EP1800566B1 - Transverse fixing connector of a tube with a shell - Google Patents

Abstract

The system has a cylindrical body structure housing provided in a body structure (1) to ensure the positioning of an insert for fixing the insert with the body structure, and a locking clip (10) for blocking the insert in a preceding position. Two reliefs (11, 11`) are adapted for clipping the locking clip on extensions projecting from the housing, where axial ends of the extensions are adjusted such that the ends slide between ribs (13, 13`, 14, 14`). The clip is guided such that the clip extends a protrusion by surrounding the insert.

Description

The present invention relates to a system for transverse attachment of a pipe to a shell. Such a system can for example be applied to the attachment of a seat base metal tubing to the rear of a plastic shell forming the seat and the back of this seat.

To clarify the description that follows, this example will be the common thread used in the text. One of the concerns of furniture manufacturers, based on obvious economic reasons, is to simplify the components and assembly of the furniture elements to reduce as much as possible the costs of manufacturing and industrialization of the sets. The field of seats does not escape this logic, especially when it comes to mid-range models.

In this case, the increasingly widespread use of plastic shells for the realization of the seat and backrest, combined with metal structures for the base, causes developments to facilitate their assembly. Thus, the patent U.S. 4,892,355 describes for example a mechanism for attaching the front portion of the seat to a tubular metal crossbar integral with the base, wherein said cross is wedged in parallel ribs having a rounded recess conforming to the outer shape of the tube, clips fixing then coming to wedge in the particular profile of the inner surface of the seat to finish securing the cross.

These clips have a complex profile, to adapt them to particular reliefs of the seat, which is intended to allow their attachment to the seat shell on the one hand and a pressure support against the other crosspiece go. The pressurizing mechanism is based on an elastic tab of the fastening clip which, compressed against the particular profile of the hull, allows the exercise on the tubulure of a force oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the force restoring the energy stored during the compression of the elastic tab.

Such a configuration, requiring a relatively complex shape of the parts and profiles cooperating with each other, further involves a reorientation of efforts to achieve fixation. The clip used does not finally lead to complete locking of the mechanical link.

The present invention overcomes these disadvantages, proposing on the one hand a simple configuration to manufacture and assemble, and on the other hand allowing an immediate locking of the tubing of a base to the shell forming the seat and / or the back of a seat.

• un logement pratiqué dans la coque assurant le positionnement de la tubulure en vue de sa fixation à la coque ;
• un clip de verrouillage bloquant la tubulure dans sa position précédente ;

et il se caractérise à titre principal en ce que le logement et le clip sont munis de moyens de verrouillage de l'un à l'autre et de moyens de positionnement de l'un par rapport à l'autre dans la direction de l'axe de la tubulure.For this purpose, the system of the invention, allowing the transverse attachment of a tubing to a shell, comprises:

• a housing in the hull ensuring the positioning of the tubing for attachment to the hull;
• a locking clip blocking the tubing in its previous position;

and it is characterized in principal that the housing and the clip are provided with locking means from one to the other and positioning means of one relative to the other in the direction of the axis of the tubing.

The fastening means, which allow locking, are in this case distributed in the housing and in the clip. To further facilitate the task of the assembler, and allow him to perform the connection in a single operation, a guide, in the form of the aforementioned positioning means, is further integrated in the mechanical connection.

In a possible configuration, the housing consists of a recess at the open axial ends, made in a projection protruding from the shell, said recess having a volume partially matching the tubing, the clip covering the remaining volume.

In the prior art described in the patent US-A-4,892,355 the absence of locking allows a mechanical connection in which the removable fastening clips are content to push the tubing inside parallel ribs. In the system of the invention, simple grooves would not allow, or in any case much less easily, the realization of a complete locking of one piece relative to the other. This is why the protuberance preferably contains a volume housing.

According to one possible configuration, the lateral walls of the housing are provided, at their free end, with extensions whose external faces have protrusions intended to cooperate with corresponding reliefs arranged in the clip, said extensions and said reliefs being elastically deformed as the approaching clip / housing for fixing and until elastic relaxation when the abutment of the clip on the protuberance. Walls respectively belonging to the protuberances and reliefs, oriented substantially perpendicular to the direction of the binding, are then found face to face, preventing the disassembly of the clip.

These additional means, which do not appear in the aforementioned US patent, make it possible to achieve locking. The elastic clipping they allow is no longer removable because the various elements involved in the link are no longer accessible from the outside once the clip positioned and clipped.

To facilitate the elastic deformation before locking, the walls of the protrusion protruding from said extensions and the relief of the clip whose cooperation allows said deformation are inclined at a similar angle and opposite sign relative to the direction of attachment.

These inclined faces allow to obtain a progressive deformation as the attachment progresses. Clipping is only carried out at the end of the stroke, when the clip is in contact with the protuberance of the shell in which the housing is practiced.

The means for axial positioning of the clip relative to the protuberance consist according to the invention in axially-oriented ribs, disposed on either side of end openings and delimiting, in the direction of the axis of the tubing, a distance substantially equal to the axial length of the extensions protruding housing. The extensions are housed, at fixing, between said ribs.

The attachment of the clip can therefore be performed completely, in two directions respectively transverse (clipping) and axial. The clip then extends the protuberance protruding from the shell outwards, and the tubing is completely surrounded.

According to a configuration, designed to adapt to cylindrical pipes, the recess is of cylindrical shape, and the openings at the axial ends respectively of the recess and the clip are complementary portions of the circle. Preferably, in the system of the invention, said protuberance is in one piece with the shell, molded with this last. The realization of such protuberances, known per se, is done for example by means of gaseous veins for injecting gas into the shell and avoiding visible shrinkage on the outer facade of said shell.

As indicated above, the invention applies for example to the attachment of a metal tubing seat base at the back of a backrest or a seat formed of a shell.

• la figure 1 est une vue en coupe d'une coque formant assise et dossier d'un siège munie, à la jointure entre ces deux parties, d'une protubérance avec un logement pour une tubulure appartenant au piètement ;
• la figure 2 est un agrandissement de la protubérance avec son logement ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective de l'extérieur d'un clip ;
• la figure 4 est une vue en perspective de l'intérieur du même clip;
• la figure 5 est une vue en coupe transversale du clip des figures 3 et 4 ; et
• la figure 6 représente, en perspective partielle, la totalité du système en cours de fermeture.

The invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to the appended figures, for which:

• the figure 1 is a sectional view of a shell forming a seat and back of a seat provided, at the joint between these two parts, a protuberance with a housing for a tubing belonging to the base;
• the figure 2 is an enlargement of the protuberance with its housing;
• the figure 3 is a perspective view of the outside of a clip;
• the figure 4 is a perspective view of the inside of the same clip;
• the figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the clip of Figures 3 and 4 ; and
• the figure 6 represents, in partial perspective, the entire system being closed.

With reference to the figure 1 , the shell (1) of the seat comprises a backrest (2) and a seat (3). In the median portion which joins the vertical-looking backrest (2) and the horizontally-shaped seat (3), the outer face (4) of the shell (1) is provided with at least one protuberance (5) provided with a housing (6), a detail of which is shown in figure 2 . In fact, in most cases, the outer face (4) of the shell (1) is provided with two protuberances (5) disposed at the lateral ends of the shell (1).

The housing (6) is cylindrical, and intended to fit a tubing (not shown) which is positioned transversely relative to the shell (1). The outer edges of the housing (6) consist of extensions (7, 7 ') themselves with external growths (8, 8'). The shell being molded of plastic, the dimensions of the extensions (7, 7 ') are such that they can undergo elastic flexion when the protuberances (8, 8') are compressed inwards, for example by cooperation with a surface corresponding to a clip (10) provided for locking the tubing.

Such a clip (10) is shown in Figures 3 and 4 . It covers the portion of tubing inserted in the housing (6). The inside of the clip (10), appearing in figure 4 , shows the existence of two reliefs (11, 11 ') which allow the clipping of the clip (10) on the extensions (7, 7') protruding from the housing (6). In fact, it is the protuberances (8, 8 ') protruding laterally from said extensions (7, 7') which are housed beyond said reliefs (11, 11 ') during the insertion of the clip (10) towards the extensions (7, 7'); , 7 '), as will be explained in detail with reference to the figure 5 .

On either side of the semicircular openings (12, 12 ') are ribs (13, 14, 13', 14 ') permitting axial positioning of the clip (10). The identical distance between the ribs (13, 13 ') on the one hand and (14, 14') on the other hand substantially corresponds to the length of the extensions (7, 7 ') (see figure 6 ). At the time of attachment, the axial ends of said extensions (7, 7 ') slidably fit between the ribs (13, 13', 14, 14 '), and the clip (10) is guided such that it naturally extends the protrusion (5) surrounding the tubing.

With reference to the figure 5 , the reliefs (11, 11 ') have an inclined plane (15, 15') which resolves into a surface (16, 16 ') with a shape perpendicular to the inner wall of the clip (10). The orientation of the surfaces (15, 15 ', 16, 16') corresponds, in absolute value and with respect to the direction F of the attachment, to the orientation of the surfaces (17, 17 ', 18, 18') appearing in figure 6 and which delimit the growths (8, 8 '). The inclined planes (17, 17 ') slide in contact with the surfaces (15, 15'), causing a double deformation of the extensions (7, 7 ') inwardly and reliefs (11, 11') towards the outside until said surfaces (15, 15 ', 17, 17') cease to be in contact. The extensions and reliefs then return elastically to their initial position, and the surfaces (16, 16 ', 18, 18') then meet elastically face to face. The clip (10) is locked.

The figure 6 shows the clip (10) in the closing phase, approaching in the direction of the arrow F of the protrusion (5) protruding from the shell (4). The ribs (13, 13 ', 14, 14') manage the axial centering of the clip (10) relative to the protuberance (5). The reliefs (11, 11 ') allow, by cooperating with the extensions (7') and their reliefs (8, 8 ') the locking of the clip (10) on said protuberance (5). It is of course necessary to place the metal tube (not shown) before locking the clip (10) on the protuberance (5).

The foregoing description relates to only one exemplary configuration of the invention, which should not be considered as limiting thereof.

Claims (6)

1. A system for transversely attaching a tube to a shell (1), including:

   - a housing made in the shell (1) ensuring the positioning of the tube with view to its attachment to the shell (1);

   - a locking clip (10) blocking the tube in its previous position;

   - the housing and the clip (10) being provided with means for locking to each other and means for relatively positioning each other in the direction of the axis of the tube,

   - the housing consisting in a recessed portion (6) with open axial ends, made in a protrusion (5) jutting out from the shell (1), said recessed portion (6) having a volume partly fitting the tube, the clip (10) covering the remaining volume, characterized in that the side walls of the housing have at their free end two elastically deformable extensions (7, 7') and the external faces of which have appendages (8, 8') intended to cooperate with corresponding recesses (11, 11') arranged in the clip (10), said extensions (7, 7') and recesses (11, 11') being elastically deformed gradually when bringing the clip (10)/housing closer together until elastic expansion upon abutment of the clip (10) onto the protrusion (5), walls (16, 16';18, 18') respectively belonging to the appendages (8, 8') and to the recesses (11, 11') and oriented substantially perpendicularly to the direction of the attachment which are then found face to face.
2. The attachment system according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the respective walls (15, 15'; 17, 17') of the appendage (8, 8') of the extension (7, 7') and of the recess (11, 11'), the cooperation of which allows elastic deformation before locking, are tilted by a similar angle of opposite sign with respect to the direction F of the attachment.
3. The attachment system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the clip (10) includes ribs (13, 13'; 14, 14') of axial aspect, positioned on either side of end openings (12, 12') and delimiting, in the direction of the axis of the tube, a distance substantially equal to the axial length of the extensions (7, 7') of the housing.
4. The attachment system according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the recessed portion (6) has a cylindrical aspect, and the openings at the axial ends of the recessed portion (6) and of the clip (10) are complementary circular portions.
5. The attachment system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the protrusion (5) is of a single piece with the shell (1), moulded together with the latter.
6. The use of an attachment system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is applied to the attachment of a seat base metal tube in the rear of a seat back (2) or seat bottom (3) formed with a plastic shell (1).

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