JP7797552B2 - Storage device - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to improvements to a storage device that is installed in the interior of a vehicle such as a passenger car and is used to store various items in a state that allows them to be easily accessed as needed.

The console lid that constitutes the console box is divided into a front half and a rear half, and when the front end of the lid is pushed rearward, the lid folds backward, and when the rear end of the lid is pushed forward, the lid folds forward (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No. 4-31638

The main problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a new structure that rationally improves the usability and design of a storage device such as a console box, in which the lid member is made up of two or more lid components, or a new structure that appropriately controls the operation of the lid member.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a storage device comprising:
a storage device body having an opening and a guide rail;
a lid member that closes the opening in the deployed state and has a guided portion for the guide rail on a first side portion facing the guide rail,
the lid member is formed by connecting two or more lid structures, each having the guided portion, via a shaft, and is configured such that in the unfolded state, the lid structures are positioned flush with each other to close the opening, and in the folded state, the lid member is bent about the shaft to open the opening,
the storage device body is provided with a capturing mechanism that captures the captured portion formed on the first side portion of the lid member in the deployed state, and a release mechanism that releases the capture by operation,
The lid member is provided with a biasing mechanism that biases the lid structure so as to transition the lid member to the folded state when the capture is released, and a damper mechanism that brakes the movement of the lid structure due to the biasing of the biasing mechanism.

One aspect of this invention is to form the captured portion at a position that is the center of the mountain fold of the lid member in the folded state, or at a position in one of the lid structures where the distance between the guided portion and the center position is smaller than the distance between the guided portion and the center position.

The lid member further includes the guided portions on both sides of the shaft body in the first side portion,
The storage device main body includes a first engaging portion that engages with the guided portion located on one side of the shaft when the lid member is in the unfolded state, and a second engaging portion that engages with the guided portion located on the other side of the shaft;
a first operating mechanism that enables the first engaging portion to be disengaged from the engagement, and a second operating mechanism that enables the second engaging portion to be disengaged from the engagement,
One aspect of this invention is that when the engagement of the first engagement portion is released by operating the first operating mechanism, the capture by the capture mechanism is released while the engagement of the second engagement portion is maintained, and when the engagement of the second engagement portion is released by operating the second operating mechanism, the capture by the capture mechanism is released while the engagement of the first engagement portion is maintained, so that the first operating mechanism and the second operating mechanism form part of the release mechanism.

The lid member further includes auxiliary guided portions located on a virtual straight line passing through the guided portions on both sides of the shaft at a second side portion located opposite the first side portion,
The storage device main body includes a first holding portion that houses the auxiliary guided portion located on one side of the shaft body in the unfolded state, a second holding portion that houses the auxiliary guided portion located on the other side of the shaft body in the unfolded state, and an auxiliary guide rail for the auxiliary guided portion that extends between the first holding portion and the second holding portion,
When the engagement of the first engaging portion is released by operating the first operating mechanism, the auxiliary guided portion housed in the first holding portion enters the auxiliary guide rail, allowing the lid structure to move toward the folded state, and the auxiliary guided portion housed in the second holding portion is held within the second holding portion,
One aspect of this invention is that when the engagement of the second engagement portion is released by operating the second operating mechanism, the auxiliary guided portion housed in the second holding portion enters the auxiliary guide rail, allowing the lid structure to move toward the folded state, and the auxiliary guided portion housed in the first holding portion is held within the first holding portion.

The capturing mechanism also includes a first portion positioned inside the guide rail and a second portion positioned outside the guide rail,
One aspect of this invention is to configure the capture mechanism so that, during the process in which the lid member in the unfolded state transitions to the folded state and the process in which the lid member in the folded state transitions to the unfolded state, the guided portion abuts against the first portion, causing the second portion to retreat against the urging force to a position where it does not come into contact with the decorative surface of the lid member, and in the unfolded state, the capture mechanism is advanced by the urging force to a position where the second portion captures the captured portion.

The storage device of this invention is equipped with the capture mechanism, release mechanism, biasing mechanism, and damper mechanism. First, the capture mechanism can maintain the unfolded state of the lid member, i.e., the state in which the opening of the storage device main body is blocked. Second, by operating the release mechanism, the capture by the capture mechanism can be released, transitioning the lid member to a folded state and opening the opening of the storage device main body. This transition is made by the biasing force of the biasing means, and this transition is also affected by the braking force of the braking means. Third, in the process of transitioning the lid member from a folded state to an unfolded state, the capture mechanism can re-capture the captured portion, thereby re-creating the state in which the opening of the storage device main body is blocked.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the main components of a storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a lid member in an unfolded state. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main part of the storage device, in which the lid member is in the folded state and the opening begins to open from the left side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the main part of the storage device, in which the lid member is further folded from the state shown in FIG. 2 and the opening is fully opened. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the essential parts showing the state of FIG. 3 at a different angle. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the essential parts of the state shown in FIG. 3, with the side on which the auxiliary guide rail is formed facing forward. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the main part of the storage device, in which the lid member is in the folded state and the opening begins to open from the right side. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the main part of the storage device, in which the lid member is further folded from the state shown in FIG. 6 and the opening is fully opened. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the essential parts of the state shown in FIG. 7, with the side on which the auxiliary guide rail is formed facing forward. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the state of FIG. 1, showing the cover covering the base of the left storage device body and the upper structure of the wall portion removed. FIG. 10 is an enlarged plan view of the main part of FIG. 11 is an enlarged plan view of the essential parts, showing the state immediately after starting the operation of releasing the engagement of the guided portion by the first engaging portion from the state shown in FIG. 9. FIG. FIG. 12 is an enlarged plan view of the essential parts showing the state in which the lid member has been shifted to the state in FIG. 2 by the operation in FIG. FIG . 13 is an enlarged plan view of the essential parts showing the state in which the lid member has been shifted to the state in FIG. 3 by the engagement operation in FIG. FIG. 14 is a plan view of the main part of the storage device with the upper half of the opening open. FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of a wall portion provided with guide rails. FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of the operation button and its support member. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the lid member. FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the lid member. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along the imaginary line S1 when the lid member is in the deployed state, and the capture mechanism is retracted from the reference position. FIG. 20 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the essential parts showing the capturing mechanism in the reference position. FIG. 21 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the essential parts showing the state in which the capturing mechanism has retreated from the reference position in FIG. 20 and released the captured part. FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 14, with the capturing mechanism retracted from the reference position. FIG. 23 is a side view of the main part of the wall portion on which the auxiliary guide rail is formed, viewed from the opening side. FIG. 24 is an enlarged view of the main part showing the second holding portion on the right side of FIG. FIG. 25 is an enlarged view of a main part showing the first holding portion on the left side of FIG. FIG. 26 is a perspective view showing the auxiliary guided portion corresponding to the second holding portion. FIG. 27 is a perspective view showing the auxiliary guided portion corresponding to the first holding portion. FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view showing the second holding portion and the auxiliary guided portion when the lid member is in the opened state. FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view showing the second holding portion and the auxiliary guided portion when the lid member is in the folded state.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The storage device according to the present invention is typically installed in the interior of a vehicle such as a passenger car, and is used to store various items in a state where they can be easily taken out as needed.
In the illustrated example, the storage device is configured to be suitable for use as a center console box in an automobile.
1, 9, and 10, the symbol x indicates a first direction, and the symbol y indicates a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Typically, when the first direction x is the front-rear direction, the second direction y is the left-right direction, and when the first direction x is the left-right direction, the second direction y is the front-rear direction.

This storage device comprises a storage device main body M and a lid member L.

(Storage device main body M)
The storage device body M has a rectangular opening 1 and a guide rail 2.
In the illustrated example, the opening 1 is formed to have a rectangular outline that is long in the first direction x.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 3 denotes a base that is the upper part of the storage device main body M, and reference numeral 4 denotes a cover that is attached to the base 3.
The base 3 is configured to be attached to the lower part of the storage device main body M (not shown) so that the opening 1 communicates with the interior of the lower part.
On the upper surface of the base 3, wall portions 5 extending in the second direction y are formed on the left and right sides of the opening 1 in FIG.
A receiving surface 6 for the lid member L is formed between the wall portion 5 and the edge of the opening 1 along the second direction y of the opening 1 .

In the illustrated example, the guide rail 2 is formed on the wall 5 on the left side in Figure 9. The guide rail 2 is formed on the inner surface 5a of the wall 5, which intersects at a right angle with the receiving surface 6. The guide rail 2 is a groove with a bottom, and is formed to extend over the entire length of the wall 5. The two groove ends 2a of the guide rail 2 are each closed.

In the illustrated example, the wall portion 5 is configured by combining a lower structure 5b and an upper structure 5c in FIG. 15 so as to form a guide rail 2 therebetween.
In the illustrated example, an auxiliary guide rail 7 is formed on the wall 5 on the right side in Fig. 9. The auxiliary guide rail 7 is also formed on the inner surface 5a of the wall 5 that intersects at a right angle with the receiving surface 6. The auxiliary guide rail 7 is also a groove with a bottom, and is formed to extend over the entire length of the wall 5. A first holding portion 7a and a second holding portion 7b, which will be described later, are formed at two groove ends of the auxiliary guide rail 7.
In the illustrated example, the guide rail 2 and the auxiliary guide rail 7 are formed at substantially the same level. In addition, both the guide rail 2 and the auxiliary guide rail 7 are formed so as to follow an imaginary arc with the upper side curved outward.

In addition, in the illustrated example, the receiving surface 6 near the wall portion 5 where the guide rail 2 is formed and the receiving surface 6 near the wall portion 5 where the auxiliary guide rail 7 is formed each have a recess 6a formed at a position midway in the second direction y that receives the lower part of the first bearing portion 19 (described below) of the lid member L in the unfolded state. This prevents the lid member L, which is unfolded and covers the opening 1 of the storage device main body M, from rattling in the second direction y.

The storage device main body M further includes a capture mechanism 8 and a release mechanism 9, which will be described below. In the illustrated example, the main components of these mechanisms are housed in the wall 5 on the left side of Figure 9. In the figure, reference numeral 9a denotes an operation button that constitutes the release mechanism 9, and reference numeral 4a denotes a hole formed in the cover 4 that allows the operation button 9a to be exposed to the outside of the cover 4.

(Lid member L)
The lid member L closes the opening 1 in the unfolded state (FIG. 1), and has a guided portion 13 for the guide rail 2 on a first side portion 10 facing the guide rail 2 .

In the illustrated example, the lid member L has a rectangular plate shape that, in the unfolded state, closes the opening 1. The lid member L also has an auxiliary guided portion 14 for the auxiliary guide rail 7 on a second side portion 11 opposite the first side portion 10.
The first side portion 10 and the second side portion 11 are side portions that constitute the thickness of the lid member L and are located between the front and back surfaces of the lid member L. The lid member L also has two third side portions 12 that are aligned along the first direction x and perpendicular to both the first side portion 10 and the second side portion 11.
The guided portion 13 is composed of a boss-shaped body formed to protrude from the first side portion 10 along the first direction x at each of the two corners where the first side portion 10 intersects with the third side portion 12.
In addition, the auxiliary guided portion 14 is composed of a boss-shaped body formed to protrude from the second side portion 11 along the first direction x at each of the two corners where the second side portion 11 intersects with the third side portion 12.

Such a lid member L is formed by connecting two or more lid structures 15, each having the guided portion 13, via an axis 16, and is configured so that in the unfolded state, each lid structure 15 is positioned flush to close the opening 1, and in the folded state by bending around the axis 16, the opening 1 is opened.
In FIG. 17, reference numeral 17 denotes a base of the lid structure 15, and reference numeral 18 denotes a cover that is attached to the base 3 and forms the design surface of the lid structure 15.
In the illustrated example, the lid member L is made up of two lid structures 15 .
A first bearing portion 19 is formed on the edge portion located in the middle of the second direction y when the lid member L of one of the two lid structures 15 is in an unfolded state, and a second bearing portion 20 is formed on the edge portion located in the middle of the second direction y when the lid member L of the other of the two lid structures 15 is in an unfolded state.

The lid structure 15 located on the lower side in Figure 17 has three first bearing portions 19 formed with a gap between adjacent bearing portions in the first direction x. The lid structure 15 located on the upper side in Figure 17 has multiple second bearing portions 20 formed with a gap between them in the first direction x.

Two lid components 15 are assembled together, with the second bearing portion 20 of one of the lid components housed between the first bearing portion 19 of the other lid component, allowing the second bearing portion 20 to rotate around the shaft 16 fixed to the first bearing portion 19. In the illustrated example, the two lid components 15 are assembled together using three shafts 16 whose axial centerlines are positioned on a single imaginary straight line S1 (Figures 1, 9, and 17).

Each of the two lid components 15 is formed with one guided portion 13 and one auxiliary guided portion 14. The two lid components 15, combined by the shaft 16, each have their guided portion 13 housed within the groove-shaped guide rail 2 and their auxiliary guided portion 14 housed within the groove-shaped auxiliary guide rail 7, allowing them to be combined with the storage device main body M in a state that enables regular transitions from the unfolded state (FIG. 1) to the folded state (FIG. 3) (transitions in the order of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3) and from the folded state (FIG. 3) to the unfolded state (FIG. 1) (transitions in the order of FIGS. 3, 2, and 1).

The lid member L is also provided with a biasing mechanism 21 that biases the lid structure 15 to transition the lid member L to the folded state when the lid member L is released from the capture mechanism 8 described below, and a damper mechanism 22 that damps the movement of the lid structure 15 due to the biasing force of the biasing mechanism 21, i.e., the transitional movement of the lid member L.

In the illustrated example, the biasing mechanism 21 is composed of a torsion coil spring 21a wound around the outside of the shaft 16 between the first bearing portion 19 located on the left side in FIG. 19 and the intermediate first bearing portion 19. One end of the torsion coil spring 21a is fixed to the second bearing portion 20, and the other end of the torsion coil spring 21a is fixed to the first bearing portion 19 located on the left side in FIG. 19. In the illustrated example, when the lid member L is released from the capture by the capture mechanism 8 described below, the bias of the torsion coil spring 21a causes the lid member L, which is in an unfolded state, to transition from an unfolded state in which the inner surfaces of the two lid components 15 are positioned on a single imaginary plane to a folded state in which these inner surfaces face each other.

In the illustrated example, the damper mechanism 22 is composed of a rotary damper 22a installed between the first bearing portion 19 located on the right side in FIG. 19 and the intermediate first bearing portion 19. In the illustrated example, two rotary dampers 22a are installed. Each rotary damper 22a has an inner cylinder 22c rotatably housed within an outer cylinder 22b, and is configured to apply a constant braking force to the rotation of the inner cylinder 22c. In the illustrated example, a viscous fluid such as silicone oil is sealed between the outer cylinder 22b and the inner cylinder 22c, thereby applying a constant braking force to the rotation of the inner cylinder 22c. The outer cylinder 22b of the rotary damper 22a is fixed to one end of the shaft 16, while the other end of the shaft 16 is fixed to the first bearing portion 19. The inner cylinder 22c is fixed to the lid structure 15 on which the second bearing portion 20 is formed. This applies a constant braking force to the rotation of the second bearing portion 20 around the shaft 16 or to the relative rotation of the second bearing portion 20. Therefore, the biasing mechanism 21 allows the lid member L to transition from an unfolded state to a folded state smoothly, giving the viewer a sense of moderation and luxury.

(Capturing mechanism 8)
The storage device main body M is provided with a capturing mechanism 8 that captures a captured portion 23 formed on the first side portion 10 of the lid member L in the deployed state.
When the lid member L is unfolded, the guided portions 13 are positioned at the two groove ends 2a of the guide rail 2, and the auxiliary guided portions 14 are positioned at the two groove end sides of the auxiliary guide rail 7 (see Figure 9).
By capturing the captured portion 23 by the capturing mechanism 8, the lid member L is maintained in an expanded state, that is, in a state in which the opening 1 of the storage device main body M is closed.
The capture of the captured portion 23 by the capture mechanism 8 can be released by operating the release mechanism 9 described below, and when this capture is released, the lid member L is guided by the guide rail 2 and the auxiliary guide rail 7 by the force of the biasing mechanism 21, and transitions to a folded state.

In this embodiment, the capture mechanism 8 has a first portion 8a positioned within the guide rail 2 and a second portion 8b positioned outside the guide rail 2.

In the illustrated example, a first penetration portion 24 is formed in the storage device main body M at a position midway in the second direction y so as to penetrate the groove bottom forming portion 2b (see Figures 10 and 15) of the guide rail 2 in the first direction x.
Further, a second penetration portion 25 is formed in the wall portion 5 of the storage device main body M at a position directly below the first penetration portion 24 so as to penetrate the wall portion 5 in the first direction x.
The capture mechanism 8 comprises the first part 8a, the second part 8b positioned below the first part 8a, and a third part 8c located between the first part 8a and extending in the vertical direction to integrate the two parts.
The capture mechanism 8 is built into the wall portion 5 so that the first part 8a is positioned within the guide rail 2 through the first through-hole 24, and the second part 8b can be protruded from the wall portion 5 to the right side in Figure 20, which is the side of the opening 1, through the second through-hole 25.
The capture mechanism 8 is supported on the wall portion 5 so as to be movable in the first direction x within a certain range.

The capture mechanism 8 also includes a biasing means that causes the first portion 8a to protrude most from the first penetration portion 24 and the second portion 8b to protrude from the wall portion 5 through the second penetration portion 25 to a reference position (Figure 20), from which the capture mechanism 8 can be moved leftward in Figure 20. In the illustrated example, the biasing means is a torsion coil spring 8d (Figures 10 and 15) built into the wall portion 5.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, the captured portion 23 is a recess formed in the first side portion 10 of the lid member L.
In the illustrated example, the captured portion 23 has a groove shape that continues in the second direction y when the lid member L is in the deployed state. The second portion 8b of the capturing mechanism 8 has a cross-sectional shape that matches the captured portion 23 and is configured to enter the captured portion 23 at the reference position.
When the lid member L is in the deployed state, the second portion 8b of the capturing mechanism 8 in the reference position enters into the captured portion 23.
As a result, first, the unfolded state of the lid member L, i.e., the state in which the opening 1 of the storage device main body M is blocked, can be maintained. Second, by moving the capture mechanism 8 against the biasing force of the biasing means so that the second portion 8b of the capture mechanism 8 escapes from the captured portion 23, the capture can be released, the lid member L can be transitioned to a folded state, and the opening 1 of the storage device main body M can be opened. Third, in the process of transitioning the lid member L from the folded state to the unfolded state, a part of the lid member L abuts against the second portion 8b of the capture mechanism 8, which has been repositioned to the reference position by the biasing means (torsion coil spring 8d), causing the capture mechanism 8 to retract against the biasing force, allowing the lid member L to transition to the unfolded state. Furthermore, when the lid member L is in the unfolded state, the capture mechanism 8 can be returned to the reference position by the biasing force, causing the second portion 8b of the capture mechanism 8 to re-enter the captured portion 23. This allows the opening 1 of the storage device main body M to be blocked again.

In the illustrated example, the second portion 8b of the capture mechanism 8 has an inclined upper surface 8e so that the thickness of the second portion 8b gradually decreases as it approaches its protruding end (see Figure 8). This inclination of the upper surface 8e allows the capture mechanism 8, which is in the reference position, to smoothly retract when a portion of the lid member L abuts against the second portion 8b of the capture mechanism 8 as described above.

In the illustrated example, the captured portion 23 is formed at a position that is the center of the mountain fold of the lid member L in the folded state (see FIG. 2). However, it is sufficient that the captured portion 23 is located on the first side portion 10 of the lid member L. Although not shown in the drawings, the captured portion 23 may be formed at a position that is between the center of the mountain fold of the lid member L in the folded state and the guided portion 13.
In the illustrated example, when the lid member L is folded, the position where the pair of lid structures 15 are joined by the shaft 16 is the center of the mountain fold, and this center is positioned above the opening 1, thereby opening the opening 1.
The captured portion 23 is formed at a position that is approximately midway in the second direction y on the first side portion 10 of the lid member L.

Specifically, the captured portion 23 is formed at the end portion that constitutes the first side portion 10 of the first bearing portion 19. The captured portion 23 configured in this manner is positioned on a virtual straight line S1 on which the axial center line of the shaft body 16 is located.
By providing the captured portion 23 at such a position, when the lid member L is in the unfolded state, it is possible to prevent as much as possible the situation where the position that is the center of the mountain fold in the lid member L, i.e., the position where the two lid components 15 are joined by the shaft 16, is slightly lifted up by the action of the biasing mechanism 21 and separated from the receiving surface 6. Although not shown in the figures, the captured portion 23 can also be provided at a position where the distance between the guided portion 13 in one lid component 15 and the position that is the center of the mountain fold is smaller than the distance from the guided portion 13, thereby achieving a similar effect of preventing lifting up.

Furthermore, in the illustrated example, during the process in which the lid member L in the unfolded state transitions to the folded state and the process in which the lid member L in the folded state transitions to the unfolded state, the capturing mechanism 8 is retracted against the biasing force to a position in which the second portion 8b does not come into contact with the decorative surface of the lid member L due to the contact of the guided portion 13 with the first portion 8a. At the same time, the capturing mechanism 8 is configured to be advanced by the biasing force to a position in which the second portion 8b captures the captured portion 23 in the unfolded state.

In the illustrated example, the first portion 8a of the capture mechanism 8 has a trapezoidal plate shape in a plan view, with its length in the second direction y and its width in the first direction x. The width of the first portion 8a is such that it does not protrude from within the guide rail 2 when the capture mechanism 8 is in the reference position.

Specifically, the first portion 8a has a top edge 8f aligned in the second direction y and a bottom edge 8g aligned in the second direction y that is longer than the top edge 8f. At the same time, the first portion 8a has inclined edges 8h on both sides of the top edge 8f that gradually increase the dimension of the first portion 8a in the second direction y as it approaches the base edge 8g. In the reference position, the first portion 8a is positioned so that the base edge 8g is flush with the groove bottom-forming portion 2b of the guide rail 2, and the top edge 8f is flush with the groove opening 2c of the guide rail 2 (see Figure 10).

In the illustrated example, during both the process of the lid member L transitioning from the unfolded state to the folded state and the process of the lid member L transitioning from the folded state to the unfolded state, one of the two guided portions 13 moves along the guide rail 2. When the guided portion 13 reaches a position midway in the second direction y, it comes into contact with the inclined edge 8h of the capture mechanism 8, and the inclination of this inclined edge 8h causes the capture mechanism 8 to move in a direction against the bias of the biasing means. Accordingly, the second portion 8b also moves, causing the portion protruding from the second penetration portion 25 to retract into the wall portion 5 (Figure 12). As a result, during the process of the lid member L transitioning from the unfolded state to the folded state and the process of the lid member L transitioning from the folded state to the unfolded state, the decorative surface formed by the cover 18 near the guided portion 13 moving along the guide rail 2 is not damaged by contact with the second portion 8b.

(Release mechanism 9)
The storage device main body M is also provided with a release mechanism 9 that is operated to release the captured portion 23 from the capturing mechanism 8.

In the illustrated example, the release mechanism 9 is composed of an operation button 9a, which also forms part of the first operation mechanism 32 and second operation mechanism 33 described below, and a linkage rod 9b connected to this operation button 9a.

In the illustrated example, the release mechanisms 9 are provided on both sides of an imaginary straight line S1 that passes through the middle of the lid member L in the second direction y when it is in the unfolded state. The release mechanism 9 on one side of this straight line S1 is configured to be linearly symmetrical to the release mechanism 9 on the other side of this straight line S1, so below we will only explain the upper release mechanism 9 in Figure 10, and will omit explaining the lower release mechanism 9 in Figure 10.

The operation button 9a is supported on the storage device main body M so that it can move in the second direction y. It is also biased by a compression coil spring 9c (see Figure 16) that serves as a biasing means. It can be pressed against this bias in a direction approaching the straight line S1, and when this pressing operation is stopped, the bias causes it to return to its position before the pressing operation. A portion of the operation button 9a is exposed on the side of the storage device main body M along the first direction x through a hole 4a formed in the side of the cover 4.

The linkage rod 9b is built into and supported by the wall 5 of the storage device main body M so that it can move in the second direction y. The linkage rod 9b has a first cam surface 9d at the end located near the imaginary straight line S1, and a second cam surface 9e at the opposite end. The linkage rod 9b also has an arm 9e between both ends that protrudes in the first direction x. This arm 9e protrudes from the wall 5 toward the left in Figure 10.

The second cam surface 9e of the linkage rod 9b is in constant contact with a slider 30 formed on the first engagement portion 26 (described below). The first engagement portion 26 (described below) is built into the wall portion 5 so as to be movable in the first direction x, and is biased by a torsion coil spring 31 to position a claw portion 28 (described below) within the guide rail 2. This bias causes the slider 30 to be in constant contact with the second cam surface 9e of the linkage rod 9b. The bias of the torsion coil spring 28, which acts via the slider 30 in contact with the second cam surface 9e, positions the linkage rod 9b at the reference position (Figure 10).

On the other hand, the first cam surface 9d of the linkage rod 9b is capable of abutting against the third part 8c of the capture mechanism 8.

When the operating button 9a is pressed, part of the operating button 9a pushes the arm 9e of the linkage rod 9b in a direction approaching the imaginary line S1. As a result, the linkage rod 9b, which is in the reference position, moves in a direction approaching the imaginary line S1 (Figures 10 and 11). This movement causes the first cam surface 9d of the linkage rod 9b to press against the third portion 8c of the capture mechanism 8, and the capture mechanism 8 is moved in a direction that retracts the portion of its second portion 8b that protrudes from the second through-hole 25 into the wall portion 5. In other words, pressing the operating button 9a, which constitutes the first operating mechanism 32 described below, releases the capture of the captured portion 23 by the capture mechanism 8. After this, when the pressing of the operation button 9a is stopped, the linkage rod 9b, which brings the slider 30 into contact with the second cam surface 9e, returns to its reference position due to the bias of the torsion coil spring 31, and the capture mechanism 8, whose third part 8c has been released from pressure by the first cam surface 9d, also returns to its reference position, and the operation button 9a also returns to the position it was in before the pressing operation.

(First engagement portion 26, second engagement portion 27)
The lid member L has the guided portions 13 on both sides of the first side portion 10 sandwiching the shaft body 16, that is, on both sides of the imaginary straight line S1.
On the other hand, the storage device main body M is provided with a first engagement portion 26 that engages with the guided portion 13 located on one side of the shaft body 16 when the lid member L is in the unfolded state, and a second engagement portion 27 that engages with the guided portion 13 located on the other side of the shaft body 16.

In the illustrated example, a first engagement portion 26 is provided on one side of the imaginary straight line S1, and a second engagement portion 27 is provided on the other side. The second engagement portion 27 is configured to be linearly symmetrical to the first engagement portion 26 across this imaginary straight line S1. Therefore, the following description will focus on the first engagement portion 26 on the upper side in Figure 10, and a description of the second engagement portion 27 on the lower side in Figure 10 will be omitted.

The first engagement portion 26 is built into the wall portion 5 and is movable in the first direction x. The first engagement portion 26 includes a claw portion 28 that can protrude into the guide rail 2 through a third penetration portion 36 formed in the groove bottom forming portion 2b of the guide rail 2, with a gap between it and the groove end 2a of the guide rail 2 that allows the guided portion 13 to be held, and a base 29. The base 29 is formed with a slider 30 that protrudes in the vertical direction. The first engagement portion 26 is positioned at a reference position that positions the claw portion 28 within the guide rail 2 by the bias of a torsion coil spring 31 that serves as a biasing means.

In the illustrated example, the claw portion 28 has a side portion 28a facing the imaginary straight line S1 that is inclined in a direction such that the dimension of the claw portion 28 in the second direction y gradually decreases as it moves away from the imaginary straight line S1. When the guided portion 13 is moved from the imaginary straight line S1 side, the side portion 28a comes into contact with the guided portion 13, causing it to move from the reference position to the left in Figure 10 against the biasing force, allowing the guided portion 13 to move to the groove end 2a of the guide rail 2. After the guided portion 13 has moved to this groove end 2a, the biasing force causes it to move again to the reference position and engage with the guided portion 13.

(First operating mechanism 32, second operating mechanism 33)
In addition, the storage device main body M is provided with a first operating mechanism 32 that enables the first engaging portion 26 to be disengaged, and a second operating mechanism 33 that enables the second engaging portion 27 to be disengaged.
When the engagement of the first engagement portion 26 is released by operating the first operating mechanism 32, the capture by the capture mechanism 8 is released while the engagement of the second engagement portion 27 is maintained, and when the engagement of the second engagement portion 27 is released by operating the second operating mechanism 33, the capture by the capture mechanism 8 is released while the engagement of the first engagement portion 26 is maintained.

In the illustrated example, a first operating mechanism 32 is provided on one side of the virtual straight line S1, and a second operating mechanism 33 is provided on the other side, and the second operating mechanism 33 is configured to be linearly symmetrical to the first operating mechanism 32 across this virtual straight line S1. Therefore, in the following, only the first operating mechanism 32 on the upper side in Figure 10 will be described, and a description of the second operating mechanism 33 on the lower side in Figure 10 will be omitted.
In the illustrated example, the first operating mechanism 32 is composed of the operating button 9a and the linkage rod 9b.

When the operation button 9a of the first operation mechanism 32 is pressed while the lid member L is in the unfolded state, the linkage rod 9b is moved in a direction approaching the imaginary straight line S1, changing the position at which the second cam surface 9e contacts the slider 30 of the first engagement portion 26. As a result, the first engagement portion 26 is moved to the left in Figure 10 from the reference position, and the claw portion 28 is removed from inside the guide rail 2, thereby releasing the engagement of the claw portion 28 with the guided portion 13 (Figures 11 and 12). On the other hand, unless the operation button 9a of the second operation mechanism 33 is pressed, the engagement of the second engagement portion 27 with the guided portion 13 is not released.
At the same time, the linkage rod 9b moves in a direction approaching the virtual straight line S1, and the capturing mechanism 8 moves from the reference position as described above, and the captured portion 23 is released.
This allows the guided portion 13 engaged with the first engaging portion 26 to move within the guide rail 2 while maintaining the engagement of the engaged portion with the second engaging portion 27. The lid member L is biased by the biasing mechanism 21 to transition to a bent state, making it possible to gradually open the opening 1 of the storage device main body M from the upper side in Figure 10 (Figures 2 to 3, 12 to 13).

Conversely, when the operation button 9a of the second operation mechanism 33 is pressed while the lid member L is in the unfolded state, the linkage rod 9b is moved in a direction approaching the imaginary straight line S1, changing the position at which the second cam surface 9e contacts the slider 30 of the second engagement portion 27. As a result, the second engagement portion 27 is moved from the reference position to the left in Figure 10, and the claw portion 28 thereof comes out of the guide rail 2, thereby releasing the engagement of the claw portion 28 with the guided portion 13. On the other hand, unless the operation button 9a of the first operation mechanism 32 is pressed, the engagement of the first engagement portion 26 with the guided portion 13 is not released.
At the same time, the linkage rod 9b moves in a direction approaching the virtual straight line S1, and the capturing mechanism 8 moves from the reference position as described above, and the captured portion 23 is released.
This allows the guided portion 13, which has been engaged with the second engaging portion 27, to move within the guide rail 2 while maintaining the engagement of the engaged portion with the first engaging portion 26. The lid member L is biased by the biasing mechanism 21 to transition to a bent state, allowing the opening 1 of the storage device main body M to gradually open from the bottom in Figure 10 (Figures 6 to 7).

(Auxiliary guided part 14)
In addition, the lid member L has auxiliary guided portions 14 positioned on a virtual straight line S2 passing through the guided portions 13 on both sides of the shaft 16 at the second side portion 11 located opposite the first side portion 10.

In the illustrated example, the auxiliary guided portion 14 formed at one of the two corners where the second side portion 11 and the third side portion 12 meet is located on a virtual straight line S2 along the first direction x that passes through the guided portion 13 formed at one of the two corners where the first side portion 10 and the third side portion 12 meet, and the auxiliary guided portion 14 formed at the other of the two corners where the second side portion 11 and the third side portion 12 meet is located on a virtual straight line S2 along the first direction x that passes through the guided portion 13 formed at the other of the two corners where the first side portion 10 and the third side portion 12 meet (Figure 9).
On the other hand, the storage device main body M is provided with a first holding portion 7a that houses the auxiliary guided portion 14 located on one side of the shaft body 16 in the unfolded state, a second holding portion 7b that houses the auxiliary guided portion 14 located on the other side of the shaft body 16 in the unfolded state, and an auxiliary guide rail 7 for the auxiliary guided portion 14 that extends between the first holding portion 7a and the second holding portion 7b.
When the engagement of the first engagement portion 26 is released by operating the first operating mechanism 32, the auxiliary guided portion 14 housed in the first holding portion 7a enters the auxiliary guide rail 7, allowing the lid structure 15 to move toward the folded state, and the auxiliary guided portion 14 housed in the second holding portion 7b is held within the second holding portion 7b.
On the other hand, when the engagement of the second engagement portion 27 is released by operating the second operating mechanism 33, the auxiliary guided portion 14 housed in the second holding portion 7b enters the auxiliary guide rail 7, allowing the lid structure 15 to move toward the folded state, and the auxiliary guided portion 14 housed in the first holding portion 7a is held within the first holding portion 7a.

This allows the lid member L to smoothly transition between its unfolded and folded state using the two guided portions 13 and guide rails 2, and the two auxiliary guided portions 14 and auxiliary guide rails 7. In other words, when the lid member L transitions from its unfolded state to its folded state, the auxiliary guided portion 14 that is fixed to the storage device main body M, compared to the moving auxiliary guided portion 14 that enters and is guided by the auxiliary guide rails 7, is held by the first holding portion 7a or the second holding portion 7b and is held in the desired position together with the guided portion 13 that is fixed to the storage device main body M, and does not enter the auxiliary guide rails 7. This prevents the lid member L from tilting so that the virtual straight line S2 does not coincide with the first direction x during the transition of the lid member L, ensuring a smooth transition of the lid member L.

In the illustrated example, the auxiliary guided portion 14 is axially shaped and is supported movably in the first direction x by a hole 34 that has a hole opening in the second side portion 11 of the lid member L and extends in the direction along the first direction x.
The auxiliary guided portion 14 has a portion positioned outside the hole 34 and a portion positioned inside the hole 34. In addition, the auxiliary guided portion 14 is constantly subjected to a biasing force in a direction that causes it to protrude from the second side portion 11 by a compression coil spring 35 as a biasing means housed in the hole 34.
The portion of the auxiliary guided portion 14 positioned outside the hole 34 has a protrusion 14b at an end 14a perpendicular to the central axis z (FIG. 26) of the auxiliary guided portion 14.

On the other hand, the first holding portion 7a and the second holding portion 7b have recesses 7c into which the protrusions 14b of the auxiliary guided portion 14 are fitted (FIGS. 24 and 25). They also have support surfaces 7d adjacent to the recesses 7c that are flush with the groove bottom of the auxiliary guide rail 7. They also have inclined surfaces 7e between the recesses 7c and the support surfaces 7d. In the illustrated example, the first holding portion 7a and the second holding portion 7b have support surfaces 7d at two locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction around the center of the recess 7c, and have inclined surfaces 7e adjacent to the two support surfaces 7d, respectively.
The protrusion 14b has a central portion 14c that fits into the center of the recess 7c and peripheral portions 14d that correspond to and come into contact with the two support surfaces 7d. The contours of the protrusion 14b and the contours of the recess 7c are complementary to each other.
When the lid member L is in an unfolded state and blocks the opening 1 of the storage device main body M, the auxiliary guided portion 14 is positioned at the formation position of the first holding portion 7a or the second holding portion 7b, but the peripheral portion 14d of the convex portion 14b is in contact with the support surface 7d so that the convex portion 14b is in a reference position (Figure 28) that does not allow the convex portion 14b to enter the concave portion 7c.
When the first engaging portion 26 is released from engagement, the auxiliary guided portion 14 located on the imaginary straight line S2 passing through the guided portion 13 engaged with the first engaging portion 26 enters the auxiliary guide rail 7, and the lid member L begins to transition to the folded state. At this time, the auxiliary guided portion 14 located on the imaginary straight line S2 passing through the guided portion 13 engaged with the second engaging portion 27 rotates at the formation position of the second holding portion 7b in accordance with the rotation of the lid structure 15 based on the transition of the lid member L toward the folded state. Then, with this rotation, the protrusion 14b gradually enters the recess 7b due to the biasing force ( FIG. 29 ). This holds the auxiliary guided portion 14.

When the second engagement portion 27 is disengaged, the auxiliary guided portion 14, which is positioned on the imaginary straight line S2 passing through the guided portion 13 engaged with the first engagement portion 26, is similarly operated.

When the lid member L is returned from its folded state to its unfolded state, the auxiliary guided portion 14, which was held as described above, is gradually returned by the inclined surface 7e in a direction against the biasing force, returning to the reference position where the peripheral portion 14d of the convex portion 14b is in contact with the support surface 7d.

In the illustrated example, the lid member L is configured from two lid constituent bodies 15, but it may also be configured from, for example, four lid constituent bodies 15. In this case, the lid member L has an M-shape in the folded state, with two mountain fold centers. Guided portions 13 and auxiliary guided portions 14 are also provided between the centers of the two mountain folds.

It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but includes all embodiments that can achieve the objectives of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS M Storage device main body L Lid member 1 Opening 2 Guide rail 2a Groove end 2b Groove bottom forming portion 2c Groove opening 3 Base 4 Cover 4a Hole 5 Wall portion 5a Inner surface 5b Lower structure 5c Upper structure 6 Receiving surface 6a Recess 7 Auxiliary guide rail 7a First holding portion 7b Second holding portion 7c Recess 7d Support surface 7e Inclined surface 8 Capture mechanism 8a First portion 8b Second portion 8c Third portion 8d Torsion coil spring 8e Upper surface 8f Top edge 8g Bottom edge 8h Inclined edge 9 Release mechanism 9a Operation button 9b Linkage rod 9c Compression coil spring 9d First cam surface 9e Second cam surface 9f Arm portion 10 First side portion 11 Second side portion 12 Third side portion 13 Guided portion 14 Auxiliary guided portion 14a End portion 14b Convex portion 14c Central portion 14d Peripheral portion 15 Lid structure 16 Shaft body 17 Base 18 Cover 19 First bearing portion 20 Second bearing portion 21 Urging mechanism 21a Torsion coil spring 22 Damper mechanism 22a Rotary damper 22b Outer cylinder 22c Inner cylinder 23 Captured portion 24 First penetration portion 25 Second penetration portion 26 First engagement portion 27 Second engagement portion 28 Claw portion 28a Side portion 29 Base portion 30 Slider 31 Torsion coil spring 32 First operating mechanism 33 Second operating mechanism 34 Hole 35 Compression coil spring 36 Third penetration portion x First direction y Second direction S1 Imaginary line S2 Imaginary line z Central axis

Claims (4)

a storage device body having an opening and a guide rail;
a lid member that closes the opening in the deployed state and has a guided portion for the guide rail on a first side portion facing the guide rail,
the lid member is formed by connecting two or more lid structures, each having the guided portion, via a shaft, and is configured such that in the unfolded state, the lid structures are positioned flush with each other to close the opening, and in the folded state, the lid member is bent about the shaft to open the opening,
the storage device body is provided with a capturing mechanism that captures the captured portion formed on the first side portion of the lid member in the deployed state, and a release mechanism that releases the capture by operation,
The lid member is provided with a biasing mechanism that biases the lid structure so as to transition the lid member to the folded state when the capture is released, and a damper mechanism that damps movement of the lid structure due to the biasing of the biasing mechanism,
A storage device in which the captured portion is formed at a position that is the center of the mountain fold in the lid member in the folded state, or at a position in one of the lid structures where the distance between the guided portion and the central position is smaller than the distance between the guided portion and the central position. a storage device body having an opening and a guide rail;
a lid member that closes the opening in the deployed state and has a guided portion for the guide rail on a first side portion facing the guide rail,
the lid member is formed by connecting two or more lid structures, each having the guided portion, via a shaft, and is configured such that in the unfolded state, the lid structures are positioned flush with each other to close the opening, and in the folded state, the lid member is bent about the shaft to open the opening,
the storage device body is provided with a capturing mechanism that captures the captured portion formed on the first side portion of the lid member in the deployed state, and a release mechanism that releases the capture by operation,
The lid member is provided with a biasing mechanism that biases the lid structure so as to transition the lid member to the folded state when the capture is released, and a damper mechanism that damps movement of the lid structure due to the biasing of the biasing mechanism,
the lid member includes the guided portions on both sides of the shaft body in the first side portion,
The storage device main body includes a first engaging portion that engages with the guided portion located on one side of the shaft when the lid member is in the unfolded state, and a second engaging portion that engages with the guided portion located on the other side of the shaft;
a first operating mechanism that enables the first engaging portion to be disengaged from the engagement, and a second operating mechanism that enables the second engaging portion to be disengaged from the engagement,
A storage device in which, when the engagement of the first engagement portion is released by operating the first operating mechanism, the capture by the capture mechanism is released while the engagement of the second engagement portion is maintained, and when the engagement of the second engagement portion is released by operating the second operating mechanism, the capture by the capture mechanism is released while the engagement of the first engagement portion is maintained, so that the first operating mechanism and the second operating mechanism form part of the release mechanism. the lid member includes auxiliary guided portions located on a virtual straight line passing through the guided portions on both sides of the shaft at a second side portion located opposite the first side portion,
The storage device main body includes a first holding portion that houses the auxiliary guided portion located on one side of the shaft body in the unfolded state, a second holding portion that houses the auxiliary guided portion located on the other side of the shaft body in the unfolded state, and an auxiliary guide rail for the auxiliary guided portion that extends between the first holding portion and the second holding portion,
When the engagement of the first engaging portion is released by operating the first operating mechanism, the auxiliary guided portion housed in the first holding portion enters the auxiliary guide rail, allowing the lid structure to move toward the folded state, and the auxiliary guided portion housed in the second holding portion is held within the second holding portion,
3. The storage device of claim 2, wherein when the engagement of the second engagement portion is released by operating the second operating mechanism, the auxiliary guided portion housed in the second holding portion enters the auxiliary guide rail, allowing the lid structure to move toward the folded state, and the auxiliary guided portion housed in the first holding portion is held within the first holding portion. a storage device body having an opening and a guide rail;
a lid member that closes the opening in the deployed state and has a guided portion for the guide rail on a first side portion facing the guide rail,
the lid member is formed by connecting two or more lid structures, each having the guided portion, via a shaft, and is configured such that in the unfolded state, the lid structures are positioned flush with each other to close the opening, and in the folded state, the lid member is bent about the shaft to open the opening,
the storage device body is provided with a capturing mechanism that captures the captured portion formed on the first side portion of the lid member in the deployed state, and a release mechanism that releases the capture by operation,
The lid member is provided with a biasing mechanism that biases the lid structure so as to transition the lid member to the folded state when the capture is released, and a damper mechanism that damps movement of the lid structure due to the biasing of the biasing mechanism,
The capture mechanism includes a first portion positioned within the guide rail and a second portion positioned outside the guide rail;
A storage device in which the capturing mechanism is configured so that, during the process in which the lid member in the unfolded state transitions to the folded state and the process in which the lid member in the folded state transitions to the unfolded state, the capturing mechanism retracts against the bias to a position where the second part does not come into contact with the decorative surface of the lid member by abutting the guided part against the first part, and in the unfolded state, the capturing mechanism is advanced by the bias to a position where the second part captures the captured part.