Securing Element and Cover for an Interior Mirror Base of a Motor Vehicle

Abstract

A securing element for a motor vehicle has a hermetic body made of plastic which encloses a cavity. The cavity is filled with a filling medium. The thermal expansion coefficient of the filling medium is, up to a softening temperature of the plastic, greater than the thermal expansion coefficient of the plastic. A cover for an interior mirror base of a motor vehicle includes such a securing element.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A securing element for a motor vehicle, comprising: a hermetic body made of plastic which encloses a cavity, the plastic having a defined coefficient of thermal expansion; a filling medium in the cavity, the filling medium having a defined coefficient of thermal expansion, wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the filling medium, at least up to a softening temperature of the plastic, is greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the plastic.

12. The securing element according to claim 11, wherein the plastic is a polyamide.

13. The securing element according to claim 11, wherein the securing element is an additively manufactured securing element.

14. The securing element according to claim 13, wherein the securing element is of a powder, wherein the hermetic body comprises the powder in completely remelted form, and wherein the filling medium comprises the powder in powder form and/or partially remelted form.

15. The securing element according to claim 14, wherein the powder is remelted or partially remelted via powder bed fusion.

16. The securing element according to claim 11, wherein the filling medium comprises at least one gas, at least one liquid, and/or at least one solid.

17. The securing element according to claim 16, wherein a proportion by volume of the at least one gas in the filling medium is 60 to 70 percent by volume of the total volume.

18. The securing element according to claim 11, further comprising: at least one partition wall and/or at least one connecting web arranged in the cavity, wherein a connecting web connects walls delimiting the cavity to one another, a wall delimiting the cavity to a partition wall, or two partition walls to one another.

19. The securing element according to claim 11, wherein the securing element is a mounting hook.

20. An assembly, comprising: an interior mirror base of a motor vehicle; and a cover for the interior mirror base of the motor vehicle, wherein the cover includes a securing element comprising: a hermetic body made of plastic which encloses a cavity, the plastic having a defined coefficient of thermal expansion; a filling medium in the cavity, the filling medium having a defined coefficient of thermal expansion, wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the filling medium, at least up to a softening temperature of the plastic, is greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the plastic.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a first securing element according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0031] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a second securing element according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0032] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a third securing element according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0033] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a fourth securing element according to an embodiment of the invention; and

[0034] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a fifth securing element according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a first securing element 12 according to an embodiment of the invention. The first securing element 12 comprises a hermetic (hollow) body 4 made of plastic and a cavity 6.

[0036] The first securing element 12 is in the form of a hook and has been produced from a powder by means of an additive manufacturing process.

[0037] The cavity 6 of the first securing element 12 is filled with a filling medium. The filling medium is a gas 8. The gas 8, at least up to a softening temperature of the plastic from which the body 4 is formed, has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the plastic.

[0038] When the first securing element 12 heats up, the gas 8 in the cavity therefore expands to a more pronounced extent than the plastic of the body 4. Likewise, when the first securing element 12 cools, the gas 8 in the cavity 6 contracts to a more pronounced extent than the plastic of the body 4. Therefore, when the temperature increases up to the softening temperature, the body 4 undergoes elastic deformation, which then resets in the case of cooling, assisted by a reduced pressure in the cavity 6. The body 4 thus returns to its initial configuration or starting position.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a second securing element 22. The second securing element 22 differs from the first securing element 12 shown in FIG. 1 only by the filling medium provided in the cavity 6. The explanations that follow are consequently restricted to a description of the filling medium. Reference is made to the above description of the first securing element 12 with regard to the further configuration of the second securing element 22.

[0040] The second securing element 22 contains a filling medium comprising a gas 8 and a powder 24. The powder 24 is the same powder from which the body 4 has been produced. The powder 24 provides vibration-damping properties.

[0041] FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show a third securing element 32, a fourth securing element 42 and a fifth securing element 52 according to the invention, respectively.

[0042] With the exception of the features described below, the third securing element 32, the fourth securing element 42 and the fifth securing element 52 correspond to the securing element 12 shown in FIG. 1, for which reason reference is made to the above description of the first securing element 12 with regard to the further configuration of the third securing element 32, of the fourth securing element 42 and of the fifth securing element 52.

[0043] The third securing element 32 comprises a connecting web 34 which connects two opposite side walls delimiting the cavity 6.

[0044] The fourth securing element 42 and the fifth securing element 52 each comprise two partition walls 44 and 54, respectively.

[0045] The partition walls 44 of the fourth securing element 42 form a kind of labyrinth which forms an air channel for the gas 8 contained in the cavity 6.

[0046] The cavity 6 of the fifth securing element 52 is divided into subchambers 56 by means of the partition walls 54.

[0047] The connecting web 34, the partition walls 44 and the partition walls 54 each enable a controlled thermal expansion and consequently a controlled (elastic) deformation of the third securing element 32, of the fourth securing element 42 and of the fifth securing element 52.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0048] 4 (hollow) body [0049] 6 cavity [0050] 8 gas