Containment device

Abstract

The present invention provides a storage device that can change the size of the storage space according to the contents to be stored. [Solution] The storage device (1) of the present invention has a storage body (10) having a bottom surface (22) on which at least a portion of the contents to be stored can be placed, and an adjustment part (40) that is provided so as to be able to move up and down relative to the bottom surface (22) of the storage body (10), and the size of the storage space changes by moving the adjustment part (40) up and down.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a housing device having a housing space capable of housing an object to be housed.

Background Art

[0002] In vehicles such as automobiles, there is installed a housing device for housing and holding beverage containers such as plastic bottles and drink cans, and such a housing device is sometimes called a cup holder or a drink holder. In addition, a housing device for a beverage container or the like may be attached later to a predetermined position of the vehicle and used.

[0003] An example of such a housing device is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-119367 (Patent Document 1). The housing device (holding device) described in Patent Document 1 has a bottomed cylindrical holder for housing a container and a contact member that presses against the peripheral wall of the beverage container through a side opening of the holder. Further, the contact member has a restraining portion that can contact the peripheral wall of the beverage container from the lateral direction, a guide portion into which a rotation center axis for holding the contact member is inserted and guided, and a lower sliding portion disposed below the restraining portion.

[0004] According to the housing device of Patent Document 1, when a beverage container such as a plastic bottle is inserted and housed in the bottomed cylindrical holder, the contact member is pressed against the housed beverage container by the urging force of the urging means, and the container can be held by the contact member. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the beverage container from falling down in the holder. Further, when taking out the beverage container from the holder, by lifting the beverage container, the contact member can be moved against the urging force of the urging means, so that the container can be taken out smoothly.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0006] As mentioned above, storage devices installed in vehicles typically hold and store beverage containers such as plastic bottles and drink cans. However, there has been a demand for such vehicle storage devices to be able to accommodate not only beverage containers like plastic bottles, but also items larger than beverage containers, for example, to improve ease of use and convenience.

[0007] Furthermore, in the storage device described in Patent Document 1, the contact member that holds the container in place is always exposed within the holder. As a result, when storing beverage containers or other items in the holder, the contact member may get caught on the beverage container or other items, making it difficult for the user to use. In addition, it is possible that the contact member getting caught on the items may cause a malfunction in the function of the contact member in holding the items in place.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its object is to provide a storage device that can accommodate not only beverage containers such as PET bottles, but also contents larger than beverage containers, and to provide a storage device that can prevent or suppress snagging of contents when inserting and removing them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the storage device provided by the present invention is a storage device having a storage space capable of accommodating an object, comprising a storage body having a bottom surface on which at least a portion of the object can be placed, and an adjustment part provided so as to be vertically movable relative to the bottom surface of the storage body, wherein the size of the storage space changes as the adjustment part is raised or lowered.

[0010] In the storage device of the present invention, the adjustment unit comprises an adjustment body, a retaining member disposed so as to be movable and / or rotatable with respect to the adjustment body and for holding down the stored object, and an elastic member for biasing the retaining member, wherein the retaining member is preferably housed inside the adjustment body against the biasing force of the elastic member when the adjustment unit is lowered.

[0011] In this case, it is preferable that a guide portion is provided to move the retaining member toward the interior of the adjustment body portion when the adjustment portion is lowered. Furthermore, it is preferable that the guide portion includes a guide pin provided on the retaining member and a guide groove provided on the housing body portion for inserting and guiding the guide pin. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the storage device of the present invention, since the size of the storage space can be changed according to the contents to be stored, it is possible to store not only beverage containers such as PET bottles, but also contents larger than beverage containers. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing the state in which the adjustment unit of the housing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is held at the lower limit position. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view that partially shows the inside of the containment device. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the containment device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the retaining member and holding member of the housing device. [Figure 5] This is a schematic perspective view showing the state in which the adjustment unit is held at the upper limit position of the housing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a partial transparent view of the inside of the containment device. [Figure 7]It is a cross-sectional view of the storage device shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] It is a plan view of the storage device shown in FIG. 5.

Embodiment for Carrying out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a state in which the adjustment unit 40 is held at the lower limit position with respect to the storage device 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the storage device 1 of the present embodiment partially in perspective, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the storage device 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the pressing member 60 and the holding member 50 of the storage device 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing a state in which the adjustment unit 40 is held at the upper limit position with respect to the storage device 1 of the present embodiment.

[0015] In the following description of the storage device 1, the vertical direction refers to the direction along the direction in which an object to be stored such as a beverage container is inserted into the storage space 5 of the storage device 1 and withdrawn from the storage space 5. In this case, the direction in which the object to be stored is inserted into the storage space 5 is defined as the downward direction, and the direction in which the object to be stored is withdrawn from the storage space 5 is defined as the upward direction. Also, in the present embodiment, the vertical direction is along the height direction (vehicle height direction) of the automobile in which the storage device 1 is installed.

[0016] The left-right direction is the direction along the lateral direction of the storage device 1, and is also the direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and along the direction in which two adjustment units 40 (or two bottom portions 22) described later of the storage device 1 are arranged. The front-rear direction is the direction along the depth direction of the storage device 1, and is also the direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the left-right direction. In this case, the direction on the side where the adjustment unit 40 is installed with respect to the bottom portion 22 of the storage device 1 is defined as the front direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the rear direction.

[0017] The storage device 1 of the present embodiment is a storage device 1 capable of storing and holding beverage containers such as plastic bottles and drink cans, and is installed in advance at a predetermined position on an instrument panel, for example, in a vehicle such as an automobile. In a state where the adjustment unit 40 described later is held at the lowest position (lower limit position) (for example, see FIGS. 1 and 2), this storage device 1 can also store items larger than a plastic bottle.

[0018] The storage device 1 of the present embodiment has a storage main body portion 10 having a rectangular parallelepiped or substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape, and left and right adjustment portions 40 provided movably along the vertical direction within the storage main body portion 10. In the present embodiment, the storage main body portion 10 is fixed to the instrument panel of the vehicle. The storage device 1 can change the size of the storage space 5 capable of storing items by raising and lowering the adjustment portion 40. In the present invention, the outer shape of the storage main body portion 10 is not particularly limited.

[0019] The box-shaped storage main body portion 10 has a front wall portion 11 forming the front surface of the storage main body portion 10, a rear wall portion 12 arranged to face the front wall portion 11, a pair of left and right side wall portions 13 arranged between the front wall portion 11 and the rear wall portion 12, a lower wall portion 14 arranged at the lower end portion of the storage main body portion 10, and a central separation wall portion 15 protruding forward from the central portion in the left-right direction of the rear wall portion 12.

[0020] Further, the storage main body portion 10 has left and right base portions 21 formed to extend upward from the lower wall portion 14, left and right bottom surface portions 22 formed to be able to place at least a part of items such as plastic bottles, and left and right guide wall portions 30 arranged in front of the base portions 21. Inside the storage main body portion 10, a storage space 5 capable of storing items and left and right storage spaces 7 for storing the lowered adjustment portion 40 are provided. The storage space 5 is open on the upper surface side of the storage main body portion 10.

[0021] The front wall portion 11 of the housing body 10 is formed in a flat plate shape. The front wall portion 11 has an outer surface (first surface) that forms the front surface of the housing body 10 and an inner surface (second surface) located on the opposite side of the outer surface. The outer surface of the front wall portion 11 is formed by a single flat surface. The inner surface of the front wall portion 11 has an inner wall surface facing the housing space 5 and an inner wall surface facing the storage space 7.

[0022] The rear wall portion 12 of the housing body 10 is positioned behind the front wall portion 11. In this invention, the distance (separation distance) between the front wall portion 11 and the rear wall portion 12 of the housing body 10 is not particularly limited.

[0023] The rear wall portion 12 has an outer surface (first surface) that forms the rear surface of the housing body portion 10, and an inner surface (second surface) located on the opposite side of the outer surface. The inner surface of the rear wall portion 12 is formed to be smoothly continuous with the inner surface of the side wall portion 13 and the inner surface of the central separation wall portion 15. These mutually continuous inner surfaces of the side wall portion 13, the rear wall portion 12, and the central separation wall portion 15 form a part of the inner wall surface of the housing device 1 that faces the housing space 5.

[0024] The left and right side walls 13 of the housing body 10 are connected to the left and right side edges of the front wall 11 and the left and right side edges of the rear wall 12. Each of the left and right side walls 13 has an outer surface (first surface) facing outward in the left-right direction and an inner surface (second surface) located on the opposite side of the outer surface. The inner surface of the side wall 13 has a first inner surface 13a extending rearward from the front wall 11, a second inner surface 13b extending forward from the rear wall 12, and a stepped portion (stepped surface) 13c located between the first inner surface 13a and the second inner surface 13b. In this invention, the left and right side walls 13 of the housing body 10 may be formed without the stepped portion 13c on the inner surface of the side wall 13.

[0025] The central separation wall 15 is provided projecting forward from the center of the rear wall 12 in the left-right direction. The central separation wall 15 has a first separation wall 15a connected to the rear wall 12, and a second separation wall 15b positioned between the first separation wall 15a and the front wall 11, and formed with a smaller vertical dimension (height dimension) than the first separation wall 15a.

[0026] The first separation wall 15a is formed straight along the vertical direction from the height of the inner surface of the lower wall 14 to the height of the upper surface of the rear wall 12. The upper surface of the first separation wall 15a and the upper surface of the rear wall 12 are located at the same height in the vertical direction and form a single plane.

[0027] The height dimension of the first separation wall 15a (i.e., the vertical dimension from the inner surface of the lower wall 14 to the upper surface of the first separation wall 15a) is the same as the height dimension of the rear wall 12 (i.e., the vertical dimension from the inner surface of the lower wall 14 to the upper surface of the rear wall 12). The front end of the first separation wall 15a has a flat front end surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The front end of the first separation wall 15a is positioned in the same position as, or approximately the same position as, the stepped portions 13c provided on the left and right side walls 13 of the housing body 10, with respect to the front-rear direction.

[0028] The second separation wall 15b is formed straight along the vertical direction from the height of the inner surface of the lower wall 14 to the height of the upper surface 21a of the base 21. The height dimension of the second separation wall 15b is the same as the height dimension of the base 21 (see Figure 3). Furthermore, the height dimension of the second separation wall 15b is set to be between 40% and 60% of the height dimension of the first separation wall 15a. This makes it possible to stably form the storage space 5 for storing the contents and the storage space 7 for storing the adjustment unit 40 in the storage body 10 with appropriate sizes in the vertical direction.

[0029] The second separation wall 15b is formed in a thin plate shape with a smaller left-right dimension (width dimension) than the first separation wall 15a. The second separation wall 15b is formed straight along the front-rear direction and is connected to the first separation wall 15a and the front wall 11.

[0030] The central separation wall 15, having the first separation wall 15a and the second separation wall 15b as described above, is provided in the storage body 10, thereby increasing the strength of the storage body 10. Furthermore, the storage space 5 can be formed to be continuously wide in the width direction, and two beverage-holding space areas 6, described later, can be provided in the storage space 5 (see Figure 5).

[0031] The left and right base sections 21 are positioned between the front wall section 11 and the rear wall section 12 in the front-rear direction, and are also provided on the left and right sides of the central separation wall section 15. Each of the left and right base sections 21 is connected to the rear wall section 12, the side wall section 13, the bottom wall section 14, and the central separation wall section 15, respectively, and is formed integrally.

[0032] Each of the left and right base sections 21 has a columnar shape in which the cross section perpendicular to the vertical direction of the base section 21 exhibits the same shape throughout the entire vertical direction of the base section 21. For example, in this embodiment, the base section 21 is formed with a shape in which the cross section perpendicular to the vertical direction of the base section 21 comprises a roughly square (rounded square) portion with rounded corners at all four corners, and a portion that protrudes from the roughly square portion in the left and right directions and connects to the side wall section 13 and the central separation wall section 15 (see, for example, Figure 8).

[0033] The left and right bottom surfaces 22 of the storage body 10 are formed by the upper surface 21a of the base portion 21 and a non-slip sheet member 22a fixed to the upper surface 21a of the base portion 21. The left and right bottom surfaces 22 are formed so that at least a portion of the contents inserted into the storage space 5 of the storage body 10 can be placed on them, whether the adjustment portion 40 is held in its lowest lower limit position or in a position raised from the lower limit position. In this invention, the bottom surfaces 22 of the storage body 10 may be formed only by the upper surface 21a of the base portion 21 without using the non-slip sheet member 22a.

[0034] Each of the left and right guide wall sections 30 is installed in front of the base section 21 and is formed to be the same shape and size as the others. Each guide wall section 30 has a pair of left and right vertical wall bodies 31 and guide grooves 32 provided in each vertical wall body 31.

[0035] Each of the left and right vertical wall sections 31 extends upward in a columnar shape from the lower wall section 14, and is positioned away from the front wall section 11, left and right side wall sections 13, central separation wall section 15, and base section 21 of the housing main body section 10. The height dimension of each vertical wall section 31 from the lower wall section 14 is set to be smaller than the height dimension of the base section 21 from the lower wall section 14.

[0036] Each of the left and right vertical walls 31 is formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, which is long in the vertical direction and thin in the horizontal direction. The left and right vertical walls 31 each have an inner wall surface facing each other, an outer wall surface located on the opposite side of the inner wall surface, a front wall surface facing the front wall portion 11, a front wall surface facing the base portion 21, and an upper end surface facing upward. The inner and outer wall surfaces of the vertical walls 31 are provided perpendicular to each other in the horizontal direction.

[0037] Each of the left and right vertical wall bodies 31 has an inner wall surface provided with a guide groove 32 for inserting and guiding the guide pin 66 of the adjustment unit 40, which will be described later (see Figure 7). Each guide groove 32 is formed over the entire vertical length of the vertical wall body 31, from the lower edge to the upper edge. The guide groove 32 has a groove bottom surface 32a arranged parallel to the inner wall surface of the vertical wall body 31, and a pair of front and rear groove side wall surfaces 32b arranged perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the groove bottom surface 32a.

[0038] The guide groove 32 has a first groove portion 33 formed with a constant groove width, and a second groove portion 34 that is continuous with the first groove portion 33 and is formed by gradually increasing the groove width of the guide groove 32 toward the upper side. Here, the groove width of the guide groove 32 is the dimension along the front-rear direction between the front and rear groove side wall surfaces 32b of the guide groove 32.

[0039] The first groove portion 33 of the guide groove 32 is formed along the vertical direction, from the lower edge of the vertical wall 31 to above half the height of the vertical wall 31. The width of the first groove portion 33 is set to be greater than or equal to the diameter of the guide pin 66 of the adjustment portion 40, which will be described later.

[0040] In the second groove portion 34 of the guide groove 32, the front groove side wall surface 32b of the second groove portion 34 is formed by a flat surface parallel to the vertical direction, except for the upper end. The upper end of the front groove side wall surface 32b of the second groove portion 34 is formed by a curved surface that curves in a convex shape toward the front. The rear groove side wall surface 32b of the second groove portion 34 is formed by a curved surface that curves continuously in a convex shape toward the rear.

[0041] Since the guide groove 32 having the first groove 33 and the second groove 34 is provided on the inner wall surface of the left and right vertical wall bodies 31, for example, when lowering the adjustment part 40 which is held in the upper limit position, the guide pin 66 of the adjustment part 40 can be easily inserted into the second groove 34 from the upper side of the guide groove 32, and further, it can be smoothly guided from the second groove 34 to the first groove 33. As the guide pin 66 of the adjustment part 40 is inserted into and guided in the guide groove 32 in this way, the retaining member 60 of the adjustment part 40 can be easily moved and / or rotated so that the retaining member 60 is in an orientation (position) that does not catch on the base part 21, as will be described later.

[0042] In this embodiment, a pair of left and right adjustment units 40 are mounted inside the housing body 10 so as to be able to move up and down. In addition, left and right storage spaces 7 are provided in front of the left and right base portions 21 of the housing body 10 to store the lowered adjustment units 40. Each of the left and right storage spaces 7 is formed by being surrounded on the front, back, left and right sides by the front wall portion 11, base portion 21, side wall portion 13, and second separation wall portion 15b of the central separation wall portion 15 of the housing body 10.

[0043] In this embodiment, the left and right adjustment units 40 are formed to have the same shape, structure, and size. Therefore, in order to avoid redundancy, the following description will mainly focus on one of the adjustment units 40 (for example, the right adjustment unit 40), and the other adjustment unit 40 (for example, the left adjustment unit 40) will be indicated by the same reference numerals, and its detailed description will be omitted.

[0044] The adjustment unit 40 of this embodiment includes an adjustment body 41 having an internal space, a holding member 50 fixed within the adjustment body 41, a pressing member 60 held by the holding member 50 so as to be movable and rotatable, and an elastic member (not shown) that biases the pressing member 60.

[0045] The adjustment body 41 has a box-like shape with an opening on its lower surface that communicates with the internal space. A retaining member 50, a pressing member 60, and an elastic member are installed within the internal space of the adjustment body 41. When the adjustment unit 40 is stored in the storage space 7, the guide wall portion 30 of the housing body 10 is housed within the internal space of the adjustment body 41.

[0046] The top surface, front surface, and left and right sides of the adjustment main body 41 are each formed as flat surfaces. When the adjustment unit 40 is stored in the storage space 7 of the housing main body 10 (see, for example, Figure 3), the top surface of the adjustment main body 41 is at the same height as the top surface 21a of the base 21, and when the adjustment unit 40 is held in its highest upper limit position (see, for example, Figure 7), it is at the same height as the top surfaces of the front wall 11 and rear wall 12 of the housing main body 10.

[0047] The front surface of the adjustment body 41 is in contact with the front wall 11 of the housing body 10, and is also positioned to slide against the front wall 11 of the housing body 10 when the adjustment body 40 moves up and down. The left and right sides of the adjustment body 41 are in contact with the side walls 13 and the central separation wall 15 of the housing body 10, respectively, and are also positioned to slide against the side walls 13 and the central separation wall 15 when the adjustment body 40 moves up and down.

[0048] The rear end of the adjustment body portion 41 is provided with a rear central surface 42 that is formed to be recessed in a roughly C-shape or U-shape toward the front, and rear flat surfaces 43 that are formed parallel to the left-right direction via bent portions on both the left and right sides of the rear central surface 42. The rear central surface 42 and the rear flat surfaces 43 of the adjustment body portion 41 are formed parallel to the vertical direction.

[0049] The rear central surface 42 of the adjustment body 41 is in contact with the base portion 21 of the housing body 10, and is also provided to slide against the front surface of the base portion 21 when the adjustment body 40 rises and falls. When the adjustment body 40 is held in its highest upper limit position, for example (see Figure 5, for example), the rear central surface 42 of the adjustment body 41, together with the rear wall portion 12, side wall portion 13, central separation wall portion 15, and bottom surface portion 22 of the housing body 10, forms a housing space 5 (a space area 6 for holding beverages) capable of housing and holding beverage containers such as PET bottles.

[0050] A rear opening (not shown) is formed on the rear central surface 42 of the adjustment body 41, allowing a portion of the retaining member 60 to protrude from the inside of the adjustment body 41 to the outside, and communicating with the internal space of the adjustment body 41. In addition, a mounting portion (not shown) for attaching and fixing the retaining member 50 is provided on the rear inner wall surface of the adjustment body 41, surrounding the aforementioned rear opening.

[0051] The left and right rear flat surfaces 43 of the adjustment body 41 are in contact with the base 21 (particularly the parts that protrude from the roughly rectangular portion of the base 21 in the left and right directions), and are also provided to slide against the base 21 when the adjustment part 40 moves up and down (see Figure 8).

[0052] As described above, the adjustment unit 40 is held in a predetermined position within the housing unit 10 by bringing the front surface, left and right sides, rear central surface 42, and left and right rear flat surfaces 43 of the adjustment main body 41 into contact with or sliding against the corresponding parts of the housing unit 10, and is also able to move smoothly along the vertical direction within the housing unit 10. Furthermore, in the housing device 1, the left and right adjustment units 40 can be raised and lowered independently, and can be held at mutually different positions (heights) in the vertical direction.

[0053] In addition, in the housing device 1 of this embodiment, for example, at least one of the front surface, left and right sides, rear central surface 42, and left and right rear flat surfaces 43 of the adjustment body 41 may be provided with an engaging portion (not shown) that can engage with the adjustment portion 40 when the adjustment portion 40 moves to its highest upper limit position. This makes it possible to stably hold the adjustment portion 40 at the upper limit position.

[0054] In this embodiment, the retaining member 50 is fixed to a mounting portion (not shown) provided on the rear inner wall surface of the adjustment body 41. In this invention, the means and method for fixing the retaining member 50 to the rear inner wall surface of the adjustment body 41 are not particularly limited.

[0055] The retaining member 50, as shown in Figure 4 for example, includes a pair of left and right retaining plate portions 51, a rear fixing plate portion 52 connected to the left and right retaining plate portions 51 and fixed to the adjustment body portion 41, a pair of left and right engaging pins 53 protruding inward from the left and right retaining plate portions 51, and a first mounting pin 54 spanning between the left and right retaining plate portions 51.

[0056] The left and right retaining plate portions 51 of the retaining member 50 are each formed as thin, flat plates. The inner and outer surfaces of the retaining plate portions 51 are each formed as flat surfaces perpendicular to the left-right direction.

[0057] The rear fixing plate portion 52 is formed in a thin, flat shape and is connected to the upper ends of the left and right retaining plate portions 51. The lower edge of the rear fixing plate portion 52 is positioned above the lower edges of the left and right retaining plate portions 51, and an insertion portion is provided on the lower side of the rear fixing plate portion 52 for inserting a part of the retaining member 60.

[0058] The left and right engaging pins 53 are each integrally formed with the retaining plate portion 51 and protrude cylindrically from the inner surface of the retaining plate portion 51 toward the other retaining plate portion 51 in the left-right direction.

[0059] Each engaging pin 53 is inserted into an elongated hole 65 provided in the retaining member 60, which will be described later, and is also capable of sliding along the elongated hole 65. In this invention, the installation positions of the left and right engaging pins 53 can be changed according to the shape and size of the retaining member 60, the position and size of the elongated hole 65 provided in the retaining member 60, etc.

[0060] The first mounting pin 54 is cylindrical in shape and is provided straight along the left-right direction from the left retaining plate portion 51 to the right retaining plate portion 51. The first mounting pin 54 is installed at the front end portions of the left and right retaining plate portions 51. One end of an elastic member (not shown) is attached to the first mounting pin 54. In this embodiment, the first mounting pin 54 is installed below the second mounting pin 64, which will be described later and is provided on the retaining member 60 when the retaining member 60 is attached to the retaining member 50.

[0061] The retaining member 60 is held by the holding member 50 and is biased by an elastic member (not shown) so that it can contact and hold down the contents housed in the storage space 5. When viewed from the side from the left and right directions (see, for example, Figure 3 or Figure 7), the retaining member 60 has a head 61 provided at one end of the retaining member 60, a body 62 extending diagonally downward and rearward from the head 61, and legs 63 extending downward from the lower end of the body 62. The retaining member 60 also has a second mounting pin 64 provided on the head 61, left and right elongated holes 65 provided on the body 62, and guide pins 66 provided on the legs 63 (see Figure 4).

[0062] The head portion 61, body portion 62, and leg portion 63 of the pressing member 60 are formed by left and right thin plate-shaped side plate portions 68 that are continuously formed from the head portion 61 to the leg portion 63, and a thin plate-shaped back plate portion 69 that connects the side plate portions 68. Furthermore, the head portion 61, body portion 62, and leg portion 63 of the pressing member 60 each have a U-shape when viewed in cross-section perpendicular to the extending direction of the back plate portion 69 in the pressing member 60.

[0063] The second mounting pin 64 of the retaining member 60 is cylindrical in shape and is provided straight along the left-right direction between the left and right side plate portions 68 that form the head portion 61. The other end of an elastic member (not shown) is attached to the second mounting pin 64.

[0064] The elongated holes 65 of the retaining member 60 are provided in the left and right side plate portions 68 that form the body portion 62, penetrating the side plate portions 68 in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the elongated holes 65 are formed in a V-shape when viewed from the side of the retaining member 60.

[0065] The elongated hole 65 is sized to allow the engagement pin 53 provided in the retaining member 50 to be inserted and to allow the engagement pin 53 to slide along the elongated hole 65. In the adjustment section 40 of this embodiment, the retaining member 60 is attached to the retaining member 50 so as to be movable and rotatable relative to the retaining member 50 by inserting the left and right engagement pins 53 provided in the retaining member 50 into the left and right elongated holes 65 provided in the retaining member 60.

[0066] In this invention, the installation position, shape, and length of the elongated hole 65 can be changed according to the installation position of the engaging pin 53 provided on the holding member 50, the shape and size of the pressing member 60, etc. Furthermore, the pressing member 60 may be attached to the holding member 50 so as to be movable (but not rotatable) or so as to be rotatable (but not movable).

[0067] The guide pin 66 of the retaining member 60 protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the left and right side plate portions 68 that form the leg portions 63 of the retaining member 60. The guide pin 66 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and its diameter is set to be movable within the first groove portion 33 of the guide groove 32 provided in the housing body portion 10. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the guide pin 66 is installed at the tip portion of the leg portion 63 (particularly at the bent portion where the leg portion 63 is bent at a right angle).

[0068] The elastic member (not shown) of the adjustment section 40 is mounted between the retaining member 50 and the retaining member 60 so as to bias the retaining member 60 attached to the retaining member 50. Specifically, the elastic member in this embodiment is formed from a tension coil spring. One end of the elastic member (tension coil spring) is attached to the first mounting pin 54 of the retaining member 50, and the other end is attached to the second mounting pin 64 of the retaining member 60. This elastic member can bias the retaining member 60, which is held movably and rotatably by the retaining member 50, in a direction that brings the second mounting pin 64 of the retaining member 60 closer to the first mounting pin 54 of the retaining member 50.

[0069] In this embodiment, a storage space 5 capable of accommodating items such as beverage containers is provided within the storage body 10. The storage space 5 of the storage device 1 is surrounded on the front, back, left, and right by the front wall 11, rear wall 12, central separation wall 15, and left and right side walls 13 of the storage body 10, for example, when the adjustment unit 40 is held in its lowest position (i.e., when the adjustment unit 40 is held in the storage space 7), and is formed to open to the upper surface of the storage body 10.

[0070] In the housing device 1 of this embodiment, the size (volume) of the housing space 5 of the housing device 1 is maximized when the adjustment unit 40 is held in the storage space 7. Furthermore, in this housing device 1, the size of the housing space 5 can be reduced by raising the adjustment unit 40 from the storage space 7, in proportion to the distance the adjustment unit 40 rises from the storage space 7.

[0071] When the adjustment unit 40 is raised from the storage space 7, a space area 6 can be created in the storage space 5 of the storage device 1, enclosed on all sides by the rear wall 12, central separation wall 15, and side walls 13 of the storage main body 10, and the raised adjustment unit 40. In this space area 6, beverage containers such as PET bottles can be stored and properly held. In this embodiment, this space area 6 may be referred to as the beverage holding space area 6. In this embodiment, the height of the beverage holding space area 6 can be easily adjusted by moving the position of the adjustment unit 40 up and down.

[0072] The housing device 1 of this embodiment is provided with a guide section that moves and rotates the retaining member 60 of the adjustment section 40 inside the adjustment body 41 against the biasing force of the elastic member when the adjustment section 40 is lowered. The guide section of this embodiment is formed by left and right guide grooves 32 provided in the guide wall 30 of the housing body 10 and left and right guide pins 66 provided on the retaining member 60 of the adjustment section 40.

[0073] In the guide section of this embodiment, for example, when the adjustment section 40 is held at the upper limit position shown in Figure 7, the left and right guide pins 66 provided on the retaining member 60 are located above the guide wall section 30 of the housing body section 10 and are not inserted into the guide groove 32 of the guide wall section 30.

[0074] Furthermore, by lowering the adjustment unit 40 from the upper limit position shown in Figure 7 relative to the housing body 10, the guide pin 66 of the retaining member 60 can be inserted into the guide groove 32 of the guide wall 30, and further, it can be brought into sliding contact with the rear curved groove side wall surface 32b of the second groove 34 of the guide groove 32. As a result, the retaining member 60, which is biased by the elastic member, can be moved and rotated toward the inside of the adjustment body 41 against the biasing force of the elastic member.

[0075] In the storage device 1 of this embodiment, as described above, the left and right adjustment units 40 are attached to the storage body 10 so as to be able to move up and down. Furthermore, the left and right adjustment units 40 can move vertically between a lower limit position (see Figures 1 to 3) in which the adjustment unit 40 contacts the lower wall 14 of the storage body 10 and is stored in the storage space 7, and an upper limit position (see Figures 5 to 7) in which the upper surface of the adjustment unit 41 is at the same height as the upper surfaces of the front wall 11 and rear wall 12 of the storage body 10.

[0076] In the housing device 1 of this embodiment, when the left and right adjustment units 40 are stored in the storage space 7 of the housing body 10 at the lower limit position, a large storage space 5 is formed inside the housing body 10, as shown in Figures 1 to 3. At this time, the storage space 5 of the housing device 1 is a space where the upper surfaces of the left and right bottom surfaces 22 and the second separation wall 15b of the adjustment body 41 and the upper surfaces of the left and right adjustment body 41 of the adjustment unit 40 form the bottom surface, and the cross section perpendicular to the vertical direction of the storage space 5 is formed to be the same size (i.e., the size of the bottom surface) throughout the entire vertical direction of the storage space 5.

[0077] In this manner, when the adjustment unit 40 is held in the lower limit position, the storage space 5 of the storage device 1 can accommodate items larger than beverage containers such as PET bottles, or it can simultaneously accommodate two beverage containers and another item.

[0078] Furthermore, in the storage device 1 of this embodiment, the user can raise the left and right adjustment parts 40 from the storage space 7 (lower limit position of the adjustment parts 40) of the storage main body 10 by hooking them with, for example, their fingers. As a result, the size (capacity) of the storage space 5 of the storage device 1 can be reduced according to the height to which the adjustment parts 40 are raised from the lower limit position.

[0079] At this time, by raising and holding the adjustment unit 40 of the storage device 1 to, for example, any position between the lower limit position and the upper limit position, the storage space 5 formed in the storage device 1 can have two beverage-holding space areas 6 that are surrounded on the front, back, left, and right by the rear wall 12, central separation wall 15, and side wall 13 of the storage body 10 and the raised adjustment unit 40, as described above.

[0080] This allows for the proper storage of beverage containers, such as those with a low height, in each of the beverage-holding spaces 6. At the same time, other items can be stored in the areas of the storage space 5 other than the beverage-holding spaces 6. Furthermore, because the beverage-holding spaces 6 are formed with a shallow depth, even if the beverage containers stored in these spaces 6 are short, they can be easily removed from the spaces 6.

[0081] Furthermore, in the storage device 1 of this embodiment, while raising the left and right adjustment sections 40 to their upper limit positions, the body portion 62 of the retaining member 60 provided on the adjustment section 40 can be made to protrude into the beverage-holding space area 6 by the biasing force of an elastic member (not shown). As a result, when a beverage container is placed in the beverage-holding space area 6, the body portion 62 of the retaining member 60 protruding into the space area 6 can hold and support the beverage container. Consequently, it is possible to prevent or suppress the beverage container from tilting within the beverage-holding space area 6. Moreover, in this embodiment, the amount of protrusion of the retaining member 60 into the beverage-holding space area 6 can be changed in conjunction with the upward movement of the adjustment section 40 by the guide section of the storage device 1.

[0082] In the storage device 1, by raising the left and right adjustment sections 40 to their respective upper limits, two beverage-holding space areas 6 are formed at appropriate depths as the storage space 5 of the storage device 1, as shown in Figures 5 to 8. This allows beverage containers such as PET bottles to be stored and properly held in each of the beverage-holding space areas 6.

[0083] Furthermore, at this time, the body portion 62 of the pressing member 60 protrudes into the beverage-holding space area 6 due to the biasing force of the elastic member, as described above (see Figures 7 and 8). Therefore, the beverage container housed in the beverage-holding space area 6 can be stably held in place by the pressing member 60.

[0084] On the other hand, in the storage device 1 of this embodiment, the user can lower the left and right adjustment parts 40, which are held at the upper limit position, by pressing down on them from above. This increases the size of the storage space 5 formed in the storage device 1. It also makes the depth of the space area 6 for holding beverages shallower.

[0085] In the housing device 1 of this embodiment, the upper surface guide portion is provided, so that as the left and right adjustment portions 40 are lowered from the upper limit position to the lower limit position, the retaining member 60, which is biased by the elastic member, can be moved and rotated toward the inside of the adjustment body portion 41 against the biasing force of the elastic member.

[0086] To explain the guide section in more detail, as described above, the guide section of the housing device 1 has a guide groove 32 in the housing body 10 and a guide pin 66 in the retaining member 60. When the adjustment section 40 of the housing device 1 is held in the upper limit position, as shown in Figure 7, the guide pin 66 of the retaining member 60 is located above the guide wall 30 of the housing body 10.

[0087] In this embodiment, the guide portion allows the adjustment portion 40 to descend from its upper limit position, thereby inserting the guide pin 66 of the retaining member 60 into the guide groove 32 (second groove portion 34) of the guide wall portion 30, and further bringing it into sliding contact with the rear curved groove side wall surface 32b of the second groove portion 34 of the guide groove 32.

[0088] As a result, the guide portion of this embodiment moves the guide pin 66 of the retaining member 60 forward as the adjustment portion 40 descends, allowing the retaining member 60, which is held by the engagement pin 53 of the holding member 50, to move and / or rotate toward the inside of the adjustment body portion 41 against the biasing force of the elastic member.

[0089] As a result, the retaining member 60 can be smoothly and stably stored within the adjustment body 41 without getting caught on the base 21 (or making it difficult for it to get caught on the base 21) while the adjustment unit 40 is descending to its lower limit position. Furthermore, even if the adjustment unit 40 is lowered with a beverage container stored in the beverage holding space 6 of the storage device 1, the retaining member 60 of the adjustment unit 40 can be smoothly stored within the adjustment body 41 by the guide part of the storage device 1, thereby preventing or suppressing the retaining member 60 that is holding the beverage container from getting caught on the beverage container.

[0090] Subsequently, as the adjustment unit 40 descends further, the guide pin 66 of the retaining member 60 moves from the second groove 34 to the first groove 33 of the guide groove 32. This stabilizes the position of the guide pin 66 in the front-rear direction relative to the guide wall 30, and maintains the state in which the retaining member 60 is housed within the adjustment main body 41. Furthermore, by lowering the adjustment unit 40 to its lower limit position, the adjustment unit 40 can be housed in the storage space 7 of the housing main body 10, and a large storage space 5 can be formed in the housing device 1 as shown in Figures 1 to 3.

[0091] As described above, in the storage device 1 of this embodiment, the left and right adjustment parts 40, which can house the retaining member 60 inside, can be raised and lowered with a relatively simple structure. Furthermore, by raising and lowering the left and right adjustment parts 40, the size (capacity) of the storage space 5 formed in the storage device 1 can be easily changed. As a result, the storage device 1 can accommodate not only beverage containers such as PET bottles, but also items larger than beverage containers. Moreover, for example, various beverage containers of different heights can be stably stored in the storage space 5 (spatial area 6 for holding beverages) at a depth corresponding to their height.

[0092] Furthermore, the storage device 1 of this embodiment can flexibly accommodate situations such as storing only beverage containers such as PET bottles, storing beverage containers and other items, and storing items larger than beverage containers. Therefore, the ease of use and convenience of the storage device 1 can be greatly improved.

[0093] Furthermore, in the storage device 1 of this embodiment, when a beverage container is placed in the beverage-holding space area 6 of the storage device 1, the holding member 60 provided on the adjustment unit 40 can stably hold down the placed beverage container. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or suppress the beverage container from tilting within the beverage-holding space area 6.

[0094] Furthermore, the housing device 1 of this embodiment is provided with a guide section having a guide groove 32 and a guide pin 66. This allows the retaining member 60 of the adjustment section 40 to be smoothly stored inside the adjustment body section 41 in conjunction with the downward movement of the adjustment section 40 when the adjustment section 40 of the housing device 1 is lowered.

[0095] As a result, the retaining member 60 of the adjustment unit 40 can be prevented or suppressed from getting caught on the base 21 of the storage main unit 10, or on the beverage containers stored in the beverage holding space 6, thus enabling the adjustment unit 40 to move up and down smoothly. As a result, the ease of use of the storage device 1 can be further improved. Furthermore, when the adjustment unit 40 is held at a position below a certain height relative to the storage main unit 10, the retaining member 60 can be stored inside the adjustment main unit 41, so there is no problem of the retaining member 60 getting caught on the stored items. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or suppress problems that could cause the storage device 1 to malfunction due to the retaining member 60 getting caught on the base 21 or other members.

[0096] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of having a configuration substantially identical to that described in the claims of the present invention and achieving similar effects.

[0097] For example, in the housing device 1 of the embodiment described above, the case in which the left and right adjustment parts 40 are raised and lowered simultaneously is explained, but the left and right adjustment parts 40 may be raised and lowered separately. Alternatively, for example, the left and right adjustment parts 40 can be connected and their raising and lowering can be linked.

[0098] Furthermore, although the storage device 1 in the embodiment is provided with two adjustment units 40, the number of adjustment units in the storage device of the present invention is not particularly limited. That is, the storage device may be provided with only one adjustment unit, or it may be provided with three or more adjustment units.

[0099] Furthermore, the above-described embodiment describes the case in which the adjustment part 40 is raised or lowered by hooking a finger onto the adjustment part 40 or by pressing down on the adjustment part 40 from above. However, in the present invention, it is possible to install, for example, a lever or a knob for raising or lowering the adjustment part 40, thereby making it possible to raise or lower the adjustment part 40 more easily and smoothly.

[0100] Furthermore, in this invention, the adjustment unit 40 may be raised and lowered electrically by using a motor or the like. Furthermore, the bottom surface 22 and / or base 21 of the storage device 1 may incorporate a beverage discrimination mechanism, such as a weight sensor or an infrared sensor. This would allow for the automatic discrimination of a beverage container or the beverage itself placed on the bottom surface 22, and the automatic raising or lowering of the adjustment unit 40 based on the discrimination result. As a result, the depth of the beverage-holding space area 6 provided in the storage space 5 of the storage device 1 can be automatically adjusted according to the beverage container or beverage.

[0101] In the above-described embodiment, the storage body 10 of the storage device 1 is fixed to a part of the vehicle (for example, the instrument panel), and the adjustment unit 40 is attached to the storage body 10 so as to be able to move up and down relative to the storage body 10. However, in the present invention, the method and means of attaching the storage device 1 to the vehicle are not particularly limited, as long as the adjustment unit 40 is provided so as to be able to move up and down relative to the bottom surface 22 of the storage body 10. For example, the adjustment unit 40 of the storage device 1 may be fixed to a part of the vehicle, and the storage body 10 may be attached to the adjustment unit 40 so as to be able to move up and down relative to the adjustment unit 40.

[0102] The above-described embodiment explains the case in which the storage device 1 is pre-installed on the instrument panel of a vehicle. However, in the present invention, the installation location of the storage device is not particularly limited, and the storage device may be installed in a part other than the instrument panel, such as a console box. Furthermore, the storage device of the present invention may not be pre-installed on a vehicle, but may be formed to be attached to a vehicle later. Moreover, the storage device of the present invention can be installed and used not only in vehicles such as automobiles, but also in trains, airplanes, ships, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1. Containment device 5. Containment space 6. Spatial area for holding beverages 7 Storage space 10 Main housing section 11 Front wall 12 Rear wall 13 Side wall section 13a First inner surface 13b Second inner surface 13c Stepped section (stepped surface) 14 Lower wall part 15 Central separation wall 15a 1st separation wall part 15b Second separation wall part 21 Base 21a Top surface of the base 22 Bottom part 22a Sheet member 30 Guide wall section 31 Vertical wall 32 guide grooves 32a Groove bottom surface 32b Side wall of the trench 33. First groove 34 Second groove 40 Adjustment part 41 Adjustment main body 42 Posterior central plane 43 Posterior flat surface 50 Retaining member 51 Holding plate part 52 Rear fixing plate 53 Engaging pins 54 First mounting pin 60 Retaining member 61 Head 62 Torso 63 Legs 64. Second mounting pin 65 long hole 66 Guide pins 68 Side plate part 69 Back plate part

Claims

1. In a containment device having a containment space capable of accommodating contents, The storage body has a bottom surface on which at least a portion of the contents can be placed, and the storage body has an adjustment part that is provided so as to be vertically movable relative to the bottom surface, The size of the storage space changes as the adjustment unit is raised or lowered. A storage device characterized by the following features.

2. The adjustment unit comprises an adjustment body, a pressing member that is movable and / or rotatably disposed relative to the adjustment body and holds the contents in place, and an elastic member that biases the pressing member. The retaining member is housed inside the adjustment body against the biasing force of the elastic member when the adjustment part descends. The storage device according to claim 1.

3. A guide is provided that moves and / or rotates the retaining member toward the interior of the adjustment body when the adjustment unit is lowered. The storage device according to claim 2.

4. The guide portion includes a guide pin provided on the retaining member and a guide groove provided on the housing body for inserting and guiding the guide pin. The storage device according to claim 3.

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