JP7660384B2 - Height Adjustment Stopper Assembly - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a stopper assembly whose height is adjustable to maintain a constant distance between a stationary member and a movable member.

For example, stopper assemblies have been used in the past to maintain a constant distance between a stationary member, such as the body of an automobile, and a movable member, such as an automobile door or trunk lid, that is capable of approaching or receding from the stationary member. Some of these stopper assemblies have adjustable heights, i.e., adjustable axial dimensions.

The present invention aims to enable even finer adjustment of the height or axial dimension of such stopper assemblies.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a stopper assembly which is disposed between a stationary member and a movable member which is provided so as to be capable of approaching and receding from the stationary member, and which maintains a constant distance between the stationary member and the movable member, comprising:
A stopper assembly is provided which includes a base member fixed to the stationary member and having an internal thread, a connecting member having an external thread on a base end side which engages with the internal thread of the base member and an internal thread on a tip end side, and an abutment member having an external thread on a base end side which engages with the internal thread of the connecting member and an abutment surface on a tip end side which abuts against the movable member.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stopper assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the stopper assembly of FIG. 1 cut along a plane including an axis. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional perspective view showing a body member, a receiving member and an abutment member of the stopper assembly of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a receiving member and an abutting member of the stopper assembly of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 5 is a side view of the receiving member and the abutting member of FIG. 4 . FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional perspective view of a body member of the stopper assembly of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the receiving member and the abutment member of FIG. 4 . FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a state in which the abutment member is completely pressed into the receiving member. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the stopper assembly of FIG. 1 , showing a state in which the movable member is in contact with the abutment member, and the abutment member, the receiving member and the main body member are pressed into the base member. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the stopper assembly of FIG. 1 illustrating a method of axially moving the abutment member from the receiving member from the state of FIG. 9 . 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the axis, showing grooves and ribs for rotational positioning of the abutting member. FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a stopper assembly according to a second embodiment.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 to 10, the stopper assembly 100 includes, as main components, a base member 200 having an internal thread 202 formed thereon, a main body member 300 having an external thread 302 that screws into the internal thread 202 of the base member 200, a receiving member 400 that fits into the main body member 300, and an abutment member 500. The stopper assembly 100 can be formed from a metal or plastic material.

The stopper assembly 100 is disposed between a stationary member 10 (FIG. 9), such as a steel plate forming the body of an automobile, and a movable member 14 (FIG. 9), such as a door, that is rotatably attached to the body as the stationary member 10 so as to move toward and away from the body. In this embodiment, a base member 200 is fixed to the stationary member 10.

The base member 200 is formed from a hollow, substantially cylindrical member with a bottom. The base member 200 includes a flange portion 206 extending radially outward, a base end portion 208 extending axially from the flange portion 206 and fitted into a mounting hole 12 formed in the stationary member 10, and a protruding portion 210 extending from the flange portion 206 in the opposite direction to the base end portion 208. At least one, preferably two, locking slots 214 are formed in the protruding portion 210. The locking slots 214 extend a predetermined length in the circumferential direction of the protruding portion 210. When two locking slots 214 are provided, the two locking slots 214 are arranged on diametrically opposite sides of the protruding portion 210.

An internal thread 202 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the base end portion 208. The internal thread 202 does not extend around the entire circumference of the inner peripheral surface of the base end portion 208, but is formed in two regions located on opposite sides in the diametric direction of the base end portion 208, and a curved portion 208a (see Figures 2 and 9) where no thread is formed is provided between the two.

The outer peripheral surface of the base end portion 208 is provided with an engagement portion 212 that engages with the peripheral portion of the mounting hole 12 of the stationary member 10. The engagement portion 212 is disposed on the diametrically opposite side of the base end portion 208. The engagement portion 212 has first and second clamp portions 212a, 212b. The first clamp portion 212a engages with a stationary member 10 made of a relatively thick plate material, and the second clamp portion 212b is disposed at different axial distances from the flange portion 206 so as to engage with a stationary member 10 made of a relatively thin plate material.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the base member 200 can be provided with a seal lip 204 that adheres liquid-tightly to the surface of the stationary member 10 when the engaging portion 212 is engaged with the periphery of the mounting hole 12 and attached to the stationary member 10. The seal lip 204 can be provided in the flange portion 206 so as to extend along the outer periphery of the side on which the base end portion 208 is formed. The seal lip 204 can be formed from the same material as the base member 200 or a different, more flexible material.

In this embodiment, the main body member 300 is a substantially cylindrical member having a base end portion 302 and a tip portion 306. The main body member 300 is introduced into the base member 200 from the protruding portion 210 of the base member 200. Between the base end portion 302 and the tip portion 306, a flange portion 310 is formed that protrudes inward from the inner peripheral surface of the main body member 300. An outer thread 304 that can engage with the inner thread of the base member 200 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the base end portion 302. The outer thread 304 is formed in two regions arranged on diametrically opposite sides of the base end portion 302, similar to the inner thread 208 of the base member 200, and a curved surface portion 302a (see Figures 2 and 9) where no thread is formed is provided between the two. When the external threads 304 of the body member 300 are screwed into the internal threads 202 of the base member 200, the central axes of the body member 300 and the base member 200 coincide with the central axis O of the stopper assembly 100.

In the main body member 300, a recess 308 is formed in the tip portion 306 opposite the base portion 302 as a receiving portion for receiving the receiving member 400. At least one, and preferably two, locking openings 312 are formed in the outer circumferential surface of the tip portion 306. The two locking openings 312 are located on opposite sides in the diametric direction of the tip portion 306.

The receiving member 400 has a hollow cylindrical fitting portion 402 and a flange portion 404 connected to one end of the fitting portion 402. An internal thread 406 is formed in the fitting portion 402. A plurality of slits 408 extending in the axial direction are formed in the fitting portion 402, and the fitting portion 402 has a plurality of legs 410 that can swing relative to the flange portion 404. When the abutment member 500 described later is inserted into the fitting portion, the tip of the plurality of legs 410 on the opposite side to the flange portion 404 expands.

In addition, at least one locking projection 416 is formed on the outer surface of the fitting portion 402 at a position adjacent to the tip portion. When the fitting portion 402 is inserted into the tip portion 306 of the main body member 300, the locking projection 416 enters the locking opening 312 of the tip portion 306 of the main body member 300 and engages with the locking opening 312 to prevent the receiving member 400 from coming off the main body member 300. Furthermore, a center hole 412 is formed in the flange portion 404.

The abutment member 500 includes a head 502 having an abutment surface 508 and a shank portion 504 extending from the head 502 along a central axis. The shank portion 504 is formed with an external thread 506 that can be threaded into the internal thread 406 of the receiving member 400. Preferably, the abutment member 500 can be molded integrally with the receiving member 400 as shown in Figures 4 and 5. In this case, the tip of the shank portion 504 is connected to the flange portion 404 of the receiving member 400 by a plurality of bridge portions 414 that extend radially from the outer periphery of the central hole 412 of the receiving member 400.

The head 502 can be formed with a recess 510 extending axially from the abutment surface 508. The recess 510 has a shape that is compatible with a screwdriver (not shown) or a hexagonal wrench (not shown) for rotating the abutment member 500 around the central axis. In this example, the recess 510 has a hexagonal cross section.

As described above, the fitting portion 402 of the receiving member 400 is formed from multiple legs 410, and the tip portions 402a of the legs 410 are expanded, so that the abutting member 500 can be pushed into the fitting portion 402 of the receiving member 400 by pressing it axially toward the receiving member 400 during use, as shown in Figures 7 and 8. At this time, the bridge portion 414 between the shank portion 504 of the abutting member 500 and the flange portion 404 of the receiving member 400 breaks.

Next, the receiving member 400 and the abutment member 500 thus assembled are inserted into the recess 308 at the tip portion of the main body member 300, and the main body member 300, receiving member 400 and abutment member 500 are integrated. The integrated main body member 300, receiving member 400 and abutment member 500 are inserted into the base member 200 from the protruding portion 210 of the base member 200.

At this time, the main body member 300 is rotated and positioned around the central axis O so that the external threads 304 formed in the two regions of the outer circumferential surface of the main body member 300 match the region 208a where the internal threads 202 of the base member 200 are not formed. In this way, the integrated main body member 300, receiving member 400, and abutment member 500 can be inserted into the base member 200 from the protruding portion 210 of the base member 200 by simply pushing them in the axial direction without engaging the external threads 304 of the main body member 300 with the internal threads 202 of the base member 200 until the locking portion 314 of the main body member 300 engages with the locking slot 214 of the base member 200 (see Figures 2 and 9).

In this manner, the base member 200, the main body member 300, the receiving member 400, and the abutment member 500 are assembled into the stopper assembly 100. When the main body member 300 is coupled to the base member 200, the locking portion 314 engages with the locking slot 214, thereby preventing the main body member 300 from detaching from the base member 200. In this embodiment, the main body member 300 and the receiving member 400 constitute a coupling member that couples the abutment member 500 to the base member 200.

The assembled stopper assembly 100 is fixed to the stationary member 10 by inserting the base end portion 208 of the base member 200 into the mounting hole 12 pre-formed in the stationary member 10, and then rotating the base member 200 around the central axis O to engage the engagement portion 212 with the peripheral portion of the mounting hole 12 of the stationary member 10, as shown in Figures 9 and 10. Next, the movable member 14 is moved toward the stationary member 10 and abuts against the abutment surface 508 of the abutment member 500 of the stopper assembly 100 fixed to the stationary member 10. Figure 9 shows the state in which the buffer pad 14a attached to the movable member 14 such as a trunk lid abuts against the abutment surface 508. At that time, the impact acting on the abutment member 500 from the movable member 14 causes the locking opening 312 of the main body member 300 to disengage from the locking slot 214 of the base member 200, and the abutment member 500, the receiving member 400, and the main body member 300 move together in the axial direction relative to the base member 200.

Next, the flange portion 404 of the receiving member 400 is held by the operator's fingers (not shown) or a tool such as pliers (not shown) and the receiving member 400 is rotated to engage the outer threads 304 of the main body member 300 with the inner threads 202 of the base member 200, and the main body member 300 is fixed to the base member 200. Next, the abutting member 500 is rotated in the loosening direction around the central axis O, so that it moves in a direction away from the receiving member 400 and the main body member 300 (upward in FIG. 10). This makes it possible to finely adjust the distance between the stationary member 10 and the movable member 14 when the movable member 14 abuts against the abutting member 500. This operation can be performed with the movable member 14 separated from the abutting member.

In order to fix the rotational position of the abutment member 500 relative to the receiving member 400, a groove 418 extending in the axial direction can be formed on the inner peripheral surface of the receiving member 400, and a rib 512 that can engage with the groove 418 can be formed on the shank portion 504 of the abutment member 500. In this way, by forming the groove 418 on the receiving member 400 and the rib 512 on the abutment member 500, when the axial dimension of the stopper assembly 100 is fine-tuned by rotating the receiving member 400 after the stopper assembly 100 is fixed to the stationary member 10, the rib 512 snaps into the groove 418 with each rotation, and the operator can know that the abutment member 500 has rotated once by the clicking sensation that occurs at that time. In addition, by rotating the abutment member 500 once, it is possible to adjust the axial dimension or height of the stopper assembly 100 protruding from the stationary member 10 by a distance equivalent to the pitch of the inner thread 406 of the receiving member 400 and the outer thread 506 of the abutment member 500.

In this way, the main body member 300 is connected to the base member 200 through threaded engagement between the inner thread 202 of the base member 200 and the outer thread 304 of the main body member 300, and the abutment member 500 is connected to the base member 200 through threaded engagement between the inner thread 406 of the receiving member 400 and the outer thread 506 of the abutment member 500, so that the axial dimension or height of the stopper assembly 100 protruding from the stationary member 10 can be adjusted in two stages. Therefore, the stopper assembly 100 can easily adjust the axial dimension or height to properly maintain the distance between the stationary member 10 and the movable member 14.

In the above-described embodiment, the main body member 300 and the receiving member 400 constituting the coupling member are separate members, but as shown in Fig. 11, they may be integrated. In the second embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 11, the coupling member 600 has a fitting portion 602 having an inner thread 604 that can be screwed with an outer thread 606 of a shank portion 704 extending from a head portion 702 of the abutting member 700. The fitting portion 602 also has a plurality of legs 608 formed by a plurality of slits 606 extending in the axial direction, similar to the fitting portion 402 of the receiving member 400 in the first embodiment, and the end opposite to the flange portion 610 is expanded. Note that, in the second embodiment, a groove (not shown) that engages with a rib (not shown) provided on the abutting member 700 can be formed on the inner peripheral surface of the coupling member 600, similar to the rib 512 and the groove 418 in the first embodiment.
Some aspects of the invention are described below.
[Aspect 1]
A stopper assembly is provided between a stationary member and a movable member that can approach and move away from the stationary member, for maintaining a constant distance between the stationary member and the movable member, comprising:
a base member secured to the stationary member and having an internal thread;
a coupling member having an external thread on a proximal end side that engages with the internal thread of the base member and an internal thread on a distal end side;
A stopper assembly comprising an abutment member having an external thread on a base end side that engages with the internal thread of the coupling member, and an abutment surface on a tip end side that abuts against the movable member.
[Aspect 2]
The stopper assembly of claim 1, wherein the base member is a hollow, approximately cylindrical member having a base end portion that fits into a hole formed in the stationary member and a tip portion opposite the base end portion, and the internal thread is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the base end portion.
[Aspect 3]
The stopper assembly of claim 1, wherein the abutment member has a flat head portion that forms the abutment surface, and a shank portion that extends axially from the side of the head opposite the abutment surface, and the shank portion is formed with an external thread that engages with the internal thread of the connecting member.
[Aspect 4]
The stopper assembly of claim 2, wherein the connecting member comprises a hollow, generally cylindrical member having a base end portion formed with external threads that engage with the internal threads of the base member, and a tip portion opposite the base end portion, the tip portion having internal threads that engage with the external threads of the abutment member.
[Aspect 5]
The stopper assembly of claim 1, wherein the connecting member includes a body member having an external thread that engages with the internal thread of the base member, and a receiving member attached to the body member opposite the external thread and having an internal thread that engages with the external thread of the abutment member.
[Aspect 6]
The stopper assembly of claim 5, wherein the body member has a base end portion on which the external thread is formed and a tip end portion opposite the base end portion, and a recess for receiving the receiving member is formed in the tip end portion.
[Aspect 7]
The stopper assembly according to claim 6, wherein the receiving member includes a flat flange portion having a central hole, and a hollow fitting portion extending from one side of the flange portion and fitting into the recess, and an internal thread is formed on the inner surface of the fitting portion with which the external thread of the abutment portion engages.
[Aspect 8]
A stopper assembly according to claim 7, wherein the fitting portion of the receiving member is formed with a plurality of axially extending slits, thereby allowing the tip to be expanded.
[Aspect 9]
The stopper assembly of claim 7, wherein the abutment member has a flat head portion forming the abutment surface and a shank portion extending axially from the side of the head opposite the abutment surface, and the shank portion is formed with an external thread that engages with the internal thread of the fitting portion.

10 Stationary member 12 Mounting hole 14 Movable member 14a Buffer pad 100 Stopper assembly 200 Base member 204 Seal lip 206 Flange portion 208 Base end portion 208a Curved portion 210 Protruding portion 212 Engagement portion 212a First clamping portion 212b Second clamping portion 214 Locking slot 300 Body member 302 Base end portion 302a Curved portion 304 External thread 306 Tip portion 308 Recess 310 Flange portion 312 Locking opening 314 Locking portion 400 Receiving member 402 Fitting portion 402a Tip portion 404 Flange portion 408 Slit 410 Leg portion 412 Center hole 414 Bridge portion 416 Locking projection 418 Groove 500 Abutment member 502 Head portion 504 Shank portion 506 External thread 508 Abutment surface 510 Recess 512 Rib 600 Joint member 602 Fitting portion 606 Slit 608 Leg portion 610 Flange portion 700 Abutment member 702 Head portion 704 Shank portion

Claims (8)

A stopper assembly is provided between a stationary member and a movable member that can approach and move away from the stationary member, for maintaining a constant distance between the stationary member and the movable member, comprising:
a base member secured to the stationary member and having an internal thread;
a coupling member having an external thread on a proximal end side that engages with the internal thread of the base member and an internal thread on a distal end side;
a contact member having an external thread at a base end side that engages with the internal thread of the coupling member and an contact surface at a tip end side that contacts the movable member ;
A stopper assembly in which the coupling member includes a body member having external threads that engage with the internal threads of the base member, and a receiving member attached to the body member opposite the external threads and having internal threads that engage with the external threads of the abutment member . 2. The stopper assembly according to claim 1, wherein the base member is a hollow, approximately cylindrical member having a base end portion that fits into a hole formed in the stationary member and a tip portion opposite the base end portion, and the internal thread is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the base end portion. 2. The stopper assembly according to claim 1, wherein the abutment member has a flat head portion forming the abutment surface, and a shank portion extending axially from a side of the head opposite the abutment surface, and the shank portion is formed with an external thread that engages with the internal thread of the connecting member. 3. The stopper assembly of claim 2, wherein the coupling member comprises a hollow, generally cylindrical member having a base end portion formed with external threads for engaging with the internal threads of the base member, and a tip portion opposite the base end portion and having internal threads for engaging with the external threads of the abutment member. 2. The stopper assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the body member has a base end portion on which the external threads are formed and a distal end portion opposite the base end portion, the distal end portion being formed with a recess for receiving the receiving member. 6. The stopper assembly as described in claim 5, wherein the receiving member includes a flat flange portion having a central hole, and a hollow fitting portion extending from one side of the flange portion and fitting into the recess, and an internal thread is formed on the inner surface of the fitting portion with which the external thread of the abutment member engages. 7. The stopper assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the fitting portion of the receiving member is formed with a plurality of axially extending slits, thereby allowing the tip end to be expanded. 7. The stopper assembly according to claim 6, wherein the abutment member has a flat head portion forming the abutment surface, and a shank portion extending axially from the side of the head opposite the abutment surface, and the shank portion is formed with an external thread that engages with the internal thread of the fitting portion .

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