NUT CONNECTOR FOR VEHICLE CLOSURE HARDWARE

Abstract

A vehicle closure hardware nut connector (10) is embodied by a unitary, one-piece stamping (18) including a generally flat nut portion (20) having at least one stamped nut (22), at least one connection tab (30) shaped from the nut portion in a coplanar relationship, and at least one deformable connection portion (46) that extends between the nut portion and the connection tab coplanar with both and being deformed to provide adjustment of positioning of a vehicle closure hardware component (38) on a vehicle body component (34). One embodiment of the nut connector (10) has a pair of the connection tabs (30) and another embodiment of the nut connector (10′) has a single connection tab (30).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a nut connector for vehicle closure hardware.

2. Background Art

Vehicle closures such as doors, front hoods, rear deck lids, rear drop gates, rear lift gates, rear side gates, etc. are supported for movement between open and closed positions and selectively secured in the closed position by hardware including latches, latch strikers, hinges, etc. One way in which such hardware is secured is by nut connectors which can be made as a unitary one-piece stamping made from sheet metal by progressive stamping. Such nut connectors have previously included a generally flat nut portion having at least one stamped nut projecting from its flat shape and having a pair of flat connection tabs that are connected to the nut portion in a coplanar relationship by deformable connection portions that project from the flat shape of the nut portion and the connection tabs. During assembly, the connection tabs are initially secured such as by welding or otherwise to an associated vehicle body portion which has oversized holes aligned with each nut of the nut portion so that a threaded fastener(s) that secures closure hardware on the other side of the vehicle body portion from the nut connector can be threaded to provide a clamped relationship that secures the closure member hardware component.

If positioning adjustment of the mounted hardware component is necessary, the hardware component can be adjusted, sometimes even without any bolt untightening, merely by an adjusting pound with a hammer. The deformable connection portions of the nut connector deform to permit such adjustment while the connection tabs remain secured by the welds. Since these deformable connection portions project from the plane of the nut portion and the connection tabs, there are space considerations involved. Furthermore, such deformable connection portions require a greater length of metal in order to stamp the nut connector.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved vehicle hardware nut connector.

In carrying out the above object, the vehicle closure hardware nut connector of the invention is a unitary, one-piece stamping made from sheet metal and includes a generally flat nut portion having at least one stamped nut projecting from its flat shape to receive a threaded fastener. The stamped nut connector also includes a flat connection tab spaced from the nut portion coplanar with its generally flat shape and adaptable to provide initial attachment of the nut connector to one surface of an associated vehicle body portion that has an oppositely facing surface against which a vehicle closure hardware component is contacted and secured by the threaded fastener upon threading into the stamped nut with the vehicle body portion clamped between the nut connector and the vehicle closure hardware component. The stamped nut connector also includes at least one deformable connection portion that extends between the flat nut portion and the connection tab coplanar with both and being deformed while remaining coplanar therewith to provide adjustment of the positioning of the hardware component on the vehicle body portion.

As disclosed, the generally flat nut portion includes a pair of stamped nuts projecting from its flat shape adjacent its opposite ends for respectively receiving a pair of threaded fasteners that cooperate with each other to secure the vehicle closure hardware component.

Two preferred embodiments each have a pair of the deformable connection portions connecting the nut portion and the adjacent connection tab in a coplanar relationship. The pair of deformable connection portions have shapes that project either toward each other between the nut portion and the adjacent connection tab or away from each other, and the projecting shapes of the deformable connection portions of each pair have rounded V shapes. These rounded V shapes of the deformable connection portions may each have a notch that affects its deformation upon adjustment of the position of the hardware component on the vehicle body portion.

In one of the preferred embodiments, the nut portion of the nut connector has a pair of opposite ends and also includes a pair of the connection tabs respectively located adjacent each of the opposite ends of the nut portion. This embodiment also has a pair of the deformable connection portions extending between each end of the flat nut portion and the adjacent connection tab coplanar with both and being deformed while remaining coplanar therewith to provide adjustment of the positioning of the hardware component on the body portion. The opposite ends of the nut portion of this embodiment have rounded shapes that respectively project toward the adjacent connection tabs, and the pair of connection tabs have rounded portions that respectively project toward the rounded shapes of the opposite ends of the nut portion. Each pair of the deformable connection portions have shapes that project toward each other between the adjacent rounded end of the nut portion and the round portion of the adjacent connection tab to provide a generally X-shaped opening.

In another embodiment, the nut connector includes a single connection tab. This embodiment has the flat nut portion provided with a pair of stamped nuts spaced from each other and projecting from its flat shape to receive a pair of threaded fasteners that cooperate with each other to secure the associated vehicle closure hardware component in the same manner previously described with the first embodiment. Furthermore, the nut connector of this embodiment has a four lobed opening between the flat nut portion and the connection tab. In addition, the projecting deformable connection portions have rounded V shapes that project toward each other and each may include a notch for affecting deformation.

The second embodiment of the nut connector has the connection tab spaced from the nut portion in a direction perpendicular to a axis extending between the spaced nuts.

The objects, features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating the manner in which a nut connector of the invention is manufactured by progressive stamping.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating one embodiment of a vehicle closure hardware nut connector that cooperates with a pair of threaded fasteners to provide mounting of a closure hardware component on an associated vehicle body portion while permitting adjustment as necessary.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken through the vehicle body component and the nut connector and hardware component to illustrate the manner in which the mounting takes place.

FIG. 4 is a view of the nut connector taken along the direction of line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a partial view taken along the direction of line 5-5 in FIG. 4 through a deformable connection portion of the nut connector.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the nut connector.

FIG. 7 illustrates the manner in which the deformable connection portions of either embodiment may project away from each other instead of toward each other as shown in the other views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a vehicle closure hardware nut connector 10 is made by a progressive stamping system 12 shown in FIG. 1 by progressively stamping sheet metal 14 supplied from a roll 16 which is preferably mild steel. As disclosed, the sheet metal is cold or hot rolled mild steel and after the progressive stamping of the nut connector 10 there is normally no need to perform any heat treating.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2-4, one embodiment of the nut connector 10 is a unitary, one-piece stamping 18 made from sheet metal as described above and includes a generally flat nut portion 20. This flat nut portion 20 as shown in FIG. 3 has at least one stamped nut 22, and actually two nuts as shown, projecting from its flat shape. Each nut 22 has an interior 24 that may be threaded or unthreaded for receiving a threaded fastener 26 such as a headed and threaded bolt or the like, a self threading fastener being used when the nut is unthreaded. The flat nut portion 20 also has a pair of opposite ends 28 that are respectively located adjacent the pair of nuts 22 as shown in FIGS. 2-4.

The nut connector stamping 18 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 also includes a pair of connection tabs 30 respectively located adjacent the opposite ends 28 of the nut portion coplanar with its generally flat shape. These connection tabs 30 are used to provide initial attachment of the nut connector to one surface 32 of an associated vehicle body portion 34 that has an oppositely facing surface 36 against which a vehicle closure hardware component 38 is contacted as illustrated by the striker shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. This striker component 38 is secured by the threaded fasteners 26 upon threading into the stamped nuts 22 with the vehicle body portion 34 clamped between the nut connector and the striker component. More specifically, the connection tabs 30 are conventionally initially secured to the vehicle body portion 34 by welds 40 or otherwise fastened or secured such that the interior of each nut 22 is aligned with an oversize hole 42 of the vehicle body portion in alignment with striker component holes 44 through which the threaded fasteners 26 are inserted to provide the threading and clamping.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the nut connector stamping also includes deformable connection portions 46 that extend between the opposite ends 28 of the flat nut portion 20 and the connection tabs 30 coplanar with both. After the striker component 38 is attached as shown in FIG. 3, adjustment of its position is possible by deformation of the connection portions 46 while remaining coplanar with the nut portion 20 and the connection tabs 30 which are secured in any suitable manner as previously mentioned to the vehicle body portion 34 such as by the welds 40 shown. This adjustment can be accomplished by an impact blow on the striker component 38 sometimes with and sometimes without unthreading of the fasteners 26 to slightly unclamp the vehicle body portion with respect to the striker component and the nut connector.

As discussed above, the preferred embodiment of the stamped nut connector 10 as shown includes a pair of the threaded nuts 24 respectively adjacent the ends 28 of the nut portion 20. These nut portion ends 28 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 have rounded shapes 48 extending around the adjacent nuts 22 and respectively projecting toward the adjacent connection tabs 30. Furthermore, the pair of connection tabs 30 have rounded portions 50 that respectively project toward the rounded portions 48 of the opposite ends 28 of the nut portion 20.

With continuing reference to FIGS. 2 and 4, a pair of the deformable connection portions 46 are disclosed as connecting each end 28 of the nut portion 20 and the adjacent connection tab 30 in a coplanar relationship. These deformable connection portions 46 of each pair have shapes that project toward each other between the adjacent end 28 of the nut portion 20 and the adjacent connection tab 30. It is also possible for the deformable connection portions 46 to project away from each other as shown in FIG. 7. Furthermore, the projecting shapes of the deformable connection portions 46 of each pair have rounded V shapes that project toward each other and cooperate with the adjacent rounded end 48 of the nut portion 20 and the rounded portion 50 of the connection tab 30 to provide an X-shaped opening 52 which is stamped from the sheet metal roll during the progressive stamping. During adjustment of the striker component as previously described, deformation of the deformable portions 46 permits movement of the nut portion 20 to be adjusted while the connection tabs 30 remain welded in their initial position to the vehicle body portion on which the striker component and nut connector are clamped for positioning. It should be noted that the nuts 22 are initially stamped, the exterior of the nut connector is then stamped to define the interiors of the rounded V shapes of the deformable connection portions 46, and the holes 52 are then finally stamped into the nut connector.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the deformable portions 46 may have notches 54 that provide a reduced thickness so as to affect the extent of deformation for any given impact applied to the hardware component mounted by the nut connector.

The coplanar relationship of the deformable connection portions 46 with the nut portion 20 and the connection tabs 30 permits the nut connector 10 to be stamped from a metal strip having a smaller distance between the ends of connection tabs than when the connection portions project from the plane of the nut portion and the connection tabs. This coplanar relationship can also be a packaging advantage which is helpful in some applications.

With reference to FIG. 6, another embodiment of the vehicle closure hardware nut connector 10′ has the same construction as the previously described embodiment except as will be noted and thus much of the prior description is applicable and will not be repeated. In this embodiment, the stamping 18′ of the nut connector 10′ has a single connection tab 30 utilized to provide the initial connection to the vehicle body in preparation for the threaded securement in the same manner previously described by threaded fasteners to secure a vehicle closure hardware component. In this embodiment, the opening 52 between the nut portion 20 and the single connection tab 30 is of a four lobed shape including four lobes 56. Furthermore, the stamped nuts 22 on the nut portion 20 are positioned along an axis A and the connection portion 30 is located in a perpendicular direction to axis A.

The single connection tab nut connector 10′ of FIG. 6 may also have its deformable connection portions 46 projecting away form each other as shown in FIG. 7 just like the nut connector 10 of FIGS. 2-4.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector comprising:

a unitary, one-piece stamping made from sheet metal and including:

a generally flat nut portion having at least one stamped nut projecting from its flat shape to receive a threaded fastener;

a flat connection tab spaced from the nut portion coplanar with its generally flat shape and adaptable to provide initial attachment of the nut connector to one surface of an associated vehicle body portion that has an oppositely facing surface against which a vehicle closure hardware component is contacted and secured by the threaded fastener upon threading into the stamped nut with the vehicle body portion clamped between the nut connector and the vehicle closure hardware component; and

at least one connection portion that extends between the flat nut portion and the connection tab coplanar with both and being deformed while remaining coplanar therewith to provide adjustment of the positioning of the hardware component on the vehicle body portion.

2. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector as in claim 1 wherein the generally flat nut portion includes a pair of stamped nuts projecting from its flat shape adjacent its opposite ends for respectively receiving a pair of threaded fasteners that cooperate with each other to secure the vehicle closure hardware component.

3. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector as in claim 2 wherein a pair of the deformable connection portions connect the nut portion and the connection tab in a coplanar relationship therewith.

4. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector as in claim 3 wherein the deformable connection portions are selected from the group consisting of deformable connection portions having shapes that project toward each other and deformable connection portions having shapes that project away from each other.

5. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector as in claim 4 wherein the projecting shapes of the deformable connection portions have rounded V shapes.

6. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector as in claim 5 wherein the rounded V shapes of the deformable connection portions each includes a notch that affects its deformation upon adjustment of the position of the hardware component on the vehicle body portion.

7. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector as in claim 1 wherein each connection portion includes a notch that affects its deformation upon adjustment of the position of the hardware component on the vehicle body portion.

8. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector as in claim 1 wherein the nut portion has a pair of opposite ends, further including a pair of the connection tabs respectively located adjacent each of the opposite ends of the nut portion, and a pair of the deformable connection portions extending between each end of the flat nut portion and the adjacent connection tab coplanar with both and being deformed while remaining coplanar therewith to provide adjustment of the positioning of the hardware component on the vehicle body portion.

9. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector as in claim 8 wherein the opposite ends of the nut portion have rounded shapes that respectively project toward the adjacent connection tabs, and the pair of connection tabs having rounded portions that respectively project toward the rounded opposite ends of the nut portion.

10. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector as in claim 8 wherein the generally flat nut portion includes a pair of stamped nuts projecting from its flat shape respectively adjacent its opposite ends for respectively receiving a pair of threaded fasteners that cooperate with each other to secure the vehicle closure hardware component, and the pair of the deformable connection portions having shapes that project toward each other between the adjacent end of the nut portion and the adjacent connection tab.

11. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector as in claim 8 wherein the generally flat nut portion includes a pair of stamped nuts projecting from its flat shape respectively adjacent its opposite ends for respectively receiving a pair of threaded fasteners that cooperate with each other to secure the vehicle closure hardware component, the opposite ends of the nut portion having rounded shapes that respectively project toward the adjacent connection tabs, the pair of connection tabs having rounded portions that respectively project toward the rounded opposite ends of the nut portion, and the pair of the deformable connection portions having shapes that project toward each other between the adjacent rounded end of the nut portion and the rounded portion of the adjacent connection tab and cooperating therewith to provide a generally X-shaped opening.

12. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector as in claim 11 wherein the projecting shapes of the deformable connection portions of each pair of rounded V shapes that project toward each other.

13. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector as in claim 12 wherein the rounded V shapes of the deformable connection portions each includes a notch that affects its deformation upon adjustment of the position of the hardware component on the vehicle body portion.

14. A vehicle closure hardware connector as in claim 1 which includes a single connection tab.

15. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector as in claim 14 wherein the generally flat nut portion includes a pair of stamped nuts spaced from each other projecting from its flat shape to receive a pair of threaded fasteners that cooperate with each other to secure the vehicle closure hardware component, a pair of the deformable connection portions connecting the nut portion and the single connection tab in a coplanar relationship therewith, the deformable connection portions of each pair having shapes that project toward each other between the nut portion and the adjacent connection tab, and the nut connector having a four lobed opening between the flat nut portion and the connection tab.

16. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector as in claim 15 wherein the projecting deformable connection portions have rounded V shapes that project toward each other.

17. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector as in claim 16 wherein the rounded V shapes of the deformable connection portions each includes a notch that affects its deformation upon adjustment of the position of the hardware component on the vehicle body portion.

18. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector as in claim 15 wherein the connection tab is spaced from nut portion in a direction perpendicular to an axis extending between the spaced nuts.

19. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector comprising:

a unitary, one-piece stamping made from sheet metal and including:

a generally flat nut portion having a pair of opposite rounded ends and a pair of stamped nuts projecting from its flat shape respective adjacent its rounded opposite ends, and each nut having an interior for receiving an associated threaded fastener;

a pair of flat connection tabs respectively located adjacent the opposite rounded ends of the nut portion coplanar with its generally flat shape and adaptable to provide initial attachment of the nut connector to one surface of an associated vehicle body portion that has an oppositely facing surface against which a vehicle closure hardware component is contacted and secured by the threaded fasteners upon respective threading into the stamped nuts with the vehicle body portion clamped between the nut connector and the vehicle closure hardware component, and each connection tab including a rounded portion that projects toward the adjacent rounded end of the nut portion; and

a pair of deformable connection portions that extend between each opposite end of the flat nut portion and the adjacent connection tab coplanar with both, the deformable connection portions of each pair projecting toward each other and cooperating with the adjacent rounded end of the nut portion and the rounded portion of the adjacent connection tab to define a generally X-shaped opening, and the deforming connection portions being deformed while remaining coplanar with both the nut portion and the connection tabs to provide adjustment of the positioning of the hardware component on the vehicle body portion.

20. A vehicle closure hardware nut connector comprising:

a unitary, one-piece stamping made from sheet metal and including:

a generally flat nut portion having a pair of stamped nuts spaced from each other and projecting from the flat shape of the nut portion to receive threaded fasteners;

a single connection tab spaced from the nut portion in a direction perpendicular to an axis extending between the spaced nuts, the connection tab being coplanar with the generally flat shape of the nut portion and adaptable to provide initial attachment of the nut connector to one surface of an associated vehicle body portion that has an oppositely facing surface against which a vehicle closure hardware component is contacted and secured by threaded fasteners upon threading into the stamped nuts with the vehicle body portion clamped between the nut connector and the vehicle closure hardware component; and

a pair of deformable connection portions that extend between the flat nut portion and the connection tab coplanar with both and being deformed while remaining coplanar therewith to provide adjustment of the positioning of the hardware component on the vehicle body portion, the deformable connection portions having shapes that project toward each other, and the nut connector having a four lobed opening between the flat nut portion and the connection tab.