Patent ID: 7086372

Claim:
In a rotatable gear assembly comprising a shaft and a plastic gear mountable on said shaft for operatively connecting to a separate mating gear, the improvement comprising connection structure provided between the plastic gear and the shaft for allowing the shaft to rotate integrally with the plastic gear, said connection structure comprising: a rectangular set plate having a mortised opening formed in a central portion thereof; a rectangular recessed portion formed in a front surface of the plastic gear, said recessed portion configured to receive the set plate therein; and a tenon provided on an end of the shaft, said tenon configured and dimensioned to fit through the mortised opening of the set plate; wherein the tenon has a length such that, during manufacture of the assembly when the plastic gear is mounted on the shaft, the tenon is aligned with and inserted into the mortise, and when the tenon has been inserted in the mortise a predetermined distance, the plastic gear becomes enmeshed with the mating gear.