Plug adapted to be fixed by means of hot melt adhesive into an opening in a plate such as an automobile body

• US 5,267,667 A
• Filed: 09/30/1992
• Issued: 12/07/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ITW de France S.A.S. (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITW de France S.A.S. (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Cozzani, Henri
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoap, Allan N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Caretto, Vanessa
• Application Number:
  US07/953,674
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 220/307, 220/308, 220/359, 220/DIG. 19, 220/326, 220/302, 220/293, 220/297, 215/232, 215/355, 215/359, 215/363, 215/332, 215/356
• US Class Current: 220/787
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4815 Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/58 Snap connection
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/72 by combined operations or combined techniques, e.g. welding and stitching
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/112 Single lapped joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/131 Single flanged joints, i.e. one of the parts to be joined being rigid and flanged in the joint area
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/24221 being circular B29C66/51 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/24244 forming a rectangle
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/474 said single elements being substantially non-flat
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/53245 said articles being hollow
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/61 Joining from or joining on the inside for making tubes by bending sheets and joining from the inside B29C53/387
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/742 to metals or their alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/30 Vehicles, e.g. ships or aircraft, or body parts thereof vanes or blades B29L2031/08, air bags B29L2022/027
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/24 Superstructure sub-units with access or drainage openings having movable or removable closures; Sealing means thereforinlet covers for vehicle fuel tanks B60K15/05
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 220/19 Rubber plugs and caps

Abstract

A plug is adapted to be fixed by means of a hot melt adhesive into an opening in a plate. It comprises a molded plastics material body and a bead of hot melt adhesive deposited onto a peripheral surface of the body around a surface transverse to the peripheral surface. The body comprises at least one snap-fastener blade having an insertion ramp and a retaining lip such that the insertion ramp bears against the edge of the opening when the plug is placed on the latter, bends if pressure is then applied to the plug to press it into the opening, and expands thereafter with the lip facing a first side of the plate while the bead of adhesive faces a second side of the plate. The snap-fastener blade extends between an attachment end and a free end in a longitudinal direction parallel to the peripheral surface and to the transverse surface. The blade is therefore entirely on the second side of the plate when the plug is snap-fastened in place. The distance in the longitudinal direction between the attachment end and the free end is greater than the distance between the peripheral surface and the foot of the insertion ramp.

Claims

1. A plug to be fixedly inserted within an opening of a plate, comprising:

a body portion having an annular, flanged peripheral portion defined about said body portion so as to extend in a circumferential direction about said body portion;

hot melt adhesive means disposed upon an undersurface portion of said annular, flanged peripheral portion of said body portion for engaging a first surface of said late when said plug is inserted within said opening of said plate; and

at least one snap-fastener blade means for snap-engaging a second surface of said plate when said plug is inserted within said opening of said plate, said at least one snap-fastener blade means being flexibly secured to said body portion in a cantilevered manner by means of an attachment end fixed to said body portion at a first peripheral location in said circumferential direction, and having a free end portion thereof extending in a longitudinal direction of said blade means which is disposed parallel to said annular, flanged peripheral portion and which is located at a second peripheral location which is remote from said first peripheral location along said circumferential direction.

2. A plug as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said body portion further comprises a transverse surface from which said annular, flanged peripheral portion extends radially outwardly.

3. A plug according to claim 2 wherein said transverse surface is uninterrupted.

4. A plug according to claim 2 further comprising a wall whose outside surface extends said transverse surface, said snap-fastener blade being part of said wall delimited by an L-shape cut-out.

5. A plug according to claim 2 further comprising an axial lug projecting on a shank whose exterior surface corresponds to said transverse surface, said snap-fastener blade being joined by its attachment end to one side of said lug.

6. A plug according to claim 1 further comprising at least one localized area of increased thickness adapted to bear against an edge of said opening when said plug is inserted within said opening.

7. A plug according to claim 1 of generally oblong shape and further comprising two similar snap-fastener blades each disposed on a rectilinear section.

8. A plug according to claim 1 of generally circular shape with similar snap-fastener blades equi-angularly distributed.

9. A plug according to claim 8 further comprising three similar snap-fastener blades.

10. A plug according to claim 1, further comprising:

striations disposed upon said undersurface portion of said peripheral portion for enhancing the adherence of said adhesive means thereto.

11. The plug as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said plug body portion is fabricated from a molded plastic material.

12. The plug as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said snap-fastener blade means comprise an insertion ramp for engaging an edge portion of said opening in order to facilitate insertion of said plug within said opening of said plate, and a retaining lip for engaging said second surface of said plate after said plug has been inserted within said opening of said plate and said snap-fastener blade means has been snap-fitted within said opening of said plate.

13. A plug according to claim 12 wherein said snap-fastener blade has a projecting area of increased thickness to form said insertion ramp and said lip.

14. The plug as set forth in claim 13, wherein:

said increased thickness area of said snap-fastener blade has a wedge-shaped configuration.

15. The plug as set forth in claim 12, wherein:

the distance defined between said attachment end of said blade means and said free end portion of said blade means is greater than the distance defined between said peripheral portion of said body portion and said insertion ramp of said blade means.

16. The plug as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a top surface portion of said body portion has a circular bead portion formed thereon for enabling manipulation of said plug by automatic means in order to insert said plug within said plate.

17. In combination, a plug and plate assembly comprising:

a plate having an opening defined herein wherein said opening is defined within said plate by means of a continuous, non-interrupted annular sidewall portion of said plate; and

a plug to be fixedly inserted within said opening defined within said plate;

said plug comprising a body portion; and

annular flanged peripheral portion defied about said body portion so as to extend in a circumferential direction about said body portion;

hot melt adhesive mean disposed upon an undersurface portion of said annular flanged peripheral portion of said body portion for engaging a a first surface of said plate when said plug is inserted within said opening of said plate; and

at least one snap-fastener blade means for snap-engaging a second surface of said plate when said plug is inserted within said opening of said plate, said at least one snap-fastener blade means being flexibly secured to said body portion in a cantilevered manner by means of an attachment end fixed to said body portion at a first peripheral location in said circumferential direction, and having a free end portion thereof extending in a longitudinal direction of said blade meanwhich is disposed parallel to said annular flanged peripheral portion and which is located at a second peripheral location which is remote from said first peripheral location along said circumferential direction.

18. The assembly as set forth in claim 17, wherein:

said snap-fastener blade means comprises an insertion ramp for engaging an edge portion of said annular sidewall portion of said plate defining said opening within said plate in order to facilitate insertion of said plug within said opening of said plate, and a retaining lip for engaging said second surface of said plate after said plug has been inserted within said opening of said plate and said snap-fastener blade means has been snap-fitted within said opening of said plate.

19. The assembly as set forth in claim 17, wherein:

said opening defined within said plate has a substantially oblong configuration for accommodating said body portion of said plug which has a similar oblong configuration, said at least one snap-fastener blade means comprising a pair of snap-fastener blade means disposed upon opposite rectilinear portion of said oblong configurated body portion.

20. The assembly as set forth in claim 17, wherein:

said opening defined within said plate has a substantially circular configuration for accommodating said body portion of said plug which has a similar circular configuration, said at least one snap-fastener blade means comprising three snap-fastener blade means equiangularly disposed about said body portion of said plug.