SE540250C2

SE540250C2 - Fastening device, primarily intended for secure installationof components in a vehicle

Info

Publication number: SE540250C2
Application number: SE1550523A
Authority: SE
Inventors: Hånell Erik; Thorsen Gunnar
Original assignee: Scania Cv Ab
Priority date: 2015-04-29
Filing date: 2015-04-29
Publication date: 2018-05-15
Also published as: SE1550523A1; DE102016004768A1; DE102016004768B4

Abstract

The invention relates to a fastening device (4), preferably intended for mounting of a component (11) in a vehicle, comprising a hooking element (8) to be inserted/hooked in a hole (6) in the vehicles framework (5) and comprising a mechanism preventing that the fastening device (4), after installation, is unintentionally unhooked from its mounted position during e.g. a traffic accident. The invention is achieved by that a block (9) is arranged during installation to automatically, by means of a spring biased part (12), move into the free space between the hooking element (8) and an inner/upper edge (14) of the hole (6).

Description

FASTENING DEVICE, PRIMARILY INTENDED FOR SECURE INSTALLATION OF COMPONENTS IN A VEHICLE TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a fastening device preferably for facilitating and securing installation of large/heavy components in a vehicle, especially in a heavy/commercial vehicle, such as in a truck. The invention is particularly intended for mounting of a roof shelf on the rear wall in a vehicle cab, behind the driver's and/or the passenger seats, in such a manner that the roof shelf is safely secured and will stay in place during e.g. a traffic accident. The invention also refers to a vehicle provided with a fastening device according to the invention.

BACKGROUND ART In large vehicles such as trucks there is a need for installation of e.g. large components such as shelves, or especially roof shelves, on the upper part of the rear wall of the cab, above the bed(s) that is installed in many vehicles for long distance transportation. Roof shelves are used as storage units and are relatively large and heavy which makes them difficult to install as they have to be lifted, positioned and kept in the correct position at the same time as it is screwed to the framework of the cab. This procedure is normally executed by using some kind of clamping mechanism that allows the shelf to be hooked in an easy manner to the framework and thereafter be screwed/bolted to the framework. If the vehicle later on is exposed to a traffic accident/crash, subjecting the parts inside the vehicle for large loads/strains the clamping mechanism may unhook or come apart resulting in that e.g. the shelf, or parts of it, is released from the framework in the cab and thrown around in the cab risking to injure the driver and/or the passenger. It is therefore very important that the shelf, in this case, will be fastened and secured in its intended position in such a way that it will not come lose under any circumstances. At the same time it is important that the fastening device is simple in its design, possible to hook manually in its intended position, containing only a few components that may result in a simple inexpensive installation.

Many attempts have been made to provide a simple and userfriendly solution that facilitates a safe installation of larger components e.g. in a vehicle.

DE2435803 illustrates an example of a fastening device or clip for securing container freights/loads and the fastening device may be simply hooked into a slot. The device forms a U-profile and comprises two hooking elements/legs, where one of them is somewhat enlarged. The device fits in a mounting hole/slot located e.g. in a vehicle. When in place the device is spring biased by a leaf spring which keeps the fastening device in an end position that locks the device in the slot. However this device may easily come loose in e.g. a traffic accident if the load comes from the wrong direction, pressing the spring in a way that will loosen the device from the slot. If the device is pressed downwards (see figure 2) it will automatically come loose. This device is therefore not at all safe in a traffic accident situation.

EP1769970 illustrates another example of a fastening device/system for mounting components in vehicles, and is especially intended for installation of airbag modules. The fastening system comprises of a support and a detachable retaining device, attached to the support. The device is not especially designed for installation of large and heavy components and is made of relatively weak metal plate. For fastening this device the operator have to partly rotate the device in order to install it in place. This is a disadvantage as it is not possible to turn the fastening device when installing heavy components in narrow spaces.

Still another solution is disclosed in US2011/0017885. This detachable fastening device is provided with an adjustable locking mechanism comprising a securing means including rotating a screw/bolt. This solution is complicated and requires manually rotating a screw/bolt in order to lock the fastening device in place. It is not always possible in narrow spaces to manually rotate such a screw.

A further solution is illustrated in US2009/0050759. This solution describes a clamping system for supporting hardware especially in display systems. The clamping system is provided with two spaced apart and opposed oriented hooks at least one of which is movable relative to the other by a screw. The clamping device is intended to be inserted in a slot and thereafter screwed in order to be locked/fixed. The design has the drawback that it is not usable in narrow spaces where it is difficult or impossible to operate a tool.

A number of similar fastening devices exist in the market but none of these prior known devices illustrates a fastening device that automatically will lock the device in a simple and secure manner in the intended position when installed and at the same time has a very simple design, comprising of very few components. The fastening device according to the present invention can be used for installation of large/heavy components in e.g. a vehicle by simply hooking them to prepared slots in the vehicles framework. No known fastening device illustrates a similar technology.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above mentioned problems and to provide a simple fastening device for installation of large/heavy components, e.g. in a vehicle, and that automatically and securely will lock the device and the large/heavy component in its intended position.

A further object of the invention is that the fastening device should have a simple design, thereby being cheap to manufacture and install.

Another object of the invention is that the fastening device should be able to be used/operated even where the space is limited.

A further object of the invention is that the fastening device should be locked by a spring biased part comprising principally of only a few, preferably one, detachable component (s).

A further object of the invention is that the spring biased part should be possible to use together with a strong hooking element/part.

A further object of the invention is that the fastening device must be mechanically strong/durable in its use position and prevented from unintentionally coming loose.

A further object of the invention is that the fastening device and its locking mechanism must take up minimal space.

A further object of the invention is that the fastening device should be easy detachable by manual force.

These and further objects and advantages is achieved by the invention by designing it in accordance to the features recited in claim 1.

The invention thus refers to a fastening device, preferably intended for mounting of a large/heavy component in a vehicle, comprising a strong hooking mechanism to be inserted/hooked in a prepared recess/hole in the vehicles framework and comprising a locking mechanism that automatically fixes the fastening device after insertion into the recess/hole in the vehicle and at the same time preventing that the fastening element, after installation, is unintentionally unhooked from its intended position, e.g. during a traffic accident.

The fastening device is especially intended for mounting of a roof shelf in a heavy commercial vehicle, such as in a truck, on the rear wall behind the driver's and/or the passenger seats. The fastening device is preferably manually detachable and facilitates the installation of a large component in such a way that it will be surely secured and will stay in place, also during a traffic accident.

Each fastening device comprises typically a hooking element for hooking into a recess or hole in the framework in the vehicle cab, on which hooking element is arranged a spring biased locking element. The locking element is arranged during installation to automatically move a block or blocking part into the free space between the hooking element and the inner/upper edge of the recess/hole.

The fastening device according to the invention is normally used/positioned on the back side of e.g. a roof shelf, connected to the inner framework of the shelf itself, intended for installation on the rear wall of the cab. The fastening device comprises typically of a hooking element of metal, such as e.g. steel, connected/welded to the shelf component, which is to be hooked onto the framework, especially by means of slots/openings arranged in the beams which is normally integrated in the wall. Preferably two such hooking elements are used for installation of one shelf. After finalizing the hooking operation it is possible to fix the shelf by e.g. screws, preferably at or near the bottom part of the shelf, in a region where it is possible to operate screws and tools.

During the fixing operation the shelf is kept in place by the two hooking elements in the fastening devices. In a possible traffic accident the upper locked fastening devices will keep the shelf in position. It is of course also possible to use the fastening device according to the invention for fastening the shelf both at its top and at its bottom. The locking element and its blocking part may be manually detached by retracting manually the blocking part and the fastening device and the large component/shelf could then be detached from the framework in the cab.

Due to the design the fastening device and its locking element takes up very little space. The locking element encircles, in one version, the hooking element and may easily be manually pulled off the hooking element, in its unmounted position.

The locking element is preferably manufactured by plastic but may also be manufactured of other materials, like rubber or even metal. It is important that a part of the locking element may be spring biased pressing the block into the recess/hole. By pressing this block backwards the hooking element may be inserted into the hole of the framework and thereafter automatically locked in position by moving the block into the hole. The fastening device may later on be detached by retracting the blocking part, e.g. by means of a special tool or manually so the device may be released and the component/shelf could be detached from the wall.

The main advantages of the solution according to the invention are that the fastening device is fast and easy to operate/-handle and is automatically locked/blocked in its position. It contains very few components which make it cost effective to manufacture and assemble. By using few components and by using lightweight materials as far as possible, the fastening elements weight will be low. The design also takes up very little space.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings as well as the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is described below in some preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates an interior view of a part of a conventional vehicle cab provided with a bed and a roof shelf at its rear wall.

Figure 2 illustrates in more detail, and in a perspective side view, a fastening device installed into a hole in the framework/beam located at the rear wall of the cab.

Figure 3 illustrates a partly sectioned side view of the beam according to figure 2 and where it is shown how the hooking element rests on a reinforced hole in the framework/beam.

Figure 4 illustrates a similar side view of the fastening device as illustrated in figure 3 but separated from the framework/beam.

Figure 5a illustrates a side view of the locking element, made of plastic, separated from the hooking element of the fastening device, and comprising a substantially U-shaped spring biased part/profile.

Figure 5b illustrates a perspective side view of the hooking element without the locking element.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention refers to a preferably detachable fastening device for mounting of a large/heavy component such as a roof shelf in a commercial vehicle cab in such a manner that the shelf will stay in place even during a traffic accident exerting large forces to the large/heavy component.

Figure 1 illustrates a typical interior view of a part of a conventional vehicle cab 1 provided with a roof shelf 2 installed on the rear wall 3 of the cab 1, behind the driver's and passenger's seats (not shown). As the roof shelf 2 is a large/heavy component it is difficult to install this part into a cab 1. In order to facilitate the procedure two or more fastening devices 4 (see also figure 2), and located at the upper rear part of the shelf 2. After that the shelf 2 is hooked in place it is fixed/screwed, at its bottom, to the framework, such as a beam 5, of the cab 1. By locking the upper fastening devices 4 in place the shelf 2 is prevented from unhooking from the wall 3 and the beam 5 and the interior of the cab 1 will be more safe to the driver and the passenger.

Figure 2 illustrates in more detail, and in a perspective side view, the fastening device 4 installed into a hole 6 in the framework/beam 5. A locking element 7 is spring biased and arranged on a hooking element 8 and locks, by means of a movable/slideable block 9, the hooking element 8 as soon as it is inserted into the hole 6. The hooking element 8 is preferably made of relatively thick and durable metal while the locking element 7, located on the hooking element 8, may be made of plastic, such as e.g. POM. The hooking element 8 is provided with a slot 10 (see figure 3) at a first end (the left end in the figure) and connected to the component to be installed (to the left in the figure), e.g. a shelf unit 11, here a tubular frame part of the shelf, on a second end (the right end in the figure).

Figure 3 illustrates a partly sectioned side view of the framework/beam 5 and a fastening device 4 according to figure 2. The slot 10 in the hooking element 8 rests here in a reinforced hole 6 in the framework/beam 5. The locking element 7 is fixed in relation to the hooking element 8 by a recess 15 at the lower part of the hooking element 8 and cannot move from its position. The outer part 12 of the locking element 7 is spring biased and arranged with a block 9. When the hooking element 8 is inserted into the hole 6 the locking elements 7 outer spring biased part 12 will at first be pressed backwards (to the right in the figure). As soon as the hooking element 8 is reaching its innermost position in the beam 5, i.e. when the edge 13 abuts the beam 5, it may move downwards into a position where the reinforced part of the beam 5 will be positioned into the slot 10 of the hooking element 8. In this instant the outer part of the spring biased locking element 12, with its block 9, will be pressed into the hole 6. The block 9 will thereby penetrate the free space between the hooking element 8 and the upper edge 14 of the hole 6. The hooking element 8 is thereby prevented from moving upwards in the hole 6 and thereby prevented from leaving, unhook from, the hole 6.

Figure 4 illustrates a similar side view of the fastening device 4 as illustrated in figure 3 but is here separated from the framework/beam 5. This view show in more detail the locking element 7 and its U-formed spring biased outer part 12 with its upper block 9. The block 9 obstructs the hooking element 8 from moving upwards in the hole 6 in the framework/-beam 5, after installation. The locking element 7 is fixed in position on the hooking element 8 by means of a recess 15 in which a protruding part 16 of the locking element 7 is positioned and fixed.

Figure 5a illustrates the locking element 7, made of plastic, separated from the hooking element 8 of the fastening device 4, and including a U-shaped spring biased outer part 12. The locking element 7 is designed with a centered recess 17 or hole in which the hooking element 8 may be inserted throughout the locking element 7. The locking element 7 thereby, at least in part, encircles the hooking element 8. The locking elements 7 U-shaped spring biased outer part 12 is designed to move/press, in the locked position of the fastening device 4, the upper block 9 into the space (see figure 3) between the hooking element 8 and the upper inner edge 14 of the hole 6 in such a way that the hooking element 8 is prevented from moving upwards in the hole 6, thereby locking the fastening device 4 in its intended position.

Figure 5b illustrates a perspective side view of the hooking element 8 without the locking element 7. The second end of the hooking element 8 is fixedly fastened to the framework of the component 11 to be installed in the vehicle, here the framework of the roof shelf. In the opposing first end (to the left in the figure) the hooking element 8 is provided with a vertical slot 10, extending into the hooking element 8 from below and arranged to be hooked into the slot 6 in e.g. a beam 5 or similar in the framework, like a beam 5, of the cab 1. A recess 15 is arranged at the lower part of the hooking element 8 for fixation of the locking element 7 (see figure 5a) provided with a corresponding protruding part 16.

The invention is thus primarily achieved by that the block (9) is arranged during installation to automatically, by means of the spring biased part (12), move into the free space between the hooking element (8) and an inner/upper edge (14) of the hole (6). The fastening device (4) is manually detachable from its mounted position by that the block (9) is arranged retractable from the hole (6).

The above description is primarily intended to facilitate the understanding of the invention. However the invention is of course not in any way restricted to only the disclosed embodiments, but many possibilities to modifications would be apparent to a person skilled in the art within the scope of the invention without departing from the basic idea of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. Fastening device (4) intended for mounting of a component in a vehicle, comprising a hooking element (8) to be inserted/hooked in a hole (6) in the vehicles framework and comprising a mechanism preventing that the fastening device (4), after installation, is unintentionally unhooked from its mounted position during e.g. a traffic accident, wherein said mechanism comprises a locking element (7) provided with a block (9) which is arranged during installation to move into a free space between the hooking element (8) and an inner/upper edge (14) of the hole (6), the locking element (7) is fixed in relation to the hooking element (8) but is a separate unit detachable from the hooking element (8) characterized in that the locking element (7) is arranged with a U-shaped spring biased outer leg/part (12) on which said block (9) is arranged.

2. Fastening device (4) according to claim 1, characterized in that a part of the locking element (7) is U-shaped creating the spring biased part (12).

3. Fastening device (4) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the block (9) is arranged movable/slideable in a horizontal direction, against the force of the spring biased part (12).

4. Fastening device (4) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the block (9) is located at the upper/outer end of the spring biased part (12).

5. Fastening device (4) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the fastening device (4) is manually detachable from its mounted position by that the block (9) is arranged retractable from the hole (6).

6. Fastening device (4) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the locking element (7) is made out of one piece of material

7. Fastening device (4) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the locking element (7) is made of a resilient material.

8. Fastening device (4) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the locking element (7) is made of plastic, e.g. POM.