Tolerance-compensating device comprising coupling means

Abstract

A device for compensating for tolerances between two components which are to be connected by a connecting screw, comprising a base element and a compensating element which can be moved out of the base element, the base element and the compensating element forming a passage for the connecting screw that defines an axial direction, and a coupling means of the device being designed to couple the device to a carrier element and to guide the device along the carrier element.

Claims

1. A system comprising: at least one device for compensating for tolerances between two components which are to be connected by a connecting screw; and a carrier element for receiving and guiding the at least one device, the device comprising: a base element; a compensating element which can be moved out of the base element, the base element and the compensating element forming a passage for the connecting screw that defines an axial direction; and a coupling means operable to couple the device to the carrier element and to guide the device along the carrier element, the coupling means comprising a guidance channel or a guidance protrusion, wherein a main extension axis of the guidance channel or the guidance protrusion is oriented at least approximately parallel to the axial direction to guide the device along the carrier element.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means is formed on the base element.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means is formed on a retaining element for retaining the base element.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the coupling means comprises an arm which defines at least one undercut and extends radially or tangentially away from an outer wall of the retaining element.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means comprises a slot which defines at least one undercut.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the slot is a T-slot, an L-slot, a round slot, or a dovetail slot.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the slot has longitudinal ends and a widening portion on at least one of the longitudinal ends.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means comprises an arm which defines at least one undercut and extends radially or tangentially away from an outer wall of the base element.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the coupling means has a tapering portion on at least one of the longitudinal ends thereof.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the arm transitions into at least one angled hook portion at the free end thereof which faces away from the outer wall.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the coupling means has a cross section that is T-shaped, L-shaped, or round.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the coupling means has a cross section in the shape of a mushroom or dovetail.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein a magnetizable element is provided on the coupling means.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein a ferromagnetic element is provided on the coupling means.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the magnetizable element is recessed in the coupling means.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the device is movably guidable relative to the carrier element by the coupling means.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the carrier element is flexible at least in portions and/or is rigid at least in portions.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the guidance channel or guidance protrusion is continuous in the axial direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is described below in a purely exemplary manner by means of possible embodiments with reference to the drawings, in which:

(2) FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views of a tolerance-compensating device according to one first embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the tolerance-compensating device of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the tolerance-compensating device of FIG. 1 in a partially pre-mounted state on a component;

(5) FIG. 3B is a plan view from below of the tolerance-compensating device of FIG. 1 in a partially pre-mounted state on a component;

(6) FIG. 4 is a plan view from below of the tolerance-compensating device of FIG. 1 in a completely pre-mounted state on a component.

(7) FIGS. 5A and 5B are perspective views of a plurality of tolerance-compensating devices of FIG. 1, which are threaded onto a T-shaped carrier element;

(8) FIGS. 6A to 6D are various views of a plurality of tolerance-compensating devices of FIG. 1, which are threaded onto a flexible carrier element;

(9) FIG. 7 shows a tolerance-compensating device according to a second embodiment of the invention;

(10) FIG. 8 shows a magazine for receiving tolerance-compensating devices according to FIG. 1 or 7;

(11) FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a tolerance-compensating device according to a third embodiment;

(12) FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the tolerance-compensating device of FIG. 9 comprising a first design variation of a coupling means;

(13) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the tolerance-compensating device of FIG. 9 comprising a second design variation of the coupling means;

(14) FIG. 12 is a plan view of a tolerance-compensating device according to FIG. 10 or 11 that is coupled to a carrier element;

(15) FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the tolerance-compensating device of FIG. 9 comprising a third design variation of the coupling means;

(16) FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the tolerance-compensating device of FIG. 9 comprising a fourth design variation of the coupling means;

(17) FIG. 15 is a plan view of a tolerance-compensating device according to FIG. 13 or 14 that is coupled to a carrier element;

(18) FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a tolerance-compensating device according to a fourth embodiment;

(19) FIG. 17 is a plan view of a tolerance-compensating device according to FIG. 16 that is coupled to a carrier element; and

(20) FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a system comprising a plurality of tolerance-compensating devices of FIG. 1 and two carrier elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(21) In FIGS. 1 to 4, a tolerance-compensating device 14 according to a first embodiment is shown. The tolerance-compensating device 14 comprises a base element 16 and a compensating element 18 which is in a left-hand threaded engagement therewith. The base element 16 forms a left-hand internal thread 16a for this purpose, while the compensating element 18 has a correspondingly formed external thread 18a. The thread axes of the internal thread 16a and the external thread 18a define an axial direction.

(22) The base element 16 and the compensating element 18 form a passage 20 for a connecting screw (not shown), which passage extends in the axial direction. A spring element 22 is inserted into the part of the passage 20 that is defined by the compensating element 18, which spring element is provided for producing a frictional connection between the connecting screw which extends through the passage 20 and the compensating element 18. The spring element 22 transmits a torque of the connecting screw to the compensating element and is therefore also referred to as the torque transmission means.

(23) The connecting screw is used to screw two components which are spaced apart from one another, of which a first component 24 is shown in FIG. 2. A nut element 26 for the connecting screw is non-rotatably attached to the first component 24.

(24) In the present embodiment, the nut element 26 is a press nut which is pressed into a correspondingly provided receiving hole 28 of the first component 24. In this context, the term “press nut” is also understood to mean press-in nuts, blind-rivet nuts, flare nuts, drive(-in) nuts, etc. Moreover, it is conceivable to fasten the nut element 26 to the first component 24 in another way, for example by gluing or welding.

(25) The tolerance-compensating device 14 further comprises a retaining element 30 formed of a plastics material, in which retaining element the base element 16 is non-rotatably retained. In the present embodiment, the base element 16 is pressed into the retaining element 30. It is also conceivable, however, to glue the base element 16 into the retaining element 30 or to shrink or injection-mold the retaining element 30 onto the base element 16. Specifically, the base element 16 is fitted in a retaining portion 32 of the retaining element 30, which portion extends substantially at a right angle to the axial direction.

(26) Furthermore, the retaining element 30 forms a latching portion 34 which also extends substantially at a right angle to the axial direction. The latching portion 34 has an axial spacing from the retaining portion 32, which spacing is adapted to the thickness of the first component 24.

(27) The latching portion 34 comprises two latching arms 36 which are spaced apart from one another, are curved slightly towards one another, and define a receiving portion for the nut element 26 between said arms. The latching arms 36 have a particular resilience, such that they can spread apart counter to a restoring force when pushed in a radial direction onto the nut element 26 and can spring back into the rest position thereof as soon as the nut element 26 is received in the receiving portion (FIG. 4). In order to prevent the latching portion 34 from unintentionally detaching from the received nut element 26, the latching arms 36 have mutually facing latching projections 38 in the region of the free ends thereof. In order to reinforce the latching arms 36, said arms are connected in the region of the bottom thereof by a reinforcing element 40 which partially projects over a nut element 26 received in the receiving portion.

(28) To pre-mount the tolerance-compensating device 14 on the first component 24, the tolerance-compensating device 14 is slid laterally, i.e. in the radial direction, onto the first component 24 such that the first component is received between the retaining portion 32 and the latching portion 34 and the latching portion 34 latches to the nut element 26, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In order to facilitate sliding the tolerance-compensating device 14 onto the first component 24, lead-in chamfers 41 are formed both in the region of the free ends of the latching arms 36, and in the corresponding region of the retaining portion 32.

(29) In the pre-mounted state, the tolerance-compensating device 14 does not necessarily have to be fitted on the component 24 without clearance. Instead, a particular clearance of the tolerance-compensating device 14 which is latched to the nut element 26 is desired, at least in the radial direction but possibly also in the axial direction, since the subsequent screwing together of the components, in particular the orientation of the tolerance-compensating device 14 with the connecting screw, is facilitated as a result.

(30) In order to screw together the components, the connecting screw is inserted through a corresponding hole in the component (not shown), and (in FIG. 1 from above) is guided through the passage 20 of the tolerance-compensating device 14 and screwed into the nut element 26. Due to the opposite-hand threads of the connecting screw and the tolerance-compensating device 14, while the connecting screw is being screwed into the nut element 26, the compensating element 18 is rotated out of the base element 16 by the frictional connection produced by the spring element 22, until said compensating element abuts the second component (not shown). From this point in time, the spacing between the components is bridged by the extended tolerance-compensating device 14, and the components can be clamped together by tightening the connecting screw.

(31) The retaining portion 32 and the latching portion 34 are connected to one another by a connecting portion 42 which extends in the axial direction and to a certain extent forms the backbone of the retaining element 30. The connecting portion 42 has a cuboid basic shape and forms a T-slot 44 on the rear side thereof which faces away from the latching arms 36. The connecting portion 42 forms a coupling means 43, the function of which is addressed in greater detail in the following.

(32) By means of the T-slot 44, the tolerance-compensating device 14 can be slid onto a correspondingly formed, T-shaped carrier element 46 for transport and/or storage purposes, as shown in FIG. 5 by means of three tolerance-compensating devices 14.

(33) Alternatively, the T-slot 44 allows the tolerance-compensating device 14 to be threaded onto a flexible carrier element in the form of a carrier strip 48. FIG. 6 shows a carrier strip 48 of this kind that has a large number of tolerance-compensating devices 14 threaded thereon. A configuration of this kind is suitable, for example, for supplying the tolerance-compensating devices 14 to a setting robot for automated pre-mounting of the tolerance-compensating devices 14 on one or more components 24.

(34) In principle, such a setting robot can be a gripping robot. Alternatively or additionally, however, the setting robot can also have a magnet for retaining the tolerance-compensating devices 14. For interaction with the magnet of the robot, an insert 50 made of a magnetizable, in particular ferromagnetic, material, for example sheet steel, is embedded in the retaining element 30, in the present embodiment in the region between the T-slot 44 and the reinforcing element 40. Furthermore, a magnetizable, in particular ferromagnetic, element can be provided on the coupling means 43 and advantageously embedded in the coupling means 43 (not shown in the drawings).

(35) In addition, two axially spaced-apart prismatic or hipped roof-like guide elements 52 are provided on opposite outer sides of the connecting portion 42, which elements are used to additionally guide the tolerance-compensating device 14 in a carrier element in the form of a magazine 54 (FIG. 8).

(36) FIG. 7 shows a tolerance-compensating device 14 according to a second embodiment which ultimately differs from the above-described first embodiment only in that the retaining element 30 does not have a T-slot 44, but instead the insert 50 which is made of ferromagnetic material is embedded into the rear side of the connecting portion 42 that faces away from the latching arms 36. As before, the guide elements 52 are used to guide the tolerance-compensating device 14 in the magazine 54.

(37) FIGS. 9 to 15 show a tolerance-compensating device 14 according to a third embodiment, which differs from the tolerance-compensating device 14 according to the first embodiment in the design of both the retaining element 30 and the coupling means 43. The retaining element 30 according to the tolerance-compensating device 14 according to the third embodiment is substantially annular and has two clip arms 56 which project from the retaining element 30 in the axial direction. The clip arms 56 are used to fasten the tolerance-compensating device 14 to a correspondingly formed first component.

(38) FIGS. 16 and 17 show a tolerance-compensating device 14 according to a fourth embodiment which differs from the tolerance-compensating device 14 according to the third embodiment only in the design of the retaining element 30 and of the coupling means 43. In the tolerance-compensating device 14 according to the fourth embodiment, a retaining clamp 57 is attached to the retaining element 30. A nut element (not visible in the drawings) for the connecting screw is stored in the retaining clamp 57. The retaining clamp 57 is also used for clamping the tolerance-compensating device 14 to a first component.

(39) The design of the relevant coupling means 43 of the tolerance-compensating devices 14 according to the third and fourth embodiment is explained in greater detail in the following, with reference to the relevant drawings.

(40) The coupling means 43 is designed to couple the tolerance-compensating device 14 to a carrier element 46, 48, 54 such that the tolerance-compensating device 14 can be moved along the carrier element 46, 48, 54. In this case the carrier element can be a rigid carrier element 46 (FIGS. 5A and 5B) or a flexible carrier element 48 (FIG. 6A to 6D). Moreover, a combination of rigid and flexible carrier elements 46, 48 is also conceivable, as shown in FIG. 18, for example. Furthermore, a tubular carrier element 54 which radially surrounds (FIG. 8) the coupled tolerance-compensating devices 14 is also conceivable. A tubular carrier element 54 of this kind can in particular be used as a storage magazine for a plurality of tolerance-compensating devices 14.

(41) In all of these cases, the carrier element 46, 48, 54 and at least one tolerance-compensating device 14 which is coupled thereto form a system 58 in which the carrier element 46, 48, 54 is used to receive and guide at least one tolerance-compensating device 14.

(42) In the case that the system 58 comprises a plurality of different carrier elements 46, 48, the individual carrier elements 46, 48 can transition into one another to guide the tolerance-compensating devices 14 continuously, as can be seen in FIG. 18. In this case, both the coupling means 43 and the hipped roof-like guide elements 52 formed on the coupling means 43 contribute to guiding the individual tolerance-compensating devices 14. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 18, the coupling means 43 are used to guide the relevant tolerance-compensating device 14 on the flexible carrier element 48, while the guide elements 52 are used to guide the tolerance-compensating element 14 on the rigid carrier element 46.

(43) The different coupling means 43 are explained in greater detail in the following. In the drawings, the coupling means 43 is in each case formed on the retaining element 30. It is also conceivable, however, for the coupling means 43 to be provided on the base element 16 or even on the compensating element 18.

(44) As can be seen in the drawings, the coupling means 43 in each case has a longitudinal extension which is oriented at least approximately parallel to the passage 20 which defines the axial direction. In principle, the longitudinal extension of a coupling means 43 can also, however, be orientated transversely, in particular at a right angle, to the axial direction.

(45) The tolerance-compensating devices 14 shown in FIGS. 1 to 6D and FIG. 18 each have a coupling means 43 comprising a slot 44 which defines at least one undercut 60. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 6D and FIG. 18, the slot 44 in each case has two undercuts 60 and is therefore designed as a T-slot. The slot 44 could also, however, be designed as an L-slot, a round slot, a dovetail slot or similar.

(46) In order for it to be possible to thread the tolerance-compensating device 14 onto the carrier element 46, 48, 54 more easily, the slot 44 has a widening portion 64 on each opposite longitudinal end 62.

(47) According to an alternative embodiment, the coupling means 43 can also be designed in the form of an arm 66 which defines at least one undercut 60. The arm 66 can extend radially outwards (FIGS. 9 to 15) from an outer wall 68 of the retaining element 30. According to a variant shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the arm 66 can also extend tangentially away from the outer wall 68 of the retaining element 30.

(48) In the case that the coupling means 43 is provided on the base element 16 or compensating element 18, the arm 66 can extend radially or tangentially away from the relevant outer wall of the base element 16 or of the compensating element 18.

(49) As can be seen in FIGS. 9 to 11, and particularly in the cross-sectional view in FIG. 12, the arm 66 which defines the undercut 60 can have a round or mushroom-like cross section. Alternatively, the arm 66 can also transition into at least one angled hook portion 70 on the free end thereof which faces away from the outer wall 68, such that the coupling means 43 as a whole has a T-shaped cross section (FIG. 15) or an L-shaped cross section (FIG. 17). Other cross-sectional shapes of the coupling means 43 are also conceivable, however, such as a dovetail cross section. It is self-evident that, when the tolerance-compensating device 14 is in a coupled state, the coupling means 43 is guided in a complementary slot 71 of the carrier element 46, 48, 54.

(50) In order to thread the tolerance-compensating device 14 more easily, the tolerance-compensating devices 14 shown in FIGS. 9 to 17 have a tapering portion 72 on each of the longitudinal ends 62 thereof.

(51) In order for a setting robot (not shown in the drawings) to be able to better grip and orientate the tolerance-compensating device 14, guide elements 52 can be provided on the coupling means 43. The guide elements 52 can project on the coupling means 43 in the manner of a hipped roof, as can easily be seen in FIGS. 1A and 1B. It is also possible, however, that the guide elements 52 are formed on the coupling means 43 in the form of notches (FIGS. 9, 10 and 13).

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(52) 14 Tolerance-compensating device 16 Base element 18 Compensating element 16a Internal thread 18a External thread 20 Passage 22 Spring element 24 First component 26 Nut element 28 Receiving hole 30 Retaining element 32 Retaining portion 34 Latching portion 36 Latching arm 38 Latching projection 40 Reinforcing element 41 Lead-in chamfer 42 Connecting portion 43 Coupling means 44 T-slot 46 T-shaped carrier 48 Carrier strip 50 Insert 52 Guide element 54 Magazine 56 Clip arms 57 Retaining clamp 58 System 60 Undercut 62 Longitudinal end 64 Widened portion 66 Arm 68 Outer wall 70 Hook portion 71 Slot 72 Tapered portion