JP2001182725A - Clip - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clip which can keep the insertion force of the clipping part to be within a proper range with respect to errors of an inner diameter and/or the burrs of a clipping hole, by adjusting the angle between the outside of each attaching piece and the circumference of the hole, to zero at an early stage, when inserting a clipping section into the hole. SOLUTION: The clip comprises a clipping part 12 to be inserted to the clipping hole 42 and an attaching part 30 to be installed in the assembly. Also the clipping part 12 comprises plural clipping pieces 16 which have a holding part 24 for holding at an allowable load, when inserting the clipping part 12. When inserted into the hole 42, the exteriors of each clipping piece 16 are being deformed by attaching to the hole 42. Then, in the space from the starting position of the contact to any position including a position close to the front of the holding section 24, the contact surface become such a gentle slope as the contacting angle between the exteriors of each clipping piece 16 and the circumference of the hole decreases to zero degree, (for example, a curved surface 20).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clip used for attaching a trim board to an inner panel of, for example, an automobile door.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a clip of this type is, for example, shown in FIG.
To 11 are available. FIG. 9 is a front view showing a conventional clip 60 in a partial cross section, and FIG. 10 is a cross section taken along the line XX of FIG. The clip 60 is an integrally molded product made of a synthetic resin, and has a structure in which an engaging portion 62 inserted into the mounting hole 42 of the panel 40 located inside the automobile door and an assembling portion mounted on the trim board 44 are provided. 70
They are roughly divided into The engaging portion 62 includes a column 64 located at the axis thereof and four engaging pieces 66 located outside the column 64. Each of these engaging pieces 66 can elastically bend in the axial direction of the engaging portion 62, and each outer shape is a slope 68 having a predetermined taper angle. The outer shape of each engagement piece 66 on the base end side of the engagement portion 62 is recessed toward the axial center and the holding portion 69
When the holding portion 69 is located in the mounting hole 42, the inserted state of the engaging portion 62 can be held with a specified load resistance. The slope 68 is a bulging portion 68a in which the portion immediately before the holding portion 69 bulges outward most.

In using the clip 60, first, the assembling portion 70 is attached to the trim board 44, and then the engaging portion 62 is inserted into the mounting hole 42 of the panel 40.
With this insertion, each engagement piece 66 comes into contact with the inner periphery of the mounting hole 42 and receives a reaction force. Each engagement piece 66 moves in the axial direction of the engagement portion 62 according to the magnitude of this reaction force. Bend. Due to the bending of each engagement piece 66, the contact angle θ (FIG. 9) formed between the outer surface and the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole 42 is reduced. This contact angle θ is
When the bulging portion 68a reaches the mounting hole 42, the angle becomes 0 degrees, and then the holding portion 69 is positioned in the mounting hole 42, whereby the insertion is completed. As a result, the engaging portion 62 is held in the inserted state with the prescribed load resistance as described above.

[0004]

By the way, the earlier the contact angle θ changes to 0 degree, the smaller the subsequent insertion load becomes. However, the slope 68 of the engagement piece 66 is
Because it has a tapered surface that is linearly inclined for reasons such as easy production of a mold for molding the clip 60,
The reduction rate of the contact angle θ with respect to the insertion stroke of the engagement portion 62 is small. The shape of the slope 68 is also one of the factors. When the engaging portion 62 is inserted, each slope 68 starts to contact the inner periphery of the mounting hole 42 at a substantially intermediate position (FIG. 9). In the stroke from the start to the end of the insertion of 62, the distance that the slope 68 of each engagement piece 66 and the inner periphery of the mounting hole 42 keep contacting is short. Although the contact start point changes with the variation in the inner diameter of the mounting hole 42, the amount of change is large on the linearly inclined slope 68. Therefore, if there is an error in the larger inner diameter, the contact start point changes further to the holding portion 69 than the intermediate position of the slope 68.

Accordingly, the contact angle θ does not change much with respect to the insertion stroke of the engaging portion 62, and the contact angle θ is set to 0 degree at the bulging portion 68a immediately before the holding portion 69. , Each engaging piece 66 is rapidly bent. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, immediately before the bulging portion 68a, the contact angle θ hardly decreases or increases. As a result, the clip 60 is long during the large contact angle θ of the entire insertion stroke,
Is easily cut into the engagement piece 66, and the insertion load is large. The mounting hole 42 has burrs on one surface of the panel 40, and the engaging portion 62 may be inserted from the side of the burrs depending on the usage of the clip 60. In this case, burrs may bite into each of the engagement pieces 66, and the insertion load may exceed a value that can be safely inserted by human power.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the present invention is to set a contact angle between an outer surface of each engaging piece and an inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole when the engaging portion is inserted into the mounting hole. By setting the angle to 0 ° at an early point, the insertion load of the engaging portion is maintained within an appropriate range even when an error in the inner diameter of the mounting hole or the influence of burrs occurs.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to achieve the above-mentioned object, and the invention according to claim 1 utilizes a mounting hole formed through a front and a back of a mounting plate. A clip to be used for mounting a predetermined member to be mounted, comprising an engaging portion inserted into the mounting hole, and a mounting portion to be mounted to the mounted member. The engaging portion is constituted by a plurality of engaging pieces that can be elastically bent in the radial direction, and an outer surface of each engaging piece at a base end side of the engaging portion has a mounting hole. There is a holding portion that holds the state in which the engagement portion is inserted with a specified load resistance.
In addition, the outer shape of each of the engagement pieces, when each engagement piece comes into contact with the inner circumference of the mounting hole and starts to bend when the engagement portion is inserted, from the contact start position to the position immediately before the holding portion. The contact angle between the outer surface of each engagement piece and the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole gradually decreases toward 0 degree in a range up to an arbitrary position including the position.

According to this structure, when the engaging portion is inserted into the mounting hole, the contact angle is positively set to 0 degree from the time when the gradually changing surface of each engaging piece comes into contact with the inner periphery of the mounting hole. , The contact angle becomes 0 degrees at a relatively early point in time. After the contact angle becomes 0 degrees, the engaging portion can be inserted into the mounting hole with a small force, and the insertion load can be maintained within an appropriate range.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the clip according to the first aspect, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the gradually changing surface in the insertion direction of the engaging portion is an arc, a parabola, or an axis of the engaging portion. The shape is set to one of a plurality of straight lines connected at different angles. In this case, each engaging piece continues to receive a reaction force for a long distance along the gradually changing surface with respect to the insertion stroke of the engaging portion, and smoothly bends in the axial direction of the engaging portion. Become. Therefore, the insertion load of the engaging portion is always stabilized within an appropriate range. Further, since the gradually changing surface has the above-described cross-sectional shape, the amount of change in the contact start point between the gradually changing surface and the inner periphery of the mounting hole can be suppressed irrespective of the variation in the inner diameter of the mounting hole.

[0010] The third aspect of the present invention is the first or second aspect.
The clip according to claim 1, wherein the abutment angle is 0 degree at a substantially intermediate position from a position where each engagement piece starts to contact an inner circumference of the mounting hole to a position immediately before the holding portion when the engagement portion is inserted. The gradually changing surface of each engagement piece is configured such that At approximately the middle of the insertion stroke from the contact start position to the holding portion, the respective engagement pieces are easily bent, and the insertion load is reduced at this point, so that the insertion load is suppressed throughout the entire stroke.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the clip according to the first, second or third aspect, wherein both ends of each engaging piece are respectively connected to the rigid portion of the engaging portion. At the point where the gradually changing surface of each engagement piece starts to come into contact with the inner periphery of the mounting hole when the engagement portion is inserted, each engagement piece and a rigid portion are joined at the distal end side of the engagement portion. It is set near. As a result, the gradual change surface comes into contact with the inner periphery of the mounting hole at an early point in time when each of the engagement pieces becomes bendable at the time of insertion of the engagement portion, and accordingly, the contact angle becomes 0 ° as soon as possible. As a result, the insertion work becomes easy.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the clip according to the fourth aspect, wherein the engaging portion has a substrate located on the base end side thereof, a column extending in a distal direction from the substrate, and a distal end of the column. There is a substantially conical block portion disposed on the side, the board, the support, and the block portion each have rigidity, and both ends of each engagement piece are connected to the board and the block portion, respectively. With this configuration, the strength against impact when the engaging portion is inserted into the mounting hole of the mounting plate is secured, and the holding force required as a clip is maintained.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a clip for mounting a predetermined member to be mounted on a mounting plate by using mounting holes formed through the front and back surfaces of the mounting plate. There is provided an engaging portion inserted into the mounting hole, and an assembling portion to be assembled to the mounted member. The engaging portion is constituted by a plurality of engaging pieces that can be elastically bent in the radial direction, and an outer surface of each engaging piece at a base end side of the engaging portion has a mounting hole. There is a holding portion that holds the state in which the engagement portion is inserted with a specified load resistance. The curvature in the circumferential direction forming the outer shape of each of the engagement pieces is at least from the point where each of the engagement pieces starts to come into contact with the inner periphery of the mounting hole at the time of insertion of the engagement portion, up to immediately before the holding portion. In the range, the curvature is set to substantially the same value as the curvature of the mounting hole. By setting the curvature in the circumferential direction forming the outer shape of each engagement piece in this manner, the outer shape of each engagement piece is equal to that of the mounting hole regardless of the insertion position of the engagement portion with respect to the mounting hole. Line contact or surface contact with the inner periphery will result. As a result, the reaction force to each of the engagement pieces is dispersed, and each of the engagement pieces is smoothly bent toward the center of the engagement section, so that the insertion of the engagement section into the mounting hole becomes light.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a clip 10 for mounting a trim board of an automobile door. FIGS. 1 to 5 show the first embodiment, and FIGS. 6 to 8 show the second embodiment. Is shown. 1 is a front view showing the clip 10 in a partial cross section, FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view showing the clip 10 in use. As is clear from these drawings, the clip 10 is an integrally molded product made of a synthetic resin similarly to the clip 60,
The structure is roughly divided into an engaging portion 12 and an assembling portion 30.

The engaging portion 12 is a portion inserted into a mounting hole 42 of a door inner panel 40 shown in FIG. 3 as an example of a mounting plate.
A pillar 14 extending from the end to the tip is located. This pillar 1
Reference numeral 4 has a cross-shaped cross section which is resistant to compression or bending. The diameter of a circle formed on the outer end surfaces of the four plate-like portions 14 a of the support 14 is set smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting hole 42. A substantially conical block portion 26 having a circular arc surface 26a at the distal end is provided on the distal end side of the column 14. The block portion 26 has rigidity to withstand an impact caused by a mutual displacement when the engaging portion 12 is inserted into the mounting hole 42.

An engagement piece 16 is provided between each of the plate-like portions 14a.
Are located respectively. These four engaging pieces 16 in total
Are connected to the rigid portions of the engagement portion 12 only at the respective ends. That is, one end of each engaging piece 16 is a connecting portion 16a integral with the block portion 26, and the other end is a connecting portion 16b integral with the substrate 13. Therefore, the coupling portions 16a, 1
Portions other than 6b can bend in the axial direction of the engaging portion 12 due to the elasticity of the synthetic resin when receiving a load from the outside.

The outer shape of each of the engagement pieces 16 is such that the contact angle θ (the angle between the outer surface of each of the engagement pieces 16 and the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole 42) shown in FIG. , A gradually changing surface that changes (gradually decreases). Specifically, the mounting hole 42
The curved surface 20 that draws a large arc along the direction of insertion of the engaging portion 12 with respect to, forms a gradually changing surface. The bulged portion 22 of the curved surface 20 of each of the engaging pieces 16 that bulges outward to the maximum is set at a substantially middle point in the insertion stroke of the engaging portion 12. The outer surface of each engaging piece 16 on the base end side of the engaging portion 12 is a holding portion 24 that is recessed in the axial direction of the engaging portion 12. In other words, the curved surface 20 of each engagement piece 16 is continuous over a range from the front end portion to immediately before the individual holding portion 24.

Further, the curvature in the circumferential direction forming the outer shape of each engagement piece 16 is set to be substantially the same as the curvature of the mounting hole 42 in any part of the range of each curved surface 20. In other words, the point where the curved surface 20 first contacts the inner circumference of the mounting hole 42 when the engaging portion 12 is inserted, that is, the portion where the inner diameter of the mounting hole 42 and the outer diameter of the engaging portion 12 match. Except for this, the center of curvature of each engagement piece 16 is individually different (FIG. 2).

Each engagement piece 16 has its own curved surface 20
The portion extending from the holding portion 24 to the holding portion 24 is a locking slope 24a. Based on the inclination angle of the locking inclined surface 24a and the rigidity of the engaging piece 16 at the position constituting the holding portion 24, the engaging portion 12 is held in a state where it is inserted into the mounting hole 42. The specified withstand load (the load withstanding withdrawal) is determined. The base 1 of the engaging portion 12 is provided with the substrate 1
There is a dish-shaped stabilizer 28 which is greatly expanded outwardly from 3 and comes into contact with the surface of the panel 40 while being elastically deformed when the engaging portion 12 is inserted into the mounting hole 42.

The assembling portion 30 is a portion to be attached to the attaching portion 46 of the trim board 44 shown in FIG. 3 as an example of a member to be attached. The assembling portion 30 includes a flange 34 facing the substrate 13 with a small-diameter neck portion 36 interposed therebetween. By positioning the mounting portion 46 of the trim board 44 between the substrate 13 and the flange 34, the mounting portion 30 can be mounted on the trim board 44. Then, in order to attach the trim board 44 to the panel 40 by the clip 10, the assembling part 30 of the clip 10 is first attached to the trim board 44. In this state, the engaging portion 1 of the clip 10
2 is inserted into the mounting hole 42 of the panel 40. At the initial stage of the insertion, the curved surface 20 of each engagement piece 16 comes into contact with the inner periphery of the mounting hole 42 as shown in FIG. This contact start point is located near a point slightly past the coupling portion 16a of each engagement piece 16, that is, near each engagement piece 16 can be bent.

Subsequently, as the engagement portion 12 is inserted, each of the engagement pieces 16 moves along the curved surface 20 along the mounting hole 42.
While being kept in contact with the inner circumference of the engaging portion 12, the engaging portion 12 is gradually depressed and deflected in the axial direction of the engaging portion 12 under the reaction force. When the bulging portion 22 of the curved surface 20 comes into contact with the inner periphery of the mounting hole 42, each of the engagement pieces 16 is most flexed, and this state is shown in FIG. As is apparent from FIG. 4, each engaging piece 16 has already been fully bent near the middle of the insertion stroke, and the reaction force to the subsequent insertion tends to gradually decrease. That is, the contact angle θ shown in FIG. 3 starts to gradually decrease from the time when the curved surface 20 contacts the inner periphery of the mounting hole 42, and the contact angle θ when the bulging portion 22 contacts the inner periphery of the mounting hole 42. Becomes 0 degrees.

As described above, the curved surface 20 of each engagement piece 16 is brought into contact with the inner periphery of the mounting hole 42 at an early point in the insertion stroke,
After the contact, the change of the contact angle θ to 0 degree is positively accelerated by bending each of the engagement pieces 16 along the curved surface 20 of the large arc, so that from the contact start point to the bulging portion 22. The insertion load in the stroke is relatively small. Since the bulging portion 22 is located substantially at the center of the insertion stroke, each engagement piece 16 is easily bent, and the insertion load at this time can be small. Further, since the contact angle θ is 0 degree after passing the bulging portion 22, the subsequent insertion load is only frictional resistance between the curved surface 20 and the inner periphery of the mounting hole 42, and the insertion can be performed with a small force. As a result, the insertion load can be kept low throughout the entire stroke. When the holding portion 24 is located in the mounting hole 42, the engagement portion 12
Insertion is completed.

As described above, the holding portion 24 is designed so as to exhibit a specified load resistance against the force in the pulling direction applied to the clip 10, so that the holding force of the clip 10 is maintained. Contradictory conditions such as a light insertion load can be satisfied. Mounting hole 4
2 has a variation of about ± 0.2 mm due to a dimensional error.
Although the contact start point of 0 changes, the change amount of the contact start point is small because the curved surface 20 is an arc.

Further, in the clip 10 of the present embodiment, the curvature in the circumferential direction of the curved surface 20 of each engagement piece 16 is set to be substantially the same as the curvature of the mounting hole 42 as described above. FIG. 5 shows an enlarged cross section of the relationship between one engagement piece 16 and the mounting hole 42 when the engagement portion 12 is inserted. As is apparent from this drawing, when the engaging portion 12 is inserted, the curved surface 20 and the inner periphery of the mounting hole 42 are always kept in line contact or surface contact. For this reason, the reaction force for pushing and bending each of the engagement pieces 16 is dispersed without concentrating on the local portion, and each of the engagement pieces 16 is uniformly and smoothly bent toward the axis of the engagement portion 12. Also the engaging portion 12
Insertion becomes lighter.

FIG. 6 is a front view partially showing the clip 10 of the second embodiment, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a side view of FIG. Embodiment 2
Also, the basic configuration and function of the clip 10 are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the only difference is the shape of the column 14. That is, the column 14 of the second embodiment has a cross-sectional shape that is not a cross shape (FIG. 7), but is a single flat plate as a whole. However, rib-shaped reinforcing portions 14b are provided on both sides of the column 14 in order to secure rigidity against bending in the left-right direction in FIGS.

Although these reinforcing portions 14b have substantially the same dimensions as the plate-like portions 14a of the column 14 of the first embodiment on the base end side of the engaging portion 12, they are cut diagonally on the way to the distal end. It has been dressed. Therefore, the two reinforcing portions 14b are not connected to the distal end portion 26 of the engaging portion 12 (FIG. 6). However, the strength against compression or bending required for the engaging portion 12 can also be ensured by the support 14 and the reinforcing portion 14b.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the gradually changing surface forming the outer diameter of each of the engagement pieces 16 of the clip 10 has a circular arc shape from the tip of the engagement portion 12 to the bulging portion 22. The curved surface 20 may be a straight surface from the swelling portion 22 to immediately before the holding portion 24. In this case, the swelling portion 22 can be set closer to the front end than the intermediate position of the engaging portion 12. Further, instead of the curved surface 20, the gradually changing surface may have a cross-sectional shape that is a parabolic shape or a shape in which a plurality of straight lines having different angles with respect to the axis of the engaging portion 12 are connected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a clip in partial cross section.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a use state of the clip.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a state when a clip is inserted.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross section showing a relationship between one engagement piece and a mounting hole when a clip is inserted.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing the clip of the second embodiment in a partial cross section.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side view of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a front view showing a conventional clip in a partial cross section.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken in the direction of arrows XX in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state when a conventional clip is inserted.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Clip 12 Engagement part 16 Engagement piece 20 Curved surface (gradual change surface) 22 Swelling part 24 Holding part 30 Assembly part 40 Panel (mounting plate) 42 Mounting hole 44 Trim board (member to be mounted) θ Contact angle

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A clip used for mounting a predetermined member to be mounted on a mounting plate using a mounting hole formed through the front and back surfaces of the mounting plate, the clip being inserted into the mounting hole. An engaging portion, comprising an assembling portion to be attached to the attached member, the engaging portion is configured by a plurality of engaging pieces that can be elastically bent in the radial direction, On the outer surface of each engaging piece on the base end side of the engaging part, there is a holding part for holding the state in which the engaging part is inserted into the mounting hole with a specified withstand load. When each of the engagement pieces comes into contact with the inner periphery of the mounting hole and starts to bend when the engagement portion is inserted, each of the engagement pieces extends from this contact start position to an arbitrary position including the position immediately before the holding portion. The contact angle between the outer surface of the mating piece and the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole gradually decreases toward 0 degrees Clip that is a gradual change surface UNA. 2. The clip according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the gradually changing surface in the insertion direction of the engaging portion is an arc, a parabola, and a plurality of straight lines having different angles with respect to the axis of the engaging portion. A clip set to one of the connected shapes. 3. The clip according to claim 1, wherein each of said engagement pieces is in contact with an inner periphery of said mounting hole from a position immediately before said holding portion when said engagement portion is inserted. In the middle, a clip having a gradually changing surface of each engagement piece so that the contact angle is 0 degree. 4. The clip according to claim 1, wherein both ends of each engaging piece are respectively connected to a rigid portion of said engaging portion, and said engaging portion is inserted when said engaging portion is inserted. The point where the gradually changing surface of each engagement piece starts to contact the inner periphery of the mounting hole is set near the point where each engagement piece and the rigid portion are joined on the distal end side of the engagement portion. clip. 5. The clip according to claim 4, wherein the engaging portion has a substrate located on the base end side thereof, a support extending in a distal direction from the base, and a substantially disposed distal end of the support. A clip having a conical block portion, wherein the substrate, the support and the block portion have rigidity, and both ends of each engagement piece are respectively connected to the substrate and the block portion. 6. A clip used for mounting a predetermined member to be mounted on a mounting plate by using a mounting hole formed through the front and back surfaces of the mounting plate, the clip being inserted into the mounting hole. An engaging portion, comprising an assembling portion to be attached to the attached member, the engaging portion is configured by a plurality of engaging pieces that can be elastically bent in the radial direction, On the outer surface of each engaging piece on the base end side of the engaging part, there is a holding part for holding a state where the engaging part is inserted into the mounting hole with a specified withstand load, and the outer shape of each of the aforementioned engaging pieces is provided. The curvature in the circumferential direction is substantially the same as the curvature of the mounting hole in a range from at least a position where each engagement piece starts to contact the inner circumference of the mounting hole to immediately before the holding portion when the engaging portion is inserted. Clip set to.