FASTENER

Abstract

A fastener, in particular of a chassis component, has at least one sensor and at least one transmitter of a monitoring device for monitoring at least one mechanical fastening parameter. At least one power supply unit is associated with the transmitter, that the transmitter and the power supply unit are connected to one another by means of a switching contact, that an electrical connection can be closed by means of the switching contact, that the switching contact is designed in such a way that the electrical connection is open when the fastener is installed properly and is closed only when the fastener is released, and that the transmitter is supplied with current and transmits a signal only when the electrical connection of the switching contact is closed.

Claims

1. A fastener, in particular of a chassis component, having at least one sensor and at least one transmitter of a monitoring device for monitoring at least one mechanical fastening parameter, wherein at least one power supply unit is associated with the transmitter, the transmitter and the power supply unit are connected to one another by means of a switching contact, an electrical connection can be closed by means of the switching contact, the switching contact is designed in such a way that the electrical connection is open when the fastener is installed properly and is closed only when the fastener is released, and the transmitter is supplied with current and transmits a signal only when the electrical connection of the switching contact is closed.

2. The fastener according to claim 1, wherein an actuating element is associated with the switching contact.

3. The fastener according to claim 2, wherein the actuating element has a bias.

4. The fastener according to claim 3, wherein the actuating element is designed in such a way that the electrical connection of the switching contact is opened when a force is applied against the bias.

5. The fastener according to claim 2, wherein the actuating element is a spring-loaded pin, which can be displaced parallel to an axis of rotation of a thread of the fastener.

6. The fastener according to claim 2, wherein the actuating element is a spring-loaded pin, which is inclined at an angle to an axis of rotation of a thread of the fastener in such a way that the pin can be displaced in the direction of a central area of the fastener, in particular can be displaced in the direction of the axis of rotation.

7. The fastener according to claim 1, wherein the switching contact is formed by means of two ends of metallic strips, wherein at least one of the strips is bent and closes the switching contact by means of its internal stress.

8. The fastener according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter provides for a wireless signal transmission.

9. The fastener according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring device is installed in the fastener at an outer head end thereof.

10. The fastener according to claim 1, wherein at least the transmitter and the switching contact of the monitoring device are arranged in a chamber, which is sealed to the outside.

11. The fastener according to claim 1, wherein the fastener is a wheel screw.

12. The fastener according to claim 11, wherein in the thread, the wheel screw has a recess, which extends in the direction of the axis of rotation of its thread, and in which the actuating element of the switching contact is guided.

13. The fastener according to claim 11, wherein the actuating element of the switching contact is guided out of the interior of the wheel screw to the outside at a conical to spherical contact surface of the wheel screw, which is formed between the head and thread of said wheel screw.

14. The fastener according to claim 1, wherein the fastener is a wheel nut.

15. The fastener according to claim 14, wherein the wheel nut has an internal front protrusion at a head-side end of its thread, at or in which an actuating element of the switching contact is held.

16. A device for monitoring a mechanical fastening, in particular of a chassis component, comprising at least one monitoring device, which has at least one sensor and at least one transmitter, and a notification device, which has a receiver associated with the transmitter of the monitoring device, a data processing unit, and an output unit, wherein the monitoring device is installed in a fastener according to claim 1.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the output unit has means, by means of which a direct output of a warning or a transfer of corresponding information relating to the state of the mechanical connecting parameter is possible.

18. The device according to claim 16, wherein the output unit is integrated into a vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0031] An exemplary embodiment of the invention, from which further features can result, which are essential for the invention, is illustrated in the drawing, in which:

[0032] FIG. 1: shows a first perspective view of a first embodiment of a fastener according to the invention;

[0033] FIG. 2: shows a cut illustration of the fastener according to FIG. 1;

[0034] FIG. 3: shows a perspective comprehension drawing of the fastener according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 with all body edges;

[0035] FIG. 4: shows a second perspective view of the first embodiment of the fastener according to the invention;

[0036] FIG. 5: shows a cut illustration of the fastener according to FIG. 4;

[0037] FIG. 6: shows a perspective comprehension drawing of the fastener according to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 with all body edges;

[0038] FIG. 7: shows a perspective illustration of a second embodiment of a fastener according to the invention;

[0039] FIG. 8: shows a cut illustration of the fastener according to FIG. 7;

[0040] FIG. 9: shows a cross section through the fastener according to

[0041] FIG. 7 and FIG. 8; and

[0042] FIG. 10: shows a cut illustration of a third embodiment of a fastener according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0043] A fastener according to the invention in the embodiment as wheel screw 1 is illustrated in FIG. 1. This wheel screw 1 has a head 1a, which is formed in hexagonal shape. A conical to spherical contact surface 1c, which is formed so as to taper towards the thread 1b, is provided between the head 1a and a thread 1b of the wheel screw 1. In a boundary region between the conical to spherical contact surface 1c and the thread 1b, the thread 1b has a recess 1d, which extends in the direction of the axis of rotation of the thread 1b and in which an actuating element 2 is guided.

[0044] The wheel screw 1 is illustrated in a cut manner in FIG. 2, whereby identical parts as in the remaining drawings are provided with identical reference numerals. It can thereby not be seen from FIG. 1 that a switching contact 3, a transmitter 4, and a power supply unit 5 are arranged in the interior of the head 1a of the wheel screw 1. The transmitter 4 thereby closes a chamber 6 in the head 1a of the wheel screw 1. The switching contact 3 and the power supply unit 5 are arranged in the chamber.

[0045] It can further be seen in FIG. 2 that the actuating element 2 is held in the wheel screw 1 in a spring-loaded manner, wherein a spring element 7 associated with the actuating element 2 is maximally deflected, so that the actuating element 2 is not tensioned. Together, the actuating element 2, the spring element 7, the switching contact 3, and the power supply unit 5 thereby form a sensor 8, which, together with the transmitter 4, forms a monitoring device according to the invention.

[0046] The switching contact 3 is closed in FIG. 2, so that the transmitter 4 and the power supply unit 5 are electrically connected to one another via the switching contact 3. The transmitter 4 is thus supplied with current by the power supply unit 5 and transmits a signal in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

[0047] FIG. 3 shows the same arrangement once against with all illustrated body edges of the wheel screw 1.

[0048] The illustrations according to FIG. 4 to FIG. 6 differ from those in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 in that the wheel screw 1 is illustrated in the form, when the wheel screw 1 is properly installed.

[0049] The actuating element 2 is thereby pushed into the wheel screw 1, so that only the recess 1d, in which the actuating element 2 is guided, is visible in FIG. 4.

[0050] The position of the actuating element 2 in the case of properly installed wheel screw 1 can in particular be seen from FIG. 5, whereby the spring element 7 is maximally compressed. The actuating element 2 now protrudes into the chamber 6 and pushes against the switching contact 3, whereby a one-sided, metallic lever 9 of the switching contact 3 is pivoted by means of the actuating element 2 in such a way that the electrical connection between the power supply unit 5 and the transmitter 4 is interrupted. The transmitter 4, which is now current-less, thus no longer transmits any signals and the transmitter 4 no longer requires power from the power supply unit 5, which is preferably formed as power store, as long as the wheel screw 1 is installed in its proper position.

[0051] FIG. 6 once again shows the same arrangement with interrupted switching contact 3 and current-less transmitter 4 as in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, whereby all body edges of the wheel screw 1 are illustrated.

[0052] A second embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 7 to FIG. 9. Contrary to the first embodiment, the fastener is now formed as wheel nut 10. The wheel nut 10 thereby again has a head 10a comprising lateral hexagonal surfaces. At its head-side end, the wheel nut 10 is formed in a dome-shaped manner.

[0053] A chamber 6′, which is formed in the interior of the wheel nut 10 and in which a transmitter 4′, a switching contact 3′, a power supply unit 5′, and an actuating element 2′, which is spring-loaded by means of a spring element 7′, and which, together, form the monitoring device of transmitter 4′ and sensor 8′, as in FIGS. 1 to 6, can be seen from FIG. 8 and FIG. 9. The illustration in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 thereby corresponds to that of FIG. 4 to FIG. 6 and shows the wheel nut 10 in screwed-on state. The actuating element 2′ thereby pushes against the switching contact 3′ in the same way as in FIG. 4 to FIG. 6, so that the transmitter 4′ is current-less and does not transmit any signals. As long as the transmitter 4′ is current-less, no power from the power supply unit 5′ is used again.

[0054] The significant difference is thereby that the actuating element 2′ is arranged in a front protrusion, which is formed as front plate 11 here. The front plate 11 thereby closes the chamber 6′ to a head-side end of a thread 10b of the wheel nut 10. In their functionality, the two embodiments have the same effect.

[0055] When the wheel nut 10 is now released from a non-illustrated wheel bolt, the spring element 7′ pushes the actuating element 2′ in the direction of the internal thread of the wheel nut 10 and thus out of the chamber 6′. As soon as the actuating element 2′ no longer pushes against the switching contact 3′, in particular the one-sided, metallic lever 9′ of the switching contact 3′, said lever is pushed in the direction of the front plate 11 due to its internal stress, and the switching contact 3′ is closed with both of its ends.

[0056] The fastener in FIG. 10 is a wheel screw 1′ again. The wheel screw 1′ is largely identical to the wheel screw 1 from FIG. 1 to FIG. 6. Reference numerals with identical numbers were therefore assigned to identical parts. The significant difference to the wheel screw 1 according to FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 is a differently arranged actuating element 2″, which can be displaced at an angle to the axis of rotation of the wheel screw 1′ and which is guided out of the interior of the wheel screw 1′ at the conical to spherical contact surface 1c′. The recess 1b′ of the wheel screw 1 can thus advantageously be forgone. All further features correspond to the wheel screw 1 according to FIG. 1 to FIG. 6.

[0057] All of the features mentioned in the above description and in the claims can be combined with the features of the independent claims in any selection. The disclosure of the invention is thus not limited to the described or claimed feature combinations, respectively, on the contrary, all features combinations, which are expedient as part of the invention, are to be considered as being disclosed.