JP7693200B2 - Opening and closing mechanism and underfloor inspection hatch - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lid opening/closing mechanism that is installed on a floor or floor member, and an underfloor inspection hatch equipped with the same.

In recent years, a built-in weight scale has been proposed that is embedded in a recess formed in a floor surface, and that includes an opening (second recess) that opens into a notch formed in the top surface of the built-in weight scale, a space that communicates with the opening, and a lid that is placed in the notch to cover the opening (see Patent Document 1). This built-in weight scale is configured so that the lid that covers the opening can be removed from the notch, and the built-in weight scale can be removed from the floor surface using the opening.

JP 2021-25788 A

The notch of the built-in weighing scale described in Patent Document 1 has a clearance for hooking a finger on the side of the lid when the lid completely covers the opening, and applying a load from the clearance side that deforms the hole in the lid to crush it releases the lock of the lid's locking mechanism, making it possible to remove the lid from the notch. However, with such a clearance, for example, it becomes easier for the user's toes to come into contact with the area near the side of the lid. In other words, if the user's toes suddenly press the lid diagonally downward from the clearance side and step on it, the lid will deform as described above and the lock will be released. As a result, the lid can easily come off the notch, causing problems such as the user tripping.

The object of the present invention is to provide an opening/closing mechanism and underfloor inspection hatch that will not open when a downward load is applied in the first state in which the lid covers the recess, thereby improving safety.

The opening/closing mechanism of the present invention comprises a main body base having a recess that opens upward, and a lid that can be arranged to cover the recess, and a support mechanism is provided on the side defining the recess and the side of the lid, which supports the lid so that it can move in a first direction relative to the main body base and rotate around a rotation axis parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a support part is formed on the side defining the recess that abuts against the lower part of the lid in a first state in which the lid covers the recess, and the support mechanism is configured so that the lid can take the following states relative to the main body base: the first state, a second state in which the lid is moved from the first state in the first direction, and a third state in which the lid is rotated from the second state around the rotation axis to move below the recess and open the recess.

According to this, in the first state (closed state) in which the lid covers the recess, the lower part of the lid abuts against the support part and the lid is supported by the support part, so that the lid maintains the first state even if a downward load is applied to the lid. In other words, the lid does not open, so safety is maintained. The support mechanism enables the lid to take the third state (open state) from the first state with respect to the main body base (mounting base), so that in the third state, the lid can be opened to open the recess. For this reason, it is suitable for forming handles for floors and floor components (such as underfloor inspection hatches) and for forming storage recesses. In addition, if another recess is provided around the recess so as to communicate with it, and a weight scale (body composition scale) is installed so as to be embedded in this other recess, the user can easily remove the weight scale from the other recess using the recess.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the support mechanism is composed of a pair of protrusions protruding in the second direction from two opposing side surfaces that define the recess and are spaced apart in the second direction, and a pair of elongated holes that are formed in two side surfaces of the lid that are spaced apart in the second direction, extend in the first direction, and into which the pair of protrusions are inserted. This makes the support mechanism simple in configuration.

In the present invention, it is preferable that a protrusion is formed on the underside of the lid, a fitting recess into which the protrusion fits is formed on the support portion in the first state, and the fitting recess restricts movement of the lid in the first direction in the first state. This makes it possible to restrict movement of the lid in the first direction in the first state, and makes it difficult for the lid to move in the first direction when a downward load is applied to the lid. This makes it difficult for the lid to open inadvertently, further improving safety.

In the present invention, it is preferable that, in the direction of movement when the lid moves from the first state to the second state, the downstream end of the bottom surface of the fitting recess has an inclined surface that slopes upward as it moves from upstream to downstream. This makes it possible to easily disengage the protrusion from the fitting recess when no downward load is applied to the lid, and to move the lid in the first direction and open the lid easily. For example, if a notch (recess) is formed at the top surface position facing the protrusion of the lid, and a small slit is formed between the recess and the main body base in the first state, the lid can be easily slid in the first direction by hooking a thin member such as a coin or a fingertip into the slit, and the lid can be put into the second state.

The underfloor inspection hatch of the present invention comprises a main body base having a first recess that opens upward and a second recess that is arranged around the first recess and communicates with the first recess and also opens upward; a lid that can be arranged to cover the second recess; and a weight scale that can be attached and detached to the first recess. A support mechanism is provided on the side defining the second recess and the side of the lid, which supports the lid so that it can move in a first direction relative to the main body base and rotate around a rotation axis parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A support part is formed on the side defining the second recess, which abuts against the lower part of the lid in a first state in which the lid covers the second recess. The support mechanism is configured so that the lid can take the following positions relative to the main body base: the first state, a second state in which the lid is moved from the first state in the first direction, and a third state in which the lid is moved below the second recess in an upright state by rotating the lid around the rotation axis from the second state to open the second recess.

As a result, in the first state (closed state) in which the lid covers the second recess, the lower part of the lid abuts against the support part and the lid is supported by the support part, so that the lid maintains the first state even if a downward load is applied to the lid. In other words, the lid does not open, so safety is maintained. The support mechanism enables the lid to take the third state (open state) from the first state with respect to the main body base, so that in the third state, the lid can be opened to expose the second recess. This allows the user to remove the weighing scale from the first recess by using the second recess.

According to the opening and closing mechanism of the present invention, in the first state (closed state) in which the lid covers the recess, the lower part of the lid abuts against the support part and the lid is supported by the support part, so that the lid maintains the first state even if a downward load is applied to the lid. In other words, the lid does not open, so safety is maintained. The support mechanism enables the lid to take a third state (open state) from the first state relative to the main body base, so that in the third state, the lid can be opened to expose the recess.
According to the underfloor inspection hatch of the present invention, in the first state (closed state) in which the lid covers the second recess, the lower part of the lid abuts against the support part and the lid is supported by the support part, so that the lid maintains the first state even if a downward load is applied to the lid. In other words, the lid does not open, so safety is maintained. The support mechanism enables the lid to take the third state (open state) from the first state with respect to the main body base, so that in the third state, the lid can be opened to expose the second recess. This allows the user to remove the weighing scale from the first recess by using the second recess.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an underfloor inspection hatch according to one embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a weight scale and a lid are removed from the underfloor inspection hatch shown in FIG. 1 . 3 is a perspective view of a main portion of a portion surrounded by a dashed line shown in FIG. 2 . 4 is a perspective view of a main portion showing a first state in which a lid is attached to the main body base shown in FIG. 3 to cover a second recess. FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a main part showing a state in which the cover shown in FIG. 4 is in a third state. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lid shown in FIG. 4 . (a) is a diagram showing the situation when the lid is in a first state relative to the main body base, (b) is a diagram showing the situation when the lid is in a second state relative to the main body base, and (c) is a diagram showing the situation when the lid is in a third state relative to the main body base.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, an underfloor inspection hatch 1 according to this embodiment is installed in an opening (both not shown) formed in a flat floor surface, and has an opening/closing mechanism 60 and a weighing scale 2. The weighing scale 2 is an embedded weighing scale configured to be able to measure the weight of a user. The weighing scale 2 is a digital measuring device that can obtain the user's weight, body fat mass, and other biometric information. The weighing scale 2 in this embodiment is, for example, a weighing scale with a built-in battery, and can function independently as a weighing scale without requiring an external power supply.

As shown in FIG. 1, the opening/closing mechanism 60 has a main body base 10 that is installed in an opening formed in the floor surface, and two lids 40, and each lid 40 is configured to be able to be opened and closed relative to the main body base 10. In this embodiment, the main body base 10 has a substantially square planar shape, but may have any planar shape.

As shown in FIG. 2, the main body base 10 is formed with a first recess 11 and two second recesses 21. Both the first recess 11 and the second recess 21 are formed to open upward. The first recess 11 is formed in the center of the main body base 10. The two second recesses 21 are arranged around the first recess 11 and both are connected to the first recess 11. The two second recesses 21 are arranged point symmetrically with respect to the center point C of the main body base 10.

3, the second recess 21 is defined by three side surfaces 22 to 24 and a bottom surface 25. The portion of the second recess 21 facing the side surface 24 is open toward the first recess 11, and the second recess 21 and the first recess 11 communicate with each other through this portion. The two side surfaces 22 and 23 have a first direction parallel to one side 10a of the outer shape of the main body base 10 and a vertical direction in the in-plane direction. The two side surfaces 22 and 23 are also arranged facing each other while being spaced apart from each other in a second direction (a direction parallel to the other side 10b adjacent to the one side of the outer shape of the main body base 10) perpendicular to the first direction. The second recess 21 is formed into a substantially rectangular planar shape elongated in the second direction by the three side surfaces 22 to 24. The first and second directions in this embodiment are horizontal directions, but may be slightly inclined up and down. The first direction, second direction, and vertical direction are also reflected in each figure.

As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of protrusions 26 protruding in the second direction are formed on the two side surfaces 22, 23. Although the protrusions 26 formed on the side surface 23 are not shown in FIG. 3, they are formed on the side surface 23 at a position opposite the protrusions 26 formed on the side surface 22 in the second direction. In other words, the pair of protrusions 26 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line L that is parallel to the first direction and passes through the center point C. In addition, the pair of protrusions 26 are inclined so that the tip surfaces of the pair of protrusions 26 approach the side surfaces 22, 23 on which they are formed as they move upward. This makes it easier for the protrusions 26 to be inserted into the long holes 42 of the lid 40, which will be described later, and makes it easier to attach the lid 40 to the main body base 10.

A support portion 30 is formed in the second recess 21. The support portion 30 has a first support portion 31 and a pair of second support portions 32. The first support portion 31 is formed to protrude from the side surface 24. The first support portion 31 extends in the vertical direction, with its upper end located slightly above the vertical center of the side surface 24, and its lower end connected to the bottom surface 25. A fitting recess 31b is formed in the center of the upper surface 31a of the first support portion 31 in the second direction. At one end (the end farther from the side surface 24 in the first direction) of the bottom surface of the fitting recess 31b, an inclined surface 31c is formed that inclines upward as it moves away from the side surface 24 along the first direction. In other words, in the moving direction (left direction in FIG. 7) when the lid 40 moves from the first state to the second state as described later, an inclined surface 31c that inclines upward as it moves from upstream to downstream is formed at the downstream end (one end) of the bottom surface of the fitting recess 31b.

The second support portion 32 is formed by protruding from each of the two side surfaces 22 and 23. That is, the pair of second support portions 32 are arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line L that is parallel to the first direction and passes through the center point C. The second support portion 32 extends in the vertical direction, with its upper end located slightly above the vertical center of the side surfaces 22 and 23, and its lower end connected to the bottom surface 25. More specifically, the second support portion 32 is formed so that its upper surface 32a is at the same height level as the upper surface 31a of the first support portion 31. The second support portion 32 is formed in the first direction from the center of the side surfaces 22 and 23 to the end on the first recess 11 side. That is, in the first direction, a gap 35 is formed between the second support portion 32 and the side surface 24. In addition, a protrusion 32b protruding upward is formed on the upper surface 32a of the second support portion 32. The protruding portion 32b has an inclined surface 32c that slopes upward as it moves away from the side surface 24 in the first direction.

Since both lids 40 have the same configuration, only one lid 40 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the lid 40 can cover the second recess 21, and as shown in FIG. 5, the lid 40 can also open the second recess 21. As shown in FIG. 6, the lid 40 is a plate-like member having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is elongated in the second direction. A long hole 42 and a cutout portion 43 are formed on both side surfaces 41 of the lid 40 in the second direction. The pair of long holes 42 and the pair of cutout portions 43 are also formed symmetrically with respect to the center line L that is parallel to the first direction and passes through the center point C shown in FIG. 4.

As shown in FIG. 6, the long hole 42 extends in the first direction and is formed to a size that allows the protrusion 26 to be inserted. The pair of long holes 42 and the pair of protrusions 26 form a support mechanism that supports the lid 40 so that it can move in the first direction relative to the main body base 10 and rotate around a rotation axis G (i.e., the central axis of the protrusion 26) parallel to the second direction, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 7.

The pair of elongated holes 42 and the pair of protrusions 26 allow the lid 40 to take the first state shown in FIG. 7(a), the second state shown in FIG. 7(b), and the third state shown in FIG. 7(c) in sequence with respect to the main body base 10. More specifically, the first state is a state in which the lid 40 covers the second recess 21 so that the upper part of the second recess 21 is closed (closed state) as shown in FIG. 7(a). The second state is a state in which the lid 40 is moved to the left in the figure (the direction in which the lid 40 approaches the first recess 11) along the first direction, and the upstream end of the lid 40 in the moving direction (the right end in the figure) is moved just to a position that does not overlap the first support part 31 along the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 7(b). The third state, as shown in FIG. 7(c), is a state in which the lid 40 is rotated about 90° from the second state around the rotation axis G so that the right end of the lid 40 is positioned in the gap 35, and moved to an upright position below the second recess 21 to open the second recess 21 (open state).

As shown in FIG. 7(a), the notch 43 of the lid 40 is formed at an end closer to the first recess 11 than the center of the lid 40 in the first direction when the lid 40 is in the first state. The notch 43 is also formed so that an inclined surface 43a that can abut against the entire inclined surface 32c of the protrusion 32b is formed on the lid 40 when the lid 40 is in the first state.

The lid 40 has a protruding plate portion 44 as shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 7(a), the protruding plate portion 44 is disposed at the upper end of the end of the lid 40 on the first recess 11 side when the lid 40 is in the first state, and is formed to protrude from the side surface of the lid 40 on the first recess 11 side toward the first recess 11. The protruding plate portion 44 is thinner than other parts of the lid 40 in the vertical direction, and an inclined surface 44a is formed on its lower surface. Such a protruding plate portion 44 makes it possible to cover the upper end of the second recess 21 on the first recess 11 side when the lid 40 is in the first state. In addition, since the inclined surface 44a is formed on the protruding plate portion 44, when the lid 40 is changed from the first state to the second state, the inclined surface 44a is easily allowed to ride up onto the upper corner of the weighing scale 2 as shown in FIG. 7(b), and the lid 40 can be smoothly changed from the first state to the second state. In addition, the protrusion 32b is also formed with an inclined surface 32c, so that the lid 40 can be changed from the first state to the second state more smoothly. In addition, the cutout 43 is formed with an inclined surface 43a that inclines following the inclined surface 32c, so that when the lid 40 is in the first state, the support area of the lid 40 is increased and the lid 40 is stabilized. Note that the upper surface 31a of the first support portion 31 and the upper surfaces 32a of the pair of second support portions 32 abut against the lower surface of the lid 40 when the lid 40 is in the first state, and support the lid 40 from below.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lid 40 has a protrusion 47. As shown in FIG. 7(a), the protrusion 47 is formed to protrude downward from the underside of the lid 40 when the lid 40 is in the first state, and is disposed at the end of the lid 40 farthest from the first recess 11. The protrusion 47 is formed to a size that can be accommodated in the fitting recess 31b when the lid 40 is in the first state. The fitting recess 31b engages with the protrusion 47 when the lid 40 is in the first state, restricting the movement of the lid 40 in the first direction. This restricts the movement of the lid 40 in the first direction in the first state when a person's weight is applied on the lid 40, preventing the lid 40 from opening inadvertently, and improving the safety of the floor member.

In addition, since the fitting recess 31b is formed with an inclined surface 31c, when no downward load is applied to the lid 40, the protrusion 47 can be disengaged from the inclined surface 31c, making it easier to move in the first direction (towards the first recess 11).

Next, the operation of the lid 40 when the weighing scale 2 is removed will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, when the underfloor inspection hatch 1 is normally installed in the opening of the floor surface, the two lids 40 are in the first state, and the upper part of each second recess 21 is closed. At this time, the weighing scale 2 is placed in the first recess 11. When the weighing scale 2 is removed from the first recess 11, the lid 40 in the first state shown in FIG. 7(a) is first put into the second state shown in FIG. 7(b). That is, the user slides one of the two lids 40 slightly from the first state toward the first recess 11. That is, the lid 40 is moved in the first direction (leftward in FIG. 7(b)) to the second state. A notch (recess) is formed in the upper surface position facing the protruding portion 47 of the lid 40, and in the first state, a small slit 48 is formed between the side surface 24 of the second recess 21 of the main body base 10 (see FIG. 4). By hooking a thin object such as a coin or a fingertip into this slit 48 and pushing the lid 40 toward the first recess 11 (first direction), the engagement between the protrusion 47 of the lid 40 and the mating recess 31b of the support part 30 can be released, allowing the lid 40 to slide toward the first recess 11, and the lid 40 can be put into the second state (Figure 7 (b)).

Next, the user rotates the lid 40 from the second state around the rotation axis G so that the right end of the lid 40 is positioned in the gap 35, as shown in FIG. 7(c), to put it in an upright state. After this, the user moves the upright lid 40 downward, approaching the bottom surface 25 of the second recess 21 to put it in the third state. In this way, the lid 40 takes the third state from the first state, and the upper part of the second recess 21 is opened. After this, the other lid 40 also takes the third state from the first state in the same manner as the one lid 40. Then, the user inserts a finger or the like between each lid 40 and the weight scale 2, grasps the side of the weight scale 2, and lifts it up from the first recess 11 to remove it. In this way, the removal of the weight scale 2 is completed. Note that the installation of the weight scale 2 in the first recess 11 is performed in the reverse order to this removal.

As described above, the lid opening/closing mechanism of the present invention is characterized in that the lid and main body (mounting) base are capable of relative movement and rotation by engaging a pair of elongated holes on both side walls of the lid with a pair of protrusions (shafts) on both ends of the opening wall of the main body base, and when a load is applied from above with the lid closing the opening of the main body base, the convex portion (protrusion) at the bottom tip of the lid engages with a (fitting) recess in the opening of the main body base, preventing the lid from moving horizontally (in the first direction) and the tip from sinking, and when the lid is opened, the lid is slid slightly toward the rear end of the lid along the elongated hole to release the engagement of the recesses, and the tip is pushed in to rotate the lid so that the rear end of the lid on the sliding direction side stands up, and the upright lid is pushed from the tip downwards into the main body base and stored, thereby forming an opening in the main body base. In addition, in the first state in which the lid 40 covers the second recess 21, the opening and closing mechanism 60 of the underfloor inspection hatch 1 of the present invention has the lower part of the lid 40 in contact with the support part 30 and the lid 40 supported by the support part 30, so that the lid 40 maintains the first state even if a downward load is applied to the lid 40. In other words, the lid 40 does not open, so safety is maintained. The support mechanism (the pair of elongated holes 42 and the pair of protrusions 26) enables the lid 40 to move from the first state to the third state via the second state relative to the main body base 10, so that in the third state, the lid 40 can be opened to open the second recess 21. Therefore, when a weighing scale 2 is installed in the first recess 11, the user can remove the weighing scale 2 from the first recess 11 by using the second recess 21.

The support mechanism that allows the lid 40 to be in the first to third states relative to the main body base 10 is made up of a pair of elongated holes 42 and a pair of protrusions 26, so the support mechanism has a simple configuration.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. For example, in the above embodiment, the support mechanism that allows the lid 40 to be placed in the first to third states relative to the main body base 10 is composed of a pair of elongated holes 42 and a pair of protrusions 26, but the support mechanism may also be composed of a pair of protrusions formed to protrude from both side surfaces of the lid 40 in the second direction, and a guide groove formed on the side surfaces 22, 23 of the second recess 21, into which the pair of protrusions are inserted, and which moves the lid 40 so that it can be placed in the first to third states relative to the main body base 10.

The protrusion 47 may not be formed on the underside of the lid 40. In this case, the fitting recess 31b may not be formed on the first support portion 31.

1 Underfloor inspection hatch 2 Weight scale 10 Body base 11 First recess 21 Second recess (recess)
22 to 24: Side surface 26: Protrusion 30: Support portion 31b: Fitting recess 31c: Inclined surface 40: Lid 41: Side surface 42: Slot 47: Protrusion 60: Opening/closing mechanism

Claims (5)

a main body base having a recess that opens upward;
a lid that can be placed to cover the recess,
a support mechanism is provided on a side surface defining the recess and a side surface of the lid, the support mechanism supporting the lid so that the lid is movable in a first direction relative to the main body base and rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
a support portion is formed on a side surface that defines the recess, the support portion being adapted to come into contact with a lower portion of the lid in a first state in which the lid covers the recess,
The support mechanism is configured to allow the lid to take on three states relative to the main body base: the first state, a second state in which the lid is moved from the first state in the first direction, and a third state in which the lid is rotated from the second state around the rotation axis to move below the recess in an upright position to open the recess. The support mechanism includes:
a pair of protrusions protruding in the second direction from two side surfaces that define the recess and are opposed to each other while being spaced apart in the second direction;
The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that it is composed of a pair of elongated holes formed on two side surfaces of the lid that are spaced apart from each other in the second direction, extending in the first direction, and into which the pair of protrusions are inserted. A protrusion is formed on the lower surface of the lid,
a fitting recess into which the protrusion fits in the first state is formed in the support portion,
The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fitting recess restricts movement of the lid in the first direction in the first state. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, in the direction of movement when the lid moves from the first state to the second state, a downstream end of the bottom surface of the fitting recess is formed with an inclined surface that slopes upward as it moves from upstream to downstream. a main body base having a first recess that opens upward and a second recess that is disposed around the first recess and communicates with the first recess and also opens upward;
a lid positionable to cover the second recess;
a weighing scale that is detachable from the first recess,
a support mechanism is provided on a side surface defining the second recess and a side surface of the lid, the support mechanism supporting the lid so that the lid is movable in a first direction relative to the main body base and rotatable around a rotation axis parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
a support portion is formed on a side surface that defines the second recess, the support portion being adapted to come into contact with a lower portion of the lid in a first state in which the lid covers the second recess,
The support mechanism is configured to allow the lid to assume three states relative to the main body base: the first state, a second state in which the lid is moved from the first state in the first direction, and a third state in which the lid is rotated from the second state around the rotation axis to move below the second recess in an upright position to open the second recess.

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