Lid opening and closing device

Abstract

To provide a lid opening and closing device with a simpler structure than conventional devices. [Solution] The lid opening and closing device 100 comprises a base 1 having an opening 1c, a lid 2 having a shaft portion 5 that rotates relative to the base 1 and rotating about the central axis O of the shaft portion 5 between a closed position that closes the opening 1c and an open position that opens the opening 1c, and a drive mechanism 3 having a drive source 7 that rotates the shaft portion 5 by the driving force from the drive source 7. The drive mechanism 3 comprises a drive-side transmission mechanism T1 having a drive input portion 13 connected to the drive source 7, a driven-side transmission mechanism T2 connected to the shaft portion 5, and an elastic body 6 that is elastically deformable and provided between the drive-side transmission mechanism T1 and the driven-side transmission mechanism T2, and transmits the driving force from the drive-side transmission mechanism T1 to the driven-side transmission mechanism T2.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] For example, regarding a lid that closes an opening of a vehicle recess provided with a fuel filler opening or a power supply opening, a lid opening / closing device for opening and closing this lid is known. As such a lid opening / closing device, Patent Document 1 shows a device that moves a lid in an opening direction or a closing direction using a slider that converts the rotational motion of a motor into a linear motion. Also, Patent Document 2 shows a device that operates a lid in an opening direction or a closing direction using a moving body that moves linearly by the rotation of a motor. Furthermore, the device of Patent Document 2 also includes a switch that detects that the moving body has reached a predetermined position in order to detect that the lid has moved to an open position or a closed position.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, conventional lid opening and closing devices use the driving force of a motor to operate the lid in the opening or closing direction. However, in such devices, measures are needed to prevent damage to the lid, etc., in situations that hinder the opening and closing of the lid (such as an object touching the opening lid, an object getting caught between the closing lid and the vehicle, or the area around the lid freezing). These measures include providing a protection circuit that automatically stops the motor drive when it is overloaded, and a control circuit that reverses the motor's rotation. Furthermore, a configuration is needed to allow the automatically stopped motor to resume without problems. In addition, a switch like the one shown in Patent Document 2 is necessary to detect when the lid has moved to the open or closed position. Thus, conventional lid opening and closing devices have the problem of being structurally complex because they require various configurations that are necessary when considering the actual usage conditions.

[0005] In view of these points, the present invention aims to provide a lid opening and closing device that has a simpler structure than conventional devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The lid opening and closing device according to the present invention comprises a base having an opening; a lid having a shaft portion that rotates relative to the base and rotating about the central axis of the shaft portion between a closed position that closes the opening and an open position that opens the opening; and a drive mechanism having a drive source that rotates the shaft portion by a driving force from the drive source, wherein the drive mechanism comprises a drive-side transmission mechanism having a drive input portion connected to the drive source; a driven-side transmission mechanism connected to the shaft portion; and an elastic body that is elastically deformable and provided between the drive-side transmission mechanism and the driven-side transmission mechanism, and transmits the driving force from the drive-side transmission mechanism to the driven-side transmission mechanism. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The lid opening and closing device according to the present invention has an elastic body between the drive-side transmission mechanism and the driven-side transmission mechanism. Therefore, even if a situation arises that hinders the opening and closing of the lid, the elastic body will elastically deform, preventing damage to the lid or other components. Consequently, conventional protective circuits and the like are unnecessary, resulting in a simpler structure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a lid opening and closing device according to one embodiment of the present invention, with the lid body moved to the closed position. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the lid opening and closing mechanism with the lid body moved to the open position. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the lid body and shaft portion that make up the lid. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the drive-side transmission mechanism in the lid opening and closing device. [Figure 5] Figure 4 shows an internal perspective view of the assembled drive-side transmission mechanism. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the driven-side transmission mechanism in the lid opening and closing device. [Figure 7A] Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the assembled driven-side transmission mechanism. [Figure 7B] Figure 7A shows a perspective view of the driven-side transmission mechanism, with a portion of the internal structure indicated by dashed lines. [Figure 8] Figure 1 shows the lid opening and closing device, with the lid body in the closed position, viewed from a perspective directly facing the drive mechanism (screws, etc., are omitted). [Figure 9] Figure 1 shows the lid opening and closing device, with the lid body in the open position, viewed from a perspective directly facing the drive mechanism (screws, etc., are omitted). [Figure 10] This is a partially enlarged view of the figure shown in Figure 8. [Figure 11]This figure shows the state in which the first arm has moved to the other side in the circumferential direction from the state shown in Figure 10 (the lid body and the second arm are in the closed position, and the circumferential position of the first arm with respect to the central axis O is aligned with the circumferential position of the second arm). [Figure 12] This figure shows the state in which the first arm has moved further to the other side in the circumferential direction from the state shown in Figure 11, and the engagement with the second arm by the closing stopper has been released. [Figure 13] This figure shows the state in which the first arm has moved further to the other side in the circumferential direction from the state shown in Figure 12 (the lid body and the second arm are in the open position, and the circumferential position of the first arm with respect to the central axis O is aligned with the circumferential position of the second arm). [Figure 14] This figure (a partial enlargement of the figure shown in Figure 9) shows the state in which the first arm has moved further to the other side in the circumferential direction from the state shown in Figure 13. [Figure 15] This diagram shows a state where the lid body remains in the closed position due to an external force applied to it during the operation to move it from the closed position to the open position. [Figure 16] This diagram shows a state where, during the operation to move the lid body from the open position to the closed position, an external force is applied to the lid body, causing it to remain in the open position. [Figure 17] This is an explanatory diagram of an emergency cable component, showing the emergency cable component in a state where it is not being pulled (the lid body is in the closed position shown in Figure 8). [Figure 18] This figure shows the state in which the emergency cable member is pulled from the state shown in Figure 17, causing the closing stopper to rotate to one side in the circumferential direction. [Figure 19] This figure shows the state in which the emergency cable member is further pulled from the state shown in Figure 18, and the second emergency release part is in contact with the second emergency contact part. [Figure 20] This figure shows the state in which the emergency cable member is further pulled from the state shown in Figure 19, and the second emergency contact portion is in contact with the second arm attitude maintenance portion.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, a lid opening / closing device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the figures shown in the accompanying drawings are schematic, and the thickness, width, ratio between parts, etc. of each part may be different from those actually implemented.

[0010] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are diagrams showing the lid opening / closing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention as a whole. The lid opening / closing device 100 of the present embodiment is, for example, attached to the side of a vehicle and used. In FIGS. 1 and 2, it is shown in the orientation when attached to the vehicle. That is, the directions indicated by "upper side when attached" and "lower side when attached" shown in the drawings are the upper side and the lower side when the lid opening / closing device 100 is attached to the vehicle. For a detailed description of the lid opening / closing device 100, for convenience, it will be described in the orientation when assembling the lid opening / closing device 100. The up-down direction in the following description is basically described in the "up" and "down" directions shown in FIG. 4 and the like. When describing the orientation in the state of being attached to the vehicle, "upper side when attached" and "lower side when attached" will be used. In FIG. 4, the above-described "upper side when attached", "lower side when attached" and "up", "down" directions are shown. Also, the "one side in the circumferential direction" described in this specification and the like is the counterclockwise rotation direction in the present embodiment, and the "other side in the circumferential direction" is the clockwise rotation direction in the present embodiment. Note that the directions described in this specification and the like are used for convenience of explanation and do not limit the directions related to the lid opening / closing device according to the present invention. <{

[0011] First, the overall configuration of the lid opening / closing device 100 will be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lid opening / closing device 100 comprises a base 1, a lid 2, and a drive mechanism 3. As shown in Figure 3, the lid 2 comprises a lid body 4 and a shaft 5. The drive mechanism 3 consists of a drive-side transmission mechanism T1, a driven-side transmission mechanism T2, an elastic body 6, and a motor 7 as shown in Figure 4, as shown in Figure 1. The motor 7 corresponds to the "drive source" in this specification. In general terms, the lid opening / closing device 100 is configured such that the driving force from the motor 7 is transmitted to the drive-side transmission mechanism T1, the elastic body 6, and the driven-side transmission mechanism T2, thereby causing the lid body 4 to rotate relative to the base 1 together with the shaft 5.

[0012] The drive-side transmission mechanism T1 includes the case 10, first terminal 11, second terminal 12, worm gear 13, helical gear 14, first transmission gear 15, second transmission gear 16, connecting gear 17, cover 18, positioning pin P, and screw S shown in Figure 4, as well as the first arm 19 shown in Figure 6. In this embodiment, the drive-side transmission mechanism T1, excluding the first arm 19, is configured as a first unit U1, with each component shown in Figure 4 being unitized.

[0013] The driven-side transmission mechanism T2 includes the cover bracket 30, first shaft pin 31, second arm 32, second shaft pin 33, closing-side stopper 34, elastic body 35 for closing-side stopper, shaft pin 36 for closing-side stopper, opening-side stopper 37, elastic body 38 for opening-side stopper, shaft pin 39 for opening-side stopper, emergency plate 40, return elastic body 41, emergency plate support 42, screw S, and E-rings R1 to R5 shown in Figure 6. In this embodiment, the driven-side transmission mechanism T2, including the shaft portion 5, elastic body 6, and first arm 19 described above, is unitized and configured as the second unit U2. The emergency plate 40 is part of the "emergency cable member" as described herein, and the "emergency cable member" is configured by attaching a string-like cable (not shown) to the emergency plate 40.

[0014] Next, the various parts of the lid opening / closing device 100 will be described in detail. First, the base 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The base 1 comprises a pair of opposing support plates 1a and a front plate 1b provided perpendicular to the support plates 1a at one end of the support plates 1a. Note that the support plate 1a may be present only on the side to which the drive mechanism 3 is attached. The support plate 1a is provided with a through hole into which the shaft portion 5 is inserted. The front plate 1b is provided with an opening 1c that passes through it, as shown in Figure 2. As described above, the lid opening / closing device 100 of this embodiment is attached to the side of a vehicle, and when the base 1 is attached to the vehicle, the fuel filler port and power supply port provided on the vehicle are located inside the opening 1c.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the lid body 4 is equipped with a cover portion 4a that closes the opening 1c. On the back surface of the cover portion 4a, a lid arm portion 4b is provided, which is roughly U-shaped, as shown in Figure 3. At the tip of the lid arm portion 4b, there is a circular insertion hole 4c through which the shaft portion 5 is inserted, and a pair of positioning recesses 4d extending radially outward from the insertion hole 4c.

[0016] As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the shaft portion 5 includes a shaft body portion 5a that is cylindrical overall with respect to a central axis O. The outer circumferential surface of the shaft body portion 5a is provided with a pair of positioning protrusions 5b that extend radially outward. When the shaft body portion 5a is inserted into the insertion hole 4c, the positioning protrusions 5b are inserted into the positioning recesses 4d, thereby preventing the shaft portion 5 from rotating against the lid body 4. The positioning recesses 4d and positioning protrusions 5b correspond to the "shaft rotation prevention mechanism" as described herein.

[0017] As shown in Figure 6, the upper end of the shaft body portion 5a is provided with a shaft positioning portion 5c that has a shape as if the outer circumferential surface of the circular shaft body portion 5a had been removed by a pair of opposing planes (a so-called H-cut shape). Above the shaft positioning portion 5c, there is a cylindrical portion with a smaller diameter than the shaft body portion 5a, and this cylindrical portion has a groove into which an E-ring R1 (see Figure 6) is attached. Also, above the positioning projection 5b on the shaft body portion 5a, there is a groove into which an E-ring R2 (see Figure 6) is attached.

[0018] As shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, the elastic body 6 is formed into a coil shape by spirally winding a metal wire, with both ends formed into hook shapes. The elastic body 6 in this embodiment is a tension spring in which elastic force is generated when the two ends are pulled in directions that move away from each other.

[0019] Motor 7 is, for example, a DC motor and is electrically connected to a drive circuit (not shown). In this embodiment, motor 7 is connected to the drive circuit via the first terminal 11 and the second terminal 12 shown in Figure 4. The drive shaft of motor 7 rotates when current is supplied from the drive circuit and rotates in the opposite direction when the direction of the current supplied to motor 7 changes.

[0020] As shown in Figure 4, case 10 has recesses that correspond to the external shapes of the motor 7, connecting gear 17, etc. When the connecting gear 17 etc. are housed in the recess of case 10 and the cover 18 is placed over it, the connecting gear 17 etc. are rotatably supported by case 10 and cover 18. In the recess of case 10, a circular case through-hole 10a is provided in the center of the part where the connecting gear 17 is housed. As will be described later, the shaft portion 5 is inserted through the case through-hole 10a. To show that the shaft portion 5 is inserted through the case through-hole 10a, the central axis O is shown at the location of the case through-hole 10a even in Figures 4 and 5 where the shaft portion 5 is not shown. A connecting gear stopper 10b that protrudes toward the housed connecting gear 17 is provided on the inner circumference of the part where the connecting gear 17 is housed. In addition, a retaining hole 10c is provided on the outside of the recess of case 10 into which a positioning pin P is inserted and held. The positioning pin P functions to position both case 10 and cover 18 when attaching them.

[0021] The worm gear 13 is inserted into and held by the drive shaft of the motor 7. The worm gear 13 is the part corresponding to the "drive input section" in this specification, etc. In this embodiment, the worm gear 13 has two or fewer threads (i.e., the worm gear 13 has one or two threads).

[0022] In this embodiment, the helical gear 14 is a two-stage gear comprising a helical tooth portion that meshes with the worm gear 13 and a spur gear portion provided above the helical tooth portion.

[0023] The first transmission gear 15 and the second transmission gear 16 are both two-stage gears, with a spur gear section with fewer teeth and a spur gear section with more teeth mounted coaxially.

[0024] The connecting gear 17 has a spur gear tooth shape and includes a sector gear portion 17a where teeth are not provided in a part of the circumferential direction. When the connecting gear 17 is housed in the case 10, the connecting gear stopper 10b is located where the sector gear portion 17a is not provided. When the connecting gear 17 rotates relative to the case 10, the teeth located on both sides of the sector gear portion 17a in the circumferential direction contact the connecting gear stopper 10b, so that the connecting gear 17 rotates within a predetermined range in the circumferential direction. Here, in the sector gear portion 17a, the part that contacts the connecting gear stopper 10b when the connecting gear 17 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from above to below is called the counterclockwise contact portion 17b, and the part that contacts the connecting gear stopper 10b when the connecting gear 17 rotates clockwise is called the clockwise contact portion 17c.

[0025] The connecting gear 17 also has a connecting gear through hole 17d that penetrates the central part of the connecting gear 17. In this embodiment, the inner circumferential surface of the connecting gear through hole 17d is square-shaped when the connecting gear 17 is viewed from above and downwards. The inner diameter of the connecting gear through hole 17d is larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion 5 at the location where the pair of positioning protrusions 5b are provided, and the shaft portion 5 can be inserted into the connecting gear through hole 17d.

[0026] In this embodiment, the helical gear 14, the first transmission gear 15, the second transmission gear 16, and the connecting gear 17 are combined as shown in Figure 5. Specifically, the helical portion located below the helical gear 14 meshes with the worm gear 13, and the spur gear portion located above the helical gear 14 meshes with the upper spur gear portion of the first transmission gear 15. Furthermore, the lower spur gear portion of the first transmission gear 15 meshes with the upper spur gear portion of the second transmission gear 16, and the lower spur gear portion of the second transmission gear 16 meshes with the sector gear portion 17a of the connecting gear 17. Note that the number of teeth and arrangement of these gears are examples and are appropriately selected according to the torque required when opening and closing the lid 2.

[0027] The cover 18 is shaped to match the outer shape of the case 10, and a circular cover through-hole 18a is provided in the area corresponding to the case through-hole 10a, through which the cover 18 passes. The shaft portion 5 is inserted through the cover through-hole 18a, as will be described later. As shown in Figure 5, the cover 18 is placed over the case 10 after the motor 7, connecting gear 17, etc. are housed inside the case 10, and is attached to the case 10 with screws S.

[0028] As described above, the motor 7 and connecting gear 17 are housed in the case 10 and then closed with the cover 18 to assemble the first unit U1.

[0029] In this embodiment, the cover bracket 30 is formed such that the plate-shaped member is overall C-shaped, as shown in Figure 6. A groove 30a is provided on the upper surface of the cover bracket 30, and a slide support portion 30b is provided near the groove 30a, which is shaped as if a part of the cover bracket 30 has been bent upwards.

[0030] A first arm 19 is provided on the inside of the C-shaped portion of the cover bracket 30, as shown in Figures 7A and 7B. The first arm 19 is shaped to be elongated overall, as shown in Figure 6. A projection 19a is provided on the lower surface of one end of the first arm 19, with an outer surface that is square when viewed from below upward. The projection 19a can be inserted into the connecting gear through hole 17d shown in Figure 4, and by inserting the projection 19a into the connecting gear through hole 17d, the first arm 19 is held in place by the connecting gear 17 in an anti-rotation manner. The connecting gear through hole 17d and the projection 19a correspond to the "arm anti-rotation mechanism" as described herein. A circular first arm through hole 19b is provided in the center of the projection 19a, which penetrates the first arm 19 in the vertical direction. The shaft portion 5 is inserted through the first arm through hole 19b, as will be described later.

[0031] Above the projection 19a, a cam portion 19c is provided that partially protrudes radially outward from the first arm through-hole 19b, forming a fan shape when viewed from above to below. The cam portion 19c corresponds to the "closed-side stopper release portion" and the "open-side stopper release portion" as described herein. A detailed explanation of the cam portion 19c will be given later.

[0032] The other end of the first arm 19 is provided with a circular first arm mounting hole 19d into which the first shaft pin 31 is attached.

[0033] As shown in Figure 6, the first shaft pin 31 has a disc-shaped upper section, a cylindrical middle section, and a male thread-shaped lower section with a smaller diameter than the middle section. The lower part of the first shaft pin 31 is screwed into the first arm mounting hole 19d, and the first shaft pin 31 is held by the first arm 19.

[0034] As shown in Figure 6, the second arm 32 is shaped to be shorter overall than the first arm 19. The outer shape of one end of the second arm 32 is semicircular, and a second arm positioning hole 32a is provided in the center of this end, which has a shape that matches the outer shape of the shaft positioning part 5c and penetrates the second arm 32. The outer shape of the other end of the second arm 32 is semicircular with a smaller diameter than the one end, and a second arm mounting hole 32b is provided in the center of this other end, which is circular in shape and into which the second shaft pin 33 is inserted from below.

[0035] Furthermore, the second arm 32 is equipped with a second arm closing side locking portion 32c that protrudes radially outward from one end of the second arm 32, at a point where the second arm mounting hole 32b is located, with the second arm positioning hole 32a as the center. Furthermore, the second arm 32 is equipped with a second arm opening side locking portion 32d that protrudes radially outward from one end of the second arm 32, at a point where the second arm positioning hole 32a is located, with the shaft positioning portion 5c as the center. Both the second arm closing side locking portion 32c and the second arm opening side locking portion 32d have a rectangular shape when viewed from above and downward.

[0036] Furthermore, the second arm 32 is provided with a cylindrical projection (emergency second contact portion 32e) that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the second arm closing side lock portion 32c. In this embodiment, the emergency second contact portion 32e is integrally provided with the second arm closing side lock portion 32c.

[0037] As shown in Figure 6, the second shaft pin 33 has a disc-shaped lower section and a cylindrical upper section, with a groove provided in the middle of the cylindrical portion for attaching the E-ring R3.

[0038] To attach the first arm 19 and the second arm 32 described above to the cover bracket 30, first insert the first shaft pin 31 into the first arm mounting hole 19d to attach the first shaft pin 31 to the first arm 19. Then, insert the second shaft pin 33 into the second arm mounting hole 32b, and insert the E-ring R3 into the groove provided on the second shaft pin 33 to attach the second shaft pin 33 to the second arm 32.

[0039] Then, as shown in Figures 7A and 7B, the second arm 32 is placed on top of the first arm 19 and inserted into the inside of the C-shaped cover bracket 30. After that, the shaft portion 5 with the E-ring R2 attached is inserted from below into the first arm through hole 19b, and the shaft portion positioning portion 5c is inserted into the second arm positioning hole 32a, and then into the circular through hole provided in the cover bracket 30, and the E-ring R1 is attached to the shaft portion 5. As a result, the first arm 19, the second arm 32, and the shaft portion 5 are held in place by the cover bracket 30. In this assembled state, the first arm 19 rotates freely relative to the shaft portion 5, while the second arm 32 and the shaft portion 5 are held in place and rotate together around the central axis O.

[0040] After attaching the first arm 19 and the second arm 32 to the cover bracket 30 in this manner, the elastic body 6 is attached. The elastic body 6 is held by the first arm 19 and the second arm 32 by hooking one end, which is formed in a hook shape, onto the first shaft pin 31, and similarly hooking the other end, which is also formed in a hook shape, onto the second shaft pin 33. When the elastic body 6 is attached to the first shaft pin 31 and the second shaft pin 33, the elastic body 6 is slightly stretched, and an elastic force acts on the first arm 19 and the second arm 32 from the elastic body 6. In this configuration, when the first arm 19 rotates relative to the second arm 32 about the central axis O, the elastic force from the elastic body 6 acts on the second arm 32, causing the second arm 32 to rotate in accordance with the first arm 19.

[0041] The closing stopper 34 has a cylindrical shape with a notched portion in the middle in the vertical direction, and includes a closing stopper support portion 34a. The closing stopper 34 also has a closing stopper contact portion 34b that extends radially outward from the lower part of the closing stopper support portion 34a and then extends diagonally in a clockwise direction. Furthermore, the closing stopper 34 has a closing stopper lock portion 34c that extends radially outward from the upper part of the closing stopper support portion 34a, longer than the closing stopper contact portion 34b, and then extends perpendicularly in a clockwise direction.

[0042] Furthermore, the closing stopper 34 is provided with a cylindrical projection (emergency first contact portion 34d) that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the closing stopper lock portion 34c. In this embodiment, the emergency first contact portion 34d is integrally provided with the closing stopper lock portion 34c.

[0043] In this embodiment, the elastic body 35 for the closing stopper is a torsion spring shaped with one end and the other end extending long from a circularly wound portion. When elastically deformed so that the one end and the other end move closer together, an elastic force is generated so that the one end and the other end move apart.

[0044] As shown in Figure 6, the closing stopper shaft pin 36 has a disc-shaped lower part and a cylindrical upper part, with a groove provided in the middle of the cylindrical portion for attaching the E-ring R4.

[0045] When attaching the closing stopper 34 to the cover bracket 30, as shown in Figures 7A and 7B, the closing stopper 34 is inserted into the inside of the C-shaped cover bracket 30. At this time, the emergency first contact portion 34d is positioned in the groove portion 30a of the cover bracket 30. Then, the circular portion of the elastic body 35 for the closing stopper is placed in the notch provided in the upper and lower middle portion of the closing stopper support portion 34a, and the shaft pin 36 for the closing stopper is inserted into the circular through hole provided in the cover bracket 30, and then inserted into the closing stopper support portion 34a and the circular portion of the elastic body 35 for the closing stopper, and the E-ring R4 is attached. In this way, the closing stopper 34 and the like are held in place by the cover bracket 30. In this assembled state, the closing stopper 34 is biased by the elastic body 35 for the closing stopper to rotate clockwise around the shaft pin 36 for the closing stopper.

[0046] The opening stopper 37 has a cylindrical shape with an opening stopper support portion 37a having a notch in the middle in the vertical direction. The opening stopper 37 also has an opening stopper contact portion 37b that extends radially outward from the lower part of the opening stopper support portion 37a and then extends diagonally in a counterclockwise direction. Furthermore, the opening stopper 37 has an opening stopper lock portion 37c that extends radially outward from the upper part of the opening stopper support portion 37a, longer than the opening stopper contact portion 37b, and then extends at a right angle in a counterclockwise direction. Except for the emergency first contact portion 34d described above, the opening stopper 37 is shaped to be symmetrical with respect to the closing stopper 34.

[0047] The elastic body 38 for the opening side stopper is a torsion spring shaped similarly to the elastic body 35 for the closing side stopper described above, having one end and the other end that extend long from a circularly wound portion.

[0048] The shaft pin 39 for the opening stopper has the same shape as the shaft pin 36 for the closing stopper described above, and is equipped with a groove into which the E-ring R5 is attached.

[0049] The opening stopper 37 is attached to the cover bracket 30 in the same procedure as the closing stopper 34, using the elastic body 38 for the opening stopper, the shaft pin 39 for the opening stopper, and the E-ring R5. When the opening stopper 37 is attached to the cover bracket 30, the opening stopper 37 is biased by the elastic body 38 for the opening stopper to rotate counterclockwise around the shaft pin 39 for the opening stopper.

[0050] The emergency plate 40 has a plate body 40a that is roughly rectangular in shape, as shown in Figure 6. The plate body 40a is integrally provided with a cable attachment portion 40b that is annular in shape and extends laterally, with the portion connected to the plate body 40a. A cord-like cable (not shown) is attached to the cable attachment portion 40b.

[0051] The plate body portion 40a is provided with a groove-shaped elastic body housing portion 40c that penetrates the plate body portion 40a. The elastic body housing portion 40c houses a return elastic body 41, and an emergency plate support 42 is inserted into it.

[0052] Furthermore, the plate body portion 40a is located next to the elastic body housing portion 40c and has a guide groove portion 40d that penetrates the plate body portion 40a and into which the cylindrical emergency first contact portion 34d provided on the closing side stopper 34 is inserted. As shown in Figures 7A and 17, the guide groove portion 40d has a wider groove width on the side where the cable attachment portion 40b is provided and a narrower groove width on the opposite side. An inclined portion 40e is provided in the part where the groove width transitions from wide to narrow. The inclined portion 40e corresponds to the "emergency first release portion" as described herein.

[0053] Furthermore, the plate body portion 40a is located next to the guide groove portion 40d and has a slide groove portion 40f that penetrates the plate body portion 40a, into which the slide support portion 30b provided on the cover bracket 30 is inserted.

[0054] Furthermore, in the main body portion 40a of the plate, the side adjacent to the guide groove portion 40d is shaped like a step when viewed from above to below. Here, the flat portion located on the cable attachment portion 40b side of this step-shaped portion is referred to as the emergency second release portion 40g, and the flat portion extending perpendicular to the emergency second release portion 40g and parallel to the guide groove portion 40d is referred to as the second arm attitude maintenance portion 40h.

[0055] In this embodiment, the return elastic body 41 is formed by winding a metal wire in a spiral shape to create a coil. The return elastic body 41 in this embodiment is a compression spring in which elastic force is generated when the two cut ends are compressed in a direction that brings them closer together.

[0056] As shown in Figure 6, the emergency plate support 42 has a disc-shaped upper section, a cylindrical middle section, and a threaded lower section. The cover bracket 30 is provided with screw holes for attaching the emergency plate support 42.

[0057] To attach the emergency plate 40 to the cover bracket 30, the slide support portion 30b is inserted into the slide groove portion 40f, and the emergency plate 40 is placed on the surface of the cover bracket 30. Then, the lower part of the emergency plate support 42 is inserted into the elastic body housing portion 40c, and the emergency plate support 42 is attached to the screw hole provided in the cover bracket 30. Then, the return elastic body 41 is inserted into the elastic body housing portion 40c. Since the emergency plate support 42 protrudes above the elastic body housing portion 40c, it is possible to prevent the return elastic body 41 housed in the elastic body housing portion 40c from coming out. The emergency plate 40 attached to the cover bracket 30 is slidable in the direction in which the slide groove portion 40f extends by the slide support portion 30b inserted into the slide groove portion 40f, and is biased to move away from the emergency plate support 42 by the elastic force of the return elastic body 41.

[0058] By attaching the components shown in Figure 6 to the cover bracket 30 in this manner, the second unit U2 shown in Figures 7A and 7B is assembled.

[0059] Here, with reference to Figure 6, we will explain in detail the parts of each component constituting the second unit U2 that move in conjunction when the lid opening / closing device 100 operates. The parts of the second unit U2 that move in conjunction when the lid opening / closing device 100 operates are generally divided into a first layer located at the bottom of the second unit U2, a second layer located in the middle in the vertical direction, and a third layer located at the top. In Figure 6, the parts located in the first layer are indicated by (1), the parts located in the second layer by (2), and the parts located in the third layer by (3).

[0060] As shown in Figure 6 (1), the first layer of the second unit U2 includes the cam portion 19c of the first arm 19, the closed-side stopper contact portion 34b of the closed-side stopper 34, and the open-side stopper contact portion 37b of the open-side stopper 37.

[0061] Then, in the second layer of the second unit U2, as indicated by (2) in Figure 6, the second arm closing side lock portion 32c and the second arm opening side lock portion 32d of the second arm 32, the closing side stopper lock portion 34c of the closing side stopper 34, and the opening side stopper lock portion 37c of the opening side stopper 37 are located.

[0062] As shown in Figure 6, the third layer of the second unit U2 contains the emergency second contact portion 32e of the second arm 32, the emergency first contact portion 34d of the closing stopper 34, and the emergency plate 40.

[0063] After assembling the second unit U2 with this configuration, the shaft portion 5 of the second unit U2 is inserted into the cover through hole 18a, the connecting gear through hole 17d, and the case through hole 10a of the first unit U1, and the second unit U2 is attached to the first unit U1 with the screw S shown in Figure 6. Then, the lid arm portion 4b of the lid body 4 is placed between the pair of support plates 1a on the base 1 shown in Figure 1, and the shaft portion 5 is inserted through the through hole provided in the support plate 1a and the insertion hole 4c (see Figure 3) of the lid body 4. This completes the assembly of the lid opening and closing device 100.

[0064] Please note that the assembly procedure described above is merely one example, and the assembly order can be changed as needed, as long as it allows for successful assembly.

[0065] Next, the operation of the lid opening / closing device 100 will be explained with reference to Figures 8 to 14. In the following explanation, the process will be described as moving from the state in which the lid body 4 shown in Figure 8 is in the closed position (with respect to the opening 1c shown in Figure 2, the state in which the opening 1c is covered by the lid portion 4a of the lid body 4 as shown in Figure 1) to the state in which the lid body 4 is in the open position shown in Figure 9 (Figure 2 also shows the state in which the lid body 4 is in the open position). In Figures 8 to 14, the cover bracket 30 and emergency plate 40 are shown with dashed lines to indicate the orientation of the second arm 32, etc. Also, Figure 10 is a partial enlargement of Figure 8, and Figure 14 is a partial enlargement of Figure 9.

[0066] When the lid body 4 is moved to the closed position, the second arm 32 shown in Figure 10 rotates counterclockwise around the central axis O. As described above, the second arm 32 and the shaft 5 are locked in place, the shaft 5 and the lid body 4 are locked in place, and the lid portion 4a of the lid body 4 is in contact with the front plate 1b of the base 1. Therefore, the limit to which the second arm 32 can rotate counterclockwise is the state shown in Figure 10. At this time, the first arm 19 rotates more counterclockwise than the second arm 32, as shown in Figure 10. That is, the elastic body 6 attached to the first arm 19 and the second arm 32 is stretched, and an elastic force from the elastic body 6 acts on the second arm 32 to rotate further counterclockwise, so that the lid body 4 can be reliably moved to the closed position and maintained in the closed position.

[0067] To move the lid body 4 to the closed position, as shown in Figure 11, the first arm 19 should be aligned circumferentially with respect to the second arm 32 with respect to the central axis O. That is, with respect to the first shaft pin 31 of the first arm 19 to which the elastic body 6 is attached and the second shaft pin 33 of the second arm 32, the straight line connecting the central axis O and the center of the second shaft pin 33 should be aligned circumferentially with respect to the straight line connecting the central axis O and the center of the first shaft pin 31. However, in the state shown in Figure 11, the elastic force that causes the second arm 32 to rotate further counterclockwise is weak, so as mentioned above, it is preferable to rotate the first arm 19 counterclockwise more than the second arm 32, as shown in Figure 10. In the state shown in Figure 10, the counterclockwise contact portion 17b of the connecting gear 17 shown in Figure 4 is in contact with the connecting gear stopper 10b, preventing the first arm 19 from rotating excessively counterclockwise.

[0068] Then, when current is supplied to the motor 7 shown in Figure 5 from the state shown in Figure 10 and it is driven, the connecting gear 17 rotates clockwise via the worm gear 13, helical gear 14, first transmission gear 15, and second transmission gear 16, and the first arm 19, which is held in place by the connecting gear 17, also rotates clockwise. When the first arm 19 rotates clockwise and rotates further clockwise than the state shown in Figure 11, the elastic body 6 connecting the first arm 19 and the second arm 32 stretches, and an elastic force from the elastic body 6 acts on the second arm 32, so the second arm 32 rotates clockwise to follow the first arm 19. Consequently, the shaft 5 and the lid body 4 rotate clockwise together with the second arm 32, so the lid body 4 can be moved to the open position as shown in Figure 9.

[0069] The state shown in Figure 9 (the state shown in Figure 14) represents the limit of how far the second arm 32 can rotate clockwise. At this time, the first arm 19 is rotating more clockwise than the second arm 32. That is, the elastic body 6 attached to the first arm 19 and the second arm 32 is stretched, and an elastic force from the elastic body 6 acts on the second arm 32 to rotate further clockwise, so that the lid body 4 can be reliably moved to the open position and maintained in the open position.

[0070] To move the lid body 4 to the open position, as shown in Figure 13, the first arm 19 must be aligned circumferentially with respect to the second arm 32 with respect to the central axis O (with respect to the first shaft pin 31 of the first arm 19 to which the elastic body 6 is attached and the second shaft pin 33 of the second arm 32, the straight line connecting the central axis O and the center of the second shaft pin 33 and the straight line connecting the central axis O and the center of the first shaft pin 31 must be aligned circumferentially). However, in the state shown in Figure 13, the elastic force that causes the second arm 32 to rotate further clockwise is weak, so as mentioned above, it is preferable to rotate the first arm 19 more clockwise than the second arm 32, as shown in Figure 14. In the state shown in Figure 14, the clockwise contact portion 17c of the connecting gear 17 shown in Figure 4 is in contact with the connecting gear stopper 10b, preventing the first arm 19 from rotating excessively clockwise.

[0071] In this embodiment, the drive mechanism 3 includes a worm gear 13 attached to the drive shaft of the motor 7 and a helical gear 14 having helical teeth that mesh with the worm gear 13. Therefore, the lid body 4 can be operated by the driving force of the motor 7, while even if an external force is applied to the lid body 4, the movement of the helical gear 14 to rotate the worm gear 13 is restricted. In other words, since the drive mechanism 3 has a self-locking mechanism with the worm gear 13 and the helical gear 14, when the lid body 4 is moved to the open position and the current supplied to the motor 7 is stopped, the movement of the lid body 4, which would otherwise try to rotate to the closed position due to its own weight, can be restricted. In particular, in this embodiment, since the number of threads in the worm gear 13 is set to 2 or less, the restriction of movement of the lid body 4 is made more reliable, and even if the current supplied to the motor 7 is stopped, the lid body 4 can be kept stopped in the open position.

[0072] To move the lid body 4 to the closed position from the state shown in Figures 9 and 14, a current in the reverse direction should be supplied to the motor 7. This causes the connecting gear 17 shown in Figure 5 to rotate counterclockwise, and the first arm 19, which is held in place by the connecting gear 17, also rotates counterclockwise. As the first arm 19 rotates further counterclockwise than the state shown in Figure 13, the elastic body 6 connecting the first arm 19 and the second arm 32 stretches, and an elastic force from the elastic body 6 acts on the second arm 32. As a result, the second arm 32 rotates counterclockwise to follow the first arm 19, and the lid body 4 can be moved to the closed position as shown in Figures 8 and 10.

[0073] As described above, in the lid opening and closing device 100 of this embodiment, the first arm 19 of the drive-side transmission mechanism T1 and the second arm 32 of the driven-side transmission mechanism T2 are connected by an elastic body 6. When the first arm 19 rotates due to the driving force from the motor 7, the elastic force of the elastic body 6 acts on the second arm 32, causing the second arm 32 to rotate in accordance with the first arm 19, thereby enabling the lid 2 connected to the second arm 32 to be opened and closed.

[0074] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15, if, for example, an external force is applied to the lid body 4, which has moved to the closed position, and the motor 7 is driven to move the lid body 4 to the open position, the first arm 19 rotates clockwise, while the second arm 32 does not rotate because the lid body 4 remains stationary. However, even in this case, the elastic body 6 connecting the first arm 19 and the second arm 32 undergoes elastic deformation, so excessive force is not applied to the drive-side transmission mechanism T1 or the driven-side transmission mechanism T2 shown in Figure 1, and this does not lead to damage to the drive-side transmission mechanism T1, etc. If the external force acting on the lid body 4 is removed, the elastic body 6 returns to its original position and the second arm 32 rotates clockwise, so the lid body 4 can be automatically moved to the open position. As shown in Figure 16, for example, if an external force is applied to the lid body 4, which has moved to the open position, and the motor 7 is driven to move the lid body 4 to the closed position, the first arm 19 rotates counterclockwise, while the second arm 32 does not rotate because the lid body 4 remains stationary. However, even in this case, the elastic body 6 connecting the first arm 19 and the second arm 32 undergoes elastic deformation, so no excessive force is applied to the drive-side transmission mechanism T1 or the driven-side transmission mechanism T2 shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, if the external force acting on the lid body 4 is removed, the elastic body 6 returns to its original position and the second arm 32 rotates counterclockwise, thereby automatically moving the lid body 4 to the closed position.

[0075] Thus, in this embodiment, even if the movement of the lid body 4 is obstructed, the operation of the first arm 19 is not affected. Therefore, it is only necessary to supply current to the motor 7 for the time required to open and close the lid body 4, making timer control possible. In other words, according to this embodiment, control such as detecting the opening and closing of the lid body 4 and cutting off the current becomes unnecessary.

[0076] The lid opening and closing device 100 of this embodiment is equipped with a closing stopper 34 and an opening stopper 37, so that the lid body 4 can be locked in the closed position and also locked in the open position. The operation and function of the closing stopper 34 and the opening stopper 37 will be described below.

[0077] First, let's explain the state in which the lid body 4 shown in Figure 10 is moved to the closed position. Regarding the first-level cam portion 19c and the closed-side stopper contact portion 34b shown in Figure 6 with the numeral (1), as shown in Figure 10, the closed-side stopper contact portion 34b is separated from the cam portion 19c, so the closed-side stopper 34 is rotated clockwise around the closed-side stopper shaft pin 36 by the closed-side stopper elastic body 35, resulting in the state shown in Figure 10. At this time, the second-level second-arm closed-side lock portion 32c and the closed-side stopper lock portion 34c shown in Figure 6 with the numeral (2) indicate that, as shown in Figure 10, the closed-side stopper lock portion 34c is engaged with the second-arm closed-side lock portion 32c. That is, since the second arm 32 is held by the closed-side stopper 34 so that it cannot rotate clockwise, the lid body 4, which is connected to the second arm 32 via the shaft portion 5, can be locked in the closed position as shown in Figure 8. In this case, with respect to the first-level cam portion 19c and the opening-side stopper lock portion 37c, indicated by the numeral (1) in Figure 6, as shown in Figure 10, the opening-side stopper contact portion 37b is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the cam portion 19c, and the opening-side stopper 37 rotates clockwise around the opening-side stopper shaft pin 39. That is, the second-level second arm opening-side lock portion 32d and the opening-side stopper lock portion 37c, indicated by the numeral (2) in Figure 6, are in a disengaged state as shown in Figure 10, so the opening-side stopper 37 does not affect the operation of the second arm 32.

[0078] Then, in order to move the lid body 4 from the closed position to the open position, the motor 7 is driven to rotate the first arm 19 clockwise from the state shown in Figure 10. In the first stage, as shown in Figure 12, the circumferential end of the cam portion 19c contacts and presses against the closed-side stopper contact portion 34b, causing the closed-side stopper 34 to rotate counterclockwise around the closed-side stopper shaft pin 36. At this time, in the second stage, as shown in Figure 12, the engagement between the closed-side stopper lock portion 34c and the second arm closed-side lock portion 32c is released, so the second arm 32 rotates clockwise to follow the first arm 19 due to the elastic force of the elastic body 6. In other words, the engagement of the closed-side stopper 34 with the second arm 32 is automatically released when the first arm 19 rotates clockwise.

[0079] When the first arm 19 rotates further clockwise from the state shown in Figure 12, in the first layer, as shown in Figure 13, the circumferential contact between the cam portion 19c and the opening stopper contact portion 37b is released. As a result, the opening stopper 37, which was rotating clockwise, rotates counterclockwise due to the elastic force of the elastic body 38 for the opening stopper. At this time, in the second layer, the second arm opening lock portion 32d has moved to the state shown in Figure 13. Therefore, when the opening stopper 37 rotates counterclockwise, the opening stopper lock portion 37c engages with the second arm opening lock portion 32d.

[0080] Subsequently, even if the first arm 19 rotates further clockwise to the state shown in Figure 14, the engagement between the opening stopper lock portion 37c and the second arm opening lock portion 32d is maintained. As the first arm 19 rotates clockwise in this manner, the opening stopper 37 automatically engages with the second arm 32. In this state, the second arm 32 is held in place by the opening stopper 37 so that it cannot rotate counterclockwise, and the lid body 4, which is connected to the second arm 32 via the shaft portion 5, can be locked in the open position as shown in Figure 9.

[0081] On the other hand, to move the lid body 4 from the open position to the closed position, the motor 7 is driven from the state shown in Figures 9 and 14 to rotate the first arm 19 counterclockwise. When the first arm 19 is rotated counterclockwise, in the first stage, the circumferential end of the cam portion 19c contacts the open-side stopper contact portion 37b and presses against it, causing the open-side stopper 37 to rotate clockwise. At this time, in the second stage of the open-side stopper 37, the engagement between the second arm open-side lock portion 32d and the open-side stopper lock portion 37c is released, so the second arm 32 rotates counterclockwise to follow the first arm 19 due to the elastic force of the elastic body 6. In other words, the engagement of the open-side stopper 37 with the second arm 32 is automatically released when the first arm 19 rotates counterclockwise.

[0082] Furthermore, when the first arm 19 begins to rotate counterclockwise, in the first stage of the closing stopper 34, as shown in Figure 14, the closing stopper contact portion 34b is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the cam portion 19c, and the closing stopper 34 is rotating counterclockwise. As the first arm 19 rotates further counterclockwise, as shown in Figure 12, the circumferential end of the cam portion 19c moves further counterclockwise than the closing stopper contact portion 34b, and the closing stopper 34 begins to rotate clockwise due to the elastic force of the elastic body 35 for the closing stopper. At this time, in the second stage, the second arm closing lock portion 32c has moved to the state shown in Figure 12, so as the closing stopper 34 rotates clockwise, the closing stopper lock portion 34c automatically engages with the second arm closing lock portion 32c. In other words, since the second arm 32 is held in place by the closing stopper 34 so as not to rotate clockwise, the lid body 4, which is connected to the second arm 32 via the shaft portion 5, can be locked in the closed position as shown in Figure 8.

[0083] As described above, the lid opening and closing device 100 of this embodiment can lock the lid body 4 in the closed position with the closing stopper 34 and lock the lid body 4 in the open position with the opening stopper 37. Furthermore, when moving the lid body 4 to the open position, the lock on the lid body 4 by the closing stopper 34 is automatically released, and when moving the lid body 4 to the closed position, the lock on the lid body 4 by the opening stopper 37 is automatically released.

[0084] In this embodiment, if, for example, the power stored in the vehicle's battery becomes insufficient and the motor 7 fails to drive, the emergency plate 40 described above can release the lock on the lid body 4 in the closed position by the closing stopper 34, and further move the lid body 4 from the closed position to the open position. This point will be explained with reference to the drawings.

[0085] Figure 17 is a partially enlarged view of the area around the emergency plate 40 when the lid body 4 is moved to the closed position, as shown in Figures 8 and 10. In Figure 17, the slide support portion 30b inserted into the slide groove portion 40f is hatched. The third layer where the emergency plate 40, indicated by the numeral (3) in Figure 6, is located, contains the emergency first contact portion 34d of the closing stopper 34 and the emergency second contact portion 32e of the second arm 32. The emergency first contact portion 34d is inserted into the guide groove portion 40d as shown in Figure 17, and the emergency second contact portion 32e faces the emergency second release portion 40g.

[0086] Then, when the cable (not shown) attached to the cable attachment portion 40b of the emergency plate 40 is pulled (in Figure 17, the emergency plate 40 is pulled so that it moves from left to right on the page), as shown in Figure 18, the inclined portion 40e comes into contact with and presses against the emergency first contact portion 34d, causing the closing stopper 34 to rotate counterclockwise around the closing stopper shaft pin 36. At this time, in the second layer, as shown, the engagement of the closing stopper lock portion 34c with the second arm closing lock portion 32c is released.

[0087] If the cable (not shown) is pulled further, the second emergency release part 40g will come into contact with and press against the second emergency contact part 32e, as shown in Figure 19, causing the second arm 32 to rotate clockwise around the central axis O. As described above, the second arm 32 and the shaft part 5 are locked in place, and the shaft part 5 and the lid body 4 are locked in place. Therefore, the clockwise rotation of the second arm 32 allows the lid body 4 to be moved from the closed position to the open position.

[0088] If the cable (not shown) is further pulled from the state shown in Figure 19, the second arm 32 rotates further clockwise, causing the emergency second contact portion 32e to detach from the emergency second release portion 40g (detached downwards in Figure 19). Here, the second arm 32 is connected to the first arm 19 by an elastic body 6, and since it is rotating clockwise relative to the first arm 19, the elastic body 6 is stretched. That is, the second arm 32 attempts to rotate counterclockwise due to the elastic body 6. Here, a planar second arm attitude maintenance portion 40h is provided near the emergency second release portion 40g, positioned perpendicular to the emergency second release portion 40g. Therefore, the emergency second contact portion 32e, detached from the emergency second release portion 40g, is pressed against the second arm attitude maintenance portion 40h, thereby maintaining the second arm 32 in the position shown in Figure 20. When the cable is pulled, the return elastic body 41 elastically deforms as shown in Figure 20, and this applies an elastic force to the emergency plate 40 in the direction that returns it to its original position as shown in Figure 17. In this embodiment, in the state shown in Figure 20, the elastic force of the elastic body 6 is made larger than the elastic force of the return elastic body 41, so the second arm 32 is maintained in the posture shown in Figure 20. That is, the lid body 4 can be stopped when it has moved slightly from the closed position shown in Figure 2 towards the closed position, so that a finger or the like can be easily inserted into the gap between the lid body 4 and the front plate 1b of the base 1. After that, the lid body 4 can be lifted with a finger or the like inserted into the gap to open the opening 1c, and power can be supplied from the power supply port or the like located inside the opening 1c.

[0089] Once the motor 7 is powered and ready to operate, the motor 7 is driven to rotate the first arm 19 clockwise to move the lid body 4 to the open position. As a result, the second arm 32 rotates clockwise to follow the first arm 19 via the elastic body 6. That is, the emergency second contact part 32e separates from the second arm attitude maintenance part 40h, and the elastic force of the return elastic body 41 allows the emergency plate 40 to automatically return to the state shown in Figure 17.

[0090] Although one embodiment embodying the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the above-described embodiment may be modified as follows. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the lid body 4 is configured to be locked in the closed position and the open position by providing a closing stopper 34 and an opening stopper 37, but these may be provided as needed, and only one of the closing stopper 34 and the opening stopper 37 may be provided, or neither may be provided. The emergency plate 40 may also be provided as needed.

[0091] Furthermore, the configuration of each part can be modified in various ways as long as it performs the intended function. For example, in order to prevent the connecting gear 17 and the first arm 19 from rotating, in the embodiment described above, the inner circumferential surface of the connecting gear through hole 17d is made square, and the projection 19a of the first arm 19 inserted therein is also made square. However, as long as the shape prevents both from rotating, they can be changed as appropriate. For example, both may be other polygonal shapes (triangular or hexagonal), or they may be shapes that combine an arcuate surface and a flat surface, such as the shaft positioning part 5c and the second arm positioning hole 32a shown in Figure 6. Also, the elastic body 6 shown as a coil spring may be a torsion spring, and the elastic body 35 for the closing side stopper shown as a torsion spring may be a coil spring.

[0092] Furthermore, while the first arm 19 and the second arm 32 described above rotate around the central axis O of the shaft portion 5, the first arm 19 and the second arm 32 may rotate around a rotation axis other than the central axis O. In this case, for example, a gear portion may be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 5, and a gear portion that meshes with this gear portion may be provided on the second arm 32.

[0093] In this embodiment, a worm gear 13 and a helical gear 14 were used as the self-locking mechanism for the drive mechanism 3. However, a self-locking mechanism may also be configured using various braking mechanisms (for example, a solenoid having a shaft and a recess into which the shaft is inserted, wherein the solenoid is configured such that when current is supplied, the shaft retracts from the recess, and when the current supply is stopped, an elastic body causes the shaft to move forward).

[0094] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, the engagement points of the second arm 32's second arm opening lock portion 32d and the opening stopper lock portion 37c of the opening stopper 37 were at a right angle, For example, by setting the angle of the opening-side stopper lock portion 37c to greater than 90°, the lid body 4 may be configured such that when a predetermined load is applied to it, the engagement between the second arm opening-side lock portion 32d and the opening-side stopper lock portion 37c is released, thereby releasing the lock on the lid body 4.

[0095] In this embodiment, the lid opening and closing device 100 rotates vertically when attached to a vehicle or the like, but the lid opening and closing device of the present invention also includes a device in which the lid body 4 rotates horizontally.

[0096] (Note) This specification discloses the following technologies in one aspect. The reference numerals listed below correspond to those used in the accompanying drawings, but are provided as examples only and are not intended to limit the inventions of this application.

[0097] (Technology 1) A base (1) having an opening (1c), A lid (2) having a shaft portion (5) that rotates relative to the base (1), and which rotates about the central axis (O) of the shaft portion (5) between a closed position that closes the opening (1c) and an open position that opens the opening (1c), The device comprises a drive mechanism (3) having a drive source (7) and rotating the shaft portion (5) by the driving force from the drive source (7), The aforementioned drive mechanism (3) is A drive-side transmission mechanism (T1) having a drive input section (13) connected to the drive source (7), A driven side transmission mechanism (T2) connected to the shaft portion (5), A lid opening and closing device (100) comprising an elastic body (6) that is elastically deformable and provided between the drive-side transmission mechanism (T1) and the driven-side transmission mechanism (T2), and which transmits the driving force from the drive-side transmission mechanism (T1) to the driven-side transmission mechanism (T2).

[0098] This technology allows an elastic body between the drive-side transmission mechanism and the driven-side transmission mechanism to elastically deform even if a situation arises that prevents the lid from opening or closing. This prevents damage to the lid, etc., and therefore eliminates the need for conventional protective circuits, resulting in a simpler structure.

[0099] (Technology 2) The drive-side transmission mechanism (T1) has a first arm (19) that rotates about a predetermined rotation axis, The driven side transmission mechanism (T2) has a second arm (32) that rotates about the rotation axis, The elastic body (6) is connected to the first arm (19) and the second arm (32) and is a lid opening / closing device (100) as described in Technical 1.

[0100] This technology eliminates the need for a complex configuration involving an elastic body between the driving and driven transmission mechanisms, resulting in a simpler structure.

[0101] (Technology 3) In a state where the second arm (32) rotates to one side in the circumferential direction and the lid (2) rotates to the closed position, the first arm (19) is rotated more than the second arm (32) to one side in the circumferential direction, the lid opening and closing device (100) according to Technical Reference 2.

[0102] This technology increases the elastic force from the elastic body, causing the second arm to rotate further in one circumferential direction, thereby maintaining the lid in the closed position once it has rotated.

[0103] (Technology 4) In a state where the second arm (32) rotates to the other side in the circumferential direction and the lid (2) rotates to the open position, the first arm (19) is rotated further to the other side in the circumferential direction than the second arm (32), the lid opening and closing device (100) according to Technical Reference 2.

[0104] This technology increases the elastic force from the elastic body, causing the second arm to rotate further in the other circumferential direction, thereby maintaining the lid in the open position once it has rotated.

[0105] (Technology 5) The rotation axis is the same as the central axis (O), The drive-side transmission mechanism (T1) is capable of mounting the first arm (19) along the central axis (O) and has a connecting gear (17) that is connected to the first arm (19) via an arm rotation prevention mechanism (17d, 19a). The lid (2) comprises a lid body (4) to which the shaft portion (5) can be attached and which closes or opens the opening (1c), and a shaft portion anti-rotation mechanism (4d, 5b) which prevents the shaft portion (5) from rotating when the shaft portion (5) is attached to the lid body (4), The aforementioned drive mechanism (3) is The drive source (7) and the portion of the drive-side transmission mechanism (T1) from the drive input section (13) to the connecting gear (17) are unitized into a first unit (U1), The device comprises a second unit (U2) which is a unit comprising the first arm (19), the elastic body (6), the driven side transmission mechanism (T2), and the shaft portion (5), The first arm (19) extends along the central axis (O) and has a first arm through hole (19b) into which the shaft portion (5) is inserted. The lid opening and closing device (100) according to Technical 2, wherein the connecting gear (17) extends along the central axis (O) and has a connecting gear through hole (17d) into which the shaft portion (5) is inserted.

[0106] This technology allows the shaft section, along with the components that make up the drive mechanism, to be unitized, and also improves workability during assembly.

[0107] (Technology 6) The lid opening and closing device (100) according to Technical 1, wherein the drive mechanism (3) operates with a driving force from the drive source (7), while having a self-locking mechanism (13, 14) that restricts its operation from external forces input from the lid (2).

[0108] This technology makes it possible to restrict the movement of the lid, which would otherwise try to rotate to the closed position due to its own weight, even if the driving force from the drive source is stopped while the lid is rotated to the open position.

[0109] (Technology 7) The self-locking mechanism (13, 14) is comprised of a worm gear (13) provided on the drive source (7) side and having 2 or fewer teeth, and a helical gear (14) provided on the shaft portion (5) side and meshing with the worm gear (13), as described in Technical 6, for the lid opening and closing device (100).

[0110] This technology makes it possible to implement a self-locking mechanism with a simple configuration.

[0111] (Technology 8) When the second arm (32) rotates to one side in the circumferential direction and the lid (2) rotates to the closed position, a closing stopper (34) is provided that moves to engage with the second arm (32) to prevent the second arm (32) from rotating. The first arm (19) has a closed-side stopper release part (19c), The lid opening and closing device (100) according to Technical 2, wherein the closing stopper (34) has a closing stopper contact portion (34b) that, when the first arm (19) rotates to the other side in the circumferential direction, contacts the closing stopper release portion (19c) and moves the closing stopper (34) so ​​as to release its engagement with the second arm (32).

[0112] This technology allows the lid to be locked in place once it has moved to the closed position, preventing it from rotating towards the open position. Furthermore, the lock to the lid can be automatically released when it is rotated towards the open position.

[0113] (Technology 9) When the second arm (32) rotates to the other side in the circumferential direction and the lid (2) rotates to the open position, an opening stopper (37) is provided that moves to engage with the second arm (32) to prevent the second arm (32) from rotating. The first arm (19) has an opening stopper release part (19c), The lid opening and closing device (100) according to Technical 2, wherein the opening stopper (37) has an opening stopper contact portion (37b) that, when the first arm (19) rotates to one side in the circumferential direction, contacts the opening stopper release portion (19c) and moves the opening stopper (37) so as to release its engagement with the second arm (32).

[0114] This technology allows the lid to be locked in place when it is in the open position, preventing it from rotating towards the closed position. Furthermore, the lock to the lid can be automatically released when it is rotated towards the closed position.

[0115] (Technology 10) The system includes an emergency cable member (40) that moves relative to the closing stopper (34) when pulled, The emergency cable member (40) has an emergency first release section (40e), The closing stopper (34) has an emergency first contact portion (34d), The lid opening and closing device (100) according to Technical Reference 8, wherein when the emergency cable member (40) is pulled, the emergency first release part (40e) comes into contact with the emergency first contact part (34d), causing the closing stopper (34) to move so as to disengage from the second arm (32).

[0116] This technology allows the lid to be released from its lock by the closing stopper by pulling the emergency cable component, even if the power source cannot be driven.

[0117] (Technology 11) The emergency cable member (40) has an emergency second release section (40g), The second arm (32) has an emergency second contact portion (32e), The lid opening and closing device (100) according to Technical 10, wherein when the emergency cable member (40) is pulled, the emergency second release part (40g) contacts the emergency second contact part (32e) of the second arm (32), which has been released from engagement with the closing side stopper (34), causing the second arm (32) to rotate to the other side in the circumferential direction while elastically deforming the elastic body (6), and the lid (2) rotates toward the open position.

[0118] This technology allows the lid to be moved from the closed position towards the open position by pulling the emergency cable component, making it easy to insert fingers or other objects into the gap between the lid and the base.

[0119] (Technology 12) The emergency cable member (40) has a second arm posture maintenance part (40h), The lid opening and closing device (100) according to Technical Reference 11, wherein when the emergency cable member (40) is pulled and the second arm (32) rotates to the other side in the circumferential direction, the emergency second contact portion (32e) is pressed against the second arm attitude maintenance portion (40h) by the restoration of the elastic body (6), thereby maintaining the attitude of the second arm (32) that has rotated to the other side in the circumferential direction.

[0120] This technology allows the lid, which has been moved towards the open position by pulling the emergency cable component, to be stopped in that position, making it easier to insert fingers or other objects into the gap between the lid and the base.

[0121] (Technology 13) A lid opening and closing device (100) according to Technical Reference 12, comprising a return elastic body (41) that moves the emergency second contacted portion (32e), which has been in contact with the second arm attitude maintenance portion (40h), to the position before traction when the emergency cable member (40) moves away from the second arm attitude maintenance portion (40h).

[0122] This technology allows the towed emergency cable component to automatically return to its original position when the power source is activated again.

[0123] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and unless otherwise specifically limited in the above description, various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention as described in the claims. For example, the configuration of the above-described embodiment can be added or deleted as appropriate, and the configuration of one embodiment can be provided in other embodiments. Furthermore, the effects in the above-described embodiment are merely illustrative of the effects that may result from the present invention. In other words, the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects, and additional effects may also be produced in addition to the above-described effects. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0124] 1: Bass 1c: opening 2: Lid 3: Drive mechanism 4: Lid body 4d: Positioning recess (shaft rotation prevention mechanism) 5: Shaft 5b: Positioning protrusion (shaft rotation prevention mechanism) 6: Elastic body 7: Motor (power source) 13: Worm gear (drive input section, self-locking mechanism) 14: Hex gear (self-locking mechanism) 17: Linking gears 17d: Through hole for connecting gear (arm rotation prevention mechanism) 19: First Arm 19a: Protrusion (arm rotation prevention mechanism) 19b: First arm through hole 19c: Cam section (closed stopper release section, open stopper release section) 32: Second Arm 32e: Emergency second contact area 34: Closing stopper 34b: Contact area of ​​the closing stopper 34d: Emergency first contact area 37: Opening stopper 37b: Contact area of ​​the opening stopper 40: Emergency plate (emergency cable component) 40e: Inclined section (Emergency release section #1) 40g: Emergency release section 2 40h: Second arm posture maintenance unit 41: Elastic body for return 100: Lid opening and closing device O: Central axis T1: Drive side transmission mechanism T2: Driven side transmission mechanism U1: Unit 1 U2: Unit 2

Claims

1. A base having an opening, A lid having a shaft portion that rotates relative to the base, and which rotates about the central axis of the shaft portion between a closed position that closes the opening and an open position that opens the opening, It comprises a drive mechanism having a drive source and rotating the shaft portion by the driving force from the drive source, The aforementioned drive mechanism is A drive-side transmission mechanism having a drive input section connected to the aforementioned drive source, A driven-side transmission mechanism connected to the aforementioned shaft portion, A lid opening and closing device comprising an elastic body that is elastically deformable and provided between the drive-side transmission mechanism and the driven-side transmission mechanism, and which transmits the driving force from the drive-side transmission mechanism to the driven-side transmission mechanism.

2. The drive-side transmission mechanism has a first arm that rotates about a predetermined rotation axis, The driven side transmission mechanism has a second arm that rotates about the rotation axis, The lid opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic body is connected to the first arm and the second arm.

3. The lid opening and closing device according to claim 2, wherein, when the second arm rotates to one side in the circumferential direction and the lid rotates to the closed position, the first arm is rotated further to one side in the circumferential direction than the second arm.

4. The lid opening and closing device according to claim 2, wherein when the second arm rotates to the other side in the circumferential direction and the lid rotates to the open position, the first arm is rotated further to the other side in the circumferential direction than the second arm.

5. The rotation axis is the same as the central axis, The drive-side transmission mechanism is capable of mounting the first arm along the central axis and has a connecting gear that connects to the first arm via an arm rotation prevention mechanism. The lid comprises a lid body to which the shaft portion can be attached and which closes or opens the opening, and a shaft portion anti-rotation mechanism which prevents the shaft portion from rotating when the shaft portion is attached to the lid body, The aforementioned drive mechanism is A first unit comprising the drive source and the portion of the drive-side transmission mechanism from the drive input to the connecting gear, The device comprises a second unit which integrates the first arm, the elastic body, the driven side transmission mechanism, and the shaft portion, The first arm extends along the central axis and has a first arm through hole into which the shaft portion is inserted. The lid opening and closing device according to claim 2, wherein the connecting gear extends along the central axis and has a connecting gear through hole into which the shaft portion is inserted.

6. The lid opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism operates with a driving force from the drive source, while having a self-locking mechanism that restricts operation in the event of an external force input from the lid.

7. The lid opening and closing device according to claim 6, wherein the self-locking mechanism comprises a worm gear provided on the drive source side and having two or fewer teeth, and a helical gear provided on the shaft side that meshes with the worm gear.

8. When the second arm rotates to one side in the circumferential direction and the lid rotates to the closed position, a closing stopper is provided that moves to engage with the second arm and prevent the second arm from rotating. The first arm has a closing stopper release part, The lid opening and closing device according to claim 2, wherein the closing stopper has a closing stopper contact portion that, when the first arm rotates to the other side in the circumferential direction, contacts the closing stopper release portion, causing the closing stopper to move so as to be released from engagement with the second arm.

9. When the second arm rotates to the other side in the circumferential direction and the lid rotates to the open position, an opening stopper is provided that moves to engage with the second arm to prevent the second arm from rotating. The first arm has an opening stopper release part, The lid opening and closing device according to claim 2, wherein the opening stopper has an opening stopper contact portion that, when the first arm rotates to one side in the circumferential direction, contacts the opening stopper release portion and moves the opening stopper so as to release its engagement with the second arm.

10. It includes an emergency cable member that moves relative to the closing stopper when pulled, The emergency cable member has an emergency first release section, The closing stopper has an emergency first contact portion, The lid opening and closing device according to claim 8, wherein when the emergency cable member is pulled, the emergency first release part contacts the emergency first contacted part, causing the closing stopper to move so as to disengage from the second arm.

11. The emergency cable member has an emergency second release section, The second arm has an emergency second contact portion, The lid opening and closing device according to claim 10, wherein when the emergency cable member is pulled, the emergency second release portion contacts the emergency second contact portion of the second arm, which is disengaged from the closing side stopper, causing the second arm to rotate to the other side in the circumferential direction while elastically deforming the elastic body, and the lid rotates toward the open position.

12. The emergency cable member has a second arm posture maintenance section, The lid opening and closing device according to claim 11, wherein when the emergency cable member is pulled and the second arm rotates to the other side in the circumferential direction, the emergency second contact portion is pressed against the second arm posture maintenance portion by the restoration of the elastic body, thereby maintaining the posture of the second arm that has rotated to the other side in the circumferential direction.

13. The lid opening and closing device according to claim 12, further comprising a return elastic body that moves the emergency cable member to its position before traction when the emergency second contacted portion, which has been in contact with the second arm attitude maintenance portion, separates from the second arm attitude maintenance portion.

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