Attachment for a resinous reservoir

An attachment for a synthetic resinous reservoir as used in an automotive power steering system is provided with a steel bracket having a vertically extending dovetail slot whose horizontal width is narrowed as the height of the same decreases. The synthetic resinous reservoir has protruded from its side surface a vertically extending dovetail portion whose horizontal width is likewise narrowed as the height of the same decreases for close fitting in the dovetail slot. The dovetail portion presents at a part thereof a horizontal surface portion, which is in abuttable engagement with an upper end of a holding member bodily formed on the bracket, so that the reservoir can be prevented from generating chatter relative to the bracket.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to an attachment used in attaching a resinous 
reservoir to a fixed part such as, for example, the body of a motor 
vehicle. 
2. Discussion of the Background 
Resently, it has become common to make oil reservoirs used in power 
steering systems of motor vehicles, of a synthetic resin for light weight 
and high productivity. Such resinous reservoirs are usually mounted in a 
motor vehicle engine room by the use of a reservoir attachment with a 
screw-fastened steel band. Further, an improved reservoir attachment has 
been proposed for easier mounting of a resinous reservoir. This attachment 
is composed of a mounting bracket, which supports the reservoir, with an 
upper engaging edge and opposite side engaging edges thereof being 
respectively fitted in an upper guide slot and opposite side guide slots 
formed on one lateral surface of the reservoir. The attachment also 
utilizes a protrusion-groove engagement so that the reservoir can be 
prevented from being upwardly removed from the bracket. 
However, since a large change in dimensions of such a resinous reservoir 
takes place depending upon the environmental temperature changing, a 
relatively large clearance, may be made at each edge-slot engaging portion 
as well as the protrusion-groove engaging portion, and this results in 
chatter being generated by the reservoir. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an 
improved attachment for a resinous reservoir capable of not only making 
the mounting of the reservoir easy, but also preventing chatter being 
generated from the reservoir relative to a mounting bracket therefor. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved 
attachment of the character set forth above wherein any clearance which 
may occur at each engaging portion between a mounting bracket and a 
resinous reservoir can be absorbed, thereby being reliable in operation 
notwithstanding that a relatively large change in the dimension of the 
reservoir takes place due to a temperature change or during the course of 
a span of time. 
Briefly, according to the present invention, there is provided an 
attachment which comprises a mounting bracket for mounting a resinous 
reservoir thereon. The reservoir is formed with a vertically extending 
dovetail portion whose horizontal width is narrowed as the height position 
decreases. The bracket is formed with a vertically extending dovetail slot 
whose horizontal width is likewise narrowed as the height position 
decreases down, for permitting the dovetail portion to be closely fitted 
therein. The dovetail portion is also formed with a horizontal surface 
portion, with which in a holding member formed bodily on the bracket is in 
abuttable engagement for preventing the dovetail portion from being 
upwardly removed from the dovetail slot. 
With this configuration, since both the dovetail portion and the slot is 
narrowed in a downward direction, the engagement of the holding member 
with the horizontal surface portion so as maintains the dovetail portion 
to be closely fitted in the dovetail slot, whereby the reservoir can be 
prevented from generating chatter to the bracket.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 
thereof, reference numeral 10 denotes a synthetic resinous reservoir for 
containing oil therein. The reservoir 10 is formed with a vertically 
extending dovetail portion 11 whose width in a horizontal direction is 
narrowed as the height position comes down. The dovetail portion 11 has at 
its mid portion a vertically extending rib 12 (see FIGS. 3 and 4), which 
is slanted toward the center axis of the reservoir 10 as its height 
position comes down. On the other hand, a mounting bracket 14 made of 
steel is formed with a vertically extending dovetail slot 15. The width of 
this dovetail slot 15 in a horizontal direction is narrowed as its height 
decreases, for permitting the dovetail portion 11 to be closely fitted 
therein. Further, the bracket 14 is bodily formed with a holding piece 16, 
whose lower portion is in abutting engagement with a slanted surface 
portion 12a of the reservoir rib 12. A stop portion 17 is further formed 
at the upper end of the holding piece 16, as best shown in FIG. 4. This 
stop portion 17 is in abutting engagement with the top surface of the 
reservoir rib 12 so that the dovetail portion 11 can be prevented from 
being upwardly removed from the dovetail slot 15. 
When an environmental temperature drop causes the resinous reservoir 10 to 
be contracted, a relatively large clearance may be created between the 
dovetail portion 11 and the dovetail slot 15. However, such a clearance 
can be eliminated through the downward movement of the dovetail portion 11 
into the dovetail slot 15, whereby chatter generated between the reservoir 
10 and the bracket 14 can be reliably prevented. In order to cause the 
downward movement of the dovetail portion 11, the stop portion 17 of the 
holding piece 16 is bent to the extent that it applies an urging force to 
the top surface of the rib 12 at a room temperature. Likewise, the lower 
portion of the holding piece 16 is bent to the extent that it applies an 
urging force to the slanted surface 12a of the rib 12, so that the 
reservoir can be prevented from generating chatter relative to the bracket 
14 in a horizontal direction (i.e., in a radial direction of the reservoir 
10). 
FIG. 5 shows a part of a second embodiment of an reservoir attachment 
according to the present invention. In this embodiment, a V-shaped leaf 
spring 18 is interposed between the slanted surface 12a of the reservoir 
rib 12 and the holding piece 16 which is bodily formed on the bracket 14, 
so as to positively provide a tension between the reservoir 10 and the 
bracket 14. 
Obviously, numerous modification and variations of the present invention 
are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be 
understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the present 
invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically descired herein.