FUEL FLAP FOR AUTOMOBILES

Abstract

In a fuel flap, a first fastening element is attached to a hinge arm. The hinge arm has a second fastening element co-acting with the first fastening element in order to attach the fuel flap to the hinge arm at a predetermined position. The first fastening element includes at least two approximately parallel fastening ribs, at least one of the ribs having two spaced holes and the other has at least one hole, with the axes of the holes being parallel. The second fastening element includes at least three projections having a cross-section complementary to that of the holes. A resilient portion is formed to the hinge arm which upon engagement of the projection in holes is temporarily deformed and after the engagement of the projections in the holes is deformed back and cooperates with a locking portion of the fuel flap so that the fuel flap is secured.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One example of realisation of the invention is hereinafter explained in more detail by means of drawings.

FIG. 1 shows in a perspective view a fuel flap according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from its backside.

FIG. 2 shows in a perspective view a hinge arm with its front side, for attaching the fuel flap after FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows in a perspective view a section through the assembled arrangement of fuel flap and hinge arm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A fuel flap 10 according to FIG. 1 has a flat, somewhat shell-shaped body 12 with a visible surface 14 (FIG. 3) and a back surface 16 (FIG. 1). The body 12 of the fuel flap 10 is formed from a suitable plastic material.

On the back surface 16, two flat ribs 18, 20 running spaced apart from each other are formed, the plane of which is approximately orthogonal to the back surface 16. In the assembled condition of the fuel flap, the ribs 18, 20 are approximately horizontal. The ribs 18, 20 have each one three spaced holes 22 or 24 at a time, respectively. The holes are circular, but can also have arbitrary other forms. In the upper rib 18, a rectangular recess 26 is formed.

A hinge arm 30 according to FIG. 2 has a hinge portion 32, for the purpose of mounting it on the bodyshell of a not shown automobile. Further, the hinge arm 30 has an arm portion 34. The arm portion is box-shaped with a continuous wall 36 and an outer margin, which extends along the outer edge of the wall 36. The margin 38 is approximately orthogonal to the wall 36. Parallel vertically spaced ribs 40 extend between vertical marginal portions and serve for stiffening the arm portion 34. The stiffening is supplemented by two diagonally extending ribs 42, 44. On the uppermost rib 40, three spaced bolt-shaped projections 46 are formed. Their axes extend vertically to the flat ribs 40 and parallel to the wall 36. At the lower marginal portion of the margin 38, three additional bolt-shaped projections 48 are formed, with axes vertical to the ribs 40 and to the margin 38. In the present case, upper and lower projections 46, 48 are arranged in pairs on top of each other, with axes directed towards each other. The cross section of the projections 46, 48 is such that they can engage with positive fit into the holes 22, 24 of the fuel flap 10.

In the upper marginal portion 38, a resilient tongue 50 is formed, which extends diagonally into the interior of the box-like arm 34 in the direction of the upper rib 40. Furthermore, the upper marginal portion 38 is provided with an opening 52 beside the resilient tongue 50. In this way, the resilient tongue 50 can be gripped by a tool.

In the assembly, the fuel flap 10 is turned about 180° and held against the arm portion 34 according to FIG. 2. In this, the fastening ribs 18, 20 are somewhat above the projections 46 or 48, respectively, and the recess 26 is in the region of the resilient tongue 50. The openings 22, 24 are aligned towards the projections 46, 48. In order to facilitate this alignment, diagonal ribs 54, 56 are formed between the upper portion of the margin 38 and the rib 40 positioned underneath. Similar diagonal ribs 58, 60 are formed between the lower portion of the margin 38 and the rib 40 above it. The portion of these diagonal ribs is such that the fastening ribs 18, 20 can be pushed between them in an approximately matching way.

After the holes 22, 24 have been aligned towards the projections 46, 48, the fuel flap 10 is moved downward with respect to the arm portion 34, through which the projections 46, 48 engage into the holes 22, 24, until the ribs 18, 20 abut on the upper rib 40 or the inner side of the lower portion of the margin 38, respectively. In this movement, the free end of the resilient tongue 50 slides out of the recess 26 of the upper fastening rib 18 and lockingly engages the upper side of the upper fastening rib 18. Through this, the fuel flap is prevented from being moved upward with respect to the arm portion 34. As a consequence, the fuel flap 10 is secured in all directions on the hinge arm 30.

In order to remove the fuel flap 10, the resilient tongue 50 has to be bent somewhat upward with the aid of a tool which is inserted via the opening 52, so that the projections 46, 48 come out of engagement with the holes 22, 24. Once this has happened, the fuel flap 10 can be removed from the arm portion 34.

Claims

1. A fuel flap of plastic material for automobiles comprising: an outer visible surface and an inner surface,a first fastening element being formed at the inner surface for the attachment to a hinge arm,the hinge arm having a second fastening element on the side facing the fuel flap, the second fastening element co-acting with the first fastening element in order to attach the fuel flap to the hinge arm at a predetermined position, whereinthe first fastening element includes at least two approximately parallel fastening ribs, at least one of the ribs having two spaced holes and the other has at least one hole, the axes of the holes being parallel,the second fastening element includes at least three projections having a cross-section complementary to that of the holes in order to provide a positive fit of the projections in the holes when the first and second fastening elements cooperate in order to position the fuel flap to the hinge arm with respect to first and second orthogonal directions, the axes of the projections being parallel so that upon assembly the holes can be aligned to the respective projections which upon a relative movement of fuel flap and hinge arm may engage each other in the plane of the axes, anda resilient portion is formed to the hinge arm which upon engagement of the projections in the respective holes is temporarily deformed and after the engagement of the projections in the holes is deformed back and cooperates with a locking portion of the fuel flap so that the fuel flap is secured also with respect to a third direction which is orthogonal to the first and second directions.

2. The fuel flap of claim 1, wherein the holes are circular, oval or polygonal.

3. The fuel flap of claim 1, wherein the fuel flap has a flat body and the holes are formed in the flat fastening ribs which are approximately perpendicular to the flat body.

4. The fuel flap of claim 1, wherein at least one projection is formed to a rib of the hinge arm.

5. The fuel flap of claim 1, wherein the resilient portion is accessible through a recess in the hinge arm in order to disengage the resilient portion from the locking portion by means of a tool.

6. The fuel flap of claim 1, wherein the fastening ribs extend approximately horizontally when the fuel flap is attached to the hinge arm.

7. The fuel flap of claim 1, wherein the hinge arm has an outer elevated marginal portion which extends in a plane perpendicular to the axes of the projections,the resilient portion is a resilient tongue formed from the marginal portion,the fastening rib adjacent to the marginal portion is provided with a recess which accommodates the resilient tongue when the fuel flap for assembly purposes is hold against the hinge arm, andthe resilient tongue and the recess are formed such that the resilient tongue is moved out of the recess and lockingly engages the associated surface of the respective fastening rib when the projections are at least partially inserted into the respective holes.

8. The fuel flap of claim 5, wherein the marginal portion in the area of the resilient tongue has an opening through which a tool can actuate the resilient tongue.

9. The fuel flap of claim 7, wherein the hinge arm has a box-shaped portion with an elevated margin surrounding the box-shaped portion and the interior of the box-shaped portion is reinforced by ribs.

10. The fuel flap of claim 4, wherein at least one projection is formed to the inner side of the marginal portion.