Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Structural detail
Reexamination Certificate
2003-09-05
2004-11-09
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Structural detail
C292S341180
Reexamination Certificate
active
06814401
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improved art of vehicle part mounting structures for parts such as door lock strikers to vehicle bodies.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For parts to vehicle bodies, a mounting structure for door lock strikers or the like involving position adjustment during assembly is known (e.g., see JP-A-2001-152712).
This door lock striker mounting structure will be described with reference to
FIGS. 9A and 9B
.
Referring to
FIGS. 9A and 9B
, the mounting structure includes a body panel
105
and a reinforcing plate
101
mounted to the rear surface of the body panel
105
. The reinforcing plate
101
has a retainer
103
with a first nut
102
mounted to its rear surface and a second nut
104
. A part of the retainer
103
is attached to the rear surface of the reinforcing plate
101
.
The retainer
103
has a striker positioning portion
106
with the first nut
102
welded thereto, a pair of left and right plastically deformable portions
107
,
107
extending from the striker positioning portion
106
toward the second nut
104
, and a fixed portion
109
connected between the distal ends of the plastically deformable portions
107
,
107
via bridging portions
108
,
108
. The fixed portion
109
is welded to the reinforcing plate
101
to mount one end of the retainer
103
to the reinforcing plate
101
.
The mounting and adjusting operation of a striker
111
is performed as described below. First, the striker
111
is put onto the surface of the body panel
105
, and bolts
112
,
112
are loosely screwed into the first and second nuts
102
,
104
for tentative fastening. Then, the engagement between a latch (not shown) mounted to a door and the striker
111
being checked, the striker
111
is hit with a hammer to deform the plastically deformable portions
107
,
107
, and thereby to adjust the position of the striker
111
. Thereafter the bolts
112
,
112
are fully tightened to complete the operation.
The retainer
103
is swingingly displaceable in a direction across the two sides of the body panel
105
with the fixed portion
109
as a swinging base end. When the bolts
112
,
112
are screwed into the nuts
102
,
104
, the screwing forces cause a first end portion of the retainer
103
to move away from the bolts
112
,
112
in the direction of arrow X
1
. To prevent this, it is required to press down the retainer
103
during bolting operation, resulting in reduced workability.
Further, the member for mounting the striker
111
to the body panel
105
requires the reinforcing plate
101
, the retainer
103
with the first nut
102
, the second nut
104
and the bolts
112
,
112
, resulting in a large number of components and a complicated structure.
Thus, a vehicle part mounting structure with good workability, a small number of components and a simplified configuration is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle part mounting structure, which comprises: a panel constituting part of a vehicle body; a retainer mounted to a first side of the panel and having at least one female thread; at least one bolt screwed into the female thread from a second side of the panel; and a part mounted to the second side of the panel via the bolt, the retainer having a first end portion mounted to the first side of the panel by a fitting structure, and a second end portion mounted to a fixing area of the panel by spot welding, the fitting structure including a retainer receiving recess set back from the first side of the panel toward the retainer, a retainer inserting aperture opening from the retainer receiving recess toward the fixing area, and a fitting protrusion formed at the first end portion of the retainer, the fitting protrusion being inserted into the retainer inserting aperture and fitted into the retainer receiving recess.
The fitting protrusion as the first end portion of the retainer is inserted into the retainer inserting aperture and fitted into the retainer receiving recess. The fixed portion as the second end portion of the retainer is put on the first side of the panel and fixed to the fixing area of the panel by spot welding or the like. Movement of the first end portion of the retainer is restricted by the retainer receiving recess. That is, the fitting structure of the fitting protrusion and the retainer receiving recess can prevent the first end portion of the retainer from being displaced in a direction away from the bolt. This eliminates the need for pressing down the retainer during bolting operation, resulting in good workability.
Further, the member for mounting the striker to the panel only requires the single retainer with the female thread and the bolt, resulting in a small number of components and a simplified structure.
Preferably, the retainer has a plastically deformable weak portion between the second end portion and the female thread. The deformable weak portion of the retainer is easily deformed during the adjustment of position of the striker, facilitating the adjusting operation.
In a preferred form, the mounted part comprises a striker.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3006677 (1961-10-01), Royalty
patent: 4323271 (1982-04-01), Taniguchi
patent: 5118151 (1992-06-01), Nicholas et al.
patent: 6257632 (2001-07-01), Jung et al.
patent: 6511120 (2003-01-01), Mitts
patent: 2004/0119300 (2004-06-01), Strable et al.
patent: 359059520 (1984-04-01), None
patent: 362083250 (1987-04-01), None
patent: 362261526 (1987-11-01), None
patent: 402041982 (1990-02-01), None
patent: 2001152712 (2001-06-01), None
Dayoan D. Glenn
Gutman H.
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Merchant & Gould P.C.
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