Patent Application
20240280129
The present invention relates to a clip structure and a pin member that are to be mounted into a mounting member.
For example, there has hitherto been a clip that is described in PTL 1 below, that includes a grommet and a pin, and that serves as a structure usable for mounting a bumper to a body of an automobile or the like (hereinafter referred to as “the invention publicly known in the literature”). In the invention publicly known in the literature, the grommet formed in a part of a bumper retainer has a plurality of legs to be inserted into the body, and a hole into which the pin is inserted to open the legs is formed at the center between the legs. A thin flange is formed at the head of the pin. Pressing the flange against the grommet causes the invention publicly known in the literature to achieve a waterproof function.
PTL 1: Japanese Patent No. 5319586
However, if the bumper retainer (grommet) is moved, due to a bumper load or an external force, in a direction in which the bumper retainer shifts from the body, a force is applied to the pin in a direction in which the pin is sheared. Thus, the pin is inclined to deform the flange.
The present invention is proposed in view of such circumstances. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a clip structure and a pin member that have a high shear strength.
To achieve the above object, a clip structure according to the present invention includes: a grommet member having an insertion hole around which a leg portion is disposed, the leg portion being formed on a seat portion configured to face a mounting member, the leg portion being configured to be inserted into the mounting member; and a pin member including a shaft portion that is inserted into the insertion hole and that is engaged with the leg portion. The grommet member includes a projecting portion projecting toward an opposite side of the seat portion from the leg portion. The pin member includes a support portion configured to come into contact with the projecting portion, in a direction crossing the shaft portion, at a position closer to the projecting portion than the seat portion.
In the clip structure according to the present invention, the shaft portion and the support portion are connected to each other, a flange portion is connected to the support portion, and the support portion and the flange portion form a shape of a recessed groove into which the projecting portion is inserted.
In the clip structure according to the present invention, the flange portion includes a thin portion configured to come into pressure contact with the seat portion.
In the clip structure according to the present invention, the leg portion has a rib configured to come into contact with an edge of a hole of the mounting member.
In the clip structure according to the present invention, the projecting portion has a ring shape around an edge of the insertion hole, and the support portion has a ring shape on an extension of the shaft portion.
A pin member according to the present invention is configured to be engaged with a grommet member having an insertion hole around which a leg portion is disposed, the leg portion being formed on a seat portion configured to face a mounting member, the leg portion being configured to be inserted into the mounting member. The pin member includes: a shaft portion that is configured to be inserted into the insertion hole and that is configured to be engaged with the leg portion; a recessed groove portion that has a ring shape and that is recessed, on an extension of the shaft portion on an opposite side of the seat portion from the leg portion, toward a side opposite to the shaft portion, a part of the grommet member being configured to be inserted into the recessed groove portion; a support portion that is connected on the extension of the shaft portion and that is a part of the recessed groove portion; and a thin portion that is connected to the recessed groove portion and that is configured to come into pressure contact with the seat portion.
In the clip structure according to the present invention, the grommet member includes the projecting portion projecting toward the opposite side of the seat portion from the leg portion, and the pin member includes the support portion configured to come into contact with the projecting portion, in the direction crossing the shaft portion, at the position closer to the projecting portion than the seat portion. Even when a certain force is applied to the grommet member in the direction in which the grommet member shifts from the mounting member and that crosses the shaft portion of the pin member, the projecting portion of the grommet member is located at a position to which the pin member is to be inclined, and the support portion of the pin member comes into contact with the projecting portion, thus inhibiting the pin member from being inclined. That is, it can be said that the present invention has a high shear strength.
In the clip structure according to the present invention, the shaft portion and the support portion are connected to each other, the flange portion is connected to the support portion, and the support portion and the flange portion form the shape of the recessed groove into which the projecting portion is inserted. That is, the projecting portion of the grommet member is inserted into the recessed groove portion of the pin member. In this state, even when a certain force is applied to the grommet member in the direction in which the grommet member shifts from the mounting member, the pin member including the recessed groove portion into which the projecting portion of the grommet member is inserted is inhibited from being inclined. That is, it can be said that the present invention has a high shear strength.
In the clip structure according to the present invention, the flange portion includes the thin portion configured to come into pressure contact with the seat portion. That is, since the pin member is inhibited from being inclined, the flange is not deformed and comes into pressure contact with the seat portion of the grommet member in a state in which the flange portion covers the projecting portion, thus enabling the present invention to be watertight.
In the clip structure according to the present invention, the leg portion has the rib configured to come into contact with the edge of the hole of the mounting member. That is, the rib increases the rigidity of the leg portion. Thus, the grommet member is less likely to shift. In addition, even when a certain force is applied to the grommet member in the direction in which the grommet member shifts from the mounting member, the rib of the leg portion of the grommet member comes into contact with the edge of the hole of the mounting member. Thus, the grommet member is less likely to shift.
In the clip structure according to the present invention, the projecting portion has the ring shape around the edge of the insertion hole, and the support portion has the ring shape on the extension of the shaft portion. With this configuration, the circumferential surface of the support portion of the pin member and the circumferential surface of the projecting portion of the grommet member entirely come into contact with each other. Accordingly, the support portion and the projecting portion are strong, thus achieving a high shear strength. In addition, since the projecting portion is located around the edge of the insertion hole, and the support portion is located on the shaft portion of the pin member, the pin member is inhibited from being inclined compared with a case in which the projecting portion and the support portion are formed at respective positions away from the insertion hole and the shaft portion. That is, it can be said that the present invention has a high shear strength.
The pin member according to the present invention includes: the shaft portion that is configured to be inserted into the insertion hole and that is configured to be engaged with the leg portion; the recessed groove portion that has the ring shape and that is recessed, on the extension of the shaft portion on the opposite side of the seat portion from the leg portion, toward the side opposite to the shaft portion, the part of the grommet member being configured to be inserted into the recessed groove portion; the support portion that is connected on the extension of the shaft portion and that is the part of the recessed groove portion; and the thin portion that is connected to the recessed groove portion and that is configured to come into pressure contact with the seat portion. Thus, the pin member achieves effects similar to those of the clip structure described above.
A clip structure according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In the following description, the side toward which the pin member 24 is inserted is the front, the side from which the pin member 24 is inserted is the back, and directions orthogonal to the direction in which the pin member 24 is inserted are the up direction, the down direction, the left side direction, and the right side direction (see
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The flange portion 35 includes a top portion 37, which is circular and flat, a cover portion 39, which has a ring shape or a cylindrical shape and projects toward the front from the periphery of the top portion 37, and a thin portion 40, which has a ring shape and projects toward the outside from the front end of the cover portion 39. An insertion groove 38, into which, for example, a tool (not illustrated) is inserted, is formed in the back of the top portion 37. The support portion 26 is connected to the front center of the top portion 37. The support portion 26 has a ring shape or a cylindrical shape and is disposed so as to face the inside of the cover portion 39. The support portion 26 and the cover portion 39 have concentric circular shapes where the shaft portion 25 is centered. A recessed groove portion 41, which has a recessed groove shape, is formed in the space surrounded by the support portion 26, the cover portion 39, and the top portion 37. That is, the recessed groove portion 41 has a ring shape whose part is formed by the support portion 26 and is recessed, on an extension of the shaft portion 25, toward the side opposite to the direction in which the shaft portion 25 extends. The thin portion 40 has a thickness smaller than the top portion 37 and the cover portion 39 and is thus easily bent. Inclined projecting pieces 36, which project toward the front and are inclined in the circumferential direction of the thin portion 40, are formed, on the thin portion 40, in the vicinities of the part where the thin portion 40 and the cover portion 39 are connected. The inclined projecting pieces 36 are formed at two positions and are disposed on the respective sides where the shaft portion 25 is centered. In other words, the inclined projecting pieces 36 are located at 0 and 180 degrees on the circumference of the thin portion 40.
As illustrated in
Here, the process of engaging the pin member 24 and the grommet member 10 with each other is described with reference to drawings. As illustrated in
When the pin member 24 is further pushed, the inclined surface 32 of the pin member 24 comes into contact with the bulging portions 22 and moves forward while spreading the second leg portions 19. Thus, the second leg portions 19 are bent and open toward the outside. The inclined surface 32 rubs against the bulging portions 22, comes into contact with the locking pieces 23, and moves forward while spreading the leg portions 18 and 19. Thus, the leg portions 18 and 19 are bent and open toward the outside. When the inclined surface 32 passes through the locking pieces 23, the locking groove portion 34 faces the locking pieces 23. Thus, the leg portions 18 and 19 return to the original states, and the locking pieces 23 are disposed in the locking groove portion 34. In this state, the pin member 24 is engaged with the grommet member 10.
In this engaged state, the projecting portion 13 of the grommet member 10 is inserted into the recessed groove portion 41 of the pin member 24. At the back closer to the projecting portion 13 than the seat portion 11, the support portion 26 faces the projecting portion 13 in a side direction that is a direction crossing the shaft portion 25. The flange portion 35 covers the projecting portion 13. That is, the support portion 26, the cover portion 39, and the top portion 37 cover the projecting portion 13, and the tip end of the thin portion 40 is bent by being pushed against the step portion 15 of the grommet member 10. As a result, the thin portion 40 comes into pressure contact with the seat portion 11, thus making the back side of the seat portion 11 watertight. The inclined projecting pieces 36 of the flange portion 35 are each disposed between the corresponding step pieces 16 of the grommet member 10.
When the engaged state is released, a tool is inserted into the insertion groove 38 of the pin member 24, and the pin member 24 is turned with the tool. Thus, the inclined projecting pieces 36 of the pin member 24 mount the respective step pieces 16 of the grommet member 10, and the pin member 24 rises from the grommet member 10. Simultaneously, the shaft portion 25 is disconnected from the leg portions 18 and 19.
Next, operations and effects of the present embodiment will be described.
In the present embodiment, around the periphery of the insertion hole 12 of the grommet member 10, the projecting portion 13, which has a ring shape or a cylindrical shape where the insertion hole 12 is centered, projects from the opposite side of the seat portion 11 from the leg portions 18 and 19. On the other hand, the pin member 24 includes the recessed groove portion 41, which has a ring shape whose part is formed by the support portion 26, which has a ring shape or a cylindrical shape and is connected, on an extension of the shaft portion 25, between the middle portion 27 of the shaft portion 25 and the flange portion 35. With this configuration, in a state in which the pin member 24 is engaged with the grommet member 10, the projecting portion 13 is inserted into the recessed groove portion 41 behind the seat portion 11. In the recessed groove portion 41, the side of the support portion 26 faces the projecting portion 13 behind the seat portion 11. In other words, since the projecting portion 13 is located around the periphery of the insertion hole 12, the insertion hole 12 is a cylindrical hole, due to the projecting portion 13, simulatively extending toward the back from the seat portion 11. The shaft portion 25 and the support portion 26 of the pin member 24 are inserted into the insertion hole 12 having a cylindrical shape.
When a certain force F is applied to the grommet member 10 from the side in a direction in which the grommet member 10 shifts from the mounting member 1 (up-down direction in
In the state in which the pin member 24 is engaged with the grommet member 10, the projecting portion 13 of the grommet member 10 is inserted into the recessed groove portion 41. Accordingly, the pin member 24 is inhibited from being inclined. That is, it can be said that the present embodiment has a high shear strength.
In particular, the circumferential surface of the support portion 26 having a ring shape or a cylindrical shape and the circumferential surface of the projecting portion 13 having a ring shape or a cylindrical shape entirely come into contact with each other. Accordingly, the support portion 26 and the projecting portion 13 are strong, thus achieving a high shear strength.
In the present embodiment, the flange portion 35 of the pin member 24 includes the top portion 37, which is circular and flat and is connected to the support portion 26, the cover portion 39, which has a ring shape or a cylindrical shape and projects toward the front from the periphery of the top portion 37, and the thin portion 40, which has a ring shape and projects toward the outside from the front end of the cover portion 39. In the state in which the pin member 24 is engaged with the grommet member 10, the flange portion 35 covers the projecting portion 13, and the tip end of the thin portion 40 is bent by being pushed against the step portion 15 of the grommet member 10. As a result, the thin portion 40 comes into pressure contact with the seat portion 11, thus enabling the back side of the seat portion 11 to be watertight. In addition, since the pin member 24 is inhibited from being inclined, the flange portion 35 is not deformed, thus enabling the watertightness to be maintained.
In the present embodiment, the base portion 20 of the first leg portion 18 has the ribs 21 on the outer side thereof. That is, the ribs 21 increase the rigidity of the first leg portion 18. Thus, the grommet member 10 is less likely to shift. In addition, when the leg portions 18 and 19 of the grommet member 10 are inserted into the mounting hole 2 of the mounting member 1, the ribs 21 come into contact with the edge inside the mounting hole 2. With this configuration, even when the certain force F is applied to the grommet member 10 from the side in the direction in which the grommet member 10 shifts from the mounting member 1, the ribs 21 come into contact with the edge of the mounting hole 2. Thus, the grommet member 10 is less likely to shift. That is, it can be said that the present embodiment has a high shear strength.
In another embodiment of the present invention, only the base portion of the second leg portion has the ribs.
In still another embodiment thereof, the base portion of the first leg portion and the base portion of the second leg portion have the ribs.
In still another embodiment thereof, the shape, the number, and the positions of the ribs of the base portion may be freely determined.
In still another embodiment thereof, the projecting portion does not have a continuous ring shape but has a shape in which a plurality of projections is arranged so as to form a ring shape.
In still another embodiment thereof, the projecting portion of the grommet member and the support portion of the pin member are formed at respective positions away from the insertion hole of the grommet member and the shaft portion of the pin member in a side direction.
In still another embodiment thereof, the pin member does not include the flange portion.
Embodiments of the present invention have been specifically described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. In the present invention, various design changes can be made without departing from the matters described in the claims. For example, the present invention is also usable for conveyances such as automobiles, aircraft, and ships.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-117576 | Jul 2020 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2021/013253 | 3/29/2021 | WO |
