JP7806311B2 - storage box - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a storage box that can be used, for example, in vehicles.

Vehicles such as motorcycles and four-wheeled vehicles are sometimes equipped with storage boxes whose access openings can be opened and closed using a lid (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The storage box in Patent Document 1 has a damper spring suspended between the lid and the storage body. When the lid is opened, the damper spring pulls on the lid, adjusting it so that it opens slowly.

Publication No. 8-8911

When the lid of the storage box in Patent Document 1 is closed, the damper spring resonates with vibrations caused by the vehicle being driven. The damper spring in Patent Document 1 has a resin coating on the latching portion, but this is not sufficient to prevent the coil portion from resonating.

The present invention was proposed in light of the above-mentioned problems associated with the conventional technology, and aims to provide a storage box that can prevent resonance of elastic bodies.

In order to overcome the above problems and achieve the intended purpose, the storage box according to the present invention comprises:
A lid that opens and closes the opening of the storage body,
an elastic body that is provided between the lid body and the storage body and that can apply a biasing force in a direction in which the lid body is closed when the lid body is in an open position;
The gist of the present invention is that it includes a buffer body that is provided on the storage body and abuts against the elastic body when the lid body is in a closed position.

With the storage box of the present invention, the elastic body comes into contact with the buffer when the lid is closed, so the buffer can prevent the elastic body from resonating.

1A is a schematic perspective view showing a storage box according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows the lid in a closed position, and (b) shows the lid in an open position. Note that the buffer is indicated by a two-dot chain line. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the storage box of the embodiment with the lid body in a closed position. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the storage box of the embodiment with the lid body in an open position. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the storage box of the embodiment with the lid body in an intermediate position. 1A and 1B are bottom views showing the storage box of the embodiment, in which FIG. 1A shows the lid in a closed position, and FIG. 1B shows the lid in an open position. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2.

Next, a preferred embodiment of a storage box according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that in the following embodiments, references to the front, back, left, right, top, and bottom of the storage box are made based on the state in which the box is attached to a vehicle such as a car. Note that the rearward direction is the direction in which the lid of the storage box opens.

A scooter-type motorcycle is provided with a storage box 10, as shown in Figure 1, inside a front leg shield FS that rises from the front of the front rest floor on which the rider places their feet. The storage box 10 comprises a box-shaped storage body 12 with an access opening 12a that opens toward the rider (rearward), and a lid 16 that is supported by a pair of arms 14, 14 attached to the storage body 12 and that opens and closes the access opening 12a of the storage body 12. The storage box 10 can be held in a closed position by locking the lid 16 with a locking device (not shown) in a closed position where the lid 16 abuts against the edge of the opening 12a of the storage body 12 and blocks the access opening 12a (see Figure 1(a)). In this position, the lid 16 of the storage box 10 is aligned with the front leg shield FS in the closed position, forming part of the exterior of the storage box 10. Furthermore, the user can unlock the locking device of the storage box 10 by tilting the lid 16 toward the driver, thereby opening the access opening 12a of the storage body 12 (see Figure 1(b)). The storage box 10 of this embodiment uses molded synthetic resin components for the storage body 12, arm 14, and lid 16.

As shown in FIG. 5, the storage box 10 has a pair of arms 14, 14 arranged opposite each other on either side of the storage body 12, supported by a support shaft 20 held in a bearing 18. The left and right arms 14, 14 rotate together with the support shaft 20 while held in the bearing 18, causing the lid 16 supported between the arms 14, 14 to change position to open and close the access opening 12a. Specifically, one end of the right arm 14 (one of the arms) is connected to the right end (one end) of the support shaft 20, and one end of the left arm 14 (the other of the arms) is connected to the left end (the other end) of the support shaft 20. The other ends of the pair of arms 14, 14 are connected to the lid 16, which is provided to bridge between the arms 14, 14. The lid 16 of the embodiment is formed integrally with the pair of arms 14, 14 and is composed of a lid base that faces the access opening 12a of the storage body 12 in the closed position, and a lid cover that is attached to this lid base and forms the driver's side of the lid 16.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the arm 14 comprises a first arm portion 14a that extends linearly from the lower end (one end) that connects to the support shaft 20, and a second arm portion 14b that extends rearward from the first arm portion 14a in an arc centered on the support shaft 20 and connects to the lid 16. An elastic body 22 is installed between the right arm 14 and the right side of the storage body 12 (see Figures 2 to 5). In this embodiment, the elastic body 22 is a tension coil spring (coil spring) that has hook portions 22b on both ends of the coil portion 22a. The elastic body 22 is configured to apply a biasing force in the direction of closing the lid 16 when the lid 16 is in the open position. The lower hook portion 22b of the elastic body 22 is connected to the bend in the arm 14 where it bends from the first arm portion 14a to the second arm portion 14b, and the upper hook portion 22b is connected to the front right side of the storage body 12, forward of the lower end (opposite the loading/unloading opening 12a).

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the right arm 14 is braked by a rotary damper 24, controlling the speed of its positional displacement. In this embodiment, the rotary damper 24 provided on the right side of the storage body 12 engages with a rack portion 14ba formed on the second arm portion 14b of the right arm 14. Note that in this embodiment, an elastic body 22 and rotary damper 24 are not installed corresponding to the left arm 14. Here, the left and right arms 14, 14 are configured so as not to interfere with the storage body 12, and the arms 14 are not affected by anything other than the elastic body 22 and rotary damper 24 when the lid 16 is displaced.

As shown in FIG. 4, in an intermediate position between the closed position (see FIG. 2) and the open position (see FIG. 3) of the lid body 16, the elastic body 22 is configured to be in a first state in which the axial center of the support shaft 20 passes through an extension of the axis L of the elastic body 22. In the first state of the elastic body 22, the connecting portion of the elastic body 22 to the storage main body 12, the coil portion 22a of the elastic body 22, the connecting portion of the elastic body 22 to the arm 14, and the axial center of the support shaft 20 are aligned in a straight line. In contrast, the elastic body 22 is configured to be in a second state in which it is more elongated than in the first state between the intermediate position and the open position of the lid body 16, and between the intermediate position and the closed position. In this way, the elastic body 22 is most compressed in the first state and is configured to elongate as the lid body 16 moves from the intermediate position to the closed or open position. Note that the elastic body 22 in the embodiment is set to a length that applies a certain amount of tension in the first state, but the elastic body 22 may also be set to its initial, unstretched length in the first state. When the lid 16 is in the open position, the arm 14 is subjected to a resilient force (biasing force) by the elastic body 22, which biases it towards the closed position. When the lid 16 is in the closed position, the arm 14 is subjected to a resilient force (biasing force) by the elastic body 22, which biases it towards the open position. The biasing force towards the closed position when the lid 16 is in the open position is set to be greater than the biasing force towards the open position when the lid 16 is in the closed position.

As shown in Figures 2 to 6, the storage box 10 is provided with a first buffer (buffer) 26 that is attached to the storage body 12 and abuts against the elastic body 22 when the lid 16 is in the closed position. In this embodiment, the first buffer 26 is attached to the right side of the storage body 12, corresponding to the elastic body 22. More specifically, the first buffer 26 is attached to a first base 28 that is integrally formed with the storage body 12 and protrudes from the right side of the storage body 12.

As shown in Figure 2, the first buffer 26 of the embodiment is positioned so that it abuts against the coil portion 22a of the elastic body 22 when the lid body 16 is in the closed position. More specifically, the first buffer 26 is formed to be narrower than the axial length of the coil portion 22a and is positioned so that it abuts against the axial center of the coil portion 22a. The first buffer 26 is also positioned so that a portion of it overlaps with the elastic body 22 when the lid body 16 is in the closed position (see Figure 6). The first buffer 26 of the embodiment is formed with an overall thickness of approximately 5 mm, with a portion of it, approximately 1 mm to 2 mm, configured to interfere with the elastic body 22 when the lid body 16 is in the closed position.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first contact surface (contact surface) 26a of the first buffer 26 with the elastic body 22 is disposed on the opposite side of the direction of movement of the elastic body 22, which is displaced as the lid 16 is opened, relative to the elastic body 22 when the lid 16 is in the closed position. The first contact surface 26a extends rearward from top to bottom, in line with the elastic body 22, which is tilted rearward from top to bottom when the lid 16 is in the closed position. As shown in FIG. 6, the first contact surface 26a is configured to move away from the storage body 12 in the opposite direction to the direction of movement of the elastic body 22, which is displaced as the lid 16 is opened. In this embodiment, the first contact surface 26a is inclined obliquely from between the elastic body 22 and the right side surface of the storage body 12 when the lid 16 is in the closed position, toward the opposite direction to the direction of movement of the elastic body 22, which is displaced as the lid 16 is opened. In the embodiment, the first abutment surface 26a is configured to abut on the coil portion 22a between the storage body 12 side and the opposite side to the direction of movement of the elastic body 22, which is displaced as the lid 16 is opened. In the embodiment, the first mounting surface 28a to which the first buffer body 26 is attached in the first base portion 28 is formed so as to be obliquely oriented from between the right side of the storage body 12 and the elastic body 22 when the lid 16 is closed to the opposite side to the direction of movement of the elastic body 22 when the lid 16 is displaced to the open position. The orientation of the first abutment surface 26a is determined by attaching the rectangular block-shaped first buffer body 26 to this first mounting surface 28a. Note that the first mounting surface 28a is formed wider than the first buffer body 26, allowing the attachment position of the first buffer body 26 to be adjusted in the axial direction of the elastic body 22 and in a direction intersecting the axial direction.

As shown in Figures 2 to 5 and 7, the storage box 10 is provided with a second buffer body (second buffer body) 30, separate from the first buffer body 26, that is attached to the storage body 12 and abuts against the elastic body 22 when the lid 16 is in the open position. In this embodiment, the second buffer body 30 is attached to the right side of the storage body 12, corresponding to the elastic body 22. More specifically, the second buffer body 30 is attached to a second base portion 32 that is integrally formed with the storage body 12 and protrudes from the right side of the storage body 12.

As shown in Figure 3, the second buffer 30 of the embodiment is positioned so that it abuts against the coil portion 22a of the elastic body 22 when the lid body 16 is in the open position. More specifically, the second buffer 30 is formed to be narrower than the axial length of the coil portion 22a and is positioned so that it abuts against the axial center of the coil portion 22a. The second buffer 30 is also positioned so that a portion of it overlaps with the elastic body 22 when the lid body 16 is in the open position (see Figure 7). The second buffer 30 of the embodiment is formed with an overall thickness of approximately 5 mm, with a portion of it, approximately 1 mm to 2 mm, configured to interfere with the elastic body 22 when the lid body 16 is in the open position.

As shown in FIG. 3, the second abutment surface (abutment surface) 30a of the second buffer 30, which contacts the elastic body 22, is positioned on the opposite side of the direction of movement of the elastic body 22, which is displaced as the lid 16 is closed, relative to the elastic body 22 when the lid 16 is in the open position. The second abutment surface 30a extends rearward from top to bottom, in line with the elastic body 22, which tilts rearward from top to bottom when the lid 16 is in the open position. As shown in FIG. 7, the second abutment surface 30a is configured to move away from the storage body 12 in the opposite direction to the direction of movement of the elastic body 22, which is displaced as the lid 16 is closed. In this embodiment, the second abutment surface 30a is inclined obliquely from between the elastic body 22 and the right side surface of the storage body 12 when the lid 16 is in the open position, toward the opposite direction to the direction of movement of the elastic body 22, which is displaced as the lid 16 is closed. In the embodiment, the second abutment surface 30a is configured to abut between the coil portion 22a on the storage body 12 side and the side opposite the direction of movement of the elastic body 22, which is displaced as the lid 16 is closed. In the embodiment, the second mounting surface 32a on the second base 32 to which the second buffer body 30 is attached is formed so as to be obliquely oriented from between the right side of the storage body 12 and the elastic body 22 when the lid 16 is in the open position toward the side opposite the direction of movement of the elastic body 22 when the lid 16 is displaced to the closed position. The orientation of the second abutment surface 30a is determined by attaching the rectangular block-shaped second buffer body 30 to this second mounting surface 32a. The second mounting surface 32a is formed wider than the second buffer body 30, allowing the mounting position of the second buffer body 30 to be adjusted in the axial direction of the elastic body 22 and in a direction intersecting the axial direction.

The first buffer 26 and the second buffer 30 are preferably made of an elastic material. Materials that can be used to make the first buffer 26 and the second buffer 30 include rubber, foam, nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, and leather, and in this embodiment, rubber sponge is used. Note that the first buffer 26 and the second buffer 30 may be made of the same material or different materials.

In the storage box 10, the elastic body 22, installed between the right arm 14 and the right side of the storage body 12, is in a first state in which it is most compressed when the lid 16 is in the intermediate position. The storage box 10 is also configured so that the elastic body 22 is in a second state in which it is more elongated than the first state between the intermediate position and the open position, and between the intermediate position and the closed position. This helps ensure smooth opening of the lid 16 as the lid 16 moves from the closed position to the open position, by shifting from an elongated state to a most compressed state in the initial stage of opening. Then, when the lid 16 passes the intermediate position and points downward, exerting a large amount of its own weight, the elastic body 22 becomes more elongated as it moves toward the open position, slowing the lid 16 and preventing it from opening too forcefully. This improves the texture of the lid 16 as it opens. Furthermore, when the lid 16 moves from the open position to the closed position, the elastic body 22 contracts from an extended state in the initial stage of closing the lid 16, thereby reducing the burden on the user who is supporting the lid 16. Then, just before the lid 16 passes the intermediate position and reaches the closed position, the elastic body 22 changes from a contracted state to an extended state, allowing the lid 16 to close slowly. This improves the texture of the lid 16 when it closes.

When the lid 16 of the storage box 10 is in the closed position, the elastic body 22, which is installed between the arm 14 supporting the lid 16 and the storage body 12, abuts against the first buffer body 26. In this way, the elastic body 22 abuts against the first buffer body 26, which prevents the elastic body 22 from resonating due to vibrations from the driving engine or when the vehicle is running. This prevents the generation of abnormal noise due to the resonance of the elastic body 22 and damage to the elastic body 22 itself due to the resonance of the elastic body 22.

When the lid 16 of the storage box 10 is in the open position, the elastic body 22, which is installed between the arm 14 supporting the lid 16 and the storage body 12, abuts against the second buffer body 30. In this way, the elastic body 22 abuts against the second buffer body 30, which prevents the elastic body 22 from resonating due to vibrations from the driving engine, etc. This prevents the generation of abnormal noise due to the resonance of the elastic body 22 and damage to the elastic body 22 itself due to the resonance of the elastic body 22.

For example, possible resonance countermeasures include a structure in which a tube is fitted onto the outside of the coil portion 22a of the elastic body 22, or a structure in which a tube is inserted inside the coil portion 22a of the elastic body 22. Unlike the above-mentioned resonance countermeasures, with the above-mentioned resonance prevention structure for the elastic body 22, the first buffer 26 and the second buffer 30 move away from the elastic body 22 when the lid 16 is opened or closed, thereby not affecting the spring constant of the elastic body 22. Similarly, unlike the above-mentioned resonance countermeasures, with the above-mentioned resonance prevention structure for the elastic body 22, the first buffer 26 and the second buffer 30 move away from the elastic body 22 when the lid 16 is opened or closed, thereby not affecting the opening and closing operation of the lid 16. The above-mentioned resonance prevention structure for the elastic body 22 simply requires the buffer 26 (30) to abut against the elastic body 22, allowing for a high degree of freedom in the placement of the buffer 26 (30). By adjusting the abutment position and abutment range, etc., appropriate resonance countermeasures tailored to the elastic body 22 can be easily and inexpensively implemented.

The first contact surface 26a of the first buffer 26 is configured so that, as it moves away from the storage body 12, it faces in the opposite direction to the movement direction of the elastic body 22, which is displaced as the lid 16 is opened. By tilting the first contact surface 26a in this manner, when the lid 16 is in the closed position, the single first buffer 26 can prevent left-right resonance of the elastic body 22 and up-down resonance of the elastic body 22. Moreover, in this embodiment, when the lid 16 is in the closed position, the first buffer 26 is located diagonally below the elastic body 22, which slopes downward from the front to the rear, so that the single first buffer 26 can prevent three-dimensional resonance of the elastic body 22, including the front-to-rear direction.

The second contact surface 30a of the second buffer 30 is configured so that, as it moves away from the storage body 12, it faces in the opposite direction to the movement direction of the elastic body 22, which is displaced as the lid 16 is closed. By tilting the second contact surface 30a in this manner, when the lid 16 is in the open position, the single second buffer 30 can prevent resonance of the elastic body 22 in the left-right direction and the up-down direction. Moreover, in this embodiment, when the lid 16 is in the open position, the second buffer 30 is located diagonally above the elastic body 22, which slopes downward from the front to the rear, so that the single second buffer 30 can prevent three-dimensional resonance of the elastic body 22, including the front-to-back direction.

The first buffer 26 and the second buffer 30 are made of an elastic material. This prevents the elastic body 22 from being damaged when the first buffer 26 (second buffer 30) and the elastic body 22 come into contact. Furthermore, the first buffer 26 (second buffer 30) can softly receive the elastic body 22, preventing the generation of abnormal noise.

The first buffer 26 and second buffer 30 are positioned so that they contact the axial center of the coil portion 22a of the elastic body 22. By doing so, the relatively narrow first buffer 26 (second buffer 30) can effectively prevent resonance of the elastic body 22.

(Example of change)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration, and may be modified as follows, for example: Note that the present invention is not limited to the specific descriptions of the embodiment and the following modified examples.
(1) In the embodiment, a storage box mounted on a motorcycle is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be a storage box mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile or other vehicle.
(2) In the embodiment, the tension spring and rotary damper are all mounted on one side of the storage body, but this is not limiting and the tension spring and rotary damper may be distributed and disposed on both sides of the storage body. Furthermore, other braking means capable of controlling the opening speed of the lid may be used instead of the rotary damper. The rotary damper may also be omitted.
(3) The buffer body is not limited to a relatively flexible material, but may be made of a hard material such as metal, resin, etc. For example, the base described in the embodiment may be placed against an elastic body to function as a buffer body.
(4) The second buffer may be omitted.
(5) The buffer body may be configured to contact either the left and right, front and rear, or top and bottom sides of the elastic body, such as the housing body side or the side opposite to the direction of movement of the elastic body.
(6) The contact surface of the buffer body is not limited to a flat surface, but may be, for example, a curved surface, an L-shape, a concave shape, or the like.
(7) In the embodiment, a coil spring is used as an example of the elastic body, but a torsion spring or other elastic body may also be used. For example, in the case of a torsion spring, the shock absorber may be brought into contact with the coil portion or the hook portion.

12 Storage body, 12a Inlet/outlet, 16 Lid, 22 Elastic body, 22a Coil portion,
26 first buffer (buffer), 26a first contact surface (contact surface),
30 Second buffer body (second buffer body)

Claims (4)

A storage box attached to a vehicle,
A lid that opens and closes the opening of the storage body,
an elastic body that is provided between the lid body and the storage body and that can apply a biasing force in a direction in which the lid body is closed when the lid body is in an open position;
a buffer body provided on the outside of the storage body and abutting against one side of the elastic body when the lid body is in a closed position;
a second buffer body that is provided on the storage body at a distance from the buffer body and that abuts against the other side of the elastic body when the lid body is in an open position;
The storage box is characterized in that the buffer body and the second buffer body are arranged on the same outer surface of the storage body. A storage box attached to a vehicle,
A lid that opens and closes the opening of the storage body,
an elastic body that is provided between the lid body and the storage body and that can apply a biasing force in a direction in which the lid body is closed when the lid body is in an open position;
a buffer body provided on the outside of the storage body and abutting against the elastic body when the lid body is in a closed position;
a second buffer body that is provided on the storage body at a distance from the buffer body and that abuts against the elastic body when the lid body is in an open position;
A storage box characterized in that the buffer body and the second buffer body are arranged on the same side of the outside of the storage body and are arranged at an interval in the direction of movement of the elastic body that displaces as the lid body is opened. 3. The storage box according to claim 1, wherein the elastic body does not come into contact with the buffer body or the second buffer body at an intermediate position of the elastic body that is displaced as the lid body is opened. The storage box described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the buffer is made of an elastic material.