Arrangements for anchoring items to automotive framing components

The present invention is related to arrangements for anchoring items to automotive framing components. More particularly, the present invention is directed to arrangements for anchoring items to automotive framing components wherein the items include, but are not limited to, passenger assist handles, coat hooks, lighting fixtures, sun visors and any other item which is mounted on automotive framing components

Currently two arrangements are used to anchor passenger assist handles to framing components of vehicles passenger compartments. In one arrangement a handle is retained by a push-in clip that is inserted through a hole previously punched in the framing component. The clip has a barbed point that expands once forced through the hole in the framing component.

In accordance with the second method, a threaded fastener and retaining nut are used. The nut often referred to as a J-clip or J-nut is aligned with a punched hole in the framing component and the threaded fastener is driven through both the handle and the nut. J-clips are relatively expensive and the labor costs related to inserting the nut are relatively high. Moreover, eliminating parts such as J-clips eases assembly.

In the passenger compartments of automotive vehicles there are numerous items such as coat hooks, visors, mirrors, light fixtures and other items which require attachment to framing components. There are also exterior items, such as but not limited to, roof racks, spoilers and mirrors. Reductions in cost, while maintaining or improving reliability, is a constant goal as anchors and attachment devices evolve.

An arrangement for anchoring items to automotive framing components and/or sheet metal comprises a base portion of the item having a hole therethrough and a mounting stud extending through the hole in the base portion for coupling with an opening in the framing component. The mounting stud has a shaft of a selected diameter, which shaft has first and second end portions. The first end portion of the shaft has a helix therearound, the helix having a diameter larger than the hole in the base portion of the item. The second end portion on the shaft has a stop element thereon also with a diameter larger than the hole in the base portion. The second end portion of the shaft is constructed and arranged to cooperate with a rotating tool for advancing the helix into the opening in the framing component. The opening through the framing component has a first diameter sufficient to permit passage of the shaft therethrough and a second diameter equal to the diameter of the shaft plus the width of the helix. An item, such as but not limited to a handle, a coat hook, a lighting fixture, a sunshade or any other item, becomes positively fixed with respect to the framing component upon rotating the mounting stud to drive the helix through the opening in the framing component until the base achieves a tight relationship with respect to the framing component.

In a further aspect of the invention, the second end portion of the shaft is threaded and the stop is a nut threaded on the second end portion.

In still a further aspect of the invention, the second end of the shaft is threaded in oppositely of the helix so that when the nut is rotated by the rotating tool, the nut tightens against a first side of the base and the base thereafter tightens with respect to the framing component or sheet metal.

In still a further aspect of the invention at least the helix on the stud is made of plastic.

In still a further aspect of the invention the entire mounting stud is made of an acetal homopolymer.

Various other features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of components comprising an anchoring arrangement according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a passenger assist handle based anchored to a roof rail using the anchoring arrangement of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a passenger assist handle of FIG. 2 , partially in elevation, installed on the roof rail;

FIG. 4 is an elevation taken along lines 4 — 4 of FIG. 3 showing a portion of the handle of FIG. 3 and the anchoring assembly with a mounting stud having a stop nut loosely threaded thereon;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the stop nut tightened on the mounting stud and the mounting stud advancing into an opening in the roof rail;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 showing the portion of the handle anchored against the roof rail;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation showing a coat hook mounted on a framing component using the anchoring arrangement of FIG. 1 , and

FIG. 8 is a side elevation showing two components that can be coupled using the anchoring arrangement of FIG. 1 .

Referring now to FIG. 1 there is shown an anchoring arrangement 10 , configured in accordance with the present invention, wherein a mounting stud 12 is comprised of a shaft 14 having a smooth intermediate portion 15 , a first end portion 16 and a second end portion 17 . The first end portion 16 is configured as a helix 18 having a selected width W as measured from the surface of the intermediate portion 15 of the shaft 14 , and a radius R as measured from the axis 19 of the shaft 14 . The first end portion 16 advances when rotated in the clockwise direction. The second end portion 17 is threaded with a thread that advances the opposite direction of the helix 18 . A shoulder 20 is positioned between the second end portion 17 and the intermediate smooth cylindrical portion 15 .

In order to attach the mounting stud 12 to a plate 26 , the plate 26 has a teardrop shaped hole 28 therethrough which has a first portion of a diameter “d” which is large enough allow the intermediate portion 15 of the shaft 14 to pass therethrough. The teardrop shaped hole 28 also has a second portion 32 which when added to the first portion 30 has an increased diameter “D” which substantially equals the diameter of the shaft 14 plus the width “W” of the helix 18 , the width being measured radially from the surface of the intermediate portion 15 to the edge of the helix. This distance is also the radius “R” of the helix 18 . Consequently, when the leading edge 36 of the helix 18 aligns in front of a raised edge 38 of the teardrop shaped hole 28 at the beginning of a curving ramp portion 39 of the plate 26 , a back surface 40 of the helix slides behind a back surface 42 of the plate 26 . As the helix 17 is rotated in the clockwise direction, it advances through the teardrop shaped hole 28 , pulling the second end portion 17 of the shaft 14 toward a front face 44 of the plate 26 .

In order to rotate the mounting stud 12 , the second end 17 of the mounting stud has a thread 50 thereon which preferably advances in a direction opposite the direction of advance of the helix 18 . The shaft 14 of the mounting stud 12 is initially frictionally restrained from rotation as a stop nut 54 , which has an internal thread 56 matching the thread 50 , is rotated in the clockwise direction thereon. As the stop nut 54 is rotated, it advances toward the shoulder 20 . The initial frictional restraint of the shaft 14 is due to relatively high friction between the outer surface 44 of the plate 26 and a front face 60 of the helix 18 and also is due to slight distortion of the helix which occurs as the helix advances through the teardrop shaped hole 28 . This initial resistance is sufficient to keep the shaft 14 stationary until the back surface 56 of the stop nut 54 bottoms against the shoulder 20 , at which time the shaft 14 begins to rotate clockwise so to drive the helix 18 through the teardrop shaped hole 28 . The mounting stud 12 is then firmly seated in the teardrop shaped hole 28 of the plate 26 for anchoring various items to the plate.

Referring now to FIGS. 2–6 there is shown an example of an item which is retained by the anchoring arrangement 10 of FIG. 1 . In FIGS. 2–4 , the item is a passenger assist handle 70 having a grip portion 71 , which passenger assist handle is mounted to a roof rail 72 . The roof rail 72 is a framing component defining a passenger compartment (not shown) of an automotive vehicle. The handle 70 has first and second ends 74 and 75 which have base portions 76 and 77 which are attached by helixes 18 of mounting studs 12 to the roof rail 72 via the teardrop shaped openings 28 .

FIGS. 4–6 illustrate anchoring the left end 74 of the passenger assist handle 70 ; the right end 75 being affixed similarly. In FIG. 4 , the nut 54 is being threaded onto the second end portion 17 of the shaft 14 by a power tool 79 ( FIG. 2 ) after the shaft 14 has been axially slid through an opening 84 in the base portion 76 in the direction of axis 19 . The nut 54 continues to rotate on the shaft 14 until it bottoms against the shoulder 20 adjacent the smooth intermediate portion 15 of the shaft. As seen in FIG. 5 , once the surface 56 of the nut 54 engages the shoulder 20 , the entire shaft 14 begins to rotate clockwise, which is the same direction the nut 54 rotates in order to tighten against the shoulder 20 . As previously explained, the leading edge 36 of the helix 18 (see FIG. 1 ) slides under the raised portion 38 of the opening 28 and the helix 18 begins to accumulate behind the rear surface 42 of the plate portion 26 of the top rail framing component 72 . The rear surface 56 of the nut 54 then bears against the front surface 86 of the base portion 76 , urging the passenger assist handle 70 toward the plate portion 26 of the top rail framing component 72 . The nut 54 then becomes a stop as the rear face 88 of the base portion 76 abuts either the inside facing surface 89 of the rail 72 , or whatever covering or passenger compartment lining is over the surface 89 . The rotary tool 79 ( FIG. 2 ) then torques out and begins to slip indicating that the anchoring arrangement 10 has anchored the left end 74 of the passenger assist handle 70 to the frame 72 . The same procedure is performed with respect to the right end 75 of the passenger assist handle 70 to anchor the mounting stud 12 in a second teardrop shaped hole 28 through the top rail framing component 72 .

By utilizing the anchoring arrangement 10 , the passenger assist handle 70 withstands a pulling force of at least 300 pounds. While the passenger assist handle has a grip 71 which is shown as being molded unitary with the base portions 76 and 77 , the grip in another embodiment is pivoted on the base portions.

As is seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 a pair of covers 90 and 92 , which are preferably molded with the handle 70 , are hinged with living hinges 93 and 94 to the base portions 76 and 78 , respectively. The covers 90 and 92 are pivoted over the base portions 76 and 78 in order to obscure from view the nuts 54 and projecting second end portions 17 of the shafts 14 .

Referring now to FIG. 7 , there is shown a coat hook 96 mounted in a teardrop shape opening 28 ′ on a retaining plate portion 26 ′ of a top rail framing component 72 by the anchoring arrangement 10 of FIG. 1 . The coat hook 96 has a base 97 with a hole 98 therethrough which receives the intermediate portion 15 of the shaft 14 . The nut 54 , which is driven by a power tool such as the power tool 79 shown in FIG. 2 , is accessed though a recess 99 in the coat hook 96 that is subsequently closed by a snap cap portion 100 .

While a passenger assist handle 70 is shown in FIGS. 2–6 and a coat hook 96 in FIG. 7 , the anchoring arrangement 10 can be used to anchor other items in passenger compartments of automotive vehicles, such items including, but not limited to, rear view mirrors, visors, dashboards, dashboard components and lighting fixtures, wherein the items are equipped with a base that can be engaged with the rear surface 56 of the stop nut 54 .

A preferred material from which to make the mounting stud 12 is DERIN®, an acetal homopolymer available from the DUPONT Company. Other polymers as well as metals may be used, but DERIN® is preferred.

While the anchoring arrangement 10 shown in FIG. 1 has specific application for mounting items inside passenger compartments of automotive vehicles, the anchoring arrangement is used for anchoring items externally on automotive vehicles as well. Moreover, the anchoring arrangement 10 has heavy duty use for fastening any two components together. As is seen in FIG. 8 , a first component 110 having an opening 112 therethrough may be fastened to a second component 114 having a teardrop shaped opening 28 ″ similar to the opening 28 of FIG. 1 .

From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention, and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.