Vehicle lid opening and closing device

Abstract

To easily stabilize the sliding movement of a lid from an open position to a closed position in a structure in which a lid is supported on a box body via an arm.SOLUTION: A vehicle lid opening and closing device comprises: a box body configured to accommodate a refill port for refilling energy to a vehicle; an opening / closing mechanism configured to slide a lid in a lateral direction along a vehicle body surface between a closed position and an open position; and a positioning rib structure configured to lift the lid as the lid slides to the closed position, so as to position the lid in the closed position. The opening / closing mechanism includes: a main arm that is pivotally supported at one end by the box body via a first pivot shaft and at the other end by the lid via a second pivot shaft; and an actuator that pivots the main arm. The second pivot shaft is located within a first predetermined distance in the lateral direction from a horizontal position of a lid center of gravity. The positioning rib structure is located within a second predetermined distance in the lateral direction from the horizontal position of the lid center of gravity when the lid is in the closed position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lid opening and closing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known vehicle lid opening and closing devices that use a lid to open and close a supply port such as a charging port for replenishing a vehicle's energy (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). The vehicle lid opening and closing devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 include a box body having an accommodation space for accommodating the supply port, a lid that is movable between a closed position that closes the front opening of the box body and an open position that opens the front opening, and an opening and closing mechanism that slides the lid in the left-right direction, including a horizontal component such as the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, along the surface of the vehicle between the closed and open positions. This opening and closing mechanism includes two upper and lower guide rails that extend in the horizontal direction, and an actuator that generates a driving force to slide the lid along the two upper and lower guide rails.

[0003] In this opening / closing mechanism, when a driving force is generated by the actuator, the lid slides left and right along the upper and lower guide rails. Therefore, with this vehicle lid opening / closing device, the lid can be stably slid left and right between the closed position and the open position by driving the actuator. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-097757 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-107680 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, while the structure described above, in which the lid is slid between the closed and open positions using guide rails, can achieve stable sliding movement of the lid, there is a risk that the guide rails may be exposed when the lid is in the open position, which may impair the design.

[0006] On the other hand, a structure in which the box body and the lid are connected by an arm can be considered as a structure for sliding the lid between the closed position and the open position. However, in this structure, the lid is generally supported as a cantilever, an actuator that generates a driving force is located above the box body, one end of the arm is rotatably supported on the box body, and the other end of the arm is rotatably supported on the top of the lid. As a result, the lid tends to sag downward due to gravity during sliding movement of the lid, making the sliding movement (particularly the sliding movement immediately before the lid reaches the closed position) unstable, and there is a risk that the lid will not return to the normal closed position.

[0007] Therefore, in order to stabilize the sliding movement of the lid from the open position to the closed position, it is effective to use a robust structure for the arm supporting the lid. However, this structure increases the weight of the vehicle lid opening and closing device, reducing the efficiency of the lid opening and closing operation, and also increases the space required to install the vehicle lid opening and closing device on the vehicle body.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide a vehicle lid opening and closing device that can easily stabilize the sliding movement of the lid from the open position to the closed position in a structure in which the lid is supported on a box body via an arm. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is a box body attached to a vehicle body and provided with a storage space that stores a supply port for replenishing energy for the vehicle and a front opening that exposes the supply port in the storage space to the outside of the vehicle; a lid that is movable between a closed position that closes the front opening to block the supply port and an open position that opens the front opening to expose the supply port to the outside of the vehicle; an opening / closing mechanism that slides the lid in left and right directions including a horizontal component along the surface of the vehicle body between the closed position and the open position; and a mechanism that lifts the lid as the opening / closing mechanism slides the lid from the open position to the closed position to position the lid relative to the box body at the closed position. and a positioning rib structure for rotating the lid when the lid is in a closed position, wherein the opening and closing mechanism has a main arm that is rotatably supported on the box body via a first pivot shaft extending in an up-down direction at one end and rotatably supported on the lid via a second pivot shaft extending in an up-down direction at the other end, and an actuator that applies a driving force to one end of the main arm to rotate the main arm, wherein the second pivot shaft is positioned within a first predetermined distance in the left-right direction from the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the lid, and the positioning rib structure is positioned within a second predetermined distance in the left-right direction from the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the lid when the lid is in a closed position.

[0010] According to this configuration, in a structure in which the lid is supported on the box body via the arm, the sliding movement of the lid can be easily stabilized. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle lid opening and closing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, as seen from outside the vehicle, with the lid in a closed position, attached to a vehicle body; [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle lid opening and closing device according to an embodiment, in which a lid is in an open position, as viewed from outside the vehicle. [Figure 3] 1 is an exploded view of a vehicle lid opening and closing device according to an embodiment, seen from outside the vehicle. [Figure 4]1 is an exploded view of a vehicle lid opening and closing device according to an embodiment, seen from inside the vehicle; [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view of a box body and an arm of an opening / closing mechanism included in a vehicle lid opening / closing device according to an embodiment, as viewed from outside the vehicle. [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view of a lid and an arm of an opening / closing mechanism included in a vehicle lid opening / closing device according to an embodiment, as viewed from inside the vehicle; [Figure 7] 2 is a rear view of the lid and the main arm of the opening and closing mechanism of the vehicle lid opening and closing device according to the embodiment, as viewed from the inside of the vehicle. FIG. [Figure 8] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a lid lifting operation during a lid closing operation in the vehicle lid opening and closing device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Specific embodiments of a vehicle lid opening and closing device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0013] The vehicle lid opening / closing device 1 of this embodiment is a device that uses a lid to open and close a fuel supply port mounted on a vehicle. Vehicles on which the vehicle lid opening / closing device 1 is mounted include, for example, gasoline vehicles, diesel vehicles, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. The fuel supply port that is opened and closed by the vehicle lid opening / closing device 1 is provided on the side or front of a vehicle body 2 (see FIG. 1) and is arranged in a vehicle body opening 2a (see FIG. 1) that penetrates the vehicle body 2 in an inward / outward direction (i.e., from front to back). The vehicle body opening 2a may be open facing to the side of the vehicle, or may be open facing the front or rear of the vehicle, or diagonally upward from the vehicle.

[0014] The above-mentioned refill port is a fuel fill port or a charging port provided for replenishing energy, such as refueling a vehicle or charging a battery. The refill port is provided at one end of a pipe or an electric wire. The other end of this pipe or electric wire is connected to a fuel tank or a battery located at the rear of the vehicle body (i.e., inside the vehicle body). The refill port may be covered with a cap that can be opened and closed by an operator. With the cap open, a fuel gun or a charging gun for replenishing energy can be connected to this refill port.

[0015] Hereinafter, the horizontal left-right direction when the vehicle lid opening / closing device 1 attached to the vehicle body 2 is viewed from outside the vehicle will be referred to as the X direction, the horizontal inward / outward direction of the vehicle body 2 will be referred to as the Y direction, and the vertical up-down direction will be referred to as the Z direction. Furthermore, the leftward direction of the X direction will be referred to as the X- direction, the rightward direction as the X+ direction, the inside of the vehicle body of the Y direction will be referred to as the Y- direction, the outside of the vehicle body will be referred to as the Y+ direction, the downward direction of the Z direction will be referred to as the Z- direction, and the upward direction will be referred to as the Z+ direction. The directions shown in Figures 6 and 7 are those when the lid 20 is in the closed position.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the vehicle lid opening and closing device 1 includes a box body 10, a lid 20, an opening and closing mechanism 30, and a positioning rib structure 50.

[0017] The box body 10 is a box-shaped base that houses the replenishing port. The box body 10 is attached to the vehicle body 2. Specifically, the box body 10 is attached so as to fit into a vehicle body opening 2a provided in the vehicle body 2. As shown in FIG. 3 , the box body 10 has an accommodation space 11, a bottom wall portion 12, side wall portions 13, a front opening 14, a rear opening 15, and a frame portion 16.

[0018] The storage space 11 is a space that accommodates the replenishing port. The storage space 11 is surrounded by a bottom wall portion 12 and side wall portions 13. The bottom wall portion 12 is a plate wall portion having a polygonal shape (e.g., a rectangular plate shape), a circular shape, or an elliptical shape. The bottom wall portion 12 is formed, for example, as shown in FIG. 3 , in a shape with a long upper side and a short lower side (i.e., an inverted trapezoid shape). The side wall portions 13 are wall portions that stand from the edge of the bottom wall portion 12 toward the vehicle exterior (Y+ direction side) so as to surround the periphery of the bottom wall portion 12. When the bottom wall portion 12 is formed, for example, in a rectangular plate shape, the side wall portions 13 are configured so that four plate wall portions are connected in the circumferential direction at the edge of the bottom wall portion 12. The side wall portions 13 are configured, for example, by wall portions that extend in the left-right direction of the box body 10, wall portions that extend in the vertical direction, and wall portions that extend in a direction oblique to the left-right direction.

[0019] The front-side opening 14 is an opening that exposes the refill port in the storage space 11 to the outside of the vehicle. The front-side opening 14 is provided on the side of the box body 10 that faces the bottom wall portion 12 across the storage space 11. The front-side opening 14 is closed when the lid 20 is in the closed position, and is open when the lid 20 is not in the closed position. When the front-side opening 14 is open, the refill port in the storage space 11 is exposed to the outside of the vehicle through the front-side opening 14. The box body 10 is attached to the vehicle body 2 so that the front-side opening 14 faces, for example, horizontally or so that it faces at an angle upward from the horizontal direction from the inside of the vehicle body to the outside of the vehicle body.

[0020] The rear opening 15 is an opening that exposes the refill port from the inside of the vehicle to the storage space 11. The rear opening 15 is provided in the bottom wall portion 12 of the box body 10, penetrating from the inside to the outside of the vehicle. The rear opening 15 is formed in a circular, oval, rectangular, or other shape in the bottom wall portion 12 of the box body 10 to match the cross-sectional shape of the refill port, for example.

[0021] The frame portion 16 is formed in a ring shape along the periphery of the front opening 14. The frame portion 16 is formed in a flange shape so as to extend from the periphery of the front opening 14 toward the outside of the frame. The box body 10 is positioned on the vehicle body 2, for example, by the back surface of the frame portion 16 abutting against the surface of the periphery of the vehicle body opening 2a of the vehicle body 2.

[0022] The lid 20 is a cover member that opens and closes the front opening 14 and, therefore, the supply port. The lid 20 is movable between a closed position where the front opening 14 is closed to block the supply port, and an open position (specifically, a fully open position) where the front opening 14 is opened to expose the supply port to the outside of the vehicle. The lid 20 can be opened and closed relative to the box body 10 by operation of an opening / closing mechanism 30, which will be described later.

[0023] The lid 20 is formed in a plate shape so as to close the front opening 14 of the box body 10. The lid 20 is formed in a shape (for example, a substantially rectangular shape) and size that matches the front opening 14. When the lid 20 is in the closed position, the lid 20 is flush with the frame portion 16 around the periphery of the front opening 14 and the vehicle body surface 2b, thereby closing the front opening 14. The surface of the lid 20 may be curved to match the vehicle body surface 2b.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 4, the lid 20 is composed of a lid lower part 21 and a lid upper part 22. The lid lower part 21 is a plate-like part that forms the framework of the lid 20. The lid upper part 22 is a plate-like part that forms the outer surface of the lid 20 and is exposed to the outside. The lid lower part 21 is disposed on the back side of the lid 20, and the lid upper part 22 is disposed on the front side of the lid 20. The lid 20 is formed by assembling and integrating the lid lower part 21 and the lid upper part 22 together.

[0025] Furthermore, the lid 20 may reach and be held in the fully open position by abutting against a fully open stopper and being restricted in movement, or may reach and be held in the fully open position by the biasing force of a biasing member (not shown) becoming zero.

[0026] The opening / closing mechanism 30 is a mechanism that moves the lid 20 between a closed position and an open position. Specifically, the opening / closing mechanism 30 slides the lid 20 in the X direction along the vehicle body surface 2b, which is the surface of the vehicle body 2, between the closed position and the open position. More specifically, when the lid 20 moves from the open position to the closed position, the opening / closing mechanism 30 first slides the lid 20 in the X+ direction along the vehicle body surface 2b, and then slides the lid 20 in the Y- direction just before the lid 20 reaches the closed position. Conversely, when the lid 20 moves from the closed position to the open position, the opening / closing mechanism 30 first slides the lid 20 in the Y+ direction, and then slides the lid 20 in the X- direction along the vehicle body surface 2b.

[0027] The opening / closing mechanism 30 has a pair of arms 31, 32 and an actuator 33. The opening / closing mechanism 30 may use the actuator to open and close the lid 20, or may at least drive the lid 20 to close.

[0028] The arms 31 and 32 are arm-shaped members that extend to connect the box body 10 and the lid 20 and support the lid 20 so that it can be opened and closed relative to the box body 10. The arms 31 and 32 are housed in the housing space 11 of the box body 10 when the lid 20 is in the closed position. The arms 31 and 32 are configured so that the lid 20 slides along the vehicle body surface 2b relative to the box body 10 when the lid 20 is opened or closed. The arms 31 and 32 form a pair of arms. Hereinafter, the arm 31 will be referred to as the main arm 31, and the arm 32 will be referred to as the sub-arm 32.

[0029] The main arm 31 and the sub-arm 32 rotate to open and close the lid 20 relative to the box body 10 between a closed position and an open position. Specifically, during the rotation, the lid 20 slides in the horizontal X direction while maintaining a state parallel to the vehicle body surface 2b. The main arm 31 and the sub-arm 32 rotate synchronously with each other. The main arm 31 and the sub-arm 32 are each formed in an arm shape that may be linear, curved, or bent, and extend horizontally in the XY plane between the box body 10 and the lid 20. The main arm 31 and the sub-arm 32 extend parallel to each other.

[0030] The main arm 31 and the sub-arm 32 extend in the X direction at least when the lid 20 is in the closed position. The main arm 31 is disposed on the upper side, and the sub-arm 32 is disposed on the lower side. In other words, the sub-arm 32 is disposed below the main arm 31. Furthermore, the main arm 31 and the sub-arm 32 are disposed with a misalignment in the X direction.

[0031] The main arm 31 is rotatably supported at one end by the box body 10 via a first rotating shaft 41, and is rotatably supported at the other end by the lid 20 via a second rotating shaft 42. The sub-arm 32 is rotatably supported at one end by the box body 10 via a third rotating shaft 43, and is rotatably supported at the other end by the lid 20 via a fourth rotating shaft 44.

[0032] The main arm 31 is connected to the output shaft of the actuator 33 (specifically, the shaft 41a of the first rotating shaft portion 41 or the shaft connected to the shaft 41a), and rotates when a driving force is applied from the actuator 33. The sub-arm 32 is provided separately from the main arm 31, and extends parallel to the main arm 31. When a driving force is applied to one end of the main arm 31 by the actuator 33, the sub-arm 32 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the main arm 31, thereby assisting the sliding movement of the lid 20.

[0033] The first rotating shaft 41, the second rotating shaft 42, the third rotating shaft 43, and the fourth rotating shaft 44 each extend in the Z direction. Note that the rotating shafts 41 to 44 may each extend in the vertical Z direction, or may extend at a slight incline relative to the vertical Z direction. The first rotating shaft 41, the second rotating shaft 42, the third rotating shaft 43, and the fourth rotating shaft 44 each have shaft bodies 41a, 42a, 43a, and 44a, and bearings 41b, 42b, 43b, and 44b.

[0034] The shafts 41a, 42a, 43a, and 44a are each a portion that supports the lid 20 rotatably relative to the box body 10. The bearings 41b, 42b, 43b, and 44b are each a portion that has a hole or groove that supports the corresponding shafts 41a, 42a, 43a, and 44a. The shafts 41a, 42a, 43a, and 44a are provided separately from the box body 10 and the lid 20. The shafts 41a, 42a, 43a, and 44a are formed to have a circular or annular cross section.

[0035] The shaft 41a is inserted into the arm shaft hole 31a provided at one end of the main arm 31, the shaft 42a into the arm shaft hole 31b provided at the other end of the main arm 31, the shaft 43a into the arm shaft hole 32a provided at one end of the sub-arm 32, and the shaft 44a into the arm shaft hole 32b provided at the other end of the sub-arm 32. The arm shaft holes 31a, 31b, 32a, and 32b are through holes. The diameters of the arm shaft holes 31a, 31b, 32a, and 32b are set to correspond to the outer diameters of the shafts 41a, 42a, 43a, and 44a to be inserted therein.

[0036] The bearings 41b and 43b are each provided on the box body 10. The bearings 42b and 44b are each provided on the lid 20. The bearing 41b supports the shaft body 41a, the bearing 42b supports the shaft body 42a, the bearing 43b supports the shaft body 43a, and the bearing 44b supports the shaft body 44a.

[0037] The main arm 31 is rotatably supported at one end by the box body 10 with the shaft 41a of the first rotating shaft 41 inserted into the arm shaft hole 31a and supported by the bearing 41b, and at the other end by the shaft 42a of the second rotating shaft 42 inserted into the arm shaft hole 31b and supported by the bearing 42b, so that the main arm 31 is rotatably supported by the lid 20. The sub-arm 32 is rotatably supported at one end by the box body 10 with the shaft 43a of the third rotating shaft 43 inserted into the arm shaft hole 32a and supported by the bearing 43b, and at the other end by the shaft 44a of the fourth rotating shaft 44 inserted into the arm shaft hole 32b and supported by the bearing 44b, so that the sub-arm 32 is rotatably supported by the lid 20.

[0038] The first rotating shaft 41 and the third rotating shaft 43 are arranged offset in the left-right direction (specifically, in the X direction) on the box body 10. The first rotating shaft 41 and the third rotating shaft 43 are each arranged at an end of the box body 10 in the X- direction. The first rotating shaft 41 is arranged on the X- direction side of the third rotating shaft 43. The second rotating shaft 42 and the fourth rotating shaft 44 are arranged offset in the left-right direction on the lid 20. The second rotating shaft 42 is arranged in the horizontal center of the lid 20 (described in detail later). The fourth rotating shaft 44 is arranged on the horizontal outer side of the second rotating shaft 42 on the lid 20 (specifically, in the X+ direction when the lid is closed). The main arm 31 and the sub-arm 32 are configured to maintain a parallelogram with the four rotating shafts 41 to 44 as corners when the lid 20 moves between the closed position and the open position.

[0039] The actuator 33 is a drive source that generates a drive force to rotate the main arm 31. The actuator 33 may be any device that generates at least the closing drive force required to slide the lid 20 from the open position to the closed position. The actuator 33 is, for example, a motor. The actuator 33 applies the generated drive force to one end of the main arm 31 via the first rotation shaft 41.

[0040] As described above, the second pivot shaft 42 is disposed in the left-right center of the lid 20. Specifically, the second pivot shaft 42 is disposed within a first predetermined distance in the left-right direction from the horizontal position of the center of gravity G (see FIG. 7) of the lid 20. In other words, the horizontal position of the second pivot shaft 42 is within the first predetermined distance from the horizontal position of the center of gravity G (see FIG. 7) of the lid 20.

[0041] The positioning rib structure 50 is a structure that lifts the lid 20 when the lid 20 slides from the open position to the closed position, thereby positioning the lid 20 relative to the box body 10 at the closed position. The positioning rib structure 50 presses a part of the lid 20 against a part of the box body 10 while the lid 20 is being driven to close, thereby lifting the entire lid 20 relative to the box body 10.

[0042] The positioning rib structure 50 is disposed within a second predetermined distance in the left-right direction from the horizontal position of the center of gravity G of the lid 20 when the lid 20 is in the closed position. In other words, the portion of the positioning rib structure 50 provided on the lid 20 is disposed within the second predetermined distance in the left-right direction from the horizontal position of the center of gravity G of the lid 20. This second predetermined distance is the same distance W as the above-mentioned first predetermined distance.

[0043] The first predetermined distance and the second predetermined distance are, for example, a distance of 0 mm to 40 mm or a distance of 1 / 3 to 1 / 10 of the left-right length of the lid 20. Although the first predetermined distance for the arrangement of the second pivot shaft portion 42 and the second predetermined distance for the arrangement of the positioning rib structure 50 are set to the same distance W, they may be different distances according to requirements.

[0044] 4 to 8, the positioning rib structure 50 has a rib 51 and a rib contact portion 52. The rib 51 is provided on the lid 20. The rib contact portion 52 is provided on the box body 10.

[0045] The rib 51 is a protruding portion that protrudes downward from the lower portion of the lid lower portion 21 of the lid 20. The rib 51 extends in a direction (specifically, the Y-direction) that coincides with the direction in which the lid 20 slides during the latter half of the sliding movement of the lid 20 from the open position to the closed position.

[0046] The rib 51 has an inclined surface 51a. The inclined surface 51a is a surface whose height position changes in the Y-direction in which the rib 51 extends. The inclined surface 51a is inclined toward the side that lifts the lid 20 with respect to the movement direction of the sliding movement of the lid 20 from the point where the rib 51 and the rib abutment portion 52 start to come into contact with each other as the lid 20 slides from the open position to the closed position. In other words, the inclined surface 51a faces diagonally downward in the movement direction of the sliding movement of the lid 20. The inclined surface 51a is formed so that the front side is located upward and the rear side is located downward in the movement direction of the sliding movement of the lid 20.

[0047] The rib contact portion 52 is a portion against which the rib 51 can come into contact. The rib contact portion 52 is formed on the upper surface of the side wall portion 13 that constitutes the lower wall of the side wall portion 13 of the box body 10. The rib contact portion 52 may be formed in a shape that makes it easy for the lid 20 to lift as the lid 20 slides from the open position to the closed position. For example, the rib contact portion 52 may have a function of guiding the rib 51 so that the lid 20 lifts as the lid 20 slides from the open position to the closed position.

[0048] 8, the rib abutment portion 52 is provided at a corner where the upper surface of the side wall portion 13 of the box body 10 intersects with the side surface facing the Y+ direction, and extends linearly in the X direction. The position where the rib 51 abuts against the rib abutment portion 52 is the upper part of the inclined surface 51a of the rib 51 at the start of the abutment, and then gradually moves downward as the sliding movement of the lid 20 progresses. The rib 51 abuts against the rib abutment portion 52 during the sliding movement of the lid 20 from the open position to the closed position, specifically, the position where the rib 51 abuts against the rib abutment portion 52 moves downward as the sliding movement progresses, causing the lid 20 to be lifted relative to the box body 10.

[0049] Furthermore, the rib contact portion 52 may have an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the direction of sliding movement of the lid 20 and has an angle corresponding to the angle of the inclined surface 51a of the rib 51, in which case the lid 20 will slide along the inclined surface relative to the box body 10.

[0050] The operation of the vehicle lid opening and closing device 1 will be described below. When an opening operation of the lid 20 is requested while the lid 20 is in the closed position, the actuator 33 generates an opening driving force that rotates the main arm 31 toward the lid opening side. When this opening driving force is generated, the main arm 31 rotates toward the lid opening side, and the sub-arm 32 rotates toward the lid opening side in conjunction with the rotation of the main arm 31. When the arms 31 and 32 rotate toward the lid opening side, the lid 20 performs an opening operation. Specifically, when the arms 31 and 32 rotate toward the lid opening side, the lid 20 first slides in the Y+ direction, and then slides in the X- direction along the vehicle body surface 2b. This causes the lid 20 to reach the open position.

[0051] Furthermore, when a closing operation of the lid 20 is requested while the lid 20 is in the open position, the actuator 33 generates a closing driving force that rotates the main arm 31 toward the lid closing side. When this opening driving force is generated, the main arm 31 rotates toward the lid closing side, and the sub-arm 32 rotates toward the lid closing side in conjunction with the rotation of the main arm 31. When the arms 31 and 32 rotate toward the lid closing side, the lid 20 performs a closing operation. Specifically, when the arms 31 and 32 rotate toward the lid closing side, the lid 20 first slides in the X+ direction along the vehicle body surface 2b, and then slides in the Y- direction. This causes the lid 20 to reach the closed position.

[0052] Furthermore, when the lid 20 slides in the Y-direction during sliding movement from the open position to the closed position, the positioning rib structure 50 lifts the lid 20 to position the lid 20 relative to the box body 10 when the lid 20 is in the closed position. Specifically, the position where the rib 51 of the lid 20 abuts against the rib abutment portion 52 of the box body 10 is the upper part of the inclined surface 51a of the rib 51 at the start of the abutment, and then gradually moves downward as the sliding movement of the lid 20 progresses. In this case, the entire lid 20 including the rib 51 moves upward.

[0053] In other words, the lid 20 is lifted relative to the box body 10 as the rib 51 abuts against the rib abutment portion 52 during the sliding movement of the lid 20 from the open position to the closed position, specifically as the position at which the rib 51 abuts against the rib abutment portion 52 moves downward as the sliding movement progresses.

[0054] Therefore, even if the lid 20 is cantilevered to the box body 10 via the arms 31 and 32 and thus hangs down due to gravity on the side opposite to the side on which the lid 20 is supported to the box body 10, the lid 20 is lifted by the positioning rib structure 50, so that the lid 20 can be slid stably to the closed position, and the lid 20 can reach the closed position with precision.

[0055] The second pivot shaft 42, which connects the main arm 31 and the lid 20, is disposed in the center of the lid 20 in the left-right direction, and is disposed within a first predetermined distance W in the left-right direction from the horizontal position of the center of gravity G of the lid 20. Furthermore, the positioning rib structure 50 is disposed within a second predetermined distance W in the left-right direction from the horizontal position of the center of gravity G of the lid 20. The first predetermined distance W and the second predetermined distance W are each set to, for example, a distance of 0 mm to 40 mm, or a distance of 1 / 3 to 1 / 10 of the left-right length of the lid 20.

[0056] In this structure, compared to a structure in which the second pivot shaft 42 is disposed at the left and right ends of the lid 20, far removed from the center of gravity G of the lid 20, the rotation of the lid 20 at the second pivot shaft 42 relative to the main arm 31 is performed smoothly without disrupting the left and right weight balance of the lid 20. Therefore, the posture of the lid 20 can be maintained in a desired posture during sliding movement of the lid 20.

[0057] Furthermore, in this structure, the left-right position of the positioning rib structure 50 is closer to the left-right position of the second pivot shaft 42 than in a structure in which the rib 51 of the positioning rib structure 50 is positioned at the left-right end of the lid 20, far removed from the center of gravity G of the lid 20. Therefore, even if the rib 51 abuts against the rib abutment portion 52 during rotation of the lid 20 relative to the main arm 31 at the second pivot shaft 42, the closing drive force generated by the actuator 33 is efficiently transmitted to the lid 20 via the main arm 31, so that the lid position can be prevented from deviating from the desired position, and the force can be efficiently transmitted from the rib 51 to the rib abutment portion 52.

[0058] Therefore, in a structure in which the lid 20 is supported on the box body 10 via the arms 31 and 32, the lid 20 can be easily and stably slid from the open position to the closed position, and it is possible to avoid a situation in which the lid 20 cannot reach the closed position with a normal driving force. Also, it is not necessary to rotate the main arm 31 with a large force in order to reach the closed position, which makes it possible to suppress the generation of abnormal noise when the lid 20 reaches the closed position.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the rib 51 of the positioning rib structure 50 is provided at the bottom of the lid lower portion 21 of the lid 20 so as to protrude downward, and the rib contact portion 52 is formed on the upper surface of the side wall portion 13 that constitutes the lower wall of the side wall portion 13 of the box body 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the rib 51 may be provided at the top of the lid lower portion 21 of the lid 20 so as to protrude upward, and the rib contact portion 52 may be formed on the lower surface of the side wall portion 13 that constitutes the upper wall of the side wall portion 13 of the box body 10.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the rib 51 is provided on the lid 20, and the rib contact portion 52 is provided on the box body 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the rib 51 may be provided on the box body 10, and the rib contact portion 52 may be provided on the lid 20. Furthermore, the rib 51 may be provided on the main arm 31, and the rib contact portion 52 may be provided on the box body 10.

[0061] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, this specification not only discloses the technical ideas indicated by the citation relationships set forth in the claims at the time of filing, but also discloses technical ideas obtained by appropriately combining the matters set forth in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1: vehicle lid opening / closing device, 2: vehicle body, 2b: vehicle body surface, 10: box body, 11: storage space, 12: bottom wall portion, 13: side wall portion, 14: front opening, 15: back opening, 20: lid, 30: opening / closing mechanism, 31: main arm, 32: sub-arm, 31a, 31b, 32a, 32b: arm shaft hole, 33: actuator, 41: first rotating shaft portion, 41a: shaft body, 41b: bearing, 42: second rotating shaft portion, 42a: shaft body, 42b: bearing, 43: third rotating shaft portion, 43a: shaft body, 43b: bearing, 44: fourth rotating shaft portion, 44a: shaft body, 44b: bearing, 50: positioning rib structure, 51: rib, 52: rib contact portion

Claims

1. a box body attached to a vehicle body, the box body having a storage space for storing a supply port for supplying energy to the vehicle, and a front opening for exposing the supply port in the storage space to the outside of the vehicle; a lid that is movable between a closed position where the front opening is closed to block the supply port and an open position where the front opening is opened to expose the supply port to the outside of the vehicle; an opening / closing mechanism that slides the lid in a left-right direction including a horizontal component along a surface of the vehicle body between the closed position and the open position; a positioning rib structure that lifts the lid as the opening / closing mechanism slides the lid from the open position to the closed position, thereby positioning the lid relative to the box body at the closed position; Equipped with The opening and closing mechanism is a main arm that is rotatably supported at one end by the box body via a first pivot shaft that extends in a vertical direction and that is rotatably supported at the other end by the lid via a second pivot shaft that extends in a vertical direction; an actuator that applies a driving force to one end of the main arm to rotate the main arm; and the second pivot shaft is disposed within a first predetermined distance in the left-right direction from a horizontal position of the center of gravity of the lid, The positioning rib structure is disposed within a second predetermined distance in the left-right direction from a horizontal position of a center of gravity of the lid when the lid is in the closed position.

2. 2. The vehicle lid opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the first predetermined distance is a distance between 0 mm and 40 mm or a distance between 1 / 3 and 1 / 10 of the left-right length of the lid.

3. 3. The vehicle lid opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the second predetermined distance is a distance between 0 mm and 40 mm or a distance between 1 / 3 and 1 / 10 of the left-right length of the lid.

4. The positioning rib structure is a rib provided on either the lid or the main arm and the box body; a rib abutment portion provided on the other of the lid or the main arm and the box body, with which the rib can abut; and The vehicle lid opening and closing device according to claim 1 , wherein the lid is lifted by the rib abutting against the rib abutment portion during sliding movement of the lid from the open position to the closed position.

5. 5. A vehicle lid opening and closing device as described in claim 4, wherein at least one of the rib and the rib contact portion has an inclined surface that slopes toward the side that lifts the lid relative to the direction of the sliding movement from the point where the rib and the rib contact portion start to contact each other as the lid slides from the open position to the closed position.

6. 2. The vehicle lid opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the opening and closing mechanism has a sub-arm that is provided separately from the main arm, extends parallel to the main arm, is rotatably supported on the box body at one end via a third pivot shaft portion extending in the vertical direction, and is rotatably supported on the lid at the other end via a fourth pivot shaft portion extending in the vertical direction, and when the driving force is applied to one end of the main arm by the actuator, rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the main arm to assist the sliding movement of the lid.

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