The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 21, 1999
Filed:
May. 28, 1997
Keiichiro Nakatani, Powell, OH (US);
Nobuhide Tanaka, Grove City, OH (US);
American Showa, Inc., Sunbury, OH (US);
Tigers Polymer Corp., Osaka, JP;
Tigerpoly Mfg., Inc., Grave City, OH (US);
Abstract
A dust cover includes a bellows-like portion which is comprised of a large-pitched portion and a small-pitched portion in succession, each having a plurality of alternating ridges and grooves of uniform diameter. The ridges and grooves of the large-pitched portion are spaced at an equal but large pitch while the ridges and grooves of the small-pitched portion are spaced at an equal but smaller pitch. The ridges of the small-pitched portion have a thickness smaller than that of the ridges of the large-pitched portion. When a force is applied to the dust cover in a direction of contraction, the dust cover first contracts at the small-pitched portion and then at the large-pitched portion, whereby undesired buckling thereof is kept to a minimum. A method for blow molding the dust cover is also disclosed.