Cover member

Abstract

To provide a cover member that improves the property of holding on to an engine while reducing a clearance after attachment to the engine.SOLUTION: A cover member for covering a portion to which a component of an engine is installed, comprises: a front plate opposed to the portion; a first side plate located at one of both side edges of the front plate and including a first flexible portion that protrudes outward in the width direction of the cover member and is deflected inward by pressing inward in the width direction, and a first pawl protruding outward from the first flexible portion; a bottom plate located at a bottom edge of the front plate and including a second pawl protruding toward the bottom side in the height direction of the cover member, and a second flexible portion that partially protrudes toward the bottom side and is deflected toward the top side by pressing toward the top side in the height direction; a first restraining plate that is located at the top edge of the front plate for restraining, together with the second pawl, falling of the cover member from the engine, which is caused by inner pressure to the rear face of the front plate; and a second side plate located at the other of both side edge of the front plate and including a second restraining plate for restraining rattling in the width direction together with the first flexible portion, for restraining rattling in the height direction together with the second flexible portion, and for restraining the falling caused by the inner pressure together with the first pawl.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cover member.

Background Art

[0002] Cover assemblies for attachment to engines without the use of screw components are known. A cover assembly for snap attachment to an engine without the use of screw components has a cover, clips, etc. (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When attaching a cover member such as a cover assembly to an engine with a clip, in order to secure the movable range of the clip during attachment, it is required to provide a gap between the cover member and the engine part to which the cover member is attached.

[0005] If this gap is large, the holding force of the cover member weakens, causing the cover member to rattle against the engine and potentially fall off the engine. Also, there is a possibility that foreign matter such as sand and dust may enter the inside of the cover member through this gap. On the other hand, if this gap is small, when attaching the cover member to the engine, the operator is required to push the cover member against the engine with a strong force. As a result, the workability of the operator may decrease.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cover member that improves the holding property against an engine while reducing the gap after attachment to the engine.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] The cover member according to the present invention is a cover member that covers an attachment portion for attaching engine parts, and includes a front plate facing the attachment portion, a first flexible portion that protrudes outward in the width direction of the cover member and bends inward based on a first pressing force applied inward in the width direction, and a first claw that protrudes outward from the first flexible portion. The cover member further includes a first side plate provided on one of both side edges of the front plate, a second claw that protrudes from the bottom side in the height direction of the cover member, a bottom plate provided on the bottom edge of the front plate, and a second flexible portion that partially protrudes from the bottom side and bends upward based on a second pressing force applied upward in the height direction. The cover member also includes a first restraining plate provided on the top edge of the front plate to suppress the detachment of the cover member from the engine based on the internal pressure acting on the back surface of the front plate together with the second claw, and a second side plate provided on the other of both side edges of the front plate, which includes a second restraining plate that suppresses the first play in the width direction of the cover member together with the first flexible portion, suppresses the second play in the height direction of the cover member together with the second flexible portion, and suppresses the detachment based on the internal pressure together with the first claw.

[0008] In the above configuration, the second restraining plate may suppress the first play by bringing the inclined surface of the second restraining plate into contact with a first surface of a separate part different from the part, and suppress the second play by bringing the top surface of the second restraining plate into contact with a second surface of the separate part.

[0009] In the above configuration, both the first restraining plate and the second restraining plate are made of either resin or metal, both the first flexible portion and the second flexible portion are made of the other of resin and metal, and when both the first flexible portion and the second flexible portion are made of resin, they may include either a resin clip or a resin latch.

[0010] In the above configuration, the bottom of the cover member may further have a bent drainage channel that drains water accumulated between the engine and the cover member from the back side of the cover member to the front side of the cover member.

[0011] In the above configuration, the drainage channel includes the water flow path, and the flow path may communicate with the ventilation port.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the holding property with respect to the engine while reducing the gap after attachment to the engine.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1(a), the engine 10 includes a cylinder head 11, a cylinder block 12, and an oil pan 13 as components of the engine 10 itself. Further, the engine 10 includes a transmission 20 and a starter 30 as components mounted on the engine 10.

[0016] The transmission 20 is arranged behind the engine 10 (specifically, at the rear of the vehicle). The transmission 20 may be arranged on the side of the engine 10 (specifically, on the side of the vehicle). The transmission 20 increases or decreases the torque and rotational speed from the engine 10 or reverses them according to the driving conditions of the vehicle and transmits them to the tires. The starter 30 is arranged, for example, across the outer wall of the cylinder block 12 and the outer wall of the oil pan 13. The starter 30 is powered by a battery (not shown) to start (i.e., crank) the engine 10.

[0017] The transmission 20 has bolt insertion parts 21, 22 on the outer wall of the transmission 20. The bolt shaft part of the bolt 23 is inserted into the bolt insertion part 21. The bolt shaft part of the bolt 24 is inserted into the bolt insertion part 22. The starter 30 has a starter case 31. The starter case 31 has a bottomed cylindrical shape. A starter motor is housed inside the starter case 31. A flange 32 is provided at the cylinder edge of the starter case 31. Two fastening holes for fastening to the bolt shaft parts of the bolts 23, 24 are provided vertically on the flange 32.

[0018] The bolt shaft part of the bolt 23 passes through a through hole provided inside the outer wall of the cylinder block 12 and is fastened by the upper fastening hole provided on the flange 32. The bolt shaft part of the bolt 24 passes through a through hole provided inside the outer wall of the oil pan 13 and is fastened by the lower fastening hole provided on the flange 32. Thereby, the transmission 20 and the starter 30 are integrally attached to the engine 10. More specifically, the transmission 20 and the starter 30 are integrally attached to the engine 10 via a starter attachment part 40 for attaching the starter 30.

[0019] Note that the starter attachment part 40 includes a predetermined space surrounded by the end parts of the outer walls of the cylinder block 12 and the oil pan 13, the bottom surface of the flange 32, and the end part of the outer wall of the transmission 20. The two above-mentioned through holes are provided behind the starter attachment part 40.

[0020] Here, if the vehicle travels with the starter mounting portion 40 exposed, there is a risk that foreign matter such as sand and dust may enter the inside of the cylinder block 12, the oil pan 13, and the transmission 20 during travel. In order to suppress (preferably prevent) the entry of such foreign matter, as shown in FIG. 1(b), a resin cover member 100 that covers the starter mounting portion 40 is attached to the engine 10. It is desirable to suppress the entry of foreign matter as much as possible. For this reason, after the cover member 100 is attached, it is required that the gap generated between the cover member 100 and the cylinder block 12, the oil pan 13, and the transmission 20 arranged around the cover member 100 be reduced as much as possible.

[0021] With reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, the configuration of the cover member 100 will be described.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cover member 100 has a front board 110, a first side board 120, a bottom board 130, a top board 140, and a second side board 150. The front board 110 is an example of a front plate. The first side board 120 is an example of a first side plate. The bottom board 130 is an example of a bottom plate. The top board 140 is an example of a first restraining plate. The second side board 150 is an example of a second side plate. The front board 110 is integrally coupled to the first side board 120, the bottom board 130, the top board 140, and the second side board 150 by resin.

[0023] The front board 110 is a flat resin plate facing the starter mounting portion 40. The first side board 120 is provided on one of both side edges of the front board 110. The bottom board 130 is provided on the bottom edge of the front board 110. The top board 140 is provided on the top edge of the front board 110. The second side board 150 is provided on the other of both side edges of the front board 110. Note that the angle formed by the front board 110 and the bottom board 130 is an acute angle, such as 60 degrees to 80 degrees. For this reason, for example, if the bottom board 130 is horizontal, the front board 110 is inclined at an acute angle.

[0024] The first side board 120 is a resin plate including a first flexible portion 121. The first flexible portion 121 includes a resin clip. The first flexible portion 121 may include a resin latch instead of the resin clip. The first flexible portion 121 is provided above the first side board 120. Specifically, the first flexible portion 121 is provided closer to the top board 140 than the bottom board 130. The first flexible portion 121 is provided inside a U-shaped resin piece 121A. Both ends of this resin piece 121A are coupled to the edge of the first side board 120.

[0025] Note that resin clips often include a clip structure that engages or mates at the clip tip. On the other hand, the resin clip according to this embodiment is simply pressed and bent without engaging or mating at the clip tip. However, even a clip structure has a moment when it bends temporarily. For this reason, although the resin clip according to this embodiment does not include a clip structure, since it approximates a clip structure in terms of having flexibility, the description of the resin clip is adopted. Detailed description of the resin latch is omitted for basically the same reason as that of the resin clip.

[0026] The shape of the first flexible portion 121 is a right trapezoidal prism. The first flexible portion 121 protrudes outward in the width direction of the cover member 100. The first flexible portion 121 is provided with a first claw 122 protruding outward in the width direction of the cover member 100. That is, the first flexible portion 121 serves as a base for the first claw 122. The edge between the bottom surface and the inclined surface of the first flexible portion 121 is connected to the bottom of the resin piece 121A. The inclination angles of the inclined surface of the first claw 122 and the inclined surface of the first flexible portion 121 are the same. For this reason, the inclined surface of the first claw 122 and the inclined surface of the first flexible portion 121 are flat. The first flexible portion 121 bends inward in the width direction based on the pressing inward in the width direction of the cover member 100. Therefore, for example, when the inclined surface of the first claw 122 is pressed inward in the width direction of the cover member 100, the first flexible portion 121 can be bent inward in the width direction of the cover member 100.

[0027] The bottom board 130 is a resin board including a second flexible part 131 and a second claw 132. The second flexible part 131 includes either a resin clip or a resin latch. As shown in FIG. 4, the second flexible part 131 partially protrudes to the bottom side in the height direction of the cover member 100 and bends toward the top side based on the pressing to the top side in its height direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the protruding piece 131A of the second flexible part 131 is pressed to the top side in the height direction of the cover member 100, the second flexible part 131 can be bent toward the top side of the cover member 100. The second claw 132 is a triangular prism protruding to the bottom side in the height direction of the cover member 100.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the top board 140 is a curved resin board including a curved surface 141. Although details will be described later, the top board 140, together with the second claw 132, suppresses the detachment of the cover member 100 from the engine 10 based on the internal pressure against the back surface of the front board 110.

[0029] The second side board 150 is a resin board including a guide board 151. The guide board 151 is an example of a second restraining plate. The guide board 151 is provided above the second side board 150. Specifically, the guide board 151 is provided closer to the top board 140 than the bottom board 130. The guide board 151 has a thickness thicker than the thickness of the second side board 150. The guide board 151 guides the attachment of the cover member 100 to the engine 10.

[0030] The guide board 151 has a guide top surface 152 and a guide inclined surface 153. Although details will be described later, the guide board 151 suppresses the play in the width direction of the cover member 100 together with the first flexible part 121. Also, the guide board 151 suppresses the play in the height direction of the cover member 100 together with the second flexible part 131. Furthermore, the guide board 151 suppresses the detachment of the cover member 100 from the engine 10 based on the internal pressure against the back surface of the front board 110 together with the first claw 122.

[0031] Here, the cover member 100 includes a mini-board 160 between the surface of the front board 110 and the bottom surface of the bottom board 130. That is, the mini-board 160 is provided at the bottom of the cover member 100. The mini-board 160 is a flat resin plate. The mini-board 160 is integrally coupled to either one or both of the front board 110 and the bottom board 130. The lower end portion of the mini-board 160 protrudes in the direction of the bottom side of the bottom board 130 to the same extent as the second claw 132.

[0032] The mini-board 160 is provided at the bottom of the cover member 100 at an angle different from the above-described acute angle. For example, the angle formed by the back surface of the mini-board 160 and the bottom surface of the bottom board 130 is an acute angle. Therefore, the angle formed by the surface (or back surface) of the mini-board 160 and the top surface of the bottom board 130 is an obtuse angle. For example, the angle formed by the surface (or back surface) of the mini-board 160 and the surface of the front board 110 is an acute angle smaller than the above-described acute angle, such as about 15 degrees to 30 degrees.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, the mini-board 160 includes a discharge port 161 for discharging water accumulated in the starter mounting portion 40. The starter mounting portion 40 is located between the outer wall of the engine 10 and the cover member 100. However, when the vehicle is an off-road vehicle traveling on a rough road or a river including puddles, water may accumulate there. Even when the vehicle is an on-road vehicle traveling on a paved road, if there is a puddle on the paved road, water may accumulate there. Such water includes, for example, muddy water and rainwater.

[0034] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, a water inlet 111 leading to the discharge port 161 is provided at the bottom of the front board 110. Although details will be described later, in order to promote water discharge and assist smooth discharge, as shown in FIG. 3, a vent hole 112 is provided on the surface of the bottom of the front board 110. Thereby, the water accumulated between the outer wall of the engine 10 and the back surface of the cover member 100 is drained from the back side of the cover member 100 to the front side of the cover member 100.

[0035] Note that, as shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the cover member 100 has a strength member 170 that couples with the U-shaped resin piece 121A. However, the cover member 100 may not have the strength member 170. The strength member 170 is provided on the back surface of the front board 110 and is arranged, for example, beside the first flexible portion 121 or between the first flexible portion 121 and the guide board 151. The strength member 170 has an upper plate 171 and a lower plate 172 that are arranged parallel to each other vertically. By providing the strength member 170 on the cover member 100, the strength of the portion of the front board 110 where the strength member 170 is provided is improved. As a result, temporary deformation of the cover member 100 when attaching the cover member 100 to the engine 10 is suppressed, and workability is improved.

[0036] Next, with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7, the operation of the cover member 100 will be described.

[0037] When the cover member 100 is attached to the engine 10, as shown in FIG. 5, first, the second claw 132 provided on the bottom board 130 is inserted alone into the groove portion 13P provided inside the outer wall of the oil pan 13. Next, with the second claw 132 inserted, the top board 140 is pushed in the direction of the cylinder block 12 with the second claw 132 as the rotation center axis. Thereby, the cover member 100 is attached to the engine 10.

[0038] When the cover member 100 is attached, the second flexible portion 131 is deflected toward the zenith side in the height direction of the cover member 100 as the protruding piece 131A comes into contact with the inner wall surface 13Q of the oil pan 13 with a strong interference. As a result, the cover member 100 is pushed upward. On the other hand, the guide top surface 152 of the guide board 151 comes into contact with and adheres to the inner wall surface 12P of the cylinder block 12 as the cover member 100 is pushed upward. Since both the guide top surface 152 and the inner wall surface 12P of the cylinder block 12 are flat surfaces, the guide top surface 152 adheres to the inner wall surface 12P. In this way, in a state where the cover member 100 is pushed up by the second flexible portion 131, the guide top surface 152 and the inner wall surface 12P of the cylinder block 12 are in close contact, so that rattling in the height direction of the cover member 100 is suppressed. That is, the guide board 151 supports (supports) the holding property of the cover member 100 in the height direction. In this way, the holding property of the cover member 100 is improved.

[0039] Also, when the cover member 100 is attached, as shown in FIG. 6, the first flexible portion 121 is deflected inward in the width direction of the cover member 100 as it comes into contact with the end surface 25P of the outer wall 25 of the transmission 20 with a strong interference. As a result, the cover member 100 is pushed into the direction of the engine 10. On the other hand, the guide slope 153 of the guide board 151 comes into contact with and adheres to the inner wall surface 12Q of the inner wall 12S of the cylinder block 12 as the cover member 100 is pushed in. Since both the guide slope 153 and the inner wall surface 12Q are flat surfaces, the guide slope 153 adheres to the inner wall surface 12Q. In this way, in a state where the cover member 100 is pushed in by the first flexible portion 121, the guide slope 153 and the inner wall surface 12Q of the inner wall 12S of the cylinder block 12 are in close contact, so that rattling in the width direction of the cover member 100 is suppressed. That is, the guide board 151 supports the holding property of the cover member 100 in the width direction.

[0040] In this way, the retention of the cover member 100 is improved. Also, thereby, the gap between the cover member 100 and the cylinder block 12 is reduced, and the entry of foreign matter inside the cover member 100 is suppressed. Furthermore, even when the gap is reduced, the attachment of the cover member 100 to the engine 10 is guided by the inclination of the guide slope 153. Thereby, a smooth attachment operation of the cover member 100 is ensured.

[0041] Here, as shown in FIG. 5, an internal pressure acts on the back surface of the front board 110. This internal pressure is a water pressure caused by water such as the muddy water and rainwater described above. Thereby, the cover member 100 may fall off from the engine 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, there is a possibility that the guide board 151 side rotates and disengages with the first claw 122 as the rotation center axis. Also, if there is no second claw 132, as shown in FIG. 5, there is a possibility that the top board 140 rotates to the front side of the front board 110 with a portion having a strong internal pressure in the front board 110 as the rotation center axis and disengages. Also, depending on the portion having a strong internal pressure in the front board 110, the bottom of the cover member 100 may come off from the oil pan 13.

[0042] To avoid such detachment, not only is the first claw 122 hooked on the inner wall surface 25Q of the outer wall 25 of the transmission 20, but also the guide slope 123 is in close contact with the inner wall surface 12Q of the inner wall 12S of the cylinder block 12. Thereby, the rotation with the first claw 122 as the rotation center axis is inhibited, and the detachment of the cover member 100 from the engine 10 is suppressed.

[0043] Also, not only is the second claw 132 inserted into the groove portion 13P of the oil pan 13, but while inclining the front board 110, the curved surface 141 of the top board 140 is in close contact with the curved surface 12R of the cylinder block 12. Thereby, even when a portion having a strong internal pressure in the front board 110 becomes the rotation center axis, the detachment of the cover member 100 from the top board 140 and the detachment from the bottom of the cover member 100 are suppressed.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 7, the drainage from the cover member 100 will be described. Note that the enlarged portion ZM shown in FIG. 7 corresponds to the enlarged portion ZM shown in FIG. 5.

[0045] The water accumulated on the back side of the cover member 100 is discharged from the discharge port 161 via the drainage channel 113 through the water inlet 111. That is, the water accumulated between the outer wall of the engine 10 and the cover member 100 is drained from the back side of the cover member 100 to the front side of the cover member 100. The drainage channel 113 is bent in a labyrinth structure including, for example, a Z shape. For this reason, the water introduced into the drainage channel 113 due to vibrations of the vehicle or the like hits the back surface of the miniboard 160 and is forcibly cranked toward the discharge port 161. Since the discharge port 161 has such a bent structure, the entry of foreign matter from the discharge port 161 is suppressed. Note that the discharge port 161 may be a hole or a slit.

[0046] Also, as described above, the water pressure caused by water acts as an internal pressure on the back surface of the front board. In order to release such internal pressure, the upper end of the water flow path 114 of the drainage channel 113 communicates with the vent hole 112. Since the cover member 100 has such a structure, the discharge of water is promoted and the water is discharged smoothly.

[0047] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims.

[0048] For example, in the present embodiment, the cover member 100 that covers the starter mounting portion 40 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to such a cover member 100, and the gist of the present invention may be adopted for various cover members. For example, the gist of the present invention may be adopted for resin caps of cast parts such as engine mounts, NV (Noise Vibration) covers, wire harness covers, service hole covers, and the like.

[0049] In addition, in this embodiment, the resin cover member 100 has been described as an example, but metal may be adopted for a part of the cover member 100. For example, both the top board 140 and the guide board 151 may be made of either resin or metal, and both the first flexible portion 121 and the second flexible portion 131 may be made of the other of resin and metal. Since the strength of both the top board 140 and the guide board 151 is different from that of both the first flexible portion 121 and the second flexible portion 131, the holding property of the cover member 100 may be improved.

Explanation of Signs

[0050] 10 Engine 20 Transmission 30 Starter 40 Starter mounting portion 100 Cover member 110 Front board (front plate) 120 First side board (first side plate) 121 First flexible portion 122 First claw 130 Bottom board (bottom plate) 131 Second flexible portion 132 Second claw 140 Top board (first restraining plate) 150 Second side board (second side plate) 151 Guide board (second restraining plate) 160 Mini board

Claims

1. A cover member that covers an attachment portion for attaching engine parts, comprising: a front plate facing the attachment portion; a first side plate provided on one of both side edges of the front plate, including a first flexible portion that protrudes outward in the width direction of the cover member and bends inward based on a first pressing force toward the inner side, and a first claw that protrudes outward from the first flexible portion; a bottom plate provided at the bottom edge of the front plate, including a second claw that protrudes from the bottom side of the cover member in the height direction, and a second flexible portion that partially protrudes from the bottom side and bends toward the zenith side based on a second pressing force toward the zenith side in the height direction; a first restraining plate provided at the top edge of the front plate, which suppresses the detachment of the cover member from the engine due to internal pressure against the back surface of the front plate, together with the second claw; a second side plate provided on the other of both side edges of the front plate, including a second restraining plate that suppresses the first play in the width direction of the cover member together with the first flexible portion, suppresses the second play in the height direction of the cover member together with the second flexible portion, and suppresses the detachment due to the internal pressure together with the first claw; A cover member having the above components.

2. The second restraining plate suppresses the first play by bringing the inclined surface of the second restraining plate into contact with a first surface of a separate part different from the part, and suppresses the second play by bringing the top surface of the second restraining plate into contact with a second surface of the separate part. The cover member according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. Both the first restraining plate and the second restraining plate are made of either resin or metal. Both the first flexible portion and the second flexible portion are made of the other of resin and metal. When both the first flexible portion and the second flexible portion are made of resin, the first flexible portion and the second flexible portion include either a resin clip or a resin latch. The cover member according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

4. The cover member further has a bent drainage channel at the bottom for draining water accumulated between the engine and the cover member from the back side of the cover member to the front side of the cover member. The cover member according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

5. The drainage channel includes a water flow path. The water flow path communicates with a vent hole. The cover member according to claim 4, characterized in that.

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