Patent ID: 7640905

Claim:
An engine cover mounting structure comprising: an engine member having a frame, which projects from the engine member, wherein the frame has a proximal portion, which is fixed to the engine member, and a distal portion which is spaced apart from the engine member; an engine cover having an elongated coupling member that is integrally formed with the engine cover, and an elastic member, wherein the elastic member and the elongated coupling member form a separable coupling, the elastic member has a first end, which faces away from the engine member, and a second end, which faces toward the engine member, the elastic member is inserted in the distal portion of the frame so that the second end of the elastic member is spaced apart from and prevented from contacting the engine member by the proximal portion of the frame, the elongated coupling member comprises a distal portion and a proximal portion, and the proximal portion includes a leg portion and the distal portion includes a head portion, the proximal portion is joined to an inner surface of the engine cover, the head portion is formed at the distal portion of the elongated coupling member, the leg portion is located between the head portion and the inner surface of the engine cover, the head portion has a larger diameter than that of the leg portion, the head portion is spaced apart from the inner surface of the engine cover by the proximal portion of the elongated coupling member, the frame includes an end opening and a restraining portion, the elastic member further comprises: a large diameter hole portion, which opens at the first end of the elastic member; a small diameter hole portion, which opens at the second end of the elastic member, and the small diameter hole portion has a smaller inside diameter than an inside diameter of the large diameter hole portion; and an engagement recess, which receives the restraining portion to retain the elastic member at the distal portion of the frame, a distal end portion of the elongated coupling member is adapted to be inserted into the large diameter hole portion from the first end of the elastic member towards the small diameter hole portion, so that the head portion passes through the large diameter hole portion and the small diameter hole portion and extends outside of the elastic member from the second end of the elastic member, and the distal portion of the elongated member is held by the elastic member to couple the engine cover to the frame, a relationship between an outside diameter W 1 of the head portion and the inside diameter W 2 of the small diameter hole portion is expressed as W 1 >W 2 , and a relationship between the inside diameter W 3 of the large diameter hole portion and an outside diameter W 4 of the leg portion is expressed as W 3 ≧W 4 , and the large diameter hole portion and the small diameter hole portion communicate with each other.