Self-adjusting spacer device, including a bushing having a cavity with a longitudinal axis, a pin having a shank inserted into said cavity and a head projecting outside of said cavity, the cavity of the bushing and the pin being provided with respective threaded portions that do not extend over the entire circumference of the pin and the cavity, and the pin being rotatable relative to the bushing between (i) an adjustment position in which the threaded portion of the pin is disengaged from the threaded portion of the bushing and the pin is capable of moving axially with respect to the bushing, and (ii) a locking position in which the threaded portion of the pin engages the threaded portion of the bushing and in which the pin is locked axially with respect to the bushing.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a National Phase of International Application Number PCT/US2014/059391, filed Oct. 7, 2014, and claims priority to Italian Application Number TO2013A001025, filed Dec. 16, 2013.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a self-adjusting spacer device for keeping two structural parts in a spaced relationship with respect to each other.

The spacer device according to the present invention has been developed in particular with a view to application in the automobile sector. In particular, adjustable spacer devices are used to withstand and reduce the vibrations of parts which may be opened, such as the hood of the engine compartment or the trunk door.

The spacer devices have the function of supporting the movable structural part (for example the hood or trunk door of a vehicle) in a position flush with the stationary structural part (for example the body of a vehicle). The relative distance between the two structural parts may vary for example owing to the manufacturing and assembly tolerances. There is therefore the need to have adjustable spacer devices which allow compensation of the manufacturing and assembly tolerances between two structural parts.

PRIOR ART

FR 2,886,329 describes a self-adjusting spacer comprising a bushing having a cavity provided with retaining grooves, a sleeve provided with flexible fingers and with retaining grooves on the outer surfaces of the flexible fingers and a locking element rotatable with respect to the sleeve between an disengaged position and an engaged position. When the locking element is in the disengaged position the sleeve is able to move axially with respect to the bushing owing to the inwards elastic deformation of the flexible fingers. When the locking member is in the engaged position the flexible fingers of the bushing cannot be deformed elastically inwards so that the sleeve is locked axially with respect to the bushing.

DE 40 11 186 describes a stop for the hood of an automobile. The stop comprises a base with a left-handed inner threading which receives a threaded bushing. A pin has a rounded head which is fixed by means of a split-body screw. The screw has a right-handed threading with a tip which causes expansion of the split body so that it engages the base. This characteristic feature allows adjustment in the axial direction after the stop has been applied to the engine hood.

EP-A-611868 describes a three-part adjustable stop comprising a support, an axially adjustable stop member arranged in a cavity of the support and a rotatable locking member which can be operated so as to lock the stop member in a preferred position.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved self-adjusting spacer device with a smaller number of components compared to the devices of the prior art.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a self-adjusting spacer which may ensure water-tightness.

According to the present invention, these objects are achieved by a self-adjusting spacer device having the characteristic features forming the subject of claim1.

The claims form an integral part of the teaching provided in connection with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference toFIGS. 1 and 2, 10denotes a self-adjusting spacer device according to the present invention. The spacer device10comprises a bushing12having a cavity14with a longitudinal axis A and a pin having a shank18and a head20. The shank18of the pin16is inserted into the cavity14of the bushing12and the head20of the pin16projects outside of the bushing12.

The shank18of the pin16has an integral threaded portion22which does not extend along the entire perimeter of the shank18. In the example shown, the threaded portion22of the shank18is interrupted by two flat portions24opposite to each other. The distance between the flat portions24is less than the diameter of the threaded portion22.

The pin16is preferably provided with a sleeve26of elastomeric material applied onto the shank18. Preferably the sleeve26is applied onto the shank18by means of overmolding.

The head20of the pin16is preferably provided with a cap28of elastomeric material, preferably applied onto the top part of the pin16by means of overmolding. The head20is provided with a seat30which can be engaged by a spanner. The head20is preferably provided with an annular shoulder32on which the cap28rests. The sleeve26extends between the top end of the threaded portion22and the annular shoulder32.

Below the threaded portion22the pin16is preferably provided with a retaining portion34provided with two radial projections36.

With reference toFIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6, the bushing12has inside the cavity14a threaded portion38which does not extend along the entire circumference. The threaded portion38may be formed on two opposite projections40which project radially inwardly from the inner wall of the cavity14.

The cavity14of the bushing12is provided with a first pair of longitudinal grooves42and a second pair of longitudinal grooves44situated on the side wall of the cavity14below the threaded portion38.

The bushing12is provided with an annular collar46which may be fitted with annular lip of elastomeric material48, preferably applied by means of overmolding. The bushing12may also be provided with two integral fastening elements50protruding from the outer wall of the bushing12and located below the annular collar46.

The pin16is rotatable with respect to the bushing12between an adjustment position and a locking position. The two positions are angularly offset with respect to each other by 90°. In the adjustment position the threaded portion22of the pin16is angularly offset and disengaged from the threaded portion38of the bushing12. In this position the radial projections36of the retaining portion of the pin16engage the first pair of longitudinal grooves42. As can be seen inFIG. 3, in this position the flattened portions24of the pin16are facing the threaded portions38of the bushing12. In this position, the pin16may move axially with respect to the bushing12. The sleeve of elastomeric material26has an outer surface in contact with the inner wall of the cavity14. The movement of the pin16in the axial direction must overcome the frictional force between the elastomeric sleeve26and the inner wall of the cavity14.

The spacer device10is supplied with the pin16arranged in the adjustment position and with the pin16in the extracted position with respect to the bushing12. The bushing12is fixed to a wall, inside a circular hole provided with two openings opposite the fastening elements50. The bushing12is rotated after insertion inside the hole so as to fix the bushing12to the wall by means of the fastening elements50which engage the bottom surface of the wall. The annular lip of elastomeric material48of the bushing12is pressed against the top surface of the wall. The lip of elastomeric material48of the bushing12and the elastomeric sleeve26close in a liquid-tight manner the hole inside which the bushing12is fixed.

With the pin16in the adjustment position and the bushing12fixed inside a hole in the vehicle body, the hood or trunk door of the vehicle is brought into the closed position. The hood or trunk door of the vehicle rests on the head20of the pin16and pushes the pin16towards the inside of the cavity14. The pin16automatically assumes the correct adjustment position.

Then, the hood or trunk door is raised. The pin16remains in the set adjustment position owing to the friction between the elastomeric sleeve26and the inner wall of the cavity14. Then, the pin16is rotated through 90° into the locking position. For rotation of the pin16a spanner which engages the seat30provided on the head20of the pin16may be used. During rotation of the pin16between the adjustment position and the locking position, the threaded portion22of the pin16engages with the threaded portion38of the bushing12. The rotation through 90° of the pin from the adjustment position into the locking position, following engagement between the threads22and38, produces an axial travel of the pin16equal to a quarter of the pitch of the threads. In this way, when the hood or trunk door of the vehicle is closed it must compress slightly the elastomeric portion28formed on the head20of the pin16and this produces a slight pretension effect which prevents vibrations of the hood or trunk door in the closed position. In the locking position the pin16is locked angularly owing to the engagement between the radial projections36of the engaging portion34with the second pair of grooves44, as shown inFIG. 6.

The spacer device10ensures the liquid-tightness owing to the fact that the pin18is a solid one-piece element which makes liquid-tight contact with the bush12owing to the elastomeric sleeve26. Moreover, the bushing is connected to the vehicle body in a liquid-tight manner owing to the annular lip of elastomeric material48.

The spacer device according to the present invention may be subject to numerous constructional variants. One of these variants is shown inFIGS. 7 to 9. In the variant according toFIGS. 7 to 9the parts corresponding to those described above are indicated by the same reference numbers. In this second embodiment, the bushing12is provided with an outer tubular portion52and an inner tubular portion54. The inner tubular portion54is provided with a threaded portion38as in the example described above. The pin16has a sleeve26in sealing contact with the inner surface of the outer tubular portion52. An annular lip48of elastomeric material is applied, for example by means of overmolding, to the bottom end of the outer tubular portion52.

In this second embodiment, the angular retaining action keeping the pin16in the adjustment position and in the locking position is provided by two projecting ribs56situated between the threaded portion22of the pin16and the sleeve26. The ribs56of the pin16engage corresponding grooves formed on the inner surface of the inner tubular portion54. The liquid-tightness between the pin16and the bushing12could be obtained by means of a sealing ring (O-ring)58inserted inside an annular seat of the sleeve26of the pin16. The sealing ring58makes sealing contact against the inner surface of the outer tubular portion52.

The operating principle of the spacer device shown inFIGS. 7, 8 and 9is identical to that described above.

Obviously, without altering the principle of the invention, the constructional details and embodiments may be greatly varied with respect to that described and illustrated, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.