Nifco Inc.

Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Goro Asami

Tomoo Eguchi

Yuji Saito

Tsuyoshi Kato

Eiji Ueno

Osamu Takezawa

Hideo Konishi

Hideyuki Abe

In a two-shaft pivotal mechanism for opening/closing and supporting a cover, a second pivot shaft connecting a pivoting member and the cover projects integrally from one of a pivoting member and a connecting piece on the cover, and an attachment hole for supporting the second pivot shaft is formed in the other of the pivoting member and the connecting piece, so that the pivoting member and connecting piece are pivotally connected. The pivot limiting portion is provided between the connecting piece and the pivoting member, and limits pivotal operation therebetween to a predetermined angular range. A first pivot shaft connecting the pivoting member and a receptacle projects integrally from one of the pivoting member and the receptacle, and an attachment hole for supporting the first pivot shaft is formed in the other of the pivoting member and the receptacle, so that the pivoting member and the receptacle are pivotally connected.

Two shaft type opening and closing mechanism for container with cover

A pop-up mechanism is formed of a base body, at least one pair of flip-flop members, each being rotatably linked to the base body at one end, and an ascending and descending member rotatably attached to the flip-flop members at the other ends. The flip-flop members have a folded state where the flip-flop members are substantially located close to the base body, and a pop-up state where the flip-flop members are turned upwardly. An urging member is attached to at least one of the flip-flop members for urging the one flip-flop member in the pop-up state, and a locking device is formed for locking the flip-flop members in the folded state. In the pop-up mechanism, at least one strut with a predetermined height is placed on an upper surface of the base body and/or a lower surface of the ascending and descending body. In the pop-up state, a tip of the strut abuts against a portion communicating with the upper surface of the base body and/or the lower surface of the ascending and descending body to hold the ascending and descending body in the pop-up state.

Pop-up mechanism

A holder for small articles of the invention is provided in a ceiling of an automobile. The holder is formed of a frame member fixed to the ceiling in a cabin of the automobile, and a movable member including a rotating shaft pivotally attached to the frame member, a lid portion for opening and closing an opening of the frame member, and a case portion provided at a rear side of the lid portion. When the lid portion is opened, an opening of the case portion is exposed in the cabin. A stopper projection is formed at a back portion of the case portion and has a projecting edge for defining an open position of the lid portion by engaging the frame member. The projecting edge is located on an imaginary circumferential line having a radius substantially equal to a length from a center of the rotating shaft to the opening edge of the lid portion.

Holder for small articles provided in a ceiling of an automobile

Provided is a fastener assembly for temporarily securing a windshield made of sheet glass when mounting the windshield on a windshield frame or an internal flange of an opening of a vehicle body by using a bonding agent. The fastener assembly consists of two fastener halves adapted to be secured to the windshield and the vehicle body, respectively, and a multitude of mushroom-shaped projections are provided on each of the mutually opposing surfaces of the two fastener halves to engage and disengage the two fastener halves at will. The fastener half mounted on the vehicle body is provided with a locating structure for preventing the movement of the fastener half from moving along the peripheral edge of the internal flange of the windshield frame. Preferably, the fastener half mounted on the vehicle body is provided with a seating surface, and the fastener half attached to the windshield is provided with a projection which rests upon the seating surface so that the weight of the windshield can be conveniently supported by this seating surface, and the mounting of the windshield can be thereby more efficiently and accurately carried out.

Fastener assembly for securing a windshield on a vehicle body

Provided is a fastener for temporarily securing a windshield to a vehicle body opening in a reliable manner without modifying the vehicle body structure. The base of the fastener is provided with an attaching surface adapted to be attached to a cooperating fastener on a major surface thereof, and a cavity is passed through the base substantially in parallel with the major surface. The clip may comprise a pair of clamping pieces bent from a strip of sheet metal, and one of the clamping pieces is pushed into the cavity to join the clamping piece with the base, and a flange of an opening of a vehicle body is pushed into the gap between the other clamping piece and the corresponding wall of the base. The clip may be appropriately provided with barbs to ensure secure engagement of the clip to both the base and the flange. The last mentioned wall of the base is preferably provided with a break so that the barbs provided in the clamping pieces may engage the two sides of the flange.

Fastener including clips for engagement with a flange

A fastening device of the invention is formed of two fastening members. Each fastening member has a flat base portion, and a plurality of engaging projections fixed on the base portion laterally and vertically. Each engaging projection has at least one leg fixed to the base portion at one side and an engaging head portion fixed to the other side of the leg. The engaging head portion has a lateral size greater than that of the leg. Non-engaging projections are integrally formed on at least one of the fastening members. Each non-engaging projection has a height less than the engaging projection. In case the two fastening members are engaged, when one engaging projection projecting toward one non-engaging projection is pushed laterally by another engaging projection situated adjacent to the one non-engaging projection, an engaging head portion of the one engaging projection is pushed toward the one non-engaging projection and then is returned to an original portion by the one non-engaging projection to thereby engage the engaging head portions of the one and another engaging projections. Thus, the fastening members can be easily fastened and separated repeatedly.

Fastening device

A clip comprised of a head portion retained to a panel, and a leg portion inserted and retained in a mounting hole. The leg portion has a leg plate, elastic legs which project out from the longitudinally-extending transverse direction sides of the leg plate so as to form curved surfaces which face each other, and pawl portions protruded from the elastic legs. Curved outer surfaces of the pawl portions are disposed on a circular locus around central points on side surfaces of the leg plate, and have a greater curvature than the curvature of the mounting hole. As a result, when the leg portion is inserted into the mounting hole, the entire peripheral surfaces of the pawl portions do not contact the peripheral wall of the mounting hole, but only point-contact the peripheral wall of the mounting hole at points. Therefore, frictional force between the mounting hole and the leg portion is small, and insertion force is reduced. Although the clip requires little insertion force, a large retaining force for retaining the clip in the mounting hole is obtained.

Fastener including elastic legs for retaining the fastener in a mounting

A clip includes a female member having a cylindrical body having a hole with an expanded engaging portion around an inner surface at an upper end opening of the hole, spreadable legs formed by dividing a lower end portion of the body, and a flange extending outward from a peripheral surface at an upper end portion of the body, and a male member that is inserted into the female member, the male member comprising a head portion, a shaft vertically descending from an underside of the head portion, and an engaging recess formed around a periphery of a lower end of the shaft that can receive the expanded engaging portion of the female member to maintain the male and female members in a provisionally assembled state.

Two-piece clip

Nut for connecting plates

A screw grommet with which an externally threaded member is threadedly engaged in a state in which the screw grommet is inserted through an attaching hole formed in a member to which the screw grommet is to be attached. An externally threaded member is passed through a head having a through hole, and the head abuts against the member to which the screw grommet is to be attached. The externally threaded member is then inserted through a leg which projects from the head and is inserted through the member to which the screw grommet is to be attached. The externally threaded member is threadedly engaged with an internal thread member. A pair of pawls are formed on a part of the internal thread member and are, together with the internal thread member, inserted in the leg in a state in which the diameter of the pawls is reduced. When the internal thread member approaches the head, the diameter of the pawls is enlarged in such a manner as to clamp the member to which the screw grommet is to be attached. When the internal thread member is moved away from the head, the diameter of the pawls is reduced so as to allow passage of the pawls through the attaching hole formed in the member to which the screw grommet is to be attached. The pawls hold the internal thread member in such a manner as to prevent the internal thread member from falling from the leg.

Screw grommet having a secured internal thread member

A clip comprises a clip body having an enlarged diameter head portion at one end and a stud reception hole extending from the center of the other end toward the head portion. Integrally attached by means of hinge portions to the outer periphery of the clip body are outwardly extending locking portions and engagement seat portions integral with stem portions of the locking portions and extending away from the head portion. The locking portions are folded together with the engagement seat portions at the hinge portions so as to be locked to the head portion.

Growing community of inventors

Utsunomiya, Japan

Goro Asami