JP7653382B2 - Car roof box locking mechanism - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a vehicle roof box locking mechanism.

A roof box is used that is fixed onto the roof of a vehicle. More specifically, a roof carrier is fixed to the roof of the vehicle, and the roof box is fixed to the crossbars of the roof carrier. The roof box is composed of a bottom case and a cover that covers the upper opening of the bottom case. The roof box also has a locking mechanism that locks the cover in a closed state.

The roof box disclosed in the following Patent Document 1 has multiple hinges on the right side when mounted on the vehicle. The roof box also has a locking mechanism inside the left side when mounted on the vehicle. The locking mechanism has a catch unit for keeping the cover closed. The catch unit has a pair of latches on the bottom case side and a pair of strikers on the cover side that engage with the latches when the cover is closed.

By lifting the left side of the cover while releasing the engagement between the latch of the catch unit and the striker, the cover can be opened around the hinge on the right side of the vehicle. Here, in addition to the catch unit, the locking mechanism also includes a locking unit that locks the engagement between the latch of the catch unit and the striker.

Patent No. 4943603

In the locking mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is undesirable for the locking operation to occur when the latch is not engaged with the striker. However, for example, depending on the combination configuration of the lock unit and the catch unit, in order to prevent the locking operation from occurring when the latch is released, machining precision is required for members such as the rod that connects the lock unit and the catch unit. In other words, in the locking mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1, if members with poor machining precision are used, it may not be possible to obtain a reliable lock.

Therefore, the object of this disclosure is to provide a locking mechanism for a vehicle roof box that can be locked reliably.

One aspect of the present disclosure is a roof box lock mechanism for vehicles, which includes a catch unit that is provided between a bottom case of a roof box and a cover that closes an upper opening of the bottom case and that holds the cover in a closed state relative to the bottom case, and a lock unit that is connected to the catch unit by a connecting rod. The catch unit is provided inside the roof box in the closed state, and includes a latch attached to the bottom case and a striker attached to the cover. The latch includes a latch bracket fixed to the bottom case, and a locking claw that is swingably attached to the latch bracket and fixed to one end of the connecting rod that extends along its swing axis. The striker includes a striker bracket fixed to the cover, and a locked member fixed to the striker bracket. The lock unit includes a lock case fixed to the bottom case, a swingable lock base fixed to the other end of the connecting rod within the lock case, and a lock body accommodated in the lock case and capable of sliding in a sliding direction perpendicular to the swing axis. The lock body has a lock plate that is engaged with the lock base and can rotate in a plane perpendicular to the sliding direction. The lock base has a slit through which the lock plate can enter only when the locking claw connected to the lock base by the connecting rod is in the locking swing position where it is engaged with the locked member.

This disclosure provides a locking mechanism for a vehicle roof box that can be locked reliably.

1 is an external perspective view of a roof box equipped with a locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the roof box. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the lock mechanism. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a catch unit in the lock mechanism. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a latch of the catch unit. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a lock unit of the catch unit. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the inside of the lock unit. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the inside of the lock unit. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the locking mechanism (unlockable state).

The vehicle roof box locking mechanism according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the exterior of roof box 1 in a closed state. The left side of Figure 1 is the front of the vehicle. A roof carrier (not shown) is fixed to the vehicle, and roof box 1 is fixed to two cross bars of the roof carrier by its clamp mechanism 2. The cross bars extend laterally of the vehicle, one located at the front of the roof and the other located at the rear of the roof.

The roof box 1 comprises a bottom case 1a and a cover 1b that closes the upper opening of the bottom case 1a. In this embodiment, the cover 1b can be opened upward from either the right or left side of the vehicle. The roof box 1 in this embodiment is provided with a locking mechanism shown in FIG. 3, which will be described in detail later. The locking mechanism is provided along the right side wall inside the bottom case 1a and also along the left side wall. When the cover 1b is opened from the right side, the left locking mechanism functions as a hinge, and when the cover 1b is opened from the left side, the right locking mechanism functions as a hinge. Each locking mechanism comprises a pair of catch units 3 and a locking unit 4 arranged in the center of the pair of catch units 3.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a catch unit 3 is attached to the inner surface of the left and right side panels of the bottom case 1a and cover 1b. Each catch unit 3 is provided between the bottom case 1a and cover 1b, and has a latch 30 attached to the bottom case 1a and a striker 31 attached to the cover 1b. Each catch unit 3 is provided inside the roof box 1 when the cover 1b is in the closed state, and is inaccessible when the roof box 1 is in the closed state, ensuring safety against theft of luggage.

2 does not show the cover 1b, but only the striker 31 fixed to the cover 1b. In addition, in FIG. 3, the bottom case 1a and the cover 1b are not shown, but only the locking mechanism when the cover 1b is closed is shown. Furthermore, in FIG. 2, only the rail 20 of the clamp mechanism 2 described above is shown, and the clamp unit slidably attached to the rail 20 is not shown. As shown in FIG. 2, beads are formed in a grid shape on the bottom plate of the bottom case 1a to improve the surface rigidity. As shown in FIG. 1, the bottom case 1a and the cover 1b are formed so that the peripheral side wall of the cover 1b is located outside the peripheral side wall of the bottom case 1a when the roof box 1 is closed. This prevents rain and the like from entering the inside of the roof box 1, and allows the cover 1b to be opened smoothly upward.

The catch unit 3 is a mechanism for maintaining the cover 1b in a closed state so that the cover 1b does not open unintentionally, and is also part of a lock mechanism that cooperates with the lock unit 4 to lock the cover 1b in a closed state. When the cover 1b is closed, the striker 31 is engaged with the latch 30. In this embodiment, two catch units 3 are provided at a distance along one side of the roof box 1 (for example, the right side of the vehicle), and these two catch units 3 are connected by a connecting rod 32 via the lock unit 4. A lock unit 4 is provided between the pair of catch units 3 to lock the cover 1b in a closed state. The two catch units 3 can be linked to the lock unit 4 by the connecting rod 32. The lock unit 4 is also provided with a push button 40a that releases the engaged state between the latch 30 and the striker 31. The push button 40a is provided with a keyhole into which a key 41 is inserted to lock the lock unit 4.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, links 5 that hold the cover 1b in an open state are attached between the bottom case 1a and the cover 1b at the front and rear of the roof box 1. A damper may be incorporated in the link 5.

In this embodiment, the locking mechanism consisting of the lock unit 4 and a pair of catch units 3 is also symmetrically provided on the opposite side of the roof box 1 that faces the above-mentioned side (for example, the left side of the vehicle). The locking mechanisms on each side also function as hinges for opening and closing the cover 1b. This allows the cover 1b to be opened from either the right or left side of the vehicle, as described above. When opening the cover 1b from the right side of the vehicle, the locking mechanism on the left side of the vehicle functions as a hinge. Conversely, when opening the cover 1b from the left side of the vehicle, the locking mechanism on the right side of the vehicle functions as a hinge. The hinge function of the catch unit 3 of the locking mechanism will be explained in detail later.

The catch unit 3 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Note that the catch unit 3 shown in Figure 4 is the left-hand side catch unit 3 in Figure 3, and the latch 30 of the catch unit 3 shown in Figure 5 is the right-hand side latch 30 in Figure 3.

The four catch units 3 in this embodiment have the same configuration. However, for the latch 30, the direction in which the connecting rod 32 extends varies depending on the installation position. Also, for the striker 31, the shape of the upper part is partially different in order to avoid interference with the cover 1b. First, the latch 30 will be described. Although the side wall of the bottom case 1a is present on the right side in Figures 4 and 5, the bottom case 1a is not shown.

The latch 30 has a latch bracket 30a fixed to the bottom case 1a with a rivet, and a hook 30b as a locking claw that is swingably attached to the latch bracket 30a. The latch bracket 30a has a shape that covers the hook 30b except for the tip. Each side plate of the latch bracket 30a has a V-shaped guide cutout 30a1 that guides a bar 31b as a locking part of the striker 31 described later.

The hook 30b is attached to the latch bracket 30a so as to be able to swing via the connecting rod 32 described above. That is, the hook 30b is fixed to one end of the connecting rod 32 so as not to rotate, and the connecting rod 32 is rotatably supported by the latch bracket 30a. The connecting rod 32 extends from the latch bracket 30a toward the lock unit 4. The central axis of the connecting rod 32 coincides with the swing axis of the hook 30b, and the connecting rod 32 extends along this swing axis. The tip of the hook 30b protrudes into the above-mentioned guide notch 30a1 or retreats from within the guide notch 30a1 according to the swing of the hook 30b.

Inside the hook 30b, a torsion coil spring (not shown) is built in as a biasing member that swings its tip toward the side wall of the bottom case 1a. A connecting rod 32 is inserted into the coil part of the torsion coil spring. Therefore, if the hook 30b and the bar 31b are not engaged and no force other than the biasing force of the torsion coil spring is acting, the tip of the hook 30b is located closer to the side wall of the bottom case 1a than the engagement position with the bar 31b (position in Figure 5) (left state in Figure 9). Hereinafter, the swing position of the hook 30b when it is in the state shown in Figure 5 where the hook 30b as the locking claw and the bar 31b as the locked member are engaged is called the "locking swing position". As will be described later, the lock base 42 of the lock unit 4 is fixed to the other end of the connecting rod 32 to which the hook 30b is fixed. This lock base 42 also swings together with the swing of the hook 30b, and the swing position of the lock base 42 when the hook 30b is in the lock swing position is also called the "lock swing position."

The upper surface of the hook 30b is curved and convex. When the cover 1b is closed, the bar 31b of the striker 31 comes down from above and is guided into the guide notch 30a1. The guided bar 31b presses against the curved convex surface of the hook 30b, and the hook 30b is swung counterclockwise in FIG. 5 against the biasing force of the torsion coil spring described above. When the bar 31b reaches the bottom of the guide notch 30a1, the contact between the bar 31b and the curved convex surface is released. As a result, the biasing force of the torsion coil spring causes the hook 30b to swing back to the locking swing position shown in FIG. 5 so that its tip protrudes into the guide notch 30a1 again. In this way, the locking state of the catch unit 3 is completed.

When the push button 40a of the lock unit 4, which will be described later, is pressed, the connecting rod 32 rotates around its central axis, and the above-mentioned locked state is released. Therefore, while the push button 40a is pressed, the bar 31b can be moved upward, allowing the cover 1b to be opened. The swinging hook 30b is covered by the latch bracket 30a. Although luggage is loaded on the bottom case 1a, the hook 30b is covered by the latch bracket 30a, preventing the swinging of the hook 30b from being hindered by the luggage.

On the other hand, the striker 31 of the catch unit 3 has a striker bracket 31a fixed to the cover 1b with a rivet, and a bar 31b fixed to the striker bracket 31a as a locked member. The striker bracket 31a has an inverted L-shape and its tip is forked, with the bar 31b attached to connect the forked parts. The space between the forked parts is formed to allow the hook 30b to swing when it is locked with the hook 30b, and to avoid interference with the latch bracket 30a.

Next, the lock unit 4 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 6 to 8. Figure 6 is a view of the lock unit 4 from the front side, that is, from the side wall side of the bottom case 1a. However, the bottom case 1a is not shown in Figure 6. Meanwhile, Figures 7 and 8 are views of the lock unit 4 from the rear side. However, in order to show the internal structure of the lock unit 4, its lock case 43 is not shown in Figures 7 and 8. Also, one of the connecting rods 32 is not shown in Figure 7, and the other connecting rod 32 and lock base 42 are not shown in Figure 8.

The lock unit 4 includes a lock body 40 having a push button 40a, a pair of lock bases 42, and a lock case 43. The lock body 40 and the pair of lock bases 42 are housed in a box-shaped lock case 43. The lock case 43 is fixed to the bottom case 1a with rivets.

A circular hole is formed in the rear of the lock body 40, and a coil spring 40c is stored therein as a biasing member. The coil spring 40c is stored in a compressed state between the lock body 40 and the lock case 43. As a result, the lock body 40 is always biased forward (towards the side of the vehicle on which the roof box 1 is mounted). The push button 40a formed on the front of the lock body 40 protrudes outward from a button hole formed in the bottom case 1a. When the push button 40a is not pressed, the step at the rear of the push button 40a abuts against the bottom case 1a around the button hole, and the lock body 40 is located in its forward-most position.

The lock body 40 is supported by a pair of lock bases 42 and slidably housed in the lock case 43. When the push button 40a is pressed, the entire lock body 40 slides rearward against the biasing force of the coil spring 40c. Pins 40d protrude in opposite directions from the rear side of the lock body 40. The pair of pins 40d are supported by a pair of lock bases 42 (described below), so that the lock body 40 is slidably held within the lock case 43.

On the other hand, a pair of lock plates 40b protruding in opposite directions are provided at the front of the lock body 40. A key cylinder is built into the lock body 40, and the lock plate 40b rotates by turning a key 41 inserted into a keyhole formed in the push button 40a. The rotation is 90° clockwise from the state shown in FIG. 6. In the unlocked state shown in FIG. 6, the pair of lock plates 40b extend vertically, but in the locked state rotated 90° clockwise from the state shown in FIG. 6, the pair of lock plates 40b extend horizontally. Note that it is the key cylinder and lock plates 40b that rotate with the key 41, and the lock body 40 itself does not rotate.

The lock plate 40b can rotate in a plane perpendicular to the sliding direction of the lock body 40. However, inside the lock case 43, a pair of partitions 43a are provided that allow the lock plate 40b to rotate only when the lock body 40 is in the foremost position described above. In other words, when the push button 40a is pressed and the lock body 40 is not in the foremost position, the pair of partitions 43a interfere with the lock plate 40b and prevent the lock plate from rotating.

On the other hand, when the lock body 40 is in the frontmost position and the pair of lock bases 42 are in the locking swing position described above, the lock plate 40b can rotate without interfering with the partition 43a. When the lock plate 40b of the lock body 40 is rotated 90 degrees by the key 41 to the locked state, the lock plate 40b enters a slit 42b (described later) of the lock base 42. When the push button 40a is pressed in this state, the lock plate 40b abuts against the front edge of the partition 43a and the inner surface of the slit 42b, and the push button 40a cannot be pressed. The connecting rod 32 is rotatably held in an insertion hole formed in the side panel of the lock case 43. The partition 43a has a shape that does not impede the engagement between the pin 40d and the long hole 42a.

Next, the lock base 42 will be described in detail. Between the partition 43a and the side panel of the lock case 43, the thick plate-shaped lock base 42 is arranged so as to be able to swing. The lock base 42 is attached to the other end of the connecting rod 32 so as not to rotate. In addition, a long hole 42a is formed in the center of the lock base 42, into which the pin 40d is inserted. The long hole 42a is curved so that the pin 40d is held in the long hole 42a even when the lock base 42 swings and the lock body 40 slides. In addition, the above-mentioned slit 42b into which the lock plate 40b can be inserted is also formed in the front side of the lock base 42.

When the catch unit 3 is not in the locked state, the lock base 42 swings closest to the side wall of the bottom case 1a due to the biasing force of the torsion coil spring in the hook 30b (left side state in FIG. 9). At this time, the pin 40d of the lock body 40 located in the frontmost position is located at the rearmost side of the long hole 42a (front side in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8). When the catch unit 3 is locked, the lock base 42 connected to the hook 30b by the connecting rod 32 swings far backward and then swings forward again to the locked state. When the lock base 42 swings far backward, the pin 40d reaches the frontmost side of the long hole 42a (back side in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8). When the catch unit 3 is in the locked state, the pin 40d is located between the center and the rear end of the long hole 42a. When the push button 40a is pressed from this state and the lock body 40 is slid backward, the pin 40d abuts against the inner surface at the rear of the long hole 42a, causing the lock base 42 to swing backward. In other words, the hook 30b swings in the unlatch direction, releasing the locked state and allowing the cover 1b to be opened.

7 and 8, the connecting rod 32 of one lock base 42 and the connecting rod 32 of the other lock base 42 are connected by a connecting member 32a inside the lock case 43. The protrusion 32a1 (see FIG. 7) of the connecting member 32a inserted into one connecting rod 32 has the same shape as the hole of the cylindrical connecting rod 32, and the one connecting rod 32 cannot rotate with respect to the connecting member 32a. However, the protrusion 32a2 (see FIG. 8) of the connecting member 32a inserted into the other connecting rod 32 is shaped to allow rotation within a predetermined angle range with respect to the hole shape of the cylindrical connecting rod 32. Therefore, the other connecting rod 32 can rotate within a predetermined angle range with respect to the connecting member 32a. As a result, the pair of lock bases 42 can swing independently of each other, although within a predetermined angle range. That is, the pair of hooks 30b can also swing independently of each other within a predetermined angle range. The specified angle range corresponds to the range within which the hook 30b (and the lock base 42) can swing.

Each lock base 42 has three through holes: the long hole 42a, the slit 42b, and the connecting rod 32. However, the outer part of the long hole 42a is merely thinned and is not a through hole. However, if sufficient strength and rigidity can be ensured, the thin outer part of the long hole 42a may be made into a through hole.

With the above configuration, the locking mechanism can be locked by rotating the lock plate 40b only when the hook 30b and the lock base 42 are in the locking swing position, i.e., when the hook 30b and the bar 31b are locked and the lock body 40 is in the frontmost position. There are two sets of hooks 30b and lock bases 42, but as shown in FIG. 9, even if one is in the locking swing position, it cannot be locked unless the other is in the locking swing position. For example, if the cover 1b is not closed properly due to luggage in the roof box 1 and one of the pair of catch units 3 is not properly locked, the locking operation cannot be performed.

In such a case, as described above, the pair of connecting rods 32 can swing independently of each other, so the other can be normally locked. Therefore, if the cover 1b is pushed from above on the catch unit 3 that is not normally locked, it can be normally locked, allowing the locking operation to be performed. This makes the roof box 1 extremely easy to use.

The locking mechanism shown in FIG. 3, which includes a pair of catch units 3 and a lock unit 4 provided between them, is provided along one side of the roof box 1. Since the two catch units 3 are provided at a distance from each other, when opening and closing the cover 1b from that side, the open side can be reliably caught, and the two catch units 3 are linked by the connecting rod 32, allowing the cover 1b to be easily opened.

When opening and closing the cover 1b from one side in this way, the locking mechanism on the opposite side of this side is in a locked state (including a locked state), and the two catch units 3 in the locked state function as hinges. Conversely, when opening and closing the cover 1b from the opposite side, the locking mechanism on one side functions as a hinge mechanism. In other words, the cover 1b can be opened from both sides.

In addition to the catch units 3, it is also necessary to release the above-mentioned links 5 that maintain the open state of the cover 1b. In this embodiment, however, it is also possible to completely separate the cover 1b from the bottom case 1a by simultaneously releasing the locked state of the four catch units 3. If the cover 1b can be completely separated from the bottom case 1a, it becomes easier to clean the roof box 1, and it is also easier to attach the roof box 1 to the roof carrier and remove it from the roof carrier.

According to the lock mechanism of this embodiment, the lock mechanism is composed of a catch unit 3 and a lock unit 4 connected by a connecting rod 32. The catch unit 3 is provided inside the roof box in the closed state, and has a latch 30 attached to the bottom case 1a and a striker 31 attached to the cover 1b. The latch 30 has a latch bracket 30a fixed to the bottom case 1a, and a hook (locking claw) 30b fixed to one end of a connecting rod 32 that is swingably attached to the latch bracket and extends along the swing axis. On the other hand, the striker 31 has a striker bracket 31a fixed to the cover 1b, and a bar (locked member) 31b fixed to the striker bracket 31a.

The lock unit 4 further comprises a lock case 43, a lock base 42 that is rotatable within the lock case 43 and fixed to the other end of the connecting rod 32, and a lock body 40 that is housed within the lock case 43 and can slide in a sliding direction perpendicular to the swing axis. The lock body 40 has a lock plate 40b that is engaged with the lock base 42 and can rotate within a plane perpendicular to the sliding direction. Here, the lock base 42 is formed with a slit 42b through which the lock plate 40b can enter only when the hook (locking claw) 30b connected to the lock base 42 by the connecting rod 32 is in the "locking swing position" where it is engaged with the bar (locked member) 31b.

Therefore, the lock plate 40b can only enter the slit 42b and restrict the swing of the hook (locking claw) 30b and the lock base 42 when the hook (locking claw) 30b and the bar (locked member) 31b are in a normal locking state, i.e., when they are in the "locking swing position". In other words, the locking mechanism can only be activated when the catch unit 3 is in a normal latched state and the hook (locking claw) 30b and the lock base 42 are in the "locking swing position", to ensure reliable locking. If the locking mechanism is not activated when the locking mechanism is not in a normal locking state, insufficient locking will not occur.

In addition, according to the lock mechanism of this embodiment, the lock base 42 swings in response to the sliding movement of the lock body 40 that engages with the lock base 42. As the lock base 42 swings, the hook (locking claw) 30b that is connected to the lock base 42 by the connecting rod 32 moves from the locking swing position. In other words, by sliding the lock body 40, the locked state of the catch unit 3 can be easily released, and the cover 1b can be easily opened.

In addition, according to the lock mechanism of this embodiment, two catch units 3 are provided at a distance along one side of the roof box, and a lock unit 4 is provided between the two catch units 3. The lock unit 4 is connected to the two catch units 3 by connecting rods 32, and the two connecting rods 32 can rotate independently of each other around the swing axis. Therefore, the closed state of one side of the roof box 1 can be reliably held by the two catch units 3. On the other hand, the two catch units 3 can be linked by the connecting rod 32 via the lock unit 4, so that the operation of opening one side of the roof box 1 can be easily performed. Furthermore, the two catch units can operate independently of each other, making it easier to open and close the cover 1b. For example, it is not the case that the cover 1b cannot be maintained in a normally closed state unless the two catch units 3 are normally engaged at the same time, and it is also possible to engage the two catch units 3 one by one. As a result, a reliable engagement state can be achieved and a reliable lock can be performed.

Here, according to the lock mechanism of this embodiment, when the cover 1b is in the closed state, the peripheral side wall of the cover is located outside the peripheral side wall of the bottom case 1a, and a lock mechanism having two catch units 3 and a lock unit 4 is also provided symmetrically on the opposite side of the above-mentioned side. The two sets of catch units 3 in the engaged state on each side also function as a hinge mechanism for the cover 1b. Since the peripheral side wall of the cover 1b is located outside the peripheral side wall of the bottom case 1a in the closed state, rain and the like are prevented from entering the inside of the roof box 1, and the cover 1b can be opened smoothly upward. Furthermore, two catch units 3 are also provided symmetrically on the opposite side of the above-mentioned side, and the two sets of catch units 3 in the engaged state on each side also function as a hinge mechanism for the cover. Therefore, the roof box 1 can be opened from either one side or the opposite side.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the embodiments can be modified or varied based on the above disclosure. All components of the above embodiments and all features described in the claims may be individually extracted and combined as long as they are not mutually inconsistent.

1 Roof box 1a Bottom case 1b Cover 3 Catch unit 30 Latch 30a Latch bracket 30b Hook (retaining claw)
31 Striker 31a Striker bracket 31b Bar (engaged member)
32 Connecting rod 4 Lock unit 40 Lock body 40b Lock plate 42 Lock base 42b Slit 43 Lock case

Claims (3)

A vehicle roof box locking mechanism,
A catch unit is provided between a bottom case of the roof box and a cover that closes an upper opening of the bottom case, and the catch unit keeps the cover closed relative to the bottom case;
The lock unit is connected to the catch unit by a connecting rod.
The catch unit is provided inside the roof box in the closed state, and has a latch attached to the bottom case and a striker attached to the cover,
The two catch units are provided spaced apart along one side of the roof box, and the lock unit is provided between the two catch units,
The lock unit is connected to the two catch units by the connecting rods,
the latch has a latch bracket fixed to the bottom case, and a locking claw that is swingably attached to the latch bracket and fixed to one end of the connecting rod that extends along the swing axis of the latch bracket,
The two connecting rods are rotatable about the swing axis independently of each other,
The striker has a striker bracket fixed to the cover and a locked member fixed to the striker bracket,
the lock unit includes a lock case fixed to the bottom case, a lock base fixed to the other end of the connecting rod within the lock case and capable of swinging, and a lock body accommodated within the lock case and slidable in a sliding direction perpendicular to the swing axis,
The lock body has a lock plate that is engaged with the lock base and is rotatable in a plane perpendicular to the sliding direction of the lock base,
A roof box lock mechanism for vehicles, in which a slit is formed in the lock base through which the lock plate can enter only when the locking claw connected to the lock base by the connecting rod is in an engagement swing position in which it engages with the locked member. The vehicle roof box lock mechanism according to claim 1, in which the lock base is swung in response to the sliding movement of the lock body that engages with the lock base, and the locking claw connected to the lock base by the connecting rod is moved from the locking swing position in response to the swinging of the lock base. In the closed state, a peripheral wall of the cover is located outside a peripheral wall of the bottom case,
The lock mechanism, which includes two of the catch units and the lock unit, is provided symmetrically on an opposite side of the one side,
3. The vehicle roof box locking mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the two sets of catch units in the locked state on each side also function as hinge mechanisms for the cover.

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