JP2006315750A - Cap-holding structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cap-holding structure prevented from hindering attachment/detachment of a cap by specifying the movement and accommodated position of a member used for connecting the cap to a vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: A cap 5 is freely removably fitted in an oil feed opening 1 made in a recess 3 that is opened or closed by a filler lid 4. One end 10a of a rod-like tether 10 that is flexible and shape-retainable is fixed to the filler lid 4. The tether 10 is freely movably inserted in a slide ring 20 disposed on the cap 5. This prevents the tether 10 from hanging and specifies its movement or accommodated position. Accordingly, the tether 10 is prevented from being entangled with other parts. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a holding structure for a cap such as a filler cap of an automobile.

  In general, a fuel tank of an automobile fuel tank is provided in a recessed portion formed on a side surface of the vehicle body. The recessed portion is opened and closed by a filler lid (door), and a filler cap is attached to and detached from the filler port. It is installed freely.

Therefore, conventionally, when refueling, the filler cap is removed from the filler port, and the fuel gun is inserted into the opened filler port for refueling. However, the filler cap removed at that time can be lost or the filler cap can be removed after refueling In order to prevent forgetting to close, the removed filler cap is held on the vehicle body side by a string-like connecting member (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-121978 A (6th page, FIG. 4)

  However, in such a conventional cap holding structure, the string-like connecting member is formed with a sufficient length for attaching and detaching the filler cap, so that when the filler opening is closed with the cap, The intermediate portion of the connecting member hangs down, and the hang-up portion is entangled with protrusions formed on the back surface of the filler lid, which may hinder the opening and closing of the filler lid.

  In view of the above, the present invention provides a cap holding structure capable of specifying a movement of a member that connects the cap to the vehicle body side and a position where the member is accommodated to prevent the cap from being hindered from being attached or detached.

  The present invention is a cap provided with a recessed portion that is opened and closed by a door on a vehicle body panel, and is detachably attached to an opening formed in the recessed portion, at least one end portion of which is on the door side or the vehicle body panel side. And a tether having a flexible shape retaining property that is fixed to one of the cap side and the tether that is provided on either the door side or the cap side and is movably inserted. The main feature is that it is provided with an annular member.

  According to the present invention, in the state where the cap is attached to the opening, the tether is inserted into the annular member, and the tether is formed in a shape having a flexible shape retaining property. Therefore, the movement and the position where it is suppressed are specified, and accordingly, when the door is closed, it is possible to suppress the tether from being entangled with protrusions such as the back surface of the door.

  For this reason, it is possible to avoid hindering the attachment / detachment of the cap, coupled with the fact that the tether is movably inserted into the annular member.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  1 to 4 show a first embodiment of a cap holding structure according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the cap is attached to the opening, and FIG. 2 is a state in which the cap is removed from the opening and the door is opened. FIG. 3 is a front view of the cap connected to the tether, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cap with the annular member separated.

  The cap holding structure of the present embodiment will be described by taking an example of a filler cap holding structure attached to a fuel filler port of an automobile. As shown in FIGS. It is arranged inside the recessed portion 3 formed in the rear fender 2 which is a vehicle body panel. The recessed portion 3 is formed in a rectangular shape, and a one-side-opening type filler lid 4 as a door is attached to one side of the recessed portion 3 via a hinge 4 a so that the recessed portion 3 can be opened and closed. Closed.

  Then, a filler cap (hereinafter simply referred to as a cap) 5 formed of a conductive member (resin material in the present embodiment) is screwed into the filler port 1, so that the filler port 1 is closed by the cap 5. Is done.

  The filler lid 4 has an inner plate 6 joined to the back surface 4b, a cap holder 7 is provided below a recess 6a formed at the center of the inner plate 6, and the cap 5 removed from the fuel filler 1 is temporarily placed. Further, rubber stoppers 8 are projected from the upper and lower corners of the opening / closing side.

  Here, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the end portion 10 a is fixed to the back surface 4 b of the filler lid 4, and the bar-shaped tether 10 having a flexible shape retaining property is attached to the cap 5. A slide ring 20 is provided as an annular member that is provided and is movably inserted into the tether 10 so that the cap 5 removed by the tether 10 and the slide ring 20 is not separated from the vehicle body. The tether 10 and the slide ring 20 are formed of a conductive member (resin material in this embodiment).

  One end portion 10 a of the tether 10 is rotatably attached to the upper end portion on the hinge 4 a side of the back surface 4 b of the filler lid 4 via the clip 11, and the slide ring 20 is positioned above the cap 5. The tether 10 is disposed substantially horizontally in the vehicle longitudinal direction above the cap 5.

  Note that the one end portion 10 a of the tether 10 can be fixed to an appropriate location in the recessed portion 3.

  The tether 10 has the other end portion 10b as a free end portion, and the free end portion 10b is provided with a spherical portion 12 as a drop prevention means for preventing the slide ring 20 from being detached.

  Of course, the spherical portion 12 has an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the slide ring 20 so that the slide ring 20 cannot pass through.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the slide ring 20 is integrally formed by protruding from the outer periphery of the large-diameter ring 21, and the large-diameter ring 21 rotates relative to a circumferential groove 5 b formed on the outer periphery of the head 5 a of the cap 5. Fits freely.

  With the above structure, according to the cap holding structure of the present embodiment, when refueling, the filler lid 4 is opened to expose the recessed portion 3 as shown in FIG. 1, and the cap 5 is rotated to rotate from the refueling port 1. The fuel gun (not shown) is inserted into the fuel inlet 1 that has been removed and opened to supply the fuel.

  At this time, since the cap 5 removed from the fuel filler opening 1 is held in a state where the tether 10 is inserted into the slide ring 20 provided in the cap 5, it is avoided that the cap 5 is separated and lost from the vehicle body side. In addition, problems such as forgetting to close the cap 5 after refueling can be avoided.

  When the cap 5 is removed from the fuel filler opening 1, the tether 10 inserted through the slide ring 20 is formed in a round bar shape having flexible shape retention, so that the tether 10 is prevented from drooping. Since the movement and the position where it falls are specified, it is possible to prevent the tether 10 from being entangled with protrusions such as the cap holder 7 and the rubber stopper 8 provided on the back surface 4b of the filler lid 4.

  For this reason, it is possible to avoid hindering the attachment and detachment of the cap 5 in combination with the tether 10 being movably inserted through the slide ring 20.

  In addition, since it is not necessary to strongly bend the tether 10 when the cap 5 is attached or detached, the reaction force of the tether 10 can be kept small, and handling when the removed cap 5 is attached becomes easy.

  Further, in this embodiment, the other end portion 10b of the tether 10 is a free end portion, and the spherical portion 12 that prevents the slide ring 20 from being detached is provided on the free end portion 10b, so that the cap 5 falls from the tether 10. Can be prevented.

  In addition, by making the tether 10 into a round bar shape in this way, one end can be formed as a free end 10b, so that the tether 10 can be more effectively prevented from being entangled with the protrusion.

  By the way, it is desirable to temporarily place the removed cap 5 on the cap holder 7 as shown in FIG.

  5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description is omitted, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the cap taken along the line AA in FIG. 5.

  The cap holding structure of the present embodiment is basically the same as that of the first embodiment, and the cap 5 is held by a bar-shaped tether 10 having a flexible shape-retaining property. An annular member through which the tether 10 is movably inserted is formed by a tube 22 that is gently curved along the outer periphery of the cap and formed in a cylindrical shape.

  That is, in this embodiment, the tether 10 has one end 10a attached to the filler lid 4 in the vicinity of the hinge 4a at substantially the same position as the fuel filler port 1, and the other end 10b is a free end. The spherical portion 12 is formed at the free end portion 10b.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the tube 22 is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the large-diameter ring 21, and the tube 22 is arranged on the upper side when the cap 5 is attached.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the cap 5 removed from the fuel filler opening 1 can be held by the tube 22 through which the tether 10 is inserted, so that the same operational effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained. In the attached state, the intermediate portion of the tether 10 can be along the outer periphery of the cap 5 by the tube 22, so that the free end portion 10b side of the tether 10 can be guided to the center side of the recessed portion 3, The storage property of the tether 10 can be improved.

  Further, when removing the cap 5 during refueling, it is preferable to discharge static electricity charged on the human body from the cap 5 to the vehicle body side. However, in the present embodiment, the tube 22 is provided on the outer periphery of the cap 5 to constantly Since the tube 22 comes into contact, static electricity of the human body can be efficiently discharged from the cap 5 to the filler lid 4, that is, the vehicle body side via the tube 22 and the tether 10.

  7 to 9 show a third embodiment of the present invention, in which the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description is omitted, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state where the cap is attached to the opening, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state where the cap is removed and held on the door side.

  In the cap holding structure of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the tether 10A is formed in a rod shape having a flexible shape retaining property as in the first embodiment. In particular, in the present embodiment, the tether 10A is formed. One end portion 10Aa is fixed to the cap 5 side, the other end portion 10Ab is a free end portion, and a slide ring 20A as an annular member inserted through the tether 10A is fixed to the back surface 4b of the filler lid 4.

  That is, a large-diameter ring 21A is formed at one end 10Aa of the tether 10A and is rotatably fitted in the circumferential groove 5b of the cap 5, and the slide ring 20A is formed on the back surface 4b of the filler lid 4 as shown in FIG. It is fixed to the upper part near the hinge 4a.

  In the present embodiment, the diameter is changed in the length direction of the tether 10A.

  In this embodiment, when changing the diameter of the tether 10A, as shown in FIG. 7, the diameter is increased to a large diameter portion 13 over a predetermined section on the one end 10Aa side, and the remaining section on the other end 10Ab side is set to a small diameter. The small-diameter portion 13s has a sufficiently small diameter with respect to the slide ring 20A, while the large-diameter portion 13 is in contact with the inner periphery of the slide ring 20A with a required sliding resistance. The diameter is set.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the tether 10A is fixed to the cap 5 side, but the cap 5 removed from the fuel filler port 1 by inserting the tether 10A through the slide ring 20A fixed to the filler lid 4 side. Can be held by the tether 10A and the slide ring 20A, and the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

  In this embodiment, since the diameter of the tether 10A is changed in the length direction, when the cap 5 is removed as shown in FIG. 9, the free end portion 10Ab of the tether 10A is pulled to slide the large diameter portion 13 into the slide ring. By being positioned at 20A, the cap 5 can be held in the vicinity of the slide ring 20A by the frictional force of the large diameter portion 13 and the slide ring 20A.

  Furthermore, since the cap 5 thus removed can be held on the filler lid 4 side where the slide ring 20A is provided, it is not necessary to provide the filler holder 4 with the cap holder 7 shown in the first and second embodiments.

  FIG. 10 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention, in which the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the above-mentioned embodiments, and a duplicate description is omitted, and FIG. 10 is a state in which a tether is inserted through an annular member. FIG.

  The cap holding structure of this embodiment is applied to the insertion portion between the slide ring 20 and the tether 10 of the first embodiment or the insertion portion of the slide ring 20A and the tether 10A of the third embodiment, and is shown in FIG. As described above, the inner periphery of the slide ring 20, 20 </ b> A as the annular member is formed as a deformed hole in which at least one opposed portion width is smaller than the diameter of the tether 10, 10 </ b> A.

  In the present embodiment, the slide rings 20 and 20A are formed in an elliptical shape as a whole, and one opposing portion width W is formed to be smaller than the diameter of the tether 10 and 10A in a natural state as indicated by a broken line in the figure. When the tethers 10 and 10A are inserted through the slide rings 20 and 20A, an appropriate pressure contact force is applied to the contact portions between them.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the slide rings 20, 20A and the tethers 10, 10A move relative to each other with a pressure contact force applied between them, so that the static electricity of the human body is efficiently transferred from the cap 5 to the vehicle body side. Can be discharged.

  FIG. 11 shows a modification of the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11 (a), the slide rings 20 and 20A formed in an ellipse are provided on both sides of the opposed portion where the tethers 10 and 10A are in contact with each other to prevent biting. An escape recess 23 is formed.

  Of course, the escape recess 23 has a width w set to a dimension that does not bite the tethers 10 and 10A.

  Therefore, in this modification, when the tethers 10 and 10A are inclined with respect to the slide rings 20 and 20A in the direction in which the relief recesses 23 are formed as shown in FIG. Smooth relative movement is possible while permitting the inclination.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 11C, even when the tethers 10 and 10A are tilted toward the facing portion where the tethers 10 and 10A are in contact with the slide rings 20 and 20A, the contact portions of the slide rings 20 and 20A are broken lines in the figure. As shown in FIG. 4, smooth relative movement is possible while bending and deforming.

  FIG. 12 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention, in which the same components as those of the above-mentioned embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description is omitted, and FIG. 12 shows a cap, a tether, and an annular member. It is a perspective view which shows an assembly | attachment state.

  The cap holding structure of the present embodiment is configured such that the cap 5 is held by a bar-shaped tether 10B having a flexible shape-retaining property as in the above-described embodiments. In particular, in this embodiment, FIG. As shown, the tether 10B is composed of a first tether 10B1 provided on the filler lid 4 side and a second tether 10B2 provided on the cap 5 side, and tip portions of the first and second tethers 10B1 and 10B2 Are provided with slide rings 20B1 and 20B2 as annular members, respectively, and the second tether 10B2 and the first tether 10B1 on the other side are movably inserted into the slide rings 20B1 and 20B2.

  The first tether 10B1 is provided with a clip 11 at the base end, and the clip 11 is fixed to the back surface 4b of the filler lid 4, while the second tether 10B2 is provided with a large diameter ring 21B at the base end. The ring 21B is rotatably fitted in the circumferential groove 5b (see FIG. 4) of the cap 5.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the slide rings 20B1 and 20B2 provided at the front ends of the first and second tethers 10B1 and 10B2 move relative to the second tether 10B2 and the first tether 10B1 on the mating side, thereby The full length L of 10B can be expanded and contracted.

  Therefore, since the position of the cap 5 can be changed in a state in which the tether 10B is kept straight without being bent, the tether 10B can be prevented from being entangled with the protrusions. In this embodiment, the slide rings 20B1 and 20B2 are provided on both the first and second tethers 10B1 and 10B2. However, the slide ring may be provided only on one of the tethers.

  FIGS. 13 and 14 show a sixth embodiment of the present invention, in which the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description is omitted, and FIG. FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 13.

  The cap holding structure of the present embodiment is basically the same as that of the first embodiment, and the cap 5 is held by a bar-shaped tether 10 having a flexible shape holding property as shown in FIG. One end 10 a is fixed to the back surface 4 b of the filler lid 4, and the other end 10 b is a free end, and the tether 10 is movably inserted through a slide ring 20 provided on the cap 5 side.

  In the present embodiment, an engaging portion 30 for locking the free end portion 10b of the tether 10 is formed in the recessed portion 3 in which the fuel filler opening 1 is formed.

  The engaging portion 30 is formed on the side of the tether 10 where the free end portion 10b is disposed, that is, on the bottom portion 3a of the recessed portion 3 on the opposite side of the filler lid 4 with the oil filler 1 interposed therebetween. It is formed by being recessed along the spherical portion 12 provided at the free end portion 10b.

  Therefore, according to this embodiment, when the cap 5 is attached to the fuel filler opening 1, the free end portion 10 b of the tether 10 protruding from the slide ring 20 provided in the cap 5 portion is engaged with the engaging portion 30. Thus, when the recessed portion 3 is closed with the filler lid 4, it is possible to prevent the free end portion 10 b from being sandwiched between the filler lid 4 and the peripheral edge of the recessed portion 3.

  FIGS. 15 and 16 show a seventh embodiment of the present invention, in which the same components as those of the above-described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description is omitted, and FIG. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a mounting portion of the tether on the vehicle body side.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the cap holding structure of the present embodiment is configured to hold the cap 5 by a bar-shaped tether 10 </ b> C having a flexible shape holding property, as in the first embodiment. In particular, in this embodiment, both end portions 10Ca and 10Cb of the tether 10C are fixed to the recessed portion 3 and the back surface 4b of the filler lid 4.

  A ring portion 14 is formed in one end portion 10Ca of the tether 10C, and the one end portion 10Ca is fixed in the recessed portion 3 by fitting the ring portion 14 to the outer periphery of the fuel filler opening 1.

  Further, the other end portion 10 </ b> Cb of the tether 10 </ b> C is fixed to the lower portion on the open / close side of the back surface 4 b of the filler lid 4 via the clip 11.

  And the cap 5 removed from the fuel filler opening 1 moves the slide ring 20 to the filler lid 4 side along the tether 10C and holds it, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the cap holder 7 (see FIG. 1) provided on the back surface 4b of the filler lid 4 is eliminated by moving the cap 5 removed from the fuel filler opening 1 to the filler lid 4 side. Can do.

  FIG. 17 shows an eighth embodiment of the present invention, in which the same components as those in the above-mentioned embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description is omitted, and FIG. 17 holds a cap on the back surface of the door. It is a perspective view which shows a state.

  In the cap holding structure of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, both end portions 10Da and 10Db of the tether 10D are fixed to the back surface 4b of the filler lid 4 via the clips 11, respectively.

  At this time, a large-diameter portion 13A is formed at the end portion 10Db corresponding to the opening / closing tip side of the filler lid 4 of the tether 10D.

  Further, the cap 5 is provided with an auxiliary tether 10E protruding from a large-diameter ring 21 fitted to the cap 5, and a slide ring 20 is provided at the tip thereof, and the slide ring 20 is movably inserted into the tether 10D. It is.

  The large-diameter portion 13A formed in the tether 10D can generate a relatively large sliding resistance with the slide ring 20.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, since the tether 10D has both end portions 10Da and 10Db fixed to the filler lid 4 side, the tether 10D hardly bends when the filler lid 4 is opened and closed. Can be prevented.

  Further, the auxiliary tether 10E protrudes from the cap 5 and a slide ring 20 is provided at the tip thereof. However, since the slide ring 20 can move widely to the end of the tether 10D on the hinge 4a side, it protrudes from the cap 5. Since the length of the auxiliary tether 10E can be made shorter than before, the influence of the bending of the auxiliary tether 10E when the filler lid 4 is opened and closed can be reduced.

  Furthermore, the cap 5 that has been removed can be removed from the cap holder 7 (see FIG. 1), which becomes a protrusion, when the slide ring 20 is held in a state where the slide ring 20 is positioned on the large diameter portion 13A of the tether 10D. It is possible to effectively suppress tangling.

  By the way, although this invention was demonstrated taking the example in the said 1st-8th embodiment, various other embodiment can be employ | adopted in the range which is not restricted to these embodiments and does not deviate from the summary of this invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the tether has a round bar shape, but it can be inserted into the annular member in a tape shape as well as a prismatic shape. For example, the present invention can be applied to a cap used for other purposes without being limited to a filler cap that opens and closes an oil filler opening of an automobile.

It is a perspective view which shows the state which mounted | wore the opening part with the cap in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the state where the cap was removed from the opening in the first embodiment of the present invention and the door was opened. It is a front view of the state which connected the cap in 1st Embodiment of this invention to the tether. It is a perspective view of the cap which separated the annular member in a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view which shows the state which opened the door and attached the cap in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the cap along the AA line in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the assembly | attachment state of the cap in the 3rd Embodiment of this invention, a tether, and an annular member. It is a perspective view which shows the state which mounted | wore the opening part with the cap in 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which removed the cap in 3rd Embodiment of this invention, and was hold | maintained at the door side. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which penetrated the tether in the cyclic | annular member in 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the cyclic | annular member and tether insertion part which looked at the modification of 4th Embodiment of this invention from the front, (b) from the bottom, (c) from the side, respectively. It is a perspective view which shows the assembly | attachment state of the cap in the 5th Embodiment of this invention, a tether, and an annular member. It is a perspective view which shows the state which mounted | wore the opening part with the cap in 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view along the BB line in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state which mounted | wore the opening part with the cap in 7th Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the vehicle body side attachment part of the tether in 7th Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which hold | maintained the cap on the back surface of the door in 8th Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Refueling port (opening)
3 Recessed part 4 Filler lid (door)
4b Back 5 Filler cap (cap)
10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D tether 10B1 first tether 10B2 second tether 10b, 10Ab free end portion 12 spherical portion (drop-off prevention means)
13, 13A Large diameter part 13s Small diameter part 20, 20A, 20B1, 20B2 Slide ring (annular member)
22 Tube (annular member)
30 engaging part

Claims (11)

A cap that is provided in the body panel with a recessed portion that is opened and closed by a door and is detachably attached to an opening formed in the recessed portion,
A tether having a flexible shape-retaining property in which at least one end is fixed to either the door side or the vehicle body panel side and the cap side;
A cap holding structure comprising: an annular member that is provided on either the door side or the vehicle body panel side and the cap side and through which the tether is movably inserted.   The cap holding structure according to claim 1, wherein the annular member is formed on an outer periphery of the cap.   The cap holding structure according to claim 2, wherein the annular member can guide the tether toward the center of the cap.   The cap holding structure according to claim 1, wherein the tether has a diameter changed in a length direction thereof.   5. The cap holding device according to claim 1, wherein the annular member has an inner periphery through which the tether is inserted as a modified hole in which at least one opposed portion width is smaller than the tether diameter. Construction.   6. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the tether has a free end as its other end, and is provided with a drop-off preventing means for preventing the annular member from being detached at the free end. Retaining structure.   The tether has one end portion as a free end portion, and an engaging portion for locking the free end portion of the tether is formed in the recessed portion. The holding structure of the cap as described in one.   6. The cap holding structure according to claim 1, wherein both end portions of the tether are fixed to the inside of the recessed portion and the back surface of the door.   6. The cap holding structure according to claim 1, wherein both ends of the tether are fixed to the back surface of the door.   The tether is composed of a first tether provided on the door side or the vehicle body panel side and a second tether provided on the cap side, and at least one of the tip portion of the first tether and the tip portion of the second tether is annular. 7. A cap holding structure according to claim 1, wherein a member is provided, and the annular member is movably inserted into the second tether or the first tether as a counterpart. . A cap that is provided in the body panel with a recessed portion that is opened and closed by a door and is detachably attached to an opening formed in the recessed portion,
A tether having a flexible shape retaining property with one end attached to the cap;
An annular member that is fixed to the back surface of the door and through which the tether is movably inserted.

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