1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a sleeve-integrated member for use in attaching a brake pedal device to a dash panel, for example, and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Background Art
With regard to a vehicle brake pedal device, for example, a unit body holding a base end side of a brake pedal is attached to a dash panel via an end plate, as described in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open (JP-U) Publication No. 5-12335. The dash panel, which is intended to separate a vehicle interior and an engine room, is formed by a high-strength plate material and thus can sufficiently counteract a great force that may act at application of a brake.
However, there is the need to provide a space between the unit main body and the dash panel so that a sound insulator or the like may be placed there. Therefore, when the brake pedal device is attached to the dash panel, a spacer is provided between the end plate of the unit main body and the dash panel. In addition, the brake pedal device is attached by inserting a bolt from the dash panel, passing the bolt through a sleeve, and then screwing the bolt with a nut on the substrate side.
Nevertheless, if the spacer and the endplate are separate parts, bolt insertion becomes a troublesome task and thus a large amount of time is required at a step of attaching a brake pedal in an automobile manufacturing line. Therefore, a spacer is generally integrated in advance into an endplate.
However, a conventional method for manufacturing a member with a spacer (hereinafter, referred to as a sleeve) integrated in advance into an endplate (hereinafter, referred to as a substrate) (hereinafter, referred to as a sleeve-integrated member) includes attaching a short cylindrical sleeve to the substrate by welding, which is poor in workability and also disadvantageous in terms of costs. Especially, workability may be more decreased in the case of attaching a plurality of sleeves. If forming the sleeve by pressing, the sleeve-integrated member can be manufactured more easily with improved workability as compared to the case of welding, but there is a possibility that the leading end of the sleeve raised by the substrate at drawing formation becomes prone to be made thin-walled and insufficient in strength or rigidity. In particular, if a heavy load acts on a sleeve in a sleeve-integrated member for attachment of a brake pedal device and the like, the sleeve needs to have sufficient strength and rigidity as a whole. However, the current sleeve-integrated member does not meet the need.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds