WO2007144756A2

WO2007144756A2 - Retaining strip element for axially symmetrical components, like electric cables or pipes, for application to a hole of a vehicle body

Info

Publication number: WO2007144756A2
Application number: PCT/IB2007/001603
Authority: WO
Inventors: Franco Girodo
Original assignee: ITW Automotive Italia SRL
Current assignee: ITW Automotive Italia SRL
Priority date: 2006-06-16
Filing date: 2007-06-15
Publication date: 2007-12-21
Anticipated expiration: 2008-12-16
Also published as: ITTO20060444A1; WO2007144756A3

Abstract

A retaining strip element for an axially symmetrical component for vehicles, such as an electric cable or a pipe, including a head (2) provided with fastening means (10) to a support (vehicle body), coupable to a hole in the support, a flexible strip made integrally with the head and provided on a first face with a rack toothing (6), and a through seat (8) internally provided with retaining means (53) that are ratchet couplable with the rack toothing in a locked configuration of the strip, in which this has been loop-folded and inserted with its free end through an inlet of the seat of the head; wherein the strip protrudingly extends with its root portion (20), opposite to the free end (12), from an end of the head opposite to the inlet and essentially flush with an outlet opening (23) of the seat in locked configuration of the strip,- the head being provided, on the side of the seat, with at least one pair of opposite projections (30) which extend at least partially protrudingly perpendicular to the inlet (13) itself.

Description

RETAINING STRIP ELEMENT FOR AXIALLY SYMMETRICAL

COMPONENTS, LIKE ELECTRIC CABLES OR PIPES, FOR

APPLICATION TO A HOLE OF A VEHICLE BODY

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a perfected retaining element of the strip kind, specifically for fastening, e.g. to the underbody, axially symmetrical components, typically electric harnesses formed by one or more cables, also of relatively and reciprocally very different diameters and/or pipes passed through by fluids for on-board vehicle systems, such as gasoline or oil.

BACKGROUND ART

It is known that in order to fasten axially symmetrical components of the aforesaid type to a support formed by the body of a vehicle, e.g. at the underbody, there are used retaining elements which are coupled with holes or threaded pins of the support by means of their own fastening means and which integrally carry a flexible toothed strip, which is in use loop-folded and throughly inserted in a seat of a head of the retaining element to form a noose, within which the components to be fastened are firmly clasped, the toothing of the strip ratchet coupling with retaining means arranged within the seat, so as to prevent the loosening of the noose formed by the strip. The strip of the known retaining elements of the above-described type is not however capable of optimally- fastening harnesses formed by cables of reciprocally different diameter or, above all, by electric cables arranged within a corrugated tube; loosening or displacements of the cables/harnesses, which may cause annoying noise or vibrations, may thus be generated in use.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

It is thus one of the objects of the present invention to overcome the above-described drawbacks by means of a retaining element for axially symmetrical components, such as electric cables/harnesses or pipes, which allows an effective fastening action, free from noises and vibrations, also in the case of harnesses formed by multiple electric cables of different diameter, and above all in the case of cables arranged within corrugated tubes or sheaths. It is a further object of the invention to provide a retaining element which presents, at the same time, small dimensions as well as low manufacturing costs and high assembly ease.

According to the invention, it is thus provided a retaining element of the strip type for axially symmetrical components, specifically for electric cables/harnesses or pipes, as defined in claim 1.

Specifically, the retaining element comprises a head provided with fastening means to the aforesaid support, e.g. couplable to a hole of the underbody of a vehicle, a flexible strip made integrally with the head and provided on a first face with a rack toothing, and a through seat crossing the head and internally provided with retaining means which are ratchet couplable with the rack toothing of the strip in a locked configuration of the strip, in which this has been loop-folded and inserted with its free end through an inlet of the seat made at a first end of the head.

According to an aspect of the invention, the strip protrudingly extends with a root portion of its own, opposite to said free end, from a second end of the head, opposite to the first, the root portion being arranged essentially flush with an outlet opening of the seat for the strip in the locked configuration of the strip; and the head is provided, on the side of the inlet of the seat, with at least one pair of opposite projections which extend, at least partially, protrudingly perpendicular to the inlet itself.

The projections lengthen on a face of the head arranged perpendicularly to the inlet of the seat and on opposite side to the fastening means, and extend perpendicularly from such face, parallel to the root portion of the strip; furthermore, each projection is delimited on the side opposite to the head by an essentially rounded edge defining, in a plane perpendicular to the inlet of the seat, a V profile having uniform height in correspondence with the face of the head arranged perpendicularly to the inlet and progressively decreasing towards the inlet on the side of the inlet itself.

In this manner, the cable bundles, even having reciprocally very different dimensions, are not only clasped by the strip, once this is throughly inserted crossing the seat to form a sort of noose around the components to be fastened, but are also pushed between the projections and against the face of the head perpendicular to the inlet, so as to prevent in use any relative movement; specifically, if the cables are inserted in a corrugated tube or sheath, the projections are inserted between one crest and the other of the corrugations of the tube or sheath, thus firmly fastening the wiring harness, specifically along the direction of extension of the axially symmetric components to be fastened.

Finally, such a retaining element is of small size, easy to mount and cost-effective to manufacture, due to the essential absence of undercuts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent in the following description of anon- limitative embodiment thereof, made with reference to the figures in the accompanying drawings, in which:

- figure 1 shows an elevation longitudinal view of a retaining element made according to the invention; figure 2 shows a top plan view of the same retaining element in figure 1; - figure 3 shows a section view taken along a plotting plane III-III of a detail of the retaining element shown in figure 2;

- figure 4 is a section view, in magnified scale, of a detail of the detail in figure 3; - figure 5 shows a section view taken along a plotting plane V-V of a detail of the retaining element shown in figure 1; figure 6 is a section view taken along a plotting plane VI-VI of the retaining element according to the invention, shown in figures 1 and 2; and

- figure 7 is a view in magnified scale of a detail of the retaining element in figures 1 and 2.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to figures from 1 to 7, numeral 1 indicates as a whole a strip retaining element fastenable to a support T, in the case in point consisting of a vehicle body, in a retaining hole F of support T to fasten axially symmetrical components of the vehicle to the same, such as electric cables or harnesses and/or vehicle service fluid feeding pipes, known and therefore not shown for the sake of simplicity.

Retaining element 1 comprises a head 2 provided with fastening means 3 to support T, couplable in hole F, a flexible strip 4 made integrally in one piece with head

2 and provided with a rack toothing 6 on a first face 5 of its own, and a through seat 8 crossing ^' head 2 and internally provided with retaining means 10 (figure 6) which are ratchet couplable with rack toothing 6 of strip

4 in a locked configuration of the strip (known and not shown for the sake of simplicity) , in which this has been loop-folded and inserted with its free end 12 through an inlet 13 of seat 8 (figure 6) made at a first end 14 of head 2. Head 2, fastening means 3, strip 4 and retaining means 10 are integrally made of a single part, by moulding of synthetic plastic resin, possibly appropriately filled, e.g. with glass fibres.

Strip 4 protrudingly extends with a root portion 20 thereof (figure 6), opposite to free end 12, from a second end 22 of head 2, opposite to end 14 and arranged essentially flush with an outlet opening 23 of seat 8 for strip 4 in the locked configuration of the same.

According to a main aspect of the invention, head 2 is provided, on the side of inlet 13 of seat 8, with at least one pair of opposite projections 30 (figure 7) which protrudingly extend at least in part perpendicularly to inlet 13 itself. Projections 30 further lenghten on a face 31 of head 2 (figure 6) arranged perpendicularly to inlet 13 and on opposite side to fastening means 3 and extend perpendicularly to face 31, parallel to root portion 20 of strip 4.

Each projection 30 is delimited on the side opposite to head 2 by an essentially rounded edge 33 defining a V profile on a plane perpendicular to inlet 13, coinciding with the plane of the sheet in figure 6. Each projection 30 indeed presents a uniform height in correspondence with face 31 and a progressively decreasing height towards inlet 13, in direction perpendicular to the same, up to become nihl in correspondence with a base 36 of head 2 (figure 6 and 7), which seat 8 is made flush with and which the fastening means 3 depart from, on opposite side of strip 4. Fastening means 3 comprise, in the case in point, an anchored-shaped shank 40 (figures 5 and 7), in turn comprising a central stem 41 which protrudingly extends from base 36 of head 2, on opposite side of strip 4, and a pair of elastically deformable arms 42 reciprocally arranged to form a V and which obliquely and radially protrude from a free end of stem 41, opposite to base 36 of head 2, and towards the latter; and an elastically deformable truncated cone shaped flange 44, carried by base 36 of head 2 radially protrudingly therefrom with its concavity facing towards arms 42 of shank 41. Elastically deformable arms 42 present progressively increasingly thickness towards their corresponding free ends, which are provided with corresponding saw toothings 45, also shown in detail and on a magnified scale in the circular frame in figure 5, including a plurality of teeth (thus at least two and preferably three or more) , each of which presents an abutting face 46 arranged facing and parallel to truncated cone flange 44. In this manner, the edge of hole F of support T may be secured in use without clearance between flange 44 and abutting faces 46 of a tooth of toothing 45, regardless of the thickness of support T.

Face 5 of strip 4 provided with toothing 6 faces the same side as inlet 13 of seat 8, when strip 4 is not deformed; and retaining means 10 which are ratchet couplable with rack toothing 6 consist of an elastically deformable arm, which obliquely protrudes within seat 8, from inlet 13 and towards outlet opening 23 of seat 8, from an internal side wall 50 of seat 8 opposite and immediately adjacent to face 31 of head 2. Elastically deformable arm 10 presents an edge 52

(figure 6) facing on the side opposite to side wall 50 of seat 8 and provided with a saw toothing 53 including a plurality of teeth having a profile joined to corresponding teeth 55 of rack toothing 6 (figure 4) of strip 4.

Strip 4 preferably presents a U cross-section, being longitudinally delimited by opposite side edges 70 (figure 3) of relatively high thickness, teeth 55 being made therebetween, and transversally to strip 4, so that the fluid material intended to form strip 4 may flow faster during the step of moulding.

Claims

1. A retaining strip element for an axially symmetrical component for vehicles, such as an electric cable or a pipe, comprising: a head provided with fastening means to a support, in particular to a vehicle body, couplable to a hole in the support; a flexible strip made integrally with the head and provided on a first face with a rack toothing; and a through seat crossing the head and internally provided with retaining means that are ratchet couplable with the rack toothing in a locked configuration of the strip, in which this has been loop-folded and inserted with its free end through an inlet of the seat made at the first end of the head; characterised in that the strip protrudingly extends, with a root portion of its own opposite to said free end, from a second end of the head, opposite to the first, arranged essentially flush with an outlet of the seat for the strip in the locked configuration thereof; the head being provided, on the side of said inlet of the seat, with at least one pair of opposite projections which extend, at least partially, protrudingly perpendicular to the inlet itself.

2. A retaining element according to claim 1, characterised in that said projections lengthen on a face of said head arranged perpendicularly to said inlet of the seat and on opposite side to said fastening means, and extend perpendicularly from said face, parallel to the root portion of the strip.

3. A retaining element according to claim 2, characterised in that each of said projections is delimited on the side opposite to said head by an edge essentially rounded and defining a V profile on a plane perpendicular to said inlet of the seat.

4. A retaining element according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that each of said projections presents a uniform height at said face of said head arranged perpendicularly to said inlet of the seat; and height progressively decreasing towards said inlet, in direction perpendicular to the same, up to become nihl in correspondence with a base of said head flush with which said seat is made and from which said fastening means depart on the side opposite to that of said strip.

5. A retaining element according to claim 4, characterised in that said fastening means comprise: an anchored-shaped shank, in turn comprising a central stem which protrudingly extends from the base of the head, on opposite side of the strip, and a pair of elastically deformable arms reciprocally arranged to form a V and which obliquely and radially protrude from a free end of the stem, opposite to said base of the head, and towards the latter; and an elastically deformable truncated cone shaped flange, radially protrudingly carried by said base of the head with its concavity facing towards said shank arms .

6. A retaining element according to claim 5, characterised in that said elastically deformable arms present progressively increasingly thickness towards the respective free ends, which are provided with respective saw toothings including a plurality of teeth, each of which presents an abutting face arranged facing and parallel to said truncated cone flange.

7. A retaining element according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said first face of the strip is facing the same side as said inlet of the seat of the head; said ratchet couplable retaining means with said rack toothing of the strip consisting in an elastically deformable arm which obliquely protrudes within said seat, from said inlet and towards said outlet of the seat, from an internal side wall of said seat opposite and immediately adjacent to said face of the head perpendicular to the inlet of the seat.

8. A retaining element according to claim 7, characterised in that said elastically deformable arm presents an edge facing said side wall of the seat and provided with a saw toothing including a plurality of teeth having profile joined with respective teeth of said rack toothing of the strip.

9. A fastening element according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said strip presents a U cross-section being longitudinally delimited by opposite side edges of relatively high thickness between which there are made, transversally to the strip, respective teeth of said rack toothing of the strip.