This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of German Patent Application 10 2008 027 291.4 filed Jun. 6, 2008, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention pertains to a holding device for fastening an add-on part on a support frame of a vehicle, especially a utility vehicle.
It is necessary in vehicles, especially in utility vehicles, to fasten a plurality of different add-on parts to a support frame of the vehicle. Typical add-on parts are exhaust gas treatment means, for example, exhaust mufflers, catalytic converters, particle filters as well as modules with any desired combination of such means. Individual fastening solutions have hitherto been used to make it possible to fasten add-on parts of the same kind in different vehicles. This is associated with comparatively high costs.
The present invention pertains to the object of proposing an improved embodiment, which is characterized especially in that add-on parts of the same kind can be arranged on different vehicles at reduced costs, for fastening an add-on part to a vehicle support frame.
This object is accomplished according to the present invention with a holding device for fastening an add-on part to a support frame of a vehicle, especially a utility vehicle, with an upper bracket, which is fastened to the support frame in the mounted state of the holding device, with a lower bracket, which is fastened to the support frame below the upper bracket in the mounted state of the holding device and with a holder, which is fastened to the add-on part in the mounted state of the holding device. The holder has a hook. The upper bracket has a hook mount, which is shaped complementarily to the hook and into which the hook can be hung from the top. The holder has a fixing plate. The lower bracket has a plate mount, which is shaped complementarily to the fixing plate and into which the fixing plate can be inserted. A positive-locking connection, which secures the fixing plate at right angles to the direction of insertion in the plate mount, is formed between the plate mount and the fixing plate inserted into it.
The present invention is based on the general idea of providing a holding device, which has support frame-side holding elements and add-on part-side holding elements, which can be fixed to one another via a defined interface in a simple manner, on the one hand, and can be fastened to the vehicle and to the add-on part in different positions, on the other hand, for fastening an add-on part to a support frame of a vehicle. Adaptation to different vehicles can thus be made by an individually adapted mounting of the support frame-side holding elements, and a corresponding adaptation can also be performed on the side of the add-on part-side holding elements. The add-on part-side holding elements with the add-on part attached thereto can then be arranged via the interface at the support frame and at the support frame-side holding elements fastened thereto. The same holding device can always be used for fastening the add-on parts to the support frame for different combinations of add-on parts and support frames due to the holding device proposed. The costs for fastening the add-on part can be reduced as a result.
Such a holding device comprises according to the present invention an upper bracket as support frame-side holding elements, which is fastened to the support frame in the mounted state of the holding device, as well as a lower bracket, which is fastened to the support frame below the upper bracket in the mounted state. At least the upper bracket is equipped with a hook mount, into which a hook can be hung from the top. At least the lower bracket is equipped with a plate mount, into which a fixing plate can be inserted from the top. The add-on part-side holding elements comprise a holder, which is fastened to the add-on part in the mounted state and has a hook fitting the hook mount of the upper bracket as well as a fixing plate fitting the plate mount of the lower bracket. Together with the hook and the fixing plate of the holder, the hook mount and the plate mount of the brackets form an interface, which fixes the holder with the add-on part arranged thereon at the brackets and hence at the support frame equipped with the brackets in a positive-locking manner. Due to the use of two separate brackets, which can be fastened to the support frame variably in respect to their distance, they can be fastened to support frames having different dimensions in an especially simple manner. At the same time, positive-locking fixation of the add-on part to the support frame can always be embodied by means of the hook and the fixing plate of the hook.
Corresponding to an advantageous embodiment, the hook may have a plate section at an end facing the upper bracket, the upper bracket having, on a side of the hook mount facing away from the holder, a plate mount, which has a shape complementary to that of the plate section, and into which the plate section can be inserted from the top. The hook, plate section, hook mount and plate mount are coordinated with one another here such that when the hook is hung into the hook mount, the plate section is at the same time inserted into the plate mount, and a positive-locking connection develops between the plate mount and the plate section inserted into it, which said positive-locking connection secures the plate section at right angles to the direction of insertion in the plate mount. The positive-locking fixation of the holder to the upper bracket can be improved in this manner.
According to an especially advantageous variant, the fixing plate and the plate section may be essentially of a congruent shape. As a consequence, the plate mounts of the upper bracket and of the lower bracket, which are complementary to the fixing plate and to the plate section, respectively, are correspondingly congruent. This mode of construction makes it possible, in particular, to design the two brackets as brackets of identical design, which reduces the manufacturing costs for the brackets and hence for the holding device.
Other important features and advantages of the present invention appear from the subclaims, from the drawings and from the corresponding description of the figures on the basis of the drawings.
It is obvious that the above-mentioned features, which will still be explained below, can be used not only in the particular combination described, but in other combinations or alone as well without going beyond the scope of the present invention.
Preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings and will be explained in more detail below, identical reference numbers referring to identical or similar or functionally identical components.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.
In the drawings:
Referring to the drawings in particular, corresponding to
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The upper bracket 5 has a hook mount 15, which is shaped complementarily to the hook 13, such that hook 13 can be hung from the top into the hook mount 15. The lower bracket 6 has a plate mount 16, which is shaped complementarily to the fixing plate 14, such that the fixing plate 14 can be inserted into the plate mount 16 from the top. The fixing plate 14 and the plate mount 16 are coordinated with one another such that the fixing plate 14 inserted into the plate mount 16 is secured in the plate mount 16 by a positive-locking connection at right angles to the direction of insertion.
To facilitate attachment of holder 7 to the brackets 5, 6, hook 13 has a lead-in bevel 17. This is oriented such that it drives the hook 13 into the hook mount 15 against the upper bracket 5 during hanging into the hook mount 15. Complementary thereto, the hook mount 15 can be equipped with a ramp 18, which supports the functionality of the lead-in bevel.
In addition, hook 13 is equipped with a plate section 19 at an end facing the upper bracket 5 in the example being shown. In a complementary manner to this, the upper bracket 5 is equipped on a side of the hook mount 15 facing away from the holder 7 with a plate mount 20, which is shaped complementarily to the plate section 19, such that the plate section 19 can be inserted from the top into the plate mount 20. This plate mount 20 and the plate section 19 are coordinated with one another such that the plate section 19 inserted into the plate mount 20 is secured by a positive-locking connection at right angles to the direction of insertion in the plate mount 20. Corresponding to the preferred embodiment being shown here, the fixing plate 14 and the plate section 19 may be of a congruent shape. The plate mounts 16, 20 are correspondingly also congruent, especially of identical design. The two brackets 5, 6 are of an identical design in the special embodiment being shown here, i.e., the brackets 5, 6 are identical parts. The lower bracket 6 is preferably mounted on the support frame 3 rotated by 180° in relation to the upper bracket 5. Rotated mounting of the lower bracket 6 avoids incorrect mounting of holder 7, namely, an inadvertent hanging of hook 13 into the hook mount 15 of the lower bracket 6. The lower bracket 6 may, in principle, also be mounted in the same manner as the upper bracket 5 on the support frame 3 to embody the holding function for the fixing plate 14.
Holder 7 has a web 21. This web 21 extends vertically in the mounted state of the holding device 2. It joins downwardly the hook 13. It may preferably extend over the entire length of holder 7 or of the holding plate 10. Web 21 projects from the holding plate 10 on a side facing the brackets 5, 6. The fixing plate 14 is arranged at this web 21. Web 21 is dimensioned such that the fixing plate 14 projects over the web 21 at right angles to the longitudinal direction of said web 21 and thus makes possible a positive-locking connection with the respective plate mount 16. To make it possible to insert the fixing plate 14 into the plate mount 16 of the lower bracket 6 and to make it possible to hang hook 13 into the hook mount 15 of the upper bracket 5, the hook mount 15 and the plate mount 16 are equipped with a vertical slot 22 each, through which web 21 can be inserted or passed. Web 21 is, moreover, advantageously dimensioned such that the fixing plate 14 has the same distance from the holding plate 10 as the plate section 19.
The fixing plate 14 is fastened detachably to the holder 7, especially to the web 21 thereof, in the preferred embodiment being shown. Holder 7 is equipped for this with a plurality of fastening points 23, by means of which the fixing plate 14 can be fixed to the holder 7. These fastening points 23 have different distances from the hook 13, as a result of which different distances can be set between the hook 13 and the screw holes, through which fastening screws can be inserted up to the fixing plate 14 from a side facing the add-on part 1. These fastening points 23, especially the screw holes, are formed on the web 21 in the example.
A fixing plate, which is rigidly arranged at the holder 7 and which extends along the holder 7 at least along the distance area, along which the separate fixing plate 14 shown is adjustable, may be provided in another embodiment instead of a separate fixing plate 14, which can be fastened to the holder 7 at different distances from the hook 13. In particular, such a nonadjustable fixing plate may extend continuously from the hook 13 to the position with the maximum distance from the hook 13 of the separate fixing plate 14 shown here. The plate section 19 of hook 13 may pass directly over into the fixing plate 14 in an especially advantageous embodiment.
The fixing plate 14 and the plate section 19 are chamfered in the direction of insertion; a corresponding lead-in bevel is designated by 24.
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While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2008 027 291.4 | Jun 2008 | DE | national |