Joints and connections – Interfitted members – Peripheral enlargement – depression – or slot on one member is...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-17
2002-10-08
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Joints and connections
Interfitted members
Peripheral enlargement, depression, or slot on one member is...
C403S408100, C074S473180, C074S473120
Reexamination Certificate
active
06461073
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to improvements in a bolt fastening structure applied to fastening between a housing of a shift lever apparatus and a shift cable bracket and fastening between the housing and a vehicle body.
Many shift lever apparatuses have employed a housing made of plastic resin. Usually, a shift lever apparatus is interconnected to a cable bracket for connecting a shift cable to the shift lever apparatus, by means of bolts. However, it is not preferable that a resin member is directly fastened with another member by means of bolts due to properties of plastic resin. For example, due to mechanical property of resin members a fastening force of the resin member to other member is restricted so as to avoid the resin member from being broken. Further, it is necessary to take account of loosening of fastened bolts due to thermal deformation of resin members. In order to prevent the above-mentioned problems, various products including resin members employ collars in a bolt fastening structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, since a conventional shift lever apparatus employing collars is connected to a cable bracket with a resin housing by means of two bolts, it is necessary to insert two collars to the bolts, respectively. Accordingly, this arrangement complicates an assembly process of the shift lever apparatus. Further, due to a cylindrical shape of the collars, there is a limitation of lowering a production cost of such collars. Furthermore, it is necessary to provide various sizes of collars in order to adapt to various sizes of bolts.
It is therefore an:object of the present invention to provide an improved fastening structure which enables stable and rigid fastening between a resin member and a metal member by means of a bolt while enabling the decrease of the production cost thereof.
An aspect of the present invention resides in a fastening structure using a bolt which structure comprises a fastened member and a fastening seat inserted to the fastened member. The fastened member has a bolt hole for inserting the bolt and a pair of slits disposed around the bolt hole. The fastening seat has a pair of leg portions and a connecting portion integrally connecting the leg portions. The leg portions have a length which is substantially as same as a depth dimension of the bolt hole of the fastened member. The leg portions being inserted to the slits, respectively.
Another aspect of the present invention resides in a fastening structure using a bolt comprising: a fastening seat having a pair of leg portions and a connecting portion integrally connecting the leg portions, the leg portions perpendicularly extending from the connecting portions; and a fastened member having a bolt hole and a seat receiving hollow having a hollow shape corresponding to that of said fastening seat, the seat receiving hollow being fitted with the fastening seat.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4998446 (1991-03-01), Towne et al.
patent: 5144852 (1992-09-01), Yokoyama
patent: 5490434 (1996-02-01), Osborn et al.
patent: 6003399 (1999-12-01), Netzker et al.
patent: 6089723 (2000-07-01), Ogasawara et al.
patent: 2501348 (1996-03-01), None
patent: 2527871 (1996-12-01), None
patent: 2724540 (1997-12-01), None
Browne Lynne H.
Cottingham John R.
Foley & Lardner
Fuji Kiko Co. Ltd.
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