Supports – Brackets – Specially mounted or attached
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-17
2001-02-27
Chin-Shue, Alvin (Department: 3634)
Supports
Brackets
Specially mounted or attached
C248S222120
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193198
ABSTRACT:
PRIORITY CLAIM
This application is based on and claims the priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of German Patent Application 198 42 591.0, filed on Sep. 17, 1998, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method for securing an assembly with at least one securing bolt pre-installed therein, on a support or carrier having a suitable opening for receiving the bolt. The invention also relates to a safety cap and an arrangement of a safety cap on a securing bolt.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
It is generally known in the art that an assembly can be mounted and secured on a support by partially and loosely pre-installing securing bolts in the assembly, and then inserting and locking the heads of the securing bolts into keyhole-shaped openings provided in the support. For example, German Utility Model 297 14 824 discloses an arrangement in which at least one securing bolt is pre-installed in an assembly or component, while a respective receiving opening is provided in the support for receiving the head of each securing bolt. The opening has a keyhole shape, particularly including a first opening portion that is so dimensioned that the head of the securing bolt can pass therethrough, and a smaller elongate opening portion that is wide enough to receive the shaft of the bolt without allowing the head of the bolt to pass therethrough. Thus, the head of the bolt reaches and extends behind the rim of the assembly surrounding the smaller elongate opening portion.
To secure the assembly on the support according to the above mentioned reference, the head of each securing bolt is inserted through the larger first portion of the corresponding opening, and then the assembly is laterally shifted relative to the support so that the shaft of each securing bolt slides into the smaller elongate portion of the opening. Each securing bolt has a respective tool engagement configuration on the head thereof and also on the free shaft end thereof. The tool engagement configuration on one end of the securing bolt allows the securing bolt to be pre-installed in the assembly, and the other tool engagement configuration on the other end of the bolt allows the bolt to be tightened once it has been engaged in the narrower elongate portion of the opening.
While the above described conventional arrangements using a pre-installed securing bolt to be slidingly engaged in a keyhole-shaped opening are convenient for mounting an assembly onto a support, such arrangements all suffer a serious disadvantage, especially when the final tightening of the securing bolt is to be carried out under “blind” conditions, i.e. where the bolt head engaging the keyhole-shaped opening is not visible. Problems arise because the pre-installed securing bolt can be turned tight at any time and at any location, regardless whether or not the bolt is properly positioned relative to the keyhole-shaped opening and the assembly is properly positioned relative to the support.
Under the above-mentioned “blind” conditions, a tool such as a wrench or rachet, and particularly a pneumatic or electric power wrench, can be engaged with the bolt and can tighten the bolt even if the bolt is only partially engaged (or not at all engaged) in the narrower elongate portion of the keyhole-shaped opening. If the securing bolt is tightened in such a position, then the assembly will not be reliably secured to the support, because an inadequate contact surface will be established between the bolt head and the support. Such an improper tightened position of the bolt often cannot be recognized in the above mentioned “blind” conditions, for example when the assembly or installation is taking place in an inaccessible or covered location of a larger piece of equipment, or on a component travelling along a conveyor belt or assembly line. As a result, an improper and failure-prone mounting of the assembly on the support can easily occur and remain undetected during the manufacturing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above it is an object of the invention to provide a method and an arrangement of components, which can ensure the proper and reliable mounting and securing of an assembly on a support. Particularly, it is an object of the invention to ensure that a securing bolt can only be tightened once it has been moved into a proper position and properly engaged relative to a keyhole-shaped opening provided in the support. The invention further aims to avoid or overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, and to achieve additional advantages, as apparent from the present specification.
The above objects have been achieved in an arrangement or combination of elements according to the invention, including: an assembly (which may be any single component or pre-assembled group of components, such as electronic components, electrical components, mechanical components, hydraulic components, etc.); a securing bolt pre-installed in the assembly; a support (which may be any supporting component on which the assembly is to be mounted) having a securing hole or opening provided therein; and a safety cap for the securing bolt. More particularly, the securing bolt includes a bolt head, a bolt shaft, and at least one tool engagement configuration such as a hex head, a Torx head, a hex socket, a Torx socket, a slotted or Phillips screwdriver head, or the like. The opening in the support has a keyhole-shape including a first larger portion through which the bolt head can be inserted, and a second narrower elongate portion extending from the first portion and having a width that is large enough to receive the bolt shaft therein, but small enough to prevent the bolt head from passing therethrough. The safety cap is initially arranged on the pre-installed securing bolt so that it covers at least the tool engagement configuration of the bolt. The safety cap is so configured that it can be inserted into the first portion of the opening together with the bolt on which it is arranged, and then when the assembly is moved relative to the support so that the bolt shaft moves into the second narrower elongate portion of the opening, the safety cap releases from and exposes the tool engagement configuration of the bolt. Especially, it is preferred that the safety cap will only release and expose the tool engagement configuration once the shaft has been completely moved to the end of the narrower elongate portion of the keyhole-shaped opening.
The above objects have further been achieved in a method according to the invention wherein the safety cap is initially arranged on the securing bolt so as to cover at least the tool engagement configuration of the bolt. Then the securing bolt, together with the safety cap arranged thereon, is inserted into the first larger portion of the opening provided in the support. Next, the assembly is moved relative to the support so that the shaft of the bolt moves into the second narrower portion of the opening. The transition or junction between the larger first portion of opening and the narrower second portion of the opening thereby acts as a stop for the safety cap. In other words, the safety cap contacts a stop rim of the support at the area where the narrower portion of the opening joins the larger portion of the opening, and thereby the safety cap is pushed off of the securing bolt as the securing bolt is moved into the narrower portion of the opening. At this time, the safety cap releases from the securing bolt and exposes the tool engagement configuration thereof. In this manner it is ensured that a tool such as a wrench or ratchet or the like can be engaged on the tool engagement configuration of the bolt so as to tighten the bolt only after the bolt has surely been moved into the proper position relative to the keyhole-shaped opening.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2029089 (1936-01-01), Weirauch
patent: 3559940 (1971-02-01), Kruzell
patent: 4012686 (1977-03-01), Heine
patent: 4266386 (1981-05-01), Bains
patent: 5143331 (1992-09-01), Robert
patent: 5360303 (1994-11-01), Ellmers et al.
patent: 422
Baur Richard
Woerle Engelbert
Chin-Shue Alvin
Daimler-Chrysler AG
Fasse W. F.
Fasse W. G.
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