Supports – Pipe or cable – Brackets
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-03
2001-05-22
Braun, Leslie A. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Pipe or cable
Brackets
C248S068100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234429
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to wire harness protectors and more specifically to locking structures for securing a cover on a wire harness protector.
BACKGROUND OF THEN INVENTION
Wire harnesses used in vehicle electrical systems are often shielded from contaminants such as water and dirt by protectors at selected positions along their lengths. Protectors are also used in locations where a wire harness might be subject to wear. Protectors may also serve as wire harness guides or to secure a harness to a vehicle body panel.
A typical prior art wire harness protector is shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
. The protector comprises a base or trough
1
with front and back walls and a cover
2
connected to the back wall by a living hinge
3
. Locking arms or tabs
4
extend downwardly from the front edge of cover
2
. Each tab
4
typically has a beveled end
5
with a locking step
6
. The front wall of the trough includes sockets
7
for receiving tabs
4
. As cover
2
closes (shown in
FIG. 2
in solid lines), locking tabs
4
must be flexed (phantom lines) to align them for simultaneous axial insertion into sockets
7
. Tip
11
and beveled end
5
of each locking tab
4
briefly engage beads
8
to force angled steps
10
in sockets
7
outwardly while passing through the open lower end
9
of each socket, until steps
10
snap back into place on locking steps
6
.
To open the wire harness protector of
FIGS. 1 and 2
, tabs
4
must be simultaneously pushed in toward the trough until locking steps
6
clear angled steps
10
.
A disadvantage of the wire harness protector of
FIGS. 1 and 2
is the requirement that tabs
4
be simultaneously operated to open and close the cover.
FIG. 3
illustrates another prior art wire harness protector having a trough
1
and a cover
2
, formed as separate components. In this illustration, locking tabs
4
and sockets
7
are located on both the front and back walls of the trough. As in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, all tabs and sockets must be simultaneously operated and aligned before the cover can be closed, or opened. While locking tab alignment may be easier in closing the cover on the trough, the quality of alignment is dependent on the quality of the molding of the separate cover. Additionally, manufacturing the cover separately increases tooling and production costs and requires manual matching and dual stock keeping for the matched covers and troughs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an improved locking arrangement especially for a hinged-type wire harness protector cover, in which the locking tabs on the cover are automatically aligned with their respective sockets on the trough and can be locked and released independently.
In general, the invention is achieved by providing the wire harness protector cover with a plurality of locking tabs on its front edge, which tabs extend parallel to the cover and which are attached to the cover by living hinges. After the cover has been moved to its own closed position on the trough, each of the hinged locking tabs can be independently rotated to its own locking position in a socket on the trough. Rather than an axial insertion motion as required by the prior art, the locking tabs of the present invention engage the sockets in a lateral, face-on fashion as they are bent down on their hinges.
A further feature of the invention is a complementary alignment relationship between the sockets on the trough and guide blocks provided on the cover in association with each of the locking tabs.
A further feature of the invention is a pair of alignment ribs formed on the inside surface of the cover to help align and maintain the cover in the closed position, so that each locking tab can be independently rotated to its own closed position with a single finger without having to coordinate the locking tab operation with the cover-closing operation.
This invention, together with other objects, features, aspects and advantages thereof, will be more clearly understood from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
REFERENCES:
patent: 2972461 (1961-02-01), Balbach
patent: 4857670 (1989-08-01), Frank
patent: 5653003 (1997-08-01), Freeman
patent: 5665936 (1997-09-01), Sawamura et al.
patent: 5709249 (1998-01-01), Okada et al.
patent: 5795193 (1998-08-01), Yang
patent: 6126123 (2000-10-01), Yang
patent: 6178106 (1998-08-01), Umemoto et al.
Baxter Gwendolyn
Braun Leslie A.
Yazaki -Corporation
Young & Basile P.C.
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