DEVICE FOR FASTENING AN ACCESSORY TO A SUPPORT PART

Abstract

A device for fastening an accessory to a support has a plug-in part (1) with a plug-in shaft (3) to be inserted into a recess in the support, and a head shaft (7) that has a head plate (8) and a counterplate (10) between which an engagement system (9) is developed. A guide strap (11) that has a guide recess (12) is formed on the counterplate (10), which is located on the side facing the head shaft (7). There is also a slider (2) that is mounted to be movable in the guide recess (12) toward the engagement system (9) and is made with a locking system (16) that is engaged with the engagement system (9) when the slider (2) is advanced into a locking position. This allows an accessory with a section located between the slider (2) and the counterplate (10) to be connected to the support.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a device for fastening an accessory to a support.

2. Description of the Related Art

One known device for fastening an accessory to a support is disclosed by DE 199 63 721 A1. In this device for fastening an accessory to a support, there is a plug-in member that has a plug-in shaft on which are formed means of locking in the form of spring arms placed on both sides of a central strap and in a foot area on the central strap, to fix the plug-in member on the support, and that has a head shaft that is connected to the plug-in member and has a head plate and a counterplate, between which is formed an engagement system. A head member movable laterally relative to the plug-in member is engaged with the engagement system after first latching irreversibly, to which in turn an accessory can be fastened essentially with zero clearance by a detachable snap connector. This allows the accessory to be fastened to the support with a certain tolerance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The task underlying the invention is to describe a device for fastening an accessory to a support with which the accessory can be very strongly fastened to the support.

Because of the existence in the device pursuant to the invention of a slider movable in a guide recess of a guide strap formed on the counterplate, which has a locking system that is engaged with the engagement system in a locked position, the accessory can be locked with the device pursuant to the invention with an appropriate configuration of the accessory, so that the accessory is connected with extremely high strength to the support in the absence of destructive force effects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 in perspective view, an example of embodiment of a device pursuant to the invention with a plug-in part and with a slider in retracted position;

FIG. 2 in cross section, the example of embodiment of FIG. 1 connected to an accessory with the slider in an advanced locking position; and

FIG. 3 in a cross sectional view rotated by 90 degrees from the illustration of FIG. 2, the example of embodiment of FIG. 1 in the arrangement according to FIG. 2, with the plug-in part in a position engaged with a support.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention, in several forms, the embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention to the precise forms disclosed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 in perspective view shows an example of embodiment of the device pursuant to the invention made of a hard elastic synthetic material that has a plug-in part 1 and a slider 2. The plug-in part 1 equipped with a cylindrical plug-in shaft 3, on which two diametrically opposite spring tabs 4 are formed as means of locking in this example of embodiment. Each spring tab 4 is bonded to a foot area 5 of the plug-in shaft 3 and projects diagonally radially away from the foot area 5 beyond the plug-in shaft 3. The plug-in part 1 has a cover shield 6 on the end of the plug-in shaft 3 opposite the foot area 5, which extends radially over the plug-in shaft 3 and is crowned toward the foot area 5 of the plug-in shaft 3.

On the side of the cover shield 6 opposite the plug-in shaft 3, the plug-in part 1 has a head shaft 7 that carries on its end facing away from the cover shield 6 a head plate 8 as a head terminal, which borders on the end an annular groove 9 adjacent to it introduced into the head shaft 7 as an engagement system. A counterplate 10 is formed opposite the head plate 8, which extends radially outward away from the head shaft 7 beyond the cover shield 6. A guide strap 11 oriented essentially at a right angle to the counterplate 10 is formed on the end of the counterplate 10 away from the head shaft 7 extending to the side of the counterplate 10 facing the head shaft 7, in which is made a rectangular guide recess 12 whose long side is oriented at a distance from and parallel to the counterplate 10, and into which the slider 2 is inserted movably in the illustration according to FIG. 1.

In the example of embodiment of FIG. 1, the slider 2 has a guide plate 13 reaching through the guide recess 12 that is made with a cross section corresponding to the dimensions of the guide recess 12, and carries an end plate 14 at one end that faces away from the plug-in part 1 in the illustration of FIG. 1, which projects beyond the guide plate 13 in at least some sections. There is a projecting locking lug 15 on a flat face of the guide plate 13 as a locking structure, which is steep at the side facing the end plate 14 and relatively level at the side away from the end plate 14, so that the locking lug 15 can pass trough the guide recess 12 with relatively little resistance to being slid in when the slider 2 slides toward the plug-in part 1, but after the locking lug 15 grips behind the guide strap 11, the slider 2 can again be brought into an arrangement in which the locking lug 15 is located on the side of the guide strap 11 away from the head shaft 7 only with substantially greater resistance to withdrawal.

The slider 2 is also designed with a locking system in the form of fork-shaped locking arms 16 opposite one another that are formed on the guide plate 13 at the end of the guide plate 13 opposite the end plate 14, and extend in an extension of the guide plate 13. The dimensions of the locking arms 16 and the positioning of the guide recess 12 are aligned so that when the slider 2 slides toward the head shaft 7 into an advanced locking position, the locking arms 16 lie in the annular groove 9 with essentially no clearance in the radial direction, and the steep side of the locking lug 15 rests against the side of the guide strap 11 racing the head shaft 7.

FIG. 2 shows in cross section the example of embodiment according to FIG. 1 combined with an accessory 17 designed as a so-called “retainer” for an airbag mount, with the slider 2 in the advanced locking position in which there is a cross-strap 18 of the accessory 17 between the counterplate 10 and the guide plate 13, and the locking arms 16 are positioned in the annular groove 9 with regional covering by the head plate 8. The end plate 14 in the advanced locking position lies against the side of the guide strap 11 away from the head shaft 7, while the steep side of the locking lug 15 is opposite the side of the guide strap 11 facing the head shaft 7. The accessory 17 is thus firmly connected to the device pursuant to the invention with this connection being detachable only by an intentional action with a substantial exertion of force on the slider 2 to overcome the detention of the steep side of the locking lug 15 on the guide strap 11, with a motion away from the head shaft 7. The accessory 17 in this system can be connected, for example, with a support 19 designed as a flat support plate.

FIG. 3, in a cross section rotated by 90 degrees relative to the illustration of FIG. 2, shows the example of embodiment according to FIG. 1 in the arrangement according to FIG. 2, with the plug-in part 1 in an engaged position with the support 19. It is clear from FIG. 3 that in the engaged position, the spring tabs 4 grip beneath the edge of a recess made in the support 19 and the cover shield 6 rests against the side of the support 19 opposite the spring tabs 4 with a certain pre-stress, so that the device pursuant to the invention and with it the accessory 17 attached to it are strongly joined to the support 19, and aside from an intentional sliding of the slider 2 out of the locked position when slid forward, in the absence of an imposed force destroying the cross-strap 18 or the arrangement of the plug-in part 1 and the slider 2 in the advanced locked position, it is irreversibly connected to the support 19.

While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.

Claims

1-6. (canceled)

7. A device for fastening an accessory to a support, said device comprising:

a plug-in part with a plug-in shaft having locking members formed thereon for fixing said plug-in part on the support;

a head shaft connected to the plug-in shaft and including a head plate and a counterplate, and an engagement system formed between said head plate and said counterplate;

a guide strap formed on said counterplate at a lateral distance from said head plate and having a guide recess, said guide recess located on a side of said guide strap facing said head shaft at a distance from said counterplate; and

a slider mounted for sliding movement in said guide recess toward said engagement system, said slider including a locking system engaged with said engagement system when said slider is advanced into a locked position.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein a locking structure is formed on the slider, said locking structure preventing said slider from moving out of said engagement structure in said locked position.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said engagement structure is an annular groove and said locking system has two fork-shaped locking arms disposed opposite one another, said locking arms positioned in said annular groove in said locked position.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said slider includes a rectangular flat plate mounted in said guide recess, said flat plate having a flat face positioned parallel to said counterplate, said locking arms formed on one end of said flat plate.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein an end plate is formed on an end of said guide plate opposite said locking arms, at least a section of said end plate projecting beyond said guide plate.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said locking structure is a locking lug projecting beyond said guide plate.