Abstract:
In order to provide a sleeve comprising a sleeve base body and a flange that is produced separately from the sleeve base body and protrudes in the radial direction beyond the sleeve base body, which is producible in a simple manner but nevertheless ensures secure retention of the sleeve base body and the flange, it is proposed that the sleeve base body comprise at least one projection which engages in a recess provided in the flange, wherein the sleeve base body is pressed against the flange in such a manner that the sleeve base body and the flange are connected together in captive manner.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to the subject-matter which was disclosed in the international patent application No. PCT/EP2006/010071 dated Oct. 19, 2006. The entire description of this earlier application is incorporated by reference thereto as a constituent part of the present description (“incorporation by reference”). 
     
    
     FIELD OF DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a sleeve comprising a sleeve base body and a flange which is produced separately from the sleeve base body and protrudes in the radial direction beyond the sleeve base body. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Such a sleeve is known from DE 199 24 502 C2. In this known sleeve, the sleeve base body is fixed to the flange by an adhered, welded or soldered joint. The flange and/or the sleeve base body are slit so that the sleeve base body and/or the flange expand when slipping the narrow section formed by the flange over the threaded portion of a screw member and then snap back again after the narrow section has been pushed completely over the threaded portion. The sleeve is held captive on the screw member once it has snapped back. 
         [0004]    A further sleeve consisting of a flange and a sleeve base body both of which are held captive on the screw member is known from DE 195 10 349 A1. In this sleeve, the flange has a punched opening having a collar which is surrounded by the sleeve base body in clamping manner. For the purposes of clamping the collar of the flange, the inside of the sleeve base body must be provided with a chamfer at the screw member head end thereof. The retention of the sleeve base body on the flange, which is only effected by the clamping effect of the collar projecting into the sleeve base body, is not particularly secure. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The object of the present invention is to provide a sleeve of the type mentioned hereinabove which is producible in a simple manner but which nevertheless ensures that the sleeve base body and the flange are held securely together. 
         [0006]    In accordance with the invention, this object is achieved in the case of a sleeve comprising the features indicated in the preamble of claim  1  in that the sleeve base body has at least one projection which engages in a recess provided in the flange, wherein the sleeve base body is pressed against the flange in such a manner that the sleeve base body and the flange are connected together in captive manner. 
         [0007]    Thus, the concept underlying the present invention is that of interlocking the sleeve base body and the flange by the projection of the sleeve base body and the recess in the flange and also by the process of pressing the sleeve base body and the flange together in such a manner that the sleeve base body is securely fixed to the flange. 
         [0008]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, provision is made for the sleeve base body to have at least two projections which engage in a respective recess provided in the flange. 
         [0009]    The hold between the sleeve base body and the flange pressed thereto is thereby improved. 
         [0010]    A further improvement in the hold between the flange and the sleeve base body is obtained if the sleeve base body has at least three projections which engage in a respective recess provided in the flange. 
         [0011]    Preferably, the projections succeed one another substantially equidistantly around the periphery of the sleeve base body. 
         [0012]    The at least one projection of the sleeve base body is preferably aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve base body. 
         [0013]    In order to enable the flange to rest on the screw member head of a screw member which extends through the sleeve, it is of advantage if the at least one projection is arranged at the screw member head end of the sleeve base body. 
         [0014]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention provision is made for the regions of the flange bounding the at least one recess which may, in particular, be in the form of webs to be oriented substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve base body in the state where it is pressed against the sleeve base body. The effect thereby achieved is that the flange is substantially flat in the state where it is pressed against the sleeve base body. 
         [0015]    The at least one recess in the flange preferably opens into a passage opening in the flange. 
         [0016]    The flange preferably incorporates a passage opening arranged substantially centrally of the flange, in particular, a passage opening for the passage of a screw member through the sleeve. 
         [0017]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the flange is formed from a flange pre-form wherein the regions of the flange bounding the at least one recess in the flange which may, in particular, be in the form of webs are oriented at an angle with respect to the central axis of the flange. 
         [0018]    In particular hereby, provision may be made for the regions of the flange pre-form bounding the at least one recess in the flange to define a passage opening in the pre-form the diameter is of which greater than the diameter of the passage opening in the flange when in the state where it is pressed against the sleeve base body. 
         [0019]    The flange of the sleeve in accordance with the invention can protrude radially inwardly and, at the same time, radially outwardly beyond the sleeve base body. 
         [0020]    As an alternative thereto, provision could also be made for the flange to protrude only radially outwardly beyond the sleeve base body. 
         [0021]    In this case in particular, the radially inner edge of the flange can be flush with an inner wall of the sleeve base body. 
         [0022]    The sleeve in accordance with the invention is suitable in particular for use in a combination of a sleeve in accordance with the invention and a screw member which passes through the sleeve. 
         [0023]    In a preferred embodiment of such a combination, provision is made for the sleeve to be held captive on the screw member. 
         [0024]    Preferably, the process of pressing the sleeve base body and the flange together is only carried out when the screw member has been inserted into the sleeve base body and a flange pre-form so that it is not necessary to use a slit sleeve base body and/or a slit flange, but rather, a slit-free sleeve base body and a slit-free flange can be used. 
         [0025]    If the screw member comprises a screw member head, a threaded portion and a shank portion which is arranged between the screw member head and the threaded portion and has an external diameter that is smaller than the external diameter of the threaded portion, then by means of this in particular, the sleeve can be held captive on the screw member in that the flange incorporates a passage opening the diameter of which is smaller than the external diameter of the threaded portion of the screw member. 
         [0026]    Preferably provision is made for the flange of the sleeve to be formed from a flange pre-form incorporating a passage opening in the pre-form the diameter of which is so large that the threaded portion of the screw member is movable through the passage opening in the pre-form. 
         [0027]    By means of this, it becomes possible to join the flange pre-form and the sleeve base body together in such a way that the at least one projection of the sleeve base body engages in the at least one recess in the flange pre-form, thereafter to move the threaded portion of the screw member through the passage opening in the pre-form and then to press the sleeve base body against the flange pre-form in such a way that the sleeve base body and the flange formed from the flange pre-form by the pressing process are connected together to form the sleeve and are held captive on the screw member. 
         [0028]    Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of making a sleeve consisting of a sleeve base body and a flange which protrudes in the radial direction beyond the sleeve base body. 
         [0029]    The further object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing such a sleeve which can be carried out in a simple manner and leads to the sleeve base body and the flange being securely held together. In accordance with the invention, this object is achieved by a method which comprises the following method steps:
       providing a flange pre-form incorporating a passage opening in the pre-form and at least one recess;   providing a sleeve base body having at least one projection;   arranging the sleeve base body on the flange pre-form in such a manner that the at least one projection of the sleeve base body engages in the at least one recess in the flange pre-form;   pressing the sleeve base body against the flange pre-form in such a manner that the flange pre-form is deformed into a flange which is connected to the sleeve base body in captive manner.       
 
         [0034]    Further features and advantages of the invention form the subject matter of the following description and the graphical illustration of an exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0035]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic vertical sectional view through an assembly consisting of a first component and a second component which are fixed together by means of a screw member having a sleeve that is held captive on the screw member and are also decoupled from vibration by means of elastomer elements; 
           [0036]      FIG. 2  a schematic longitudinal sectional view through the screw member with a washer and an elastomer element depicted in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0037]      FIG. 3  a plan view from above of the screw member with the sleeve and the elastomer element depicted in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0038]      FIG. 4  a schematic exploded illustration of the screw member, a flange pre-form, a sleeve base body and the elastomer element before the assembly of these elements, 
           [0039]      FIG. 5  a schematic plan view from above of the flange pre-form depicted in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0040]      FIG. 6  a schematic longitudinal sectional view through the flange pre-form when joined to the sleeve base body; 
           [0041]      FIG. 7  a schematic perspective illustration of the flange and the sleeve base body after the flange and the sleeve base body have been pressed together; and 
           [0042]      FIG. 8  a schematic vertical section through an assembly consisting of a first component and a second component which are fixed together by means of a screw member, a sleeve and an elastomer element, wherein a passage opening in a flange of the sleeve has a diameter which is greater than the external diameter of the threaded portion of the screw member. 
       
    
    
       [0043]    Similar or functionally equivalent elements are designated by the same reference symbols in each of the Figures. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0044]    An assembly bearing the general reference  100  which is illustrated in sectional manner in  FIG. 1  comprises a first component  102  having a substantially cylindrical passage opening  104 , a second component  106  having a threaded blind hole  108 , an elastomer sealing element  114  comprising sealing lips  116  which is arranged between a lower surface  110  of the first component  102  and an upper surface  112  of the second component  106  and incorporates a passage opening  118  in the vicinity of the threaded blind hole  108 , and also a combination  120  consisting of a screw member  122 , a sleeve  123  which is held captive on the screw member  122  and comprises a flange  124  and a hollow cylindrical sleeve base body  126 , and, a ring-shaped element  128  surrounding the screw-head-end end portion of the sleeve base body  126  in ring-like manner. 
         [0045]    The screw member  122  comprises a screw member head  130  which may be in the form of a hexagonal screw member head for example, a threaded portion  132  having an external diameter D, a shank portion  134  which is arranged between the threaded portion  132  and the screw member head  130  and has an external diameter d that is smaller than the external diameter D of the threaded portion, and an end portion  136  which adjoins the end of the threaded portion  132  remote from the screw member head  130  and has an external diameter that is smaller than the external diameter D of the threaded portion  132  and smaller than the external diameter d of the shank portion  134  of the screw member  122 . 
         [0046]    As can best be seen from  FIG. 4 , the sleeve base body  126  is of hollow cylindrical shape and is provided at the screw member head end thereof with a plurality of, three for example, projections  138  which extend in parallel with the longitudinal axis  140  of the sleeve base body  126  and are spaced substantially equidistantly from one another around the periphery of the sleeve base body  126 . 
         [0047]    The flange  124  protruding radially inwardly and outwardly beyond the sleeve base body  126  is formed from a flange pre-form  124 ′ as is illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
         [0048]    The flange pre-form  124 ′ comprises a flat ring-like region  142  from the radially inward edge  143  of which there project a plurality of, three for example, webs  144  which are directed radially inwardly and are inclined at an angle with respect to the central axis  146  of the flange pre-form  124 ′, preferably at an angle of approximately 30° to approximately 60° to the central axis  146 . These webs  144  each extend over a substantially mutually equal peripheral angle, whereby the successive webs  144  are separated from one another around the periphery of the flange pre-form  124 ′ by a respective recess  148  running in the radial direction. 
         [0049]    Each of the, three for example, recesses  148  opens into a substantially circular, central passage opening  150 ′ in the flange pre-form  124 ′. 
         [0050]    In order to produce the flange  124  from the flange pre-form  124 ′ and at the same time connect the flange  124  and the sleeve base body  126  together in captive manner to form the sleeve  123  and to ensure that the sleeve  126  is securely captive on the screw member  122 , one proceeds as follows: 
         [0051]    The sleeve base body  126  is arranged on the flange pre-form  124 ′ in such a way that the longitudinal axis  140  of the sleeve base body  126  and the central axis  146  of the flange pre-form  124 ′ coincide and the projections  138  at the screw member head end of the sleeve base body  126  engage in a respective recess  148  of the flange pre-form  124 ′. 
         [0052]    In order to make this possible, the extent of the projections  138  in the peripheral direction of the sleeve base body  126  is slightly smaller than the extent of the recesses  148  in the peripheral direction of the flange pre-form  124 ′. 
         [0053]    As a result of joining up the sleeve base body  126  and the flange pre-form  124 ′, there results an arrangement of a flange pre-form  124 ′ and a sleeve base body  126  such as is illustrated in the longitudinal sectional view of FIG.  6 , wherein the central passage opening  150 ′ in the flange pre-form  124 ′ has a diameter D′ which is greater than the external diameter D of the threaded portion  132  of the screw member  122 . 
         [0054]    Consequently, the threaded portion  132  of the screw member  122  can be inserted forwardly in the direction of the arrow  152  in  FIG. 6  into the flange pre-form  124 ′ and the sleeve base body  126  connected thereto, namely, in such a manner that the passage opening  150 ′ in the flange pre-form  124 ′ comes to rest around the shank portion  134  of the screw member  122 . 
         [0055]    Subsequently, the sleeve base body  126  and the flange pre-form  124 ′ are pressed together in such a manner that the webs  144  are bent up into the plane of the flat ring-like region  142  of the flange pre-form  124 ′ and there then ensues the flange  124  (see  FIG. 7 ) which is substantially flat and incorporates a passage opening  150  having a diameter d′ that is slightly greater than the external diameter d of the shank portion  134  of the screw member  122  and is smaller than the external diameter D of the threaded portion  132  of the screw member  122  so that, in the region of the passage opening  150  in the flange  124 , there is formed a narrow section through which the threaded portion  132  of the screw member  122  can no longer be moved. 
         [0056]    Thus, after the process of pressing the sleeve base body  126  onto the flange  124  by virtue of which the sleeve base body  126  and the flange  124  are connected to one another in positive and/or force-locking manner, the sleeve  123 , i.e. the unit consisting of the sleeve base body  126  and the flange  124  is held captive on the screw member  122 . 
         [0057]    Thereafter, the ring-shaped element  128  which is preferably formed from a resilient material, from an elastomer material for example, is pushed onto the outer surface of the sleeve base body  126  (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). 
         [0058]    The sleeve base body  126 , the flange  124  and the screw member  122  are preferably formed from a metallic material, and in particular from a steel material. 
         [0059]    As can best be seen from  FIG. 1 , the ring-shaped element  128  has an inner contact surface  154  for application to the outer surface  156  of the sleeve base body  126 , a screw member head contact surface  158  with a sealing lip  160  for application to the lower surface  162  of the flange  124 , and a component contact surface  164  that is remote from the screw member head  130  for application to an upper surface  166  of the first component  102 . 
         [0060]    The ring-shaped element  128  may be pushed onto the outer surface  156  of the sleeve base body  126  in the form of a tight fit or it could also be a loose fit thereon. 
         [0061]    In the installed state of the assembly  100  as is illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the external thread of the threaded portion  132  of the screw member  122  is rotated into the internal thread of the threaded blind hole  108  in the second component  106 . The screw member  122  and the sleeve  123  extend through the passage opening  104  to the first component  102 . 
         [0062]    The sleeve  123  is supported on the first component  102  via the resilient ring-shaped element  128  so that the sleeve  123  and the screw member  122  are vibrationally-decoupled from the first component  102 . 
         [0063]    Furthermore, due to the elastomer sealing element  114  arranged between the first component  102  and the second component  106 , there is provided a decoupling of vibrations between the two components  102  and  106 . 
         [0064]    In the assembled state wherein the upper surface of the flange  124  rests against the screw member head  130 , the sleeve base body  126  extends downwardly into the region of the threaded portion  132  the external diameter D of which is only slightly smaller than the internal diameter D of the sleeve base body  126  so that it is ensured that the longitudinal axis  140  of the sleeve base body  126  and the sleeve  123  is aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis  168  of the screw member  122 . 
         [0065]    The flange  124  of the sleeve  123  serves as a washer for the screw member  122 . 
         [0066]    A second embodiment of an assembly  100  that is illustrated in sectional manner in  FIG. 8  differs from the first embodiment of such an assembly which is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 7  in that the sleeve  123  formed from the sleeve base body  126  and the flange  124  does not rest in vibrationally-decoupled manner on the first component  102  of the assembly  100  via a ring-shaped element  128 , but rather, the lower surface  170  of the flange  124  rests directly on the upper surface  166  of the first component  102  and the outer surface  156  of the sleeve base body  126  rests directly on the boundary wall of the passage opening  104  in the first component  102 . 
         [0067]    Furthermore, the two components  102  and  106  of the assembly  100  are not spaced from one another in the axial direction of the screw member  122  by an elastomer sealing element  114 ; rather, the lower surface  110  of the first component  102  lies flat, directly on the upper surface  112  of the second component  106 . 
         [0068]    The lower end of the passage opening  104  in the first component  102  facing the second component  106  is widened in step-like manner and accommodates a ring-shaped elastomer sealing element  172  which extends coaxially of the screw member  122  and the sleeve base body  126  of the sleeve  123  around the lower end section of the sleeve base body  126  and the inner surface thereof rests on the outer surface  156  of the sleeve base body  126  and the outer surface thereof rests against the boundary wall of the passage opening  104  that has been widened in step-like manner. 
         [0069]    An upper end of the ring-shaped elastomer sealing element  172  rests against a shoulder  174  at which the passage opening  104  is widened in step-like manner, whilst a lower end of the ring-shaped elastomer sealing element  172  rests against the upper surface  112  of the second component  106 . 
         [0070]    In this embodiment, the passage opening in the flange  124  of the sleeve  123  has a diameter d′ which is greater than the external diameter D of the threaded portion  132  of the screw member  122  when in the state where it is pressed against the sleeve base body  126 , so that the finished sleeve  123  can easily be pulled off the screw member  122  over the threaded portion  132  of the screw member  122  in this embodiment. 
         [0071]    Thus, in this embodiment, the sleeve  123  is not held captive on the screw member  122 . 
         [0072]    In particular, provision may be made for the diameter d′ of the passage opening  150  in the flange  124  to be of substantially the same size as the internal diameter D″ of the hollow cylindrical sleeve base body  126  when in the state where it is pressed against the sleeve base body  126 , so that the flange  124  can thus only project radially outwardly, but not radially inwardly beyond the sleeve base body  126 , but rather, the inside of the sleeve  123  is substantially flush with the sleeve base body  126 . 
         [0073]    This effect is achieved in that, prior to the process of pressing the flange pre-form  124 ′ against the sleeve base body  126 , the diameter D′ of the flange pre-form  124 ′ is selected to be greater than was the case in the first embodiment and in particular, it is selected to be greater than the internal diameter D″ of the sleeve base body  126 , namely just so large that, after the webs  144  have been bent up into the plane of the flat ring-like region  142  of the flange pre-form  124 ′ during the process of pressing the sleeve base body  126  against the flange pre-form  124 ′, the passage opening  150  in the flange  124  has the desired diameter d′ which is of substantially the same size as the internal diameter D″ of the hollow cylindrical sleeve base body  126 . 
         [0074]    In the installed state of the second embodiment of an assembly  100  such as is illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the sleeve base body  126  extends downwardly to the upper surface  112  of the second component  106  so that the sleeve  123  serves as a spacer between the screw member head  130  on the one hand and the second component  106  on the other. 
         [0075]    The flange  124  of the sleeve  123  serves as a washer for the screw member  122 . 
         [0076]    In all other respects the second embodiment of a component group  100  illustrated in  FIG. 8  agrees in regard to the construction, function, material and method of production as the first embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 7 , so that to this extent, reference is made to the description thereof hereinabove.