Methods and systems are provided for a housing for a fastener of a vehicle component. In one example, a housing for a fastener includes a central conduit adapted to receive the fastener, and a radial key extending outward from an outer surface of the housing. The radial key is first pressed against a vehicle component in an axial direction of the housing to form a first section of a channel within an interior of the vehicle component, and the key is then rotated against the interior to form an undercut, second section of the channel in a circumferential direction of the housing.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a connection system with a projection on a first connector and a cooperating cavity on a second connector to provide push-through connection of the connectors in first and second configurations in which the projection extends to first and second depths respectively within the cavity, wherein one or more of the projection or cavity is movable in two dimensions perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the projection when received in the cavity, wherein the first and second connectors have cooperating locking surfaces arranged to engage each other when the projection is received at the second depth to prevent said movement in two dimensions and wherein the cooperating locking surfaces do not engage each other so as to prevent said movement in two dimensions when the projection is received at the first depth in the receiving cavity.

An assembly of a first element with a second element includes an elongate thin lip belonging to the second element being inserted in an elongate narrow slot formed by three sides of an elongate flat plate fixed in parallel to a flat wall of the first element. At least one element forming a guide is secured to a long side of the elongate flat plate forming an edge of the slot. The element forming a guide includes a sliding surface extending in the continuation of the elongate flat plate and diverging from the flat wall away from the first element. The at least one element forming a guide cooperates with the lip so that the insertion of the lip into the slot begins with the sliding of the lip on the sliding surface and then continues as the lip advances, with progressive insertion of the lip into the slot.

The joining method for members according to the present invention includes: providing an aluminum component including an insertion hole provided with a rib in at least part of an edge part, and a hollow steel pipe; inserting the steel pipe into the insertion hole of the aluminum component; and expanding and deforming the steel pipe to join the steel pipe to the aluminum component by press-fitting.

A steering apparatus includes, at a gear housing, a rack bar containing portion movably containing a rack bar configured to turn a turning target wheel and made from a metallic material, and an engagement protrusion portion provided between a bracket portion and a frame of a vehicle. The bracket portion is provided at the rack bar containing portion. The bracket portion is made from a metallic material. The bracket portion includes a cylindrical portion. The bracket portion is coupled with the frame of the vehicle made from a metallic material. The engagement protrusion portion is made from a metallic material having a higher degree of hardness than the metallic material of the bracket portion and the metallic material of the frame of the vehicle, and protrudes toward a vehicle frame side on which the frame of the vehicle is located. The engagement protrusion portion abuts against a plastically deformable portion of the frame of the vehicle with the bracket portion and the frame of the vehicle coupled with each other with use of a coupling member.

An electromagnetic coupling device. The coupling device has a device body and at least one tongue member protruding from the device body. The tongue member has one or more ferro-magnetic engagement means provided thereon. At least one tongue member receiving means is provided on or defined by the device body and at least one electromagnet is provided substantially adjacent the receiving means. The engagement means provided on the tongue member of a second electromagnetic coupling device may be accommodated within the receiving means of the device body. The electromagnet is operable to cause the engagement means of the tongue member of the said second electromagnetic coupling device to substantially resist or prevent movement of the said tongue member within the receiving means.

An enforced one-time snap connection system mounts a first component to a second component. The first component has a circumferentially extending groove formed into an exterior surface. The second component has an annular mounting adapter having an internal bore. An annular retainer is secured on an end of the second component at the internal bore, the annular retainer includes an axially extending annular portion having a radially inwardly projecting annular locking rib received into the circumferentially extending groove during installation of the first component into the second component such that the annular locking rib or locking tabs and/or the circumferentially extending groove are critically damaged or destroyed if the first component is removed from the second component, thereby preventing re-assembly and re-locking of the components together again.

An enforced one-time snap connection system mounts a first component to a second component. The first component has a circumferentially extending groove formed into an exterior surface. The second component has an annular mounting adapter having an internal bore. An annular retainer is secured on an end of the second component at the internal bore, the annular retainer includes an axially extending annular portion having a radially inwardly projecting annular locking rib received into the circumferentially extending groove during installation of the first component into the second component such that the annular locking rib or locking tabs and/or the circumferentially extending groove are critically damaged or destroyed if the first component is removed from the second component, thereby preventing re-assembly and re-locking of the components together again.

A fastening device, a fastening system comprising a fastening device and corresponding slots/routs are described. There is a fastening device having at least two sides. In another embodiment the fastening device has three sides. Two of the three sides are about ninety degrees to each other and each of the two sides have a fastener located on its outer surface. There is one corresponding slot for each fastener. Each corresponding slot is on the surface of two separate substrates and located approximately ten millimeters away from an outermost edge of the substrate. The fastener secures with the corresponding slot, consequently joining the two substrates at approximately ninety degrees.

The utility model discloses a wheel nut, including a nut body which the outside surface comprises of multiple identical arc surfaces. The arc surface is protruding outward, and the radius of the arc surface is larger than the circumscribed radius of the outside surface of the nut body. The utility model designs the existing square surface of the outer hexagon feature of the wheel nut as an arc surface, which the contact area between the wheel nut and the sleeve and the loading area of the wheel nut can be increased, and then the deformation and looseness of the wheel nut can be avoided effectively, and therefore the service life of the wheel nut can be improved.