Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-12
2002-08-13
Bucci, David A. (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Elements
Reexamination Certificate
active
06431023
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to lever pivoting structures for pivotally connecting a lever to a fixed member, and more particularly to lever pivoting structures of a type that pivotally connects an operation lever to an inner panel of an automotive door.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to clarify the task of the present invention, one known lever pivoting structure will be described with reference to
FIGS. 11
to
13
of the accompanying drawings, which has been employed for transmitting an operative movement of a control knob mounted on an automotive door to a door lock mounted on the door.
In
FIG. 11
, the lever pivoting structure is designated by reference “LPS”. In this drawing, denoted by reference “D” is a side door that is pivotally connected to a body of a motor vehicle for opening and closing a door opening defined in the body. A known door lock
1
, such as one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,625, is mounted to a free end of the side door “D”, which has a locking/unlocking lever
2
for selectively locking and unlocking a latch lever of the door lock
1
. A first transmission rod
3
extends from the locking/unlocking lever
2
to one end of a pivot lever
7
of the lever pivoting structure “LPS” mounted on an inner panel
4
of the door “D”. From the other end of the pivot lever
7
, there extends a second transmission rod
6
to a control knob
5
that is movably mounted on the inner panel
4
at a position remote from the door lock
1
. Thus, when the control knob
5
is pulled in an unlocking direction, that is, leftward for example, the locking/unlocking lever
2
is pivoted in a corresponding direction to unlock the latch lever of the door lock
1
. With this, the door “D” becomes ready for opening.
The detail of the lever pivoting structure “LPS” is shown in
FIGS. 12 and 13
, particularly
FIG. 12
that is a sectional view taken along the line XII—XII of FIG.
11
.
In
FIG. 12
, denoted by numeral
8
is a circular opening formed in the inner panel
4
, and denoted by numeral
10
is a grommet made of an elastic plastic, which is fitted in the circular opening
8
. The grommet
10
comprises a tubular portion
10
a,
a flange portion
10
b
formed on a rear end of the tubular portion
10
a,
and a tapered portion
10
c
formed on a front end of the tubular portion
10
a.
As is seen from
FIG. 13
, the tapered portion
10
c
is formed with a plurality of axial slits
10
e
to provide a plurality of latching pawls (no numerals). The grommet
10
has an annular groove (no numeral) that is defined around the tubular portion
10
a
between the flange portion
10
b
and the tapered portion
10
c.
As is seen from
FIG. 12
, when the grommet
10
is properly fitted in the circular opening
8
, the annular groove of the grommet
10
receives therein a peripheral portion of the opening
8
thereby tightly holding the grommet
10
in the opening
8
. The grommet
10
is formed with an axial bore
10
d
through which a shaft member
11
extending from a pivot lever
7
passes. The pivot lever
7
is formed at a middle portion thereof with a circular opening
9
through which the shaft member
11
passes. The pivot lever
7
has at both ends respective openings (no numerals) with which bent ends of the first and second transmission rods
3
and
6
are pivotally engaged.
As is best seen from
FIG. 13
, the shaft member
11
comprises a body portion
11
a,
an enlarged flange portion
11
b
formed on a rear end of the body portion
11
a,
a tapered head portion
11
c
formed on a front end of the body portion
11
a,
and a neck portion
11
d
formed between the head portion
11
c
and the body portion
11
a.
For mounting the lever pivoting structure “LPS” to the inner panel
4
, the following assembling process is employed.
First, as is seen from
FIG. 13
, the grommet
10
is pushed at the tapered portion
10
c
against a periphery of the circular opening
8
of the inner panel
4
. With this, the grommet
10
is tightly put in the circular opening
8
having the peripheral portion of the opening
8
received in the annular groove
10
a
thereof. Then, by using one hand of an assembler, the pivot lever
7
is brought to and pressed against the enlarged flanged portion
10
b
of the grommet
10
while assuring aligned arrangement between the axial bore
10
d
of the grommet
10
and the circular opening
9
of the pivot lever
7
. Then, with the pivot lever
7
kept pressed against the enlarged flange portion
10
b
of the grommet
10
by the same hand, the shaft member
11
is put into the opening
9
of the lever
7
and then into the axial bore
10
d
of the grommet
10
in order by using the other hand. Finally, the shaft member
11
is strongly pushed into the axial bore
10
d
of the grommet
10
, so that the tapered head portion
11
c
thereof is slipped in the axial bore
10
d
and projected outward (viz., leftward in
FIG. 13
) from the split tapered portion
10
c
of the grommet
10
. With these steps, the lever pivoting structure “LPS” is properly assembled on the inner panel
4
of the door “D”, as shown in FIG.
12
.
However, as will be easily understood from the above description, the lever pivoting structure “LPS” needs a troublesome and time-consumed assembling process. More specifically, the manual work for inserting the shaft member
11
into the opening
9
of the lever
7
and the axial bore
10
d
of the grommet
10
while keeping the alignment therebetween is very difficult and thus needs a skilled technique, which tends to bring about an increase of costs of the door “D”.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a lever pivoting structure which is free of the above-mentioned drawback.
That is, a main object of the present invention is to provide a lever pivoting structure which can be easily mounted on a panel member.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lever pivoting structure mounted on a panel member, which comprises a first circular opening formed in the panel member; a shaft member including a body portion, an enlarged flange portion formed on a rear end of the body portion and a stopper head portion formed on a front end of the body portion, the stopper head portion establishing a latched engagement between the stopper head portion and the first circular opening once the stopper head portion is put into the first circular opening; a pivot lever formed with a second circular opening through which the body portion of the shaft member passes, the pivot lever having a first surface to which the enlarged flange portion faces and a second surface to which the stopper head portion faces; and at least one resilient stopper tongue integrally formed on the body portion of the shaft member, the resilient stopper tongue extending toward the enlarged flange portion while gradually separating from an axis of the shaft member, a free end of the resilient stopper tongue abutting against the second surface of the pivot lever upon engagement between the shaft member and the pivot lever.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lever pivoting structure mounted on a panel member, which comprises a first circular opening formed in the panel member; a resilient grommet put in the first circular opening to achieve a latched engagement therebetween, the grommet having an axial bore formed therethrough; a shaft member including a body portion, an enlarged flange portion formed on a rear end of the body portion and a stopper head portion formed on a front end of the body portion, the stopper head portion establishing a latched engagement between them stopper head portion and the grommet once the stopper head portion is put into the axial bore of the grommet; a pivot lever formed with a second circular opening through which the body portion of the shaft member passes, the pivot lever having a first surface to which the enlarged flange portion faces and a second surface to wh
Bucci David A.
Foley & Lardner
Johnson Vicky A.
Ohi Seisakusho Co. Ltd.
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