FR3139044A1 - MULTI-PIECE EQUIPMENT SUPPORT DEVICE FOR A SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

A support device (DS) is secured to a wall of a system and comprises: - a support part (PS2) secured to the wall and comprising a reception zone (Z1), partially delimited by at least three protuberances ( PR1-PR5) and suitable for receiving equipment (ED) between the latter, and an anchoring zone (Z2), located on a first side of this reception zone (Z1) devoid of protuberance, and - a piece of support (PM) removably secured to this support piece (PS2) in the anchoring zone (Z2) and comprising at least one retaining tab (PC1) participating in the delimitation of the reception zone (Z1) and equipment support and maintenance (ED). Figure 2

Description

MULTI-PIECE EQUIPMENT SUPPORT DEVICE FOR A SYSTEM Technical field of the invention

The invention relates to support devices which are intended to be fixedly attached to system walls and to support equipment.

State of the art

Certain systems, such as for example certain vehicles (possibly of the automobile type), comprise at least one wall on which at least one support device supporting and maintaining equipment must be fixedly attached.

Some of these support devices include a single piece made by molding, generally in plastic material, and suitable for being secured to a wall of a system, generally by screwing, but this can be by clipping. This single part includes a reception area delimited by protuberances which, for at least two of them (located on two opposite sides) define clipping tabs, and accommodating equipment which is held by these clipping tabs. For example, the equipment can be an electronic box. Also by way of example, in a motor vehicle the wall can be part of a front pillar (or foot) of the structure.

In some of the aforementioned systems, the single part of the support device is fixedly secured to the wall concerned at a time when the latter is easily accessible, then the equipment concerned is secured by clipping to this part before continuing their assembly on an assembly (or assembly) line. It may then happen that other equipment finds itself located in the immediate vicinity of the equipment supported by the, and secured to the, support device, and therefore prevents the subsequent separation of this equipment from its support device with a view to its replacement. . Likewise, if you have accidentally forgotten to secure the equipment to the support device, once the other equipment has been installed in the immediate vicinity of this support device it turns out to be impossible to carry out this securing.

When it is absolutely necessary to replace the equipment, or to attach equipment to its support device, we are forced to dismantle one or more other pieces of equipment located in an environment more or less close to this support device. For example, when the support device is secured to a front pillar (or leg) of the structure of a motor vehicle, we may be forced to completely dismantle the dashboard. It will be understood that this dismantling of equipment(s) can be time-consuming and therefore expensive. In addition, this disassembly and/or assembly of equipment(s) can sometimes degrade the quality of the system, for example because certain clearances and/or certain flushes are no longer controlled and/or this can then cause noise. parasites. It should be noted that this degradation of quality may in particular result from the fact that certain tools used in an after-sales service to assemble/disassemble equipment may be very different from those used on an assembly (or assembly) line with an arm. manipulator of a robot.

The invention therefore aims in particular to improve the situation.

Presentation of the invention

In particular, it offers for this purpose a support device capable of being secured to a wall of a system and of supporting equipment.

This support device is characterized by the fact that it includes:

- a support part suitable for being secured to the wall and comprising a reception zone, partially delimited by at least three protuberances and suitable for receiving the equipment between the latter, and an anchoring zone, located on a first side of this reception area devoid of protuberance, and

- a retaining part removably secured to this support part in the anchoring zone and comprising at least one retaining tab participating in the delimitation of the reception zone and in the support and maintenance of the equipment.

Thus, we avoid having to dismantle one or more pieces of equipment installed in the environment more or less close to the support device when it is absolutely necessary to replace the associated equipment or to secure the equipment associated with the support device when we have forgot to clip it beforehand.

The support device according to the invention may include other characteristics which can be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:

- its holding part can be secured by screwing to its support part;

- at least one of the protuberances can be located on a second side of the reception area, opposite its first side, and can constitute a clipping tab helping to hold the equipment;

- its holding part may include two holding tabs;

- its support piece may have a reduced thickness in at least part of the anchoring zone, in order to define a recess for positioning and wedging of the holding piece;

- its support part may include an opening in the anchoring zone. In this case, its holding part may comprise at least one first wedging tab passing through this opening and extending facing a rear face of the support part, located opposite a front face where is defined the reception area;

- in the presence of the last option, its holding part may include a second wedging tab extending opposite the front face of the support part;

- in the presence of the last sub-option, its support piece can have a reduced thickness in part of the reception zone, located in the extension of the anchoring zone, in order to define a recess for positioning and wedging of the second blocking tab.

The invention also proposes a system comprising at least one wall on which at least one support device of the type presented above is fixedly attached.

For example, this system can constitute a vehicle, possibly of the automobile type. In this case, the wall can, for example, be part of a front pillar (or leg) of the vehicle structure.

Brief description of the figures

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examination of the detailed description below, and the appended drawings (obtained in CAD/CAD (“Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Drawing”)), on which :

schematically illustrates, in a perspective view, a small part of an example of a vehicle structure comprising a front leg having a wall on which is fixedly secured an example of embodiment of a support device according to the invention, supporting and maintaining an electronic box,

schematically illustrates, in a front view, the support device of Figures 1 and 2, before attachment to the front foot but once the electronic box has been clipped,

schematically illustrates, in a perspective view from the side of the front face, the support device of Figures 1 and 2, before clipping the electronic box,

schematically illustrates, in a perspective view from the side of the rear face, the support device of the , before clipping the electronic box,

schematically illustrates, in a perspective view from the side of the front face, the support part of the support device of Figures 1 and 2, before the joining of the holding part,

schematically illustrates, in a perspective view, the holding part of the support device of Figures 1 and 2, before its attachment to the support part, and

schematically illustrates, in four side views, respectively four successive steps (going from left to right) making it possible to separate the electronic box from the support device of Figures 1 and 2.

Detailed description of the invention

The invention aims in particular to propose a support device DS intended to be secured to a wall PS1 of a system S, and allowing the detachment of equipment previously clipped to it in a cluttered environment.

In what follows, we consider, by way of non-limiting example, that the system S is an automobile type vehicle. But the invention is not limited to this type of system. It concerns in fact any system comprising at least one wall to which at least one support device capable of supporting and maintaining equipment can be fixedly attached. Consequently, it concerns at least vehicles (land, sea (or river), or air), installations (possibly industrial), devices (possibly general public), and buildings.

We have schematically illustrated on the , a small part of an example of a system S (here a vehicle) comprising a wall PS1 on which is fixedly secured an exemplary embodiment of a support device DS according to the invention, supporting and maintaining equipment ED.

It will be noted that in the example illustrated non-limitingly on the , the vehicle S comprises a structure comprising a front pillar (or foot) comprising the wall PS1 equipped with the support device DS with its equipment ED. But the wall PS1 could be located in many other parts of the vehicle S.

It will also be noted that in the example illustrated non-limitingly on the , the ED equipment, which is secured by clipping to the DS support device, is an electronic box. But numerous other ED equipment can be secured by clipping to a DS support device according to the invention.

As illustrated at least partially in Figures 1 to 4 and 7, a support device DS, according to the invention, comprises a support part PS2 and a holding part PM. It is therefore multi-piece.

The support part PS2 is suitable for being secured to the wall PS1, and includes a reception zone Z1 and an anchoring zone Z2.

This PS2 support part can, for example, be made by molding a plastic or synthetic material.

Furthermore, and as illustrated without limitation on the , this support part PS2 can be secured to the wall PS1 by screwing. In the example illustrated, the support part PS2 comprises two through holes T1 and T2 intended to be respectively crossed by two screws V1 and V2 whose threads cooperate with two internal threads defined in the wall PS1 or in two nuts associated with the wall PS1. But the support part PS2 could be secured to the wall PS1 by clipping or by screwing and clipping.

The reception zone Z1 is partially delimited by at least three protuberances PRj which are defined on a front face FV of the support part PS2, and is suitable for receiving equipment ED (here an electronic box) between these protuberances PRj.

The anchoring zone Z2 is located on a first side of the reception zone Z1 which is devoid of protuberance PRj (and is part of this reception zone Z1). The equipment ED being here intended to be installed substantially vertically on the wall PS, the first side of the reception zone Z1 is its lower side. But this is not obligatory, because it depends on the direction and direction in which we want to be able to separate the ED equipment from the PS2 support part, as we will see later with reference to the .

The retaining part PM is removably secured to the support part PS2 in the anchoring zone Z2.

As illustrated without limitation on the , this PM holding part can be removably attached to the PS2 support part by screwing. In this case, and as illustrated, the holding part PM comprises at least one through hole T3 intended to be crossed by a screw V3 whose thread cooperates with an internal thread defined in the support part PS2 or in a nut associated with the PS2 support part. But the PM holding part could be secured to the PS2 support part by clipping or by screwing and clipping.

It will be noted that this removably joined can be done before or after the support part PS2 is joined to the wall PS1.

The holding part PM comprises at least one holding tab PC1 which contributes to the delimitation of the reception zone Z1 and to the support and maintenance of the equipment ED.

Note that the clipping of the ED equipment to the DS support device can be done before or after securing the DS support device to the PS1 wall.

Thanks to the removability of the PM holding part, we can now easily separate the ED equipment from the DS support device, even when the environment of the latter (DS) is cluttered. Indeed, and as illustrated on the , this separation can be done in four steps illustrated respectively from left to right. In the first step (leftmost of the ), we start by unscrewing the screw V3 which secures the holding part PM to the support part PS2. In the second step, we move the holding part PM away from the support part PS2, here by pulling it downwards (possibly after a manipulation which we will discuss later), in order to be able to free access to the equipment ED . In the third step, the equipment ED is rotated slightly in order to unclip it from each possible clipping tab PR1, PR2 described below and begin to bring it out of the reception zone Z1. In the fourth step, we move the ED equipment away from the support part PS2, here by pulling it downwards.

This is particularly advantageous because it avoids having to dismantle one or more other pieces of equipment installed in the environment more or less close to the DS support device when it is absolutely necessary to replace the ED equipment or to secure the equipment ED to the DS support device when you have previously forgotten to clip it. This results in a significant reduction in the time required to replace or install ED equipment, and therefore a significant reduction in replacement or installation costs. In addition, this makes it possible to avoid a degradation in the quality of the system S, because the initial clearances and/or the initial flushes are unchanged. Furthermore, when the holding part PM is secured to the support part PS2, the support device DS behaves exactly as if it were in one piece.

For example, and as illustrated without limitation in Figures 1 to 5 and 7, at least one of the protuberances PRj can be located on a second side of the reception zone Z1 which is opposite the first aforementioned side of the latter ( Z1), and can constitute a clipping tab which helps maintain (by clipping) the ED equipment. The second side here is the upper side of the Z1 reception area, since the first side is the lower side. But this is not obligatory, as explained above.

In the example illustrated non-limitatively and at least partially in Figures 1 to 5 and 7, the support part PS2 comprises on the second side of the reception zone Z1 two protuberances PR1 (j = 1) and PR2 (j = 2) respectively constituting two clipping tabs. But only one of the protuberances PRj could constitute a clipping tab.

It will also be noted that in the example illustrated non-limitatively and at least partially in Figures 1 to 5 and 7, the reception zone Z1 is substantially rectangular and delimited by three other protuberances PR3 to PR5 (j = 3 to 5). The third protuberance PR3 is here defined on the front face FV of the support piece PS2 on a third side of the reception zone Z1, perpendicular to the first and second sides of the latter (Z1). The fourth PR4 and fifth PR5 protuberances are here defined on the front face FV of the support piece PS2 on a fourth side of the reception zone Z1, opposite the third side of the latter (Z1). This helps prevent the ED equipment from moving sideways. But the number of protuberances PRj ensuring the wedging of the equipment ED can take any value greater than or equal to two.

Also for example, and as illustrated without limitation in Figures 1 to 5 and 7, the holding part PM can comprise two holding tabs PC1. This makes it possible to strengthen the retention of the equipment ED in the reception zone Z1 once the holding piece PM has been moved away from the support piece PS2 (in the second step described above). But the number of retaining tabs PC1 participating in maintaining the ED equipment can take any value greater than or equal to one.

Also for example, and as illustrated non-limitingly on the , the support part PS2 may have a thickness which is reduced on its front face FV in at least part of the anchoring zone Z2. This makes it possible to define a first recess R1 for positioning and wedging the holding part PM. This “anti-rotation” arrangement is particularly useful when securing the holding part PM to the support part PS2 by means of a single screw V3. In the absence of such a first recess R1, it is preferable to provide two through holes T3 in the holding part PM to allow its attachment to the support part PS2 by means of two screws V3, so as to prevent it to turn.

Also for example, and as illustrated non-limitingly on the , the support part PS2 may include an opening OV in the anchoring zone Z2. In this case, the holding part PM can comprise at least a first wedging tab PC2 which passes through this opening OV and extends facing the rear face FR of the support part PS2 (located opposite its face before FV where the reception zone Z1 is defined). This allows, when assembling the support device DS, to pre-maintain and wedge the holding part PM in relation to the support part PS2 while waiting for the screw V3 to be screwed in. Likewise, when unscrewing the V3 screw, this allows the retaining part PM to be held and partially wedged in relation to the support part PS2 while waiting for it to move away after removal of the screw V3.

Note that in the example illustrated non-limitingly and at least partially in Figures 4, 6 and 7, the holding part PM comprises two first wedging tabs PC2. This makes it possible to reinforce the pre-retaining and wedging of the holding part PM in relation to the support part PS2 while waiting for the screw V3 to be screwed in, but also to partially hold and wedging the retaining part PM in relation to the PS2 support part after removing the V3 screw. But the number of first blocking lugs PC2 can take any value greater than or equal to one.

Also for example, and as illustrated without limitation in Figures 3 and 6, the holding part PM can comprise a second wedging tab PC3 which extends opposite the front face FV of the support part PS2. This also makes it possible to reinforce the pre-retaining and wedging of the retaining part PM in relation to the support part PS2 while waiting for the screw V3 to be screwed in, but also to partially maintain and wed the retaining part PM in relation to the support part PS2. to the PS2 support part after removing the V3 screw. In fact, the support part PS2 finds itself sandwiched between the second wedging tab PC3 and the first wedging tab(s) PC2. Note that instead of having two first wedging lugs PC2 and a second wedging lug PC3, we could have a first wedging lug PC2 and two second wedging lugs PC3.

Note that in the presence of first PC2 wedging lug(s) we must carry out manipulation on the holding part PM in the second step described above, in order to re-pass each first PC2 wedging lug through the opening OV. This manipulation includes at least one rotation of the holding part PM.

Also for example, and as illustrated non-limitingly on the , the support part PS2 may have a reduced thickness in a part of the reception zone Z1 which is located in the extension of the anchoring zone Z2. This makes it possible to define a second recess R2 for the positioning and wedging of the second wedging tab PC3. This “anti-rotation” arrangement is particularly useful when securing the holding part PM to the support part PS2 by means of a single screw V3.

Claims (10)

Support device (DS) suitable for being secured to a wall (PS1) of a system (S) and for supporting equipment (ED), characterized in that it comprises i) a support part (PS2) suitable for be secured to said wall (PS1) and comprising a reception zone (Z1), partially delimited by at least three protuberances (PRj) and suitable for receiving said equipment (ED) between the latter (PRj), and a zone of anchor (Z2), located on a first side of said reception zone (Z1) devoid of protuberance (PRj), and ii) a holding part (PM) removably secured to said support part (PS2) in said anchoring zone (Z2) and comprising at least one retaining tab (PC1) participating in the delimitation of said reception zone (Z1) and in the support and maintenance of said equipment (ED). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said holding part (PM) is secured by screwing to said support part (PS2). Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of said protuberances (PRj) is located on a second side of said reception zone (Z1), opposite said first side, and constitutes a clipping tab participating in the maintenance of said equipment (ED). Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said holding part (PM) comprises two holding tabs (PC1). Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said support piece (PS2) has a reduced thickness in at least part of said anchoring zone (Z2), in order to define a recess (R1) for positioning and wedging of said holding part (PM). Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said support part (PS2) comprises an opening (OV) in said anchoring zone (Z2), and in that said holding part (PM) comprises at least a first wedging tab (PC2) passing through said opening (OV) and extending facing a rear face (FR) of said support piece (PS2), located opposite a front face ( FV) where said reception zone (Z1) is defined. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that said holding part (PM) comprises a second wedging tab (PC3) extending opposite said front face (FV) of the support part (PS2). Device according to claim 7, characterized in that said support piece (PS2) has a reduced thickness in part of said reception zone (Z1), located in the extension of said anchoring zone (Z2), in order to define a recess (R2) for positioning and wedging said second wedging tab (PC3). System (S) comprising at least one wall (PS1), characterized in that it further comprises at least one support device (DS) according to one of the preceding claims, fixedly secured to said wall (PS1). System according to claim 9, characterized in that it constitutes a vehicle.