Lid device

Abstract

Improves the appearance of the lid. [Solution] In the lid device 10, when the lid 20 rotates to the closed position, the lifter pressing portion 20B of the lid 20 presses the lifter knob 62 in the other direction of rotation by the drive of the actuator 30 when the lid 20 is in the closed position. The lifter knob 62 is biased forward by the lifter spring 64 and held in the lifted position. Here, the biasing force on the lifter knob 62 in the lifted position by the lifter spring 64 is set to be greater than the pressing force on the lifter knob 62 by the lifter pressing portion 20B. Therefore, when the lid 20 is in the closed position, the lifter pressing portion 20B is always in contact with the lifter knob 62 in the lifted position. Thus, positional variation in the front-rear direction of the lid 20 when the lid 20 is in the closed position can be suppressed. Thus, the appearance of the lid 20 when it is in the closed position can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lid device.

Background Art

[0002] In the energy receiving part (lid device) of the vehicle in Patent Document 1 below, a receiving recess is provided inside the vehicle at the opening of the vehicle. A lid is provided outside the vehicle of the receiving recess, and the lid rotates between a first position for opening the vehicle opening and a second position for closing the opening by driving of an actuator. When the lid is pushed into the vehicle interior by an operator at the second position of the lid, a switch provided in the receiving recess is pressed. Thereby, the actuator is driven by the control unit, and the lid rotates from the second position to the first position. Further, a magnet is provided on the lid, and a magnetic detection part is provided in the receiving recess. By the magnetic detection part detecting the magnetism by the magnet, the control unit detects the second position of the lid. Thereby, when the lid rotates from the first position to the second position, the control unit detects the second position based on the detection result of the magnetic detection part and stops the driving of the actuator.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the energy receiving part of the vehicle described above, there is room for improvement in the following points. That is, in the energy receiving part of the vehicle, an elastic annular seal member is provided in the receiving recess. At the second position of the lid, the lid presses the seal member, and the seal member is elastically deformed, and the space between the receiving recess and the lid is sealed by the seal member.

[0005] Here, the hardness of the sealing member changes with the ambient temperature. That is, the hardness of the sealing member increases as the ambient temperature decreases. When the hardness of the sealing member increases, the force required to elastically deform the sealing member also increases. On the other hand, since the driving force of the actuator is constant, the force with which the lid presses against the sealing member is also constant. For this reason, when the ambient temperature is low, there is a possibility that the position of the lid may vary at the second position. Specifically, for example, if the lid is positioned outside the vehicle opening, the lid may come into contact with the sealing member and stop before reaching the second position. In this case, the surface of the lid and the surface of the vehicle panel will no longer be flush, resulting in a problem of reduced appearance of the lid.

[0006] In consideration of the aforementioned facts, the present invention provides a lid device that can improve the appearance of the lid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One or more embodiments of the present invention include: a base provided inside an opening in a vehicle panel; a lid operably connected to the base and positioned on the front side of the base in a closed position that closes the opening, and positioned in an open position that opens the opening when moved from the closed position to one side in the operating direction; a drive unit connected to the lid and driven to operate the lid; and a lifter mechanism provided on the base and the lid, wherein the lifter mechanism includes: a lifter member provided on the base so as to be movable in the front-back direction of the base; a lifter biasing unit that biases the lifter member toward the front side of the base; and the lifter member The lifter device comprises a lifter holding portion that restricts the movement of the lifter member to the front side and holds the lifter member in the lifted position, and a lifter pressing portion provided on the lid that presses the lifter member to move to the back side when the lid in the closed position is pushed to the back side of the base, wherein when the lid is operated from the open position to the closed position, the lifter pressing portion presses the lifter member in the other direction of operation by the drive portion in the closed position, and the biasing force applied to the lifter member by the lifter biasing portion in the lifted position is set to be greater than the pressing force applied to the lifter member by the lifter pressing portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the appearance of the lid can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic front view of the lid device according to this embodiment, as seen from the front. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view (section 2-2 in Figure 1) of the left side of the lid device shown in Figure 1, viewed from the right side. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the lid rotated to the open position. [Figure 4] This is a rear view of the lid device shown in Figure 1, seen from the back. [Figure 5]This is a cross-sectional view (section 5-5 in Figure 4) of the area around the switch unit shown in Figure 4, viewed from the right side. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the switch unit shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The lid device 10 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The arrows UP, FR, and RH shown in the drawings indicate the top, front, and right sides of the lid device 10, respectively. In the following description, when the directions of up, down, front, back, and left and right are used, they refer to the up, down, front, back, and left and right directions of the lid device 10, unless otherwise specified.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the lid device 10 is installed on the side of the rear of the vehicle (automobile). The front-rear direction of the lid device 10 coincides with the vehicle's width direction. The lid device 10 consists of a base 12, a lid 20, an actuator 30 as a drive unit, and a switch unit 40. The components of the lid device 10 will be described below.

[0012] (Regarding Base 12) As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the base 12 is provided on the rear side of the recess 82 (see Figures 2 and 3) of the outer panel 80, which serves as a panel for the vehicle. The recess 82 is formed in a concave shape that opens to the front (outward in the vehicle width direction). The base 12 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape with the front-rear direction as the plate thickness direction, and is positioned adjacent to the rear side of the recess 82, and is fixed to the vehicle body at a position not shown. As a result, the base 12 is positioned on the rear side (inward in the vehicle width direction) relative to the opening 82A of the recess 82. An exposure hole 82B is formed in the bottom wall of the recess 82 to expose the portion of the base 12 other than the outer circumference to the front.

[0013] A base hole 12A is formed through the right side of the base 12 in the front-to-back direction. The base hole 12A is formed in a substantially elongated shape with the vertical direction as its longitudinal direction. Part of the energy receiving section 84 (see Figure 1) is located inside the base hole 12A, and the energy receiving section 84 is exposed to the front side through the base hole 12A. An insertion hole 12B is formed through the upper left end of the base 12 for inserting the lid arm 22, which will be described later. The insertion hole 12B is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with the horizontal direction as its longitudinal direction.

[0014] At the lower right end of the base 12, a circular switch hole 12C is formed through the base hole 12A to the right, in the front-to-back direction. Additionally, a circular lifter hole 12D is formed through the base 12 below the switch hole 12C, in the front-to-back direction. A pair of upper and lower fixing bosses 12E (see Figure 4) are provided on the rear surface (back) of the base 12. The fixing bosses 12E are formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with the front-to-back direction as their axial direction, and protrude from the base 12 to the rear. The upper fixing boss 12E is positioned above the switch hole 12C, and the lower fixing boss 12E is positioned below the lifter hole 12D.

[0015] On the rear surface of the base 12, behind the insertion hole 12B, there is an arm housing section 12F for accommodating the lid arm 22, which will be described later. The arm housing section 12F is formed in a roughly box shape that is open to the rear and protrudes from the base 12 to the rear. The lower part of the arm housing section 12F is in communication with the insertion hole 12B, and the upper part of the arm housing section 12F protrudes above the base 12.

[0016] (Regarding Lid 20) The lid 20 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape with the front-to-rear direction as the thickness direction. The lid 20 is positioned on the front side of the base 12 (the front side of the base 12) and within the recess 82, closing the opening 82A of the vehicle (the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, and hereafter referred to as the closed position of the lid 20). In the closed position of the lid 20, the surface of the lid 20 is positioned flush with the surface of the outer panel 80.

[0017] The lid 20 has a lid arm 22. The lid arm 22 is formed in a substantially U-shaped form that is open to the front in a side view seen from the left-right direction. Specifically, the lid arm 22 has a first arm portion 22A that constitutes the upper end portion of the lid arm 22, and a second arm portion 22B that constitutes the lower portion of the lid arm 22. The first arm portion 22A extends in the front-rear direction and is slightly inclined upward as it goes toward the rear side in a side view. An arm hole 22C (see FIG. 2) is formed to penetrate in the left-right direction at the front end portion of the first arm portion 22A. The second arm portion 22B extends obliquely downward and forward from the rear end portion of the first arm portion 22A, and the front end portion of the second arm portion 22B is connected to the upper end portion of the left part of the lid 20. More specifically, the second arm portion 22B is curved in an arc shape centered on the arm hole 22C in a side view, and the front end portion of the second arm portion 22B extends in the front-rear direction. The lid arm 22 is housed in the arm housing portion 12F of the base 12, and the front end portion of the second arm portion 22B is inserted through the insertion hole 12B of the base 12.

[0018] A hinge shaft 24 having the left-right direction as the axial direction is integrally rotatably inserted into the arm hole 22C of the lid arm 22. Both longitudinal ends of the hinge shaft 24 project outward in the left-right direction from the lid arm 22 and are supported by the arm housing portion 12F so as to be rotatable (operable). Thereby, the lid 20 is connected to the base 12 so as to be rotatable about the left-right direction as the axial direction. Specifically, by driving an actuator 30 described later, the lid 20 is configured to rotate between a closed position and an open position (the position shown in FIG. 3) rotated (operated) in one direction (the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2) from the closed position. In the open position of the lid 20, the lid 20 is disposed above the opening 82A of the vehicle, and the opening 82A is opened. Also, in the open position of the lid 20, the first arm portion 22A is disposed adjacent to the rear side of the base 12.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, on the rear surface of the lid 20, a switch pressing portion 20A is provided at a position facing the switch hole portion 12C of the base 12 in the front-rear direction. The switch pressing portion 20A is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with the front-rear direction as the axial direction and protrudes rearward from the lid 20. The switch pressing portion 20A is arranged spaced apart from the front side of the base 12.

[0020] On the rear surface of the lid 20, a lifter pressing portion 20B is provided at a position facing the lifter hole portion 12D of the base 12 in the front-rear direction. The lifter pressing portion 20B is formed in a substantially cross-shaped columnar shape extending in the front-rear direction and protrudes rearward from the lid 20. Specifically, the lifter pressing portion 20B has a pair of pressing pieces extending in the front-rear direction, one pressing piece is arranged with the up-down direction as the plate thickness direction, and the other pressing piece is arranged with the left-right direction as the plate thickness direction. The lifter pressing portion 20B is tapered so that the dimensions in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction of the lifter pressing portion 20B become smaller toward the rear side. The lifter pressing portion 20B passes through the lifter hole portion 12D, and the rear end portion of the lifter pressing portion 20B protrudes rearward from the base 12.

[0021] (Regarding the actuator 30) As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the actuator 30 is a drive source for rotating the lid 20. The actuator 30 includes an actuator main body 32 and a drive shaft 34 (see FIG. 1). The actuator main body 32 is arranged on the left side of the arm accommodating portion 12F of the base 12 and is fixed to the arm accommodating portion 12F. The drive shaft 34 extends rightward from the actuator main body 32 with the left-right direction as the axial direction. The drive shaft 34 is arranged coaxially with the hinge shaft 24 and is integrally rotatably connected to the hinge shaft 24. The actuator 30 is electrically connected to a control unit 70 (see FIG. 1) of the vehicle, and the control unit 70 drives and controls the actuator 30. When the actuator 30 is driven, the drive shaft 34 rotates around its own axis, and the lid 20 rotates between the closed position and the open position.

[0022] (Regarding switch unit 40) As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the switch unit 40 is located on the lower rear side of the right end of the base 12. The switch unit 40 comprises a unit case 42, a switch 50, and a lifter mechanism 60. The unit case 42 constitutes the outer casing of the switch unit 40. The unit case 42 has a case body 44 and a cover case 46. The case body 44 is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape that extends vertically and is open to the rear. Fixing pieces 44A are provided at both the vertical ends of the case body 44, with the front-to-back direction being the thickness direction. Fixing holes 44B are formed through the fixing pieces 44A in the front-to-back direction. Fixing screws (not shown) inserted from the rear into the fixing holes 44B are screwed into the fixing bosses 12E of the base 12, thereby fastening and fixing the fixing pieces 44A (switch unit 40) to the base 12.

[0023] The upper part of the case body 44 is provided with a switch housing recess 44C for housing a switch 50, which will be described later. The switch housing recess 44C is formed in a substantially rectangular recess shape with its longitudinal direction in the vertical direction and open to the rear. A circular first switch hole 44D is formed through the lower end of the bottom wall of the switch housing recess 44C in the front-to-back direction. The first switch hole 44D is arranged coaxially with the switch hole portion 12C of the base 12 and is larger in diameter than the switch hole portion 12C. The lower part of the case body 44 is provided with an outer cylinder portion 44E as a lifter holding portion for holding the lifter knob 62 of the lifter mechanism 60, which will be described later. The outer cylinder portion 44E is formed in a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape that is open to the rear and is arranged coaxially with the lifter hole portion 12D of the base 12. A circular lifter hole 44F is formed through the center of the bottom wall of the outer cylinder portion 44E in the front-to-back direction. The lifter hole 44F is larger in diameter than the lifter hole portion 12D.

[0024] The cover case 46 is formed in the shape of a relatively shallow rectangular box that extends vertically and is open to the front. The cover case 46 is fixed to the rear end of the case body 44 by a claw fitting, and closes the switch housing recess 44C and the outer cylinder portion 44E from the rear. An inner cylinder portion 46A is provided at the lower end of the cover case 46. The inner cylinder portion 46A is formed in the shape of a substantially cylindrical shape with the front-to-back direction as its axial direction, and protrudes forward from the cover case 46. The inner cylinder portion 46A is arranged coaxially with the outer cylinder portion 44E of the case body 44, and the front part of the inner cylinder portion 46A is located inside the outer cylinder portion 44E. A support column 46B is provided in the cover case 46 within the inner cylinder portion 46A. The support column 46B is formed in the shape of a substantially cross-shaped column that extends in the front-to-back direction, and protrudes forward from the cover case 46.

[0025] (Regarding Switch 50) The switch 50 comprises a switch case 52, a switch knob 54, a switch circuit board 56, and a switch body 58. The switch case 52 is formed in a concave shape that is open to the rear. A flange portion 52A is formed at the rear end of the outer circumference of the switch case 52, and the outer shape of the flange portion 52A is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction when viewed from the front. The switch case 52 is housed in the switch housing recess 44C of the case body 44, and the flange portion 52A is sandwiched in the front-to-back direction by the case body 44 and the cover case 46, fixing the switch case 52 to the unit case 42. A circular second switch hole 52B is formed through the lower part of the switch case 52 in the front-to-back direction. The second switch hole 52B is arranged coaxially with the first switch hole 44D of the case body 44 and is slightly smaller in diameter than the first switch hole 44D.

[0026] The switch knob 54 has a knob base portion 54A. The knob base portion 54A is housed in the switch case 52 and is supported by the cover case 46 and the switch case 52 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the switch knob 54 is configured to be movable to the rear from the unpressed position (the position shown in Figure 5). In the unpressed position of the switch knob 54, the movement of the switch knob 54 to the front is restricted by the switch case 52. The switch knob 54 has a knob portion 54B. The knob portion 54B is formed in a substantially stepped bottomed cylindrical shape that is open to the rear and protrudes to the front from the lower part of the knob base portion 54A. The rear part of the knob portion 54B has a larger diameter than the front part of the knob portion 54B. In the unpressed position of the switch knob 54, the knob portion 54B is inserted through the second switch hole 52B of the switch case 52, the first switch hole 44D of the case body 44, and the switch hole portion 12C of the base 12. Furthermore, the front end of the knob portion 54B protrudes forward from the base 12 and is positioned behind the switch pressing portion 20A of the lid 20, leaving a predetermined gap.

[0027] The switch board 56 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape with the front-to-back direction as the thickness direction. The switch board 56 is housed in the unit case 42 behind the switch knob 54 and is fixed to the unit case 42 by being sandwiched between the cover case 46 and the switch case 52.

[0028] The switch body 58 is a push switch. The switch body 58 is located on the front of the switch board 56 and is electrically connected to the control unit 70. The aforementioned switch knob 54 has a switch pressing column 54C, which is formed in a roughly cross-shaped column extending in the front-rear direction and is positioned adjacent to the front of the switch body 58. When the switch knob 54 moves from the unpressed position to the rear, the switch pressing column 54C presses against the switch body 58, causing the switch body 58 to switch from off to on. As a result, an on signal is output from the switch body 58 to the control unit 70.

[0029] (Regarding the lifter mechanism 60) The lifter mechanism 60 comprises the lifter pressing portion 20B of the lid 20 described above, the outer cylinder portion 44E and inner cylinder portion 46A of the unit case 42 described above, a lifter knob 62 as a lifter member, and a lifter spring 64 as a lifter biasing portion. The lifter knob 62 is formed in a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape that is open to the rear. The lifter knob 62 is housed in the inner cylinder portion 46A and is supported by the inner cylinder portion 46A so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the lifter knob 62 is configured to be movable to the rear from the lift position (position shown in Figure 5). In the lift position of the lifter knob 62, the outer circumference of the front wall of the lifter knob 62 abuts against the edge of the lifter hole 44F in the outer cylinder portion 44E, thereby restricting the forward movement of the lifter knob 62.

[0030] The lifter spring 64 is a compression coil spring. The lifter spring 64 is positioned inside the lifter knob 62 and is externally mounted on the support column 46B of the cover case 46. The front end of the lifter spring 64 is locked to the front wall of the lifter knob 62, and the rear end of the lifter spring 64 is locked to the cover case 46, so that the lifter spring 64 biases the lifter knob 62 forward. This holds the lifter knob 62 in the lifted position.

[0031] Furthermore, the lifter pressing portion 20B of the lid 20 is adjacent to the front side of the lifter knob 62, and the rear end surface of the lifter pressing portion 20B abuts against the front wall of the lifter knob 62. As will be described in detail later, when the lid 20 rotates from the open position to the closed position, the lifter pressing portion 20B is driven by the actuator 30 to press the lifter knob 62 toward the other side (rear side) of the rotation (operation) direction of the lid 20. In addition, the biasing force of the lifter spring 64 toward the lift position of the lifter knob 62 is set to be higher than the pressing force when the lifter pressing portion 20B pushes the lifter knob 62 toward the rear side due to the drive of the actuator 30.

[0032] Furthermore, when the lid 20 is in the closed position, the operator pushes the area around the lifter pressing portion 20B at the right end of the lid 20 backward, causing the lid 20 to bend and deform backward. Therefore, when the operator pushes the lid 20 backward against the biasing force of the lifter spring 64, the lifter pressing portion 20B presses the lifter knob 62 backward, causing the lifter knob 62 to move backward. At this time, the switch pressing portion 20A is displaced backward together with the lifter pressing portion 20B, pressing the switch knob 54 of the switch 50. As a result, the switch knob 54 is displaced backward from its unpressed position, and the switch pressing column 54C presses the switch body 58, causing the switch body 58 to switch from off to on.

[0033] Furthermore, the lid device 10 has a position detection sensor 72 (see Figure 1) for detecting the closed position of the lid 20, and the position detection sensor 72 is electrically connected to the control unit 70. In this embodiment, the position detection sensor 72 is a magnetic sensor and is provided on the base 12. The lid 20 is also provided with a magnet, and the position detection sensor 72 detects the magnetic flux density of the magnet and outputs an output value to the control unit 70 according to the magnitude of the detected magnetic flux density. When the lid 20 is in the closed position, the output value from the position detection sensor 72 is set to be equal to or greater than a threshold value. The control unit 70 also measures the drive current of the actuator 30 when the lid 20 is rotating and determines whether or not the drive current of the actuator 30 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0034] When the lid 20 rotates in one direction (towards the open position), the control unit 70 detects that the drive current of the actuator 30 is above a predetermined value, thereby detecting that the lid 20 has reached the open position. On the other hand, when the lid 20 rotates in the other direction (towards the closed position), the control unit 70 detects that the lid 20 has reached the closed position based on the output value from the position detection sensor 72 and the drive current of the actuator 30. Specifically, the control unit 70 detects that the lid 20 has reached the closed position when it detects that the output value from the position detection sensor 72 is above a threshold and the drive current of the actuator 30 is above a predetermined value.

[0035] (Effects and Benefits) Next, we will explain the operation of opening and closing the lid 20, and then describe the effects and advantages of this embodiment.

[0036] (Regarding the rotational movement of lid 20 from the closed position to the open position) When the lid 20 is in the closed position, the control unit 70 detects that the lid 20 is in the closed position according to the output value from the position detection sensor 72. To open the vehicle opening 82A, the operator pushes the area around the lifter pressing part 20B at the right end of the lid 20 backward against the biasing force of the lifter spring 64. This displaces the right end of the lid 20 backward, causing the lifter pressing part 20B to press the lifter knob 62 backward, and the lifter knob 62 to move backward. At this time, the switch pressing part 20A of the lid 20 is displaced backward, pressing the switch knob 54 backward. This causes the switch knob 54 to move backward, and the switch pressing column 54C of the switch knob 54 presses the switch body 58. As a result, the switch body 58 switches from off to on, and an on signal is output from the switch body 58 to the control unit 70.

[0037] After the operator pushes the lid 20 in, the operator releases the push. This causes the lid 20 to return to its original position due to the biasing force of the lifter spring 64, etc. Also, an ON signal is output from the switch body 58 to the control unit 70, which drives (activates) the actuator 30, causing the lid 20 to rotate from the closed position to one side in the rotational direction. Here, in the open position of the lid 20, the first arm portion 22A of the lid 20 is positioned adjacent to the rear side of the base 12. As a result, when the lid 20 reaches the open position, the first arm portion 22A comes into contact with the base 12, and the base 12 restricts the rotation of the lid 20 to one side in the rotational direction. Furthermore, if the actuator 30 is continued to be driven in this state, the drive current of the actuator 30 will exceed a predetermined value. Therefore, the control unit 70 detects that the lid 20 has reached the open position and stops driving the actuator 30.

[0038] (Regarding the rotational movement of lid 20 from the open position to the closed position) When the lid 20 is in the open position, the control unit 70 detects that the lid 20 is not in the closed position according to the output value from the position detection sensor 72. That is, the control unit 70 detects that the lid 20 is in the open position. To close the opening 82A of the vehicle, the operator presses the knob portion 54B of the switch knob 54, which protrudes forward from the base 12, backward. This causes the switch knob 54 to retract, and the switch pressing column 54C of the switch knob 54 presses the switch body 58. As a result, the switch body 58 switches from off to on, and an on signal is output from the switch body 58 to the control unit 70.

[0039] When an ON signal is output from the switch body 58 to the control unit 70, the control unit 70 drives the actuator 30, causing the lid 20 to rotate from the open position to the other side in the rotational direction. In the closed position of the lid 20, the lifter pressing portion 20B of the lid 20 is positioned adjacent to the front of the lifter knob 62 in the lift position. Furthermore, the biasing force of the lifter spring 64 that biases the lifter knob 62 in the lift position forward is set to be greater than the pressing force of the lifter pressing portion 20B that presses the lifter knob 62 backward when the actuator 30 is driven. As a result, when the lid 20 reaches the open position, the lifter pressing portion 20B of the lid 20 comes into contact with the lifter knob 62 in the lift position, and the lifter knob 62 restricts the rotation of the lid 20 to the other side in the rotational direction. In other words, when the lifter pressing portion 20B of the lid 20 presses against the lifter knob 62, the rotation of the lid 20 in the other direction of rotation is restricted. If the actuator 30 is continued to be driven in this state, the drive current of the actuator 30 will exceed a predetermined value. Furthermore, when the lifter pressing portion 20B contacts the lifter knob 62 in the lift position, the lid 20 is in the closed position, so the output value from the position detection sensor 72 will exceed a threshold value. Therefore, the control unit 70 detects that the lid 20 has reached the closed position and stops driving the actuator 30.

[0040] As explained above, in the lid device 10, when the lid 20 rotates to the closed position, the lifter pressing portion 20B of the lid 20 presses the lifter knob 62 to the other side in the rotation direction by the drive of the actuator 30 when the lid 20 is in the closed position. The lifter knob 62 is biased forward by the lifter spring 64 and held in the lift position. Here, the biasing force on the lifter knob 62 in the lift position by the lifter spring 64 is set to be greater than the pressing force on the lifter knob 62 by the lifter pressing portion 20B. In other words, even when the lifter pressing portion 20B presses the lifter knob 62 in the lift position to the rear by the drive of the actuator 30, the lifter knob 62 does not move to the rear and remains in the lift position. In short, when the lid 20 is in the closed position, the lid 20 is always supported from the rear by the lifter knob 62 in the lift position. In other words, when the lid 20 is in the closed position, the lifter pressing portion 20B is always in contact with the lifter knob 62 in the lifted position. Therefore, it is possible to suppress positional variation of the lid 20 in the front-rear direction when the lid 20 is in the closed position. As a result, the surface of the lid 20 can be positioned flush with the surface of the vehicle's outer panel 80. Thus, the appearance of the lid 20 in the closed position can be improved.

[0041] Furthermore, the switch unit 40 is equipped with a switch 50, and when the lid 20 in the closed position is pushed backward, the switch pressing portion 20A of the lid 20 presses against the switch body 58. In other words, the pressing force (operating force) applied to the lid 20 for pressing the switch 50 is mainly set by the biasing force of the lifter spring 64. This makes it easy to set the optimal pressing force when pushing the lid 20 backward.

[0042] In other words, from the viewpoint of improving operability for the operator when pushing in the lid 20, it is preferable to set the biasing force of the lifter spring 64 low to reduce the pushing force on the lid 20. However, if the pushing force on the lid 20 is set low, the right end of the lid 20 will be prone to displacement to the rear. For this reason, for example, when washing a vehicle with a high-pressure car wash machine, the lid 20 may press against the switch 50, causing the lid 20 to open unintentionally. In this case, the convenience of the lid device 10 will be reduced. For this reason, it is necessary to secure a force that supports the right end of the lid 20 from the rear so that the lid 20 does not displace to the rear unintentionally. In this embodiment, as described above, the lid 20 is supported from the rear by the lifter knob 62 which is biased by the biasing force of the lifter spring 64, and the pushing force when pushing the lid 20 to the rear is mainly set by the biasing force of the lifter spring 64. Therefore, by appropriately setting the biasing force of the lifter spring 64, the pushing force (operating force) on the lid 20 can be set to an optimal value that takes into account operability and convenience. As described above, with the lid device 10 of this embodiment, the optimal pushing force when pushing the lid 20 to the rear can be easily set.

[0043] Furthermore, the front end of the knob portion 54B of the switch knob 54 on the switch 50 protrudes forward from the switch hole portion 12C of the base 12. In addition, the lifter knob 62 is positioned behind the lifter hole portion 12D of the base 12 so as not to protrude forward from the lifter hole portion 12D of the base 12. This prevents the operator from accidentally pressing the lifter knob 62 when pressing the knob portion 54B of the switch knob 54 with the lid 20 in the open position. In other words, it prevents accidental operation when the operator directly presses the switch knob 54.

[0044] Furthermore, in the switch unit 40, the switch 50, the lifter knob 62, and the lifter spring 64 are housed in the unit case 42, and the outer cylinder portion 44E of the lifter mechanism 60 is integrally provided with the case body 44 of the unit case 42. Therefore, the switch 50 and the lifter mechanism 60 can be unitized as the switch unit 40 and assembled to the base 12. This contributes to reducing the number of parts and improving ease of assembly compared to a structure in which the switch 50 and the lifter mechanism 60 are provided separately.

[0045] In this embodiment, the entire lifter knob 62 is positioned on the rear side of the base 12. However, it is also possible to configure the lifter knob 62 so that a portion of it is positioned within the lifter hole 12D of the base 12, while the majority of the lifter knob 62 is positioned on the rear side of the base 12. For example, a knob portion extending forward from the lifter knob 62 may be provided on the lifter knob 62, and this knob portion may be positioned within the lifter hole 44F of the outer cylinder portion 44E and the lifter hole 12D of the base 12. In this case, the knob portion may be positioned so that its front surface is flush with the front surface of the base 12, so that it does not protrude forward from the lifter hole 12D. In this case, the length of the lifter pressing portion 20B of the lid 20 will be shorter compared to this embodiment.

[0046] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0047] For example, in this embodiment, the lid 20 is rotatably supported on the base 12 via the lid arm 22, and the lid 20 rotates relative to the base 12. However, instead, the lid 20 may be configured to slide relative to the base 12 by a link mechanism or a guide rail or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 10 Lid device 12 bass 12C switch hole 12D Lifter hole 20 Lid 20A Switch Pressing Part 20B Lifter pressing section 30 Actuator (drive unit) 42 Unit Case 44E Outer cylinder section (lifter holding section) 50 switches 60 Lifter Mechanism 62 Lift knob (lift component) 64 Lifter spring (lifter biasing part) 80 Outer Panels (Panels) 82A opening

Claims

1. A base provided on the inside of an opening in the vehicle's panel, A lid is operably connected to the base, positioned on the front side of the base in a closed position that closes the opening, and positioned in an open position that opens the opening when operated from the closed position toward one side in the operating direction, A drive unit connected to the lid and which operates the lid when driven, A lifter mechanism provided on the base and the lid, Equipped with, The aforementioned lifting mechanism is A lifter member is provided on the base so as to be movable in the front-back direction of the base, A lifter biasing unit that biases the lifter member toward the front side of the base, A lifter holding portion that restricts the movement of the lifter member toward the front side and holds the lifter member in the lifted position, A lifter pressing section is provided on the lid, and when the lid in the closed position is pushed to the back side of the base, it presses the lifter member and moves it to the back side, It is composed of including, A lifter device in which, when the lid is operated from the open position to the closed position, the lifter pressing portion presses the lifter member toward the other side in the operating direction by the drive portion in the closed position, and the biasing force applied to the lifter member by the lifter biasing portion is set to be greater than the pressing force applied to the lifter member by the lifter pressing portion.

2. A switch is provided on the base. The lid is provided with a switch pressing portion configured to press the switch, The lifter device according to claim 1, wherein the lid in the closed position is pushed toward the back side of the base, causing the switch pressing portion to press the switch.

3. The switch and the lifter member are arranged on the back side of the base. The base has holes for a switch and holes for a lifter. A portion of the switch protrudes from the switch hole to the front side of the base, The lifter device according to claim 2, wherein the lifter member is positioned on the back side of the base relative to the lifter hole so as not to protrude from the lifter hole to the front side of the base.

4. A unit case is provided on the back side of the aforementioned base. The lifter device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the switch, the lifter member, and the lifter biasing portion are housed in the unit case, and the lifter holding portion is integrally provided with the unit case.

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