Inlet box mounting structure of car

• US 9,083,163 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2012
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ikuta, Hiroshige, Tamaoki, Teruaki, Matsuda, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Morrow, Jason S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hicks, E Turner
• Application Number:
  US13/808,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20140060920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 296/97.22, 296/208, 296/1.05, 296/1.06
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/00 Doors B60J10/00 takes precedence; window aspects B60J1/00 ; side board or tailgate structures for open load compartments B62D33/023
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/05 Inlet covers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0458 Details of the tank inlet
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0507 Arrangements for adjusting the inlet cover
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/053 with hinged connection to the vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0553 Details concerning the inlet box or bowl in the vehicle car body panel
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 7/00 Special arrangements or measures in connection with doors or windows arrangements against burglary at the edges of the wings E06B5/113 ; screening or similar protective devices E06B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/08 Distribution boxes; Connection or junction boxes

Abstract

A mounting structure of an inlet box of a car which includes an outer panel of the car having a hole, an inlet box inserted in the hole, a flange provided around the opening of the inlet box and an engaging claw provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inlet box. The flange is set around the hole from the outside onto the edge. The flange is screwed to the edge of the hole of the outer panel from the inside. The engaging claw engages the hole of the edge of the outer panel from the inside when the flange is set on the edge of the hole. The engaging claw is capable of disengaging from the edge of the hole by a disengagement operation occurring inside the outer panel.

Claims

1. An inlet box mounting structure of a car, comprising:

an outer panel of a car having a hole;

an inlet box inserted into the hole along a curved insertion path;

a flange provided around an opening of the inlet box,

wherein the flange is set onto an edge of the hole from the outside and screwed to the edge of the hole of the outer panel from the inside;

an engaging claw provided on an outer peripheral surface of the inlet box,

wherein the engaging claw engages the edge of the hole of the outer panel from the inside when the flange is set on the edge of the hole, and

wherein the engaging claw is capable of disengaging from the edge of the hole by a disengagement operation of the outer panel;

a positioning hole provided on the edge of the hole of the outer panel; and

a curved positioning pin provided in the flange of the inlet box;

wherein the positioning pin is curved along the curved insertion path of the inlet box into the hole in the outer panel;

further wherein the curved positioning pin is inserted into the positioning hole.

2. An inlet box mounting structure of a car according to claim 1, further comprising:

a lid to open and close the opening of the inlet box; and

a hinge mechanism connecting the lid to the inlet box,

wherein the hinge mechanism comprises;

a hinge hole provided in the lid;

a hinge pin inserted in the hinge hole;

a ridge and a groove provided between the hinge pin and the hinge hole and fitted to each other so as to restrict the relative rotation of the lid and the hinge pin; and

a biasing member biasing the hinge pin to hold the lid at a certain position;

wherein the ridge and the groove comprise a contact surface between each other and perpendicular to the direction of the rotational force applied by the biasing member.

3. An inlet box mounting structure of a car according to claim 1,

wherein a charging connector is provided in the inlet box, which is to be connected to a power source connector when charging the battery of the car.

13. The inlet box mounting structure of claim 1, wherein the inlet box comprises a laterally extending portion that is first inserted into the hole of the outer panel of the car.

14. The inlet box mounting structure of claim 13, wherein the curved positioning pin is inserted into the positioning hole after the laterally extending portion is inserted into the hole of the outer panel of the car, such that the inlet box rotates along the curved insertion path into the hole in the outer panel of the car.

15. The inlet box mounting structure of claim 14, further comprising an auxiliary positioning pin inserted into an auxiliary positioning hole provided on the edge of the hole of the outer panel after insertion of the curved positioning pin into the positioning hole.

16. The inlet box mounting structure of claim 15, wherein the curved positioning pin and the auxiliary positioning pin are adapted to position at least one bolt with respect to a corresponding bolt hole for mounting the inlet box to the car.

4. An inlet box mounting structure for a car, comprising:

an inlet box adapted for insertion along a curved insertion path into a hole of an outer panel of a car, the inlet box defining an opening and having an outer peripheral surface;

a flange provided around the opening of the inlet box, the flange adapted to be set onto an edge of the hole from the outside;

an engaging claw provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inlet box, the engaging claw being adapted to engage the edge of the hole of the outer panel from the inside when the flange is set on the edge of the hole, further wherein the engaging claw is capable of disengaging from the edge of the hole; and

a curved positioning pin provided in the flange of the inlet box, the curved positioning pin being adapted for insertion into a positioning hole provided on the edge of the hole of the outer panel;

wherein the positioning pin is curved along the curved insertion path of the inlet box into the hole in the outer panel.

5. The inlet box mounting structure of claim 4, wherein the flange is adapted to be fastened to the edge of the hole of the outer panel from the inside.

6. The inlet box mounting structure of claim 4, wherein the engaging claw is capable of disengaging from the edge of the hole by a disengagement operation of the outer panel.

7. The inlet box mounting structure of claim 4, further comprising:

a lid to open and close the opening of the inlet box; and

a hinge mechanism connecting the lid to the inlet box,

wherein the hinge mechanism comprises;

a hinge hole provided in the lid;

a hinge pin inserted in the hinge hole;

a ridge and a groove provided between the hinge pin and the hinge hole and fitted to each other so as to restrict the relative rotation of the lid and the hinge pin; and

a biasing member biasing the hinge pin to hold the lid at a certain position;

wherein the ridge and the groove comprise a contact surface between each other and perpendicular to the direction of the rotational force applied by the biasing member.

8. The inlet box mounting structure of claim 4, further comprising a charging connector provided in the inlet box, the charging connector adapted to be connected to a power source connector when charging a battery of the car.

9. The inlet box mounting structure of claim 4, wherein the inlet box comprises a laterally extending portion adapted for first insertion into the hole of the outer panel of the car.

10. The inlet box mounting structure of claim 9, wherein the curved positioning pin is adapted for insertion into the positioning hole after insertion of the laterally extending portion into the hole of the outer panel of the car, such that the inlet box is adapted to rotate along the curved insertion path into the hole in the outer panel of the car.

11. The inlet box mounting structure of claim 10, further comprising an auxiliary positioning pin adapted for insertion into an auxiliary positioning hole provided on the edge of the hole of the outer panel after insertion of the curved positioning pin into the positioning hole.

12. The inlet box mounting structure of claim 11, wherein the curved positioning pin and the auxiliary positioning pin are adapted to position at least one bolt with respect to a corresponding bolt hole for mounting the inlet box to the car.