Cap retainer for hydraulic lash adjuster assembly

Claim 1

An improved fluid operated lash adjuster assembly for preventing back lash in a drive train of an internal combustion engine valve member, said assembly including a body member mounted on the engine and having a bore therewithin providing the body member with an open end and a closed end, means for receiving the fluid into said bore from a fluid source, a plunger member disposed for reciprocal movement in said body member bore having a fluid resevoir therewithin, means for receiving the fluid from the body member bore into said fluid resevoir, means for cyclically pressurizing fluid from the resevoir in synchronous relationship to rotation of a rotary cam member driven by the engine to provide a cyclical pressurized fluid interface between the plunger member and the body member in conjunction with reciprocal movement of the plunger member within the body member bore operative to prevent back lash in the valve member drive train, and a retainer member having a side wall provided with means on an inner surface thereof facing towards the body member to secure the retainer member to the body member adjacent the open end thereof and having a section hereof projecting from said side wall radially inwardly towards the plunger member for a distance sufficient to enable said section to engage a shoulder on the plunger member and hold plunger member within the body member bore without interfering with the reciprocal movement thereof, wherein the improvement is characterized by said retainer member being made from a material compatible with said fluid and said radial inwardly projecting section thereof dimensionally adapted and having sufficient resilience, at least for a distance adjacent the plunger member, to enable the plunger member to be removed from the body member without having to release the retainer member from securement with the body member.