DEVICE FOR ANCHORING A TRANSVERSE RADIATION COWLING OR GRILLE TO THE FRONT PART OF THE BODYWORK OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract: Device for anchoring a transverse radiator cowling or grille to the front part of the bodywork of a motor vehicle, comprising at least one hok member (14) which can be attached to the front part (12) of the bodywork of the vehicle and has a substantially horizontal resilient lug (22) defining a hook tooth (24), and therebeneath, a bearing and reaction surface (18), and at least one corresponding tab (30) project­ ing from the upper side of the grille (10) in a position spaced from the ends thereof and defining a complementary hook tooth (32) which, in the condition in which the tab (30) rests on the bearing surface (18) of the hook member (14), snap-­ engages the hook tooth (24) of the resilient lug (22) of this hook member (14).

Description: Device for anchoring a transverse radiation cowling or grille to the front part of the bodywork of a motor vehicle. The present invention relates to a transverse radiator cowling or grille mounted on the front part of the bodywork of motor vehicles. Conventionally such grilles, which may have the function of protecting and ventilating the radiator for the coolant liquid of the engine or simply an aesthetic and ornamental function, are connected to the front part of the vehicle bodywork at their ends, and generally by means of screw retaining members or the like. This type of connection has in many cases been found to be unsatisfactory particularly in the case of grilles or cowlings of considerable length because of the vibrations which occur, which may give rise to annoying noises and premature fracture in the zones of connection of the grille or cowling to the vehicle bodywork. The object of the present invention is to avoid this disadvantage by providing a supplementary anchoring device which prevents the occurence of vibrations of the grille or cowling. In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides a device for anchoring a transverse radiator cowling or grille to the front part of the bodywork of a motor vehicle, characterised in that it comprises at least one hook member which can be attached to the front part of the bodywork of the vehicle and which has a substantially horizontal resilient lug defining a hook tooth and, therebeneath, a bearing and reaction surface and at least one corresponding tab projecting from the upper side of the grille in a position spaced from the ends thereof and defining a complementary hook tooth which, in the condition in which the tab rests on the bearing surface of the anchoring member; snap-engages the hook tooth of the resilient lug of the said anchoring member. In practice the anchoring device according to the invention forms at least one supplementary connection between the grille or cowling and the front of the vehicle in a zone intermediate the normal end fixing zones. This to advantage allows the onset of vibrations to be avoided even in grilles or cowlings of considerable length and with relatively flexible structures. According to the invention, the hook member has a tubular attachment projection arranged to engage a hole formed in the front part of the bodywork and to receive an axial locking pin of the attachment projection which is a force-fit in the said hole. Thus the fitting of the hook member during assembly may be effected extremely simply and rapidly without recourse to conventional fixing systems such as, for example, screws, qlueing or the like. Preferably the device includes two hook members which are spaced apart and arranged to receive two corresponding tabs of the grille or cowling Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clear in the course of the detailed description which follows, with reference to the appended drawings, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view illustrating a front cowling or grille mounted on the bodywork of the vehicle by means of an anchoring device according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of Figure 1. In the drawings, a transverse radiator cowling or grille of undtilatory profile. is indicated 10 and is connected at its endsto the front part 12 of the bodywork of a motor vehicle by conventional systems, such as, for example,screws or like members not illustrated in the drawings. According to the invention, the grille 10 is also connected to the front part 12 by means of a supplementary anchoring device having the main function of avoiding vibrations arising in the grille itself. The anchoring system according to the invention includes a pair of hook members 14 which are spaced from each other and from the ends of the grille 10. Only one of these hook members 14 is illustrated in the drawings since the other is entirely identical. Each hook member 14 is constituted by a body of moulded plastics material including a substantially horizontal base 16 the front which has a pair of spaced apart arms 18 with their free ends 20 bent. The base 16 and the arms 18 with their bent ends 20 rest on the front part 12 of the bodywork of the vehicle in the manner illustrated in the drawings. Between the two arms 18 there extends, at a level above these arms, a substantially horizontal resilient lug 22 forming on its lower face a hook tooth 24 which faces rearwardly of the vehicle. Behind the resilient lug 22, the base 16 has a tubular attachment part 24 with its axis substantially vertical which is extended by a tubular lug 25 beneath the base 16, passing through a corresponding hole 26 formed in the front part of the bodywork 12. The fixinq of each hook member 14 to the front part of the bodywork 12 is achieved by means of a simple pin 28 which is introduced axially into the tubular part 24 and forced into the lug 25 in the manner illustrated in Figure 1, so as to prevent its extraction from the hole 26. Each hook member 14 is associated with a tab 30 projecting rearwardly from the upper side of the grille 10 and defining at its free end a hook tooth 32 facing towards the grille 10 and arranged to engage the hook tooth 24 of the respective hook member 14 in the manner illustrated. This engagement is achieved simply by inserting the tab 30 between the arms 18 and the resilient lug 22 until the teeth 24 and 32 snap engage. In the hooked condition the tabs 30 are firmly locked by the respective hook members 14 between the upper faces of the respective arms 18 and the resilient lugs 22 effectively protecting any vibration of the grille 10. It should be noted that the tabs 30 may be fixed to the grille 10 by any conventional means or, when the grille 10 is of moulded plastics material as in the example illustrated, they may be formed directly by moulding with the grille itself.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Device for anchoring a transverse radiator cowling or grille to the front part of the bodywork of a motor vehicle, characterised in that it comprises at least one hook member(14)which can be attached to the front part(12)of the bodywork of the vehicle and has a substantially horizontal resilient lug (22) defining a hook tooth (24), and therebeneath, a bearing and reaction surface (18), and at least one corresponding tab (3 + projecting from the upper side of the grille (10) in a position spaced from the ends thereof and defining a complementary hook tooth (32) which, in the condition in which the tab (30) rests on the bearing surface (18) of the hook : member (14) snap-engages the hook tooth (24) of the resilient lug (22) of this hook member (14). 2. Device according to Claim 1r characterised in that the hook member (14) has a tubular attachment projection (25) for engaging a hole (26) formed in the front part (12) of the bodywork of the vehicle and adapted to receive an axial locking pin (28) of the attachment projection (25) which is a force-fit in the said hole (26). 3. Device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised in that the bearing and reaction surface is defined by a pair of arms (18) located on opposite sides of the resilient lug (22) and having ends (20) bent so as to engage the front part (12) of the vehicle bodywork. 4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it includes a pair of spaced apart hookmembers (14) and a pair of corresponding tabs (30) carried by the grille (10). 5- Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the or each hook member (14) is formed by a body of moulded plastics material. 6. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, in which the radiator cowling or grille is of moulded plastics material, characterised in that the or each tab (30) is formed integrally by moulding with the grille (10).

Inventors: BELLINO, PAOLO, GIRAUDO, GIAMPIERO
Applicants: FIAT AUTO S.P.A.
Application year: 1984
Main classification: B60K11
IPC codes: B60K11