GB2306561A - Coupling system with two releasably securable parts - Google Patents

Description

COUPLING SYSTEM WITH TWO RELEASABLY SECURABLE PARTS The present invention relates to a coupling system, in particular with two parts to be secured together.

In DE-GM 79 10 033.7 there are described water fittings for gasheated water heaters, in which metallic connecting pieces are plugged into bores in a synthetic material housing and held fast by means of wire bows or sheet metal straps. The sheet metal straps are secured by means of additional screws and the wire bows are keDt in olace by projections at the housing.

It would be desirable, however, for coupling systems employing a wire securing element to be free of additional securing aids such as screws or the like and to be such that the element is not a separate component in the assembly.

According to the present invention there is provided a coupling system with a fastener for connecting at least one first part with a second part, of which at least one consists of synthetic material, with a preferably bent wire which serves as securing and/or connecting means and engages through bores or groove-like recesses of the first and/or second part, characterised in that the wire is connected with the first part and connectible with the second part by way of hooks, eyelets or the like arranged at the wire.

The two parts can both be of synthetic material, such as plastics material, of smaller wall thicknesses, since loadings are taken up by the wire securing element captively connected to the first part.

Preferably, the wire is bent into U-shape with lugs pointing inwardly at the free ends of its limbs and is displaceably mounted in the first part, the element being arranged so that when the second part is plugged onto the first part the element can, by displacement, detentingly engage into recesses of corresponding shape in the second part. This form of connection can be assembled simply and rapidly even in limited space conditions, such as, for example, in a motor vehicle engine bay.

Retention is enhanced if the base of the element in the assembled setting engages into a recess of the second part.

A very space-saving system readily capable of assembly in restricted conditions also results if the securing element is bent into annular shape and has at least two axially extending hooks which are distributed uniformly over the circumference and in the assembled setting engage into grooves of the second part. The second part can then be simply plugged on axially, whilst the hooks detent automatically. It is, however, possible to form the grooves of the second part in bayonet fashion so as to each have a respective outwardly facing opening which at its inner end passes over into a respective slot extending in circumferential direction. The second part can be arrested by a small rotation and the hooks cannot unintentionally be bent open. In this case, too, no additional fastening part or tool is needed.

Embodiments of the coupling system according to the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a first coupling system embodying the invention, in an assembled state of a first and a second part of the system; Fig. 2a is a plan view of the second part of the first system; Fig. 2b is a cross-section, along the line II-II in Fig. 2a, of the second part; Fig. 3a is a plan view of a wire securing element for the two parts of the first system; Fig. 3b is a side view of the element of Fig. 3a; Fig. 3c is an end view of the element of Fig. 3a; Fig. 4 is a plan view of a first part of a second coupling system embodying the invention; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a second part of the second coupling system; Fig. 6a is a plan view of a wire securing element for the two parts of the second system; Fig. 6b is a side view of the element of Fig. 6a; and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the second system in an assembled state of the first and second parts thereof.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown in Figs. 1 to 3c a first coupling system, which comprises a first, housing-like part 12 which receives a tubular second part 14 to be releasably secured thereto.

The second part 14 comprises a socket 16 (Fig. 2), which receives a tube 18 and extends in platform-like manner by an upper flat wall 20, which then passes over into a side wall 22 extending downwardly and perpendicularly to the wall 20. The tube 18 continues down within the wall 22 and ends in an opening 26 which in the assembled state of the parts, corresponds with an opening in the first part 12. At the side of the socket 16 adjacent to the tube connection the wall 20 is penetrated by two elongate openings 28 which lie symmetrically opposite one another with respect to the axis of the tube 18. Passages 29 and recesses 30 adjoin the openings 28. The passages 29 are connected with the openings 28 and the recesses 30 extend parallelly to the openings 28. The recesses 30 do not penetrate the wall 20 of the socket 16.

The side wall 22 is penetrated by two slots 32, which extend parallelly to each other, in the region of the socket 16 opposite the openings 28.

Fig. 3 shows a wire 34 which is bent substantially into U-shape and has inwardly facing lugs 40 at the ends of the limbs 38 opposite the base 36. The wire 34 is stepped in such a manner that the base 36 and the lugs 40 are arranged in the same plane and the limbs 38 extend in a lower (Fig. 2b) plane. The wire 34 is mounted to be displaceable in the first part 12 (Fig. 1). For this purpose, the part 12 has a flange 42 with two parallel grooves 44, into which the limbs 38 resiliently detent after transient bending apart.

For assembly, the wire 34 is brought into a position in which the lugs 40 make contact in the region of the flange 42. The second part 14 is pushed on with its socket 16 over the flange 42, wherein the wall 22 receives the flange 42 to be a close fit. The lugs 40 when pressed on pass through the openings 28 in the socket upper wall 20. When the second part 14 is pressed completely onto the first part 12, the wire 34 can be displaced so that the lugs 40 detent in the recesses 30. The base 36 of the wire 34 in this setting engages over the wall 20 and bears against the socket 16 so as to urge it against the part 12.

For disassembly, the wire 34 is displaed back into the starting position. The socket 16 has a notch 46 into which a pin-shaped tool can be inserted as lever for displacement if, due to the presence of contaminations, the wire is too firmly located.

Fig. 2b shows the wire 34, in chain-dotted lines, in its setting maintaining the connection of the first part 12 and second part 14.

A second embodiment is illustrated in Figs. 4 to 7. In the assembled state (Fig. 7), the system 50 is shown to comprise a first part 52 and a second part 54. The second part 54 (Fig. 5) has a circular socket 56, into which a tube 58 opens. Three grooves 60, which are each formed by an outwardly open slot 62 which at its inner end is connected to a passage 64 extending in circumferential direction, are provided symmetrically at an angular spacing of 1200 at the outer circumference of the socket 56. All passages 64 point in counterclockwise sense and are of equal length.

A ring-shaped wire 66 with three hooks 68 pointing in axial direction symmetrically at an angular spacing of 1200 is illustrated in Figs. 6a and 6b. The hooks 68 have lugs 70 which point radially inwards.

The ring-shaped wire 66 has a gap 72.

The wire 66 is inverted over an annular flange 74 at the first part 52 while being bent out to widen the gap 72, whilst the hooks 68 engage into cut-outs 76 provided for this purpose in the flange 74. Six cutouts 76 are provided in total, so that the wire 66 can be arrested in two different positions.

The second part 54 with the socket 56 is pressed, for purpose of the assembly, onto the annular flange 74 provided with the wire. In that case, the socket 56 receives the annular flange 74 with a close fit in an outer wall (not illustrated). The hooks 68 project into the grooves 60 and are bent open due to the lugs 70. When the second part 54 has reached its end setting, the hooks 68 spring back into their initial position and the lugs 70 engage over the socket 56. The second part 54 is then rotated in clockwise sense so that the hooks 68 displace along the passages 64. The hooks 68 are thus prevented from springing open again.

At the end of the rotation, the tips of the lugs 70 of the hooks 68 detent in recesses 78 provided in the socket 56, so that an unintentional rotation of the second part 54 is opposed by a certain resistance.

It is also feasible to form the recesses 78 with the same structure as the grooves 60, so that only the wire 66 need be rotated after pressing in of the second part 54. For this purpose, either a special tool or a suitable projection on the wire can be used.

Further variations are possible. It is, for example, feasible to form a predetermined outline in the region of the wall 22 and thus achieve a coding by which the relationship of the first and the second part is fixed.

It is also possible for the hooks 68 to point outwardly and engage through window-like recesses in the socket 56. The second part 54 can be brought into the arrested setting by simple pressing or by pressing and rotation.

Coupling systems embodying the invention are suitable for use inter alia in fuel supply installations in motor vehicles, such as fuel line and injector assemblies.

Claims (9)

1. CLAIMS 1. A coupling system comprising two parts to be secured together, at least one of the parts comprising synthetic material, and a wire securing element engageable in recesses or openings of at least one of the parts, the securing element being connected to a first one of the parts and being connectible to the second one of the parts by securing means arranged at the element.
2. 2. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the element is substantially U-shaped and is provided at the free ends of its limbs with inwardly directed lugs which are engageable in recesses in the second one of the parts in an assembled state of the parts.
3. 3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the base of the element is engageable over the second one of the parts in said assembled state.
4. 4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the element is substantially circular in shape and is provided with a plurality of hooks which extend generally parallel to the centre axis of the element and which are engageable in grooves in the second one of the parts in an assembled state of the parts.
5. 5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the hooks are uniformly spaced around the element.
6. 6. A system as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the grooves are arranged to form a bayonet socket and each comprise a slot open at the circumference of the second one of the parts and a passage connected to the slot at the inner end thereof and extending in the circumferential direction of that part.
7. 7. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the element is engaged in a groove in the first one of the parts.
8. 8. A coupling system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3c of the accompanying drawings.
9. 9. A coupling system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 4 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.