Lid structure for vehicle

Abstract

To eliminate looseness between a rod tip part and a lid in a latched state, and ensure a sliding clearance between the rod tip part and the lid in an unlatched state.SOLUTION: A latch part 11 includes a rod 13 that projects from a vehicle body inner side relative to a lid 3 towards the closed lid 3 covering a supply port 24 in a closed state, the rod being provided so as to rotate between a latch posture Ptb and an unlatch posture Pta around a rotation axis extending in a projection direction. An opening part 33 into which a tip part 15 of the rod 13 can be inserted, a clamping part 45 formed in an opening edge part 33a, and a facing part 42 provided in a projection direction to the opening part 33 are provided in the closed lid 3 in the unlatch posture Pta. The tip part 15 is clamped between the clamping part 45 and the facing part 42 only in the latch posture Ptb of the latch posture Ptb and the unlatch posture Pta.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lid structure including a lid provided on a vehicle body side that opens and closes a supply port that supplies an energy source, and a latch portion that can engage and disengage the lid between a latched state and an unlatched state. [Background technology]

[0002] As the latch portion described above, a vehicle lock structure as exemplified in Patent Document 1 has been proposed. The vehicle locking structure of Patent Document 1 comprises a lid that covers a supply port provided on the vehicle body side, a clip provided on the lid, and a locking portion that locks the lid by engaging with the clip, and when the lid is closed, the locking portion accommodates a propeller portion provided on the tip side inside the clip through an opening formed in the inner wall portion of the clip.

[0003] In this state, the locking portion is configured to allow the propeller portion to rotate between an unlatched state in which it is not sandwiched between the outer wall portion and the inner wall portion of the clip, and a latched state in which it is sandwiched between them. In the latched state, the locking portion engages with the clip and is locked.

[0004] However, in the vehicle locking structure of Patent Document 1, due to variations in lid molding, etc., gaps, i.e., clearances, may occur between the outer and inner wall portions of the clip and the propeller portion housed in the clip (see FIG. 4B of Patent Document 1). This clearance may cause the lid to rattle relative to the vehicle body.

[0005] On the other hand, if the clearance is simply reduced, it may become difficult to ensure a clearance (hereinafter also referred to as "sliding clearance") that allows the propeller portion to rotate smoothly and engage with the clip.

[0006] In addition, some lids are known to be biased in the open direction by a biasing means such as a leaf spring installed near the pivotal attachment point with the vehicle body so that the lid is in the open state when unlatched. Although the biasing force of this biasing means can somewhat suppress the rattle of the lid relative to the vehicle body, if an external force is applied against the biasing force of the biasing means, rattle may occur as described above. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-67038 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] This invention was made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a vehicle lid structure that eliminates play between the tip of the rod and the lid in the latched state, while ensuring sliding clearance between the tip of the rod and the lid in the unlatched state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] This invention is a lid structure for a vehicle, comprising a lid that is provided on the vehicle body side and that opens and closes a supply port that supplies an energy source, and a latch portion that can engage and disengage the lid between a latched state and an unlatched state, wherein the latch portion protrudes from inside the vehicle body further than the lid toward the lid in a closed state that covers the supply port, and comprises a rod that is rotatable between the latched state and the unlatched state around a rotation axis extending in the protruding direction, and the lid in the closed state has an opening through which the tip end of the rod in the protruding direction in the unlatched state can be inserted, a clamping portion formed on the edge of the opening, and a facing portion provided on the protruding direction side of the opening, and the tip end is clamped between the clamping portion and the facing portion only in the latched state out of the latched state and the unlatched state.

[0010] The energy source supplied to the supply port may include, for example, liquid fuel, electricity, or gaseous fuel. The opening is not limited to a hole provided in the lid, but may be a slit formed in a notch shape from the outer end of the lid to the inside. When the opening is a hole, the opening may be a through hole or a recess recessed from the edge of the opening in the lid toward the tip side in the protruding direction of the rod.

[0011] According to the present invention, in the latched state, the tip of the rod is clamped between the facing portion and the clamping portion, thereby suppressing rattling, while in the unlatched state, the tip of the rod is not clamped between the facing portion and the clamping portion, allowing it to slide while maintaining clearance with the lid.

[0012] Therefore, it is possible to eliminate backlash between the tip of the rod and the lid in the latched state, and to ensure a sliding clearance between the tip of the rod and the lid in the unlatched state.

[0013] Here, the term "reduced play" refers to a state in which, in the latched state, the tip of the rod interposed between the clamping portion and the opposing portion reduces the gap between the clamping portion and the opposing portion, i.e., the gap that causes rattling when the vehicle is in motion or when being washed, etc., and refers to a state in which, in the latched state, the tip of the rod abuts against both the clamping portion and the opposing portion.

[0014] As an aspect of this invention, the clamping portion may be formed to protrude in the protruding direction from the outer surface facing the outside of the vehicle body at the edge of the opening so as to be at a height at which the tip portion abuts in the latched state.

[0015] As long as the clamping portion protrudes in the protruding direction, it is not limited to a planar shape facing the outside of the vehicle body, but may protrude in a line shape along the edge of the opening or in the shape of at least one point.

[0016] According to the above configuration, the tip of the rod can be firmly clamped between the clamping portion and the facing portion so that it is pressed against both sides, and the tip of the rod and the lid can be more firmly fitted together to eliminate any play in the latched state.

[0017] In another aspect of the present invention, a guide portion for guiding the tip portion toward the clamping portion is provided on the end side of the clamping portion along the opening, the end side through which the tip portion passes when viewed from outside the vehicle body, and the guide portion may be formed to gradually protrude in the protruding direction so that the closer it is to the clamping portion, the closer it approaches the protruding height of the clamping portion.

[0018] According to the above configuration, the tip portion can be guided toward the clamping portion by the guide portion by rotating from the unlatched state to the latched state while abutting against the guide portion, thereby allowing the tip portion to smoothly ride up, i.e., slide, from the outer surface of the edge of the opening onto the clamping portion.

[0019] In another aspect of the present invention, an outer surface area forming part of the outer surface may be interposed between the edge of the edge portion of the opening and the guide portion on the rotational trajectory of the tip portion when viewed from outside the vehicle body.

[0020] According to the above configuration, when the tip portion rotates from the unlatched state to the latched state, the tip portion passes the edge of the edge portion of the opening as viewed from outside the vehicle body, but after passing the edge, the tip portion can pass the outer surface region before riding on the guide portion. Therefore, the tip portion does not ride on the guide portion immediately after passing the edge, and can rotate more reliably and smoothly from the opening to the guide portion.

[0021] In another aspect of the present invention, the end of the guide portion located at the boundary with the outer surface area in the rotational direction of the tip portion may be formed along a direction perpendicular to the tangential direction of the tip portion passing through the end when viewed from outside the vehicle body. According to this configuration, the tip portion can rotate from the unlatched state to the latched state and ride up onto the guide portion more smoothly.

[0022] In another aspect of the present invention, the guide portion may have an inclined surface that gradually becomes higher along the rotation direction of the tip portion as it rotates from the unlatched state to the latched state, and the transverse gradient of the inclined surface along the tangential direction may be horizontal.

[0023] According to the above configuration, when the tip portion is guided while contacting the guide portion, no unintended load is applied to the tip portion of the rod in the radial direction of the rod, i.e., the orthogonal direction, and therefore the guide portion can smoothly guide the tip portion.

[0024] As another aspect of the present invention, the clamping portions may be disposed on both sides of the facing portion across the opening. Here, the clamping portions may be arranged at least at two locations on both sides of the opening with respect to the facing portion, and may be arranged at three or more locations.

[0025] According to the above configuration, in the latched state, the tip end can be firmly clamped by the facing portion and the clamping portions arranged on both sides of the facing portion across the opening, thereby reliably eliminating any backlash.

[0026] In another aspect of the present invention, a biasing means may be provided for biasing the lid in an opening direction. According to the above configuration, in the latched state, the clamping portion is biased toward the tip portion by the biasing means, so that the clamping portion can be firmly abutted against the tip portion, and backlash can be more reliably eliminated.

[0027] As another aspect of the present invention, the tip portion may have a contact portion with the facing portion formed of an elastic material. According to this configuration, variations in the molding of the lid can be absorbed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0028] According to this invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle lid structure that can eliminate play between the tip of the rod and the lid in the latched state and ensure sliding clearance between the tip of the rod and the lid in the unlatched state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 is an external view of a rear portion of a vehicle body provided with a filler lid structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a plan view of a main part of the filler lid structure of the present embodiment as viewed from the outside of the vehicle body. [Figure 3] (a) is an enlarged view of area X in Figure 2, and (b) is an enlarged view of (a) with the lid indicated by a solid line. [Figure 4] Enlarged cross-sectional view of line AA in Figure 3(a) [Figure 5] 3(b) is an enlarged view of the clamping portion, the guide portion, and the surrounding area on one side in FIG. 3(b), and FIG. 3(b) is a perspective view of the same area as in FIG. 3(a) as seen from the arrow D1 in FIG. 3(b) and from the outside in the vehicle width direction. [Figure 6] (a) is a cross-sectional view of the BB line in Figure 5(a), (b) is a cross-sectional view of the CC line, and (C) is a cross-sectional view of the DD line. [Figure 7] 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of this embodiment when the rod rotates from the unlatched position to the latched position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which a vehicle lid structure of the present invention is applied to a fuel lid structure 1 that supplies fuel as an energy source to a fuel tank will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0031] In the drawing, arrow F indicates the front of the vehicle body, arrow U indicates the upper side of the vehicle body, arrow OUT indicates the outer side in the vehicle width direction, i.e., the outer side of the vehicle body of the fuel lid structure 1, and arrow IN indicates the inner side in the vehicle width direction, i.e., the inner side of the vehicle body of the fuel lid structure 1. Furthermore, the left and right directions of the vehicle body are based on the occupant seated in the driver's seat.

[0032] As shown in Figure 1, an automobile V equipped with the fuel lid structure 1 of this embodiment has a body opening 101 at the rear of the vehicle body, such as a rear fender panel 100 on the left side of the vehicle body, and the fuel lid structure 1 of this embodiment is provided in the body opening 101.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, the fuel lid structure 1 includes a supply box 2 having supply ports 24a and 24b for supplying fuel as an energy source, a lid 3 that covers the supply ports 24a and 24b in an openable and closable manner, and a latch structure 10 that can engage and disengage the lid 3 between a latched state and an unlatched state.

[0034] The supply box 2 is fitted inside the vehicle body relative to the rear fender panel 100, and is integrally formed in a concave box shape having a recess 21, a shallow bottom portion 22, and a peripheral flange portion . The recess 21 opens to face the body opening 101, i.e., the outside of the vehicle body, and the above-mentioned supply ports 24a and 24b are formed in the flat recess bottom 21a. Either one of the two supply ports 24a and 24b arranged in the recess bottom 21a is used depending on the specifications of the vehicle body.

[0035] In this embodiment, the front supply port 24a is closed by a cap (not shown) except when refueling, but is used as a supply port, and is connected to the end of a filler pipe (not shown) extending from a fuel tank (not shown).On the other hand, the rear supply port 24b is always sealed so that it cannot be opened.

[0036] The shallow portion 22 is formed shallower than the recess 21 relative to the peripheral flange portion 23, and is disposed adjacent to the recess 21 so as to protrude rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction from the rear end side of the recess 21. Peripheral flange 23 is formed to completely surround recess 21 and shallow bottom portion 22. Supply box 2 is fitted to the inside of rear fender panel 100 so that the outer edge of peripheral flange 23 engages with the edge of body opening 101, and the portion that engages with the edge of body opening 101 is sealed by a sealing member (not shown) provided around the entire periphery.

[0037] The lid 3 is molded, for example, from a resin material so as to cover substantially the entire recess 21 and shallow bottom portion 22, and a lid outer panel 30 is attached to the outside of the vehicle body. As shown in Fig. 1, the outer surface of the lid outer panel 30 is flush with the periphery of a body opening 101 of a rear fender panel 100 when the lid 3 is in a closed state, which will be described later, and forms part of the design surface of the rear fender panel.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the fuel lid structure 1 of this embodiment includes a hinge 5, a leaf spring 6, a coil spring 7, and a lid open / close sensor 8 on the front end side of the lid 3.

[0039] The lid 3 pivots about a hinge 5 extending in the vertical direction between an open state (open position) in which the lid is flipped forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction relative to the body opening 101 to an almost fully open state in which the body opening 101 is not covered in its entirety, and a closed state (closed position) in which the lid is closed to a fully closed state in which the body opening 101 is covered in its entirety.

[0040] A leaf spring 6 is interposed between the front end of the lid 3 and the front end of the supply box 2, which faces the front end in the vehicle width direction, and biases the lid 3 in the opening direction. A coil spring 7 biases the lid 3 in the opening direction so as to maintain the open state when the lid 3 is in the open state. When the lid 3 is detected to be opened, a lid opening / closing sensor 8 determines that refueling is to take place and opens a sealing valve (not shown) provided on the fuel tank side.

[0041] 2, 3(a), 3(b), and 4, the latch structure 10 has a latch portion 11 provided on the supply box 2 side and a latched portion 41 provided on the lid 3 side. In addition, in Fig. 3(a) and Fig. 4, the rod tip portion 15 in the unlatched position Pta is shown by an imaginary line, and the rod tip portion 15 in the latched position Ptb is shown by a solid line.

[0042] 4, the latch portion 11 is provided at a position facing the rear end of the lid 3 in the front-rear direction of the supply box 2. The latch portion 11 is configured as a known push lifter that pushes open the lid 3 when it is closed, and includes a rod accommodating portion 12, a rod 13, and a coil spring (not shown).

[0043] As shown in Figures 3(a) and 4, the rod accommodating section 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape to accommodate the rod 13 and the coil spring, and the rod 13 is embedded in the flat shallow bottom section 22 of the supply box 2 so that it protrudes from the flat bottom surface of the flat shallow bottom section 22 toward the lid 3 in the closed state, i.e., toward the outside of the vehicle body.

[0044] As shown in Figures 3(a), 7(a1), (a2), and (a3), the rod 13 is rotatable within a range of 90 degrees between a latched position Ptb (latched state) in which the lid 3 is engaged and held, and an unlatched position Pta (unlatched state) in which the lid 3 is not engaged and held, around a rotation axis extending along the rod 13. Note that Figure 7(a1) is a plan view corresponding to Figure 3(a) showing the rod 13 in the unlatched position Pta, Figure 7(a2) is a plan view corresponding to Figure 3(a) showing the rod 13 rotating from the unlatched position Pta to the latched position Ptb, and Figure 7(a3) is a plan view corresponding to Figure 3(a) showing the rod 13 in the latched position Ptb.

[0045] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4, 7(b1), (b2), and (b3), the rod 13 is formed along the vehicle width direction so as to protrude from the rod accommodating section 12 to the outside of the vehicle body, and is formed to be extendable and contractible between a protruding position Pib at which it extends (protrudes) to the outside of the vehicle body to its maximum extent, and a retracted position Pia at which it retracts to the inside of the vehicle body to its maximum extent. Note that Figure 7(b1) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 4 showing the rod 13 in the unlatched position Pta, Figure 7(b2) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 4 showing the rod 13 rotating from the unlatched position Pta to the latched position Ptb, and Figure 7(b3) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 4 showing the rod 13 in the latched position Ptb.

[0046] That is, the rod 13 is provided so as to be rotatable between the unlatched position Pta and the latched position Ptb in conjunction with the extension and contraction movement between the retracted position Pia and the protruding position Pib.

[0047] 3(a), 7(a2), and 7(b2), the rod 13 in the unlatched position Pta gradually rotates clockwise Drb as viewed from outside the vehicle body as it extends from the retracted position Pia to the extended position Pib, and assumes the latched position Ptb when it reaches the extended position Pib. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the rod 13 in the latched position Ptb gradually rotates counterclockwise Dra as viewed from outside the vehicle body as it retracts from the extended position Pib to the retracted position Pia, and assumes the unlatched position Pta when it retracts to the retracted position Pia.

[0048] Although not shown, the coil spring provided in the latch portion 11 is constantly compressed by the rod 13 while housed in the rod housing portion 12, and constantly biases the rod 13 in the protruding direction, i.e., toward the outside of the vehicle body. When the rod 13 is pushed to the retracted position Pia against the biasing force of the coil spring, the rod 13 is held at the retracted position Pia, and when the rod 13 is slightly pressed from the retracted position Pia, the hold at the retracted position Pia is released and the rod 13 extends in the protruding direction Dxb due to the biasing force of the coil spring.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 4, the rod 13 includes a rod main body 14 formed by a substantially cylindrical shaft and a rod tip 15, and is formed into a substantially T-shape as a whole. As shown in Figures 4 and 3(a), the rod tip portion 15 is provided on the tip side of the rod main body portion 14 in the protruding direction Dxb of the rod 13, and is equipped with a pair of engaging protrusions 16 and an elastic protrusion 17. The pair of engaging protrusions 16 are both formed to protrude radially outward in opposite directions relative to the rod main body portion 14 so as to be engageable with the lid 3. As shown in Figure 4, inner surfaces 16a of the pair of engaging protrusions 16 facing the inside of the vehicle body are formed flat.

[0050] The elastic protrusion 17 is formed in a shape that protrudes outward from the vehicle body at the center of the rod tip end 15 when viewed from the outside of the vehicle body, and is made of rubber as an elastic member.

[0051] 3(a), (b) and 4, the latched portion 41 provided on the lid 3 side is provided facing the latch portion 11 on the outside of the vehicle body so as to be held by the latch portion 11. Specifically, the latched portion 41 is provided on the bottom surface 31a of the recess 31, which is formed by the rear end of the lid 3 being partially recessed outward in the vehicle width direction relative to the main surface, and includes an opening 33, a facing portion 42, a clamping portion 45 and a guide portion 46.

[0052] 3(b) and 4, the opening 33 is formed through the bottom surface 31a of the recess 31 of the lid 3 and opens toward the outside of the vehicle body. Furthermore, when the lid 3 is in a closed state, the opening direction (penetration direction) of the opening 33 coincides with the axial direction of the rod 13, and the center of the opening 33 is coaxial with the rod 13.

[0053] 3(a), (b) and 4, the opening 33 is formed in the shape of an elongated hole that is slightly larger than the rod tip 15 when viewed from outside the vehicle body and is long in the front-rear direction of the vehicle relative to the up-down direction of the vehicle body so that the rod tip 15 extending from the retracted position Pia can be inserted therethrough when the lid 3 is in a closed state. That is, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the length Dl of the opening 33 in the longitudinal direction is longer than the length of the pair of engaging projections 16t of the rod tip 15 along the radially outward protruding direction.

[0054] 3(b), the facing portion 42 is provided on the vehicle body outer side of the opening 33, straddling the long axis direction Dl of the opening 33. Specifically, the facing portion 42 includes a pair of leg portions 43 extending from edge portions 33a (opening edge portions 33a) of the opening 33 on both end sides of the long axis direction Dl of the opening 33 toward the vehicle body outer side, and a facing portion main body portion 44 extending linearly along the long axis direction Dl of the opening 33 as viewed from the vehicle body outer side and spanned by the pair of leg portions 43.

[0055] The clamping portion 45 and the guide portion 46 are disposed on both sides of the facing portion 42 across the opening 33, i.e., on the outer surface 34 of the opening edge portion 33a on both sides in the minor axis direction Ds of the opening 33. The pair of clamping portions 45 and guide portions 46 disposed on both sides across the opening 33 are formed to be point-symmetrical with respect to each other and have the same size with respect to the center of the opening 33 as viewed from outside the vehicle body.

[0056] As shown in Figure 6(a), the clamping portion 45 is formed to protrude from the outer surface 34 of the opening edge portion 33a toward the outside of the vehicle body, and is formed flat so that the entire outer surface 45a facing the outside of the vehicle body is at approximately the same height.

[0057] 4, when the rod 13 is in the retracted position Pia, it retracts toward the vehicle body interior relative to the opening 33 of the latched portion 41, i.e., the bottom surface 31a of the recess 31 of the lid 3. At this time, the rod 13 is in the unlatched position Pta, so that the radially outward protruding direction of the engaging projection 16 coincides with the longitudinal axis direction Dl of the opening 33, allowing the rod 13 to be inserted into and removed from the opening 33. As a result, when the rod 13 is in the unlatched position Pta, it is not sandwiched between the sandwiching portion 45 and the facing portion 42 of the lid 3, and is not accommodated in the space S between the sandwiching portion 45 and the facing portion 42. In other words, because the latched portion 41 is not engaged and held by the latch portion 11, the lid 3 pivots about the hinge 5 in the opening direction due to the biasing force of the leaf spring 6.

[0058] On the other hand, as shown by the solid lines in FIG. 4 , when the rod 13 is in the protruding position Pib, it protrudes further outward from the opening 33 of the latched portion 41, i.e., the bottom surface 31a of the recess 31 of the lid 3, toward the outside of the vehicle body. At this time, the rod 13 is elastically deformed in the compression direction as the elastic protrusion 17 abuts against the facing portion 42 from the inside of the vehicle body. Furthermore, at this time, the rod 13 is in the latched position Ptb, and the radially outward protruding direction of the engaging protrusion 16 coincides with the minor axis direction Ds of the opening 33, so that the engaging protrusion 16 coincides with the clamping portion 45 when viewed from the outside of the vehicle body. Then, the inner surface 16a of the engaging protrusion 16 abuts against the outer surface 45a of the clamping portion 45, so that the rod 13 is engaged with the clamping portion 45 so as not to be inserted into or removed from the opening 33. As a result, when the rod 13 is in the latched position Ptb, it is clamped in the space S between the clamping portion 45 and the facing portion 42 of the lid 3 so that no clearance is generated between them. In other words, the latched portion 41 is engaged and held by the latch portion 11, so that the lid 3 is kept in the closed state against the biasing force of the leaf spring 6.

[0059] As shown in Figures 5(a), (b) and 6(a), the guide portion 46 is formed continuously with the clamping portion 45 along the opening edge portion 33a, and is formed on the end side of the clamping portion 45 along the opening edge portion 33a, on the side where the rotating rod tip portion 15 passes when viewed from outside the vehicle body.

[0060] The guide portion 46 is formed as an inclined surface that gradually protrudes from the outer surface 34 of the opening edge portion 33a toward the outside of the vehicle body along the rotation direction Dr of the rod tip portion 15 until it reaches the same height as the clamping portion 45 as it approaches the clamping portion 45.

[0061] 5(a), on the rotational path (Dr) along which the engaging projection 16 rotates from the unlatched position Pta to the latched position Ptb as viewed from outside the vehicle body, the outer surface 34 of the opening edge 33a is provided with a flat outer surface region 34a that is interposed between the edge 33t of the opening edge 33a and the guide portion 46. As a result, when rotating from the unlatched position Pta to the latched position Ptb, the engaging projection 16 does not suddenly ride up onto the guide portion 46 immediately after passing the edge 33t of the opening edge 33a, but instead passes through the outer surface region 34a that is lower than the clamping portion 45 and the guide portion 46 before entering the guide portion 46.

[0062] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5(a), the end portion of the guide portion 46 located at the boundary with the outer surface region 34a (hereinafter referred to as the "guide start side end portion 47") is formed in a straight line along the perpendicular direction Do when viewed from outside the vehicle body with respect to the tangential direction Dt of the engaging protrusion 16 that passes through the guide start side end portion 47 when the rod 13 rotates from the unlatched position Pta to the latched position Ptb.

[0063] As a result, when viewed from outside the vehicle body, the extension direction of the rod tip portion 15 equipped with a pair of engaging protrusions 16 becomes parallel to the guide start end portion 47, i.e., on the same straight line, as it passes through the guide start end portion 47 while rotating from the unlatched position Pta to the latched position Ptb.

[0064] Therefore, the guide start side end 47 can be set at an angle that allows the engaging projection 16 to easily ride up as it passes through the guide start side end 47 while rotating from the unlatched position Pta to the latched position Ptb as viewed from outside the vehicle body.

[0065] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5(b) and 6(a), the guide portion 46 is formed in an inclined plane such that a cross-section of the guide portion 46 taken along the long axis direction Dl of the opening 33 gradually protrudes outward from the vehicle body as it approaches the clamping portion 45, and also as shown in Figures 5(b) and 6(b), a cross-section of the guide portion 46 taken along the short axis direction Ds of the opening 33 gradually protrudes outward from the vehicle body as it moves away from the opening 33.

[0066] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6(c), the guide portion 46 is formed so that the transverse gradient of the inclined surface along the direction Do perpendicular to the tangential direction Dt is approximately horizontal when viewed from outside the vehicle body.

[0067] As described above, the guide portion 46 can be formed with an inclined surface 46a, the longitudinal gradient of which is a slope along the rotational path (Dr) of the engaging projection 16 from the unlatched position Pta to the latched position Ptb, at a substantially constant gradient. Therefore, the engaging projection 16 can be smoothly guided toward the clamping portion 45 without being gouged when sliding as it rotates from the unlatched position Pta to the latched position Ptb.

[0068] The fuel lid structure 1 of the present embodiment described above, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, The fuel supply box 2 is provided on a rear fender panel 100 and includes a supply box 2 having a supply port 24a for supplying fuel, a lid 3 that opens and closes the supply port 24a, and a latch portion 11 that can engage and disengage the lid 3 between a latched position Ptb and an unlatched position Pta. The latch portion 11 includes a rod 13 that protrudes from the supply box 2 toward the lid 3 in a closed state. The rod 13 is rotatable between the latched position Ptb and the unlatched position Pta about a rotation axis that extends in a protruding direction Dxb from the supply box 2. As shown in FIG. 4 , the lid 3 includes an opening 33 through which a rod tip portion 15 provided at the tip of the rod 13 in the protruding direction can be inserted in the closed state, a clamping portion 45 formed on an opening edge 33a, and a facing portion 42 provided on the protruding direction side of the opening 33. The rod tip portion 15 is characterized in that it is clamped between the clamping portion 45 and the facing portion 42 only in the latched position Ptb out of the latched position Ptb and the unlatched position Pta.

[0069] According to the above configuration, in the latched position Ptb, the rod tip 15 is clamped between the facing portion 42 and the clamping portion 45, thereby suppressing rattle, while in the unlatched position Pta, the rod tip 15 is not clamped between the facing portion 42 and the clamping portion 45, thereby allowing it to slide while maintaining clearance with the lid 3.

[0070] Therefore, it is possible to eliminate backlash between the rod tip 15 and the lid 3 in the latched position Ptb and ensure a sliding clearance between the rod tip 15 and the lid 3 in the unlatched position Pta.

[0071] In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 4, 5(b), 6(a), (b), and (c), the clamping portion 45 is formed to protrude in the protruding direction Dxb from the outer surface 34 of the opening edge portion 33a so as to have a height at which the rod tip portion 15 in the latch position Ptb abuts.

[0072] According to the above configuration, the clamping portion 45 and the facing portion 42 can firmly clamp the rod tip portion 15 so that it is pressed against the rod tip portion 15 from both sides, and the rod tip portion 15 and the lid 3 in the latch position Ptb can be more firmly fitted together to eliminate any play.

[0073] As an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 3(a), 4, 5(b), 6(a), (b), and (c), of both end portions of the clamping portion 45 along the opening 33, a guide portion 46 is provided on the end portion on the side where the rod tip portion 15 passes as it rotates in the direction Drb from the unlatched position Pta to the latched position Ptb, for guiding the rod tip portion 15 toward the clamping portion 45, and the guide portion 46 is formed to gradually protrude in the protruding direction Dxb so that the protruding height of the clamping portion 45 approaches the closer it gets to the clamping portion 45.

[0074] According to the above configuration, as shown in Figures 7(c1), (c2), and (c3), the guide portion 46 can guide the rod tip portion 15, which rotates from the unlatched position Pta to the latched position Ptb, so that it smoothly rides up onto the clamping portion 45, which is higher than the outer surface 34 of the opening edge portion 33a.

[0075] 7(c1), (c2), and (c3) are explanatory diagrams illustrating the operation of a longitudinal section along the rotational orbit (Dr) of the engaging projection 16 of the rod tip 15 as it rotates from the unlatched position Pta to the latched position Ptb, viewed from the radial outside to the inside of the rod 13. FIG. 7(c1) shows the state before the engaging projection 16 passes through the guide portion 46, FIG. 7(c2) shows the state during passage, and FIG. 7(c3) shows the state after passage.

[0076] In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 4, 5(a), (b), and 6(a), on the rotational orbit (Dr) of the rod tip 15, an outer surface region 34a forming part of the outer surface 34 of the opening edge 33a is interposed between the edge end 33t of the opening edge 33a and the guide portion 46.

[0077] 7(c1) and 7(c2), when the rod tip portion 15 rotates from the unlatched position Pta to the latched position Ptb, it passes over the edge 33t of the opening edge 33a, but after passing over the edge 33t, it can pass over the outer surface region 34a before running over the guide portion 46. Therefore, the rod tip portion 15 does not run over the guide portion 46 immediately after passing over the edge 33t of the opening edge 33a, and can pass reliably and smoothly from the opening 33 to the opening edge 33a.

[0078] In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the guide start side end 47 of the guide portion 46 is formed along a direction Do perpendicular to the tangential direction Dt of the rod tip portion 15 passing through the guide start side end 47 when viewed from outside the vehicle body.

[0079] According to the above configuration, as shown in Figures 7(c1) and (c2), when the rod tip portion 15 rotates from the unlatched position Pta to the latched position Ptb, the engaging protrusion 16 can smoothly ride up onto the guide portion 46.

[0080] In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 3(b) and 4, the clamping portions 45 are disposed on both sides of the facing portion 42 across the opening 33.

[0081] According to the above configuration, the rod tip end 15 in the latch position Ptb can be firmly clamped by the facing portion 42 and the clamping portions 45 arranged on both sides of the facing portion 42 across the opening 33, thereby reliably eliminating any backlash.

[0082] As an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, a leaf spring 6 is provided as a biasing means for biasing the lid 3 in the opening direction. According to the above configuration, the clamping portion 45 is biased toward the rod tip portion 15 in the latch position Ptb, so that the clamping portion 45 can be brought into firm contact with the rod tip portion 15, thereby more reliably eliminating backlash.

[0083] In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 3(a) and 4, the rod tip 15 is provided with an elastic protrusion 17 whose contact portion with the clamping portion 45 is made of rubber, thereby absorbing variations during molding of the lid 3.

[0084] In the configuration of the present invention and the correspondence between the above-mentioned embodiments, the vehicle corresponds to an automobile, and similarly, The vehicle lid structure corresponds to fuel lid structure 1, The "end portion of the guide portion 46 located at the boundary with the outer surface in the rotation direction of the tip portion" corresponds to the guide start end portion 47, The tip corresponds to the rod tip 15, The latch state corresponds to the latch position Ptb. The unlatched state corresponds to the unlatched position Pta. The biasing means corresponds to a leaf spring 6, The elastic member corresponds to rubber, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and many other embodiments can be obtained. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1...Fuel lid structure 3. Lid 11...Latch section 13...Rod 15...Rod tip 24...Supply port 33...Opening 33a...Opening edge 34...Outer surface facing the outside of the vehicle body at the opening edge 42...Facing part 45...Holding part 46…Information Department 100...Car body Ptb...Latch position Pta...Unlatched posture Dr...Rotation direction of the rod tip Dt…Tangential direction Do...Orthogonal direction

Claims

1. A vehicle lid structure including a lid provided on a vehicle body side and opening and closing to cover a supply port for supplying an energy source, and a latch portion capable of engaging and disengaging the lid between a latched state and an unlatched state, the latch portion includes a rod that protrudes from an inner side of the vehicle body beyond the lid toward the lid in a closed state that covers the supply port, and is rotatable between the latched state and the unlatched state around a rotation axis that extends in the protruding direction, the lid has an opening through which the tip end of the rod in the protruding direction in the unlatched state can be inserted in the closed state, a clamping portion formed on an edge of the opening, and a facing portion provided on the side of the opening in the protruding direction, The tip portion is clamped between the clamping portion and the facing portion only in the latched state out of the latched state and the unlatched state. Lid structure for vehicle.

2. The clamping portion is formed to protrude in the protruding direction from an outer surface of the edge portion of the opening facing the outside of the vehicle body so as to have a height at which the tip portion in the latched state abuts. The vehicle lid structure according to claim 1 .

3. a guide portion that guides the tip portion toward the clamping portion is provided on an end side of the clamping portion along the opening, the end side being on a side where the tip portion passes as viewed from outside the vehicle body, The guide portion is formed to gradually protrude in the protruding direction so that the protruding height of the guide portion approaches the clamping portion as the guide portion approaches the clamping portion. The vehicle lid structure according to claim 2 .

4. On the rotational path of the tip portion as viewed from outside the vehicle body, an outer surface area forming a part of the outer surface is interposed between an edge of the edge portion of the opening and the guide portion. The vehicle lid structure according to claim 3 .

5. The end of the guide portion located at the boundary with the outer surface area in the rotation direction of the tip portion is formed along a direction perpendicular to a tangential direction of the tip portion passing through the end when viewed from outside the vehicle body. The vehicle lid structure according to claim 4 .

6. The guide portion is formed with an inclined surface that gradually rises along the rotation direction of the tip portion that rotates from the unlatched state to the latched state, and the transverse gradient of the inclined surface along the tangential direction is made horizontal. The vehicle lid structure according to claim 5 .

7. The clamping portions are disposed on both sides of the facing portion across the opening. The vehicle lid structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A biasing means for biasing the lid in the opening direction is provided. The vehicle lid structure according to claim 1 .

9. The tip portion has a contact portion with the facing portion formed of an elastic material. The vehicle lid structure according to claim 1 .

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