Coupling structure for coupling two members

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9926967-B2
Application number	US-201615138747-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2016
Priority date	Jun 22, 2015
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A coupling structure, including: a pair of slots extending in a circumferential direction of a sleeve portion of a first member; a circumferential groove formed in an outer circumference of a shaft portion of a second member; and a coupling member configured such that a part thereof is fitted into the circumferential groove through the slots for coupling the sleeve portion and the shaft portion so as to be rotatable relative to each other, wherein the coupling member is rotated while being elastically deformed, so as to disengage the coupling member from the circumferential groove for uncoupling the first member and the second member from each other, and wherein an extending portion of the coupling member has a length so designed as to prohibit its distal end from getting into the circumferential groove even when the coupling member excessively rotates and the extending portion accordingly engages one of the slots.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A coupling structure coupling a first member having a sleeve portion and a second member having a shaft portion configured to be fitted in the sleeve portion, the coupling structure comprising a coupling member formed by bending a wire and including:
(A) a pair of first and second engaging portions extending in parallel to each other and respectively engaging a pair of slots defined with the sleeve portion, each of which extends in a circumferential direction of the sleeve portion and which are opposed to each other with an axis of the sleeve portion interposed therebetween;
(B) a connecting portion connecting one end of the first engaging portion and one end of the second engaging portion, which one ends are diagonally opposed to each other, the connecting portion extending from the one end of the second engaging portion toward the other end of the first engaging portion so as to surround the first engaging portion for connecting the one end of the second engaging portion and the one end of the first engaging portion;
wherein the connecting portion includes a first-engaging-portion-side connecting portion extending transverse to the first engaging portion in a direction opposite the second engaging portion, an intermediate portion extending transverse to the first-engaging-portion-side connecting portion, and a second-engaging-portion-side connecting portion extending from the intermediate portion to the second engaging portion; and
(C) an extending portion extending straight from the other end of the second engaging portion toward the one end of the first engaging portion, wherein:
the coupling member is configured such that the first and second engaging portions are fitted into a circumferential groove formed in an outer circumference of the shaft portion through the slots in a state in which the slots and the circumferential groove are positioned relative to each other, for coupling the sleeve portion and the shaft portion so as to be rotatable relative to each other;
the coupling structure is configured to enable the first member and the second member to be uncoupled from each other by rotating the coupling member with respect to the sleeve portion while elastically deforming the coupling member, so as to disengage the coupling member from the circumferential groove, and
the extending portion has a length so designed as to overlap the first-engaging-portion-side connecting portion and prohibit a distal end thereof from getting into the circumferential groove even when the coupling member excessively rotates and the extending portion accordingly engages one of the slots.

2. The coupling structure according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting portion of the coupling member has a protruding portion that protrudes in a direction intersecting a plane including the pair of first and second engaging portions and the extending portion.

3. The coupling structure according to claim 2 , wherein the protruding portion is formed so as to protrude in a direction in which the axis of the sleeve portion extends.

4. The coupling structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the coupling structure links (a) an operation input shaft which is one constituent element of a transmission of a vehicle and which is configured to be rotatable and (b) an operation member for operating the transmission, by coupling: a cable end, as the first member, provided at one end of a cable having the other end connected to the operation member; and a lever, as the second member, extending from the operation input shaft in a radial direction thereof,
wherein the sleeve portion is provided at the cable end so as to extend in a direction intersecting the cable,
wherein the shaft portion is provided at a distal end of the lever so as to extend upright, and
wherein the coupling member is configured to couple the sleeve portion of the cable end and the shaft portion of the lever.

5. The coupling structure according to claim 1 , wherein the first engaging portion, the second engaging portion and the connecting portion lie substantially within a single plane.

6. The coupling structure according to claim 5 , wherein the intermediate portion protrudes away from the single plane and is configured to protrude in a direction of an axis of the sleeve portion.

7. The coupling structure according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate portion extends substantially parallel to the first engaging portion, and the second-engaging-portion-side connecting portion extends parallel to the first-engaging-portion-side connecting portion.

8. The coupling structure according to claim 7 , wherein the intermediate portion protrudes away from the single plane and is configured to protrude in a direction of an axis of the sleeve portion.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kawai Hitoshi
• Kato Shori

Classifications

• F16H2059/026

  Details or special features of the selector casing or lever support · CPC title

• F16H59/02 Primary

  Selector apparatus · CPC title

• F16C1/14 Primary

  Construction of the end-piece of the flexible member; Attachment thereof to the flexible member · CPC title

• F16B21/186

  external, i.e. with contracting action · CPC title

• F16B19/02

  Bolts or sleeves for positioning of machine parts, e.g. notched taper pins, fitting pins, sleeves, eccentric positioning rings · CPC title