (a hole through which a screw passes) G Counterbore outer diameter H Counterbore section (side shape) I Penetration (side view) A3 Clinching Spacer (Alternate Form)

Claims

1. A clinching spacer that is fixed by press-fitting into a mounting hole formed in sheet metal, It comprises a cylindrical body, a through hole extending in the axial direction of the cylindrical body, and a clinching portion formed on the outer circumference of the cylindrical body for press-fitting and fixing to the sheet metal, No internal threads are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the through hole. One end of the through hole is integrally provided with a recess capable of accommodating the head of a screw, A clinching spacer that allows the screw to pass through the through hole and be fastened to a screw hole or nut of a fastening target member located on the opposite side of the sheet metal.

2. A clinching spacer according to claim 1, The aforementioned screw is a countersunk screw. The aforementioned recess is a countersunk portion into which the head of the countersunk screw abuts and sinks, and is a clinching spacer.

3. A clinching spacer according to claim 1, The clinching spacer is a counterbore portion in which the receiving recess is a cylindrical recess including the bottom surface.

4. A clinching spacer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The clinching portion is a clinching spacer with a polygonal outer shape to prevent rotation of the sheet metal.

5. A clinching spacer according to claim 4, The aforementioned polygonal shape is hexagonal, a clinching spacer.

Images