Lid assembly structure

The lid assembly structure simplifies the assembly of biasing members by guiding them from a temporary to a final engagement state, reducing the complexity and errors in the assembly process.

JP7726168B2Active Publication Date: 2025-08-20TOYODA GOSEI CO LTD
View PDF 8 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
JP2022155615
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-09-28
Publication Date
2025-08-20
Estimated Expiration
2042-09-28

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The assembly of biasing members in vehicle lid devices requires a large force, making the process complicated and prone to manual assembly errors.

Method used

A lid assembly structure with a shaft and cover member that guides the biasing member from a temporary engagement state to a final engagement state, allowing for the accumulation of biasing force during assembly, simplifying the process.

Benefits of technology

Enables easy assembly of the biasing member with a mating member by accumulating biasing force during assembly, reducing complexity and potential errors.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure 0007726168000001
    Figure 0007726168000001
  • Figure 0007726168000002
    Figure 0007726168000002
  • Figure 0007726168000003
    Figure 0007726168000003
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To provide a lid assembly structure which allows a biasing member to be assembled to a mating member through simple work.SOLUTION: A lid assembly structure 1 includes a base member 2, a lid 3, and an opening / closing mechanism 5. Therein, the opening / closing mechanism 5 includes a biasing member 8, and during assembling of the base member 2 and the opening / closing mechanism 5, the biasing member 8 is guided by a guide portion 90 which is a part of the opening / closing mechanism 5, so that a state of the biasing member is changed from a temporary assembled state where a second engagement end 82 of the biasing member 8 and a temporary engagement portion 93 engage with each other to a main assembled state where the second engagement end 82 and a main engagement portion 91 of a mating member engage with each other, thereby accumulating at least a part of a biasing force in the biasing member 8.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lid assembly structure that is mounted on a vehicle and that opens and closes an energy supply port. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Known vehicle lid devices mounted on a vehicle include a lid that covers or opens from the outside an energy supply port provided on a vehicle body, such as a fuel filler port or a charging port for supplying energy to the vehicle.

[0003] One such vehicle lid device includes a base member attached to the vehicle body, a lid that changes position between a closed position that covers the energy supply port and an open position that opens the energy supply port, and a biasing member that is directly or indirectly attached to the base member and the lid and biases the lid to the open position (see, for example, Patent Document 1). When the lid is in the closed position, a biasing force is accumulated in the biasing member, and the biasing member biases the lid toward the open position by the biasing force. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-128111 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Here, since the biasing member in the vehicle lid device described above accumulates and releases a relatively large biasing force, a relatively large force is required to assemble the biasing member. Therefore, the work of assembling the urging member to a mating member such as a base member is complicated, and there is a concern that the equipment required for the assembly work will become complicated and that manual assembly by workers will result in incorrect assembly.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a lid assembly structure that allows a biasing member to be assembled to a mating member with a simple operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The lid assembly structure of a first aspect that solves the above problem comprises: a base member attached to a vehicle body; a lid that changes position between a closed position that covers the energy supply port provided on the vehicle body and an open position that opens the energy supply port; an opening / closing mechanism that is assembled to the base member and the lid to open and close the lid, the opening / closing mechanism includes a cover member assembled to the base member, a shaft assembled to the lid and rotatably supported with respect to the cover member, and a biasing member attached to the shaft and biasing the lid to the open position; the shaft has a first engagement portion with which the first engagement end of the biasing member engages; the cover member has a temporary engagement portion with which the second engagement end of the biasing member is detachably engaged, the base member has a main engagement portion with which the second engagement end engages, and a guide portion that guides the second engagement end from the temporary engagement portion toward the main engagement portion, This is a lid assembly structure in which, when the base member and the opening / closing mechanism are assembled, the biasing member, whose first engagement end is engaged with the first engagement portion, is guided by the guide portion and changes state from a temporary assembly state in which the second engagement end is engaged with the temporary engagement portion to a final assembly state in which the second engagement end is engaged with the final engagement portion, thereby accumulating at least a portion of the biasing force.

[0008] Further, a second aspect of the lid assembling mechanism for solving the above problem comprises: a base member attached to a vehicle body; a lid that changes position between a closed position that covers the energy supply port provided on the vehicle body and an open position that opens the energy supply port; an opening / closing mechanism that is assembled to the base member and the lid to open and close the lid, the opening / closing mechanism includes a cover member assembled to the base member, a shaft assembled to the lid and rotatably supported with respect to the cover member, and a biasing member attached to the shaft and biasing the lid to the open position; the base member has a first engagement portion with which a first engagement end of the biasing member engages, and a temporary engagement portion with which a second engagement end of the biasing member releasably engages, the shaft has a main engagement portion with which the second engagement end engages, and a guide portion that guides the second engagement end from the temporary engagement portion toward the main engagement portion, This is a lid assembly structure in which, when the base member and the opening / closing mechanism are assembled, the biasing member, whose first engagement end is engaged with the first engagement portion, is guided by the guide portion and changes state from a temporary assembly state in which the second engagement end is engaged with the temporary engagement portion to a final assembly state in which the second engagement end is engaged with the final engagement portion, thereby accumulating at least a portion of the biasing force. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the lid assembly structure of the present invention, the biasing member can be assembled to the mating member with a simple operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a schematic exploded view of the lid assembly structure of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] 3 is an explanatory view for schematically explaining an assembly in which a shaft, a connecting member, a biasing member, and a cover member are integrated in the lid assembly structure of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating the lid assembly structure of the first embodiment during assembly. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating the lid assembly structure of the first embodiment during assembly. FIG. [Figure 5] 3 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating the lid assembly structure of the first embodiment during assembly. FIG. [Figure 6] 3 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating the lid assembly structure of the first embodiment during assembly. FIG. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are explanatory views schematically showing the operations of the biasing member, the temporary engagement portion, the guide portion, and the full engagement portion of the lid assembly structure of the first embodiment during assembly. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are explanatory views schematically showing the operations of the biasing member, the temporary engagement portion, the guide portion, and the full engagement portion of the lid assembly structure of the first embodiment during assembly. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are explanatory views schematically showing the operations of the biasing member, the temporary engagement portion, the guide portion, and the full engagement portion of the lid assembly structure of the first embodiment during assembly. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a schematic exploded view of the lid assembly structure of the second embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is an explanatory view for schematically explaining an assembly in which a base member, a biasing member, a lid, and a locking member are integrated in a lid assembly structure according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is an explanatory view for schematically explaining a second assembly in which a shaft, a connecting member, and a cover member are integrated in the lid assembly structure of the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating the lid assembly structure of the second embodiment during assembly. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating the lid assembly structure of the second embodiment during assembly. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating the lid assembly structure of the second embodiment during assembly. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating the lid assembly structure of the second embodiment during assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The lid assembly structure of the first aspect and the lid assembly structure of the second aspect of the present invention are a base member attached to a vehicle body; a lid that changes position between a closed position that covers the energy supply port provided on the vehicle body and an open position that opens the energy supply port; an opening / closing mechanism that is assembled to the base member and the lid to open and close the lid, The opening / closing mechanism includes a cover member attached to the base member, a shaft attached to the lid and rotatably supported relative to the cover member, and a biasing member attached to the shaft.

[0012] That is, in the lid assembly structure of the first aspect and the lid assembly structure of the second aspect of the present invention, the cover member and the shaft are interposed between the lid and the base member. The cover member is assembled to the base member, and the shaft is assembled to the lid and further supported by the cover member.

[0013] The shaft rotates relative to the cover member, thereby allowing the lid to change position relative to the base member and the vehicle body to which the base member is attached, specifically between the open and closed positions.

[0014] A biasing member is attached to the shaft. The biasing member biases the lid toward the open position. As described above, the biasing force of the biasing member is accumulated when the lid changes position from the open position to the closed position.

[0015] In order to reliably change the lid position to the open position, in a typical lid assembly structure, the biasing force of the biasing member is partially stored even when the lid is in the open position. In other words, the biasing member is in a state of being stored with the biasing force even when the biasing member is assembled to the mating member. For this reason, as previously mentioned, the task of assembling the urging member to the mating member has conventionally been extremely complicated, and there has been a risk that the equipment required for the assembly task will be complicated or that manual assembly errors will occur due to the worker's manual work.

[0016] In contrast, in the lid assembly structure of the first aspect and the lid assembly structure of the second aspect of the present invention, the biasing member accumulates a biasing force when the components constituting the lid assembly structure are assembled together.

[0017] Specifically, in the lid assembly structure of the first aspect of the present invention, the shaft has a first engagement portion with which the first engagement end of the biasing member engages; the cover member has a temporary engagement portion with which the second engagement end of the biasing member is releasably engaged; The base member has a full engagement portion with which the second engagement end engages, and a guide portion that guides the second engagement end from the temporary engagement portion toward the full engagement portion.

[0018] In addition, in the lid assembly structure of the second aspect of the present invention, the base member has a first engagement portion with which the first engagement end of the biasing member engages, and a temporary engagement portion with which the second engagement end of the biasing member releasably engages; The shaft has a full engagement portion with which the second engagement end engages, and a guide portion that guides the second engagement end from the temporary engagement portion toward the full engagement portion.

[0019] In either the lid assembly structure of the first aspect of the present invention or the lid assembly structure of the second aspect of the present invention, When assembling the base member and the opening / closing mechanism, the biasing member, whose first engagement end is engaged with the first engagement portion, is guided by the guide portion and changes state from a temporary assembly state in which the second engagement end is engaged with the temporary engagement portion to a real assembly state in which the second engagement end is engaged with the real engagement portion, thereby accumulating at least a portion of the biasing force.

[0020] Thus, according to the lid assembly structure of the first aspect and the lid assembly structure of the second aspect of the present invention, when assembling the base member that constitutes part of the lid assembly structure with the opening / closing mechanism, it is possible to accumulate a biasing force in the biasing member while assembling the biasing member with the mating member.

[0021] Similarly, when assembling the base member and the opening / closing mechanism, the second engagement end of the biasing member engaged with the temporary engagement portion provided on the cover member is guided to the main engagement portion of the base member, which is the mating member, by the guide portion provided on the base member (first embodiment). Alternatively, when assembling the base member and the opening / closing mechanism, the second engagement end of the biasing member engaged with the temporary engagement portion provided on the base member is guided to the main engagement portion of the shaft, which is the mating member, by a guide portion provided on the shaft (second embodiment).

[0022] As a result, according to the lid assembly structure of the first aspect and the lid assembly structure of the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to assemble the biasing member in a state in which at least a portion of the biasing force has been accumulated to the mating member with simple work.

[0023] Hereinafter, the lid assembly structure according to the first embodiment and the lid assembly structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with respect to each of their constituent elements.

[0024] Unless otherwise specified, the numerical ranges "x to y" described in this specification include the lower limit x and the upper limit y. These upper and lower limit values, as well as the numerical values listed in the examples, can be arbitrarily combined to form new numerical ranges. Furthermore, any numerical value selected from any of the above numerical ranges can be used as the upper and lower limit values of a new numerical range.

[0025] Furthermore, components and their operations that are common to the lid assembly structure of the first aspect and the lid assembly structure of the second aspect may be collectively referred to simply as the components of the lid assembly structure of the present invention. Furthermore, the lid assembly structure of the first aspect of the present invention may be simply referred to as the lid assembly structure of the first aspect, and the lid assembly structure of the second aspect of the present invention may be simply referred to as the lid assembly structure of the second aspect.

[0026] The lid assembly structure of the present invention comprises a base member, a lid, and an opening / closing mechanism.

[0027] Of these, the base member is the part of the lid assembly structure of the present invention that is attached to the vehicle body. Since the lid included in the lid assembly structure covers or opens the energy supply port, it is preferable that the base member is also disposed near the energy supply port. Furthermore, in order to prevent foreign matter from entering the vicinity of the energy supply port, it is particularly preferable that the base member has a shape that surrounds the energy supply port, specifically a frame shape, a cylindrical shape, a box shape, etc. In this case, it is even more preferable that the base member, together with the lid in the closed position, separates the energy supply port from the outside world.

[0028] The lid changes position between a closed position that covers the energy supply port described above and an open position that opens the energy supply port, thereby isolating the energy supply port from the outside world or exposing the energy supply port to the outside world.

[0029] The shape of the lid is not particularly limited as long as it can cover the energy supply port in the closed position and can open the energy supply port in the open position. However, when the base member has a shape that surrounds the energy supply port, it is particularly preferable that the shape be such that it can cover the open end of the base member that faces the outside world, i.e., that is located on the opposite side from the energy supply port. The shape of the lid and the mechanism for changing the position of the lid will be described in detail later.

[0030] The opening / closing mechanism is attached to the base member and the lid to open and close the lid, and includes a cover member, a shaft, and a biasing member.

[0031] The cover member is attached to the base member, and the shaft is attached to the lid and supported rotatably relative to the cover member. Therefore, the lid attached to the shaft rotates uniaxially or multiaxially around the rotation axis of the shaft, which causes the position of the lid to change relative to the cover member, the base member to which the cover member is attached, the vehicle body to which the base member is attached, and ultimately the energy supply port provided on the vehicle body.

[0032] Here, the lid may be, for example, simply in the shape of a plate. Alternatively, the lid may have a plate-shaped lid body and legs extending from the lid body. When the lid has legs, it is preferable that the shaft is attached to the legs.

[0033] The legs of the lid may be immovable relative to the lid body, or may be movable relative to the lid body. Specifically, the legs may be pivotally supported relative to the lid body.

[0034] When the shaft is directly attached to a lid that does not have legs, or when the shaft is attached to legs that are immovable relative to the lid body, the lid can be said to rotate uniaxially around the rotation axis of the shaft. When the shaft is attached to legs that are journaled to the lid body, the lid can be said to rotate multiaxially around the rotation axis of the shaft. The shape of the lid and the assembly structure of the lid and the shaft are not limited to this, and various shapes and assembly structures can be used.

[0035] The shaft may have any shape as long as it is attached to the lid, can rotate relative to the cover member, and can have a biasing member attached thereto. Examples of the shape of the shaft include a cylindrical or columnar shape extending in the direction of the rotation axis.

[0036] The shaft may be directly attached to the cover member or indirectly attached to the cover member via another member as long as it rotates relative to the cover member. The shaft may be detachable from the cover member or may not be detachable from the cover member.

[0037] A specific example of a method for directly assembling the shaft to the cover member is to provide a through-hole in the cover member for inserting the shaft therein, and then insert the shaft directly into the through-hole. The through-hole is referred to as the hole portion. In this case, the shaft inserted into the hole rotates within the hole.

[0038] A specific example of a method for indirectly assembling the shaft to the cover member is to interpose a reducer such as a damper between the shaft and the cover member. In this case, for example, a reducer may be attached to a cylindrical shaft, the two may be connected, and the connected shaft and reducer may be inserted into the hole in the cover member.

[0039] Of course, the method of assembling the shaft and the cover member in the lid assembly structure of the present invention is not limited to the above method, and various other methods may be employed.

[0040] The biasing member attached to the shaft may be any member capable of biasing the lid to the open position. Specific examples of the biasing member include a torsion coil spring and a leaf spring, but the biasing member is not limited to these. The method of attaching the biasing member to the shaft is also not particularly limited. Considering the ease of mounting the biasing member on the shaft, it is preferable to use a torsion coil spring as the biasing member and to externally mount the coil portion of the torsion coil spring on the shaft.

[0041] The biasing member directly or indirectly engages with the lid and the base member, and biases the lid to the open position by the biasing force stored in the biasing member. In other words, one end of the biasing member engages with the lid or a shaft assembled to the lid, and the other end of the biasing member engages with the base member or a cover member assembled to the base member.

[0042] In the lid assembly structure of the first aspect of the present invention, the first engagement end corresponding to one end of the biasing member engages with the shaft, and therefore the shaft in the lid assembly structure of the first aspect has a first engagement portion with which the first engagement end engages.

[0043] In the lid assembly structure of the first aspect of the present invention, the second engaging end corresponding to the other end of the biasing member engages with the base member, and therefore the base member in the lid assembly structure of the first aspect has a main engaging portion with which the second engaging end engages.

[0044] When the lid changes position from the open position to the closed position, the shaft rotates, changing the relative position between the first engagement end and the second engagement end of the biasing member, thereby accumulating a biasing force in the biasing member. Furthermore, when the biasing member releases the accumulated biasing force, the relative position between the first engagement end and the second engagement end of the biasing member changes, the shaft rotates, and the lid changes position from the closed position toward the open position.

[0045] Here, in the lid assembly structure of the first aspect of the present invention, the cover member has a temporary engagement portion with which the second engagement end of the biasing member is releasably engaged.

[0046] In the lid assembly structure of the first aspect of the present invention, the biasing member is assembled to the shaft and the cover member in a provisionally assembled state. In the lid assembly structure of the first aspect, the assembled shaft, cover member, and biasing member may be referred to as an assembled body. The assembled body may include other members.

[0047] In the lid assembly structure of the first aspect, in the provisionally assembled state, the first engagement end of the biasing member engages with the first engagement portion of the shaft, and the second engagement end engages with the provisional engagement portion of the cover member.

[0048] By assembling the assembly of the first aspect to the base member, an integrated product of the shaft, the cover member and the biasing member is obtained.

[0049] When the assembly of the first aspect is assembled to the base member, the cover member and the base member approach each other. This brings the second engagement end of the biasing member, which engages with the temporary engagement portion of the cover member, closer to the base member. Then, a guide portion provided on the base member guides the second engagement end of the biasing member from the temporary engagement portion of the cover member toward the full engagement portion of the base member. This causes the second engagement end of the biasing member to disengage from the temporary engagement portion of the cover member and engage with the full engagement portion of the base member.

[0050] As a result, according to the lid assembly structure of the first aspect, when the assembly of the first aspect is assembled to the base member, the biasing member, which was in a provisionally assembled state, automatically changes state to the actual assembled state while accumulating at least a portion of the biasing force.

[0051] In the lid assembly structure of the second aspect of the present invention, the first engaging end of the biasing member engages with the base member, and the base member in the lid assembly structure of the second aspect has a first engaging portion with which the first engaging end engages.

[0052] In the lid assembly structure of the second aspect of the present invention, the second engagement end corresponding to the other end of the biasing member engages with the shaft, and therefore the shaft in the lid assembly structure of the second aspect has a main engagement portion with which the second engagement end engages.

[0053] In the lid assembly structure of the second aspect, when the lid changes position from the open position to the closed position, the shaft rotates, changing the relative position between the first engagement end and the second engagement end of the biasing member, thereby accumulating a biasing force in the biasing member. When the biasing member releases the accumulated biasing force, the relative position between the first engagement end and the second engagement end of the biasing member changes, the shaft rotates, and the lid changes position from the closed position toward the open position.

[0054] Here, in the lid assembly structure according to the second aspect of the present invention, the base member has a temporary engagement portion with which the second engagement end of the biasing member is releasably engaged. In the lid assembly structure of the second aspect of the present invention, the biasing member is assembled to the base member in a provisionally assembled state. In the lid assembly structure of the second aspect, the assembled unit of the base member and the biasing member may be referred to as an assembled body. The assembled body may include other members.

[0055] In the lid assembly structure of the second aspect, in the provisionally assembled state, the first engagement end of the biasing member engages with the first engagement portion of the base member, and the second engagement end engages with the provisional engagement portion of the base member.

[0056] In the lid assembly structure of the second aspect, by assembling the shaft and the cover member to the assembly of the base member and the biasing member described above, an integrated product of the shaft, the cover member and the biasing member is obtained.

[0057] When assembling the shaft to the assembly of the second aspect, the base member and the shaft approach each other. This brings the second engagement end of the biasing member, which engages with the temporary engagement portion of the base member, closer to the shaft. Then, a guide portion provided on the shaft guides the second engagement end of the biasing member from the temporary engagement portion of the base member toward the final engagement portion of the shaft. This causes the second engagement end of the biasing member to disengage from the temporary engagement portion of the base member and engage with the final engagement portion of the shaft.

[0058] As a result, according to the lid assembly structure of the second aspect, when at least the shaft is assembled to the assembly of the second aspect, the biasing member, which was in a provisionally assembled state, automatically changes state to the actual assembled state while accumulating at least a portion of the biasing force.

[0059] The lid assembly structure of the first aspect can be obtained by further assembling a lid to the integrated assembly of the shaft, cover member, and biasing member in the lid assembly structure of the first aspect described above. Similarly, the lid assembly structure of the second aspect can be obtained by further assembling a lid to the shaft in the integrated assembly of the shaft, cover member, and biasing member in the lid assembly structure of the first aspect.

[0060] As described above, the lid assembly structure of the first aspect and the lid assembly structure of the second aspect of the present invention allow the biasing member to be easily changed to the fully assembled state in which at least a portion of the biasing force is accumulated. Therefore, the lid assembly structure of the present invention allows the biasing member to be easily assembled to the mating members, i.e., the shaft and the base member.

[0061] In the lid assembly structure of the present invention, the guide portion is provided on the base member in the lid assembly structure of the first aspect, and the guide portion may have a shape that can guide the second engagement end of the biasing member from the temporary engagement portion to the full engagement portion when the assembled body of the first aspect is assembled to the base member, in other words, as the assembled body of the first aspect approaches the base member.

[0062] In the lid assembly structure of the second aspect of the present invention, the guide portion is provided on the shaft, and the guide portion may have a shape that can guide the second engagement end of the biasing member from the temporary engagement portion to the final engagement portion when the assembly of the second aspect is assembled to the shaft, in other words, as the assembly of the second aspect approaches the shaft.

[0063] The lid assembly structure of the present invention will be described below by giving a specific example.

[0064] Example 1 The lid assembly structure of the first embodiment relates to the lid assembly structure of the first aspect. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates an exploded view of the lid assembly structure of Example 1. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram that schematically illustrates an assembly in which the shaft, connecting member, biasing member, and cover member in the lid assembly structure of Example 1 are integrated. Figs. 3 to 6 are explanatory diagrams that schematically show the lid assembly structure of Example 1 during assembly. Figs. 7 to 9 are explanatory diagrams that schematically show the operations of the biasing member, temporary engagement portion, guide portion, and main engagement portion of the lid assembly structure of Example 1 during assembly. Hereinafter, the terms "front," "back," "upper," "lower," "front," and "rear" refer to the front, back, top, bottom, front, and rear shown in the drawings. "Front" refers to the front side relative to the vehicle body, and "rear" refers to the rear side relative to the vehicle body, in other words, the inside of the vehicle.

[0065] The lid assembly structure of the first embodiment is a device for covering or opening, with a lid, an energy supply port provided on the body of an electric vehicle, which is one type of vehicle. Although not shown, the battery of this electric vehicle is located at the rear of the vehicle body, as in a typical electric vehicle. A body opening is provided in a portion of the body panel of the vehicle body that is outside the battery, penetrating the body panel in the thickness direction. An energy supply port (a so-called charging port) to the battery is located inside the body opening and exposed to the outside of the vehicle body. The battery and the energy supply port are connected by a charging lead wire. For reference, examples of the vehicle body panel in which the above-mentioned vehicle body opening is provided include an outer panel, a hood, a door panel, and the like.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 1, the lid assembly structure 1 of the first embodiment includes a base member 2, a lid 3, a locking member 4, and an opening / closing mechanism 5.

[0067] The base member 2 is a member to be attached to the body of a vehicle (not shown), and is box-shaped with a bottom wall 20 facing the back side, i.e., toward the body, and an opening 21 facing the front side, i.e., toward the outside of the body. A peripheral wall 22 of the base member 2 extends in the front-to-back direction.

[0068] A window portion 23 is formed in the bottom wall 20 of the base member 2, penetrating the bottom wall 20 in the front-to-back direction. An energy supply port (not shown) is disposed inside the window portion 23. Furthermore, a second window portion 24 penetrating the bottom wall 20 in the front-to-back direction is formed in the bottom wall 20 of the base member 2 at a position lower than the window portion 23. A lock portion 40 of the lock member 4, which will be described later, is disposed in the second window portion 24.

[0069] A cover assembly portion 25 for assembly of a cover member 50 of the opening / closing mechanism 5, which will be described later, is provided on a front portion of the peripheral wall 22 of the base member 2. The cover assembly portion 25 includes a guide portion 90 and a main engagement portion 91. The cover assembly portion 25 will be described in detail later. Furthermore, a hole 26 penetrating the peripheral wall 22 in the thickness direction is provided in the peripheral wall 22 of the base member 2 near the cover assembly portion 25. A shaft input portion 72 of the shaft 7, which will be described later, is inserted into the hole 26.

[0070] The lid 3 has a lid main body 30 and leg portions 31. The lid main body 30 is formed by assembling and integrating a substantially plate-shaped lid upper 30u and a lid lower 30l. The lid upper 30u is disposed closer to the front side than the lid lower 30l and is exposed to the front side in the lid assembly structure 1 of the first embodiment.

[0071] The lid lower section 30l has four leg support portions 30s that support the legs 31. Each leg support portion 30s is a through-hole with a circular cross section that extends in the front-to-rear direction, and is provided on the back surface of the lid lower section 30l. Two of the leg support portions 30s are located at the upper end of the lid main body section 30 and are spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction. The other two of the leg support portions 30s are located slightly below the upper end of the lid main body section 30 and are spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction.

[0072] The lid 3 in the lid assembly structure 1 of Example 1 has four long, rod-shaped legs 31. A lid pivotal support portion 31l is provided at one longitudinal end of each leg 31, which is located on the front side, i.e., the lid main body 30 side. Each lid pivotal support portion 31l has a circular cross section and is shaped like a through-hole extending in the front-to-rear direction.

[0073] Two of the four legs 31 are attached to leg pivot supports 30s located at the upper end of the lid main body 30 via the upper lid pivot support 31l, and the other two are attached to leg pivot supports 30s located slightly below the upper end of the lid main body 30. More specifically, a pivot pin 32 is inserted into each corresponding lid pivot support 31l and leg pivot support 30s. As a result, each leg 31 is pivotally supported on the lid main body 30 by the pivot pin 32, lid pivot support 31l, and leg pivot support 30s, and each leg 31 can rotate relative to the lid main body 30.

[0074] Of the four leg portions 31, a link rod 33 is hung across the lid pivot portions 31l of the two lower leg portions 31. This allows the two leg portions 31 to be integrated and rotate together.

[0075] A base pivot support portion 31b is provided at the other longitudinal end of each leg portion 31, which is located on the back side, i.e., the side of the base member 2. Each base pivot support portion 31b is in the form of a through hole extending in the front-rear direction.

[0076] Here, the lower and front leg 31 of the four legs 31, i.e., the leg 31 located on the cover assembly part 25 side during assembly, is referred to as the input leg 31i, and the other legs 31 are referred to as general legs 31g. The base pivot support part 31b of the input leg 31i has a substantially hexagonal cross section, and the base pivot support parts 31b of the other legs 31 have a circular cross section.

[0077] The tip of a shaft 7, which will be described later, is inserted into the base support portion 31b of the input leg 31i. Therefore, the input leg 31i is integrated with the opening / closing mechanism 5. As will be described later, when the shaft 7 of the opening / closing mechanism 5 rotates, the input leg 31i pivots.

[0078] Meanwhile, a pivot pin 32 is inserted into the base pivot support portion 31b of the general leg portion 31g. The general leg portions 31g are each attached to a second leg pivot support portion (not shown) that is provided in the base member 2 and has a circular cross-section like a through-hole, via the pivot pin 32. Therefore, the general leg portions 31g are pivotally supported on the base member 2 by the pivot pin 32, the base pivot support portion 31b, and the second leg pivot support portion, and rotate relative to the base member 2. As a result, the lid 3 in the lid assembly structure 1 of Example 1 rotates biaxially.

[0079] The locking member 4 in the lid assembly structure 1 of the first embodiment uses a push-lock mechanism to lock the lid 3. The locking member 4 has a locking portion 40 that engages with a locking mating portion 35 (see FIG. 3 ) provided on the lid 3, and is disposed behind the second window 24 with the locking portion 40 facing the lid main body 30, exposing the locking portion 40 to the inside of the second window 24.

[0080] In Example 1, the base pivot support portion 31b of each general leg portion 31g on the lid 3 is assembled to the second leg pivot support portion on the base member 2, and the locking member 4 is assembled to the base member 2, thereby preparing a second assembly 11 (see Figure 3) in which the lid 3, base member 2, and locking member 4 are assembled, and the assembly 10 (see Figures 2 and 3) described below is assembled to the second assembly 11.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 1, the opening / closing mechanism 5 includes a shaft 7, a connecting member 55, a biasing member 8, and a cover member 50.

[0082] 2, the biasing member 8 is a torsion coil spring. One end of the biasing member 8 is referred to as a first engagement end, and the other end is referred to as a second engagement end.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 2, the shaft 7 has a generally cylindrical shaft main body 70, a generally plate-shaped biasing support portion 71, and a shaft input portion 72 in the shape of a short column with a generally hexagonal cross section.

[0084] The biasing support portion 71 is integrated with one axial end, i.e., one longitudinal end, of the shaft main body 70. The biasing support portion 71 is eccentric with respect to the shaft main body 70. A shaft input portion 72 is integrally formed with the other axial end portion of the shaft main body 70. The shaft input portion 72 and the shaft main body 70 are arranged coaxially. The shaft 7 is fitted with a biasing member 8. Specifically, the coil portion 80 of the biasing member 8 is attached to the shaft main body 70, the biasing support portion 71 is disposed on the front side of the biasing member 8, and the shaft input portion 72 is exposed on the rear side of the biasing member 8.

[0085] The biasing support portion 71 is provided with a first engagement portion 92. The first engagement portion 92 is engaged with the first engagement end 81 of the biasing member 8.

[0086] The connecting member 55 in the lid assembly structure 1 of the first embodiment is a damper. As shown in FIG. 1, the connecting member 55 is provided with a convex shaft engaging portion 55s. Meanwhile, a hole-shaped connecting engaging portion 71c is provided on the front side of the biasing support portion 71 of the shaft 7. The connecting member 55 is assembled to the shaft 7 by the engagement between the shaft engaging portion 55s and the connecting engaging portion 71c.

[0087] The cover member 50 has a cover base 51 having an approximately L-shaped plate shape, a plurality of base assembly portions 52 provided on the cover base 51, a case-shaped connecting accommodating portion 53 integrally formed with the cover base 51 (see Figure 1), and an approximately groove-shaped temporary engagement portion 93 integrally formed with the cover base 51 (see Figure 2). Some of the base assembly parts 52 are claw-shaped and engage with some of the multiple cover assembly parts 25 (not shown) provided on the base member 2. Other of the base assembly parts 52 are through-hole-shaped and are fastened with bolts to other parts of the cover assembly parts 25 provided on the base member 2.

[0088] 1, the connecting accommodation portion 53 has a case shape corresponding to the outer shape of the connecting member 55. The connecting member 55 is accommodated in the connecting accommodation portion 53 of the cover member 50 while the shaft engagement portion 55s is exposed. The connecting member 55 is accommodated in the connecting accommodation portion 53, the shaft 7, the biasing member 8 and the connecting member 55 are assembled together with the cover member 50, and the second engagement end of the biasing member 8 is assembled with the temporary engagement portion 93, thereby obtaining the assembled body 10 shown in Figure 2.

[0089] The method of assembling the above-described assembly 10 into a second assembly 11 of the base member 2 and the lid 3 and the operation of each member will be described below.

[0090] 3, the assembly 10 is placed in front of the second assembly 11. More specifically, the assembly 10 is placed in front of the cover assembly portion 25 of the base member 2 of the second assembly 11, with the shaft 7 of the assembly 10 facing rearward, i.e., toward the base member 2, and the cover member 50 facing forward. Then, the shaft input portion 72 of the shaft 7 is inserted into the hole 26 provided in the peripheral wall 22 of the base member 2, and the assembled body 10 is brought closer to the second assembled body 11.

[0091] At this time, a slight biasing force is accumulated in the biasing member 8. The biasing member 8 is in a temporary assembled state in which the first engagement end 81 is engaged with the first engagement portion 92 of the shaft 7 and the second engagement end 82 is engaged with the temporary engagement portion 93 of the cover member 50. In other words, at this time, the biasing member 8 is in a state in which it is stably held by the shaft 7 and the cover member 50, i.e., the other members that make up the assembled body 10, while accumulating a portion of the biasing force.

[0092] As described above, in the lid assembly structure 1 of the first embodiment, the cover assembly portion 25 is provided in the front portion of the peripheral wall 22 of the base member 2. The cover assembly portion 25 includes a guide portion 90 and a main engagement portion 91.

[0093] The temporary engagement portion 93 has a groove shape that opens toward the back side. Therefore, when the second engagement end 82 of the biasing member 8 changes position toward the back side, the temporary engagement between the second engagement end 82 and the temporary engagement portion 93 is released. In other words, the release direction of the temporary engagement portion 93 in the lid assembly structure 1 of Example 1 is the back side.

[0094] The cover assembly portion 25 is disposed near the hole portion 26 . The main engagement portion 91 in the cover assembly portion 25 is formed in a groove shape that opens toward the rear side, similar to the temporary engagement portion 93.

[0095] During assembly, the full engagement portion 91 and the guide portion 90 are located ahead of the temporary engagement portion 93 in the biasing force accumulation direction of the second engagement end 82. The biasing force accumulation direction of the second engagement end 82 means the direction in which the position of the second engagement end 82 changes to accumulate a biasing force in the biasing member 8, more specifically, in the lid assembly structure 1 of the first embodiment, the counterclockwise direction a in FIG.

[0096] In the direction in which the biasing force of the second engagement end 82 accumulates, the guide portion 90 is located between the temporary engagement portion 93 and the full engagement portion 91. The protrusion height of the guide portion 90 toward the back side, in other words, the height of the guide portion 90 in the direction in which the temporary engagement portion 93 is released, gradually increases toward the tip side in the direction in which the biasing force of the second engagement end 82 accumulates, i.e., from the temporary engagement portion 93 side toward the full engagement portion 91 side. The guide portion 90 can be said to have an inclined wall shape.

[0097] When the assembled body 10 is moved rearward and closer to the second assembled body 11, the shaft 7 and the cover member 50 move closer to the base member 2 (see FIGS. 3 and 7). As a result, the temporary engagement portion 93 of the cover member 50 and the second engagement end 82 of the urging member 8 that engages with the temporary engagement portion 93 move closer to the cover assembled portion 25 of the base member 2.

[0098] When the assembled body 10 is further advanced rearward, the shaft input portion 72 of the shaft 7 is inserted into the hole 26 of the base member 2, the guide portion 90 in the cover assembled portion 25 comes into contact with the second engagement end 82, and the second engagement end 82 rides up onto the guide portion 90 (see FIGS. 4 and 8). As a result, the second engagement end 82 disengages from the temporary engagement portion 93, and the temporary engagement between the second engagement end 82 and the temporary engagement is released.

[0099] When the assembled body 10 is further advanced rearward, the second engaging end 82 is guided by the guide portion 90 and changes position in the biasing force accumulation direction, further accumulating the biasing force, and reaches a main engaging portion 91 provided in the cover member 50, dropping into the groove-shaped main engaging portion 91 (see FIGS. 5 and 9). As a result, the second engaging end 82 engages with the main engaging portion 91, and the biasing member 8 changes state to the main assembled state.

[0100] Thereafter, the base assembly portion 52 of the cover member 50 and the cover assembly portion 25 of the base member 2 are assembled together, thereby fixing the assembly 10 to the second assembly 11.

[0101] Note that, at the rear side of the hole 26 provided in the base member 2, there is disposed a base support portion 31b of the input leg 31i, which is one of the four legs 31 of the lid 3. Therefore, the shaft input portion 72 of the shaft 7 inserted into the hole 26 engages with the base support portion 31b of the input leg 31i, and the shaft 7 and the input leg 31i are integrated together.

[0102] As described above, the lid 3 in the lid assembly structure 1 of Example 1 rotates biaxially, thereby changing the position of the lid 3 between an open position where the lid 3 opens the opening 21 of the base member 2 and the energy supply port (not shown) as shown in Figures 3 to 5, and a closed position where the lid 3 covers the opening 21 of the base member 2 and the energy supply port (not shown) as shown in Figure 6.

[0103] In the lid assembly structure 1 of the first embodiment, when the lid 3 is in the open position, the assembly 10 is assembled to the second assembly 11. The position of the lid 3 is changed manually from the open position to the closed position.

[0104] When the lid 3 changes position from the open position to the closed position, the legs 31 rotate. When the input leg 31i, which is one of the legs 31, rotates, the shaft 7 rotates accordingly. When the shaft 7 rotates, the position of the first engagement end 81 of the biasing member 8 attached to the shaft 7 changes in the biasing force accumulation direction of the first engagement end 81. The biasing force accumulation direction of the first engagement end 81 refers to the direction in which the position of the first engagement end 81 changes in order to accumulate a biasing force in the biasing member 8, and more specifically, in the lid assembly structure 1 of the first embodiment, it means the clockwise direction b in FIG. 3 .

[0105] As the first engagement end 81 changes position in the direction of accumulating the urging force, a further urging force is accumulated in the urging member 8. Therefore, when the lid 3 changes position to the closed position as shown in FIG. 6, the urging member 8 accumulates a urging force for changing the lid 3 to the open position.

[0106] When the lid 3 is moved to the closed position, the locking portion 40 of the locking member 4 comes into contact with the locking mating portion 35 of the lid 3, locking the lid 3. When the lid 3 is pressed backward from the closed position, the lock between the locking member 4 and the lid 3 is released. This frees the lid 3, and the biasing force of the biasing member 8 is released. This causes the shaft 7 to rotate, and the input leg 31i rotates. Following the rotation of the input leg 31i, the other legs 31 also rotate, and the lid 3 is moved to the open position.

[0107] According to the lid assembly structure 1 of Example 1, when the assembly 10 including the biasing member 8 is assembled to the second assembly 11 including the base member 2, the biasing member 8, which was in a provisionally assembled state, automatically accumulates a portion of the biasing force and changes state to a fully assembled state. As a result, according to the lid assembly structure 1 of Example 1, the biasing member 8 can be assembled to the base member 2, which is the mating member, with a simple operation.

[0108] Example 2 The lid assembly structure of the second embodiment relates to the lid assembly structure of the second aspect. Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic exploded view of the lid assembly structure of Example 2. Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic assembly in which the base member, the biasing member, the lid, and the locking member are integrated in the lid assembly structure of Example 2. Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic second assembly in which the shaft, the connecting member, and the cover member are integrated in the lid assembly structure of Example 2. 13 to 16 are explanatory diagrams that schematically show the lid assembly structure of Example 2 during assembly. In Fig. 15 and Fig. 16, the front side of the paper is the back side, and the back side of the paper is the front side.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 10, the lid assembly structure 1 of the second embodiment includes a base member 2, a lid 3, a locking member 4, and an opening / closing mechanism 5, similar to the lid assembly structure 1 of the first embodiment. The lid assembly structure 1 of Example 2 differs significantly from the lid assembly structure 1 of Example 1 in that a first engagement portion 92 and a provisional engagement portion 93 are provided on the base member 2 as shown in Fig. 11, and a main engagement portion 91 and a guide portion 90 are provided on the shaft 7 as shown in Fig. 12. The lid assembly structure 1 of Example 2 will be described below, focusing on the differences from the assembly structure of Example 1.

[0110] 11, 13, and 15, in the base member 2 of the lid assembly structure 1 of the second embodiment, a first engagement portion 92 and a temporary engagement portion 93 are provided radially outside of the hole portion 26. The coil portion 80 of the biasing member 8 is assembled to the outer edge of the hole portion 26, with the first engagement end 81 engaging with the first engagement portion 92 and the second engagement end 82 engaging with the temporary engagement portion 93. In the assembled body 10 in which the base member 2, the biasing member 8, the lid 3, and the locking member 4 are assembled, the biasing member 8 is stably held by the base member 2 with a slight biasing force accumulated.

[0111] 15, the temporary engagement portion 93 is groove-shaped, with its opening facing the back side. When the second engagement end 82 of the biasing member 8 changes position in the back direction, the second engagement end 82 disengages from the temporary engagement portion 93, and the engagement between the second engagement end 82 and the temporary engagement portion 93 is released. Therefore, the release direction of the temporary engagement portion 93 in the lid assembly structure 1 of Example 2 is the back direction.

[0112] 12, the second assembly 11 is an integrated unit of the shaft 7, the connecting member 55, and the cover member 50. Of these, the shaft 7 is provided with a main engagement portion 91 and a guide portion 90.

[0113] 15, the main engagement portion 91 is groove-shaped, and the opening of the main engagement portion 91 faces the rear side when the assembly 10 and the second assembly 11 are assembled together.

[0114] 15, at the start of assembly of the assembled body 10 and the second assembled body 11, the second engagement end 82 of the urging member 8 engages with the temporary engagement portion 93 of the base member 2. The guide portion 90 of the shaft 7 is located in front of and below the second engagement end 82. Further forward of the guide portion 90 is the main engagement portion 91. The main engagement portion 91 also has its opening facing backward. The protrusion height of the guide portion 90 toward the back side, i.e., the height of the guide portion 90 in the direction of releasing the temporary engagement portion 93, gradually increases from the temporary engagement portion 93 side toward the full engagement portion 91 side. In the lid assembly structure 1 of the second embodiment as well, the guide portion 90 can be said to have an inclined wall shape whose height gradually increases toward the tip side in the direction in which the biasing force of the second engagement end 82 accumulates.

[0115] Next, the second assembly 11 is advanced rearward and brought close to the assembly 10, and as shown in FIG. 16, the shaft 7 is inserted into the coil portion 80 of the biasing member 8 and the hole 26 located behind it.

[0116] Then, while the biasing member 8 is fitted onto the shaft 7, the second engagement end 82 of the biasing member 8 rides up onto the guide portion 90 of the shaft 7, and the second engagement end 82 disengages from the temporary engagement portion 93, thereby disengaging the second engagement end 82 from the temporary engagement. Then, when the second assembly 11 is moved further rearward, the second engagement end 82 is guided by the guide portion 90 and changes position in the biasing force accumulation direction (generally toward the front in FIG. 15 ), further accumulating biasing force, and reaches a full engagement portion 91 provided on the shaft 7 and drops into the groove-shaped full engagement portion 91. As a result, as shown in FIG. 16 , the second engagement end 82 engages with the full engagement portion 91, and the biasing member 8 changes state to the full-attached state.

[0117] As described above, with the lid assembly structure 1 of Example 2 as well, when the assembly 10 including the base member 2 and the biasing member 8 is assembled to the second assembly 11 including the shaft 7, the biasing member 8, which was in a provisionally assembled state, automatically accumulates a portion of the biasing force and changes state to the actual assembled state. As a result, with the lid assembly structure 1 of Example 2 as well, the biasing member 8 can be assembled to the shaft 7, which is the mating member, with a simple operation.

[0118] Although the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, etc., and it is possible to implement the present invention by appropriately extracting and combining elements described in the embodiments, etc., and to make various modifications within the scope that does not deviate from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the specification of the present invention discloses not only the technical idea indicated by the citation relationships of each claim at the time of filing, but also the technical idea that appropriately combines the matters described in each claim. [Explanation of symbols]

[0119] 1: Lid assembly structure 2: Base material 3: Lid 5: Opening and closing mechanism 50: Cover member 7: Shaft 8: biasing member 81: first engagement end 90: Guide portion 91: Main engagement portion 92: First engaging portion 82: Second engaging end 93: Temporary engagement part

Claims

1. a base member attached to a vehicle body; a lid that changes position between a closed position that covers the energy supply port provided on the vehicle body and an open position that opens the energy supply port; an opening / closing mechanism that is assembled to the base member and the lid to open and close the lid, the opening / closing mechanism includes a cover member assembled to the base member, a shaft assembled to the lid and rotatably supported with respect to the cover member, and a biasing member attached to the shaft and biasing the lid to the open position; the shaft has a first engagement portion with which the first engagement end of the biasing member engages; the cover member has a temporary engagement portion with which the second engagement end of the biasing member is detachably engaged, the base member has a main engagement portion with which the second engagement end engages, and a guide portion that guides the second engagement end from the temporary engagement portion toward the main engagement portion, a lid assembly structure in which, when assembling the base member and the opening / closing mechanism, the biasing member, whose first engagement end is engaged with the first engagement portion, is guided by the guide portion and changes state from a temporary assembly state in which the second engagement end and the temporary engagement portion are engaged to a regular assembly state in which the second engagement end and the regular engagement portion are engaged, thereby accumulating at least a portion of the biasing force.

2. a base member attached to a vehicle body; a lid that changes position between a closed position that covers the energy supply port provided on the vehicle body and an open position that opens the energy supply port; an opening / closing mechanism that is assembled to the base member and the lid to open and close the lid, the opening / closing mechanism includes a cover member assembled to the base member, a shaft assembled to the lid and rotatably supported with respect to the cover member, and a biasing member attached to the shaft and biasing the lid to the open position; the base member has a first engagement portion with which a first engagement end of the biasing member engages, and a temporary engagement portion with which a second engagement end of the biasing member releasably engages, the shaft has a main engagement portion with which the second engagement end engages, and a guide portion that guides the second engagement end from the temporary engagement portion toward the main engagement portion, a lid assembly structure in which, when assembling the base member and the opening / closing mechanism, the biasing member, whose first engagement end is engaged with the first engagement portion, is guided by the guide portion and changes state from a temporary assembly state in which the second engagement end and the temporary engagement portion are engaged to a regular assembly state in which the second engagement end and the regular engagement portion are engaged, thereby accumulating at least a portion of the biasing force.

3. The lid assembly structure according to claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is attached to the exterior of the shaft in the temporarily assembled state.

4. The lid assembly structure according to claim 2 , wherein the biasing member is attached to an outer edge of a through hole provided in the base member and through which the shaft is inserted in the temporary assembly state, and is fitted to the exterior of the shaft in the final assembly state.

5. 5. The lid assembly structure according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion has an inclined wall shape.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Flap arrangement for a motor vehicle and motor vehicle with flap arrangement

    DE102020125988A1

  • Closing system for a door of the fuel tank

    EP3318438A1

  • The magnetic tape cartridge [puka[puka] - -

    JP1985047180U

  • Overhead console device, and assembly method therefor

    JP2015085809A

  • Housing unit and locking device for opening / closing body

    JP2017154720A