Structural member and/or coupling arrangement and/or method for same
AssigneeArkal Automotive C.S. Ltd.
InventorsAmitai Ben Horin, Aiman Younis, Alexander Yushprakh, Tzion Molla
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A structural has a coupling region. The coupling region is a region where a fitting and a beam section of the structural member meet and over such region a nipping sleeve of the structural member is over-molded.
Claims18
A structural member comprising a coupling region where a fitting and a beam section of the structural member are coupled together by a nipping sleeve of the structural member,
- the fitting comprises a nipple arranged to fit into an open end of the beam section while a portion of the fitting remains outside of the beam section, and the nipple comprises at least one anchoring region,
- the nipping sleeve being arranged to press at least a portion of the beam section against the anchoring region to form the coupling, wherein
- the anchoring region comprising a generally planar face in form of a localized region on the nipple's outer periphery with a geometry that is generally different to the geometry generally present in its surrounding, and
- the anchoring region being arranged to resist relative movements between the beam section and fitting about a central axis X of the fitting and generally along the central axis X by provision of bulging and/or step-like formations located along or within the anchor region.
A method of forming a structural member comprising the steps of:
- providing a mold,
- providing a pre-fabricated fitting and a pre-fabricated beam section,
- placing the fitting and beam section in the mold, and
- injecting a nipping sleeve onto a region where the fitting and beam section meet in order to firmly attach them together, wherein
- the fitting comprises a nipple arranged to fit into an open end of the beam section while a portion of the fitting remains outside of the beam section, and the nipple comprises at least one anchoring region, the anchoring region comprising a generally planar face being arranged to resist relative movements between the beam section and fitting about a central axis X of the fitting and generally along the central axis X by provision of bulging and/or step-like formations located along or within the anchor region.
A structural member comprising a plurality of beam sections and fittings, and each fitting being coupled to at least one beam section, wherein the structural member comprises a plurality of nipping sleeves each over molded upon a distinct region of the structural member where coupling between a fitting and a beam section occurs, wherein
- each fitting comprises at least one nipple and coupling between a fitting and a beam section is by placing a fitting's nipple into an open end of a beam section while a portion of the fitting remains outside of the beam section, and wherein
- each nipple comprises at least one anchoring region comprising a generally planar face in form of a localized region on the nipple's outer periphery with a geometry that is generally different to the geometry generally present in its surrounding, and
- the anchoring region being arranged to resist relative movements between the beam section and fitting about a central axis X of the fitting and generally along the central axis X by provision of bulging and/or step-like formations located along or within the anchor region, and wherein
- each nipping sleeve being arranged to press at least a portion of the beam section against the anchoring region to form the coupling.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.