Patent DE-102010028323-A1 (DE)
Title: Structural connection comprises a first vehicle component, which has a male fixing element protruding from the first vehicle component, where the fixing element is partially or completely in form of a sphere or a spherical shape
Inventor: HAMMER MAIK
IPC: B23K37/04
Filed: 2010-04-28
Abstract: The structural connection comprises a first vehicle component, which has a male fixing element (2) protruding from the first vehicle component, where the fixing element is partially or completely in form of a sphere or a spherical shape, and a second vehicle component, which has a female fixing element provided for holding the male fixing element and the male fixing element is introduced into an insertion direction in the female fixing element. The male fixing element has an excess in transverse to the insertion direction with respect to the female fixing element. The structural connection comprises a first vehicle component, which has a male fixing element (2) protruding from the first vehicle component, where the fixing element is partially or completely in form of a sphere or a spherical shape, and a second vehicle component, which has a female fixing element provided for holding the male fixing element and the male fixing element is introduced into an insertion direction in the female fixing element. The male fixing element has an excess in transverse to the insertion direction with respect to the female fixing element so that the both vehicle components are clamped together to the fixing elements. The female fixing element is formed by a clearance hole (4) provided in the second vehicle component. The clearance hole has a shape deviating from a circular shape. The shape of the clearance hole resembles a square or a triangle. Both vehicle components are movably fixed relative to each other in an area of fixing element in direction perpendicular to the insertion direction. The structural connection has an another male fixing element, which is partially or completely in the form of the sphere or the spherical shape and the fixing element is introduced into the same insertion direction of an another female fixing element, and has an another female fixing element that is formed by the slot or an elongated clearance hole in which the male fixing element is shifted in a longitudinal direction of the slot and/or the elongated clearance hole. A clamping element is provided at an edge of the clearance hole protruding from the second vehicle component, where the clamping element exerts from an outside of a clamping force acting diagonally to the insertion direction on the outside of the male fixing element. The clamping element engages the male fixing element, and acts to a clamping collar extending itself along the total edge of the clearance hole. Clamping collars spaced apart from one another, are provided along the edge of the clearance hole in circumferential direction, where the clamping collars touch on a peripheral portion of the male fixing element. The clamping collar and/or the clamping collars protrudes and/or project in the insertion direction and/or against the insertion direction of the second vehicle component. The first and/or the second component acts around a sheet metal component such as a steel- or aluminum-sheet component and vehicle body component. The clearance hole is punched from the second vehicle component. The clamping collar acts itself to a bent portion of the second vehicle component. The male fixing element acts to an element completely existing from a metal such as steel or aluminum. The male fixing element is connected to firmly bonded with the first vehicle component, and is welded on the first vehicle component. Both vehicle components are directly connected to each other in addition to a detachable clamping connection over an another connection such as a welding connection. An independent claim is included for a method for detachably pre-mounting two vehicle components.