Patent Application
20120243932
The invention generally relates to an accessory connection system for a vehicle.
Vehicles may include accessories that must be attached to a body of the vehicle. The accessories may include, but are not limited to, cargo area tie-downs, storage units, electronic devices such as GPS navigators and/or radar detectors, clothes hangers, hooks, etc. The different accessories are currently attached to the body with several different methods, such as with two sided tape, screws, adhesives, etc.
A vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a body that defines a threaded aperture. A female connector is in threaded engagement with the threaded aperture. The female connector defines a central opening that extends along a longitudinal axis. The female connector includes a locking mechanism that is moveable between a locking position and a release position. An accessory having a male connector portion is slideably insertable into the central opening of the female connector. The locking mechanism axially secures the male connector portion to prevent movement along the longitudinal axis when in the locking position. The locking mechanism releases the male connector portion to allow axial movement along the longitudinal axis when in the release position. The central opening defines a non-circular cross sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The male connector portion includes a base that defines a shape complimentary to the non-circular cross sectional shape of the central opening for mating with the central opening such that the base is rotationally fixed relative to the female connector when disposed within the central opening.
An accessory connection system for a vehicle is also provided. The accessory connection system includes a female connector that is configured for threaded engagement with a threaded aperture in a vehicle. The female connector defines a central opening that extends along a longitudinal axis. The female connector includes a locking mechanism that is moveable between a locking position and a release position. A male connector portion is configured for attachment to an accessory. The male connector portion is slideably insertable into the central opening of the female connector. The locking mechanism axially secures the male connector portion to prevent movement along the longitudinal axis when in the locking position, and releases the male connector portion to allow axial movement along the longitudinal axis when in the release position.
An accessory connection system for a vehicle is also provided. The accessory connection system includes a female connector that is configured for threaded engagement with a threaded aperture in a vehicle. The female connector includes a tubular portion that defines a central opening. The central opening extends along a longitudinal axis. The tubular portion further includes a plurality of bores that extend radially through the tubular portion into the central opening. The plurality of bores is disposed radially about the longitudinal axis. The female connector further includes a threaded portion that extends from the tubular portion and defines threads, and a locking mechanism that is moveable between a locking position and a release position. The locking mechanism includes a sleeve that is disposed annularly about an outer periphery of the tubular portion. The sleeve is moveable relative to the tubular portion along the longitudinal axis between the locking position and the release position. A biasing device is disposed between the sleeve and the tubular portion to bias the sleeve axially along the longitudinal axis into the locking position. The sleeve compresses the biasing device when in the release position. The locking mechanism further includes a plurality of locking balls. One of the locking balls is disposed within each of the plurality of bores. Movement of the sleeve from the locking position into the release position allows the locking balls to move radially outward away from the longitudinal axis and out of interlocking engagement with the male connector portion. Movement of the sleeve from the release position into the locking position moves the locking balls radially inward toward the longitudinal axis into interlocking engagement with the male connector portion. A male connector portion is configured for attachment to an accessory. The male connector portion includes a base and a shaft extending outward away from the base to a distal end. The shaft defines a ridge that extends radially outward from the shaft. The shaft is slideably insertable into the central opening of the female connector such that, when fully inserted into the female connector, the ridge is disposed axially along the longitudinal axis beyond the plurality of locking balls, between the plurality of locking balls and a bottom wall of the central opening. The locking balls are restrained from radial movement outward away from the shaft of the male connector portion by the sleeve when the sleeve is in the locking position to secure the male connector portion relative to the female connector. The locking balls are allowed to move radially outward away from the shaft of the male connector portion when the sleeve is in the release position to allow axial movement of the shaft along the longitudinal axis relative to the female connector. The central opening defines a non-circular cross sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The base of the male connector portion defines a shape complimentary to the non-circular cross sectional shape of the central opening for mating with the central opening such that the base is rotationally fixed relative to the female connector when disposed within the central opening. Both the shaft of the male connector portion and the threaded portion of the female connector define solid cross sectional areas.
Accordingly, the accessory connection system allows for quick and easy attachment and detachment of various accessories to the body of the vehicle. Any accessory having the male connector portion attached thereto may be quickly connected to the vehicle by inserting the male connector portion into the central opening of the female connector. The locking mechanism restrains the accessory axially along the longitudinal axis, and the complimentary shape between the base of the male connector portion and the central opening restrain the accessory from rotation relative to the female connector. The accessory is easily removed by sliding the sleeve into the release position, and withdrawing the male connector portion from the central opening. Multiple threaded apertures may be positioned within the vehicle to allow for multiple and/or different attachment points for the accessories.
The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best modes for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, a vehicle is shown schematically at 20. The vehicle 20 may include any type and/or style of vehicle 20. The vehicle 20 includes an accessory connection system 22. The accessory connection system 22 is shown in a cargo area of the vehicle 20, such as a trunk of a passenger car or a bed of a truck. However, it should be appreciated that the accessory connection system 22 may be located anywhere on the vehicle 20, including but not limited to the cargo area shown, an interior passenger compartment of the vehicle 20, an engine compartment of the vehicle 20, or on an exterior surface of the vehicle 20. Furthermore, while only a single accessory 24 connection location is shown, it should be appreciated that the vehicle 20 may include multiple accessory 24 connection locations throughout the vehicle 20.
The accessory connection system 22 quickly connects and disconnects an accessory 24 to and from the vehicle 20. The accessory 24 may include but is not limited to one of a tie down, a storage unit, a mounting structure, an electronic device, a clothes hook, or a grab bar. The accessories 24 may be connected to the vehicle 20 through only a single connection location, or may alternatively require multiple connection locations to securely connect the accessory 24 to the vehicle 20.
As best shown in
Referring to
The female connector 30 includes a locking mechanism 44. The locking mechanism 44 may include any suitable quick connect mechanism capable of quickly and easily securing a male connector portion 46 disposed on the accessory 24 to the female connector 30. The locking mechanism 44 is moveable between a locking position, shown in
As noted above, the accessory 24 includes the male connector portion 46 fixedly attached thereto. The male connector portion 46 may be integrally formed with the accessory 24, or alternatively, the male connector portion 46 may be a separate component from the accessory 24, and securely affixed to the accessory 24. The male connector portion 46 is slideably insertable into the central opening 36 of the female connector 30. The male connector portion 46 includes a base 54, which is adjacent and attached to the accessory 24. The male connector portion 46 further includes a shaft 56, which extends outward away from the base 54 to a distal end 58. The shaft 56 defines a ridge 60 that extends radially outward from the shaft 56. As shown in
The locking mechanism 44 axially secures the male connector portion 46 to prevent movement along the longitudinal axis 38 when in the locking position, and releases the male connector portion 46 to allow axial movement along the longitudinal axis 38 when in the release position. More specifically, in order to install the accessory 24 to the vehicle 20, the ridge 60 on the male connector portion 46 is inserted into the central opening 36 axially along the longitudinal axis 38, until the ridge 60 is disposed beyond the plurality of locking balls 52, such that the ridge 60 is disposed between the plurality of locking balls 52 and a bottom wall 62 of the central opening 36. When fully inserted into the female connector 30 with the sleeve 48 in the locking position, the locking balls 52 are restrained from radial movement outward away from the shaft 56 of the male connector portion 46 by the sleeve 48, thereby blocking withdrawal of the ridge 60 and axially securing the male connector portion 46 relative to the female connector 30 along the longitudinal axis 38. Movement of the sleeve 48 from the locking position into the release position allows the locking balls 52 to move radially outward away from the longitudinal axis 38, into an annular groove 64 and out of interlocking engagement with the male connector portion 46 of the accessory 24, thereby allowing the ridge 60 to move out of the central opening 36 past the locking balls 52. Movement of the sleeve 48 from the release position into the locking position moves the locking balls 52 radially inward toward the longitudinal axis 38 into interlocking engagement with the male connector portion 46 of the accessory 24.
Preferably, the central opening 36 defines a non-circular cross sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 38, and the base 54 defines a shape complimentary to the non-circular cross sectional shape of the central opening 36. The complimentary non-circular shape of the base 54 mates with the non-circular cross sectional shape of the central opening 36 such that the base 54 is rotationally fixed relative to the female connector 30 when disposed within the central opening 36. As shown, the non-circular cross sectional shape of the central opening 36 includes a square cross sectional shape, and the non-circular cross sectional shape of the base 54 also includes a square cross sectional shape. The square cross sectional shape of the base 54 is sized to fit within the square cross sectional shape of the central opening 36 without rotating relative to the female connector 30. While the non-circular cross sectional shape of the base 54 and the central opening 36 is described and shown herein as including a square shape, it should be appreciated that the non-circular cross sectional shape of the base 54 and the central opening 36 may include any shape that prevents relative rotation about the longitudinal axis 38, including but not limited to any polygon shape, an elliptical shape or a star pattern. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the cross sectional shape of the base 54 and the central opening 36 may include a circular shape to allow the male connector portion 46 and the accessory 24 to rotate relative to the female connector 30 about the longitudinal axis 38.
While the best modes for carrying out the invention have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention within the scope of the appended claims.
