Fastening device for vehicle accessories

• US 6,042,076 A
• Filed: 11/15/1995
• Issued: 03/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Metagal Indãºstria E Comã©Rcio LTDA
• Original Assignee: Metagal Indãºstria E Comã©Rcio LTDA
• Inventors: Moreno, Ricardo Poveda
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ramon O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): King, Anita M.
• Application Number:
  US08/559,745
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 248/466, 248/467, 248/468, 248/222.11, 248/220.22, 248/221.11, 248/222.12, 248/222.13, 248/224.51, 248/224.61, 248/224.7
• US Class Current: 248/467
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence

Abstract

A fastening device for vehicle accessories has a support pad attachable to a windshield of a vehicle, a support base connected with the support pad and connectable with a rearview mirror, and a resilient locking element pressing the support pad and the support base against one another and formed so that during an assembly and a disassembly of the support base and the support pad different stresses are generated such that a stress generated during the assembly of the support base and the support pad is smaller than a stress generated during the disassembly of the support base and the support pad.

Claims

1. A fastening device for vehicle accessories, comprising a support pad attachable to a windshield of a vehicle;

a support base connected with said support pad connected with a rearview mirror; and

a resilient locking means located between said support pad and said support base and pressing said support pad and said support base against one another, said resilient locking means being shaped so that a stress generated at said locking means during an assembly of said support base and said support pad is smaller than a stress generated at said locking means during a disassembly of said support base and said support pad, said resilient locking means including a locking spring, said locking spring being substantially filiform and having a U-shaped configuration with an L-shaped profile.

2. A fastening device as defined in claim 1, wherein said locking spring includes a transverse seating branch, two equal and coplanar branches extending perpendicularly from said seating branch parallel to one another and in a fitting direction between said support pad and said support base, each of said two equal and coplanar branches including an intermediate locking fold having a concavity facing toward said support pad, an intermediate rectilinear locking part pressed against said support base, a rectilinear end part extending perpendicular to said intermediate rectilinear part and connected to said transverse seating branch, and a rectilinear free end part which during an assembly of said support pad and said support base does not touch said support base.

3. A fastening device as defined in claim 2, wherein said support pad and said support base define a housing space therebetween, said locking folds of said locking spring having a radius of curvature which is slightly greater than a height of said housing space between said support pad and said support base.

4. A fastening device as defined in claim 2, wherein said housing space includes a recess formed in a bottom of a fitting groove provided in said support base and having a staggered bottom with a deeper area and a shallower area, said intermediate rectilinear locking parts of said locking spring being pressed against said deeper area, while said rectilinear free end parts of said locking spring leaning against said shallower area.

5. A fastening device for vehicle accessories, comprising a support pad attachable to a windshield of a vehicle;

a support base connected with said support pad connectable with a rearview mirror; and

a resilient locking means located between said support pad and said support base and pressing said support pad and said support base against one another, said resilient locking means being shaped so that a stress generated at said locking means during an assembly of said support base and said support pad is smaller than a stress generated at said locking means during a disassembly of said support base and said support pad, said resilient locking means including a locking spring; and

means for assembling said locking spring by pressure onto said support base, said means for assembling including a transverse channel provided on a bottom of said support base and a transverse branch provided in said locking spring and engaging in said transverse channel, aid means for assembling also including side catches provided in said support base and ends parts provided in said locking spring and engaging in said side catches.

6. A fastening device for vehicle accessories, comprising a support pad attachable to a windshield of a vehicle;

a support base connected with said support pad connected with a rearview mirror; and

a resilient locking means located between said support pad and said support base and pressing said support pad and said support base against one another, said resilient locking means being shaped so that a stress generated at said locking means during an assembly of said support base and said support pad is smaller than a stress generated at said locking means during a disassembly of said support base and said support pad, said resilient locking means including a locking spring; and

means for clamping said locking spring onto said support base so as to generate said different assembly and disassembly stresses, said clamping means including recess formed in said support pad, and parallel branches provided in said locking spring and having locking folds with vertices engaging in said recesses.

7. A fastening device for vehicle accessories, comprising a support pad attachable to a windshield of a vehicle;

a support base connected with said support pad connected with a rearview mirror; and

a resilient locking means located between said support pad and said support base and pressing said support pad and said support base against one another, said resilient locking means being shaped so that a stress generated at said locking means during an assembly of said support base and said support pad is smaller than a stress generated at said locking means during a disassembly of said support base and said support pad, said resilient locking means including a locking spring; and

at least one wedge provided in said support base in a corner defined between a bottom and a front wall of said support base and having a locking surface including a first inclined part with a slope in direction of a fitting motion of said support pad and said support base and a second part extending substantially parallel to the direction of the fitting motion.

8. A fastening device as defined in claim 7, wherein said locking surface of said wedge is curved.

9. A fastening device for vehicle accessories, comprising a support pad attachable to a windshield of a vehicle;

a support base connected with siad support pad connectable with a rearview mirror; and

a resilient locking means located between said support pad and said support base and pressing said support pad and said support base against one another, said resilient locking means being shaped formed so that a stress generated at said locking means during an assembly of said support base and said support pad is smaller than a stress generated at said locking means during a disassembly of said support base and said support pad, said resilient locking means including a locking spring located between said support base and said support pad and having an apex projecting toward said support pad.

10. A fastening device for vehicle accessories, comprising a support pad attachable to a windshield of a vehicle;

a support base connected with said support pad and connectable with a rearview mirror; and

a resilient locking means pressing said support pad and said support base against one another and formed so that during an assembly and a disassembly of said support base and said support pad different stresses are generated such that a stress generated during the assembly of said support base and said support pad is smaller than a stress generated at said locking means during the disassembly of said support base and said support pad, said resilient means including a locking spring, means for connecting said support pad and support base, said connecting means including swallow tail-shaped formations provided on said support pad and said support base and fitting into one another, said locking spring pressing said swallow tail-shaped formations of said support pad and said support base against one another.

11. A fastening device for vehicle accessories, comprising a support pad attachable to a windshield of a vehicle;

a support base connected with said support pad and connectable with a rearview mirror; and

a resilient locking means pressing said support pad and said support base against one another and formed so that during an assembly and a disassembly of said support base and said support pad different stresses are generated such that a stress generated during the assembly of said support base and said support pad is smaller than a stress generated at said locking means during the disassembly of said support base and said support pad, said resilient locking means including a locking spring; and

means for clamping said locking spring onto said support base so as to generate said different assembly and disassembly stresses.