Tamper-proof molded article and accelerator apparatus having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9796265-B2
Application number	US-90816010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2010
Priority date	Oct 21, 2009
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A support member includes a base projection. A cover includes a press-fitting portion and a cover projection. The press-fitting portion is press-fitted to a press-fitting hole of the support member. The cover projection is placed at a location, which is spaced from the base projection in a state where the press-fitting portion is press-fitted. At time of disassembling between the support member and the cover by sliding the cover in a releasing direction, the base projection and the cover projection contact with each other to form a disassembly indication mark, which indicates the disassembling between the cover and the support member, on at least one of the base projection and the cover projection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tamper-proof molded article comprising:
a base that includes a first interference portion, which is formed as one piece with a plate of the base; and
a cover that is installed to the base and includes:
a press-fitting portion that is press-fitted into a corresponding portion of the base in a press-fitting direction to place the press-fitting portion into a press-fitted state; and
a second interference portion that is placed at a location, which is spaced from the first interference portion in the press-fitted state of the press-fitting portion, wherein the second interference portion is formed as one piece with a wall of the cover, which is placed adjacent to the wall of the base, and the first interference portion and the second interference portion are configured such that the first interference portion and the second interference portion contact with each other to form a disassembly indication mark, which indicates disassembling between the cover and the base, on at least one of the first interference portion and the second interference portion when the cover is slid over the base in a releasing direction, which is opposite from the press-fitting direction, to release the press-fitting portion from the corresponding portion of the base and thereby to disassemble between the cover and the base, and the second interference portion is formed as one piece with a wall of the cover to limit detachment of the second interference portion from the wall of the cover when the first interference portion and the second interference portion contact with each other to form the disassembly indication mark on the at least one of the first interference portion and the second interference portion.

2. The tamper-proof molded article according to claim 1 , wherein the first interference portion and the second interference portion are placed at corresponding locations, respectively, at which the first interference portion and the second interference portion are adapted to contact with each other immediately after releasing of the press-fitting of the press-fitting portion from the corresponding portion of the base.

3. The tamper-proof molded article according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between the first interference portion and the second interference portion in the press-fitted state of the press-fitting portion is substantially the same as a length of the press-fitting portion, which is measured in the press-fitting direction.

4. The tamper-proof molded article according to claim 1 , wherein:
the base includes a mount portion, to which the cover is installed;
the first interference portion is a first projection that projects from a surface of the base, at which the mount portion is formed, on a lateral side of the mount portion; and
the second interference portion is a second projection, which projects from a lateral surface of the cover.

5. The tamper-proof molded article according to claim 4 , wherein:
the first projection includes a slope portion;
the slope portion is sloped such that one side part of the slope portion, which is opposite from the second projection in the press-fitting direction in the press-fitted state of the press-fitting portion, has a first projecting height in a projecting direction of the first projection, and another side part of the slope portion, which is located on a second projection side and is opposite from the one side part of the slope portion in the press-fitting direction, has a second projecting height in the projecting direction of the first projection; and
the second projecting height is larger than the first projecting height in the projecting direction of the first projection.

6. The tamper-proof molded article according to claim 4 , wherein the second projection has an end part, which is opposite from the first projection in the press-fitting direction in the press-fitted state of the press-fitting portion, and the end part of the second projection has an arcuately curved surface.

7. The tamper-proof molded article according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second interference portion is a cover hole that is formed in a surface of the cover, which contacts the base; and
the first interference portion is a first projection, which is received in the cover hole in the press-fitted state of the press-fitting portion.

8. The tamper-proof molded article according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first interference portion is a base hole that is formed in a surface of the base, which contacts the cover; and
the second interference portion is a second projection, which is received in the base hole in the press-fitted state of the press-fitting portion.

9. The tamper-proof molded article according to claim 1 , wherein the press-fitting portion is configured such that the press-fitted state of the press-fitting portion is maintained at least until the second interference portion of the cover is placed adjacent to the first interference portion of the base during a time of sliding the cover over the base in the releasing direction.

10. The tamper-proof molded article according to claim 1 , wherein the first interference portion is formed as one piece with the base.

11. An accelerator apparatus comprising a tamper-proof molded article, the tamper-proof molded article comprising:
a base that includes a first interference portion, which is formed as one piece with a plate of the base; and
a cover that is installed to the base and includes:
a press-fitting portion that is press-fitted into a corresponding portion of the base in a press-fitting direction to place the press-fitting portion into a press-fitted state; and
a second interference portion that is placed at a location, which is spaced from the first interference portion in the press-fitted state of the press-fitting portion, wherein the second interference portion is formed as one piece with a wall of the cover, which is placed adjacent to the wall of the base, and the first interference portion and the second interference portion are configured such that the first interference portion and the second interference portion contact with each other to form a disassembly indication mark, which indicates disassembling between the cover and the base, on at least one of the first interference portion and the second interference portion when the cover is slid over the base in a releasing direction, which is opposite from the press-fitting direction, to release the press-fitting portion from the corresponding portion of the base and thereby to disassemble between the cover and the base, and the second interference portion is formed as one piece with a wall of the cover to limit detachment of the second interference portion from the wall of the cover when the first interference portion and the second interference portion contact with each other to form the disassembly indication mark on the at least one of the first interference portion and the second interference portion.

12. The accelerator apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the base is a support member, which is adapted to be installed to a body of a vehicle.

13. The accelerator apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising:
an accelerator pedal that is rotatably supported by the support member and is adapted to be operated by a driver of the vehicle; and
a rotation sensing member that is received in the support member and senses rotation of the accelerator pedal, wherein the cover covers the rotation sensing member, which is received in the support member.

Assignees

• Watanabe Hidekazu
• Saito Takehiro
• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Watanabe Hidekazu
• Saito Takehiro

Classifications

• B60K26/02 Primary

  of initiating means or elements · CPC title

• F16B5/126

  at least one of the sheets, plates, bars or strips having integrally formed or integrally connected snap-in-features · CPC title

• H05K5/0078

  specially adapted for acceleration sensors, e.g. crash sensors, airbag sensors · CPC title

• F16B4/004

  Press fits, force fits, interference fits, i.e. fits without heat or chemical treatment (F16B4/002 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T428/24289

  Embedded or interlocked · CPC title