MULTI-PART SOCKET-LIKE CEMENT-IN RETAINER

Abstract

A multipart socket-like glue-in retainer which is fastenable in a component opening in an adhesive manner in a component opening and which is configured in at least two parts and thus in an opening manner in radial direction due to an axial separation, so that only before a gluing-in of the glue-in retainer in a component opening, a functional insert is arrangeable in the glue-in retainer and after the gluing-in of the glue-in retainer in the component opening, the functional insert is retained inseparably in the glue-in retainer.

Claims

1. A multipart socket-like glue-in retainer which is fastenable in a component opening in an adhesive manner and which is configured in at least two parts due to an axial separation and thus in an opening manner in radial direction, so that only before a gluing-in of the glue-in retainer in a component opening, a functional insert is arrangeable in the glue-in retainer and after the gluing-in of the glue-in retainer in the component opening, the functional insert is retained inseparably in the glue-in retainer wherein the glue-in retainer includes a hollow-cylindrical receiving body with a circumferential lateral area, a closed axial face side and an open axial face side with a functional opening which is provided opposite to the closed axial face side wherein adjacent to the functional opening of the open face side, a circumferentially surrounding fastening collar is arranged, extending radially with respect to the lateral area of the receiving body.

2. The glue-in retainer according to claim 1, the receiving body of which is separated due to at least one axial cut in longitudinal direction into two parts which are moveable relatively towards each other wherein the parts are completely or partly releasable from one another.

3. The glue-in retainer according to claim 2, in which connecting surfaces of the parts are provided along the axial cut which are arranged opposite to one another and comprise positioning aids and/or connecting aids of the parts.

4. The glue-in retainer according to claim 2, in which parts are arranged adjacent one another are movably connectable with one another via a film hinge and/or a snap-connection and/or plug connection.

5. The glue-in retainer according to claim 1, in which the lateral area comprises an outside which leads or guides the flow and is adapted to a guidance of a flowing adhesive and a functional inside with which the functional insert is retainable in the closed receiving body in a form-fit manner.

6. The glue-in retainer according to claim 1, in which the fastening collar includes a number of irradiation sections in which a thickness of the fastening collar in longitudinal direction of the glue-in retainer is reduced in order to provide the fastening collar in the irradiation sections such that it may be shone through with light.

7. The glue-in retainer according to claim 5, the functional inside of which includes a circumferential retaining groove which is adapted to a circumferential collar of the functional insert in terms of a width and a depth in order to hold same firmly or swimmingly/floatingly within the receiving cavity.

8. The glue-in retainer according to claim 1, which comprises a blocking web within the receiving body at the closed axial face side, the blocking web being receivable in a blocking groove of the functional insert so that a relative rotation between the functional insert and the receiving body is prevented.

9. The glue-in retainer according to claim 1, in which the functional insert a) is a sleeve being closed on one side and having a circumferential collar and an inner thread or a planar inner wall, b) a spring clip for a quick lock, c) a ball socket with a circumferential collar or d) a projecting thread pin or a ball bolt.

10. The glue-in retainer according to claim 1, in which the hollow cylindrical receiving body has an inner thread at a circumferential inner wall in which a wire thread insert is arranged as a functional insert.

11. The glue-in retainer according to claim 1, in which the glue-in retainer and/or the functional insert consist(s) of a thermoplastic plastic material with a permanent usage temperature of at least 130° C.

12. A component with a component opening, in which a glue-in retainer according to claim 1 is glued in.

13. An installation method of a glue-in retainer according to at claim 1 in a component, comprising the following steps: a) providing a component with a blind bore hole in which the glue-in retainer is receivable, b) arranging a functional insert in the glue-in retainer so that the functional insert is retained inseparably in the glue-in retainer, and subsequently c) gluing-in the glue-in retainer in the blind bore hole by d) applying a first adhesive amount to a bottom of the blind bore hole, e) inserting of the glue-in retainer with functional insert into the blind bore hole with the first adhesive amount and f) curing of the adhesive.

14. The installation method according to claim 13, with the further step: g) applying a second adhesive amount between a circumferential face-sided axial collar of the glue-in retainer and the component.

15. The installation method according to claim 13, in which the glue-in retainer is fastened with two different adhesives which comply with different curing principles.

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

Description

4. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] The embodiments of the present disclosure are described with respect to the accompanying drawings in more detail. They show:

[0051] FIG. 1 a schematic illustration of a component with a bore hole into which a configuration of the glue-in retainer is supposed to be inserted,

[0052] FIG. 2 a schematically illustrated component with a component opening in which a configuration of the glue-in retainer with a functional insert is fastened,

[0053] FIG. 3 a perspective lateral view of a configuration of the glue-in retainer,

[0054] FIG. 4 an exploded view of the glue-in retainer according to FIG. 3 with an embodiment of a functional insert arranged in there,

[0055] FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D different configurations of the functional insert,

[0056] FIG. 6 a further configuration of the glue-in retainer,

[0057] FIG. 7 a further configuration of the glue-in retainer with a thread bolt as functional insert,

[0058] FIG. 8 a further embodiment of the glue-in retainer with a ball bolt as functional insert,

[0059] FIG. 9 a further configuration of the glue-in retainer in an exploded view with an inner thread and a wire thread insert to be arranged in there,

[0060] FIG. 10 a schematic sectional view of a glue-in retainer that is glued into the component opening, and

[0061] FIG. 11 a flow chart of a configuration of the installation method.

5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a component B with a component opening 3, before a multipart socket-like glue-in retainer 1 is glued in there. The glue-in retainer 1, which is described in more detail below, is for example suitable for components B of low mechanical inherent stability compared to metal or wood, as for example lightweight panels, sandwich panels, honeycomb panels, foam panels and combinations thereof. Nevertheless, the glue-in retainer 1 may be fastened in components B of any materials.

[0063] The glue-in retainer 1 may be manufactured out of plastic material such as an injection molded part. Alternatively, the glue-in retainer 1 may be manufactured with known additive manufacturing methods. This will also offer the possibility to provide the glue-in retainer 1 out of metal, e.g. by means of laser sintering.

[0064] According to a configuration, the glue-in retainer 1 and also a functional insert 40 that may be held in there is made of a thermoplastic plastic material with a permanent temperature of use of at least 130° C., which may be a high-performance plastic material. High performance plastic materials may be used in the aviation industry.

[0065] The term high performance plastic material or high-performance thermoplastic is based on an application related engineer technology categorization of thermoplastic plastic materials which distinguishes between standard plastic materials, technical plastic materials and high-performance plastic materials. As the name already indicates, high performance plastic materials fulfil higher requirements than standard and technical plastic materials. They may have better mechanical features, a higher resistance towards chemicals and/or a higher resistance towards heat. Thus, they are very different to technical plastic materials which may cover a broad range of functions.

[0066] All high-performance plastic materials contain aromatic structures. As the aromatic carbon hydrogen bond is significantly more stable than the aliphatic carbon hydrogen bond, the radical formation which arises during a thermal decomposition or fire becomes more difficult due to the oxidation resistance. Furthermore, the chain stiffness of aromatic polymers is bigger than that of aliphatic polymers, which reduces the glass transmission temperature or, in case of crystalline polymers, increases the crystallite melting point and reduces solubility. Therefore, aromatic structures combine the two most important features for the resistance against high temperatures. The thermal stability is therefore a central feature of high-performance plastic materials.

[0067] Based on the features of standard plastic materials, mechanical and thermal improvements can already be achieved by adding reinforcing materials such as glass fibers and carbon fibers, by supplementing stabilizers and by an increase in the degree of polymerization. The permanent temperature of use of at least 130° C. is, however, only achieved when aliphatic units are replaced by aromatic units. In this context, the term permanent temperature of use refers to the maximum temperature at which the respective plastic material has lost no more than 50% of its initial features in hot air after 20,000 hours of storage. In this regard, additional reference is made to DIN IEC 216 as well as DIN EN 60216.

[0068] A higher permanent temperature of use can be reached by completely doing without aliphatic elements and by a tight connection of aromatic compounds by functional groups such as ether groups, sulfone groups or imide groups, so that permanent temperatures of use of at least 200° C. to at least 260° C. can be reached. In a further embodiment, the thermoplastic plastic material therefore may have a permanent temperature of use of at least 150° C., or of at least 170° C. and in some embodiments of at least 190° C. In addition or alternatively, the thermoplastic plastic material may be selected from the group of amorph plastic materials. In this context, amorph is generally the term for the state of a solid material in which the components, that is atoms, ions or molecules, are not periodically arranged over a larger portion, the so-called long-range order. The amorph thermoplastic plastic materials are transparent in the initial form. In addition, a component of an amorph thermoplastic plastic material is rigid compared with semi-crystalline thermoplastic high performance plastic materials. A disadvantage compared with the semi-crystalline plastic materials is, however, that it has a lower chemical resistance.

[0069] The glue-in retainer 1 is fastened in a substance-to-substance manner by means of an adhesive in the component opening 3. Due to the construction of the glue-in retainer 1 that is described in more detail below, the functional insert 40 is arranged in the adhesive retainer 1 before the glue-in retainer 1 is glued into the component opening 3. After gluing in the glue-in retainer 1 with the functional insert 40 into the component opening 3, it is no longer possible to remove the functional insert 40 from the glue-in retainer 1 or to exchange it by another functional insert 40. Accordingly, FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of the glue-in retainer 1 with functional insert 40, which is fastened in the component opening 3 of the component B.

[0070] The glue-in retainer 1 is configured multi-part and socket-like. The term socket-like means that the functional insert 40 can be arranged and retained in the glue-in retainer 1.

[0071] Based on FIGS. 3 and 4, the construction of the glue-in retainer 1 is explained in more detail. The glue-in retainer 1 has a pot-like receiving body 10. It is configured partly hollow-cylindrical in order to receive and permanently hold the functional insert 40.

[0072] The receiving body 10, which extends along the longitudinal axis L, for the functional insert 40 has a circumferential lateral area 12, a closed axial face side 14 and an open axial face side 16.

[0073] The open face side 16 may be encompassed by a circumferentially surrounding fastening collar 18. According to the shown configuration, the fastening collar 18 may be configured closed entirely circumferential. The fastening collar 18 may be provided with breakthroughs in axial direction (not shown).

[0074] The fastening collar 18 has a plurality of evenly distributed recesses 19, which may be along its side that faces away from the component. Within the recesses 19, the thickness of the fastening collar 18 in the direction of the longitudinal axis L is reduced so much that a bottom of the recess 19 can be irradiated with light. Thus, the recesses 19 serve as an irradiation window in order to activate and/or cure an adhesive that is located at the side of the fastening collar 18 which faces the component.

[0075] Similarly, the fastening collar 18 may be provided without the recesses 19.

[0076] A circumferentially surrounding web 17, projecting in axial direction, may be provided at the side of the fastening collar 18 which faces the component. The web 17 delimits a channel at the component-facing side of the fastening collar 18 in which the adhesive can be received. The web 17 may prevent a displacing of adhesive radially to the outside beyond the radial extension of the fastening collar 18.

[0077] The lateral area 12 includes a plurality of radially outwardly projecting webs 13, extending parallel and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L. The webs 13 delimit flow tracks for the adhesive, with which the glue-in retainer 1 is fastened in the component opening 3. The webs 13 may be open at a plurality of locations in order to form overflow locations for the adhesive between adjacent flow tracks. Furthermore, the webs 13 may also serve for a ventilation of the adhesive area. That means that air pockets at the adhesive location are avoided as far as possible when the glue-in retainer 1 is glued into the blind bore hole 3.

[0078] Based on FIGS. 3 and 4, one will recognize the socket-like or pot-like shape of the receiving body 10. According to a further embodiment, the receiving body 10 may be configured at least two-part due to at least one axial cut 20. According to an embodiment, the receiving body is made of exactly two parts 22, 24, which may be of two halves 22, 24 or half shells of the receiving body 20.

[0079] The two halves 22, 24 of the receiving body 20 each include a connecting surface 26 which has been generated by the axial cut 20. These connecting surfaces 26 are arranged opposite one another and abut one another when the receiving body 10 is closed or is fastened in the component opening 3, which may be a blind bore hole. A surface normal of the connecting surface 26 may be aligned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L.

[0080] In order to arrange the two halves 22, 24 reliably and in a way that they are aligned opposite one another, the connecting surfaces 26 may comprise positioning aids 28 and/or connecting aids. According to one configuration, the positioning aid and/or connecting aid 28 is a pin which engages into a matching opening. Likewise, a snapping or locking connection may be provided at this location.

[0081] The two halves 22, 24 may have the same construction, so that the manufacturing process and the later assembly becomes more effective.

[0082] According to a further configuration, the two halves 22, 24 may be movably connected with one another via a film hinge. Movable means that the receiving body 10 of FIG. 3 may be unfolded in contrast to that of FIG. 4 so as to insert the functional insert 40. According to different configurations, the film hinge (not shown) may be arranged on the radial outside at the fastening collar 18 or on the bottom of the receiving body 10. The corresponding positioning of the film hinge would guarantee an opening of the receiving body 10 for receiving/inserting the functional insert 40 and subsequently closing the receiving body 10. The film hinge may be realized in the construction of the below described blocking web 15.

[0083] The receiving body 10 may be divided into more than two parts 22, 24 by means of axial cuts 20, so as to be able to insert the functional insert 40.

[0084] The receiving body 10 includes a functional inside 30 which is arranged opposite to the surrounding lateral area 12. The functional inside 30 serves for the fastening and the retaining of the functional insert 40 inside of the receiving body 10. According to a first configuration (see FIG. 4), the functional inside 30 may include at least one circumferential groove 32 or recess in which a suitably configured radial collar 42 of the functional insert 40 can be received. The groove 32 may be configured in a completely surrounding manner. The groove 32 may be interrupted at least at one position by a blocking web (not shown) which projects from the functional inside 30. The blocking web engages into a suitable recess (not shown) in the radial collar 42 in order to provide an anti-rotation security of the functional insert 40 in the receiving body 10 in this way.

[0085] The circumferential groove 32 and the radial collar 42 which engages there may be adjusted to one another in terms of their dimensions. According to a further configuration, the radial collar 42 may be provided such that its size exactly fits the groove 32, so that the radial collar 42 and thus the functional insert 40 are firmly held in the groove 32. Due to this connection, neither a radial nor an axial displacement of the functional insert 40 within the receiving body 10 is possible.

[0086] According to another configuration, the groove 32 and the radial collar 42 are configured such that the functional insert 40 may be retained at a fixed axial position in the receiving body 10. At the same time, it is, however, also possible that the radial collar 42 and thus the functional insert 40 move radially in the groove 32. In this way, a swimming/floating support of the functional insert 40 in the receiving body 10 is realized.

[0087] It is to be understood that the radial collar can also be arranged at the functional inside 30. In this case, the outside of the functional insert 40 comprises the suitably formed groove for receiving the radial collar.

[0088] A blocking web 15 may be provided at an inside of the closed face side 14. The blocking web 15 projects in axial direction from the inside of the closed face side 14 and may be arranged eccentrically with respect to the face side 14. The blocking web 15 may extend in the radial direction, as is for example shown in FIG. 4. For this purpose, the blocking web 15 engages a matching recess 44 at the functional insert 40 in order to prevent a relative rotation between the receiving body 10 and the functional insert 40. If the functional insert 40 is held in the receiving body 10 in a swimming/floating manner, the blocking web 15 engages into the recess 44 with a play. Accordingly, the recess 44 is configured wider than the blocking web, as is shown in FIG. 11. In case of a firm arrangement of the functional insert 40 in the receiving body 10, there may be no play between blocking web 15 and recess 44.

[0089] FIG. 5 shows a selection of functional inserts 40 which may be arranged swimmingly/floatingly and may be held in the receiving body 10. The functional insert 40 in FIG. 5A includes an inner thread which may be equipped with a thread reinforcing wire thread insert.

[0090] The functional insert 40″ in FIG. 5B is a spring clamp for a fast lock or a locking connection.

[0091] The functional insert 40′ in FIG. 5C has a plane inner wall in order to screw in a self-tapping screw.

[0092] The functional insert 40‴ in FIG. 5D may be a ball socket, i.e. a coupling receiving, in order to hold a ball bolt in there in a releasable manner.

[0093] In FIGS. 6 to 8, further embodiments are shown, in which the function insert 40 is retained firmly, i.e. without swimming/floating support, in the receiving body 10. For this purpose, the functional insert 40 in FIG. 6 may include an inner thread with or without reinforcing wire thread insert. In FIG. 7, the functional insert 40 comprises, beside its preferred and non-recognizable holding structure out of radial collar 42 and recess 44 in the receiving body 10, a thread bolt 46 projecting beyond the receiving body 10. Instead of the thread bolt 46, the embodiment in FIG. 8 shows a coupling bolt 48, which may be a ball bolt.

[0094] A further embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 9. A thread may be provided in the receiving body 10 in the functional inside 30. As functional insert 40⁗, a wire thread insert may be arranged in the thread. In this context, the multipart construction of the receiving body 10 has proven advantageous because by that, the wire thread insert may be pre-positioned in the opened condition of the receiving body 10 in the thread (see FIG. 9) and be firmly arranged in the thread by closing the receiving body 10.

[0095] In a schematic sectional view, FIG. 10 shows the glue-in retainer 1 with the functional insert 40 that is fastened in an adhesive manner in the component opening 3.

[0096] Before this state has been reached, the component B with the component opening 3, which may be a blind bore hole, is provided in step S1.

[0097] Subsequently to or already before the installation method, the receiving body 10 is opened and a functional insert 40 according to a desired configuration is arranged in the receiving body 10. Subsequently, the receiving body 10 is closed again in order to retain the functional insert 40 in there inseparably (step S2). The opening and closing of the receiving body 10 may take place by means of the above-described film hinge. Alternatively to that, the receiving body 10 is disassembled into two halves or other individual parts and reassembled after positioning the functional insert.

[0098] According to a first installation variant, a first adhesive amount K1 is applied to the bottom of the blind bore hole 3 (step S3).

[0099] In the following, the glue-in retainer 1 with the functional insert 40 is inserted into the blind bore hole 3 in step S5. As the glue-in retainer 1 dives into the first amount of adhesive K1, the first amount of adhesive K1 is thereby displaced into the gap between the inner wall of the blind bore hole 3 and the lateral area 12 of the glue-in retainer 1. If the amount of the first adhesive amount K1 is big enough, the first adhesive amount K1 is distributed up to under the fastening collar 18. Subsequently, the first adhesive amount K1 is cured in step S6.

[0100] The curing of the first adhesive amount K1 may take place by means of heat or passage of time of a known curing time. An adhesive may be used which can be activated and/or cured by light. In this case, light may be shone in through the irradiation windows 19 or directly through the fastening collar 18 on the first amount of adhesive K1 under the fastening collar 18 and its activation and/or curing is started.

[0101] According to a further installation route, the first amount of adhesive K1 may be applied to the bottom of the blind bore hole 3 (step S3). The first amount of adhesive K1 may be limited in terms of its volume such that it sprinkles or wets no more than the gap between the inner wall of the blind bore hole 3 and the lateral area 12. Accordingly, the first amount of adhesive K1 does not reach the component surface below the fastening collar 18.

[0102] In a further step S4, a second amount of adhesive K2 may be applied adjacent to the opening of the blind bore hole 3, which will be covered by the fastening collar 18.

[0103] Subsequently, the glue-in retainer 1 is inserted into the blind bore hole 3 (step S5) and the first K1 and the second amount of adhesive K2 are cured (step S6).

[0104] According to a configuration of the installation method, the adhesive types of the first K1 and of the second adhesive amount K2 may be different. That means that the second adhesive amount K2 comprises an adhesive which can be activated and/or cured by light. Accordingly, light of an adhesive-specific wavelength is shone on the second adhesive amount K2 under the fastening collar 18 via the irradiation windows 19 in the fastening collar 18 after inserting the glue-in retainer 1 into the blind bore hole 3. By that, the second adhesive amount K2 is activated or is activated and cured. This may provide the possibility to pre-fix the glue-in retainer 1 in the blind bore hole 3 via the fastening collar 18 and the light-activated second adhesive amount K2.

[0105] The first adhesive amount K1 comprises an adhesive which may cure by heat. Accordingly, a curing amount of heat is delivered to the blind bore hole 3 with pre-fixed glue-in retainer 1 in order to cure the first adhesive amount K1.

[0106] An adhesive which cures independently over time may be used as the adhesive of the first adhesive amount K1. With the help of the second adhesive amount K2, the above-described pre-fixation provides for a reliable positioning and the necessary retention of the glue-in retainer 1 with functional insert 40 in the component opening 3 during the curing period of the first adhesive amount K1.

[0107] According to the embodiment as shown in FIG. 10, the glue-in retainer 1 may be glued into the blind bore hole 3 of a sandwich panel B. In the sandwich panel B of the known construction, a honeycomb panel or a honeycomb core is for example arranged between the upper and the lower surface layer. The surface layers are more stable than the honeycomb panels and are glued together with the honeycomb panel in order to achieve a stable and mechanically more loadable panel construction.

[0108] The glued-in glue-in retainer 1 in the sandwich panel B may be glued together with both surface layers. In this way, an additional structural coupling between the surface layers is established. By that, the glue-in retainer 1 is held via those components of the sandwich panel B that are structurally most stable, which leads to the necessary stability. Furthermore, mechanical forces can be dissipated to both surface layers which leads to a stabilization of the sandwich panel.

[0109] Instead of a sandwich panel, the glue-in retainer 1 may be glued into a blind bore hole 3 of a component B out of plastic material or wood or metal or a similar material as solid material or multi-layer structure. This takes place with one or two kinds of adhesive and/or amounts of adhesive, as has been explained above.

[0110] In order to manufacture the glue-in retainer according to its configurations, one refers back to known manufacturing methods, like the injection-molding or additive manufacturing methods such as the 3D print or laser sintering. As an example, the manufacturing steps are summarized based on the injection molding method. Firstly, a first injection mold that is configured complementary to the shape of the glue-in retainer 1, which may be to the receiving body 10, and a second injection mold that may be configured complimentary to the form of the functional insert 40 are provided. Subsequently, the injection-molding of the receiving body 10 and of the functional insert 40 may take place. According to a configuration of the manufacturing method, the receiving body 10 and the functional insert 40 are manufactured out of a high-performance plastic material (see above). However, other plastic materials that are suitable due to their properties may be used. After the injection molding, the receiving body and the functional insert may be demolded.