ANCHOR POINT

Abstract

An anchor point (10) for a fastening element (30), such as a cable tie, includes a substantially flat anchor plate (12) and a resilient element (14) connected thereto, which in turn has at least two locking tongues (16, 17). The anchor plate has a substantially circular disc shape. The resilient element is preferably designed as a plastic loop in the shape of an omega and exerts its resilient action primarily in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the anchor plate. Via an opening in the anchor plate a fastening element/cable tie can be passed through the anchor plate and is deflected by the locking tongues or the resilient element so that it passes through a second opening again to the surface. By pulling on the cable tie, the locking tongues are spread apart by compression of the resilient element and are fixed in or behind the opening of a surface.

Claims

1. An anchor point for a securing element, the anchor point comprising a substantially planar anchor plate and a resilient element which is connected thereto and includes at least two locking tongues.

2. The anchor point as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anchor plate has a substantially circular disk shape with an upper side and a lower side, and the lower side has a planar edge support.

3. The anchor point as claimed in claim 2, wherein the edge support is constructed as a step.

4. The anchor point as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient element is constructed as a plastics material loop formed with an omega shape and applies a resilient action primarily in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the anchor plate.

5. The anchor point as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient element is at least one of planar at an outer side thereof in a portion facing away from the anchor plate or provides an abutment face.

6. The anchor point as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anchor plate has at least 2 through-openings.

7. The anchor point as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking tongues extend from a common connection region with the resilient element, diametrically away from each other, and each terminate in an open end.

8. The anchor point as claimed in claim 7, wherein each said locking tongue has an upper side and a lower side, and the upper side faces the anchor plate and provides a guiding face.

9. The anchor point as claimed in claim 8, wherein the connection region is formed from one or more webs or wall portions which connect the locking tongues and the resilient element such that the guiding face and an abutment face of the resilient element are at least partially arranged opposite and spaced apart from each other and form a channel therebetween.

10. The anchor point as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anchor point with the resilient element and the locking tongues are formed in one piece from plastic material.

11. An arrangement comprising the anchor point as claimed in claim 9 and a securing element, wherein the securing element comprises a flexible, semi-rigid resilient strip which, in a state introduced through a first through-opening at an upper side of the anchor plate, is redirected along the guiding face in the channel and leaves through a second through-opening at the upper side.

12. The arrangement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the securing element comprises a cable tie.

13. A method for securing the anchor point as claimed in claim 1, comprising the following steps: a) providing an opening of sufficient depth in a surface and providing the anchor point; b) pressing the anchor point through the opening until the locking tongues abut behind the opening or, in the case of a covering layer of a sandwich panel, expand in a core thereof; c) providing a securing element comprising a resilient semi-rigid strip with having two ends and introducing a first one of the ends in a first through-hole at an upper side of the anchor plate; d) until the first one of the ends leaves at the upper side of the anchor plate at a second opening; e) placing an object which is intended to be secured against the anchor plate in a region between the two ends of the securing element; f) applying a tensile force to both of the ends of the securing element counter to a resistance of the resilient element; and g) connecting the two ends of the securing element such that the object to be secured is pressed on by a resilient force of the resilient element.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the steps a) to d) are carried out in a sequence a), c), d), b).

15. A method for securing the anchor point as claimed in claim 1, comprising the following steps: a) providing an opening of sufficient depth in a surface and providing the anchor point; b) pressing the anchor point through the opening until the locking tongues abut behind the opening or, in the case of a covering layer of a sandwich panel, expand in a core thereof; c) providing a securing element comprising a resilient semi-rigid strip with having two ends and introducing a first one of the ends in a first through-hole at an upper side of the anchor plate; d) until the first one of the ends leaves at the upper side of the anchor plate at a second opening; e1) fitting a tower element to the anchor plate such that centering components thereof engage or latch in a positive-locking manner at a first longitudinal end in complementary structures of the anchor plate, e2) placing an object which is intended to be secured in a receiving region at a second longitudinal end of the tower element; f) applying a tensile force to both of the ends of the securing element counter to a resistance of the resilient element; and g) connecting the two ends of the securing element such that the object to be secured is pressed on by a resilient force of the resilient element.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein a sequence of the steps is carried out as follows: a), c), d), e1), b), e2), f), g), or a), e1), c), d), b), e2), f), g).

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising after step g), injecting an adhesive or filler through an additional or an existing opening in the anchor plate into the opening behind the anchor plate.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein, as a result of step f), a storage capsule which has been fitted in an active region of the resilient element with adhesive or filler therein is activated and contents thereof are released into the opening.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The invention will now be explained with reference to the appended drawings, by way of example, with reference to particularly preferred embodiments.

[0037] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a central through a connection location in different assembly states,

[0038] FIG. 3 shows an oblique 3D view of a connection location,

[0039] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the upper side of an anchoring plate,

[0040] FIG. 5 shows a 3D view of an arrangement comprising the anchoring location and securing element, and

[0041] FIG. 6 shows a tower element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a cross section of the assembly situation of an anchor point 10 in a thin plate or surface 18 or 18′. The anchor plate 12 has a width or a diameter which is greater than the hole/recess/opening in the surface 18. At the edge, there is provided a graduated edge support 13 whose step is selected in such a manner that it centers the anchor plate in the hole/opening. The upper side or the lower side is indicated with short arrows 23, 24. The features 26 and 27 refer to passage-openings or though-openings through the anchor plate, in the case shown in a state configured for use of a cable tie as an exemplary securing element 30.

[0043] The two locking tongues 16 and 17 are connected to the resilient element by means of the connection region 20. They extend—in the Figures—to the right and left. FIG. 1 shows that the locking tongues when introduced into the opening in the surface 18 strike the edge and when further pressure is applied to the anchor plate 12 are deflected inward. After passing the covering layer, the locking tongues 16, 17 can return to the original position again. Depending on the selected resilience of the locking tongues 16, 17 and the structural type thereof, the locking tongues may also perform the function of a loss-prevention means.

[0044] In the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 shown, the resilient element 14 has the described omega shape, indicated by the dashed circle. A comparison between FIGS. 1 and 2 shows that in FIG. 2 the resilient element is compressed, which leads to a pressing operation for the locking tongues against the covering layer. The ends 21, 22 of the locking tongues are illustrated here in simplified form. The region between the locking tongues and the upper side of the omega-shaped resilient element 14, 14′ forms the channel 25 or 25′ which are already filled in FIG. 2 with a cable tie which contacts the abutment face 15 and compresses the spring.

[0045] FIG. 1 shows that a cable tie which is introduced, for example, through the opening 27 of the upper side 23 of the anchor plate 12 strikes the guiding face 19 and is deflected along it. In the channel 25, the securing element 30 is guided and can afterwards leave through the opening 26 again. This situation is shown in FIG. 2, where by tightening the cable tie the contact with the guiding face 19 is no longer present. The tensile force on the cable tie is transmitted via the support face 15 to the resilient element 14 (14′).

[0046] FIG. 3 shows an oblique 3D view of a connection location without any cable tie. It can be seen how the connection element 20 as a result of the arrangement thereof at the side leaves the channel 25 free in order to enable a redirection of the securing element.

[0047] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a variant of an anchor plate 12. The through-openings 26, 27 are shown from the upper side 23. The resilient element merges, as shown, into an annular configuration of the anchor plate. The contours shown serve, on the one hand, to center an object which is intended to be retained or, alternatively, to center a tower element (FIG. 6).

[0048] FIG. 5 shows a variant of an anchor point 10 with two channel faces 28, 28′ which are positioned obliquely with respect to each other and which between them form a receiving region 29. There is also shown a cable tie 30 with the known ends 31, 32 thereof, in this instance as an open end with a tapered point and as a locking element for closure.

[0049] FIG. 6 in turn shows a possible tower element or spacer piece 40. The first (in this instance, lower) end thereof has centering elements 41, 42 which can engage in the slots laterally with respect to the resilient element 14 of FIG. 4. The central shaft element is in this instance shown with a cross-like cross section, but it may also be configured as a pipe structure. At the upper end, in a similar manner to the channel faces 28, 28′ on FIG. 5, there is a receiving region 47 with two tilted abutment faces 48, 48′. The recesses 43-46 serve to guide and center the cable tie.

[0050] The features of the invention disclosed in the above description, in the drawings and in the claims may be significant for the implementation of the invention both individually and in any technically favorable or advantageous combination.