The present invention relates to a housing that houses a vehicle component such as a filter of an automobile air cleaner.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications No. 2003-239815 and No. 2010-242667 disclose conventional housings for automobile air cleaners.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-239815 discloses a housing that has first and second cases each having an opening. A pair of loop-shaped members project from the edge of the opening of the first case. A pair of protrusions is formed from the edge of the opening of the second case. The protrusions are engageable with the inside of the loop-shaped members. Each protrusion has a hook portion at the distal end. The first case and the second case are secured to each other by engaging the protrusions with the loop-shaped members. In this state, the openings of the first case and the second case are selectively opened and closed by pivoting the second case relative to the first case. In a state in which the second case has been pivoted in the opening direction relative to the first case by a predetermined amount so that the openings of the cases are open, the protrusions are prevented from coming off the loop-shaped members by the hook portions on the protrusions being engaged with the loop-shaped members.
On the other hand, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2010-242667 discloses a housing that has first and second cases each having an opening. A pair of loop-shaped members is formed on the edge of the opening of the first case. Also, a pair of protrusions is formed on the edge of the opening of the second case. Engageable portions, which can be engaged with each other, are formed on the edges of the openings of both cases. The first case and the second case are secured to each other by engaging the protrusions with the inside of the loop-shaped members. In this state, the openings of the first case and the second case are selectively opened and closed by pivoting the second case relative to the first case. In this case, the engagement of the engageable portions maintains engagement of the protrusions with the loop-shaped members between the closed state and the open state of the first and second cases. Also, when the second case is moved diagonally upward relative to the first case after being pivoted in the opening direction relative to the first case by a predetermined angle or more, the engageable portions are disengaged from each other and the protrusions are pulled out of the loop-shaped members. This separates the first case and the second case from each other. Unless the protrusions are pulled out of the loop-shaped members, the engageable portions limit, within a predetermined angle range, pivoting motion of the second case in the opening direction to open the openings of the first case and the second case.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds