Fastening assembly

• US 8,511,954 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2003
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Fink, Andreas, Woernle, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): ESTREMSKY, GARY WAYNE
• Application Number:
  US10/524,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20060024146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,830 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/735, 403/200, 411/104
• US Class Current: 411/104
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/09 Releasable fastening devices with a stud engaging a keyhole slot
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 35/045 for retention or rotation by a tool specially shaped heads of bolts or screws for rotation by a tool F16B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0036 and using hook and slot or keyhole-type connections

Abstract

A fastening assembly using the keyhole principle is provided. For this purpose, a first component having a bolt that has a round and smooth head is guided through the larger opening of the keyhole, in order then with the head to engage behind the smaller opening of the keyhole-like cut-out for fastening. At the end of its shank, the bolt preferably features an external toothing or an external polyhedron as engagement surface for a tool for fastening the first component to the second component.

Claims

1. A fastening assembly, comprising:

a first component having a threaded bushing, wherein the first component includes a translation guard configured to prevent a translator movement of the first component when being fastened, and wherein the first component includes a rotation guard configured to prevent a rotational movement of the first component relative to the second component when being fastened;

a second component having a single keyhole shaped cut-out including a larger opening and a smaller opening, wherein the translation guard and the rotation guard are appropriately formed projections and the translation guard presses against an edge of the single keyhole shaped cut-out and the rotation guard wedges at the connection portion between the larger opening and the smaller opening of the single keyhole shaped cut-out; and

a self-locking bolt configured to be screwed into the threaded bushing so that the bolt can be guided with the head through the larger opening of the single keyhole shaped cut-out and the head engages behind the smaller opening of the single keyhole shaped cut-out for fastening, the bolt having engagement surfaces for a tool at an end of the shank, wherein the head has a bottom surface connecting the head to the shank and a top surface that is round and smooth.

2. The fastening assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the engagement surfaces have a form of one of an external toothing or an external polyhedron.

3. The fastening assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the shank of the bolt has a left-hand thread.

4. The fastening assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the bolt has a coated thread, the self-locking being achieved via the coating.

5. The fastening assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the bolt has a thread configured to be thread-forming for a corresponding bushing, the self-locking being achieved via the thread-forming configuration.

6. The fastening assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the bolt shank has a thread over at least a portion of the shank.

7. The fastening assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the engagement surfaces have a form of one of an external toothing or an external polyhedron, wherein the shank of the bolt has a left-hand thread, and wherein the bolt has a coated thread, the self-locking being achieved via the coating.

8. The fastening assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein the bolt shank has a thread over at least a portion of the shank.

9. The fastening assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the engagement surfaces have a form of one of an external toothing or an external polyhedron, wherein the shank of the bolt has a left-hand thread, and wherein the bolt has a thread configured to be thread-forming for a corresponding bushing, the self-locking being achieved via the thread-forming configuration.

10. The fastening assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein the bolt shank has a thread over at least a portion of the shank.