Mounting assembly with releasable lock

A mounting assembly for releasably mounting a rear light member to a body member of a vehicle. The mounting assembly comprises a locking member. The locking member includes a sleeve-like mounting portion adapted to be fixed to the support member, and a first locking portion integrally joined to the mounting portion. The first locking portion is adapted to snappingly engage a matingly shaped second locking portion of the structural member for retaining it. The mounting assembly further comprises a release pin axially slidably in the mounting portion of the locking member. The release pin has a shaft portion axially project from the sleeve-shaped mounting portion and is adapted to be axially displaced for releasing the two locking portions from being snappingly engaged.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a mounting assembly for releasably mounting a structural member to a plate-shaped support member, in particular a rear light member to a body member of a vehicle. In particular, this invention relates to a mounting assembly, in which the releasable mount of the structural member occurs through a lock on the support member.

A great variety of these types of mounting assemblies are known. The lock serves to connect together the structural member and support member in a normal operating state and to release the connection between the structural member and the support member if required.

In order to release the lock, it must be normally accessible. However, in certain applications, for example when the mounting assembly serves to mount a rear light member to a body member of a vehicle, the lock is not accessible or is difficult to access.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a mounting assembly for releasably mounting a structural member to a plate-shaped support member by means of a lock, in which the lock can be released without incident despite poor accessibility.

According to the invention, the mounting assembly comprises a locking member including a sleeve-like mounting portion adapted to be fixed to said support member and a locking portion integrally joined to said mounting portion, said locking portion being adapted to snappingly engage a matingly shaped locking portion of said structural member for retaining said structural member, and a release pin axially slidably guided in said sleeve-shaped mounting portion of said locking member, said release pin having a shaft portion axially project from said sleeve-shaped mounting portion and being adapted to be axially displaced for releasing said first and second locking portions from being snappingly engaged.

The section of the release pin protruding from the mounting portion of the locking member can be made to be any length so that the connection between the support member and the structural member to be mounted can be released without any problem, even if the locking engagement lies in an otherwise inaccessible area. The mounting assembly designed according to the invention can thus be used in particular for mounting a rear light member to a vehicle body, even though the mounting assembly can be used in other areas.

In another embodiment of the invention, the release pin is connected with the locking member via a cam guide, which converts a rotational movement of the release pin into an axial movement of the release pin. Thus, only a rotational movement of the release pin is required to release the locking engagement, which can be performed manually by means of a lathe tool if necessary.

Another embodiment of the invention provides that the locking portion of the locking member has: a profiled body for receiving the locking portion of the structural member to be mounted and a locking arm spring-connected on the profiled body for locking with the locking portion of the structural member to be mounted. In this embodiment of the locking portion, the locking arm spring-connected on the profiled body is moved via an axial adjustment movement of the release pin, wherein the locking and thus the connection between the structural member and the support member is released. This constructive solution is simple and reliable.

The mounting portion arranging the locking member on the support member can be designed as in German utility model DE 20 2004 012 733.4. However, other solutions for arranging the mounting portion of the locking member on the support member are also possible.

Advantageously, the locking member as well as the release pin are designed as a single piece and are made by injection molding. They are preferably made of plastic, even if they can also be made of other materials.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in greater detail based on the drawings.

The mounting assembly2shown inFIGS. 1 through 5comprises a locking member4and a release pin6. As can be seen in these figures, the locking member4and the release pin6form a pre-assembled unit, which serves to mount a structural component B in the form of a rear light housing (FIGS. 10,11) to a support member T in the form of a body plate (FIG. 9) in the exemplary embodiment shown.

The locking member4and the release pin6are shown as individual parts inFIGS. 6 through 9. They are each designed as a single piece and are preferably made of plastic, even if they could in general be made of other materials. The plastics are coordinated and are made e.g. of an impact-resistant plastic like polyamide with a fiber reinforcement or another thermoplastic resin. Both the locking member4and the release pin6are advantageously made by injection molding.

The release pin6shown inFIG. 6has the shape of a shaft with a comparably long shaft portion8and a shorter shaft portion9. An axially running projection10with a decreased diameter is formed on the free end of the shaft portion9. The shaft portion9is also provided with annular ribs12,14, of which the ribs12are designed as sealing and guiding ribs and the rib14is designed as a guiding rib.

The shaft portion9of the release pin6is also provided with two diametrically opposed cams16, which are designed as protrusions protruding radially from the shaft portion9. The end of the release pin6facing away from the projection10is provided with a drive feature18for enabling rotation of the release pin6. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the drive feature consists of a hexagon; however, it shall be understood that the drive feature can also be designed in a different manner, for example as a screw driver slot, for the arrangement of a tool.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the release pin6is provided with longitudinally running grooves20(also see the section inFIG. 5), which serve to save material and have no other function.

The locking member4shown inFIGS. 7 through 9consists of a sleeve-like mounting portion22and a locking portion24integrally joined with it. The mounting portion22serves to mount the locking member4on the support member T (FIG. 9), while the locking portion24serves to releasably connect (lock) it with structural member B (FIGS. 10,11).

The mounting portion22of the locking member4is designed as a generally sleeve-like part. In the area, in which the mounting portion22is arranged on the support member T (FIG. 9), the mounting portion is designed as in German utility model DE-GM 20 2004 012 733.4. It has an annular flange26, which has a concave arcuate shape (bottom ofFIG. 9). Its outer periphery is provided with a sealing lip28that is pointed axially downwards.

An intermediate portion, which has a polygonal profile corresponding with the contour of the receiving opening of the support member T, attaches to the annular flange26. This intermediate portion is provided with diametrically opposed window-like openings, in which several spring legs30are arranged.

The spring legs30are shaped on their axial ends on the intermediate portion, while they are otherwise distanced from the material of the intermediate portion such that they can be recurved radially inwards. The spring legs30have a specified distance from the bottom side of the annular flange26on their upper axial ends so that the support member T can be clamped between the sealing lip28of the annular flange26and the front surfaces of the spring leg. The spring legs30are also provided with insertion bevels on their outer radial edges.

The mounting portion22is also provided with two diametrically opposed, helically extending cam slots32, which extend approx. 90° in the circumferential direction in the exemplary embodiment shown. Together with the cams16of the release pin6, the cam slots32form a cam guide, which converts a rotational movement of the release pin6into an axial movement of the release pin, as will be explained in greater detail.

In order to be able to insert the cams16of the release pin6into the cam slot32of the locking member4, the mounting portion22is provided on the inside with axially extending inclined surface34, as indicated inFIGS. 4 and 9.

The locking portion24of the locking member4consists of a profiled body35, which has an approximately rectangular, almost square outline and is shaped on its bottom side on the sleeve-like mounting portion22. The profiled body35has a bottom surface36, which lies in a plane running perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the mounting assembly. A through-hole37(FIG. 9), through which the projection10of the release pin6extends, is formed in the middle of the bottom surface36(FIG. 4).

A locking arm39, which is pin-jointed on its one end41with the bottom surface36of the profiled body35and from there transitions into two spring-released locking hooks40, is provided in the central area of the profiled body35. The two locking hooks40are connected by a central cross web42, on the bottom side of which the projection10engages the release pin6.

Lateral portions of the profiled body35form with the centrally arranged locking arm39two profiled grooves43, which have an approx. T-shaped profile in the exemplary embodiment shown, running diagonal to the longitudinal axis of the mounting assembly. The profiled body35and the locking arm39are designed as mirror images with respect to a plane running through the axis of the mounting assembly. The profiled grooves43are thus also mirror images of each other with respect to this axial plane. Ribs44running parallel to the profiled grooves43, the purpose of which will be explained in greater detail, are provided on the top side of the bottom surface36.

The structural member (FIGS. 10,11) to be mounted on the support member T is provided with a locking portion46adjusted for the profiled body35of the locking member4. As shown inFIGS. 10 and 11, the locking portion46of the structural member B consists of two profiled ledges48,50, of which the profile ledge48has a T-shaped profile and the profiled ledge50has an L-shaped profile. The shape of the profiled ledges48,50is selected such that they can be inserted into the profiled grooves43of the profiled body35. The end of the profiled ledges48,50is provided with locking depressions52, into which can lock the locking hooks40of the locking arm39of the locking member4.

The pre-assembly of the mounting assembly2(FIGS. 1 through 5) will now be described first. During pre-assembly, the release pin6with the projection10in front is inserted into the sleeve-like mounting portion22of the locking member4. The cams16of the release pin6hereby glide along the inclined surfaces34of the locking portion2(FIGS. 4 and 9), whereby the elastically malleable, sleeve-like mounting portion22of the locking member4is expanded in an oval-like manner until the cams16snap into the cam slots32. With this combining movement, the projection10of the release pin6reaches into the central through-hole37on the bottom surface36of the locking portion24.

On the inside of the sleeve-like mounting portion22of the locking member4, the release pin6is guided through the annular ribs12and14such that the release pin6is both axially displaceable and pivotable within the sleeve-like mounting portion22of the locking member4. As mentioned previously, the cams16and the cam slots32form a cam guide, which converts a rotational movement of the release pin6into an axial movement of the same. At least the ribs12are oversized with respect to the inner diameter of the sleeve-like mounting portion22in order to exert a sealing effect in additional to its guide function.

The mounting assembly2pre-assembled in this manner can now be attached to the support member t (body plate,FIG. 9). For this purpose, the mounting assembly2is inserted from above into the receiving opening of the support member T. The mounting portion22of the locking member4is hereby aligned with the polygonal contour of the receiving hole of the support member T. The spring legs30are recurved radially inwards during this insertion procedure. Once the sealing lip28of the annular flange26has been installed on the support member T, the annular flange26is bent up slightly due to further axial pressure on the mounting assembly under elastic deformation such that the distance between the sealing lip28and the front surface of the spring legs30increases correspondingly. The spring legs30can now spring back into their initial position. If the axial pressure on the mounting assembly2is then released, the support member T is clamped between the annular flange26and the spring legs30due to the elastic prestress of the annular flange26. The mounting assembly2is thus arranged on the support member T.

The structural member B (rear light housing) can now be connected with the locking member4. For this purpose, the profiled ledges48,50of the locking portion46of the structural member B (FIGS. 10,11) are laterally inserted into the profiled grooves43of the profiled body35until the locking hooks40snap into the locking depressions52. The locking portion46of the structural member B and the locking portion24of the locking member4arranged on the support member T are thereby locked together, whereby the structural, member B (rear light housing) is detachably mounted on the support member T (body plate).

Although the profiled ledges48and50of the locking portion48on structural member B have unequal profiles for reasons of space and production limitations, the mounting assembly2can be used for the rear lights on both the left and right sides of a vehicle. This is enabled in that the profiled body35of the locking arm39and thus the profiled grooves43are designed as mirror images of each other on an axial plane.

The ribs44provided on the bottom surface36of the profiled body35counterbalance production tolerances of the locking member4and/or the structural member B, thereby ensuring a tight, clatter-free fit of the structural member B on the locking member4.

The ribs12of the release pin6functioning as sealing ribs on one hand and the sealing lip28on the annular flange26of the locking member4on the other hand ensure the proper sealing between the inside and outside of the support member T (body plate).

If the structural member B is detachably connected with the support member T in this manner, the release pin6with its shaft portion8protrudes beyond the locking member4into the interior of the vehicle. The length of the shaft portion8of the release pin6is sized such that the drive feature18of the release pin6is comfortably accessible for the arrangement of a tool (not shown).

If the release pin6is now turned ¼ of a turn using a corresponding tool, the release pin6and thus its projection10are axially displaced due to the cam guide16,32. The axial displacement of the release pin6causes the projection10to release the locking arm39of the locking member4, whereby the locking hooks40are moved out of the locking depressions52. The locking engagement between the structural member B and the mounting assembly2is thereby released so that the structural member B can be removed. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the rear lights can thus be replaced for example.

Even if the locking connection between the mounting assembly2and the structural member B is not directly accessible when installed, the locking connection can easily be released via the release pin6. The re-mounting of the structural member B on the mounting assembly2then takes place again in the manner described above.