Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Handle or assist grip
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-09
2004-04-06
Olms, Douglas (Department: 2661)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Handle or assist grip
C411S508000, C411S045000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06715812
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-241602, filed on Aug. 9, 2000, entitled “METHOD OF MOUNTING ASSIST GRIP AND MOUNTING STRUCTURE THEREOF”. The contents of this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of mounting an assist grip or handle, which is mounted in the interior of an automobile and can support the posture of a person and a mounting structure thereof.
2. Discussion of the Background
Conventionally, an assist grip is mounted in the interior of an automobile or similar vehicle in order to support the posture of a person who is sitting on the seat adjacent the assist grip.
As shown in FIG.
7
(
a
), an assist grip
91
having a grip section
911
where a person grips and engaging sections
912
provided on both ends of the assist grip
911
. Then, an intermediate attachment member
92
is provided on the engaging section
912
for mounting the assist grip
91
on a body panel
4
of an automobile or the like.
As shown in FIG.
7
(
b
) and FIG.
7
(
c
), when the assist grip
91
is mounted on the body panel
4
of an automobile or the like, the intermediate attachment member
92
is fitted into the body panel
4
by screwing a screw
93
into a nut
94
attached, preferably by welding, on the body panel
4
.
However, there are certain problems associated with this conventional method of mounting the assist grip
91
.
In the conventional mounting method, the assist grip
91
is directly placed by means of the screw
93
on the body panel
4
placed on the main frame of an automobile. Therefore, the screw
93
has to be turned and mounted where the workspace is small, complicating the installation and compromising the workability thereof.
Moreover, it is required that the nut
94
has been previously attached on the body panel
4
. Therefore, when the body panel
4
is manufactured, the step for attaching the nut
94
has to be carried out, thereby complicating the manufacture of the body panel
4
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of mounting an assist grip and a mounting structure capable of being both attachable and detachable as well as being easily mounted and thereby simplifying the manufacturing steps of a body panel.
According to the first aspect of the invention, a method of mounting an assist grip on a body panel is provided comprising:
preparing a fitting and fixing clip which cannot be pulled out once it is inserted into an engaging hole provided on the body panel;
previously arranging an intermediate attachment member on both ends of the assist grip, wherein the fitting and fixing clip is fixed on the intermediate attachment member in an attachable and detachable manner; and
mounting the assist grip on the body panel by inserting the fitting and fixing clip into the engaging hole of the body panel.
The noteworthy point of the present invention is that the assist grip is mounted on the body panel by inserting the fitting and fixing clip, which is, in turn, removably attached to the intermediate attachment member, into the engaging hole of the body panel.
In the present invention, a fitting and fixing clip is used for mounting the assist grip on the body panel. This fitting and fixing clip has previously been fixed to the intermediate attachment member in an attachable and detachable manner. Then, by inserting the fitting and fixing clip into an engaging hole of the body panel, the assist grip is mounted on the body panel. With this arrangement, the assist grip can be mounted on the body panel with single-step operation simply by inserting the fitting and fixing clips. Therefore, this means of mounting an assist grip on a body panel eliminates the need for work such as turning a screw in a confined or restricted space as required in the conventional mounting operation. The present invention thereby simplifies the mounting of an assist grip on a body panel.
Moreover, for example, when performing maintenance operations and so forth that require that the assist grip be removed, the assist grip can be easily removed by disengaging the fitting and fixing clip from the intermediate attachment member while retaining the fitting and fixing clip on the body panel. Therefore, the removal and reattachment of the assist grip can be easily repeated by disengaging and then re-engaging the fitting and fixing clip and the intermediate attachment member.
Moreover, in the present invention, the steps such as positioning and welding or otherwise attaching a nut on the body panel as is necessary in conventional mounting operations need not to be carried out. Therefore, a simplification of the manufacturing steps necessary to produce the body panel can be realized.
According to the second aspect of the invention, there is provided a mounting structure of an assist grip on a body panel, wherein intermediate attachment members are arranged on both ends of the assist grip, a fitting and fixing clip (which cannot easily be removed once it has been inserted into an engaging hole provided on the body panel) is fixed on the intermediate attachment member in an attachable and detachable manner, and the assist grip is mounted on the body panel by engaging the fitting and fixing clip with the engaging hole provided on the body panel.
In the present invention, the assist grip is mounted on the body panel in a single-step operation by engaging the fitting and fixing clip with the engaging hole provided on the body panel. Hence, the mounting structure of the assist grip is simplified.
Moreover, in a fashion similar to that described above, the attachment and detachment of an assist grip can be easily repeated by attaching and detaching the fitting and fixing clip and the intermediate attachment member after the mounting has been carried out. Moreover, the steps such as positioning and welding or otherwise attaching the nut on the body panel and so forth as required in a conventional assembly process are no longer necessary, therefore, the process of manufacturing the body panel can be simplified.
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patent: 5358299 (1994-10-01), Seto
patent: 5560575 (1996-10-01), Krysiak
patent: 5625921 (1997-05-01), Smith
patent: 5636891 (1997-06-01), Van Order et al.
patent: 5991976 (1999-11-01), Adams et al.
patent: 6003928 (1999-12-01), Curtindale
patent: 6015126 (2000-01-01), Murdock
patent: 6021986 (2000-02-01), Murdock
patent: 6048125 (2000-04-01), Droche et al.
patent: 6076233 (2000-06-01), Sasaki et al.
patent: 6397435 (2002-06-01), Gosselet
patent: 0967 136 (1999-12-01), None
patent: 2540746 (1997-04-01), None
patent: 10-029453 (1998-02-01), None
Hosokawa Takashi
Sakuma Yoshiyuki
Tajima Hiroyuki
Totani Chiharu
Blount Steve
Olms Douglas
Posz & Bethards, PLC
Toyoda Gosei Co,., Ltd.
LandOfFree
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