Patent Publication Number: US-7222893-B2

Title: Structure for attaching striker, having attachment bracket including base and protruding portion

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a structure for attaching a striker for vehicles such as cars. 
   Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-112198, filed Apr. 6, 2004, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   In an example of the structure for attaching a striker, the striker is tightened and fastened to a bracket which is provided at the back of a vehicle body panel. 
   Generally, the striker is attached in the final process of assembly of a vehicle body. More specifically, the striker is fastened after final fitting such as accurately positioning a door or a trunk lid in the assembled vehicle body is completed (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-152712). 
   However, in the above conventional technique in which the striker is attached to a bracket at the back of a vehicle body panel, it is difficult to perform the work of attaching the striker. In addition, when the attachment work is difficult, accurate positioning is also difficult and an additional or extra fitting or adjustment process may be necessary. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a structure for attaching a striker, wherein the attachment and positioning can be easily performed without a high level of skill. 
   Therefore, the present invention provides a structure for attaching a striker (e.g., a striker  20  in an embodiment explained below), comprising: 
   an attachment bracket (e.g., an attachment bracket  19  in the embodiment) including a base (e.g., a base  23  in the embodiment) and a protruding portion (e.g., a protruding portion  24  in the embodiment) joined to the base, wherein the base is fastened to a panel (e.g., a trunk lid  2  the embodiment) and the protruding portion extends in a direction different from a direction in which the base is arranged, 
   wherein the striker is attached to the protruding portion of the attachment bracket. 
   Typically, the panel is a member of a vehicle. 
   According to the above structure, in order to mount a striker, what is necessary is just to attach the striker to the protruding portion which protrudes from the base of the attachment bracket. Therefore, the attachment work can be precisely and easily performed while confirming the positions of the protruding portion and the striker. 
   Preferably, the striker has a swelling portion (e.g., a swelling portion  31  in the embodiment) which swells in a direction going away from the base of the attachment bracket. Accordingly, the engaging function necessary in the striker should be secured only in the swelling portion. Therefore, it is unnecessary to secure considerably large portions other than the swelling portion; thus, the attachment bracket can be small, thereby improving the flexibility in the arrangement of the striker. 
   The structure may further comprise a cover member (e.g., a cover member  33  in the embodiment) for covering an outside of the attachment bracket, wherein a work hole (e.g., work holes  39  in the embodiment) for adjusting the position of the striker is formed in the cover member. 
   Accordingly, the work for positioning the striker can be performed while the cover member is mounted, and additionally, the work hole of the cover member for covering the attachment bracket from the outside of the bracket can be formed at a position which is hidden from the outside, thereby improving the quality of appearance. 
   It is possible that: 
   the striker has a base plate (e.g., a base plate  27  in the embodiment) and a striker main portion (e.g., a striker main portion  28  in the embodiment); and 
   the base plate is approachable to and retreatable from the attachment bracket via at least one screw member (e.g., bolts  25  in the embodiment) which is inserted through a through hole (e.g., a through hole  26  in the embodiment) provided in the protruding portion of the attachment bracket and is adjustably screwed into the base plate. 
   Accordingly, it is possible to position an opening/closing portion, to which the striker is attached, with respect to a vehicle body or the like, by making the striker approach to or retreat from the attachment bracket via the at least one screw member. Therefore, positioning or attachment work can be easily performed. 
   In the above structure, it is possible that: 
   two screw members are adjustably screwed into the base plate in a manner such that the striker main portion is positioned between the two screw members; and 
   the base plate is variably inclined with respect to the attachment bracket, via the two screw members. 
   Accordingly, the degree of inclination of the striker main portion with respect to the protruding portion of the attachment bracket can be adjusted by adjusting the quantity of screwing of each screw member. Therefore, the direction of inclination and the direction of approach and retreat of the striker main portion with respect to the protruding portion of the attachment bracket can be finely adjusted. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a rear portion of a vehicle in an embodiment according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a sectional view along line A—A in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a main portion including a striker unit, viewed from the bottom, the cover member not being shown. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a portion for attaching the striker in the trunk lid, viewed from the outside of the interior of the vehicle. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a portion for attaching the striker in the trunk lid, viewed from the trunk interior. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings. 
     FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a rear portion of a vehicle in an embodiment according to the present invention. 
   As shown in the figure, in a rear portion of a vehicle body  1 , a trunk lid  2  (i.e., a panel (member)) is provided, which can be opened and closed. The trunk lid  2  has a rear wall  3  which extends downward so as to secure a wide space at a rear portion of a trunk opening  4 . A locking device  5  is provided at a lower edge of the trunk opening  4 , and a striker unit  7  corresponding to the locking device  5  is attached to a lower face  6  of the rear wall  3  of the trunk lid  2 . 
     FIG. 2  is a sectional view along line A—A in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a main portion including a striker unit, viewed from the bottom, the cover member not being shown. As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a reinforcement  9  is joined to a rear end panel  8  at a rear portion of the vehicle body  1 , thereby forming a closed-section structure in the rear portion of the vehicle body along the width direction of the vehicle. To a joint flange portion  10  of the rear end panel  8  and the reinforcement  9 , a trunk weatherstrip  11  is attached, which functions as a peripheral edge of the trunk opening  4 . At the back of the rear end panel  8 , a bumper face  12  is provided, and in the vicinity of the upper face of the bumper face  12 , the lower edge of the trunk lid  2  is positioned when the trunk lid  2  is closed. 
   The locking device  5 , mounted in the closed-section structure formed by the rear end panel  8  and the reinforcement  9 , has a locking main portion  13 . A striker  20  (explained below) enters through an upper opening  14  of the locking main portion  13 , so that the striker  20  is engaged with the locking device  5 . 
   The trunk lid  2  is formed by an outer panel  15  and an inner panel  16 , whose peripheral edges are wound and tightened together as shown in  FIG. 2 . When the trunk lid  2  is closed, the lower edge of the lid approaches the upper face of the bumper face  12 . A reinforcement  17  is joined to the lower face  6  of the rear wall  3  of the trunk lid  2 , that is, to the back face of the inner panel  16 . Together with the reinforcement  17 , the striker unit  7  is also attached to the inner panel  16 . 
   The striker unit  7  is composed of an attachment bracket  19  and a striker  20  attached to the attachment bracket  19 . 
   The attachment bracket  19 , a thick metal plate having an L-shaped section, has (i) a base  23  fastened to the inner panel  16  and the reinforcement  17  via two bolts  21  and  21  and a screw  22 , and (ii) a protruding portion  24 , integrally formed with the base  23 , extending from the base  23  downward (i.e., in a direction different from the direction in which the base  23  is arranged). Specifically, the base  23  of the attachment bracket  19  is arranged at an oblique angle backward and downward, in a manner such that the base  23  is arranged along the lower end of the closed trunk lid  2 , and the protruding portion  24  is arranged at an oblique angle backward and frontward, that is, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the base  23  is arranged. 
   In the protruding portion  24 , a through hole  26  is provided for a bolt  25  (i.e., a screw member) for fastening a base plate  27  of the striker  2 . 
   The striker  20  is composed of the base plate  27  and a striker main portion  28 . The base plate  27  is a metal member attached to the protruding portion  24  of the attachment bracket  19 . Two weld nuts  29  are attached to the base plate  27  in the width direction of the vehicle, and two bolts  25 , inserted through the through hole  26  of the protruding portion  24 , are screwed into the weld nuts  29 . Accordingly, the base plate  27  of the striker  20 , and therefore the striker  20  itself, can be closer to or farther from the attachment bracket  19  by using the two bolts  25  (see the double-headed arrow in  FIG. 2 ). 
   To the base plate  27 , the striker main portion  28 , having a loop shape and a rounded sectional shape, is fastened via caulking portions  30 . The caulking portions  30  are arranged on the base plate  27  in a manner such that the line drawn between the caulking portions  30  and the line between the weld nuts  29  cross each other, thereby forming a loop of the striker main portion  28  in the vertical direction. The striker main portion  28  has a swelling portion  31  at the head side, which swells downward, that is, in a direction going away from the base  23  of the attachment bracket  19 . 
   The lower side  32  of the swelling portion  31  is arranged backward at an oblique angle (see  FIG. 2 ), that is, in a direction perpendicular to the locus of approach to the locking main portion  13  of the locking device  5 . Accordingly, this lower side  32  engages with the locking main portion  13  of the locking device  5 , thereby locking the trunk lid  2 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , a cover member  33  (not shown in  FIG. 3 ) made of a resin is provided at the outside of the attachment bracket  19 . The cover member  33  is integrally formed with an interior material  34  attached to the inner panel  16  of the trunk lid  2 .  FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a portion for attaching the striker  20  in the trunk lid  2 , viewed from the outside of the interior of the vehicle. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the cover member  33  has an L-shaped slit  35  arranged along the base  23  and the protruding portion  24  of the attachment bracket  19 , so that the striker main portion  28  is exposed through the slit  35 . This cover member  33  also covers the back face of the protruding portion  24  of the attachment bracket  19 , and in a cover wall  36  which faces the back face, small work holes  39  for exposing only engaging portions  38  (see  FIG. 5 ) of the heads  37  of the two bolts  25  are formed. Here, the work holes  39 , open toward the trunk interior, are hidden from the outside, that is, the back side of the vehicle body  1 . 
   According to the above embodiment, in order to attach the striker  20  while positioning the striker, the striker  20  is attached to the protruding portion  24  which protrudes from the base  23  of the attachment bracket  19 , so that the attachment work can be precisely and easily performed while confirming the positions of the protruding portion  24  and the striker  20 . That is, the attachment work for the striker  20  does not include any work performed at the back side of the inner panel  16  of the trunk lid  2 , or the like. Therefore, a high level of skill is not necessary and the attachment work can be easily performed, thereby simply performing precise positioning or fitting in a short time. 
   In addition, the swelling portion  31  is provided in a head portion of the striker main portion  28 , where the swelling portion  31  swells downward, that is, in a direction going away from the base  23  of the attachment bracket  19 . Therefore, the engaging function necessary in the striker  20  should be secured only in the swelling portion  31 . Accordingly, it is unnecessary to secure considerably large portions other than the swelling portion  31 ; thus, the attachment bracket  19  can be small, thereby improving the flexibility in the arrangement of the striker  20 . 
   Furthermore, the cover member  33  is provided at the outside of the attachment bracket  19 , and the work holes  39  for adjusting the position of the striker  20  are formed in the cover member  33 . Therefore, the work for positioning the striker  20  can be performed while the cover member  33  is mounted, and additionally, the work holes  39  of the cover member  33  for covering the attachment bracket  19  from the outside of the bracket can be formed at positions which are hidden from the outside, that is, the trunk interior, thereby improving the quality of appearance. 
   In the positioning of the striker  20 , when the two bolts  25  are screwed by the same distance, the base plate  27  of the striker  20  approaches the protruding portion  24  of the attachment bracket  19  (see the arrow “( 1 )” in  FIG. 3 ). Conversely, when both bolts  25  are loosened, the base plate  27  of the striker  20  separates from the protruding portion  24  of the attachment bracket  19  (see the arrow “( 2 )” in  FIG. 3 ). Accordingly, a step between the trunk lid  2  and the vehicle body panel around the trunk opening  4  (refer to  FIG. 1 ) can be easily adjusted. 
   In  FIG. 1 , when viewed from the back side of the vehicle, if the width of the parting portion between the trunk lid  2  and the peripheral edge of the vehicle body panel surrounding the trunk opening  4  is not equal at the right and the left sides of the trunk lid  2 , for example, if the parting portion at the left side is narrower, this inequality can be overcome by slightly displacing the lower side  32  of the swelling portion  31  of the striker main portion  28  to the left side. More specifically, in this case, among two bolts  25  in  FIG. 5 , the quantity of screwing of the upper bolt  25  is increased in comparison with the lower bolt  25 , so that the striker main portion  28  is inclined to the direction indicated by the arrow “( 3 )” in  FIGS. 1 ,  4 , and  5 . According to this inclination, the lower side  32  of the swelling portion  31  of the striker main portion  28  is displaced in the width direction of the vehicle, so that the trunk lid  2  is relatively positioned toward the right side in  FIG. 1  with respect to the trunk opening  4 . 
   Accordingly, the direction of inclination and the direction of approach and retreat of the striker main portion  28  with respect to the protruding portion  24  of the attachment bracket  19  can be finely adjusted, thereby easily and correctly performing the work for adjusting the striker  20 . 
   While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated above, it should be understood that these are exemplary of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting. Additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as being limited by the foregoing description, and is only limited by the scope of the appended claims. 
   For example, in the above embodiment, the striker unit  7  is provided at the trunk lid  2 . However, the present invention can be applied to a constitution in which the striker unit  7  is attached to the vehicle (main) body side. In addition, instead of integrally forming the cover member  33  and the interior material  34 , the cover member  33  may be detachably attached.