The invention relates to a releasable snap connection between an elastically resilient part and a preferably rigid part, said snap connection comprising both a locking element, which has a shaft and a locking tip, and a locking receptacle, the locking element engaging at least partially in the locking receptacle.
A device for fastening an appliance to a wall is known from DE 92 17 185 U1 in which a mounting pin engages in an elastically resilient receptacle of an object to be mounted. The mounting pin shown has a portion of reduced diameter, at which resilient limbs of the receptacle engage. In the case of the device shown, the snap connection is released by withdrawing the pin from the receptacle against the clamping force of the resilient limbs. It has been found that a disadvantage of this known snap device is that a vertical use of the snap connection, as is desirable, for example, for mounting objects on the ceiling, is not convenient in practice, since the snap connection would normally be released, against the clamping force of the resilient limbs, by the intrinsic weight of the object mounted on the ceiling.
Additionally known, from U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,619, is a snap connection between a resilient locking element and a locking receptacle, in which the locking receptacle has means for releasing the snap connection, the means for releasing the snap connection being of such design that the resilient locking element and the locking receptacle can be disengaged, in order to release such a snap connection, both the locking element and the means, arranged in the locking receptacle, for releasing the snap connection must thus be accessible and capable of being operated; this, in addition to being awkward to manipulate, almost precludes vertical use of the snap connection.
Proceeding from this prior art, the object of the invention is to create a new type of snap connection which can be released in a simple manner whilst avoiding the previously described disadvantages.
This is achieved, according to the invention, in that, for the purpose of releasing the snap connection, the locking element has a sleeve so mounted that it is movable along its shaft. This means that, for the purpose of releasing the snap connection, the movable sleeve can be brought into a position which releases the resilient part in relation to the rigid part, and remains in this position until the locking element and the locking receptacle are disengaged.
Similarly, in the case of another embodiment of the invention, for the purpose of releasing the snap connection, the movable sleeve can be brought into a position which releases the first resilient part in relation to the second rigid part, and remains in this position until the locking element and the locking receptacle are disengaged, if both parts constituting the snap connection are of elastically resilient construction.
In the case of the snap connection according to the invention, therefore, the locking element, which has a shaft and a locking tip, is inserted into the locking receptacle until the snap connection is made. To release this snap connection, it is subsequently necessary only for the locking element to be pressed further into the locking receptacle, in order thereby to disengage the locking tip from the locking receptacle. The fact that the sleeve is movable ensures that the sleeve remains in its release position, i.e., the position in which the locking tip is disengaged from the locking receptacle, until the locking element and the locking receptacle was disengaged, or released.
According to a variant of the invention it is provided that the one resilient: part of the snap connection is constituted by the locking receptacle, while the other, preferably rigid, part of the snap connection is constituted by the locking element, it being the case, according to a preferred version, that the locking receptacle has at least one resilient limb, which is shaped to encompass the locking tip of the locking element in a preferably positive manner.
Since the resilient part of the snap connection is constituted by the locking receptacle, it is possible for the locking element, particularly the locking tip, to be realized rigidly, particularly in the form of a bolt. Damage to the locking element, which may be produced from metal, wood, plastic or the like, can thereby be prevented to a very large extent. If the resilient limb is shaped to encompass the locking tip in a positive manner, this, particularly in the case of a vertical use of the snap connection, prevents the locking element, or an object to be held that is connected to the locking element, from unintentionally releasing the snap connection, against the clamping force of the resilient limbs, due to its weight.
In order to ensure that, when the locking element is pressed further into the locking receptacle, the sleeve is brought into a position which releases the resilient part in relation to the rigid part and does not slip back along the shaft, it is provided, according to another embodiment of the invention, that the shaft of the locking element has a preferably annular, flange-type enlargement, the sleeve being so arranged on the shaft that it is movable between this flange-type enlargement and the locking tip. It has been found to be particularly advantageous in this case if the locking receptacle has at least two resilient, preferably substantially L-shaped limbs whose free ends are shaped to engage between the locking tip and the flange-type enlargement.
According to another embodiment of the invention it is provided that the locking receptacle has at least one springy element which is convex in relation to the locking element and which, when the connection has been made, engages at least with the shaft of the locking element, providing that, according to a preferred embodiment, the locking receptacle has a plurality of convex, preferably tongue-shaped springy elements, which constitute a funnel. This particularly inexpensive design of the locking receptacle, which is also particularly stable, then has a further advantage if the funnel is arranged in, or is part of, a preferably cylindrical housing. In the case of a locking receptacle, realized thus, the free ends of the tongue-shaped spring elements are arranged within the housing and, in particular, axially spaced apart from the receiving aperture of the locking receptacle, so that damage to the free ends of the tongue-shaped spring elements can be almost totally precluded.
If the sleeve is conically tapered on its side which faces the locking tip and/or the free end(s) of the limb(s) of the locking receptacle is (are) bevelled, the sleeve can be brought more easily into engagement with the resilient part of the locking receptacle. For the same reason, it is advantageous if the locking tip is conically tapered, rounded or hemispherical in form.
A particularly simple embodiment of the invention provides that the locking receptacle is realized in the form of a shaped tube, preferably having a rectangular cross-sectional area, and has at least one longitudinally extending passage aperture for the locking element(s), the wall of the tube having, on at least one side of the passage aperture, a plurality of gaps which extend substantially perpendicularly relative to the passage aperture and as far as the passage aperture. Thus, if the snap connection is used for attaching, for example, clothes-hangers or hooks or for mounting requisites such as tools or household appliances, only the shaped tube serving as a locking receptacle need to be attached to the wall, ceiling or elsewhere so that, subsequently, the objects to be held, each of which per se normally has a locking element, can be attached in that they are simply pressed into the passage aperture of the shaped tube.
If the locking receptacle is mounted in a housing having a passage aperture for the locking element, and the resilient limbs bear on the housing by means of their ends which encompass the locking tip of the locking element, this can prevent the locking elements from becoming detached by themselves from the locking receptacle—even if they are connected to a relatively heavy object, such as a clothes-hanger holding an item of clothing. It has been found to be particularly advantageous in this case if the housing is arranged so as to be movable in a shaped tube having a longitudinally extending passage aperture, enabling the objects held by means of the snap connection to be freely movable, by means of the housing, in the shaped tube. Such a design has proved to be useful particularly when the invention is used in wardrobe racks, and for mounting drapes or curtains.
According to a further variant of the invention it is provided that the one, resilient, part of the snap connection is constituted by the locking element, while the other, preferably rigid, part of the snap connection is constituted by the locking receptacle. In the case of this variant, in which the locking element advantageously has at least two locking segments which are of radially resilient construction, it is possible to dispense entirely with a special design of the locking receptacle. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it suffices if the locking receptacle is constituted by a bore in the preferably rigid part of the snap connection, for example, in a wooden, metal or plastic panel or the like.
An alternative embodiment provides that the locking receptacle is realized as a shaped tube and has at least one bore and/or at least one longitudinally extending passage aperture for a resilient locking element, the locking elements thereby being rendered movable in the locking receptacle.
In order to ensure the radial mobility of the locking segments, the radial mobility of which must be effected both inwards, i.e. towards the longitudinal centre maxis of the locking element, and outwards—after the locking tip has passed through the locking receptacle-, another embodiment of the invention provides that at least one locking segment comprises a portion of the locking tip and a portion of the shaft of the casing. A simple construction is obtained if the sleeve also has at least two casing segments which are of radially resilient construction, the snap connection being able to be released particularly easily if the locking segments of the locking element and the casing segments of the sleeve are designed to engage with one another in a preferably positive manner.
Secure engagement of the locking element with the locking receptacle can be achieved if the free ends of the locking segments of the locking element and/or the free ends of the casing segments of the sleeve are of a hook-shaped configuration. As in a first step, the hook-shaped locking tip is brought into engagement with the locking receptacle. To release the snap connection, the sleeve, or at least the hook-shaped casing segments of the sleeve, are then, in a further step, brought into engagement with the locking receptacle, as a result of which the locking segments of the locking elements are simultaneously disengaged from the locking receptacle. Upon withdrawal of the locking element from the locking receptacle, the exterior surface segments of the sleeve and the hook-shaped locking segments of the locking element then engage positively with one another, thereby preventing the locking tip from re-engaging with the locking receptacle.
Alternatively, it would also be conceivable for the outer circumferential surface of the sleeve to be shaped for positive engagement with the locking receptacle so that, to release the snap connection, it is only necessary for a small portion of the sleeve, which in this case does not necessarily need to have resilient casing segments, to be inserted into the locking receptacle.
A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the one resilient part is constituted by the locking element and the other resilient part is constituted by the locking receptacle. In the case of such a design of the snap connection, the spring travel that has to be managed upon both making and releasing the snap connection is divided between the locking element and the locking receptacle. It is thereby possible, on the one hand, to construct the snap connection overall as a small-dimensioned module and, on the other hand, snapping-in and releasing the snap connection is effected more smoothly than if one of the two parts constituting the snap connection is of rigid construction.
There is also to be disclosed a holding device comprising a snap connection having at least one locking element and one locking receptacle. The new type of holding device is characterized in that the locking element is mounted movably—preferably traversely relative to the direction of insertion E into the locking receptacle. In the case of such a design of the holding device, it is thus only necessary for the locking element to be inserted into the locking receptacle, which can be realized as, for example, a longitudinal hole, and it can then be moved transversely relative to the direction of insertion, as is desirable, for example, in the case of wardrobe racks or in the fitting of drapes or curtains.
A smooth-running and constructionally simple version provides that, when the snap connection has been made, the locking receptacle, together with the locking element, is movable—preferably transversely relative to the direction of insertion E of the locking element-, for example, on a cable or on a guide rod. It would also be conceivable, however, for the locking receptacle to be provided with rollers or the like, if the locking receptacle is arranged in a guide.
A further version which has proved particularly successful in practice provides that the locking receptacle is arranged in a housing, and the housing is arranged on the holding device so as to be movable in a guided manner, preferably in a hollow profile or on a profile bar, a particularly inexpensive solution then being achieved if the locking receptacle is guided on a preferably flexible profile rail. It is thereby possible for a plurality of locking receptacles to be arranged in any alignment, for example in a sinuous line, on a holding device which may be realized, for example, as a veneered pressboard panel, in that there is milled into the holding device a groove which serves to receive a flexible profile rail, there being realized in the housings of the locking receptacles recesses which correspond with the profile of the flexible profile rail, so that the locking receptacles arranged in the housings can be arranged on the flexible profile rail in a simple manner, for example by clipping-on. If the recesses in the housings are of somewhat greater dimensions than the profile of the flexible profile rail, it can thereby be ensured that the housings arranged on the flexible rail can be moved.
Further advantages and details of the snap connection according to the invention are explained more fully in the following with reference to the figures represented in the drawing.
There are shown in:
a to 6f the individual steps for making and releasing a snap connection between a resiliently realized locking receptacle, which is arranged in a housing, and a rigid locking element,
a to 9h the steps for making and releasing the snap connection, according to the invention, shown in
a and 1b perspective views of another embodiment of a locking receptacle arranged in a housing,
a to 12c a cross-section, a side view and a top view of the embodiment represented in
a and 14b a locking receptacle, in the unloaded and loaded state, arranged in a shaped tube.
a to 15e a side view, a cross-section, a top view and perspective views of another embodiment of a locking receptacle arranged in a housing,
a and 17b the arrangement of the housing represented in
a to 19f the steps for making and releasing a snap connection in the case of a first holding device according to the invention,
a to 20b the steps for making and releasing the snap connection in the case of a second embodiment of the holding device according to the invention,
In the case of the snap connection 1 shown in
Another embodiment, in which the locking receptacle 7 is constituted by a shaped tube 12, is shown in
a to 6f show the individual steps for making and releasing a snap connection according to the invention. In
To release the snap connection, the locking element 4 is pressed further into the receptacle 7, as shown in
In the case of a further variant, shown in
An alternative version of the locking receptacle 7 according to the invention is represented in
a to 9h show, progressively, the procedure for making and releasing the snap connection according to the invention. Starting from
To release the snap connection (
Furthermore, at the point in time represented in
As shown by
a shows the arrangement of a housing 32 in a shaped tube 17, it being evident that the flange-type enlargement 33 bears on the lower web of the guide groove 34. The arrows indicate the direction in which the convex, tongue-shaped springy elements of the funnel 31 are moved when a locking element (not shown) is inserted into the locking receptacle 7, wherein
A further possible arrangement of a locking receptacle in a housing is represented in
An example of such a profile bar, which is realized as a flexible profile rail 36 and is arranged in a guide groove 37 of a holding device 35, is represented in
a to 19f show the steps for making and releasing a first embodiment of a snap connection according to the invention. In this case, as shown by
The same procedure also applies to the embodiment shown in
An embodiment in which a flexible profile rail 36 is used instead of the shaped tube is represented in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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A 178/2003 | Feb 2003 | AT | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/AT04/00038 | Feb 2004 | US |
Child | 11198125 | Aug 2005 | US |