FR2853027A1 - DEVICE FOR THE LEBERABLE FIXING OF TWO PARTS OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, VEHICLE PART COMPRISING A PART OF SUCH A DEVICE, AND USE OF SUCH A DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

This device comprises a first and a second complementary members respectively secured to one of the two parts to be assembled. One (12) of said members is provided with a magnetic part (41), so that it can pass from a position of engagement with the other member (11), to a released position under the effect of a magnetic field applying to said magnetic part (41). The invention also relates to a part of a motor vehicle comprising a part of such a fixing device, as well as the use of such a device for assembling two parts of a vehicle.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for

  releasable attachment of two parts of a motor vehicle, comprising a first and a second complementary member respectively secured to one of the two parts to be assembled.

  There are many types of fasteners commonly used in the automotive industry, including screw / nut assemblies, rivets, plastic or metal force clips, etc.

  Among these known fixing devices, some can only be released on condition of their destruction, at least partially. Others suffer significant damage after one or more assembly / disassembly cycles.

  In addition, the fixing devices known in the automobile industry cannot be easily and completely concealed by one of the parts to be assembled.

  For example, the fixing of a door panel to a vehicle door 20 is commonly carried out by a series of screws, the head of which is made accessible for dismantling the panel. Thus, the appearance surface of the panel, visible from inside the passenger compartment, has an altered aesthetic due, for example, to the presence of access chimneys to the screw heads, or of removable covers.

  The object of the invention is to provide a fixing device which can undergo numerous assembly / disassembly cycles without damaging the device itself or the parts assembled by this means, and which can be easily concealed.

  To this end, in a fixing device according to the invention, the second member is provided with a magnetic part, so that it can pass from a position of engagement with the first member, to a position released under the effect of a magnetic field applied to said magnetic part.

  Thanks to such a device, the disassembly of certain parts of the vehicle is made easier, with a view to their repair or replacement. In particular, certain parts of aspects of the vehicle can be easily replaced by the user of the vehicle, at will, without risk of damage.

  From the manufacturer's point of view, the invention makes it possible to design vehicles which can be easily and quickly personalized.

  According to optional features of the invention, taken in isolation or in any technically possible combination: - the first member is a male member which comprises a rod of generally cylindrical shape, having at least one axial stop notch, while the second organ is a female organ which comprises: * a sleeve in which the rod can engage axially, a stop member in translation of the rod, having a magnetic part and a tooth complementary to the notch, and mounted movably in the sleeve between at least one position engaged on the rod and a released position, and 25. a return member in the engaged position of the stop member; the stop member is slidably mounted axially in the socket under the effect of a magnetic field applying to the magnetic part, the stop member and the socket being designed so that an axial slide relative of the stop member in one direction causes a radial clearance of the tooth out of the notch, and that a relative axial sliding of the stop member in an opposite direction causes a radial engagement of the tooth in the notch ; the bushing has a frustoconical inner wall flared towards the side opposite to an opening for receiving the rod, the stop member is formed like a hollow sleeve split axially, having on the side of said receiving opening a frustoconical external shape corresponding to the frustoconical inner wall of the sleeve, and said sleeve thus defines jaws which can move apart or tighten radially depending on its axial position; - The magnetic part is a ring of magnetic material located at one end of the stop member opposite the receiving side of the male member; and - the return member is an axial spring interposed between the bush and the stop member, and urging the latter to bear against the frustoconical inner wall of the bush.

  The invention also relates to a motor vehicle part comprising a housing in which the second member of such a device is mounted, said housing having an opening allowing the coupling of said second member with a first complementary member of such a device.

  Such a part may consist of a component of the engine block or of the front block, or of a cabin trim wall, such as a door panel or a dashboard cover part.

  Preferably, the housing is formed on the side opposite to the appearance face of said wall, and the magnetic part 30 of the second member is arranged inside the housing, near said appearance face.

  The invention finally relates to the use of a device as described above for assembling two parts of a motor vehicle, in particular so that one of these parts can be disassembled to be repaired or replaced.

  A particular embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view of a device according to the invention, in the fixing position, and of a part of the two parts assembled by this device; and - Figure 2 is a similar view in the released position of the device.

  In Figure 1, there is shown a part of a first part 1, a part of a second part 3, and a fixing device 5 according to the invention, ensuring a releasable fixing of the second part 3 on the first room 1.

  By way of example, the first part 1 can be a structural part such as a spar or a body part, and the second part 3 can be a wall 20 for covering the passenger compartment. More specifically, the second part 3 could be a door panel or a part of the dashboard cover.

  In the example shown, the second part 3 is a wall, one face 7 of which faces the interior of the passenger compartment, thereby constituting an appearance face.

  On the side opposite to the aspect face 7, the wall 3 has a housing 9.

  The fixing device 5 comprises a male member 11 integral with the first part 1, projecting from the latter, and a female member 12 complementary to the male member 11, and arranged in the housing 9.

  The male member 11 is a cylindrical ringed rod having an axis X, and a plurality of peripheral grooves 15 offset axially.

  The female member 12 essentially comprises a socket 21 forming a housing, fixed inside the housing 9, a stop member 23 movably mounted inside the socket 21, and intended to cooperate with the corrugated rod 11, 5 a closure plate 25 of the sleeve 21, integral with the latter, and an axial spring 27 interposed between the stop member 23 and the closure plate 25.

  The sleeve 21 has a frustoconical part 31 converging on the side of an opening 33 for introducing the rod 11, and partially projecting from the housing 9, through an opening 35 of the latter.

  The sleeve 21, on the side opposite the opening 33, is partially closed by the closure plate 25.

  The stop member 23 is a hollow sleeve mounted coaxially in the sleeve 21 and through the closure plate 25. The spring 27 is also threaded coaxially around the sleeve 23.

  The sleeve 23 has an axial bore 39 complementary to the corrugated rod 11. The end of the sleeve 23 located on the side opposite to the opening 33, and which projects out of the sleeve 21 through the plate 25, is provided a coaxial washer 41, made of magnetic material. This washer 41, which is for example crimped, extends in a part of the housing 9 located between the closure plate 25 and the appearance face 7.

  On the side of the opening 33, the sleeve 23 has a section 43 of frustoconical external shape complementary to the frustoconical internal wall 31 of the sleeve 21. This frustoconical section 43 forms a shoulder 45 turned towards the plate 25. The axial spring 27 is supported on the one hand on the shoulder 45, and on the other hand on the closure plate 25.

  Because the sleeve 23 is split axially over its entire length, in the example shown, it forms two symmetrical jaws 57A, 57B, connected together by the magnetic washer 41. Each of the jaws 57A, 57B is formed with a tooth 59A , 59B respective in radial projection in the bore 39. Each of the teeth 59A, 59E is of shape 5 complementary to the grooves 15 of the rod 11, so as to be able to engage in said grooves when the rod is inserted into the sleeve 23.

  Finally, it should be noted that the axial spring 27 is designed to urge the socket 23 so that its frustoconical section 43 rests on the frustoconical wall 31 of the socket 21.

  The operation of the fixing device which has just been described will now be explained with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

  Figure 1 illustrates the assembled configuration of parts 1, 3 by device 5.

  To achieve this configuration, from the configuration in which the two parts 1, 3 are separated, the two parts 1, 3 are moved relative to each other so as to insert the rod there in the female member 12, first through the opening 33, then inside the bore 39 of the sleeve 23.

  The free end of the rod 11, which is preferably of frustoconical shape, then comes to bear on the teeth 59A, 25 59E.

  The sleeve 23 is therefore pushed back towards the bottom of the housing 9, against the effect of the axial spring 27. The jaws 57A, 57B, while being released from the frustoconical wall 31 of the sleeve 21, can then move away radially, also under the effect of the thrust of the rod 11 on the teeth 59A, 59B.

  The insertion of the rod il into the bore 39 can be continued until the teeth 59A, 59B fall into one of the grooves 15. When the thrust on the rod is interrupted, the axial spring 27 pushes the sleeve 23 supported by its frustoconical section 43 on the corresponding part 31 of the socket 21.

  The rod 11 can then no longer be extracted from the female member 12, so that the device 5 is in a locked position.

  Only an axial clearance in the direction of insertion is authorized by the device once locked, this clearance being of small amplitude and limited either by the stop of the shoulder 45 on the closure plate 25, or by the stop from the end of the sleeve 23 on the bottom of the housing 9.

  The unlocking of the fixing device 5 is illustrated in Figure 2.

  To unlock the device 5, the operator places on the appearance face 7 of the wall 3, for example from inside the passenger compartment, a magnet 60 so as to produce a mutual attraction (illustrated by axial arrows) of the element 60 and of the magnetic washer 41. Thus, the sleeve 23 moves axially towards the bottom of the housing 9, and the jaws 57A, 57B emerge from the frustoconical wall 31 of the sleeve 21. The teeth 59A, 59B can then be extracted from the grooves 15, by radial spacing of the jaw.

  It will be understood that the magnetic force of mutual attraction of the magnet 60 and of the magnetic washer 41 must be greater than the restoring force exerted on the sleeve 23, by the compression of the axial spring 27.

  In the configuration shown in Figure 2, the rod 11 is released from the jaws 57A, 57B, so that the parts 1, 3 can be detached from each other.

  It is understood that, when the rod 11 is entirely withdrawn from the female member 12, the sleeve 23, under the effect of the elastic return of the spring 27, returns to its initial rest position, in which the frustoconical section 43 is supported on the complementary wall 31 of the socket 21.

  The fixing device which has just been described is particularly advantageous for carrying out the fixing of an appearance part, as has just been described, because it can be released without contact and that, as a result, the device can be completely hidden.

  Another important advantage of such a device comes from the fact that its unlocking can be carried out without appreciable wear of the device, and in an extremely easy way.

  Such a device finds other advantageous applications than that of fixing an appearance wall.

  For example, such a fastening device is particularly suitable for engine block or front block components, which are liable to undergo several assembly and disassembly operations.

Claims (12)

  1. Releasable fastening device for two parts of a motor vehicle, comprising a first (11) and a second (12) complementary members secured respectively to one of the two parts (1, 3) to be assembled, characterized in that the second member (12) is provided with a magnetic part (41), so that it can pass from an engagement position with the first member (11), to a position released under the effect of a magnetic field 10 applying to said magnetic part (41).   2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first member (11) is a male member which comprises a rod of generally cylindrical shape, having at least one axial stop notch (15), while the second member (12) is a female member which comprises - a socket (21) in which the rod (11) can engage axially, - a member (23) for stopping the rod (11) in translation, having a magnetic part (41) and a tooth 20 (59A, 59B) complementary to the notch (15), and mounted movably in the sleeve (21) between at least one position engaged on the rod (11) and a released position, and - a member ( 27) return to the engaged position of the stop member (23).   3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the stop member (23) is slidably mounted axially in the socket (21) under the effect of a magnetic field applying to the magnetic part (41) , the stop member (23) and the sleeve (21) being designed so that a relative axial sliding of the stop member (23) in one direction causes radial disengagement of the tooth (59A, 59B) out of the notch (15), and that a relative axial sliding of the stop member (23) in an opposite direction causes a radial engagement of the tooth (59A, 59B) in the notch (15).   4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that - the sleeve (21) has an inner wall (31) tapered flared towards the side opposite to an opening (33) for receiving the rod (11); - the stop member (23) is formed like a hollow sleeve axially split, having on the side of said receiving opening (23) a frustoconical outer shape corresponding to the frustoconical inner wall (31) of the sleeve (21) ; and - said sleeve (23) thus defines jaws (57A, 57B) which can move apart or tighten radially as a function of its axial position.   5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the magnetic part (41) is a ring made of magnetic material situated at one end of the stop member (23) opposite to the receiving side of the male member ( 11).   6. Device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the return member (27) is an axial spring interposed between the sleeve (21) and the stop member (23), and urging the latter to bear against the frustoconical inner wall (31) of the sleeve (21).   7. Motor vehicle part characterized in that it comprises a housing (9) in which is mounted the second member (12) of a device (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, said housing (9 ) 30 having an opening (35) allowing the coupling of said second member (12) with a first complementary member (11).   8. Motor vehicle part according to claim 7, characterized in that it consists of a component of the engine block or of the front block.   9. Motor vehicle part according to claim 5, characterized in that it consists of a wall (3) for interior trim, such as a door panel or a dashboard cover part. .   10. Motor vehicle part according to claim 9, characterized in that the housing (9) is formed on the side opposite to the aspect face (7) of said wall (3), and the magnetic part (41) of the second member is arranged inside the housing (9), near said aspect face (7).   11. Use of a device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 for assembling two parts (1, 3) of a motor vehicle.   12. Use according to claim 11, in which a first (1) of said parts is a structural part, and the second part (3) is a component or a covering wall, so that said second part (3) can be disassembled to be repaired or replaced.