Abstract:
The invention relates to a closing lid or closure cover having a lid element ( 1 ) and an insert element ( 2 ). The insert element ( 2 ) can comprise a hard component having a center region. The center region acts upon an elastic counter-region of the lid element ( 1 ) such that the lid element ( 1 ) and the insert element ( 2 ) can be locked together in a mounted state.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims the benefit of PCT Application No. PCT/DE2003/01861 which was filed on Jun. 5, 2003 (published as WO2004/000632), which in turn claims priority of German Application No. GE 202 09 513.4 which was filed on Jun. 19, 2002. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     The exemplary embodiments provided herein relate to a closure cover or closing lid, comprising two plastic components for tight closing of an opening in a support plate, for example a motor vehicle body. The closure cover includes a dish-like shaped cover or lid element and an insert element.  
         [0003]     This type of closing lid, comprising two plastic components is already known form the state of the art (DE 195 46 160 A1). The lid element in this arrangement consists of a core component made of hard material, whereas a sealing element, connected with the lid element is made of an outer component produced of a softer material. The sealing element can be glued together with a support plate, at least at the outer edge.  
         [0004]     Further state of the art concerns a closing lid for tight sealing of an opening in a support plate and is described in DE 43 27 545 A1. Here, the core component consists of a hard material having a shell component being provided of softer material. The shell component encloses the core component. The shell component is cementable at its outer edges with the support plate.  
         [0005]     In contrast thereto, the exemplary embodiments describe a closure cover of the initially mentioned type, which provides, with simple installation and without use of any gluing procedure, tight sealing of an opening in a support plate. According to the invention, an insert element consisting of a hard component, presents a center-region, which, in mounted state of the closing lid, acts upon an elastic counter region of the lid element. The lid element and the insert can be locked together in the mounted state.  
         [0006]     The result is a simply designed closure cover with the insert comprising a hard plastic component which can be locked together with the lid element. Due to the locking, the lid element consisting of a softer material is jammed in such manner in an opening (i.e. to be closed opening) of a support such that tight closure is provided.  
         [0007]     In a further embodiment of the invention, the elastic counter-region of the lid element can present a plate, positioned opposite the center region of the insert, which is connected with a collar of the lid element by means of a thinner conical segment. In addition, according to another characteristic of the invention, the center region of the insert can be designed as a hollow cylinder, with the hollow cylinder being connected to a covering plate of the insert.  
         [0008]     Beneficial use is made, relative to the lid element and the insert of a locking connection with a counter-locking device, whereby it is possible, to first join the two parts provisionally and to only effect the mounted state after insertion into a to be closed support plate. In such manner, the insert consisting of a hard component is pressed into the elastic material and locked together with same such that tight closing of the support opening is provided.  
         [0009]     Beneficial further developments are apparent from the dependent claims. In the following, the invention is described in more detail by means of exemplary embodiments represented in the drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     The drawings depict as follows:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1 a  schematic center section through a lid element and an insert element of a closure cover before the preliminary installation, according to a first embodiment;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2 a  bird&#39;s eye view on the lid element according to  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3 a  magnified representation in the region X according to  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4 a  perspective view of the lid element according to  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5 . the closure cover of  FIG. 1  in pre-mounted position;  
         [0016]      FIG. 6 . the closure cover according to  FIG. 5  in mounted position;  
         [0017]      FIG. 7 . a second embodiment of a closure cover in schematic center section; and,  
         [0018]      FIG. 8 a  third embodiment of a closure cover in schematic center section.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0019]      FIG. 1  depicts a closure cover or closing lid which comprises two plastic components. The closing lid serves, for example, for tight closure of an opening  38  in a support plate  35 , for example, a motor vehicle body represented in  FIGS. 5 and 6 .  
         [0020]     The closing lid consists of a dish-like shaped lid element  1  and an insert element  2 . The insert element  2  can be made of a hard component and includes a center region  10 , which, in mounted state of the closing lid, acts upon a plate  15  in the shape of an elastic counter-region  20  of the lid element  1 . The elastic counter-region  20  of the lid element  1  is connected to a collar  21  of the lid element  1  by means of a thinner conical section  18 .  
         [0021]     In addition, one can recognize from  FIG. 1  that relative to the insert element  2 , the center region  10  can be configured as a hollow cylinder  12 . The hollow cylinder  12  can be connected to a cover plate  14  of the insert element  2 . Between the cover plate  14  of the insert element  2  and the hollow cylinder  12  there are provided a number of recesses  16 . The recesses  16  can be around the circumference.  
         [0022]     The lid element  1  includes a circumferential collar  21  and cover region  25 , with an intermediate ring  22  therebetween. The cover region  25  in a mounted state of the closing lid, acts upon the support plate  35  in the region of opening  38 . In addition, it is to be appreciated from  FIGS. 1 and 3 , that the intermediate ring  22  presents a locking region or device  30 , which comprises, for example, a number of stop teeth  30 ′, distributed around the circumference. The collar  21  of the lid element  1  includes a plurality of inwardly extending cross-pieces  65  distributed around the circumference. The insert element  2  includes a collar  40 , having two successively positioned counter-stop devices  31  and  32  extending around an outside circumference.  
         [0023]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a pre-installation or pre-mounting position is therein shown. The insert element  2  can be pressed into the lid element  1  in the direction of arrow I until the locking region  30  of the lid element  1  embeds itself into a counter-locking device or region  31  of the insert element  2 . As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the locking device  30  comprises a circumferential ring. In this state it is possible to install the closing lid consisting of the two units  1  and  2  in the opening  38  of the support plate  35 . After insertion, the insert element  2 , as best shown in  FIG. 6 , can, in turn, be pressed in the direction of arrow I into the lid element  1  until the locking device  32  embeds itself into the locking device  30 . In this movement, the hollow cylinder  12  presses upon plate  15  and moves same in arrow direction II, due to the elastic cone-shaped intermediate region  18 . Consequently, collar  21  of the elastic lid element  1  becomes deformed, as a result of which the adjacent region of the opening  38  of the support plate  35  is acted upon, thus assuring tight closure of the opening  38 .  
         [0024]     The cover plate  14  of the insert element  2  protrudes beyond collar  40 . In the mounted position, according to  FIG. 6 , the cover plate  14  is engaged in a recess  50  of the lid element  1 .  
         [0025]     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a second embodiment of a closure cover is therein illustrated. In this embodiment, like components are identified by like numerals with a single primed (′) suffix and new components are identified by new numerals.  
         [0026]     A hollow cylinder  12 ‘includes a locking ’ region device  51  extending circumferentially inward. The locking region  51  can be embedded in two successively positioned counter-locking devices  53  and  55  of a peg  60 . The peg  60  can be located centrally at plate  15 ′ of the lid element  1 ′ and extends transverse to thereto. As described above, two positions can be assumed, namely the pre-mounting and the final mounting position, similar to the representation according to  FIGS. 5 and 6 .  
         [0027]     Referring to  FIG. 8 , a third embodiment of a closure cover is there illustrated. In this embodiment, like components are identified by like numerals with a double primed (″) suffix and new components are identified by new numerals. An insert element  2 ″, can include a hard component having a center region  64 , which, in mounted state of the closing lid, acts upon an elastic counter-region  20 ″, namely plate  15 ″ of the lid element  1 ″. According to this embodiment, the insert element  2 ″ includes a circumferential thin location  66 . The center region  64 , while being pressed in the direction of the arrow I, snaps inward and thus acts upon the elastic counter-region  20 ″ of the lid element  1 ″ thereby locking insert element  2 ″ in lid element  1 ″. A stop region  68  can be positioned both in a pre-mounted as well as in a mounted state, in a counter-locking device or region  70  of the lid element  1 ″. The aforementioned embodiments comprising a lid element and an insert element produce a tight closure. The various embodiments described, in simple fashion, close an opening of a support plate. The entire unit, initially, is insertable during pre-mounting into the opening and then with final mounting, closing of the opening achieved in a functionally secure manner.