Patent Document

FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to a fastener which connects two components together. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a fastener which connects a condenser of an air-conditioning system or a fan shroud to a radiator and which incorporates a provision for incorporating a nut. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. 
         [0003]    A car manufacturer sometimes requires that a radiator of a cooling system for a vehicle be adapted for easily mounting a condenser for an air-conditioning system or a fan shroud to the radiator. At other times, the car manufacturer will require that the radiator be supplied with the condenser and/or the fan shroud assembled to the radiator to simplify assembly of the vehicle. 
         [0004]    Mounting of the condenser and/or the fan shroud is typically performed by inserting bolts through mounting holes formed in one of the components and threadingly engaging an insert or a nut located on or attached to the other component. In some mounting configurations one or more of the attachment points on one component is provided with a slot and the other component is provided with a tab or arm that is designed to engage the slot to assemble the two components together. 
         [0005]    Typically, the attachment point is located on one or both of the tanks of the radiator and when the tank body is made from plastic, the attachment point is molded as part of the tank body. While this tab/slot attachment system provides a quick and simple attachment mechanism for the two components, if the slot becomes broken or damaged, there is no easy repair solution because the slot was formed during the molding process for the tank body. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features. 
         [0007]    The present disclosure provides an attachment point which is molded as part of the tank body of the radiator. The slot is formed by a base and a money-clip styled arm. The base is provided with a nut holding feature which can be utilized if the money-clip styled arm is damaged or broken off of the base. In this manner, replacement of the entire radiator is not required when the attachment point is damaged. 
         [0008]    Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a radiator and a condenser attached to each other utilizing an attachment mechanism in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective of one of the attachment mechanisms illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the attachment mechanism illustrated in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a side perspective view of the attachment mechanism illustrated in  FIG. 2  with the arm broken off; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a side perspective view of the attachment mechanism illustrated in  FIG. 4  after the assembly of a nut; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a side perspective view of the radiator and the condenser attached to each other utilizing the nut provision of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
       [0016]    Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  illustrates an assembly  10  of a first heat exchanger in the form of a radiator  12  and a second heat exchanger in the form of a condenser  14 . Radiator  12  comprises a pair of tank bodies  16 , a plurality of tubes  18 , a plurality of fins  20  and a pair of support brackets  22 . The plurality of tubes  18  extend between the pair of tank bodies  16  and each tube  18  defines one or more fluid passages which are in direct communication with a tank cavity defined by each tank body  16 . Each of the plurality of fins  20  is disposed between adjacent tubes  18  to increase the heat transfer area of tubes  18 . The pair of support brackets  22  are located at opposite sides of the stack of the plurality of tubes  18  and the plurality of fins  20  to provide support for the assembly. As is known in the art, radiator  12  exchanges heat between a first fluid (typically air) being blown past the plurality of tubes  18  and the plurality of fins  20  and a second fluid (typically engine coolant) flowing through the passages in the plurality of tubes  18  between the pair of tank bodies  16 . 
         [0019]    Condenser  14  comprises a pair of tank bodies  30 , a plurality of tubes  32 , a plurality of fins  34  and a pair of support brackets  36 . The plurality of tubes  32  extend between the pair of tank bodies  30  and each tube  32  defines one or more fluid passages which are in direct communication with a tank cavity defined by each tank body  30 . Each of the plurality of fins  34  is disposed between adjacent tubes  32  to increase the heat transfer area of tubes  32 . The pair of support brackets  36  are located at opposite sides of the stack of the plurality of tubes  32  and the plurality of fins  34  to provide support for the assembly. As is known in the art, condenser  14  exchanges heat between a first fluid (typically air) being blown past the plurality of tubes  32  and the plurality of fins  34  and a second fluid (typically refrigerant) flowing through the passages in the plurality of tubes  32  between the pair of tank bodies  30 . 
         [0020]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2-5 , an attachment system which includes an attachment mechanism  40  and tab or leg  42  is shown in greater detail. Attachment mechanism  40  is a plastic component which is molded as an integral part of one or both of the pair of tank bodies  16  of radiator  12 . Thus, attachment mechanism  40  and tank body  16  form a single piece component. Attachment mechanism  40  comprises a base  44  and a money-clip styled arm  46 . As illustrated in the figures, base  44  and money-clip styled arm  46  define a slot  48 . Disposed within the slot is tab or leg  42  which forms a part of condenser  14 . During the assembly of condenser  14  with radiator  12 , tab or leg  42  is aligned with slot  48  and inserted into slot  48 . The assembly of tab or leg  42  into slot  48  elastically deflects money-clip styled arm  46  and tab or leg  42  is held within slot  48  due to the deflection of money-clip styled arm  46 . The width of tab or leg  42  is larger than slot  48  before the assembly of condenser  14  to radiator  12  in order to avoid any gap or space between tab or leg  42  and base  44 . While attachment mechanism  40  is illustrated as being part of radiator  12  and tab or leg  42  is illustrated as being part of condenser  14 , condenser  14  could include attachment mechanism  40  and radiator  12  could include tab or leg  42 . 
         [0021]    Base  44  comprises a solid frame  54  and a plurality of ribs  56  attached to and extending from frame  54 . The plurality of ribs  56  define a first plurality of pockets  58 , a second plurality of pockets  60  and a nut pocket  62 . The plurality of pockets  58  and  60  provide weight and material savings and the design of the plurality of ribs  56  and the plurality of pockets  58  and  60  are designed to provide a specified strength sufficient to mount condenser  14  to radiator  12  for the life of the vehicle. 
         [0022]    Nut pocket  62  comprises a pair of walls  64  and a pair of angled surfaces  66 . The pair of walls  64  are spaced from the rib  56  immediately adjacent money-clip styled arm  46  to define a slot  68  which accepts a nut  70  as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . The width of slot  68  can be larger than the width of nut  70 , it can be the same as nut  70  or it can be slightly smaller than nut  70  to provide the desired retention for nut  70 . Each angled surface  66  is designed to directly engage a respective face of the hexagonal outer surface of nut  70  in order to prevent rotation during the tightening of a fastener  72  ( FIG. 6 ) in relation to nut  70 . While nut  70  is illustrated as having a hexagonal shaped outer surface, it is within the scope of the present disclosure to have any shape for the outer surface of nut  70  including, but not limited to, round or square. As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , rib  56 , immediately adjacent money-clip styled arm  46 , is provided with an optional through bore  74  through which fastener  72  extends to engage nut  70 . Through bore  74  can be eliminated in the initial forming of rib  56  and can be drilled if and when it is necessary to utilize the secondary attachment method of attachment mechanism  40 . 
         [0023]    Money-clip styled arm  46  extends from base  44  to define slot  48 . Money-clip styled arm  46  includes an arcuate portion  80  attached directly to base  44 , a straight tapered portion  82  extending directly from arcuate portion  80  to form slot  48  and a straight angled portion  84  extending directly from straight tapered portion  82  to define a lead in opening  86  for tab or leg  42 . The initial thickness of slot  48  is less than the thickness of tab or leg  42  such that tab or leg  42  elastically deflects money-clip styled arm  46  at arcuate portion  80  during the insertion of tab or leg  42  into slot  48 . 
         [0024]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 4-6 , when money-clip styled arm  46  is damaged or broken, nut  70  can be inserted into nut pocket  62  such that two faces of the hexagonal outer surface of nut  70  engage the pair of angled surfaces  66 . A hole in tab or leg  42  can then be aligned with through bore  74  and fastener  72  can be inserted through the hole in tab or leg  42  and through through bore  74  to threadingly engage nut  70 . Fastener  72  can then be tightened while nut  70  is prohibited from rotation by the engagement of nut  70  and angled surfaces  66 . The hole in tab or leg  42  and/or through bore  74  can be initially provided in tab or leg  42  and attachment mechanism  40 , respectively, or the hole in tab or leg  42  and/or through bore  74  can be created after money-clip styled arm  46  has been damaged or broken. 
         [0025]    Attachment mechanism  40  provides a first or primary attachment device and a second or secondary attachment device for attaching condenser  14  to radiator  12 . The first or primary attachment device is money-clip styled arm  46 , slot  48  and base  44 . The second or secondary attachment device is nut  70  provided in nut pocket  62  and fastener  72  extending through a tab or leg  42  and base  44  to engage nut  70 . 
         [0026]    The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.

Technology Category: f