Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-04
2003-05-27
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
C248S200000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06568749
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bracket capable of being engaged with an interior wall member such as a roof trim of a vehicle and also capable of being engaged with a vehicle body panel by one-touch operation, and at the same time the bracket is capable of electrically connecting with an electric wire for supplying electric power.
There are provided various types of bracket structures to be attached to a roof trim of a vehicle.
A bracket
31
shown in
FIG. 8
is an example of the bracket applied to a sun visor having illumination. As shown in
FIG. 8
, the bracket
31
includes: a base member
37
interposed between a roof panel
33
, which is a vehicle body panel, and a roof trim
35
which is an interior wall member to cover a surface of the roof panel
33
; a main body
39
attached to one end of a shaft
38
which is attached to a sun visor body not shown in the drawing; screw members
43
,
45
for fixing the base member
37
and the main body
39
to the roof panel
33
; and a cover
47
for covering a surface of the main body
39
.
The base member
37
is made of insulating material such as synthetic resin and includes: a diameter expanding section
51
c
composed of a pair of circumferential walls
51
a
which are divided by slits
51
b;
a substantially cylindrical panel engaging member
51
press-fitted into a fitting hole
33
a
of the roof panel
33
; an opening
37
a
into which the cylindrical section
39
b
at the center of the main body
39
is inserted; a pair of flexible elastic pieces
52
vertically arranged at the peripheral edge of the opening, engaging with the engaging protrusion
39
a
of the cylindrical section
39
b;
and a screw insertion hole
54
into which the screw member
45
is inserted.
As shown in
FIG. 9
, on the reverse side of the base member
37
, a base plate
55
includes: a fitting section
58
fitted with an attachment opening
35
a
of the roof trim
35
; a flange section
59
coming into contact with an upper face of the roof trim
35
; and four L-shaped trim engaging member
61
for holding the peripheral edge of the attachment opening
35
a
of the roof trim
35
on the fitting section
58
together with the flange section
59
. At a position corresponding to the panel engaging member
51
, there is provided an electric connecting section
53
on the base member side for holding the terminal
41
a
(shown in
FIG. 8
) of the power supply electric wire
41
.
The main body
39
is made of insulating material such as synthetic resin. As shown in
FIG. 8
, the main body
39
includes electric connecting sections
34
,
36
provided on the main body side for positioning and holding the terminal
56
of the connection electric wire
42
a
on the sun visor side and the terminal
57
of the electric wire
42
b
for earth, wherein the cylindrical section
39
b
is interposed between the terminals
56
and
57
.
Next, the procedure for attaching the bracket
31
to the roof trim
35
and the roof panel
33
described above will be explained as follows.
First, as shown in
FIGS. 10 and 11
, after the terminal
41
a
of the power supply electric wire
41
has been positioned and held at the electric connecting section
53
of the base member
37
, the base member
37
is attached to the opening
35
a
of the roof trim
35
by the trim engaging member
61
.
As shown in
FIG. 14
, when four positions of the peripheral edge of the attachment opening
35
a
are interposed between the flange section
59
and the trim engaging member
61
as shown in
FIG. 14
, the base member
37
is engaged with the roof trim
35
.
On the other hand, the terminals
56
,
57
at the end portions of the electric wires
42
a,
42
b
are held by the electric connecting sections
34
,
36
on the main body
39
side (shown in FIG.
8
).
Next, as shown in
FIGS. 11 and 12
, the cylindrical section
39
b
of the main body
39
is inserted into the opening
37
a
of the base member
37
. When the engaging protrusion
39
a
protruding from the outer circumference of the cylindrical section
39
b
is engaged with the flexible elastic piece
52
of the base member
37
, the main body
39
can be detachably engaged with the base member
37
attached to the roof trim
35
. Therefore, the roof trim
35
can be handled as a roof module in which the sun visor having illumination is previously integrated into one body via the bracket
31
.
Next, as shown in
FIGS. 12 and 13
, the roof trim
35
, which is integrated as a roof module, is attached to the roof panel
33
. In this case, when the panel engaging member
51
of the base member
37
is press-fitted into the fitting hole
33
a
of the roof panel
33
, the extended diameter section
51
c
of the panel engaging member
51
is hooked at and engaged with the fitting hole
33
a.
Finally, when the screw members
43
,
45
are fastened, the attaching work for attaching the sun visor having illumination is completed.
As described above, in the base member
37
of the related bracket
31
, as shown in
FIGS. 14 and 15
which are cross-sectional views taken on a line B—B in
FIG. 9
, when the thickness of the attachment opening
35
a
of the roof trim
35
is at least in a setting range not less than the clearance formed between the flange section
59
and the trim engaging member
61
, the roof trim
35
at the peripheral edge of the attachment opening
35
a
is interposed and held between the flange
59
and the trim engaging member
61
as shown in FIG.
14
.
However, the following problems may be encountered. As shown in
FIG. 15
, when the thickness of the peripheral edge of the attachment opening
35
a
is small so that it is out of the setting range, clearance G is generated between the flange section
59
and the trim engaging member
61
. This clearance G causes noise while a car is running.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished to solve the above problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a bracket can be easily attached to the roof trim (interior wall member) so as not to be restricted by the thickness of the interior wall member.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a bracket for attaching an interior equipment of a vehicle into a fitting hole formed in an interior wall member covering an inner face of a vehicle body panel, comprising:
a base member placed on the fitting hole from a side facing the vehicle body panel;
a main body provided with the interior equipment, and engaged with the base member from a side facing interior of the vehicle for holding the interior wall member therebetween; and
an elastic fitting member formed on the base member so as to elastically contact with an inner circumferential face of the fitting hole from a normal direction of the inner circumferential face.
In this configuration, since the base member can be easily attached to the interior wall member, the attaching work can be efficiently conducted.
Furthermore, since the inner circumferential face of the fitting hole is pushed from the normal direction thereof by the elastic fitting member, the base member does not become rickety. Accordingly, the thickness of the applicable interior wall member is not restricted. Further, there is no possibility that noise is generated.
Preferably, the elastic fitting member has a contact face provided with a non-slip member with respect to the inner circumferential face of the fitting hole.
In this configuration, the base member can be more strongly fitted with the interior wall member, and the reliability can be more enhanced.
Preferably, the non slip member includes a plurality of transverse grooves.
In this configuration, since it becomes difficult for the base member to slip in the direction of disengagement, the reliability can be more enhanced.
Preferably, the elastic fitting member is arcuately elongated along the inner circumferential face of the fitting hole.
In this configuration, since the contact area of the interior wall member with the elastic fitting
Sawayanagi Masahiro
Taclibon Wendelio
Coletta Lori L
Dayoan D. Glenn
Yazaki -Corporation
LandOfFree
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