WO2014204385A1

WO2014204385A1 - Nut arrangement

Info

Publication number: WO2014204385A1
Application number: PCT/SE2014/050729
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fredrik BERNSTRÖM; Joakim Norbäck
Original assignee: Scania CV AB
Current assignee: Scania CV AB
Priority date: 2013-06-18
Filing date: 2014-06-16
Publication date: 2014-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 2015-12-18
Also published as: SE1350738A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a nut arrangement (1) that comprises a nut element (20) and a nut cage (10) in which the nut element (20) is arranged to be held. The nut element (20) is dimensioned to be permitted to move transverse to its axial direction (X) in the nut cage (10). The nut cage (10) has an attachment side (12) with an opening (O1) to a threated opening (O3) at the nut element (20). The attachment side (12) at the nut cage (10) is arranged to be attached at a base by means of an adhesive (A). The said adhesive (A) is constituted by a tape element (A) arranged at the said attachment side (12); according to one variant this element is constituted by double-sided tape. The nut cage (10) comprises positioning pegs (17, 18) arranged to interact med cavities at the base in order to position the nut arrangement during the application of the nut arrangement at the base.

Description

NUT ARRANGEMENT

TECHNICAL AREA

The invention relates to a nut arrangement according to the introduction to claim 1 .

BACKGROUND

What are known as "weld nuts" are used in certain applications when assembling by means of nuts and bolts, in situations in which it is difficult to physically hold the nut in place. In this case, the weld nut is welded fixed to the base. The weld nut is placed concentrically with a hole, where the position of the hole controls the placement of the weld nut.

One problem with such a weld nut is that it is not able to absorb tolerances during assembly, since it is welded in place. Since the weld nut is fixed in place by welding, the position of the nut cannot be adjusted during the assembly of fittings.

US20040033121 reveals a nut arrangement that consists of a nut cage or nut holder that is fixed welded to the material and a nut that is held in the nut cage in a floating manner. The level of tolerance during assembly is improved by such solutions. Similar solutions in which the nut cage is fixed welded at the base by means of welds, however, lead to impaired strength of the material at the base, which leads to limitations on the use of the nut arrangement for attachment. PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION

One purpose of the present invention is to achieve a nut arrangement that makes it possible to improve the tolerance during assembly, that makes it possible to produce a join with high strength, and that is simple to manufacture and simple to use during assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other purposes, which are made clear by the description below, are achieved by means of a nut arrangement of the type described in the introduction, and that furthermore demonstrates the distinctive features specified in the characterising part of the attached independent patent claim. Preferred embodiments of the nut arrangement are defined in the attached non-independent claims.

According to the invention, the purposes are achieved with a nut arrangement that comprises a nut element and a nut cage in which the nut element is arranged to be held, whereby the nut element is dimensioned to be permitted to move transverse to its axial direction in the nut cage, whereby the nut cage has an attachment side with an opening to a threaded opening at the nut element, where the attachment side at the nut cage is arranged to be attached at a base, characterised in that the nut cage is arranged to be attached at the base by means of an adhesive. The application of the nut cage at the base is in this way made possible without the material at the base being influenced by heat, which leads to it being possible to maintain the strength such that joins with high strength can be achieved. Furthermore, the application of the nut cage at a base whose surface has already been given surface treatment is made possible. Steel, for example, requires surface treatment. When using application by welding, the steel surface must be given surface treatment after the application of the nut cage, which can lead to an impaired function at the nut arrangement in that surface treatment agents, such as paint, can enter the nut cage such that the nut element becomes stuck in it. This problem is, consequently, avoided with the present invention.

According to one embodiment of the nut arrangement, the said adhesive is constituted by a tape element arranged at the said attachment side. Tape is simple to arrange at the attachment side at the nut cage end. Tape is cost- effective. Tape can be used safely. Tape arranged at the attachment side makes possible the simple application of the nut cage at the base.

According to one embodiment of the nut arrangement, the said tape element is constituted by double-sided tape. Double-sided tape facilitates application at the attachment side at the nut cage and attachment of the nut cage at the base. The double-sided tape preferably has a non-adhesive protective sheet of, for example, plastic or paper arranged at the attachment side at the double-sided tape, in a manner that allows the sheet to be removed. The protective sheet that can be removed is subsequently removed before application of the nut cage onto the base.

According to one embodiment of the nut arrangement, the nut cage further comprises positioning pegs arranged to interact with cavities at the base. Positioning and orientation of the nut cage over the hole at the base during mounting is in this way facilitated. Furthermore, the positioning pegs function to prevent rotation when the screw element is drawn into the nut element.

According to one embodiment of the nut arrangement, the nut element has an entry bevel that faces the opening at the attachment side arranged to become more narrow in the direction away from the opening towards the threaded opening at the nut element. Introduction of the screw element is in this way facilitated in that the screw element is guided to the threaded opening at the nut element.

According to one embodiment of the nut arrangement, the nut element has an external cross-section transverse to its axial direction that interacts with internal limiting surfaces of the nut cage in order to lock the nut element against rotation in the nut cage. The nut element is in this case locked such that it is not permitted to rotate in the nut cage, but is stopped in its rotation against the internal limiting surfaces in the nut cage. Such a form at the nut element is, furthermore, simple to construct.

According to one embodiment of the nut arrangement, the nut element has an external cross-section transverse to its axial direction that is essentially square, whereby the nut cage internally has an essentially square design. Effective prevention of rotation of the nut element in the nut cage is in this way made possible.

According to one embodiment of the nut arrangement, the nut cage is designed in one piece with opposite open gable parts with opposite stop flanges arranged to retain the nut element in the nut cage and opposite wall parts that run between the gable parts. Effective retention of the nut element in the nut cage is in this way made possible. Such stop flanges can be easily achieved during the manufacture of the nut cage in one piece through, for example, the folding of a blank that has been cut out. Such stop flanges can be formed by folding after the nut element has been applied in the nut cage.

According to one embodiment of the nut arrangement, the nut cage comprises stop flanges at the side that is opposite to the attachment side, to retain the nut element in the nut cage and to form an intermediate opening opposite to the opening in the attachment side. Effective retention of the nut element in the nut cage is in this way made possible. Such stop flanges can be easily achieved during the manufacture of the nut cage in one piece through, for example, the folding of a blank that has been cut out. Such stop flanges can be formed by folding after the nut element has been applied in the nut cage.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The present invention will be better understood with reference to the following detailed description read together with the attached drawings, where the same reference numbers refer to the same parts throughout the several views, and where: Figure 1 illustrates schematically a perspective view of a nut arrangement according to one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 illustrates schematically a perspective view of a nut cage at the nut arrangement in Figure 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 illustrates schematically a perspective view of a nut element at the nut arrangement in Figure 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4a illustrates schematically a perspective view of the nut arrangement in Figure 1 attached at a base; Figure 4b illustrates schematically a plan view of the attached nut arrangement in Figure 4a;

Figure 5 illustrates schematically a cross-sectional view of the attached nut arrangement in Figure 4a; and

Figure 6 illustrates schematically a plan view of the base in Figure 4a.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Figures 1 illustrates schematically a nut arrangement 1 according to the present invention, and Figures 4a-b and Figure 5 illustrate the nut arrangement 1 attached at a base S. Figure 2 illustrates schematically a nut cage 10 of the nut arrangement 1 . The nut arrangement 1 comprises, consequently, the nut cage 10. The nut cage 10 is intended to be attached at the base S with an opening O for a screw element. The nut cage 10 has an attachment side 12 with an opening 01 , where the attachment side 12 of the nut cage 10 is arranged to be attached at the base S.

The nut cage 10 is arranged to be attached at the base S by means of an adhesive A. The said adhesive A is constituted by a tape element A arranged at the said attachment side 12. The tape element A is, according to one embodiment, constituted by double-sided tape.

The said adhesive A may alternatively be constituted by any appropriate adhesive at all, such as glue or similar.

The attachment side 12 has an essentially rectangular form, here an essentially square form. The opening O1 at the attachment side 12 is centrally arranged at the attachment side 12.

The nut cage 10 has a side 14 that is opposite to the attachment side 12. The opposite side 14 has an opening O2 in order to allow a screw element to protrude from the nut cage 10 during assembly. The nut cage 10 has opposite open gable parts G1 , G2 and opposite wall parts 15, 16 that run between the gable parts G1 , G2.

The nut cage 10 has a first wall part 15 and an opposite second wall part 16 that is parallel to and separated by a distance from the first wall part 1 5. The first wall part 15 and the second wall part 16 unite the attachment side 12 and the side 14 that is opposite to the attachment side 12.

The nut cage 10 is designed as one piece. The first wall part 15 and the second wall part 16 are arranged to run essentially perpendicular to the attachment side 12. The first wall part 15 constitutes a perpendicular transition from one end at the attachment side 12. The second wall part 16 constitutes a perpendicular transition from an opposite end at the attachment side 12. The opposite side 14 comprises stop flanges 14a, 14b that form the opening 02 that is arranged to lie between the stop flanges.

The opposite side 14 at the nut cage comprises, consequently, a first stop flange 14a and a second stop flange 14b. The first stop flange 14a constitutes an essentially perpendicular transition from the first wall part 15, and the second stop flange 14b constitutes an essentially perpendicular transition from the second wall part 16. The first stop flange 14a and the second stop flange 14b face each other and have been brought into line with each other, forming the opposite side 14.

The end sections at the first and the second stop flanges 14a, 14b are arranged at a distance from each other such that the opening 02 is formed. The first stop flange 14a and the second stop flange 14b each has a centrally arranged bowed cavity for the formation of the opening 02.

The nut cage 10 further comprises first and second positioning pegs 17, 18.

The first positioning peg 17 is arranged centrally at the part of the first wall part 15 that faces the base S. The first positioning peg 17 is arranged centrally at the transition between the attachment side 12 and the first wall part 15. The first positioning peg 17 is arranged to protrude from the attachment side 12.

In a corresponding manner, the second positioning peg 18 is arranged centrally at the part of the second wall part 15 that faces the base S. The second positioning peg 18 is arranged centrally at the transition between the attachment side 12 and the second wall part 15. The second positioning peg 18 is arranged to protrude from the attachment side 12. Each positioning peg 17, 18 constitutes a U-shaped recess at the transition from the attachment side to the wall parts 15, 16. Each positioning peg 17, 18 has been folded out such that it protrudes beyond the attachment side 12 in the direction from the opposite side 14. Each positioning peg 17, 18 constitutes a central extension of the relevant wall part 15, 16.

The nut cage 10 comprises stop flanges 19a, 19b in the form of gable stop flanges 19a, 19b, arranged at the gable parts G1 , G2, respectively. The nut cage 10 comprises a first gable stop flange 19a arranged in association with the first gable part G1 , and a second gable stop flange 19b arranged in association with the second gable part G2.

The first gable stop flange 19a constitutes an essentially perpendicular transition from one end of the attachment side 12, and the second gable stop flange 19b constitutes an essentially perpendicular transition from an opposite end of the attachment side 12. The first and second gable stop flanges 19a, 19b are arranged to protrude from opposite ends of the attachment side 12 in the direction towards the opposite side 14 at the nut cage 10.

By designing the nut cage 10 as has been described above, the nut cage can be simply manufactured as one piece. According to one variant, the nut cage is formed from an initially plane extended element in which the opening 01 is created centrally in what is to become the attachment side 12. Furthermore, the plane element has what are to become the opposite gable stop flanges 19a, 19b that protrude centrally from the relevant long side and that are formed by being folded upwards at a right angle through, for example, folding. Furthermore, the bowed cavities are made at the relevant ends of the element. The opposite wall parts 15, 16 and stop flanges 14a, 14b are formed by folding up perpendicularly opposite parts at the plane element in a first step and subsequently folding perpendicularly the relevant end part through, for example, folding. The nut arrangement 1 comprises a nut element 20. The nut element 20 has a penetrating threaded opening 03 in order to receive a screw element. The threaded opening O3 has a direction X of axial extension that constitutes the axial direction X of the nut element 20. The nut element 20 has an entry side 25 from which the screw element is intended to be inserted, and an opposite outlet side 26.

The nut element 20 has an essentially rectangular cross-section. The nut element 20 has, according to this variant, an essentially square cross- section. The nut element 20 is essentially formed as a regular block and is limited by a first side 21 , an opposite second side 22, and a third side 23 and an opposite fourth 24 side that are perpendicular to the first and second sides 21 , 22, and to the entry side 25 and the outlet side 26.

The nut element 20 has an entry bevel 25a arranged to become more narrow in the direction from the entry side 25 towards the threaded opening O3 at the nut element 20. The nut element 20 has an internal threaded part 25b at the threaded opening O3.

The nut element 20 has an external cross-section transverse to its axial direction X that is essentially square. The nut arrangement 1 is designed and dimensioned such that the external cross-section transverse to its axial direction X is arranged to interact with internal limiting surfaces of the nut cage 10 in order in this way to lock the nut element 20 against rotation in the nut cage 10.

The entry bevel 25a at the nut element 20 faces towards the attachment side 12.

The first and second stop flanges 14a, 14b at the nut cage 10 are arranged to retain the nut element 20 in the nut cage 10 and to form the intermediate opening 02 that is opposite to the opening 01 in the attachment side. The intermediate opening 02 permits in this way a screw element to protrude from the nut cage 10 during assembly.

The base S illustrated in Figures 4a, 4b and Figures 5-6 has an attachment side Sa, against which the nut cage 1 is arranged to be attached, and an opposite side Sb.

The positioning pegs 17, 18 at the nut cage 1 0 are arranged to interact with cavities U1 , U2 at the base S. The cavities U1 , U2 at the base S are consequently dimensioned to receive the positioning pegs 17, 18 at the nut cage 10 in order to position the nut arrangement 1 during application of the nut arrangement 1 onto the base. The cavities U 1 , U2 at the base S may be constituted by penetrating cavities or blind cavities.

The opposite stop flanges 19a, 19b at the gable parts G1 , G2 at the nut cage 10 are arranged to retain the nut element 20 in the nut cage 10. The description above of the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been given for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the variants that have been described. Many modifications and variations will be obvious for one skilled in the arts. The embodiments have been selected and described in order to best describe the principles of the invention and its practical applications, and thus to make it possible for one skilled in the arts to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications that are appropriate for the intended use.

Claims

1. A nut arrangement (1 ) that comprises a nut element (20) and a nut cage (10) in which the nut element (20) is arranged to be held, whereby the nut element (20) is dimensioned to be permitted to move transverse to its axial direction (X) in the nut cage (10), whereby the nut cage (10) has an attachment side (12) with an opening (01 ) to a threaded opening (O3) at the nut element (20), where the attachment side (12) at the nut cage (10) is arranged to be attached at a base (S), characterised in that the nut cage (10) is arranged to be attached at the base (S) by means of an adhesive (A).

2. The nut arrangement according to claim 1 , whereby the said adhesive (A) is constituted by a tape element (A) arranged at the said attachment side (12).

3. The nut arrangement according to claim 2, whereby the said tape element (A) is constituted by a double-sided tape.

4. The nut arrangement according to any one of claims 1 -3, whereby the nut cage (10) further comprises positioning pegs (17, 18) arranged to interact med cavities (U1 , U2) at the base (S).

5. The nut arrangement according to any one of claims 1 -4, whereby the nut element (20) has a entry bevel (25a) that faces the opening (O1 ) at the attachment side (12) arranged to become more narrow in the direction from the opening (O1 ) towards the threaded opening (O3) at the nut element (20).

6. The nut arrangement according to any one of claims 1 -5, whereby the nut element (20) has an external cross-section transverse to its axial direction (X) that interacts with internal limiting surfaces of the nut cage (10) in order to lock the nut element (20) against rotation in the nut cage (10).

7. The nut arrangement according to any one of claims 1 -6, whereby the nut element (20) has an external cross-section transverse to its axial direction (X) that is essentially square, whereby the nut cage (10) internally has an essentially square design.

8. The nut arrangement according to any one of claims 1 -7, whereby the nut cage (10) is designed in one piece with opposite open gable parts (G1 , G2) with opposite stop flanges (1 9a, 19b) arranged to retain the nut element (20) in the nut cage (10), and opposite wall parts (15, 16) that run between the gable parts (G1 , G2).

9. The nut arrangement according to any one of claims 1 -8, whereby the nut cage (10) comprises stop flanges (14a, 14b) at the side that is opposite to the attachment side (12), to retain the nut element (20) in the nut cage (10) and to form an intermediate opening (O2) opposite to the opening (O1 ) in the attachment side (12).