JP7850624B2 - Lid opening and closing aid - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a lid opening and closing assist device that is detachably attached to the knob of a cooking pot lid and used for opening and closing the lid.

In some cooking pots, the lid has a knob that is positioned approximately in the center of the lid, and is formed in a T-shape where, in a side view, the knob head is wider horizontally than the knob base, and the knob protrudes upward from the top surface of the lid. Because the knob on such a cooking pot tends to become hot during cooking, a lid opening and closing aid called a self-standing lid gripper, which has a recess that can be locked onto the knob, is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1, to allow the user to open and close the lid without using mittens (thick, cloth-like gloves).

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-113355

The lid opening and closing aid disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a rectangular plate material with a recessed portion and a rod-shaped handle attached to it. The user grips the rod-shaped handle with their hand, hooks the recessed portion onto the knob on the lid, and lifts the lid to open it. The lid is closed by placing the lid over the pot while the knob is still hooked onto the recessed portion. However, when using this type of lid opening and closing aid, the user must perform a different operation than when opening and closing the lid by hand using the knob without the aid. This results in the user feeling uncomfortable with the operation.

This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a lid opening and closing assist device that enables users to open and close the lid of a cooking pot without feeling any discomfort.

The lid opening and closing assist device according to Invention 1 is
A lid opening and closing aid for a cooking pot, comprising a knob for the lid, located approximately in the center of the lid, formed in a T-shape such that, in a side view, the head of the knob is wider horizontally than the base of the knob, and which is detachably attached to the knob protruding upward from the top surface of the lid by moving it in a horizontal direction,
The aforementioned lid opening and closing assist device is,
The upper part of the lid opening/closing assist device comprises a gripping portion for gripping the lid opening/closing assist device,
It comprises a knob storage section located below the gripping section, in which the knob is housed inside the lid opening/closing assisting device,
The knob storage section is,
A side opening is provided on one surface of the outer peripheral side wall of the lid opening/closing assisting device that is substantially perpendicular to the direction mentioned above, and which extends to the lower end of the outer peripheral side wall,
A lower opening is provided on the lower surface of the bottom wall of the lid opening/closing aid, and is in communication with the side opening,
It has a space recessed from the side opening toward the central part of the lid opening/closing aid,
The aforementioned space is
A knob storage space includes a head storage space in which the knob head is stored and a base storage space in which the knob base is stored in the storage position of the knob,
The knob passage space includes a head passage space through which the knob head can pass and a base passage space through which the knob base can pass, between the side opening and the knob storage space.
In the first viewing direction, the horizontal width of the head storage space is at least greater than the horizontal width of the base storage space.

Here, the horizontal direction can be, for example, the forward direction with the front of the lid opening/closing aid facing forward. Furthermore, the plane substantially perpendicular to the aforementioned direction can be the front of the lid opening/closing aid, and the view in the aforementioned direction can be the front view of the lid opening/closing aid.

According to the above configuration, when the lid opening/closing assist device of the present invention is attached to the knob of a cooking pot lid by storing it in the knob storage space through the side opening, the device can cover the knob at approximately the same position, and the gripping portion of the lid opening/closing assist device is positioned above the knob. Therefore, the lid can be opened and closed by holding the gripping portion of the lid opening/closing assist device with the same ease as when opening and closing the lid by hand. Consequently, with the lid opening/closing assist device of the present invention, the feel of opening and closing the lid is virtually the same as when opening and closing the lid without using the assist device, thus eliminating any discomfort the user may feel when opening and closing the lid.

Furthermore, when the lid opening/closing aid is attached to the lid's knob, the gripping portion of the aid is positioned above the knob, making it less likely for the hand holding the gripping portion to come into contact with the lid. The knob storage space of the lid opening/closing aid has a wider horizontal width in the head storage space than in the base storage space, allowing it to firmly hold the T-shaped knob and enabling stable opening and closing of the lid.

The lid opening and closing assist device according to Invention 2 is,
In the lid opening and closing assist device of the above invention 1,
In the aforementioned first viewing direction, the horizontal width of the head passage space is set to be approximately the same as or larger than the horizontal width of the head storage space.
In the aforementioned first viewing direction, the horizontal width of the base passage space can be set to be approximately the same as or larger than the horizontal width of the base storage space.

According to the above configuration, the lid opening/closing aid can be easily attached to the knob of the cooking pot lid from the side (horizontal direction), thereby improving the usability of the lid opening/closing aid.

The lid opening and closing assist device according to Invention 3 is
In the lid opening and closing assist device of invention 1 or 2,
The side walls of the base passage space and/or the side walls of the head passage space may be provided with protruding protrusions.

According to the above configuration, when the knob of the lid is stored in the knob storage space of the lid opening/closing assist device and the lid is opened or closed, the protrusion prevents the knob from coming loose from the lid opening/closing assist device, thereby improving the usability of the lid opening/closing assist device.

The lid opening and closing assist device according to Invention 4 is
In any one of the above inventions 1 to 3, a lid opening and closing assist device,
The gripping portion may be configured to have at least a constricted portion having a horizontal width that is smaller than the horizontal width of the upper part of the gripping portion when viewed in a direction facing the one surface.

According to the above configuration, the constricted portion allows the user to firmly grip the lid opening/closing aid, enabling stable opening and closing of the lid and improving the usability of the lid opening/closing aid.

This is a perspective view showing the state of use when opening and closing the lid of a cooking pot using the lid opening/closing assist device of the embodiment. Figure (a) is a perspective view showing the state of the lid opening/closing assist device before the knob is attached, and Figure (b) is a perspective view showing the state of the lid opening/closing assist device with the knob attached. This is a side view showing the lid opening/closing aid and cooking pot according to the embodiment. This is a perspective view showing a lid opening and closing assist device of an embodiment. This figure shows each side of the lid opening and closing assist device of the embodiment, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a left side view, (c) is a rear view, (d) is a top view, and (e) is a bottom view. This is a front perspective view showing the knob attached to the lid opening/closing aid of the embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating the internal space of the lid opening and closing aid of the embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X (dotted line) in Figure 4(a).

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in Figures 1(a)(b) and 2, the lid opening/closing assist tool 1 of this embodiment is a tool used to open and close the lid 22 of a cooking pot 2 by moving the lid opening/closing assist tool 1 in one horizontal direction and attaching it detachably to the knob 3 of the lid 22. By using this lid opening/closing assist tool 1, the lid 22 can be easily opened and closed without directly touching the hot knob 3 during cooking. In this embodiment, the one horizontal direction is the forward direction with the front of the lid opening/closing assist tool 1 facing forward.

The cooking pot 2 comprises a pot body 21 formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with an open top for holding food to be cooked, and a disc-shaped lid 22 that covers the open top of the pot body 21. The pot body 21 has handles 4 that protrude outward from the left and right positions on the upper part of the side surface. The lid 22 is located in the center and has a knob 3 that protrudes upward from the top surface of the lid 22. The knob 3 is composed of an upper knob head 31 and a lower knob base 32, and is formed in a roughly T-shape, with the knob head 31 being wider horizontally than the knob base 32 when viewed from the side (see Figure 2). In this embodiment of the knob 3, the knob head 31 has a disc shape, and the knob base 32 has a cylindrical shape with a reduced outer shape in the middle, as if the tips of two cones were joined together. Furthermore, the shape of the cooking pot 2 is not limited to a circle; any shape can be selected, such as an oval, square, or other polygonal shape. The shape of the knob 3 can also be selected; for example, the knob head 31 may have a rounded, mushroom-like shape at the top, or the knob base 32 may be a cylindrical shape. The overall shape of the knob 3 is also not limited to a circle; any shape can be selected, such as an oval, square, or other polygonal shape. The pot body 21 and lid 22 can be made from metal, ceramic, or other materials, while the knob 3 can be made from metal, resin, ceramic, wood, or other materials.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4(a) to (e), the lid opening/closing assist tool 1 of the embodiment has an overall shape that is roughly cylindrical. The upper part of this roughly cylindrical shape constitutes a gripping part 5 for gripping the lid opening/closing assist tool 1 by hand, and the lower part located below the gripping part 5 constitutes a knob storage part 6 for storing the knob 3 of the lid 22 inside the lid opening/closing assist tool 1. The raw material for manufacturing the lid opening/closing assist tool 1 of the embodiment is phenolic resin, but other resins may be used, as well as metal, ceramic, wood, etc. It is preferable to use a raw material for the lid opening/closing assist tool 1 that has lower thermal conductivity than the knob 3. In this case, the lid opening/closing assist tool 1 will not become hot when attached to a hot knob 3. Furthermore, the shape of the lid opening/closing assist tool 1 is not limited to a roughly cylindrical shape, but may also be an elliptical prism shape, a polygonal prism shape such as a rectangular prism, etc. Furthermore, the lid opening/closing assist tool 1 may have different dimensions, such as width and height, and different shapes, between the upper portion constituting the gripping portion 5 and the lower portion constituting the knob storage portion 6.

The gripping portion 5 has a flange portion 51 formed on the upper part of the gripping portion 5 and a constricted portion 52 below the flange portion 51. The flange portion 51 is formed in a disc shape, and the constricted portion 52 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The diameter of the cylindrical constricted portion 52 is set to a smaller dimension than the diameter of the disc shape of the flange portion 51. The diameter of the constricted portion 52 and the diameter of the flange portion 51 are their respective horizontal widths.

The knob storage section 6 has a side opening 61 provided on the front surface of the outer peripheral side wall of the lid opening/closing assist device 1 (Figure 4(a)), a bottom opening 62 provided on the lower surface of the bottom wall of the lid opening/closing assist device 1 (Figure 4(e)), and a space 7 recessed from the side opening 61 toward the central part of the lid opening/closing assist device 1. The front surface of the outer peripheral side wall of the lid opening/closing assist device 1 is a surface substantially perpendicular to one of the horizontal directions of the lid opening/closing assist device 1.

The side opening 61 extends to the lower end of the outer peripheral side wall of the lid opening/closing aid 1 and has a roughly T-shape that mimics the projected shape of the knob 3 in side view. It is set to a size larger than the knob 3. The side opening 61 serves as the entry and exit point for the knob 3 when attaching and detaching the lid opening/closing aid 1 to the knob 3. The bottom opening 62 has a roughly U-shape and opens on the front side of the outer peripheral side wall, communicating with the side opening 61. It serves as an opening to allow the knob base 32 to pass through when attaching and detaching the lid opening/closing aid 1 to the knob 3, and is set to a size larger than the diameter of the knob base 32.

Referring also to Figures 5 and 6, space 7 comprises a knob storage space 71 comprising a head storage space 71A where the knob head 31 is stored and a base storage space 71B where the knob base 32 is stored, at the storage position of the knob 3 which is approximately in the center of the lid opening/closing aid 1; and a knob passage space 72 comprising a head passage space 72A through which the knob head 31 can pass and a base passage space 72B through which the knob base 32 can pass, in the range from the side opening 61 to the knob storage space 71.

As shown in Figure 6, a side wall portion 60 is provided on the outer periphery of the head storage space 71A, forming a semicircular side wall that encloses a portion of the head storage space 71A. A pair of left and right arm portions 8a and 8b are provided on the outer side of the base passage space 72B, forming side walls on the left and right sides in the horizontal direction of the base passage space 72B. The portions behind this pair of arm portions 8a and 8b are connected in an arc shape that encloses the base storage space 71B. The outer periphery of the bottom opening 62 on the lower surface of the bottom wall of the lid opening/closing aid 1 is an inclined portion 82 (see Figures 4(a) and 4(e)) that slopes upward toward the bottom opening 62, following the conical shape of the knob base 32 of the knob 3. Furthermore, the bottom ends of the tip-side of the pair of arm portions 8a and 8b have notches 82A (see Figures 4(b) and 4(e)) that slope upward toward the tip.

The dimensions of the knob storage space 71 and the knob passage space 72 are set to be larger than the dimensions of the target knob 3. Since the knob passage space 72 is a space formed continuously from the side opening 61, the shape and dimensions of the side opening 61 are set depending on the shape and dimensions of the knob passage space 72.

The head storage space 71A is a cylindrical space slightly larger than the knob head 31 so that the knob head 31 can be stored inside. The base storage space 71B is a cylindrical space slightly larger than the knob base 32 so that the knob base 32 can be stored inside. In a front view of the lid opening/closing aid 1, the horizontal width of the head storage space 71A is larger than the horizontal width of the base storage space 71B. Therefore, when the knob 3 is attached to the knob storage space 71 and the lid opening/closing aid 1 is lifted, the knob 3 will not fall out from the bottom wall of the lid opening/closing aid 1. In this embodiment, in a front view of the lid opening/closing aid 1, the horizontal width of the head passage space 72A is larger than the horizontal width of the base passage space 72B, however, the horizontal width of the base passage space 72B may be formed to be approximately the same dimension as the horizontal width of the head passage space 72A.

The head passage space 72A is a roughly arc-shaped space extending from the lateral opening portion of the side opening 61 to the head storage space 71A, as viewed from the front of the lid opening/closing assist device 1. The base passage space 72B is a roughly rectangular space extending from the vertical opening portion of the side opening 61 to the base storage space 71B, as viewed from the front of the lid opening/closing assist device 1.

In a front view of the lid opening/closing assist device 1, the horizontal width of the head passage space 72A and the horizontal width of the head storage space 71A are set to be larger than the width (diameter) of the knob head 31 of the target knob 3. In this embodiment, the horizontal width of the head passage space 72A is formed to be approximately the same as the horizontal width of the head storage space 71A, but the horizontal width of the head passage space 72A may be formed to be larger than the horizontal width of the head storage space 71A.

In a front view of the lid opening/closing assist device 1, the horizontal width of the base passage space 72B and the horizontal width of the base storage space 71B are set to be larger than the width (diameter) of the knob base 32 of the target knob 3. In this embodiment, the horizontal width of the base passage space 72B is formed to be approximately the same as the horizontal width of the base storage space 71B, but the horizontal width of the base passage space 72B may be formed to be larger than the horizontal width of the base storage space 71B.

The left and right side walls of the base passage space 72B are provided with a pair of protrusions 81a and 81b (see Figure 4(a)) projecting toward the opposing side walls. While the pair of protrusions 81a and 81b are positioned near the base storage space 71B, they may be placed at any position within the range of the side walls of the base passage space 72B. The distance between the pair of protrusions 81a and 81b is set to be slightly larger than the diameter of the knob base 32. Furthermore, if the head passage space 72A has side walls on both sides, the protrusions 81a and 81b may be provided on these left and right side walls. In this case, the protrusions 81a and 81b may be provided on both or either the side walls of the base passage space 72B and the side walls of the head passage space 72A. Also, the protrusion 81 may be provided on only one of the left or right side walls.

Furthermore, the top surface of the lid opening/closing aid 1 (the same as the top surface of the gripping portion 5) is marked m (see Figures 3 and 4(d)) to indicate the position of the front side of the lid opening/closing aid 1 with the side opening 61. In this embodiment, letters are engraved as this mark m, and the surface of the outer peripheral wall corresponding to the front side when viewed from above in a orientation in which this mark m can be read normally is the front of the lid opening/closing aid 1 with the side opening 61. Therefore, when the user holds the gripping portion 5 of the lid opening/closing aid 1 in a orientation in which the letters that make up mark m can be read normally, the orientation of the lid opening/closing aid 1 held in the hand naturally positions the front of the lid opening/closing aid 1 with the side opening 61 in front of the hand. In this state, by moving the lid opening/closing aid 1 toward the knob 3 of the lid 22, the knob 3 can be easily attached to the knob storage space 71 through the side opening 61. Furthermore, the aforementioned mark m can be various characters such as "前" (mae), and in addition to characters, the mark m may also be a symbol such as an arrow, a figure, a pattern, a design, etc.

Next, we will explain how to use the lid opening/closing aid 1.
Referring to Figures 1(a)(b) and 2, when opening the lid 22 of the cooking pot 2, the user holds the grip portion 5 of the lid opening/closing aid 1 in their hand, moves the lid opening/closing aid 1 almost horizontally toward the knob 3 on the lid 22, inserts the lid opening/closing aid 1 into the knob 3 through its side opening 61, positions the knob 3 in the knob storage space 71, and attaches the lid opening/closing aid 1 to the knob 3. In this state, by moving the lid opening/closing aid 1 upward, the lid 22 is lifted and the lid 22 can be opened from the cooking pot 2 (see Figure 5). When closing the lid 22, the user holds the lid opening/closing aid 1 attached to the knob 3 in their hand and moves it downward so that the lid 22 is placed over the upper opening of the pot body 21, thereby closing the lid 22 of the cooking pot 2. After closing the lid 22, the lid opening/closing assist device 1 can be easily removed from the knob 3 by moving it horizontally (in the opposite direction to when it was attached).

As described above, with the lid opening/closing assist device 1 of this embodiment, when the lid opening/closing assist device 1 is attached to the knob 3 of the cooking pot 2's lid 22 by placing it in the knob storage space 71 through the side opening 61, the knob 3 can be covered at approximately the same position as the knob 3, and the gripping portion 5 of the lid opening/closing assist device 1 is positioned above the knob 3 (see Figure 1(b)). Therefore, just as when opening and closing the lid 22 by holding the knob 3 with one's hand, the lid 22 can be opened and closed by holding the gripping portion 5 of the lid opening/closing assist device 1 with one's hand. Consequently, with the lid opening/closing assist device 1 of this embodiment, there is little difference in the feel of opening and closing the lid 22 compared to when the lid opening/closing assist device 1 is not used, thus eliminating any discomfort the user may feel when opening and closing the lid 22.

Furthermore, for example, when opening and closing the lid 22 of the cooking pot 2 to check the progress of cooking, using an oven mitt would be cumbersome and time-consuming, as it would require putting the mitt on and taking it off each time the lid 22 is opened or closed. However, with the lid opening/closing assist tool 1 of this embodiment, the user can simply hold the lid opening/closing assist tool 1 in their hand and attach it to the knob 3 of the lid 22. This allows the user to operate the lid opening/closing assist tool 1 in the same way as when opening and closing the lid 22 by hand, making it easy and convenient to operate without any confusion about the method of operation. Moreover, even if the user sees this lid opening/closing assist tool 1 for the first time, they can intuitively understand how to use it and use it to open and close the lid 22.

When the lid opening/closing assist device 1 is attached to the knob 3 of the lid 22, the gripping portion 5, which constitutes the upper part of the lid opening/closing assist device 1, is positioned above the knob 3. This has the advantageous effect of making it difficult for the hand holding the gripping portion 5 to move away from the lid 22 and come into contact with it. Furthermore, the knob storage space 71 of the lid opening/closing assist device 1 has a horizontal width in the head storage space 71A that is wider than the horizontal width in the base storage space 71B. This allows the roughly T-shaped knob 3 to be held securely, enabling stable opening and closing of the lid 22.

In the knob storage section 6, the horizontal width of the head passage space 72A is formed to be approximately the same as the horizontal width of the head storage space 71A, and the horizontal width of the base passage space 72B is formed to be approximately the same as the horizontal width of the base storage space 71B. This makes it easier to attach the lid opening/closing aid 1 to the knob 3 of the lid 22 of the cooking pot 2 from the side (horizontal direction), improving the usability of the lid opening/closing aid 1. Furthermore, if the horizontal width of the head passage space 72A is larger than the horizontal width of the head storage space 71A, and the horizontal width of the base passage space 72B is larger than the horizontal width of the base storage space 71B, it becomes even easier to attach the lid opening/closing aid 1 to the knob 3.

Furthermore, in the knob storage section 6, the bottom of the tip end of the pair of arm sections 8a and 8b has a notch 82A (see Figure 4(b)) that slopes upward towards the tip. Since this notch 82A constitutes the bottom surface on the front side of the lid opening/closing aid 1, even if the lid opening/closing aid 1 is angled slightly downwards towards the knob 3 when attaching it to the knob 3, it becomes easier to attach the lid opening/closing aid 1 to the knob 3.

The side wall of the base passage space 72B is provided with a pair of horizontally protruding protrusions 81a and 81b (see Figure 4(a)). This allows the knob 3 of the lid 22 to be stored in the knob storage space 71 of the lid opening/closing assist tool 1 when the lid 22 is opened or closed, as the protrusions 81a and 81b prevent the knob 3 from coming out of the lid opening/closing assist tool 1, thereby improving the usability of the lid opening/closing assist tool 1. Furthermore, when the lid 22 is tilted while suspended in the air, the knob base 32 of the knob 3 comes into contact with the protrusions 81a and 81b, allowing the user to recognize the sensation and adjust to a stable holding position where the lid 22 is horizontal. The pair of protrusions 81a and 81b are positioned near the base storage space 71B, and the distance between the pair of protrusions 81a and 81b is set to be slightly larger than the diameter of the knob base 32. Therefore, when the knob base 32 of the knob 3 moves through the base passage space 72B, it can pass through even if it hits the protrusions 81a and 81b. Furthermore, the user can easily recognize that the knob 3 has been placed in the knob storage space 71 by feeling a click when the knob base 32 hits the protrusions 81a and 81b. Also, since the protrusions 81a and 81b do not lock the knob 3 in the knob storage space 71, the knob can be easily released from the knob 3 by sliding the lid opening/closing aid 1 while the lid 22 is placed on the pot body 21, making it easy to use.

The gripping portion 5 is provided with a constricted portion 52 having a horizontal width smaller than the horizontal width of the flange portion 51 at the top of the gripping portion 5. This allows the user to firmly grip the lid opening/closing aid 1, enabling stable opening and closing of the lid 22 and improving the usability of the lid opening/closing aid 1. Alternatively, the constricted portion 52 may not have a horizontal width smaller than the flange portion 51 around its entire circumference; instead, when the side opening 61 is viewed from the front, one side of the gripping portion 5 (either left or right) may be recessed. In this case, by aligning the fingers of the hand with the constricted portion 52, the side opening 61 can be positioned facing forward, allowing the side opening 61 to face the knob 3 of the lid 22, making it easier to attach the lid opening/closing aid 1 from the side (horizontal direction) and improving the usability of the lid opening/closing aid 1.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.
For example, the side walls of the base passage space 72B and the side walls of the head passage space 72A may not have protrusions 81a and 81b.
The top surface of the lid opening/closing assist device 1 may not have a mark m.
Furthermore, the lid opening/closing assist device 1 may be configured to be disassembled and assembled into a gripping portion 5 and a knob storage portion 6.

1 Lid opening/closing aid 2 Cooking pot 3 Knob 4 Handle 5 Grip part 6 Knob storage part 7 Spaces 8a, 8b Arm part 21 Pot body 22 Lid 31 Knob head 32 Knob base 51 Rim part 52 Narrow part 60 Side wall part 61 Side opening 62 Bottom opening 71 Knob storage space 71A Head storage space 71B Base storage space 72 Knob passage space 72A Head passage space 72B Base passage spaces 81a, 81b Protrusion 82 Inclined part 82A Notch m Mark

Claims (4)

A lid opening and closing aid for a cooking pot, comprising a knob for the lid, located approximately in the center of the lid, formed in a T-shape such that, in a side view, the head of the knob is wider horizontally than the base of the knob, and which is detachably attached to the knob protruding upward from the top surface of the lid by moving it in a horizontal direction,
The aforementioned lid opening and closing assist device is,
The upper part of the lid opening/closing assist device comprises a gripping portion for gripping the lid opening/closing assist device,
It comprises a knob storage section located below the gripping section, in which the knob is housed inside the lid opening/closing assisting device,
The knob storage section is,
A side opening is provided on one surface of the outer peripheral side wall of the lid opening/closing assisting device that is substantially perpendicular to the direction mentioned above, and which extends to the lower end of the outer peripheral side wall,
A lower opening is provided on the lower surface of the bottom wall of the lid opening/closing aid, and is in communication with the side opening,
It has a space recessed from the side opening toward the central part of the lid opening/closing aid,
The aforementioned space is
A knob storage space includes a head storage space in which the knob head is stored and a base storage space in which the knob base is stored in the storage position of the knob,
The knob passage space includes a head passage space through which the knob head can pass and a base passage space through which the knob base can pass, between the side opening and the knob storage space.
A lid opening and closing assist device, wherein, in the first viewing direction, at least the horizontal width of the head storage space is greater than the horizontal width of the base storage space. In the lid opening and closing assist device according to claim 1,
In the aforementioned first viewing direction, the horizontal width of the head passage space is set to be approximately the same as or larger than the horizontal width of the head storage space.
A lid opening and closing assist device, wherein, in the first viewing direction, the horizontal width of the base passage space is set to be approximately the same as or larger than the horizontal width of the base storage space. In the lid opening and closing assist device according to claim 2,
A lid opening and closing assist device, wherein the side walls of the base passage space and/or the side walls of the head passage space are provided with protruding protrusions. In the lid opening and closing assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A lid opening and closing assist device, wherein the gripping portion is provided with at least a constricted portion having a horizontal width that is smaller than the horizontal width of the upper part of the gripping portion when viewed in a direction opposite to the one surface.