Fastening System and Method for Producing a Fastening System

Abstract

A fastening system includes a welding stud that is weldable to a carrier and a disc that is fastened to the welding stud and has an opening. The welding stud has a weld-on portion for welding the welding stud onto the carrier, a flange and a pin-shaped portion having an external thread. The disc has an outside diameter which is greater than a diameter of the flange. The pin-shaped portion has a thread-free region which is arranged between the flange and the external thread, and the disc has a latch configured for pushing the disc over the external thread and by which the disc is latched in place in the thread-free region.

Claims

1. A fastening system, comprising: a welding stud that is weldable to a carrier; and a disk fastened on the welding stud, the disk having an opening, wherein the welding stud comprises a weld-on portion for welding the welding stud onto the carrier, a flange, and a pin-shaped portion having an external thread, the disk has an outer diameter which is larger than a diameter of the flange, the pin-shaped portion has a thread-free region arranged between the flange and the external thread, and the disk comprises a latch configured for pushing the disk over the external thread and by which the disk is latched in place in the thread-free region.

2. The fastening system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the latch is elastically or plastically deformable.

3. The fastening system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the external thread has a larger diameter than the opening of the disk.

4. The fastening system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the disk has an inner region and an outer region, and the inner region comprises a plastic material and the outer region comprises a metal.

5. The fastening system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the disk is made of a plastic material.

6. The fastening system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the disk comprises projecting clamping portions in the direction of the opening.

7. The fastening system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the weld-on portion, the flange, and the pin-shaped portion are formed as a single piece.

8. The fastening system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a length of the thread-free region is greater than or equal to a thickness of the disk.

9. The fastening system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a ratio of the outer diameter of the disk to the diameter of the flange is at least 1.5.

10. A method for producing a fastening system, the method comprising the acts of: a) providing a carrier, a welding stud which has a flange and a pin-shaped portion having an external thread, and a disk having an opening; b) fastening the welding stud to the carrier by a welding process; c) subsequently placing the disk on the welding stud such that the disk is latched in place on the pin-shaped portion and held in place on the pin-shaped portion.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the disk in method act c) is pushed over the external thread.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the pin-shaped portion has a thread-free region which is arranged between the flange and the external thread, and the disk comprises a latch designed for pushing of the disk over the external thread and for latching the disk in place in the thread-free region.

13. The fastening system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the act of fastening the welding stud to the carrier is carried out in an automated manner.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a welding stud according to one exemplary embodiment.

[0028] FIG. 2A and 2B illustrate a disk in a perspective representation and in a side view according to one exemplary embodiment.

[0029] FIG. 3A to 3C illustrate disks with latches according to three different exemplary embodiments.

[0030] FIG. 4 illustrates a fastening system attached to a carrier according to one exemplary embodiment.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a method for the making of a fastening system according to another exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In the exemplary embodiments and figures, the same or equivalent acting components can be provided with the same reference numbers. The elements represented and their size relations among each other should basically not be considered true to scale. Instead, individual elements, such as layers, components and areas, can be shown exaggerated in thickness or size for better visibility and/or better comprehension.

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a welding stud 2 which can be welded onto a carrier. The welding stud 2 has a weld-on portion 21 for welding the welding stud 2 onto a carrier, a flange 22, and a pin-shaped portion 23 having an external thread 231. Between the flange 22 and the external thread 231 is arranged a thread-free region 235. The flange 22 has a diameter 221. The thread-free region 235 has a length 236 in the axial direction which corresponds to the distance between the flange 22 and the external thread 231 in the axial direction. The external thread 231 has a diameter 232 which represents the largest diameter of the pin-shaped portion 23 in the radial direction, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0034] FIG. 2A shows a disk 3 with an opening 31 in a perspective view. FIG. 2B shows the disk of FIG. 2A in a side view. The disk 3 has a thickness 37. The opening 31 of the disk 3 has a diameter 311 which can also be called the inner diameter of the disk 3, and an outer diameter 32.

[0035] FIGS. 3A to 3C show various exemplary embodiments of a disk 3 in top view. The disk 3 has a latch 33, which is suitable for pushing the disk 3 over the external thread 231 and by which the disk 3 can be latched in place in the thread-free region 235 of the welding stud 2.

[0036] In the embodiment of FIG. 3A, the disk has an inner region 34, comprising a plastic material. The inner region 34 borders directly on the opening 31 of the disk 3. The opening 31 of the disk 3 has a diameter 311 of 6.0 mm. Alternatively, the disk 3 can have a diameter between 5.0 mm and 7.0 mm. Moreover, the disk 3 has an outer region 35, which comprises a metal. The outer region 35 borders directly on the inner region 34. By way of the inner region 33 comprising the plastic material, the disk 3 has a latch 33 by which the disk can be pushed over the external thread 231 of the welding stud 2. After being pushed over the external thread 231, the disk is latched in place in the thread-free region 235 of the welding stud 2.

[0037] According to the embodiment of FIG. 3B, the disk 3 consists of plastic. Thus, the disk 3 is deformable, in particular, elastically deformable. The region bordering on the opening, which is made of plastic, functions as latch 33 as described above.

[0038] The disk 3 according to the embodiment of FIG. 3C comprises projecting clamping portions 36, which protrude in the direction of the opening 31 into the opening 31. By means of the projecting clamping portions 36, the disk 3 can be latched in place in the thread-free region 235 of the welding stud 2. Thus, the projecting clamping portions 36 form the latch 33 of the disk.

[0039] FIG. 4 shows a fastening system 100 having a welding stud 2 and a disk 3 connected to the welding stud 2, and connected to a carrier 1, which can be part of a vehicle body, for example. FIG. 4 only shows a cutout of the carrier 1. Preferably, the disk 3 has a larger outer diameter 32 than the diameter 221 of the flange 22. In this way, a large-area abutment can be provided for components being attached to the fastening systems.

[0040] The fastening system 100 described here is also characterized, in particular, by the fact that it is easy and cheap to produce.

[0041] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a method for producing a fastening system 100. The method includes at least the steps a) to c), explained below. In step a), a carrier 1, a welding stud 2, as well as a disk 3 with an opening 31 are made ready. The welding stud 2 has a flange 22 and a pin-shaped portion 23 having an external thread 231. In method step b), the welding stud 2 is connected to the carrier 1 by a welding process. Preferably, the welding stud 2 has a weld-on portion 21, by means of which the welding stud 2 is welded to the carrier 1, so that the welding stud 2 is secured to the carrier 1 and sticks out from it. The welding stud 2 is suitable for the attachment of components to the carrier 1. In a method step c), following method step b), the disk 3 is placed on the welding stud 2 in such a way that the disk 3 is latched in place on the pin-shaped portion 23 and held in place on the pin-shaped portion 23. For example, the disk 3 is pushed here by its opening over the external thread 231. For example, the disk 3 can be put in place in the body fabrication or the assembly process, as needed.

[0042] Preferably, the pin-shaped portion 23 has a thread-free region 235, arranged between the flange 22 and the external thread 231, and the disk 3 has a latch 33 which is designed for pushing the disk 3 over the external thread 231 and serve to latch the disk 3 in place in the thread-free region 235. In this way, on the one hand, it can be assured that the disk 3 after the fastening of the welding stud 2 already provided with the external thread 231 on the carrier 1 can be moved by its opening 31 over the external thread 231 as far as the thread-free region 235, and on the other hand a latching of the disk 3 in place in the thread-free region 235 is created, so that the disk 3 cannot fall off from the pin-shaped portion 23 of the welding stud 2 during a rotation of the carrier 1.

[0043] The step of fastening the welding stud 2 to the carrier 1 is preferably automated, in particular, fully automated, wherein a welding robot can be used, for example. The placement of the disk 3 on the welding stud 2 can be done manually. However, it is also contemplated that this step is also done in an automated manner, for example, by another robot.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0044] 1 carrier

[0045] 100 fastening system

[0046] 2 welding stud

[0047] 21 weld-on portion

[0048] 22 flange

[0049] 221 diameter of flange

[0050] 23 pin-shaped portion

[0051] 231 external thread

[0052] 232 diameter of external thread

[0053] 235 thread-free region

[0054] 236 length of thread-free region

[0055] 3 disk

[0056] 31 opening

[0057] 311 diameter of opening

[0058] 32 outer diameter

[0059] 33 latch

[0060] 34 inner region

[0061] 35 outer region

[0062] 36 clamping portion

[0063] 37 thickness of the disk

[0064] a) b) c) method step

[0065] The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.