Patent Publication Number: US-9845615-B2

Title: Mounting structure of decorative cap

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of PCT application No. PCT/JP2015/063817, which was filed on May 13, 2015 based on Japanese Patent Application (No. 2014-099324) filed on May 13, 2014, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     &lt;Field of the Invention&gt; 
     The present invention relates to a mounting structure of a decorative cap. 
     &lt;Description of Related Art&gt; 
     Patent Literature 1 (:JP-A-2003-155848) discloses a mounting structure of a decorative cap that covers a cylinder lock, which controls an opening and closing operation of a door, using a decorative cap member. In the mounting structure of a decorative cap of Patent Literature 1, a protrusion portion from a door panel of the cylinder lock, which is retained in a door of a vehicle, is covered using a block (a decorative cap member). A locking and unlocking operation of the cylinder lock is performed by inserting an unlocking key from an opening that is provided in an open manner in the decorative cap member. 
     In the mounting structure of a decorative cap of Patent Literature 1, the infiltration of water, which is stagnant inside recessed portions of the opening and the outer surface of the cylinder lock, inside the cylinder lock, or the infiltration of water inside the cylinder lock from a water removal opening, which is provided in the cylinder lock in order to eject water inside the cylinder lock that infiltrates from a boundary between the decorative cap member and the cylinder lock may be causes of an inoperable status of the cylinder lock due to freezing during cold seasons.
     [Patent Literature 1] JP-A-2003-155848   

     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure relates to a mounting structure of a decorative cap that can effectively prevent the infiltration of water inside a cylinder lock. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a front view of an outside handle device of a vehicle to which a mounting structure of a decorative cap is applied.  FIG. 1B  is an enlarged view of a decorative cap member portion. 
         FIG. 2A  is an arrow view in the direction of  2 A in  FIG. 1B .  FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view along a line  2 B- 2 B in  FIG. 2A .  FIG. 2C  is an arrow view in the direction of  2 C in  FIG. 2A . 
         FIG. 3A  is a rear surface view of a decorative cap member.  FIG. 3B  is a perspective view of the decorative cap member viewed from a rear surface. 
         FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional view along a line  4 A- 4 A in  FIG. 3A .  FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional view along a line  4 B- 4 B in  FIG. 3A . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, embodiments will be described while referring to the appended drawings. Additionally, the appended drawings and the following disclosure are illustrative examples of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the principal subject that is disclosed in the claims. 
       FIG. 1A  shows an outside handle device of a vehicle. The outside handle device includes a handle base  14 , which is fixed to a door panel  1  of the vehicle, an operation handle  15 , which is connected to the handle base  14  in a manner of being freely rotatable around an axis of rotation (C), and a cylinder lock section  16 , and a door opening operation of a door is possible as a result of a door latch (not illustrated in the drawings), which retains a door in a closed door state as a result of the operation handle  15  being operated in a rotating manner so that a free end section is drawn out from the door panel  1 , being released. 
     As shown in the drawing, the cylinder lock section  16  is formed by mounting a decorative cap member  3  onto a cylinder lock  2 . The cylinder lock  2  is formed by inserting a plug  13 , to which an appropriate number of tumblers  13   a  are attached, inside a cylinder case  2   a  in a freely rotatable manner. The cylinder lock  2  is fixed to the handle base  14  using a screw, which is not illustrated in the drawings, and which is screwed into an attachment hole  2   b , which is formed in the cylinder case  2   a  (refer to  FIG. 2A ). 
     A lever  18 , onto which a rod bar connection holder  17  is mounted, is connected to a trailing end of the plug  13  of the cylinder lock  2 . When the cylinder lock  2  is operated in a rotating manner using an unlocking key, which is inserted from a key insertion section  4 , which is provided in the plug  13 , in a fixed state to the door panel  1 , it is possible to control the availability of an operation that uses the operation handle  15  of the door latch. 
     A protrusion portion from the door panel  1  of the cylinder lock  2  includes an attachment pedestal section  19 , and a columnar protrusion portion  20  that accommodates a top portion of the plug  13 . The infiltration of water inside the plug  13  from the key insertion section  4  is prevented as a result of the outer surface of the columnar protrusion portion  20  being covered by a metal cap  20   a , and a shutter plate  13   b , which is pressed onto the metal cap  20   a  using a biasing unit, which is not illustrated in the drawings, being mounted on a top portion of the plug  13 . 
     In addition, a water removal hole  13   c  for ejecting water that is infiltrated inside the plug  13 , is provided in the top portion of the plug  13 . A water removal opening  10  for communicating with the water removal hole  13   c  of the plug  13 , which is an initial rotational position, is provided on the cylinder case  2   a.    
     Meanwhile, the decorative cap member  3  covers the protrusion portion from the door panel  1  of the cylinder lock  2 , with a synthetic resin material injection molded product. The decorative cap member  3  is formed symmetrically for left-right use. In addition, the decorative cap member  3  is formed so that the entirety thereof has a substantially uniform thickness in order to prevent the generation of external appearance defects such as sink marks, and as a result, a gap(hereinafter, a “hollow portion”) is formed between the decorative cap member  3  and the outer surface of the cylinder lock  2 . 
     The mounting of the decorative cap member  3  to the cylinder lock  2  is performed by engaging an engagement claw  3   a , which protrudes inward from a peripheral wall, together with an engagement recessed section  19   a , which is formed in the attachment pedestal section  19  of the cylinder lock  2  (refer to  FIG. 2C ), and snap engaging an engagement hole  3   c , which is provided in an open manner in an elastic leg  3   b  that is disposed on an opposite edge, together with an engagement projection  19   b  of the attachment pedestal section  19 . In addition, a positioning protruding portion  3   d , which abuts against a surface of the attachment pedestal section  19  of the cylinder lock  2 , is provided in the decorative cap member  3  in order to regulate a mounting position of the decorative cap member  3 . 
     In addition, a key insertion opening  5  is provided in the decorative cap member  3  in a manner that surrounds the key insertion section  4  of the plug  13 . A ring-shaped flat surface  21 , which faces the columnar protrusion portion  20  of the cylinder lock  2  leaving a predetermined clearance ( 61 ), is formed on a peripheral edge of the key insertion opening  5  (refer to  FIG. 3B  and  FIG. 4B ). A slit-shaped water guide groove  8  (with a depth of δ 2 ), is formed on the ring-shaped flat surface  21  in a manner that intersects the ring-shaped flat surface. A water guide wall  9  for guiding water that flows from the water guide groove  8 , to a water ejection opening  6 , which is provided in a side wall portion, is provided on a rear surface of a hollow portion of the decorative cap member  3 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3A , the water ejection opening  6  is formed in a manner that is not obstructed by the attachment pedestal section  19  of the cylinder lock  2  by cutting out a corner angle portion of the decorative cap member  3 . The water guide wall  9  is formed in an inclined surface form in a manner that is disposed along a side wall portion of the columnar protrusion portion  20  of the cylinder lock  2 . 
     Accordingly, in the present example, water that is retained at the peripheral edge of the key insertion opening  5 , preferentially infiltrates into the hollow portion of the decorative cap member  3  from the water guide groove  8 , and is ejected to the outside from the water ejection opening  6  as a result of passing through a water guide channel  7  defined by the water guide wall  9 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , a water removal space  11  is provided between the periphery of the water removal opening  10  of the cylinder lock  2 , and the decorative cap member  3  in order to avoid obstruction of the water removal opening  10  by the decorative cap member  3 . A dividing wall  12  is provided in a protruding manner at the peripheral edge of the water removal opening  10  of the cylinder lock  2  in a manner that surrounds the water removal opening  10  with the exception of a back end portion thereof. As shown in  FIG. 4B , the dividing wall  12  isolates the water removal opening  10  from the water removal space  11  by as a result of a tip end thereof abutting against an inner peripheral wall of the decorative cap member  3 , and reverse flow to the water removal opening  10 , and consequently, to the water removal hole  13   c  of the plug  13  of water that infiltrates into the hollow portion of the decorative cap member  3 , is prevented. 
     According to the present disclosure, a mounting structure of a decorative cap includes a door panel  1 , a cylinder lock  2  fixed to the door panel  1 , and a decorative cap member  3 . A protrusion portion of the cylinder lock  2  protruding from the door panel  1  is covered with the decorative cap member  3 . The decorative cap member  3  includes a water guide channel  7  guiding infiltrated water from a gap between a key insertion opening  5  and a surface of the cylinder lock  2 , to a water ejection opening  6  which is opened on a peripheral wall. The key insertion opening  5  exposes a key insertion portion  4  of the cylinder lock  2 . 
     The decorative cap member  3  includes the key insertion opening  5  for making access to the cylinder lock  2  possible, and covers the protrusion portion from the door panel  1  of the cylinder lock  2  by connecting to the cylinder lock  2 , which is fixed to the door panel  1  of a vehicle, or a retention member, which retains the cylinder lock  2  as appropriate. 
     Generally, a gap is generated between the key insertion opening  5  of the decorative cap member  3 , which is formed and mounted separately to the cylinder lock  2 , and the outer surface of the cylinder lock  2 , and even in a case in which the corresponding gap is small, it is not possible to prevent infiltrated water in a high water pressure environment such as a car wash, and therefore, water that infiltrates from the gap is retained in the gap between the cylinder lock  2  and a decorative cap section, builds up, and there is a concern of reverse flow from the water removal opening  10 , which is provided in the cylinder lock  2 . 
     However, according to the mounting structure of a decorative cap of the present disclosure, since infiltrated  5  water from the key insertion opening  5  is quickly guided to the water ejection opening  6  via the water guide channel  7 , the retention of infiltrated water inside the gap between the cylinder lock  2  and the decorative cap, is prevented, and therefore, reverse flow to the water removal opening  10  is  10  reliably prevented. 
     Generally, in a case in which the decorative cap member  3  is formed in a hollow shape as a result of a sufficient space being retained between the decorative cap member  3  and the cylinder lock  2 , the hollow portion becomes a retention space of infiltrated water, and therefore, can potentially increase the water pressure during reverse flow. However, in the mounting structure of a decorative cap of the present disclosure, since it is possible to effectively prevent the retention of infiltrated water in the hollow portion, it is possible to reliably prevent the infiltration of water inside the cylinder lock  2  as a result of this cause. 
     Furthermore, in a case in which a water retention space is formed around the key insertion opening  5  for design reasons, or the like, generally, there is a possibility that infiltration of water will occur inside the plug  13  of the cylinder lock  2  from the retention space. However, in the mounting structure of the decorative cap of the present disclosure in which the decorative cap member  3  effectively prevents the retention of water inside a border portion with the cylinder lock  2 , since water that is supplied to the retention space around the key insertion opening  5 , is ejected from the water ejection opening  6  via the water guide channel  7 , it is possible to effectively suppress the infiltration of water inside the plug  13  from the retention space. 
     In addition, according to the mounting structure of the decorative cap of the present disclosure, a water guide groove  8  may be formed on a peripheral edge rear surface of the key insertion opening  5  of the decorative cap member  3 . The water guide groove  8  guides water that is retained at a peripheral edge of the key insertion opening  5 . 
     The water guide groove  8  on the peripheral edge rear surface of the key insertion opening  5  has a flow path resistance that is smaller than a flow path resistance of other gaps around the key insertion opening  5 . In order to guide infiltrated water to the water ejection opening  6  from the entire area of the key insertion opening  5 , generally, it is necessary to set a multitude of water guide channels  7 , but in the mounting structure of a decorative cap of the present disclosure, in which an infiltration port to the water guide channel  7  is limited, it is possible to efficiently guide infiltrated water to the water ejection openings  6 ,  6  using a small number of water guide channels  7 , 7 , respectivelydefined by water guide walls  9 , 9 . 
     Furthermore, according to the mounting structure of a decorative cap of the present disclosure, the water removal opening  10  and the water removal space  11  may be separated from each other by a dividing wall  12  protruding from a peripheral edge of the water removal opening  10  of the cylinder lock  2  and abutting against a wall surface of the decorative cap member  3 . 
     It is necessary to perform crowning of the decorative cap member  3  in a manner that does not obstruct the water removal opening  10 , which is provided on the cylinder lock  2 , and the water removal space  11 , which corresponds to a space for water ejection from the water removal opening  10 , is ensured between the decorative cap member  3  and the cylinder lock  2 . 
     According to the mounting structure of the decorative cap of the present disclosure, the reverse flow of infiltrated water to the water removal opening  10  from the space for water ejection is prevented by providing the dividing wall  12  at the peripheral edge of the water removal opening  10  and causing the dividing wall  12  to abut against the wall surface of the decorative cap member  3 . 
     According to the mounting structure of a decorative cap of the present disclosure, it is possible to effectively prevent the infiltration of water inside a cylinder lock. 
     The present invention was described referring to detailed or specific embodiments, but it should be apparent to a person skilled in the art that various modifications and corrections can be applied without departing from the spirit and range of the invention. 
     REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
       1  DOOR PANEL 
       2  CYLINDER LOCK 
       3  DECORATIVE CAP MEMBER 
       4  KEY INSERTION SECTION 
       5  KEY INSERTION OPENING 
       6  WATER EJECTION OPENING 
       7  WATER GUIDE CHANNEL 
       8  WATER GUIDE GROOVE 
       9  WATER GUIDE WALL 
       10  WATER REMOVAL OPENING 
       11  WATER REMOVAL SPACE 
       12  DIVIDING WALL