JACK HOLDER AND MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A jack holder, including a base body and a fastening section projecting therefrom. The fastening section for fastening the jack holder is insertable along its longitudinal direction into a receptacle section of a body-fixed receptacle structure of a motor vehicle. The fastening section has at least one latching element which, with respect to an installation position in which the jack holder is fastened to the receptacle structure, interacts in a locking manner with the receptacle section to secure this fastening. At least one latching element is designed to be elastically resilient and/or is fastened to a main body of the fastening section in such an elastically resilient manner such that when the fastening section is inserted into the receptacle section, it elastically deflects and automatically springs back when the installation position is reached to form the locking mechanism.

Claims

1. A jack holder, comprising a base body and a fastening section projecting therefrom, wherein the fastening section for fastening the jack holder is insertable along its longitudinal direction into a receptacle section of a body-fixed receptacle structure of a motor vehicle, wherein the fastening section has at least one latching element which, with respect to an installation position in which the jack holder is fastened to the receptacle structure, interacts in a locking manner with the receptacle section to secure this fastening, wherein the at least one latching element is designed to be elastically resilient and/or is fastened to a main body of the fastening section in such an elastically resilient manner such that, when the fastening section is inserted into the receptacle section, it elastically deflects and automatically springs back when the installation position is reached to form the locking mechanism.

2. The jack holder according to claim 1, wherein the elastically resilient latching element is made of plastic, in particular of fiber-reinforced plastic, and/or in that the latching element fastened to the fastening section in an elastically resilient manner is fastened to the fastening section by a spring element.

3. The jack holder according to claim 1, wherein the at least one latching element tapers along the longitudinal direction of the fastening section with increasing distance from the base body, in particular in a parabolic shape.

4. The jack holder according to claim 1, wherein the fastening section has two latching elements which are arranged laterally opposite to one another on the main body of the fastening section.

5. The jack holder according to claim 1, wherein in addition to the fastening section, at least one alignment pin projecting from the base body is provided, which, when the fastening section is inserted into the receptacle structure, is inserted into at least one alignment opening of the receptacle structure and/or a body of the motor vehicle.

6. The jack holder according to claim 1, wherein the at least one latching element is designed such that when the fastening section is inserted into the receptacle section, it deflects into a cavity of the fastening section.

7. The jack holder according to claim 6, wherein a securing pin insertable into the cavity of the fastening section, wherein the cavity is at least partially, in particular completely, filled by the securing pin inserted therein to increase the mechanical strength of the fastening section.

8. The jack holder according to claim 7, wherein the securing pin is movable from a release position into a securing position, wherein the securing pin located in the securing position at least partially fills the cavity in such a way that the deflection of the at least one latching element, which occurs when the fastening section is inserted into the receptacle section, is blocked, wherein the securing pin located in the release position releases the area of the cavity into which the at least one latching element deflects in this case.

9. The jack holder according to claim 8, wherein the securing pin located in the release position is arranged captively within the remaining area of the jack holder.

10. The jack holder according to claim 7, wherein the securing pin comprises at least one cavity seal, which is in particular a sealing ring, wherein the cavity of the fastening section is sealed in a liquid-tight manner by the at least one cavity seal when the securing pin is in the securing position.

11. The jack holder according to claim 1, wherein at least one body seal arranged on the base body, which, when the jack holder is in the installation position, seals an area arranged between the jack holder and the receptacle structure, in which an insertion opening of the receptacle section is located, in a liquid-tight manner.

12. The jack holder according to claim 1, wherein the base body has a holding section by means of which a holding part of a jack or a lifting platform can be coupled to the jack holder such that the holding part and the jack holder are secured against slipping relative to one another in the coupled state.

13. The jack holder according to claim 12, wherein the holding section is designed as a recessed area of the base body which is arranged on a side of the base body opposite to the fastening section.

14. The jack holder according to claim 1, wherein the base body has a guide template by means of which a drill can be guided to a connection point at which the at least one latching element is connected to the or a main body of the fastening section, in order to separate the at least one latching element from the main body by means of the drill.

15. A motor vehicle having at least one body-fixed receptacle structure, wherein at least one jack holder according to claim 1 is installed on the at least one receptacle structure.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the receptacle structure is fastenable using a fastening means of a transport device, so that the body held by the fastening means on the transport device can be transported during manufacturing by means of the transport device.

17. The jack holder according to claim 2, wherein the at least one latching element tapers along the longitudinal direction of the fastening section with increasing distance from the base body, in particular in a parabolic shape.

18. The jack holder according to claim 2, wherein the fastening section has two latching elements which are arranged laterally opposite to one another on the main body of the fastening section.

19. The jack holder according to claim 3, wherein the fastening section has two latching elements which are arranged laterally opposite to one another on the main body of the fastening section.

20. The jack holder according to claim 2, wherein in addition to the fastening section, at least one alignment pin projecting from the base body is provided, which, when the fastening section is inserted into the receptacle structure, is inserted into at least one alignment opening of the receptacle structure and/or a body of the motor vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0044] Further features, advantages and details of the present invention are explained below by means of specific exemplary embodiments and the figures. In the schematic figures:

[0045] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a motor vehicle according to the invention having jack holders according to the invention according to an exemplary embodiment,

[0046] FIG. 2 shows one of the jack holders of the motor vehicle of FIG. 1,

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the jack holder from FIG. 2 in a state mounted on a receptacle structure, wherein the plane of section extends along line III-III shown in FIG. 2,

[0048] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of the jack holder from FIG. 2, wherein the plane of section extends along line IV-IV shown in FIG. 2,

[0049] FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of the jack holder from FIG. 2 with a securing pin in a release position, wherein the plane of section extends along line V-V shown in FIG. 2,

[0050] FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of the jack holder from FIG. 2 in a state mounted on a receptacle structure with a securing pin in a securing position, wherein the plane of section extends along line VI-VI shown in FIG. 2, and

[0051] FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of the jack holder from FIG. 2 with a guide template, wherein the plane of section extends along line IV-IV shown in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] FIG. 1 shows schematically an exemplary embodiment of a motor vehicle 1 according to the invention, looking from below at its underbody. The motor vehicle 1 comprises four receptacle structures 2 (shown by dashed lines), which are firmly fixed to a body 3 of the motor vehicle 1 by means of welding. Alternatively, the receptacle structures 2 can also be fixed to a body 3 of the motor vehicle 1 by fastening means, such as screws or rivets. The receptacle structures 2 are configured to be attached to a fastening means of a transport device. The body 3 held on the transport device by the fastening means can then be transported through manufacturing by means of the transport device. Such a transport device can, for example, be a hanger, in particular a gripping device, of a conveyor belt, wherein the receptacle structures 2 are hanger receptacles.

[0053] After the motor vehicle 1 has been manufactured, the receptacle structures 2 are usually no longer needed. However, as indicated in FIG. 1, they can be used for a robust fastening of jack holders 4 according to the invention to the body 3 of the motor vehicle 1. A jack holder 4 is installed on each receptacle structure 2, wherein the jack holder is inserted into one of the receptacle structures 2 for installation along a longitudinal direction 5, here a vehicle vertical direction 6. The simple insertion eliminates the need for additional parts and special tools. In addition, no additional holes or fastening structures have to be provided on the body 3, since these are already present on the receptacle structures 2. The fixation of the jack holder 4 on the receptacle structure 2 is described in more detail below, in particular with reference to FIGS. 3 and 6. For better orientation, a vehicle longitudinal direction 7 and a vehicle transverse direction 8 are also shown. For different motor vehicles 1, the size, number, and position of the receptacle structures 2 and the jack holders 4 (see FIG. 1) can vary.

[0054] FIG. 2 shows the basic structure of an exemplary embodiment of a jack holder 4 according to the invention. In FIGS. 3 and 4, the jack holder 4 is furthermore shown in the form of sectional views in an installation position in which it is fastened to the receptacle structure 2. The orientation of each of the sectional views can be seen in FIG. 2.

[0055] In FIG. 2 it can be seen that the jack holder 4 comprises a base body 9, from which a fastening section 10 having a cylindrical main body 12 protrudes in the longitudinal direction 5 for fastening to the receptacle structure 2. The fastening section 10 has two latching elements 11 for locking on the receptacle structure 2, which are arranged laterally, in the present case in the vehicle transverse direction 8, on opposite sides of the main body 12. The latching elements 11 and the main body 12 are in one piece and therefore together form the fastening section 10, which is implemented as a one-piece component. Alternatively, they can be attached to the main body 12 in an elastically resilient manner as additional parts, in particular each by a leg spring. Any number of latching elements 11, which are preferably arranged evenly distributed around the circumference of the cylindrical fastening section 10, can be formed on and/or attached to the fastening section 10.

[0056] If the fastening section 10 is inserted into the receptacle structure 2 in the longitudinal direction 5 for mounting the jack holder 4, the latching element 11 deflects into a cavity 13 of the fastening section 10. After reaching the installation position shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the latching element 11 automatically springs back and locks with the receptacle structure 2. The jack holder 4 is then firmly fixed on the receptacle structure 2, wherein the automatic springing back of the latching elements 11 enables installation by simple insertion into the receptacle structure 2.

[0057] The latching elements 11 are made of glass fiber reinforced plastic in order to enable a spring effect at their connection point 14 on the main body 12, wherein a sufficiently high mechanical strength is achieved at the same time by reinforcing the plastic using glass fibers. The glass fiber content here is 30%, wherein polypropylene is used as the plastic.

[0058] This exemplary selection of materials ensures that the latching elements 11 deflect slightly and spring back without the application of force. By means of the elastic connection to the main body 12, the latching elements 11 can spring back automatically. Except for inserting the fastening section 10 into the receptacle structure 2, no further action is required in order to lock the jack holder 4 with the latching elements 11 on the receptacle structure 2. In the sprung-back or locked state, the latching elements 11 protrude beyond an outer surface 13 of the cylindrical main body 12, due to which they form a stop to form an undercut.

[0059] The base body 8 and the fastening section 10, i.e., the main body 12 and the latching elements 11, are produced from the same plastic (PP-GF30 in short) as a contiguous, one-piece component. The production takes place in an injection molding process and is therefore particularly economical.

[0060] As FIG. 4 shows, the dimensions of the outer contour of the main body 12 of the fastening section 10 are only slightly smaller than an insertion opening 18 of the receptacle structure 2, into which the fastening section 10 is inserted for installation of the jack holder 4 on the motor vehicle 1. In order to insert the fastening section 10 into the insertion opening 18 and to move the jack holder 4 into the installation position, it is necessary that the latching elements 11 can deflect into the interior of the fastening section 10 or a cavity 19. The fastening section 10 would otherwise not fit into the insertion opening 18 with the latching elements 11 in the sprung-back state. The insertion opening 18 therefore represents a narrow point, which enables locking. During an insertion process of the fastening section 10 into the insertion opening 18, the latching elements 11 slide past the narrow point of the insertion opening 18, wherein they are automatically pressed into the cavity 19 by their parabolic longitudinal section from the narrow point and therefore deflect. If the fastening section 10 is inserted into the insertion opening 18 in the installation position at the end of the insertion process, the latching elements 11, as shown, automatically lock with the receptacle structure 2, by which a secure and firm connection of the jack holder 4 to the receptacle structure 2 or the body 3 is established.

[0061] In order to simplify the installation of the jack holder 4, the latching elements 11 each have a curved surface as a surface that comes into contact with the insertion opening 18 during the installation process. Due to the curvature of the surface, a small installation force is sufficient to press the jack holder 4 into the receptacle section 2. The surface of the latching elements 11 is parabolic in a longitudinal section that extends through the longitudinal direction 5. In FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 it is clear that the latching elements 11 taper along the longitudinal direction 5 with increasing distance from the base body 9 or from an end face 15 facing toward the receptacle structure 2 in the installation position. In other words, their cross section shrinks along the longitudinal direction 5 of the fastening section 10. Due to the parabolic shape of the latching elements 11, the required installation force can be reduced, particularly at the end of the installation process of the jack holder 4, i.e., when the fastening section 10 is inserted into the receptacle section. The reason for this is that in the case of the parabolic shape, a tangential angle of the surface of the latching element 11 in relation to the longitudinal direction 5 decreases as the distance to the end face 15 increases. As a result, the installation force can be reduced by approximately 40% in comparison to the case in which this surface tapers linearly.

[0062] In addition, the surface of individual, preferably all, latching elements 11 can be curved in an arc or circle in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 5, i.e., having the longitudinal direction 5 as the normal vector, so that the latching elements 11, during the insertion of the fastening section 10 into the insertion opening 18, do not dig or cut into the latter.

[0063] In addition, installation is simplified by alignment pins 16, which, like the fastening section 10, protrude from the base body 9 in the longitudinal direction 5 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). Because the main body 12 is cylindrical, the two alignment pins 16 are advantageous for fixing the jack holder 4 in a defined orientation on the receptacle structure 2 or the body 3. For this purpose, the alignment pins 16 are inserted into alignment openings 17 of the receptacle structure 2, or here the body 3, during installation. The alignment pins 16 engage in the alignment openings 17 at least approximately with a precise fit. By means of the alignment pins 16 engaging in the alignment openings 17, all degrees of freedom of the jack holder 4 can be blocked except for the movement in the longitudinal direction 5. After moving the jack holder 4 into the installation position and locking the latching element 11 on the receptacle structure 2, the movement in the longitudinal direction 5 can finally also be blocked, by which the jack holder 4 is firmly fixed to the body 3.

[0064] To align the jack holder 4, one alignment pin 16 is sufficient, but it is preferred to provide at least two or more alignment pins 16 in order to increase a material cross section using which the jack holder 4 engages in the receptacle structure 2 and the body 3 in the installation position. In this way, larger shear forces can be absorbed by the jack holder 4. Shear forces are understood to mean forces that act on the mounted jack holder 4 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 5, in the present case thus in the vehicle longitudinal direction 7 and/or in the vehicle transverse direction 8. They can arise, for example, when the jack holder 4 collides with a curb.

[0065] In order to increase the engaging material cross section, the fastening section 10, in particular the main body 12, is also designed in such a way that it fits at least approximately with a precise fit into the insertion opening 18 of the receptacle structure 2, into which it is inserted in the longitudinal direction 5 for installation. The fastening section 10 therefore has the cavity 19 (see FIGS. 3-6), into which the latching elements 11 are pivotable for deflection, so that they do not protrude or only minimally protrude beyond the outer surface of the main body 12 and the cross section of the main body 12 approximately corresponds to the size of the insertion opening 18.

[0066] To fill the cavity 19, the jack holder 4 optionally has a securing pin 20, which is also produced by means of injection molding from plastic, in particular from the same plastic as the base body 9 of the jack holder 4. The securing pin 20 is displaceable in the cavity 19 from a release position (see FIG. 5), in which it minimally engages in the cavity 19, to a securing position (see FIG. 6), in which it at least approximately completely fills the cavity 19. By filling the cavity 19, the mechanical strength of the fastening section 10 is increased. In addition to increasing the material cross section of the jack holder 4 engaging in the receptacle structure 2, however, the securing pin 20 also blocks the deflection of the latching elements 11 into the cavity 19 in the securing position, by which their locking with the receptacle section 2 is additionally secured. In the release position, the deflection of the latching elements 11 into the cavity 19 is not blocked.

[0067] The securing pin 20 is captively attached to the jack holder 4 in the securing and release positions. Securing in the release position is achieved by a tongue-and-groove connection 21 (see FIG. 5) or an undercut. It prevents the securing pin 20 from falling out of the cavity 19. By applying force, the tongue and groove connection 21 can be overcome and the securing pin 20 can be brought into the securing position (see FIG. 6), in which it is also secured by an undercut 22 (see FIG. 3) is secured against falling out.

[0068] As FIG. 5 shows, the securing pin 20 does not protrude beyond the outer contour of the remaining jack holder 4 in the release position. This protects the securing pin 20 from damage and facilitates handling the jack holder 4. In the securing position shown in FIG. 6, the securing pin 20 also does not protrude into a holding section 23 of the jack holder 4. The holding section 23 is a recessed area of the base body 9 on the side of the jack holder 4, which is opposite to the fastening section 10. It is used to accommodate a holding part of a lifting platform or a jack, wherein it enables secure coupling of the holding part to the jack holder 4, which is secured against slipping or tilting of both parts in relation to one another. In order to be able to position the holding part more easily in the holding section 23 during coupling, the holding section 23 can be wedge-shaped in the longitudinal direction 5. For example, a coupling part of a jack can be inserted particularly easily into a wedge-shaped holding section 23 and coupled thereto, since geometry enables automatic centering of the coupling part in the holding section 23.

[0069] To seal the cavity 19, which would otherwise represent an opening in the receptacle structure 2 and the body 3 (see FIG. 6), the securing pin 20 has a cavity seal 24.

[0070] This is designed as a sealing ring and seals the cavity 19 in a liquid-tight manner when the securing pin 20 is positioned in the securing position. The cavity seal 24 is then positioned between the locking pin 20 and the wall of the cavity 19.

[0071] In order to prevent water and/or dust from entering through the insertion opening 18 and the alignment openings 17, the jack holder 4 additionally has a body seal 25, which is a sealing lip extending around the end face 15. It is fixed to the base body 9 and, in the installation position, seals the area between the jack holder 4 and the receptacle structure 2, in which the insertion opening 18 is located. In addition, as can be seen in FIG. 6, the receptacle openings 17 can also be sealed using the body seal 25. Any sealing lip suitable for motor vehicle construction can be used as the body seal 25. However, the body seal 25 is preferably a rubber seal. To fix it to the jack holder 4, the body seal 25 can be inserted into the mold in the injection molding process of the jack holder 4 before the beginning of the injection process. After the base body 9 has hardened, the body seal 25 is firmly fixed thereto, wherein the costs and effort of subsequently attaching the body seal 25 to the base body 9 can be avoided. By back-injecting the body seal 25 in areas, a formfitting connection to the base body 9 is also possible.

[0072] Since the latching elements 11 spring back automatically and are not accessible from the outside in the installation position, they cannot be deflected again to remove the jack holder 4 from the receptacle structure 2. The removal is therefore destructive, wherein the connection points 14 of the latching elements 11 on the fastening section 10 are severed. For this purpose, the base body 9 can have a guide template 26, using which a drill 27 can be guided to the connection points 14 in order to sever them. The guide template 26 is indicated in FIG. 7, which shows the sectional view of the jack holder 4 of FIG. 4. No securing pin 20 is provided in the jack holder 4 shown in FIG. 7. Instead, the guide template 26 is designed as part of the base body 9. It has two oblique guide projections 28 or guides, by means of which the drill 27 can be aligned so that the two connection points 14 of the latching elements 11 to the main body 12 can be severed using it. The drill 27 can thus be inserted with a diameter that preferably corresponds to the diameter of the respective guide projection 28 and is automatically aligned in such a way that when drilling is subsequently carried out by means of the drill 27, the tip of the drill automatically reaches the respective latching element 11 and separates it accordingly.

[0073] Because only guide projections 28 and no through holes are provided, the cavity 19 of the main body 12 is completely sealed by the guide template 26, so that in the installed state of the jack holder 4, neither liquid nor dirt can enter the interior of the body 3. Alternatively, the guide template 26 can be subsequently inserted as an additional part into the jack holder 4, in particular the holding section 23, in order to simplify removal. As long as the guide template 26 is not inserted into the jack holder 4, however, an additional seal is required to seal the cavity 19. The guide template 26 can also have a continuous opening (not shown here), which provides enough free space to also provide a securing pin 20 in addition to the guide template 26.