GIRODO, Franco (Via Massimo D'Azeglio 12, Tavagnasco, I-10010, IT)
| CLAIMS
1. A retaining element (1) for an automotive finishing part (2), in particular a rocker panel, and for at least one cable (3) , or other axial-symmetric object, houseable in use underneath the finishing part, comprising a body (5), first fastening means (6) in use of the body to an automotive bodywork (7), second fastening means (8) for removably receiving the finishing part on the body and consequently anchoring it in use to the bodywork, and third fastening means (10) for removably receiving on the body said at least one cable distended in direction parallel to its axis, so as to lay in a position in use underneath the finishing part; characterised in that the third fastening means comprise a support (11) for said at least one cable carried by the body (5) in relatively mobile manner with respect to the same in a direction corresponding to that of axial distension of said at least one cable (3) , so that the retaining element results in use pre-mountable along said at least one cable with the possibility of shifting the body (5) relatively to the cable (3) along said direction of axial distension of the cable.
2. A retaining element (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said support consists in a slide (11) slidingly mounted along at least one guide (12) - -
integrally carried by the body (5) , laterally with respect to said first and second fastening means (6; 8) .
3. A retaining element (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said third fastening means comprise axial abutting means (15) for the support, so as to limit the relative displacement of the latter with respect to the body along said direction of axial distension of the cable to a stroke of predetermined entity.
4. A retaining element (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that said guide (12) laterally and overhangingly protrudes from the body and its transversal section is T-shaped; said slide (11) being provided, on a first face (16) of it, with a groove (18) of shape mating in section with that of the guide and engaged by said guide.
5. A retaining element (1) according to claim 4, characterised in that said slide (11) presents a second face (20) , opposite to the first face, shaped so as to be adapted to supportingly receive, in use, said at least one cable (3) arranged along said direction of axial distension of the same.
6. A retaining element (1) according to claim 5, characterised in that said second face (20) of the slide is essentially saddle-shaped in transversal direction with respect to said direction of axial extension of the cable (3) , so as to define an axial housing depression for the cable.
7. A retaining element (1) according to one of the claims from 4 to 6, characterised in that said body (5) with said guide (12) and said slide (11) are made of synthetic plastic material; said slide (11) having been co-moulded directly on said guide (12) , along with said body (5) , so as to be integral with said body while being relatively mobile with respect to the same; said axial abutting means being constituted by corresponding peripheral edges (15) of the slide (11) arranged transversally to said groove (18) provided on said first face of the slide.
8. A retaining element (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that said first and second fastening means (6; 8) are carried by said body (5) arranged on opposite bands and oriented along a same axis (A) defining a direction of engagement of the first and second fastening means with the bodywork (7) and the finishing part (2) , respectively, and arranged perpendicularly to said first and second faces (16; 20) of the slide.
9. A retaining element (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the third fastening means (10) comprise adhesive means (40) interposed in use between said at least one cable (3) and said support (11) .
10. A retaining element (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises fourth fastening means (50) for retaining at least one second cable, laterally arranged with respect to the body (5) on opposite band to the third fastening means (10) and consisting in at least one housing seat (51) for said at least one second cable arranged in a configuration of axial distension in use laying underneath the finishing part (2), the housing seat (51) being obtained on said body (5); and a plurality of flexible retaining fins (52) integrally obtained with the body (5) and which protrudingly extend within the housing seat (51) transversally to the same. |
RETAINING ELEMENT FOR AN AUTOMOTIVE FINISHING PART AND
FOR CABLES HOUSED UNDERNEATH THE AUTOMOTIVE FINISHING
PART, IN PARTICULAR A ROCKER PANEL
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a retaining element for an automotive finishing part and for electric cables or other similar axial-symmetric objects (e.g. tubes) housed underneath the finishing part, which in particular consists in a rocker panel. This is an element which is fastened to the automotive bodywork at the lower threshold of a doorway for accessing the automotive passenger compartment underneath which bundles of electric cables meant for electrically supplying the automotive utilities and/or for transporting signals/data are commonly placed.
BACKGROUND ART It is known that for fastening finishing parts or elements of the aforesaid type to the automotive bodywork, or to its parts, there are used retaining elements, generally moulded in one piece from synthetic plastic material, which are driven, generally snappingly, onto corresponding pins overhangingly carried by the bodywork/bodywork element onto which the finishing part is fastened; on a face facing the opposite side of that meant to be engaged on the aforesaid pins integral with
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the body, the known retaining elements carry a snapping engagement seat for a fastening head integrally carried by the finishing part and one or more housing seats for cables/cable bundles (or other similar axial-symmetric elements) generally arranged by the sides of the snapping engagement seat for the fastening pin of the finishing part and provided with flexible retaining fins for the cables/cable bundles.
The known retaining elements, although satisfactory, are relatively unsuitable for being pre-assembled along with the cables/cable bundles, for then being mounted and locked onto the bodywork, thus retaining the cables already in position, for then receiving the finishing part to be made integral with the bodywork for covering the whole.
Consequently, the assembly (or at least a fitting) of the cables/cable bundles meant to be retained by such retaining elements under the finishing part ensured by them against the bodywork must be performed on line, with constructive complications and relatively high assembly costs for the automotive manufacturer, who may at the most only partially exploit automatic assembly technologies .
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
It is thus an object of the present invention to overcome the above-described drawbacks by means of a retaining element for automotive finishing parts
particularly suitable for concurrently fastening electric cables or other similar axial-symmetric objects under the finishing part, which may be pre-mounted along the cables to be fastened in predetermined positions, and then assembled on the vehicle along with the cable/cables, even automatically, thus allowing to possibly obtain minor positioning adjustments of the retaining element with respect to the cable and/or to the automotive bodywork in a fully automatic manner. According to the invention, there is thus provided a retaining element for an automotive finishing part, specifically a rocker panel, and for at least one cable, or other axial-symmetric object, houseable in use underneath the finishing part, as defined in claim 1. In particular, the retaining element according to the invention comprises a body, first fastening means in use of the body to an automotive bodywork, second fastening means for removably receiving the finishing part on the body and consequently anchoring it in use to the bodywork, and third fastening means for removably receiving on the body at least one cable distended in a direction parallel to its axis, so as to lay in a position in use underneath the finishing part; the third fastening means comprise a support for the cable carried by the body in a relatively mobile manner with respect to the same in a direction corresponding to that of axial distension of the at least one cable, so that the retaining element is in use pre-mountable along the cable
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with the possibility of shifting the body relatively to the cable along the direction of axial distension of the cable.
The support consists in a slide slidingly mounted along at least one guide integrally carried by the body, laterally with respect to the first and second fastening means; there are also provided axial abutting means for the support, so as to limit the relative displacement of the latter with respect to the body along the direction of axial distension of the cable to a stroke of predetermined entity.
Finally, according to a further aspect of the invention, the body with the guide and the slide are made of synthetic plastic material and the slide is co-moulded directly on the guide, along with the body, so as to be integrally obtained with the body while being relatively mobile with respect to the same; then the axial abutting means consist of corresponding peripheral edges of the slide arranged transversally to a engagement groove for the guide provided on a first face of the slide.
In this manner, the retaining element according to the invention may be manufactured rapidly and cost- effectively, essentially at the same costs as the retaining elements for cables and finishing parts known until now, but it allows minor movements of the body of the retaining element with respect to the assembly position of the body along the cable; it may thus be pre- mounted along the cable and then mounted on the bodywork,
engaging with the first fastening means a corresponding fastening element integral to the bodywork (usually a pin) thus compensating for possible positioning errors, e.g. consequent to the normal machining tolerances (typically up to 5 mm) .
Indeed, during the assembly of the body on the pin anchored to the bodywork, the possibility of sliding movement along the axis of the cable which has the support, which is fastened to the cable in a predetermined axial position, with respect to the body, allows to automatically assemble the cable with the various necessary retaining elements pre-assembled and reciprocally spaced out in predetermined positions, without indeed accounting possible misalignments of the retaining elements with the pins integral to the bodywork, which are precisely compensated by the free movement of the support.
The slide constituting the support presents a second face, opposite to the first, shaped so as to be adapted to directly and supportingly receive, in use, the cable, arranged along said direction of axial extension of the same; and adhesive means are interposed in use between at least the cable and the support, in the case in point over the second face, to ensure the removable fastening of the cable to the support.
In this manner, the retaining element according to the invention is also more compact and easier to mount on the cable than the known ones.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a non- limitative embodiment, with reference to the figures in the accompanying drawings, in which: figure 1 shows a perspective three-quarters front view of a retaining element made according to the invention; and figure 2 shows a section view taken along a plotting plane II-II of the retaining element in figure 1.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
With reference to figures 1 and 2, numeral 1 indicates as a whole a retaining element for an automotive finishing part 2, in the non-limitative shown case in point a rocker panel (known and only partially shown for the sake of simplicity) , and for at least a cable 3, e.g. an electric or data cable, houseable in use underneath the finishing part 2 in a known manner and therefore not shown in detail for the sake of simplicity.
Hereinafter, for the sake of simplicity, reference will always be made to the cable 3, but it is apparent that the retaining element 1 is adapted to retain under the rocker panel 2 any axial-symmetric object of appropriate dimensions, comparable to those of the cable 3, e.g. an electric cable bundle or a tube for conveying fluids or for housing cables (sheath) . Therefore, all
references to cable 3 are provided by way of example only and must not be intended as limitative of the invention.
The retaining element 1 comprises a body 5, first fastening means 6 in use of the body 5 to a bodywork 7 of a vehicle (known and not shown for the sake of simplicity) , second fastening means 8 for removably receiving the finishing part 2 on the body 5 and consequently anchoring it in use to the bodywork 7, and third fastening means 10 for removably receiving on the body 5 the cable 3 distended in a direction parallel to its axis, so as to lay in a position in use underneath the finishing part 2.
According to a substantial aspect of the invention, the third fastening means 10 comprise a support 11 carried by the body 5 in a relatively mobile manner with respect to the same in a direction (indicated by the arrows in figure 1) corresponding to that of axial distension, in use, of the cable 3, so that the retaining element 1 results in use pre-mountable along the axis of the cable 3 with the possibility of shifting the body 5 relatively to the cable 3 itself, anchored to the support 11, along the direction of axial distension of the cable (figure 1) .
In the illustrated embodiment, the support 11 consists in a plate-shaped slide, thus essentially flat, slidingly mounted along at least one guide 12 (figure 2) integrally carried by the body 5, laterally to the first 6 and second 8 fastening means .
Furthermore, according to the invention, the third fastening means 10 also comprise axial abutting means 15 for the support 11, so as to limit the relative displacement of the latter with respect to the body 5 along the direction of axial distension of the cable 3 to a stroke of predetermined entity, e.g. of maximum amplitude in the order of 5 mm.
The guide 12 laterally and overhangingly protrudes from the body 5 and its transversal section is T-shaped (figure 2); the slide 11 is in turn provided, on a first face 16 thereof, with a groove 18 (figure 2) shape mating in section with that of the guide 12 and permanently engaged by the guide 12. The slide 11 also presents a second face 20, opposite to the first face 16, shaped so as to be adapted to supportingly receive, in use, the cable 3 arranged along said direction of axial distension of the same, in the manner shown in figure 2.
In particular, the second face 20 of the slide 11 is essentially saddle-shaped in transversal direction with respect to the direction of axial extension of the cable 3, so as to define an axial housing depression for the cable 3; according to a further aspect of the invention, the body 5 with the guide 12 and the slide 11 are made of a synthetic plastic material, preferably of an identical synthetic plastic material and are obtained by injection moulding, in particular by co-moulding the slide 11 directly on the guide 12 along with the body 5, according to multiple sequential injection technologies well known
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to those skilled in the art of synthetic plastic material moulding.
In this manner, the slide 11 is integrally obtained with the body 5, while being relatively mobile with respect to the same; according to this embodiment, the axial abutting means 15 are composed of corresponding peripheral edges of the slide 11 arranged transversally to the groove 18, closing the opposite ends of the same. Laterally to the edges 15, the slide 11 is provided with L-shaped arms 27 which delimit the groove 18 along the direction of laying in use of the cable 3 and which extend under the T-shaped guide 12, so as to prevent (unless they are broken) the removal of the slide 11 from the same. It is apparent that the described manufacturing and assembly method of the slide 11 on the body 5 is advantageous because it allows to minimise the manufacturing costs; it is however possible to assemble the slide 11 on the guide 12 in other ways, e.g. by separately making the body 5 with the guide 12 and the slide 11 in a suitable manner and then mounting the latter onto the guide 12, e.g. snappingly, slidingly; in such manner, the abutting means 15 could be composed of elasticised snapping teeth. The first fastening means 6 and the second fastening means 8 are of known type, e.g. respectively composed of a through hole obtained through the body 5 and meant in use to couple with a pin 30 integrally and overhangingly
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carried by the bodywork 7, in a predetermined position, along the path contemplated for the cable 3 on the vehicle, and of a head 31 provided with a seat 32 provided with elasticised ■ retaining fins 33 for a fastening barrel pin 34 of the finishing part 2, overhangingly obtained on the same, integral with the same. Obviously, the bodywork 7 will be provided with a plurality of pins 30 for anchoring a plurality of retaining elements 1 according to the invention, each fastened, by means of the support 11, to the cable 3 in a different axial position along the same, and the finishing part 2 will present a same number of barrel pins 34.
According to the invention, in all cases, the above- described fastening means 6 and 8 are carried by the body 5 arranged on opposite sides and orientated along a same axis A (figure 2) defining a direction of engagement (indicated by the arrows) of the first and second fastening means 6 and 8 with the bodywork 7 (pin 30) and the finishing part 2 (pin 34), respectively. Such direction of orientation of the fastening means 6 and 8 is such that axis A is arranged perpendicularly to the first and the second face, 16 and 20 respectively, of the slide 11. According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the third fastening means 10 comprise adhesive means 40 interposed in use between the cable 3 and the support 11, e.g. consisting of two-sided adhesive tape, one piece of
which of appropriate length is applied to the face 20 of the slide 11 before assembling the cable 3 and against the exposed face of which the cable 3 is then pressed, thus securing it in a fixed yet removable manner (overcoming the resistance offered by the adhesive on the opposite faces of the tape 40) to the slide 11.
Finally, the retaining element 1 according to the invention is preferably provided with fourth fastening means 50 for retaining at least one second cable or cable bundle (not shown), e.g. an optional amplifier cable and which is thus mounted, again on line, only when required. The fastening means 50 are for such purpose arranged by the side of the body 5 on opposite side to the third fastening means 10, i.e. to the slide 11 and to the corresponding guide 12; furthermore, the fastening means
50 are of the traditional type, indeed because the fastening of this possible second cable is to be however performed on the automotive assembly line, and consist in at least one housing seat 51 for the mentioned second cable arranged in a configuration of axial distension, in use laying underneath the finishing part 2; and in a plurality of flexible retaining fins 52; the housing seat
51 is obtained on the body 5, as also the fins 52, which are integrally obtained with the body 5, and which overhangingly extend within the seat 51 transversally to the same.
In use, after having arranged the two-sided adhesive tape 40 on the face 20, the retaining element 1 is
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fastened to the distended cable 3, in a predetermined axial position, so as to correspond in use to that of the pin 30 the element 1 of which is meant to be coupled. Subsequently, the pre-assembly thus obtained, defined by the cable 3 and by a plurality of retaining elements 1 equal to those needed to correctly retain the finishing part 2, is automatically mounted on the bodywork 7, because any misalignments which could be present (due to machining/assembly tolerances) between body 5 and pin 30 meant for it are compensated by a corresponding sliding motion of the slide 11 along the guide 12, which occurs automatically, as a consequence of the force exerted by the automatic assembly means, due to the low friction between slide 11 and guide 12 (low when compared with that normally present between cable and retaining fins - such as the fins 52, in cable fastening means of traditional type, such as the means 50) .
Finally, the finishing part 2 is taken onto the line and mounted in a traditional manner on the fastening means 8 of the elements 1 previously fastened to the bodywork 7, thus covering, concealing and protecting the cable 3. Before such step, in case of need, the optional cable is also conventionally assembled on the elements 1 present on the body 7, by operating on the automotive assembly line.