Fastening for small engine carburetor air cleaner

Claim 1

The combination of an internal combustion engine carburetor having a combustion air duct, and an air cleaner which is secured over an inlet end of said duct and which comprises top and bottom complementary shell members enclosing a filter element and a substantially rigid tubular member which extends between the shell member and through the filter element concentrically to the duct, characterized by: A. an integral flange on the exterior of said duct that is spaced from said end thereof and defines a circumferential surface axially facing said end of the duct, which surface is sealingly overlain by a marginal edge portion of a wall of the bottom shell member; B. a ring embracing said duct axially outwardly of said flange and having a plurality of integral circumferentially spaced resilient fingers that project obliquely radially outwardly and axially toward said flange; 1. certain of said fingers having their free ends engaged with said marginal edge portion of the bottom shell member to sealingly confine it against the flange, and 2. others of said fingers being curved along their lengths to have convex radially outer surface portions; C. cooperating means on said ring and on the exterior of the duct for confining the ring against axially outward displacement relative to the duct; D. said tubular member having circumferential edge portions which compress said other fingers radially inwardly as the tubular member is moved axially toward the flange and over which said other fingers engage when the tubular member is seated on said marginal edge portion of the bottom shell member, to releasably confine the tubular member against displacement; and E. said tubular member being secured to the top shell member so that the latter is held in place in consequence of confinement of the tubular member by said other fingers.