GB2261641A

GB2261641A - A support for electrical instruments and the like,f or example for a vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2261641A
Application number: GB9222484A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Giuseppe Pulga
Original assignee: Veglia Borletti SRL
Current assignee: Veglia Borletti SRL
Priority date: 1991-10-29
Filing date: 1992-10-26
Publication date: 1993-05-26
Anticipated expiration: 2012-10-26
Also published as: IT223332Z2; GB2261641B; ITTO910267V0; GB9222484D0; FR2683116A1; ITTO910267U1; ES1022870Y; FR2683116B3; DE9214026U1; ES1022870U

Abstract

The instrument support (1) includes a wall (3) having a through-aperture (4) for at least one connecting cable of the instrument and a substantially flat gasket (7) interposable between the wall (3) and the instrument and having a hole (8) intended to face the aperture (4). The gasket (7) has two integral sleeves (11) perpendicular to it, each having a flange (12) adapted to hold the gasket (7) in contact with the wall (3). The support is assembled by inserting two pins (15) in the holes (16) of the sleeves (11) and flexing the gasket (7) elastically. Then the sleeves (11) are inserted into the aperture (4) and slid through corresponding passages (5) in the wall (3). The instrument support (1) can be used on the dashboard of a motor vehicle. <IMAGE>

Description

A SUPPORT FOR ELECTRICAL INSTRUMENTS AND THE LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE FOR A VEHICLE The present invention relates to a support for electrical instruments and the like, for example for a vehicle. In particular, the aim of the present invention is to provide a support for instruments, such as speedometers, revolution counters, etc. adapted for use on the dashboard of a motor vehicle.

Instrument supports are known which, for each instrument requiring support, include a cavity adapted partly to contain the instrument itself and having a through-hole in its back wall for at least one cable for connecting the instrument to a predetermined area of the vehicle.

In order to provide resilient and sound-proofed support for the instruments, a substantially flat gasket, normally made of rubber, is placed in contact with the aforesaid back wall. This gasket is provided with a substantially central hole adapted to match the hole in the wall and with lateral through-holes for respective threaded pins protruding from corresponding holes in the back wall of the instrument which enable the instrument to be fixed to the gasket.

Each lateral hole in the gasket has a coaxial sleeve, also of rubber, which is connected at one end to a flat wall of a greater extent than the gasket and passes through a corresponding hole in the wall and, at its free end, carries a flange adapted to hold the gasket in contact with the wall itself.

These known gaskets, because of their shape, are badly suited to automatic assembly with their sleeves housed in the corresponding holes in the wall and are therefore usually mounted by hand, with considerable wastage of time. This manual assembly is also slowed down by the fact that, because the gaskets are intended to house protruding portions of the instrument to be mounted, they are not usually symmetrical, so that particular attention must be paid to their positioning in contact with the wall.

The object of the present invention is to provide an instrument support of the type described above which, for each instrument, includes a gasket of resilient, soundproofing material free of the disadvantages described above with reference to prior art supports.

The present invention provides a support for electrical instruments and the like which includes a rigid wall with a through-aperture for at least one cable for connecting a corresponding instrument to be supported, and a substantially flat gasket of resilient material interposed between the said wall and the said instrument, the said gasket being provided with a hole facing the said through-aperture and with at least one element for fixing it in connection with a corresponding seat in the said wall, the said element including a portion for coupling with the said seat, characterised in that the said seat is connected to a passage communicating with the said through-aperture, the said element being adapted for insertion through the said aperture and into the said seat by sliding in the said passage.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, purely as a non-limitative example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of a dismantled support for electrical instruments or the like made according to the present invention and a schematic view of a device for assembling the support; Figure 2 is a plan view of a detail of Figure 1 on an enlarged scale; and Figure 3 is a cross-section of an assembled support, taken on the line III-III of the detail of Figure 2.

With reference to Figure 1, a support is generally indicated 1 for an electrical, electronic or similar instrument 2 (Figure 3), for instance a speedometer, which is to be connected to the dashboard (not illustrated) of a motor vehicle. The support 1 is, in general, constituted by a housing adapted to be fixed to the dashboard and provided with a corresponding cavity for each instrument to be connected. This cavity has a back wall 3 formed with an aperture 4, preferably a circular hole. This aperture 4 is provided for the passage through the wall of at least one cable (not illustrated) for connecting the instrument 2 to a predetermined area of the vehicle.

The support 1 also includes (see also Figures 2 and 3) a substantially flat gasket 7 of resilient, sound-proofing material, for example rubber. The gasket 7 is adapted for positioning, as will be explained later, adjacent the wall 3 and has, in plan, the shape of a parallelogram, in particular a rhomboid with rounded corners.

In the following description, by "upper" surface is intended the front surface or face of the gasket 7 (underneath in the drawings) which is not intended to come into contact with the wall 3 in use. By "lower" surface is intended the rear surface or face of the gasket 7 (above in the drawings) which is intended to adhere to the wall 3.

In a central area of the gasket 7 is a circular hole 8 with the same dimensions as the aperture 4 in the wall 3.

The edge of the hole 8 is surrounded by an annular rib 9 which is substantially triangular in diametral crosssection. The rib 9 is raised on the lower surface of the gasket 7 and is adapted to bear against the wall 3.

Near two opposite corners of the gasket 7, for example the two acute-angle corners, are two holes 10 adapted to house and position correctly the peripheral portions of the instrument 2. The holes 10 are also surrounded by ribs for bearing against the wall 3.

Near its other two corners, the gasket 7 has two anchoring elements constituted by two holes 16. Coaxial with the holes 16, the gasket has two integral connection elements, each including a sleeve 11. The sleeves 11 extend from the lower face of the gasket 7 adjacent the wall 3, perpendicular to its plane. Each sleeve 11 has a coaxial flange 12 at its free end.

The two sleeves 11 are adapted to be housed in a corresponding pair of seats 6, each communicating with the aperture 4 through a corresponding passage or slot 5.

In particular, the two slots 5 are rectilinear and aligned with each other. It is advantageous if they open from two diametrally opposed points on the edge of the aperture 4 and are therefore radial and extend outwards of the aperture. Each seat 6 is constituted by a blind end of the corresponding slot 5, and therefore has a semicircular U shape with a diameter equal to the width of the slot itself.

An axially central portion of each sleeve 11 has an outer annular projection 13 of substantially triangular diametral cross-section with an inner diameter substantially equal to the width of the slot 5. Each sleeve 11 is surrounded peripherally by four conical appendages, arranged at the corners of a square, with the base of each fixed to the lower surface of the gasket 7.

The height of each appendage 14 is substantially the same as that of the annular rib 9. The purpose of these appendages 14 is to facilitate the positioning of the sleeve in the seat 6.

The gasket 7 is fixed to the wall 3 by the insertion of two cylindrical pins 15 through the holes 16 in the two sleeves 11 with a movement in the direction A. The pins 15 are then moved towards each other in hte direction of the arrows B so as to flex the gasket 7 sufficiently to bring the flanges 12 closer together until their overall dimension, in the plane of the gasket 7, is smaller than the aperture 4.

The pins 15 supporting the deformed gasket 7 are then moved axially so as to insert the sleeves 11 into the aperture 4 and align them with the slots 5. The pins 15 are then moved apart in the direction of the arrows C so that the sleeves 11 enter their respective slots 5 and slide along the latter until they enter their respective seats 6. The flanges 12 thus anchor the gasket 7 to the wall 3. Finally the pins 15 are slid axially from the sleeves 11 and from the holes 16 in the direction A and are returned to their original positions. The pins 15 can of course be operated rapidly and automatically by appropriate automated assembly equipment.

It should be noted that when the gasket 7 is mounted in contact with the wall 3, the annular ribs 13 adhere firmly to the respective inner areas of the seats 6 while the annular rib 9 and the conical appendages 14 press lightly against the wall 3 tending to distance the gasket 7 from the latter. This means that, owing to the opposition of the flanges 12, the sleeves 11 are kept under slight tension, thereby ensuring that the gasket 7 is kept in firm contact with the wall 3.

The instrument 2 is then mounted against the upper face of the gasket 7, with its two threaded pins (not shown) inserted in the holes 16 and into the sleeves 11 so that the instrument itself is anchored to the wall 3 by conventional fixing means (not shown).

Naturally the aperture 4 and - the hole 8 could have a different shape instead of being circular as described above. In addition, the sleeves could have a different shape and therecould be more than two of them and the associated pins 15. Finally, the gasket 7 could have a different shape from that described. Preferably, however, it should be made up of a number of identical portions joined to each other and each supporting a sleeve 11 adapted for insertion in a corresponding passage 5 and for housing in a corresponding seat 6.

From the above description it is clear that the support 1 for instruments 2 fully satisfies its established aim, thanks to the described shape of the aperture 4 and of the gasket 7. The latter can in fact be fixed to the wall 3 simply by being flexed, a movement which may be carried out rapidly and automatically. It should finally be noted that the gasket 7 does not need to be positioned especially carefully during mounting as it is made up of two identical portions fixed to each other in a plane passing through the axes of the sleeves 11.

Claims

1. A support for electrical instruments and the like, including a rigid wall (3) having a through-aperture (4) for at least one cable for connecting a corresponding instrument (2) to be supported and a substantially flat gasket (7) of resilient material interposed between the said wall (3) and the said instrument (2), the said gasket (7) having a hole (8) facing the said aperture (4) and at least one element (11, 12) for fixing it in a corresponding seat (6) in the said wall (3), the said element (11, 12) including a portion (12) for coupling with the said seat (6), characterised in that the said seat (6) is connected to a passage (5) communicating with the said aperture (4), the said element (11, 12) being adapted for insertion through the said aperture (4) and into the said seat (6) by sliding in the said passage (5).

2. A support for instruments according to Claim 1, characterised in that it has two fixing elements (11, 12) adapted to engage a corresponding pair of passages (5) communicating with the said aperture (4), the said elements (11, 12) being insertible in the said aperture (4) and slidable in the said passages (5) by resilient flexure of the said gasket (7).

3. A support for instruments according to Claim 2, in which the said elements (11, 12) extend from that side of the said gasket (7) which faces the said wall (3), characterised in that each of the said elements (11, 12) is associated with an anchoring element (16) accessible from the opposite side of the said gasket (7) in order to flex it.

4. A support for instruments according to claim 3, in which each of the said elements (11, 12) includes a sleeve (11) fixed in correspondence with the said anchoring element (16) and having a predetermined outer diameter, and in which the said coupling portion is constituted by an end flange (12) of the sleeve 11 with a greater diameter, characterised in that the said passage is a slot (5) having a width substantially equal to the diameter of the said sleeve (11), the said coupling seat being constituted by a blind end (6) of the said slot (5) having a semicircular shape with a diameter equal to the said width.

5. A support for instruments according to Claim 4, characterised in that the said anchoring element is constituted by an anchoring hole (16) formed in the said gasket (7), each of the said sleeves (11) being arranged on the said gasket (7) axially of the said anchoring hole (16).

6. A support for instruments according to Claim 5, characterised in that the said gasket (7) includes at least one pair of identical portions and one pair of the said sleeves (11) and of the said flanges (12), the said slots (5) being rectilinear and aligned with each other.

7, A support for instruments according to Claim 6, in which the said gasket (7) is substantially parallelogramshaped, with the said pair of anchoring holes (16) arranged at two opposite corners of the said parallelogram, characterised in that the said aperture (4) is circular and the said slots (5) extend from two diametrally opposed points on the edge of the said aperture (4).

8. A support for electrical instruments and the like, substantially as described with reference to the appended drawings.