JP2001063406A - Meter for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance locking accuracy of two or more resin components by projectingly providing variable projecting bars or projections to absorb gaps generated between locking piece receiving surfaces and locking surfaces when locking pawls and locking pieces are locked. SOLUTION: In each locking pawl 12, locking piece receiving surfaces 16 are formed. On the locking piece receiving surfaces 16, deformable projecting bars 17 extending in the longitudinal directions of the locking piece receiving surfaces 16 are resin-molded integrally with the locking pawls 12. The dimension of a width W and a height H of each of the projecting bars 17 can be properly set and the dimension corresponding to a maximum gap on dimensional tolerance generated between the locking piece receiving surfaces 16 of the locking pawls 12 and locking surfaces of locking pieces, for instance, is desirable. At a tip (upper end) of each projecting bar 17, a tapered guide surface 18 to smoothly guide a locking hole formed on the locking piece to each of the projecting bar 17 is formed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an instrument for a vehicle constituted by combining at least two members made of, for example, a resin, and more particularly, to a locking structure capable of locking and maintaining the two members without play. The present invention relates to an instrument for a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, an instrument for a vehicle installed in an automobile has an instrument case, as shown in FIG. 5, a resin lower housing 2 for accommodating and holding an instrument machine body 1 and the like. When the lower housing 2 is constituted by a resin upper housing 3 attached to the front opening of the lower housing 2,
A means for attaching the lower housing 2 and the upper housing 3 is required.

As shown in FIG. 6, a detailed structure of the lower housing 2, the upper housing 3, and the attaching means is such that a locking claw 4 is protruded from an outer peripheral surface of one of the lower housings 2 and the other upper housing 2 is provided. 3 are provided on the periphery of the locking claw 4.
A locking piece 6 formed by drilling a locking hole 5 capable of locking the lower housing 2 and the upper housing by a locking action between the locking claw 4 and the locking hole 5 provided in the locking piece 6. 3 has been maintained.

As shown in FIG. 6, the shape of the locking claw 4 provided on the lower housing 2 is such that a locking piece receiving surface 4A is formed upright. By locking the locking hole 5 formed in the stopper 6, the attachment of the upper housing 3 to the lower housing 2 is maintained.

[0005]

However, when the lower housing 2 and the upper housing 3 are resin-molded, dimensional variations are apt to occur in the resin molded products. For example, the locking claws 4 shown in FIG. A gap 10 having a maximum dimension of about 0.2 mm occurs due to design dimensional tolerance between the locking piece receiving surface 4A formed on the locking piece 6 and the locking face formed on the locking piece 6. Backlash between the lower housing 2 and the upper housing 3 and incomplete engagement are likely to occur.

The means for attaching the upper housing 3 and the front cover 7 attached to the front surface of the upper housing 3 is inserted into a locking hole 8 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the upper housing 3. Of the front cover 7 is attached to the upper housing 3, the gap between the locking hole 8 and the locking claw 9 is formed. The above-described gap 10 is likely to be generated, and this gap is likely to cause backlash or incomplete engagement between the upper housing 3 and the front cover.

In order to prevent rattling and incomplete engagement caused by the gap 10 between the two resin molded products, a mold used for molding the lower housing 2 and the upper fusing 3. It is conceivable to increase the dimensional accuracy of the mold, but to increase the dimensional accuracy of the mold, the production cost of the mold is increased, and the use of the high-precision mold is not practical in terms of economy. there were.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional facts, and particularly, in a housing of a vehicle instrument which is formed by engaging and maintaining at least two resin components, the resin components are locked. When the claw and the locking portion maintain their engagement with each other, a deformable projection member that can absorb the gap between the locking claw and the locking portion is provided, and the at least two A first object is to increase the locking accuracy of a resin component.

Further, in the present invention, it is possible to easily correct the mold of the engaging claw or the engaging portion forming mold portion in the mold used when molding at least two resin-made components, and to repair the mold. The second is to make it possible to reduce
The purpose of.

[0010]

In order to achieve the first and second objects, at least one of the first and second objects of the present invention is provided.
A vehicle instrument formed by combining two resin components, wherein one of the resin components has a locking claw, and the other resin component has the locking In a vehicle instrument having a locking piece mutually locked with a claw, a locking piece receiving surface is formed on the locking claw, and the locking piece has a locking piece receiving surface on the locking piece. A corresponding locking surface is provided, and the locking claw and the locking piece are locked to either the locking piece receiving surface or the locking surface, thereby locking the locking piece receiving surface. The present invention is characterized in that it is a vehicular instrument provided with a protruding ridge or a protrusion for absorbing a gap generated between the surfaces.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings. A housing of a vehicle instrument shown in this embodiment has a lower housing similar to that described in the conventional example. And the upper housing. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the present invention can be applied to a vehicle instrument or the like having a plurality of resin components.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a lower housing (one resin component) in which an instrument mechanical body is mounted, similarly to the conventional example. The lower housing 11 is made of a resin such as a composite PP material. It is molded with. At an appropriate position on the outer peripheral surface of the lower housing 11, a locking claw 12 for locking an upper housing described later is integrally formed.

Reference numeral 13 denotes an upper housing (the other resin component) attached to the front surface of the lower housing 11.
On the periphery of the upper housing 13, a plurality of locking pieces 14 are formed integrally with the locking claws 12 provided on the lower housing. These locking pieces 14 are provided with locking holes 15 for locking with the locking claws 12.

Each of the locking claws 12 has a locking piece receiving surface 1.
6 are formed, and on their locking piece receiving surfaces 16,
As shown in FIG. 2, a deformable ridge 17 extending in the vertical direction of the locking piece receiving surface 16 is resin-molded integrally with the locking claw 12.

The dimensions of the width W and the height H of these ridges 17 can be set appropriately, for example, between the locking piece receiving surface 4A of the locking claw 4 and the locking surface of the locking piece 6. It is desirable to have a dimension corresponding to the maximum gap on the resulting dimensional tolerance, and a locking hole 15 formed in the locking piece 14 is smoothly inserted into the projection 17 at the tip (upper end) of the projection 17. Are formed on a tapered guide surface 18 for guiding the first and second guides.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the protrusion 17 extending in the locking direction (vertical direction) is provided on the locking piece receiving surface 16 of the locking claw 12 formed in the lower housing 11. Therefore, when the upper housing 13 is attached and locked to the lower housing 11, the locking hole 15 of the locking piece 14 provided in the upper housing 13 is
When engaged with the locking piece receiving surface 16 of the locking claw 12 formed on the lower housing 11, the locking claw 12 engages with the locking piece receiving surface 16 due to dimensional accuracy of the lower housing 11 and the upper housing 13. Even if a gap is formed between the stop hole 15 and the edge of the stop hole 15, a deformable (plastically deformable) ridge 17 is formed on the locking piece receiving surface 16. The gap is absorbed, and the locking piece 14 and the locking claw 12 are locked without play.

Since the tapered guide surfaces 18 and 23 are formed at the tip of the ridge 17, the ridge 1 is temporarily provided.
Even if the height H of 7 is set to be larger than the gap, the locking hole 15 of the locking piece 14 can be guided by the tapered guide surface 18 and smoothly guided to the middle of the ridge 17. . Further, since the ridge 17 is made of resin and is deformable, even if the height H of the ridge 17 is larger than the gap, the locking hole 15 to be locked by the locking claw 12. Is
The close engagement can be performed while deforming the protruding ridges 17, so that there is no play between the locking claw and the locking piece, and effective close engagement is possible. .

Since the width W of the ridge 17 formed on the locking piece receiving surface 16 of the locking claw 12 is, for example, 0.5 mm or less, a groove for forming the ridge 17 is formed. In the above-described mold, the groove shape can be easily corrected (corrected), and a gap formed between the locking piece receiving surface 16 and the hole edge of the locking hole 15 can be assumed. Thus, the size (particularly height) of the ridge can be easily modified (formed) to a desired size.

In the above-described embodiment, the protruding ridge 17 is provided so as to protrude from the locking piece receiving surface 16 of the locking claw 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The surface 16 may be a flat surface, and instead, a ridge may be provided on the edge of the locking hole 15 of the locking piece 14. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper housing 13 which is one of the resin components
The elastic locking piece 2 provided on the front cover 20, which is the other resin molded product, inside the locking frame 19 formed
A protrusion 17 equivalent to the above-described protrusion may be provided on one claw portion 22.

The object of the present invention can also be achieved by providing small-grain-shaped projections 23 as shown in FIG.

[0021]

As described above, in the vehicle instrument according to the present invention, the ridge or the projection is provided on the engaging piece receiving surface where the engaging hole is abutted and engaged. Even when a gap is formed between the locking hole and the locking piece receiving surface when the locking face and the locking piece receiving face are abuttingly locked, the gap is formed by the protrusion. Alternatively, the protrusions can be absorbed by the protrusions, so that there is no play between the two resin components due to the vibration of the automobile or the like.

Since the above-mentioned ridges or projections may have a very small shape, it is possible to extremely easily perform a mold correcting operation for correcting and forming these ridges or projections into a desired shape.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a first embodiment of a vehicle instrument according to the present invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show a main part of a vehicle instrument according to a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 2A is a plan view thereof, and FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part showing a second embodiment of a vehicle instrument according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a main part perspective view showing a third embodiment of the vehicular instrument according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional vehicle instrument.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged explanatory view of a main part of a conventional vehicle instrument.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Lower housing 12 ... Locking claw 13 ... Upper housing 14 ... Locking piece 15 ... Locking hole 16 ... Locking piece receiving surface 17 ... Ridge 18 ... Taper guide surface 19 ... Locking frame 20 ... Front cover 21 ... Elastic locking piece 22 ... claw part 23 ... projection

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle instrument configured by combining at least two resin components, wherein one of the resin components has a locking claw, and the other resin component has a locking claw. In the vehicle instrument, the component has a locking piece mutually locked with the locking claw, wherein the locking claw has a locking piece receiving surface, and the locking piece has a locking piece receiving surface. When the locking claw and the locking piece are locked to one of the locking piece receiving surface or the locking surface, the locking claw and the locking piece are locked. A vehicle instrument characterized in that a variable ridge or projection for absorbing a gap formed between a locking piece receiving surface and a locking surface is provided.