Patent ID: 7640822

Claim:
A one-piece resin worm wheel formed by injection molding, having first and second ends at opposite ends thereof, and adapted to be driven by a worm, comprising: an engaging portion including a plurality of teeth engageable with the worm and a tooth space disposed between the neighboring teeth; a first non-engaging portion provided between the engaging portion and the first end of the worm wheel and that remains out of engagement with the worm; a first cutout portion disposed on an outer surface of the first non-engaging portion such that one end of the first cutout portion connects to the tooth space and the other end of the first cutout portion opens outwardly from the first end; a second non-engaging portion provided between the engaging portion and the second end of the worm wheel and that remains out of engagement with the worm; and a second cutout portion disposed on an outer surface of the second non-engaging portion such that one end of the second cutout portion connects to the tooth space and the other end of second cutout portion opens outwardly from the second end, wherein each of the first and second cutouts is smaller than the tooth space in width.