Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Structural detail
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-23
2001-07-31
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Structural detail
C296S192000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267435
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This application claims the priority of German application 198 59 802.5, filed in Germany on Dec. 23, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a holding arrangement for a mounted vehicle element on a supporting wall in the vehicle interior.
For example, a forward end wall, which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, is arranged in the interior of a vehicle, which forward end wall separates an engine compartment from an occupant compartment in the vehicle. Furthermore, a rearward end wall may be provided in the vehicle which also extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and separates the occupant compartment from a trunk. Within the scope of the production line assembly, various mounted elements are provided on the forward end wall which may consist of individual assemblies or of complex structural components. So that the fastening of these mounted elements can be carried out as fast as possible for this series-type assembly, holding arrangements of the initially mentioned type are used. A holding arrangement of this type has supporting-wall-side holding elements which are fastened to the supporting wall and interact with mounted-element-side holding elements provided on the mounted element.
A conventional supporting wall, as, for example, the forward end wall, has a complex three-dimensional structure or contour formed as a function of desired stiffness characteristics, defined space conditions and installation situations. The supporting-wall-side holding elements are correspondingly adapted to this three-dimensional contour and, within the scope of the construction of the body shell, are fastened to this supporting wall, particularly by means of welding. Therefore, for every mounted variant for which the relative position of the fastening points for the mounted element changes on the supporting wall, new supporting-wall-side holding elements must be produced. These new supporting-wall-side holding elements are again specifically adapted to the three-dimensional contour of the supporting wall in the area of the new fastening point. The same applies to a body-shell-side tolerance which is carried out by a corresponding new positioning of the supporting-wall-side holding elements. The expenditures required for this purpose rise even more in the case of larger mounted elements which are held at two points on the supporting wall.
The present invention relates to the problem of further developing a holding arrangement of the initially mentioned type such that a bodyshell-side adaptation to varying installation conditions can be carried out in a simpler manner.
According to the invention, this problem is solved by means of a holding arrangement for a mounted vehicle element on a three-dimensionally contoured supporting wall in a vehicle interior, said holding arrangement comprising: two folding elements which are fastened to the supporting wall in a mutually spaced manner, each holding element having a holding plate whose one side is constructed as a plane surface and on whose other side a cylindrical holding finger is fastened which extends perpendicularly to the plane surface, and two mutually spaced fastening zones constructed on the supporting wall for the fastening of the holding elements, which fastening zones each have a plane surface to which the respective holding element is fastened while resting on it with the plane surface of its holding plate, wherein the plane surface of the respective fastening zone is larger than the plane surface of the holding plate of the pertaining holding element, wherein the plane surfaces of the fastening zones extend in parallel to one another, and wherein, corresponding to the holding fingers, the mounted vehicle element has two cylindrical receiving devices into which the holding fingers can be introduced in their axial direction.
The invention is based on the general idea of equipping the holding elements with one holding plate respectively which, on the one side, has a plane surface and, on the other side, has a cylindrical holding finger which extends perpendicularly to this plane surface. On the supporting wall, fastening zones are constructed for each holding element, which each have a plane surface on which the plane surface of the assigned holding elements rests, which is smaller than that of the supporting wall, for fastening the holding element. In this manner, the relative position of the holding elements can be varied in two dimensions transversely to the axial direction of the holding finger. Furthermore, the contact surfaces of the supporting-wall are aligned in parallel to one another so that a fitting-on direction for the mounted element exists which extends in parallel to the axial directions of the holding fingers. In this case, the mounted-element-side holding elements are constructed in the form of cylindrical receiving devices so that a plug-type connection is formed which can be rapidly assembled as the result of the holding fingers. Because of the axial course of the holding fingers, a position compensation is possible along the holding fingers, that is, in a third dimension, so that, on the bodyshell-side, as the result of the holding arrangement according to the invention, a three-dimensional positioning capability of the holding points of the mounted element is obtained relative to the supporting wall.
In order to simplify the mounting of the mounted vehicle element, the holding fingers are equipped at their axial free end with a cone which tapers toward the end and in the process forms an inserting aid.
The receiving devices may have a simple construction at reasonable cost if they have a receiving socket which contains a cylindrical opening corresponding to the holding fingers. Such a socket can be mounted in a particularly simple manner on the mounted vehicle element. In addition, such a socket may have a sound-absorbing and vibration-damping design in order to uncouple or insulate the mounted vehicle element in this respect from the supporting wall.
Additional important characteristics and advantages of the holding arrangement according to the invention are contained in the claims, in the drawing and in the pertaining description of the figures by means of the drawing.
It is understood that the above-mentioned characteristics and those which will be explained in the following can not only be used in the respective indicated combination but also in different combinations and alone without leaving the scope of the present invention.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1976276 (1934-10-01), Aune
patent: 2048217 (1936-07-01), Peterson
patent: 2295146 (1942-09-01), Welch
patent: 2621830 (1952-12-01), Stow et al.
patent: 5676338 (1997-10-01), Wards et al.
patent: 4134436 (1992-04-01), None
patent: 4424288 (1996-01-01), None
patent: 2073678A (1981-10-01), None
Benz Eberhard
Zolke Oliver
Crowell & Moring , L.L.P.
Daimler-Chrysler AG
Pedder Dennis H.
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