GB2173250A

GB2173250A - Weld stud and means for co- operating therewith

Info

Publication number: GB2173250A
Application number: GB08607836A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yoshiteru Kondo; Kiyoteru Yuta
Original assignee: Tucker Fasteners Ltd
Current assignee: Tucker Fasteners Ltd
Priority date: 1985-04-02
Filing date: 1986-03-27
Publication date: 1986-10-08
Also published as: IT8619888A0; FR2579693A1; ES293586Y; FR2579693B1; GB8607836D0; ES293586U; IT1204848B; DE3610999A1

Abstract

For fastening articles to a metal surface a flat-sided metal stud 7 with an aperture 9 and shoulders 10 is welded to the surface and a plastics clip 1 pushed on to it, the clip having resilient latches 13, 16 which co- operate with the aperture 9 and shoulders 10 of the stud to lock the two together and having means for holding the article in position. The base of the stud 7 is shaped as a very shallow V to facilitate welding to the metal surface. The arrangement is especially advantageous where it is desired to secure the article in a particular disposition without the risk of rotation that is involved using a conventional round stud. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Weld stud and clip for assembly thereon This invention is concerned with a thin flatsided weld stud with an opening in at least one of its flat sides, and a clip for assembly thereon.

A flat-sided weld stud for use as a lug is shown in figure 2 of US Patent Specification 3,996,446, the stud having a welding projection at one end with punctiform projection centrally disposed on it for initiating the weld and a hole, presumably right through the stud, for an unspecified purpose, but deducably to receive an electrical wire to make an effective electrical connection.

In the assembly of articles, for example, wiring harnesses and brake fluid pipes, in the manufacture of motor vehicles, it is desirable to provide anchorages at spaced localities on a car body or chassis and means for readily securing the articles in place. One widely used practice is to weld studs on the body for this purpose, and mount on these studs clips of metal or plastics to which the articles can be secured, either before or after mounting the clips on the studs. Weld studs for this purpose are usually round and a significant draw back in certain circumstances is the tendency of the clip to rotate on the stud with consequently restricted control over the direction in which a wire harness or pipe, for example, runs at the locality of the anchorage.In the case of a screw threaded stud, such rotation can result in loosening of the clip, and if a wiring harness or pipe is secured to the clip, tightening will be resisted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved means for mounting articles involving the use of welded studs, whereby resulting freedom of rotation and loss of directional control are avoided.

The foregoing object is achieved in accordance with the invention in that a thin flatsided weld stud with an opening in at least one of its flat sides is characterised in that it has a bottom edge which diverges at a very obtuse angle from a welding tip, and has on each side edge at least one shoulder facing towards said bottom edge, said shoulder and said opening in at least one side of the stud providing retaining means to engage co-operating features of a clip to be mounted on the stud.

Preferably a stud in accordance with the invention has shoulders on each side edge spaced equal distances from the bottom edge.

There may be two such shoulders, each at the same height as a corresponding shoulder on the other side edge. The opening of a stud in accordance with the invention may extend right through the stud from one flat side to the other.

The invention also provides a clip for mounting on a stud as referred to in the last proceeding paragraph but one moulded in one piece a clip of resilient plastics material and having two side walls co-extensive with the stud and spaced apart to receive the stud therebetween, one wall having a pawl projecting there from towards the other wall and disposed for reception in said opening of the stud, the side walls being connected by at least one end wall with an inwardly projecting shoulder constituting a feature for engagement with one or said shoulders of the stud.

Opposite ends of the side walls of a clip in accordance with the invention may also be bridged by an end wall with an inwardly projecting shoulder which provides a feature for engagement with a shoulder on a side edge of the stud, and where the stud has two such shoulders the clip may also have two inwardly projecting shoulders one above the other at similar spacing for engagement with them.

Where a clip in accordance with the invention has only one end wall bridging the gap between the side walls, the other end of one of the side walls opposite that with the pawl in it, may have an inturned rib on which is formed an inwardly projecting shoulder which provides a feature for engagement for a shoulder on a side edge of the stud.

Instead of one of the side walls of a clip in accordance with the invention being connected by at least one end wall with an inwardly projecting shoulder constituting a feature for engagement with one of said shoulders of the stud, the end wall may have a central longitudinal rib along its inner side which provides a corresponding feature, and where the opposite ends of the side walls are also bridged by an end wall it may have a longitudinal rib on its inner side for engagement with the shoulder or shoulders of the other side edge of the stud.

The pawl in one side wall of a clip in accordance with the invention may have an outwardly projecting finger to facilitate with drawing it from the opening in the stud for dismounting the clip.

A clip in accordance with the invention may also have arms projecting in opposite directions from the stud engaging portion of the clip for the attachment of wiring harness.

The invention also provides an assembled fastener comprising a weld stud and a clip in accordance with the foregoing paragraphs.

There now follows a description, to illustrate the invention and to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of a weld stud in accordance with the invention and of a clip, and a modified version thereof, for use with the stud and also illustrative of and in accordance with the invention. It will be realised that this illustrative stud and the illustrative clip and its modification have been selected for description by way of example in that not of limitation of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings: Figures 1 (a) and (b) are a front view and a side respectively of the illustrative weld stud; Figures 2 is a view in perspective showing the step of fitting a wiring harness to a panel by means of the illustrative stud and clip,; Figure 3 (a)-(d) shows the clip of Figure 2, (a) being a front view of the clip, (b) a sectional view taken along the line 111(b)-Ill (b) of Figure 2, (c) a sectional view taken along the line 111(c)-Ill (c) of Figure 3 (a), and (d) a view similar to Figure 3 (c) but with the clip mounted on the stud; Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the step of fitting a wiring harness to a panel by using a first modified version of the illustrative clip;; Figure 5 (a)-(d) is a front view, a plan view and a side view of the clip of Figure 3, and a sectional view taken along the line V (d)-V (d) of Figure 5 (a); Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the step of fitting a wiring harness to a panel by using a second modified version of the illustrative clip; and Figure 7 (a)-(f) shows the clip of Figure 6, Figure 7 (a) being a front view, (b) a plan view, (c) a bottom view, (d) a right side view, (e) a sectional view taken along the line VII (e)-Vll (e) of Figure 7 (a), and (f) a sectional view taken along the line VII (f)-Vll (f) of Figure 7 (b).

Referring first to Figure 1, the illustrative stud 7 is thin and flat-sided and is in the general form of a rectangle. An engagement shoulder 10 is formed on at least one of the sides to engage with a member to be attached. One engagement shoulder may be enough to hold the member to be attached.

However, in order to increase the engagement strength, it is preferable that engagement shoulders are formed on two side edges opposite to each other; for the same purpose, it is preferred that these engagement shoulders 1 are formed at two levels (as shown). The height of the stud 7 can be determined as desired and it can be made of any material that is able to be welded, soft steel being a typical one.

Each engagement shoulder 10 is formed with a gentle slant and a steep slant for easy insertion and prevention against slipping off.

The bottom edge 3 of the stud, which is to be welded to a base member, for example a vehicle body, protrudes at the centre and from there diverges at a very obtuse angle, ascending towards both sides to ensure stable welding. It is preferred that at least one of the flat sides of the clip has a square opening 9 formed at the centre so as to engage with the attachment member even more firmly. The hole 4 can be formed as a recess, or, as shown, extend right through the stud. It is preferable that the corners of the top edge of the stud are rounded off for easy insertion in a co-operating member.

The illustrative stud 7 can be easily produced by punching a plate member such as a soft steel sheet of thickness T (Figure 1 (b)) in contrast to a conventional T-stud or Christmas-tree stud which is made by cutting a round wire rod and several following processings of forging or cutting. In comparison with them, the stud 7 can be processed much more simply and the manufacturing cost can be held to a low level. It is also preferable that the stud 7 as a whole is so shaped that it can run inside a flexible feed tube of an automatic supply device.

Figure 2 shows the illustrative stud fixedly welded to a metal base 8 such as a vehicle body, and a wiring harness 3 attached by a clip 1 to the stud 1. Details of the clip 1 are shown in Figure 3 (a)-(d). The illustrative clip 1 has a stud fitting portion 2 and an arm portion 5 to which a long member to be fitted such as a wiring harness 3 is fixed by a tape 4 or the like, the two portions moulded as one piece. It is preferred to make the clip of a plastic material which is easy to mould.

Referring now to figures 3 (a)-(d), the stud fitting portion 2 of the illustrative clip is formed with, at its centre, a stud receiving hole 12 of which the cross section accommodates the stud 7. Thus, the clip 1 has two side walls (2a, 2b), co-extensive with the stud 7 and spaced apart to receive the stud (7) therebetween; end walls (2c, 2d) bridge the side walls. Engagement shoulders 13 at two different heights are formed on the inner surfaces of the end walls 2c, 2d correspondingly to the engagement shoulders 10 of the stud 7. One engagement shoulder 13 may be sufficient and preferably the shoulders 13 correspond in number and location with those of the stud 7, as shown. So as to give elasticity to the engagement shoulders 13, slits 14 are formed in side walls 2a 2b of the illustrative clip.Thus, when the clip 1 is pushed over the stud 7, the shoulders 13 are able to bend outwardly.

Further, one of the side walls, 2a, of the illustrative clip 1 has a pawl 16 formed at a position corresponding to the opening 9 of the stud 7, and a straight sided U-shaped slit 17 is formed to give elasticity to the pawl 16, which projects inwardly from the wall 2a. An inlet 18 of the stud receiving hole 12 of the clip 1 is tapered to facilitate insertion of the stud. As long as the engagement is effective, either the pawl 16 or the engagement shoulders 13 will suffice.

Accordingly, the wiring harness 3 as the member to be fitted can be fixedly secured through the clip 1 to the panel 8 just by pressing the clip 1, previously fixed with the wiring harness 3, in the direction of the arrow 6 of figure 1. In this case, since the stud 7 is rectangular in cross section and the hole 12 as the cavity of the clip 1 fits it, the wire harness 3 never rotates.

A second embodiment of the illustrative clip is shown in figure 4, which shows the step of fixing the wiring harness 3 to the stud 7 by means of this clip 20. As indicated by an arrow 21, the clip 20 is adapted to be brought into engagement with the stud 7 from one side. Therefore, as shown in figures 5 (a)-(d), the clip 20 has a stud fitting portion 22 and arms 23, and the wiring harness 3 is fixed to the arm 23 by the tape 4 or the like.

So that the clip can be pushed on to the stud 7 from the side, the stud fitting portion 22 is formed in a U-shape with side walls 22a, 22b and one side edge open and leading to the receiving hole. The stud fitting portion 22 is formed on the other side edge 22c with engagement shoulders 24 (Figure 5) to engage with the shoulders 10 of the stud, and also with a pawl 25 in the side wall 22a to engage in the opening 4. Accordingly, the clip 20 is fixed to the stud 7 by pressing the clip 20 in the direction of the arrow 21 over stud 7 after fitting the wiring harness 3 to the arms 23. The wiring harness 3 is thus secured to the panel 8.

Unlike the clip 1 of figure 2, the clip 20 has the advantage that it can be detached by forcably opening the side wall 26 and bending the engagement pawl 25 outwardly.

Figure 6 shows a third embodiment of the illustrative clip. Details of this clip 30 are shown in figures 7 (a)-(f). The clip 30 is adapted to be engaged with the stud 7 from above as is the case of the clip 1. As shown in figures 7 (a)-(f), the clip 30 has a stud fitting portion 32 and opposite extending arms 33, to which the wiring harness 3 may be fixed by the tape 4. At the centre of the studfitting portion 32, a stud-receiving hole 34 for accommodation of the cross section of the stud 7 is formed in such a manner as to enclose the stud 7. On inner surfaces of the stud receiving hole 34, thin longitudinal ribs 35, which come into contact with the side edges of the stud 7 and are deformed thereby, are formed vertically, long and straight.The thin portions 35 serve to hold the clip 30 steadily against the stud when the clip 30 is forced over the stud 7. It is preferable to provide the ribs 35 in such a manner that they do not much increase the force required for pressing on. At a position corresponding to the opening 9 in the stud 7, pawl 36 extending into the stud receiving hole 34 is formed in one of the side walls of the clip.

Similarly to the first embodiment, a U-shaped slit 37 is formed around the pawl. Accord ingly, in this embodiment, only the pawl 36 functions as a locking feature to prevent acci dental disengagement of the stud. Further the pawl 36 is provided with an outwardly projecting finger 38. When this finger is de pressed, the pawl 36 bends outwardly to be disengaged from the opening 9 of the stud 7 so that the clip 30 can be detached from the stud 7.

In this embodiment, the stud fitting portion 32 is formed to flare in its lower portion.

Because of this feature, the stud can be pressed into the clip easily and also the clip can be positioned stably after being fitted. It goes without saying that such a configuration can be adopted in the other embodiments.

An advantage of the clip 30 is that it can be removed from the stud more easily than the earlier described embodiments.

Thus, in fitting a long member such as a wiring harness to a panel such as a vehicle body, the necessity to make a hole in the panel is eliminated. Moreover, since the clip prevents the member to be fitted from rotating against an undesirable turning force exerted on the latter, the member never turns in an undesirable direction. Besides, the operational efficiency improves as the member can be fitted by simple operation of pressing on.

Claims

1. A thin flat-sided weld stud with an opening (9) in at least one of its flat sides characterised in that it has a bottom edge (3) which diverges at a very obtuse angle from a welding tip, and has on each side edge at least one shoulder (10) facing towards said bottom edge (3), said shoulder (10) and said opening (9) in at least one side of the stud providing retaining means to engage co-operating features (13, 16, 24, 25, 35, 36) of a clip (1, 20, 30) to be mounted on the stud.

2. A stud according to claim 1 further characterised in that it has shoulders (10) as aforesaid on each side edge of the stud (7) spaced equal distances from the bottom edge (3).

3. A stud according to claim 2 further characterised in that on each side of the stud (7) are two shoulders (10) as aforesaid, each at the same height as one on other side edge.

4. A stud according to claim 1 further characterised in that said opening (9) extends right through the stud (7) from one flat side to another.

5. A clip for mounting on a stud according to claim 1 moulded in one piece of resilient plastics material and having two side walls (2a 2b) co-extensive with the stud (7) and spaced apart to receive the stud therebetween, one wall (2a) having a pawl (16, 25, 36) projecting therefrom towards the other wall (2b) and disposed for reception in said opening (9) of the stud, the side walls (2a 2b) being connected by at least one end wall (2c 2d) with an inwardly projecting shoulder (13) constituting a feature for engagement with one of said shoulders (10) of the stud.

6. A clip according to claim 5 further characterised in that opposite ends of said side walls (2a 2b) are also bridged by an end wall (2d 2c) with an inwardly projecting shoulder (13) which provides a feature for engagement with a shoulder (10) on the opposite side edge of the stud.

7. A clip according to claim 6 further characterised in that each end wall (2c 2a has two inwardly projecting shoulders (13) one above the other for engagement with similarly spaced shoulders (10) on side edges of the stud.

8. A clip according to claim 5 further characterised in that it has only one end wall (22c) bridging the gap between the side walls (22a 22b), the other end of one of the side walls (22b), opposite that with the pawl in it, having an inturned rib on which is formed an inwardly projecting shoulder (24) which provides a feature for engagement with a shoulder (10) on the opposite side edge of the stud (7).

9. A clip for mounting on a stud according to claim 1 moulded in one piece of resilient plastics material and having two side walls coextensive with the stud (7) and spaced apart to receive the stud there between, one wall having a pawl (36) projecting therefrom towards the other wall and disposed for reception in said opening (9) of the stud, the side walls (2a, 2b) being connected by at least one end wall (32) with a central longitudinal rib (35) along its inner side which provides a feature for engagement with said shoulder (10) or shoulders (10) on one side edge of the stud (7).

10. A clip according to claim 9 further characterised in that opposite ends of said side walls are also bridged by an end wall having a longitudinal rib (35) on its inner side for engagement of the shoulder (10) or shoulders (10) on the other side edge of the clip.

11. A clip according to claim 9 further characterised in that said pawl (36) on one side wall of the clip has an outwardly projecting finger (38) to facilitate withdrawal of the pawl (36) from the opening (9) in the stud for dismounting of the clip (7).

12. A clip according to any one of claims 5 to 11 having also arms (5, 23, 33) projecting in opposite directions from the stud-engaging portion of the clip for the attachment of wiring harness (3).

13. An assembled fastener comprising a weld stud according to claim 1 and, mounted thereon, a clip according to claim 5.

14. An assembled fastener comprising a weld stud according to claim 1 and, mounted thereon, a clip according to claim 5.

15. A weld stud substantiallly as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 (a) and 1 (b) of the accompanying drawings.

16. A clip for mounting on a stud according to claim 15 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to (a) Figure 2; or (b) Figure 3; or (c) Figure 6. of the accompanying drawings.