Patent ID: 8187026

Claim:
A structure of a component mounting portion configured to mount thereon a component provided with a pair of engagement arms having an elastic force such as to enable the engagement arms to move toward and away from each other in a widthwise direction as a first direction of first, second and third directions which are perpendicular to each other, the structure comprising a pair of support members for holding the component therebetween by pressure contact therewith when the component is in a mounted state on the component mounting portion, wherein: the pair of support members each have: a support portion extending in the second direction which is a mounting direction in which the component is to be mounted on the component mounting portion, the support portion being pressure-contacted by an associated one of the engagement arms when the component is in the mounted state; an inclined portion which is inclined in a direction toward a counterpart inclined portion in such manner that both inclined portions mutually approach closer downstream in the mounting direction and which is continuous with an upstream end of the support portion; and first and second engagement portions located at opposite ends of the support portion in the third direction; a spacing between the first engagement portions and a spacing between the second engagement portions are smaller than a spacing between the support portions; at least one of the spacing between the first engagement portions and the spacing between the second engagement portions is larger than a widthwise dimension of the component across the engagement arms which is taken on when the engagement arms are displaced into a position at which the widthwise dimension of the component is minimized within a range of motion of the engagement arms by elastic deformation; and a space allowing the component to be placed therein is provided on a downstream side of the component mounting portion in a removing direction in which the component is to be removed from the component mounting portion and which is at least one of opposite directions along the third direction.