COMPENSATION NUT

Abstract

A compensation nut formed by the assembly of a nut (2) and a bolt (3) and used to attach an application to a surface or panel while maintaining a variable distance between the surface and the supporting element or chassis in which the nut is attached, preventing this distance from collapsing when the application attachment bolt is tightened. The assembly includes a slightly flexible plastic annular body, such as an overmolded sleeve (9) of vulcanized plastic, held tightly in the cylindrical axial internal hollow of the bolt (3).

Claims

1. A COMPENSATION NUT formed by an assembly of a nut (2) and a bolt (3) and used to attach, using a bolt, an application to a surface or panel while maintaining a variable distance between said surface and the supporting element or chassis in which the nut is attached, preventing this distance from collapsing when said application attachment bolt is tightened, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT it includes a slightly flexible plastic annular body (9) held tightly in the cylindrical axial internal hollow of said bolt (3).

2. The COMPENSATION NUT as claimed in claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said plastic annular body (9), in the wall of the internal hollow of said bolt (3), has a first conical portion (12) of greater free diameter followed by another portion (13) of narrower and considerably lesser free diameter than the section of the application attachment bolt.

3. The COMPENSATION NUT as claimed in claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said plastic annular body (9) has an annular projection (14) for retaining the application attachment bolt.

4. The COMPENSATION NUT as claimed in claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the internal wall of said bolt (3) of the compensation nut (1) has hooks (10) oriented towards the position of the nut (2), said hooks (10) being covered by said plastic annular body (9).

5. The COMPENSATION NUT as claimed in claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the internal wall of said bolt (3) of the compensation nut (1) has indentations (11) covered by said plastic annular body (9).

6. The COMPENSATION NUT as claimed in claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said plastic annular body (9) is an overmolded sleeve of vulcanized plastic.

7. The COMPENSATION NUT as claimed in claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said nut (2) is formed by a base from which descend flexible elastic springs or legs (4, 5) for gripping the attachment chassis or surface of the compensation nut (1).

8. The COMPENSATION NUT as claimed in claim 7, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said nut (2) has, projecting outwards in the opposite direction to said flexible elastic springs and/or legs (4, 5), a cylinder (7) with an internal thread, the joint with the starting base being formed by a dome (6) or tapered body with a circular base and walls with a curved section.

9. The COMPENSATION NUT as claimed in claim 8, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said springs (4) are formed by groups of two pairs of legs joined at the ends thereof, said springs (4) being aligned in pairs in a single line on either side of said nut (2).

10. The COMPENSATION NUT as claimed in claim 9, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the external legs (41) of said springs (4) have a recess or step (42).

11. The COMPENSATION NUT as claimed in claim 8, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said flexible elastic legs (5) have a descending section (51) and an ascending continuation (52) that acts flexibly against the face of the attachment surface that has been passed, by means of a surface (53).

12. The COMPENSATION NUT as claimed in claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT said bolt (3) has an upper base or surface from which the shaft of same originates.

13. The COMPENSATION NUT as claimed in claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the thread of said bolt (3) and the internal thread of the cylinder (7) of said nut (2) match to enable same to be screwed together in a direction opposite the tightening direction of the application bolt, dextrorotary to remove the bolt (3) and levorotary to insert the bolt (2).

14. The COMPENSATION NUT as claimed in claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT it is metal.

15. The COMPENSATION NUT as claimed in claim 14, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT it is made of heat-treated carbon steel.

16. The COMPENSATION NUT as claimed in claim 15, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT it has received an anti-corrosion treatment and/or a coating.

17. The COMPENSATION NUT as claimed in claim 1, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the hardness and composition of said plastic annular body (9) enable the use of an attachment bolt of an application at a speed of rotation of at least 900 rpm.

18. A compensation nut formed by an assembly of a nut and a bolt and useful for attaching, via use of an application bolt, an application to a surface or panel while maintaining a variable distance between said surface or panel and a supporting element or chassis in which the nut is attached, the compensation nut configured to prevent the variable distance from collapsing when said application attachment bolt is tightened, wherein the assembly includes a slightly flexible plastic annular body held tightly in the cylindrical axial internal hollow of said bolt.

19. The compensation nut as claimed in claim 18, wherein said plastic annular body, in the wall of the internal hollow of said bolt, has a first conical portion of greater free diameter followed by another portion of narrower free diameter than the section of the application attachment bolt.

20. The compensation nut as claimed in claim 19, wherein said plastic annular body has an annular projection for retaining the application attachment bolt.

Description

SHORT EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] To better explain the invention, this description is accompanied by two sheets of drawings provided solely as nonlimiting illustrations of the invention.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a compensation nut according to the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a perspective view from one side of the compensation nut in the previous figure, showing a possible elevation of the bolt in relation to the nut.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another example embodiment of a compensation nut according to the present invention, in which the legs of the nut are different from the example shown in the previous figures.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a view similar to the view in FIG. 2, with the bolt elevated, but this time with reference to the embodiment in FIG. 3.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a cross-section of the bolt portion of the compensation nut.

[0026] FIG. 6 is a cross-section of the whole of the compensation nut.

[0027] FIG. 7 is a magnified detail of the central portion of the cross-section in the previous figure.

DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] The present invention relates to a compensation nut formed by the assembly of a nut (2) and a bolt (3) and used to attach an application to a surface or panel while maintaining a variable distance between said surface and the supporting element or chassis in which the nut is attached, preventing this distance from collapsing when the application attachment bolt is tightened.

[0029] In one of the preferred embodiments of the invention, the nut (2) is formed by a base from which descend elements for attachment to the support surface, for example the chassis of the vehicle. These attachment elements may be of different types and forms. FIG. 1 shows descending springs formed by pairs of legs joined at the ends of same. These pairs of legs are aligned, on either side of the nut, in a single line, two of said legs (one from each group) therefore being an external leg. When said springs (4) are inserted into the attachment slots provided in the attachment surface, these external legs act elastically as a spring, being compressed against the edge of the orifice.

[0030] These external legs (41) also have a recess or step (42) that acts as a disengagement stop in relation to the attachment surface. This type of structure is very favorable for the compensation nut according to the invention since it enables the nut to grip the attachment surface without any clearance and from any penetration length in the slot provided in the attachment surface.

[0031] In other possible embodiments of the invention, for example the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, other types of gripping elements may be used, such as legs (5) with a descending section (51) and an ascending continuation (52) that acts flexibly against the face of the attachment surface that has been passed, by means of a surface (53).

[0032] In the present invention, the compensation nut 1 is metal and preferably made of carbon steel. It may have been treated against corrosion and/or have a coating such as a nickel coating. The nature of the material used to make the compensation nut (1) ensures that the attachment of the attachment elements (4 and 5) to the slot in the attachment surface is simultaneously a firm and tight attachment with no clearance, maintaining good elastic behavior in response to the vibrations of the vehicle, for example, and unlike the prior art in which the substantial lack of plasticity and rigidity of the joining of same facilitate the disconnection from the attachment support of the compensation nut (1).

[0033] The nut (2) has, projecting outwards in the opposite direction to the legs (5) and springs (4), a cylinder (7) with an internal thread, the join with the starting base being formed by a dome (6) or tapered body with a circular base and walls with a curved section. This arrangement affords elasticity and resistive stress to the whole of the nut (2) against the forces and stresses it is subjected to when in use.

[0034] The direction of the internal thread of the cylinder (7) is opposite to the normal thread direction. Consequently, when a bolt is rotated to the right in said thread it moves away from the base of the nut, and when it is rotated in a levorotary direction, to the left, it is tightened.

[0035] This nut (2) is complemented by a bolt (3) the inside of which forms an axially hollow cylinder, said bolt having an external thread counteracting the thread of the nut (2) into which it is screwed. As shown in the embodiments in the figures, this bolt has an upper base or surface from which the shaft of the bolt (3) originates.

[0036] FIGS. 1 and 3 show the compensation nut (1) in a closed and in-service position, in which the height of the part is minimal, i.e. not entirely screwed in and tightened to the nut in order to enable it to be easily unscrewed, the bolt (3) having a very limited gap. Conversely, in FIGS. 2 and 4, the same compensation nut (1) is in an open position, with a greater height equivalent to the space to be covered between panel and chassis.

[0037] The present invention includes an overmolded portion (9) made of a suitable plastic in the cylindrical axial hollow inside the bolt (3) that is conical in the direction of the position of the nut (2), as shown in FIG. 6 and in the detail in FIG. 7. In other words, it has a first section (12) that is wider in terms of free diameter inside same than a second section (13) having a narrower internal aperture.

[0038] To prevent the clearance of the application attachment bolt in the initial conical section (12) requiring same to be held to prevent it falling, this section has a circular annular projection (14) that elastically holds this application bolt to prevent same from falling.

[0039] This cone of overmolded plastic material (9) inside the bolt (3) with a free section that is considerably smaller than the free section of the application attachment bolt (not shown) shows how this bolt strongly grips said overmolding (9), interferes with the overmolding (9), engaging with same and enabling the rotation of the hollow bolt (3) in the nut (2). The first larger section (12) of the hollow in said overmolding (9) enables the application attachment bolt to be positioned within the bolt (3).

[0040] The plastic material used is hard enough to perform the function of same and is also flexible, like hard rubber, because it has been vulcanized in the preferred embodiment. When the application bolt enters the section of the overmolding that is narrower than said bolt, the thread of same presses against the plastic, interfering with said material. This enables the compensation bolt (3) to be dragged by the application bolt. Furthermore, when the application bolt is withdrawn from the compensation bolt (3), said compensation bolt (3) can be reused because the elasticity of the plastic has been compressed and the surface of same has only been partially eroded. Indeed, no less than ten installation and removal operations are possible with the compensation nut according to this embodiment.

[0041] In another possible embodiment, the invention provides for a part similar to the overmolding (9) to be pressed into the inside of the bolt (3). Naturally, the internal surface of the bolt (3) can be varied to better suit this embodiment, along with the type of plastic material used, to improve adherence to the bolt (3). Similarly to the previous case, the application bolt works against said plastic material by interference and not by friction, enabling the device to be reused.

[0042] When an application is attached by screwing, locking the attachment bolt in the overmolding (9), this rotation firstly causes the rotation by dragging of the bolt (3), which expands the height of the compensation nut (1), as shown in FIG. 2 for example, until the entire hollow between the panel and the surface of the chassis is covered.

[0043] Once rotation of the application attachment bolt no longer permits expansion of the compensation nut (1), the application is then attached by screwing, this bolt penetrating the hollow bolt (3).

[0044] The application is removed by inverting the process. The levorotary rotation of the application bolt contracts the compensation nut (1), which once closed cannot move any further in that direction, such that subsequent rotations release the attachment of the application and extract the application attachment bolt from the hollow of the bolt (3).

[0045] This characteristic arrangement of the present invention is very beneficial, since not only is it simple to manufacture (being free of the structural complexities of the prior art), but it also provides a good grip of the application bolt, which enables the hollow bolt (3) to be dragged without thereby damaging said application bolt, thereby enabling the parts to be reused.

[0046] However, realization of this convenient solution required apparently insuperable obstacles to be overcome. Understandably, since the rotation of the overmolding (9) has to be able to drag the hollow bolt (3) by rotating same, there must be a good join between the overmolding (9) and the body of the hollow bolt (3). However, the technique of overmolding the plastic in the form of an internal sleeve in the hollow of the bolt (3) presents the difficulty that the plastic contracts when it cools, and it does so not by expanding towards the walls of the hollow bolt (2), but by contracting towards the axial shaft of said bolt, losing the join with same.

[0047] The solution to this drawback is to provide gripping elements in the hollow inside of said bolt (3) in which the overmolding (9) is attached, enveloping and filling same. This involves creating hooks (10) in the walls of the inside of said hollow bolt (3). These hooks (10) are oriented towards the position of the nut (2), preventing the overmolding (9) from coming out.

[0048] It should also be taken into account that both the nut (2) and the hollow bolt (3) are made from a laminar material by deformation and punching. The part is made as light as possible so that, in consideration of the qualities of the structural material and the treatments it may receive, it provides suitable mechanical behavior in accordance with the function it is intended to perform.

[0049] Consequently, the hooks (10) are made from the material forming the walls of the hollow bolt (3). As shown in FIG. 3, this can be done by hollowing material from the internal wall of the bolt (3), creating an indentation (11) above said hooks (10). Both the indentations (11) and the respective hooks (10) provide excellent anchoring points for the overmolding (9) such that, despite the slight shrinkage of said overmolding (9) caused by cooling, the join and grip between same and the bolt (3) is not lost.

[0050] The structure of the compensation nut (1) according to the present invention simplifies the conventional installation of same using automatic tightening tools. The operative places the compensation nut in the hollow to be covered and presents the application bolt through the supporting element of said application, before screwing in the assembly. In practice, this is done in a single screwing operation in which the operative can tighten the compensation nut (1) described at high speed, even 900 rpm, which is possible on account of the performance of the part and the interference between said application bolt and the plastic overmolding (9) which provides excellent tractive grip.

[0051] It is understood that any details of finish and form that do not alter the essence of the invention may vary in this case.