Motor vehicles – Power – Radiators and condensers – mounting
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-17
2003-12-30
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Motor vehicles
Power
Radiators and condensers, mounting
C180S312000, C248S232000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06668956
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to fixing a cooling member such as a radiator or an air-air heat exchanger to a vehicle.
In a vehicle, the cooling member, e.g. the radiator, is often fixed to a support that can be referred to as an engine-compartment front facade. In such a conventional fixing system, bottom projections of the radiator are inserted into corresponding cavities in the facade. Thereafter top pegs on the radiator have fixing tabs engaged thereon, and the tabs are then fixed to the facade by means of respective screws. That fixing system suffers from the drawback of requiring access to the rear face of the facade in order to engage the tabs on the pegs, and to its front face in order to tighten the screws. Furthermore, it is difficult to achieve clamping without applying force, and while also ensuring that the radiator is accurately parallel to the facade, given that the tabs are not prevented from rotating relative to the radiator. That system thus requires a considerable amount of time for assembly, it suffers from major risks in terms of quality, and it gives rise to considerable
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a fixing system that accelerates the fixing of the cooling member on the facade while reducing the cost thereof and while improving the quality of the fixing.
To achieve this object, the invention provides a system for fixing a cooling member to a vehicle, the system comprising: a support having an orifice and a free edge; and a fixing piece presenting an orifice and a free edge; in which: the support presents a notch extending from its orifice to its free edge; and the fixing piece presents a notch extending from its orifice to its free edge; the fixing piece being suitable for being mounted to turn relative to the support when the orifices are coaxial.
In this way, since the fixing piece is received on the support with the two notches in correspondence, it suffices to insert the peg of the cooling member into the notches all the way to the orifice of the fixing piece, and then to turn the fixing piece in order to take the notches out of correspondence. At which point the peg is held captive in the orifice of the fixing piece. The peg is thus fixed in a manner that is simple and fast. Assembly does not require a high level of force on the part and does not disturb parallelism. The cost of the fixing system is reduced.
Advantageously, the fixing piece has a groove suitable for receiving an edge of the orifice of the support.
Advantageously, the fixing piece is suitable for being received in the orifice of the support by snap-fastening in a direction parallel to an axis of said orifice.
The fixing piece is thus simple to mount onto the support.
Advantageously, the fixing piece has at least one tab for turning the piece when mounted on the support.
Advantageously, the support presents at least one second notch for passing the tab.
The fixing piece can thus be clipped without needing to pass the tabs into the main notch. For example, the notch for passing the tab can be placed in such a manner that the fixing piece is clipped directly with the two main notches in correspondence.
Advantageously, the fixing piece has an inside face formed by an element made of a material for damping mechanical vibration.
This reduces the transmission of mechanical vibration between the support and the cooling element.
Advantageously, the fixing piece comprises a body to which the damping element is fixed.
The fixing piece can thus be made out of two materials, by being molded together or by molding one on the other, for example.
Advantageously, the fixing piece is a ring.
The invention also provides a vehicle subassembly comprising a system of the invention.
Advantageously, the subassembly includes a facade forming the support.
Advantageously, the facade is made of a fiber-reinforced plastics material.
Advantageously, the subassembly includes a cooling member presenting a peg suitable for being received in the orifice of the fixing piece mounted on the support through the notches.
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Brogly Sébastien
Pelage Lucien
Brooks & Kushman P.C.
Campbell Kelly E
Peguform France
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