Abstract:
A multi-purpose stud mounting apparatus is provided to mountably and detachably couple a threaded mounting stud of a motor vehicle body or internal combustion engine and a functional component, such as an air filter housing air intake duct or air intake resonator so as to releaseably and supportively mount the functional component to the vehicle.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/107,929, filed Jan. 26, 2015. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a stud mount apparatus for detachably mounting a functional component onto a vehicle component such as an internal combustion engine or a body part where there may be a stud or a mounting tap suitable for a stud. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    An objective of the present inventive disclosure is to provide a multi-purpose stud mounting apparatus that is configured to mountably and detachably couple a threaded mounting stud of a motor vehicle body or internal combustion engine and a functional component, such as an air filter housing air intake duct or air intake resonator so as to releaseably and supportively mount the functional component to the vehicle. 
         [0004]    An advantage of the stud mount apparatus is to easily provide a flexible location to hard mount a functional component to a motor vehicle without requiring the customer to redesign their part. For example, it has been proposed to apply this invention to mount a large resonator that sits on top of three studs into an existing vehicle design. The resonator needs to be hard mounted but is still required to be serviceable, if needed. To take the resonator to service, the stud mount apparatus will remain in place on the studs and the resonator can be removed and re-installed after service, particularly due to the detachable mounting configuration of the component mounting feature or the stud mount apparatus. Further details of the invention are described in the Detailed Description section below. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The accompanying Figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which together with the detailed description below are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to further illustrate various embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0006]    Features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth in the drawings and more particularly in the appended claims. The invention, together with the further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood with reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings show a form of the invention that is presently preferred; however, the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown in the drawings. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  schematically shows a perspective view of a multi-purpose stud mounting apparatus , consistent with the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  schematically shows a side view of the multi-purpose stud mounting apparatus, consistent with the present invention; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  schematically shows a side section view of a multi-purpose stud mounting apparatus, similar in configuration to the stud mounting apparatus of  FIG. 1  and differing in that the component mounting feature is a ball stud mounting feature. 
       
    
    
       [0010]    Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    Before describing in detail embodiments that are in accordance with the present invention, it should be observed that the embodiments reside primarily in combinations of apparatus components related to stud mount apparatus. Accordingly, the apparatus components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. 
         [0012]    In this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by “comprises . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element. 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  schematically shows a perspective view of a multi-purpose stud mounting apparatus  10 , consistent with the present invention. The multi-purpose stud mounting apparatus  10  is arranged on a central axis  22  and has a first axial side  28  and an opposing second axial side  30 . A component mounting feature is formed onto and extends axially outwardly from the first axial side  28  of the base member  16 . Component mounting feature  20  may be formed with and unitary one-piece with the base member  16 . The component mounting feature  20  is configured to engage and detachably mount a functional component (for example, an air filter housing or resonator) onto the first axial side  28  of the base member  16  and thereby mountably support the functional component. 
         [0014]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the base member  16  of the stud mounting apparatus  10  may be generally cylindrical in shape, although other shapes, for some examples: hexagonal or rectangular, may be used. 
         [0015]    In  FIG. 1 , the component mounting feature  20  is shown as a so called “turkey foot” mounting feature  24 . The turkey foot mounting feature  24  includes one or more radial outwardly extending protrusions  32 , each having a ramp portion  34  and a step engagement portion  36 . The ramp portion  34  is operative to radially or elastically displace a receptacle wall of the socket of the functional component  14  into which the component mounting feature  20  is mountably received. The step engagement portion  36  may include step faces operable to engage one or more complimentary faces in the socket of the functional component  14  to mount the functional component  14  onto the stud mounting apparatus  10 . 
         [0016]      FIG. 2  shows a side view of the multi-purpose stud mounting apparatus  10  in which an upper end of a threaded mounting stud  12  is threadably engaged into a threaded insert  18 , the threaded insert  18  arranged in the second axial side  32  of the base member  16 . The threaded mounting stud  12  is mountably fixed at some portion of its length to a fixed support surface, such as (for example) onto an interior wall of an engine compartment or onto the engine block of an internal combustion engine. 
         [0017]      FIG. 3  schematically shows a side section view of a multi-purpose stud mounting apparatus  10 ′, similar in configuration to the multi-purpose stud mounting apparatus  10  of  FIG. 1  and differing in that the component mounting feature  20  is a ball stud mounting feature  26  rather than a turkey foot mounting feature. The ball stud mounting feature  26  includes an axial protrusion  38 , for example a rod or shaft, arranged on and extending axially outwardly from the first axial side  28  of the base member  16 . The axially outward end of the axial protrusion  38  terminates at a generally spherical ball structure  40  secured on the axially outward end of the axial protrusion  38 . The generally spherical ball structure  40  is operable to mountably engage into a socket  42  of the functional component  14  (for example, an air filter housing or resonator) to supportively mount the functional component  14  onto the stud mounting apparatus  10 . 
         [0018]    In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.