"MEANS FOR FIXING BY INTERLOCKING AND CONTAINER FIXED THEREBY"
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to the field of the assembly and fitting of elements, more particularly the connection of an object or article to a planar or non-planar support such as a wall, and concerns a means for fixing by interlocking and a container or casing fixed by at least one such means. BACKGROUND ART
There is currently a need for fixing means which are simple and quick to use and are limited to a single piece (not requiring a mating piece), are easy and inexpensive to produce, allow detachable fitting and do not require awkward treatment or preparation of the receiving supporting wall or tools for the handling thereof.
This need is particularly pronounced in the automotive industry for the fixing of containers or casings under the bonnet and in the environment of vehicle engines, in view in 'particular of the methods of production (assembly line) and constraints concerning size, access and cost price.
A further desired advantage concerns the possibility of manufacturing the fixing means integrally with the object or article to. be fixed. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a fixing means as well as a container or casing equipped with such a fixing means for meeting at least some of the aforementioned requirements while overcoming the limitations of current fixing systems.
The present invention accordingly relates to a means for fixing by interlocking, adapted to be fitted into an orifice or an aperture in the form of a slot or oblong hole made in a wall, characterised in that it consists of a body in the form of a ring or a link or of part of a ring or a link, produced from an at least slightly elastically deformable material and comprising, on two mutually facing ring or link portions, sites for retention by interlocking which are intended to mesh under elastic stress in the region of the wall edges defining the opposing ends of the aperture in the form of a slot or oblong hole.
The invention also relates to a container or casing for connection to a wall, in particular to a thin wall, characterised in that it is connected to said wall via at least one means of fixing by interlocking as described hereinbefore, extending in at least one orifice or aperture of appropriate shape made in said wall. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be understood better by means of the following description which relates to a preferred embodiment given as a non-limiting example and explained with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a plan view, slightly in perspective, of a fixing means according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a lateral elevation of the fixing means of Fig. 1 as viewed in direction A;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of a fixing means according to a variation of the invention;
Fig. 4 is a partial plan view slightly in perspective and in section of a container or a casing equipped with two fixing means according to the invention;
Fig. 5 is a partial plan view of a container of the spherical reservoir type equipped with two fixing means according to Fig. 1 and 2 and with an elastic support element which also forms part of the invention;
Fig. 6 is a lateral elevation of a fixing plate according to the invention, and
Fig. 7 is a perspective view, partially in section, of a plate according to Fig. 6 provided on a container or casing shown in part in Fig. 5.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OPT THE INVENTION
Fig. 1 to 3 show a means for fixing by interlocking 1 adapted to be fitted in an orifice or an aperture in the form of a slot or oblong hole 2' made in a wall 2.
According to the invention, the means for fixing consists essentially of a body 1 in the form of a ring or a link or of part of a ring or a link, produced from an at least slightly elastically
deformable material and comprising, on two mutually facing ring or link portions 1' and 1", sites for retention by interlocking 3, 3' which are intended to mesh under elastic stress in the region of the wall edges 2" defining the opposing ends of the aperture 2' in the form of a slot or oblong hole.
If the wall 2 is relatively thin, the retention sites 3, 3' could mesh with the thickness (actual or apparent in the region of the aperture 2') of said wall 2 itself. However, if the wall is relatively thick, said retention sites 3, 3' could also mesh with studs or similar protuberances formed in the region of the ends of the aperture 2' or in the passage following it, said aperture 2' being open or blind.
Advantageously, the body 1 will be axially dimensioned in such a way that, in the interlocking fitting position, the sites 3, 3' mesh under elastic stress generated by the deformation by compression of the branches V and 1" forming arcs or parts of an arc, on the opposing wall edges 2" of said aperture 2'.
Furthermore, the annular structure of the body 1 limits the amount of material required for production thereof while affording good fitting strength owing to the spaced supports of the branches V and 1" in the aperture 2' and their elastic adhesion in the region of the wall edges 2" of the opposing ends of the aperture 2'.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the body 1 consists of a thermoplastic material (for example polypropylene) and the sites for retention by interlocking 3 and 3' each consist oLa. local recess or contraction in section 4, 4' of the portion of ring or link 1', 1" or branch concerned, located directly adjacent to a protuberance or to a thickening in section 5, 6 in the form of a catch or wedge which precedes it in the direction of the leading end 1'" for introduction of said body 1 with an inclined ramp directed thereto.
At least one of the recesses 4, 4' could possibly consist of a return to the conventional cross- section of the appropriate branch V, 1", following the thickening in section formed by the protuberance 5, 6 preceding it.
The body 1 could be wedged in the aperture 2' by exerting a permanent force of retraction on said body 1 (opposed to the force of introduction into the aperture 2') generated, for example, by a spring or elastically deformable element.
Alternatively or additionally, to achieve wedging in a total or partial position, it may be provided that at least one 4 of the recesses or contractions 4, 4' is also followed by a protuberance or a thickening in section 5' so as to form a dish with straight walls delimited on either side by a protuberance 5, 5', the bottom of said dish 4 and advantageously at least a part of its lateral edges being shaped to receive, substantially by connection or mating, the wall edge 2" defining the corresponding end of the appropriate fitting aperture or orifice 2'.
Partial wedging may be achieved by means of a double protuberance 5, 5' on one branch 1' and a single protuberance 6 on the other branch 1" (Fig. 1), whereas total wedging may be 'achieved by means of two double protuberances 5, 5' and 6, 6' on the two branches V and 1" ofthe body 1 (Fig. 3).
According to a preferred embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings, the annular or quasi-annular body 1 has a general shape which is substantially elliptical or partially inscribed in an ellipse, with a structure which is slightly tapered in the direction of the arcuate part 1'" forming the leading end for introduction of said body 1, one 1" of the longitudinal portions or branches 1', 1" of said body 1 being stiffened, for example by a rib 7, to provide laterally adjusted and wedged positioning of the body 1 in the aperture 2'.
To facilitate production thereof, to allow easy adjustment of its elastic compressive strength (deformation while bringing together the two ring branches or portions 1' and 1") and to impart good rigidity to the body 1 in a direction intersecting (in particular perpendicular) with its median plane, the body 1 advantageously has a substantially rectangular conventional cross-section with an orientation of the greatest transverse dimension perpendicular to the parallel planes containing said body 1, the body 1 being integral with an object, an article or a part 8 to be fixed to said wall 2.
Referring to Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings, the body 3 could form a complete loop corresponding to an egg-shaped contour.
According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings, however, the body 1 extends over about three-quarters (%) of a ring or link of substantially elliptical general shape -and integral with the object or article 8 to be fixed or formed in one piece therewith and it cooperates with an elastic support element 9 which is preferably formed in one piece with the aforementioned object or article and makes spring contact with the wall 2 when the retention sites 3, 3' for the body 1 latch or interlock elastically on the opposing wall edges 2" of the appropriate aperture 2', so as to lock the assembly [body 1/support element 9/object or article 8] in position by pinching the wall 2 between said support element 9 and the protuberances or thickenings 5 and 6 of said retention sites 3 and 3'.
The support element 9 itself could possibly form a constituent functional part of the object or article 8 (wall part, for example) or constitutes a particular element formed on said body such as a deformable wing.
The present invention also relates to a container or casing for connection to a wall, in particular to a thin wall, characterised in that it is connected to said wall 2 via at least one means of fixing by interlocking 1 as described hereinbefore, extending in at least one orifice or aperture 2' of appropriate shape made in said wall 2.
Preferably, to achieve a strong rigid connection between the container or casing 8 and the wall 2, the container or casing 8 is provided with two means of fixing by interlocking 1 and with at least one elastic support element 9, for example in the form of an arcuate wing, preferably formed from thermoplastic material integrally with said container or casing 8.
To increase the force of support and attachment as well as the strength of the assembly, the bodies 1 forming the two fixing means are disposed in a mutually parallel manner, preferably in a coplanar manner, while optionally being mutually offset in the direction perpendicular to their median planes (Fig. 4 and 5).
If the container or the casing 8 is too heavy and/or if it is necessary to fix it very rigidly to a wall 2, it may also comprise, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings, an additional fixing plate 10 for attaching said container or casing 8 to a portion of wall 11' equipped with a fixing orifice 12 and located in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane containing the portion of wall 11 provided with said at least one aperture 2' for receiving said at least one means for fixing by interlocking 1.
Obviously the relative dispositions of the fixing means 1 and the plate 10 will be adapted to the local configurations of the portions of walls 11 and 11'.
Preferably, the means 1 will effect lateral fixing and the plate 10 lower support and fixing.
To produce an easy fixing without additional parts and tools, between the container or casing 8 and the wall 2, the plate 10 may comprise a leading arcuate wing portion 13 and a catch 14 for locking in the fitted position, optionally with profiled structures formed in one piece with said plate 10 and interacting to form complementary means for fitting by interlocking of said plate 10 in the fixing orifice 12 of the wall portion 11', said orifice 12 preferably having a rectangular shape and the plate 10 being extended by a support tongue 10'.
Preferably, the direction of fitting of the plate 10 will also be substantially perpendicular to the direction of fitting of the means 1.
In an advantageous application of the invention, shown in Figs. 4 to 7, said casing or container 8 consists of a reservoir, for example for coolant, of an automotive vehicle, the thin fixing wall 2 (wall portions 11 and 11') being formed by a sheet-metal part closing the engine compartment of said. vehicle and provided with cut-outs or indents forming the fitting and receiving orifices or apertures 2' and 12 respectively.
This reservoir 8 may therefore be fitted very easily by firstly introducing the means 1 as far as possible into its respective orifice 2' until it interlocks, then by interlocking the wing 13 in the orifice 12 abutting against the edge thereof and simultaneously by introducing the second
means 1 into its adapted orifice 2' supported against the stiffened branch 1", also until its sites 3, 3' interlock in the region of said orifice 2' and of the catch 14 in the orifice 12, all these operations being carried out without tools and while manipulating said reservoir 8 directly.
Said reservoir 8 may also be easily removed by firstly raising the extension 10' until the catch 14 is disengaged, then by extracting the wing 13 and, finally, by disengaging the fixing means 1, if necessary by pinching the loops to facilitate extraction thereof.
The invention is obviously not limited to the embodiment described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Modifications are possible, in particular with regard to the constitution of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.