Storage device

Abstract

Provided is a structure for rationally improving the usability and designability of a lid member composed of two or more lid components, or a novel structure for enabling appropriate operation of the lid member.　This storage device comprises a lid member comprising guided parts for guide rails on a first side part. The lid member is formed by connecting two or more lid components with a shaft body therebetween, the lid components each comprising guided parts. The lid member closes an opening with the lid components positioned flush with each other when in an unfolded state and opens the opening when in a folded state. A body of the storage device is provided with a capturing mechanism for capturing a captured part formed on the first side part of the lid member when the lid member is in the unfolded state and a release mechanism for releasing the capture through an operation. The lid member is provided with an urging mechanism for shifting the lid member to the folded state when the capture is released and a damper mechanism for braking movement of the lid components.

Description

Storage device

[0001] The present invention relates to an improvement in a storage device that is installed in the interior of a vehicle such as a passenger car and is used to store various items in a state that allows them to be easily taken out as needed.

[0002] There is a console lid that constitutes a console box, which is divided into a front half and a rear half, and when the front end of the lid is pushed backward, the lid folds backward, and when the rear end of the lid is pushed forward, the lid folds forward (see Patent Document 1 below).

[0003] Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No. 4-31638

[0004] The main problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a new structure that rationally improves the usability and design of a lid member that constitutes a storage device such as a console box, where the lid member is made up of two or more lid structures, or a new structure that allows the lid member to operate appropriately.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a storage device comprising: a storage device main body having an opening and a guide rail; and a lid member that closes the opening in an unfolded state and has a guided portion for the guide rail on a first side facing the guide rail; the lid member is formed by connecting two or more lid structures each having the guided portion via an axis, and is configured to position each lid structure flush with one another in the unfolded state to close the opening, and to open the opening in a folded state by bending the lid structure around the axis; the storage device main body is provided with a capturing mechanism that captures the captured portion formed on the first side of the lid member in the unfolded state, and a release mechanism that releases the capture by operation; and the lid member is provided with a biasing mechanism that biases the lid structure to move the lid member to the folded state when the capture is released, and a damper mechanism that brakes the movement of the lid structure due to the bias of the biasing mechanism.

[0006] One aspect of this invention is to form the captured portion at a position that is the center of the mountain fold in the lid member in the folded state, or at a position in one of the lid structures where the distance between the guided portion and the central position is smaller than the distance between the guided portion and the central position.

[0007] In addition, the lid member is provided with a guided portion on each side of the shaft at the first side, and the storage device main body is provided with a first engagement portion that engages with the guided portion located on one side of the shaft when the lid member is in the unfolded state, and a second engagement portion that engages with the guided portion located on the other side of the shaft, as well as a first operating mechanism that enables the engagement of the first engagement portion to be released, and a second operating mechanism that enables the engagement of the second engagement portion to be released, so that when the engagement of the first engagement portion is released by operating the first operating mechanism, the capture by the capture mechanism is released while the engagement of the second engagement portion is maintained, and when the engagement of the second engagement portion is released by operating the second operating mechanism, the capture by the capture mechanism is released while the engagement of the first engagement portion is maintained, and this is one aspect of the present invention.

[0008] Furthermore, the lid member is provided with auxiliary guided portions located on an imaginary straight line passing through the guided portions on both sides of the shaft at a second side portion located opposite the first side portion, and the storage device main body is provided with a first holding portion that houses the auxiliary guided portion located on one side of the shaft in the unfolded state, a second holding portion that houses the auxiliary guided portion located on the other side of the shaft in the unfolded state, and an auxiliary guide rail for the auxiliary guided portion that extends between the first holding portion and the second holding portion, and when the engagement of the first engagement portion is released by operating the first operating mechanism, the auxiliary guided portion that was housed in the first holding portion enters the auxiliary guide rail, allowing movement of the lid structure toward the folded state, and the auxiliary guided portion that is housed in the second holding portion is held within the second holding portion, One aspect of this invention is that when the engagement of the second engagement portion is released by operating the second operating mechanism, the auxiliary guided portion housed in the second holding portion enters the auxiliary guide rail, allowing the lid structure to move toward the folded state, and the auxiliary guided portion housed in the first holding portion is held within the first holding portion.

[0009] In addition, the capture mechanism has a first part positioned within the guide rail and a second part positioned outside the guide rail, and one aspect of this invention is that the capture mechanism is configured so that, during the process of the lid member in the unfolded state transitioning to the folded state and the process of the lid member in the folded state transitioning to the unfolded state, the capture mechanism retracts against the bias to a position where the second part does not come into contact with the decorative surface of the lid member by the contact of the guided part with the first part, and in the unfolded state, the capture mechanism is advanced by the bias to a position where the second part captures the captured part.

[0010] The storage device according to the present invention includes the capture mechanism, release mechanism, biasing mechanism, and damper mechanism. Therefore, first, the capture mechanism can maintain the unfolded state of the lid member, i.e., the state in which the opening of the storage device main body is blocked. Second, the release mechanism can be operated to release the capture by the capture mechanism, thereby transitioning the lid member to a folded state and opening the opening of the storage device main body. This transition is achieved by the biasing force of the biasing means, and the braking force of the braking means is applied to this transition. Third, the capture mechanism can be caused to re-capture the captured portion in the process of transitioning the lid member from the folded state to the unfolded state, thereby re-creating the state in which the opening of the storage device main body is blocked.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a storage device according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing the lid member in an unfolded state. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the storage device, showing the lid member in a folded state, with the opening beginning to open from the left side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the storage device, showing the lid member further folded from the state shown in FIG. 2, with the opening fully opened. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the storage device, showing the state shown in FIG. 3, from a different angle. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the storage device in the state shown in FIG. 3, with the auxiliary guide rail formed side facing forward. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the storage device, showing the lid member in a folded state, with the opening beginning to open from the right side. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the storage device, showing the lid member further folded from the state shown in FIG. 6, with the opening fully opened. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the storage device in the state shown in FIG. 7, with the auxiliary guide rail formed side facing forward. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the state shown in FIG. 1 , with the cover covering the base of the left storage device main body and the upper structure of the wall removed. FIG. 10 is an enlarged plan view of the essential parts of FIG. 9 . FIG. 11 is an enlarged plan view of the essential parts immediately after starting the operation to release the guided part from the state shown in FIG. 9 by the first engagement part. FIG. 12 is an enlarged plan view of the essential parts showing the lid member transitioning to the state shown in FIG. 2 by the operation shown in FIG. 11 . FIG. 13 is an enlarged plan view of the essential parts showing the lid member transitioning to the state shown in FIG. 3 by the engagement operation shown in FIG. 11 . FIG. 14 is a plan view of the essential parts of the storage device with the upper half of the opening opened. FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the wall with guide rails. FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of the operation button and its support member. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the lid member. FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the lid member. Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along the imaginary line S1 when the lid member is in the deployed state, with the capturing mechanism retracted from the reference position. Fig. 20 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the essential parts showing the capturing mechanism in the reference position. Fig. 21 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the essential parts showing the capturing mechanism retracted from the reference position in Fig. 20 and released from the captured part. Fig. 22 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XXII-XXII in Fig. 14, with the capturing mechanism retracted from the reference position.Fig. 23 is a side view of the main part showing the wall part on which the auxiliary guide rail is formed, as viewed from the opening side. Fig. 24 is an enlarged view of the main part showing the second holding part on the right side of Fig. 23. Fig. 25 is an enlarged view of the main part showing the first holding part on the left side of Fig. 23. Fig. 26 is a perspective view of the auxiliary guided part corresponding to the second holding part. Fig. 27 is a perspective view of the auxiliary guided part corresponding to the first holding part. Fig. 28 is a cross-sectional view showing the second holding part and the auxiliary guided part when the lid member is in the unfolded state. Fig. 29 is a cross-sectional view of the second holding part and the auxiliary guided part when the lid member is in the folded state.

[0012] A typical embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 29. The storage device according to the present invention is typically installed in the interior of a vehicle, such as a passenger car, and is used to store various items in a manner that allows them to be easily accessed as needed. In the illustrated example, the storage device is suitable for use as a center console box for the automobile. In Figures 1, 9, and 10, the symbol x indicates a first direction, and the symbol y indicates a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Typically, when the first direction x is the front-rear direction, the second direction y is the left-right direction, and when the first direction x is the left-right direction, the second direction y is the front-rear direction.

[0013] The storage device includes a storage device main body M and a lid member L.

[0014] (Storage Device Main Body M) The storage device main body M has a rectangular opening 1 and guide rails 2. In the illustrated example, the opening 1 is formed to have a rectangular outline that is long in the first direction x. In FIG. 1 , reference numeral 3 denotes a base that forms the upper part of the storage device main body M, and reference numeral 4 denotes a cover that is attached to this base 3. The base 3 is configured to be attached to a lower part of the storage device main body M (not shown) so that the opening 1 communicates with the interior of the lower part. On the upper surface of the base 3, wall portions 5 extending in the second direction y are formed on both the left and right sides of the opening 1 in FIG. 9 . A receiving surface 6 for the lid member L is formed between the wall portions 5 and the edge of the opening 1 along the second direction y.

[0015] In the illustrated example, the guide rail 2 is formed on the wall 5 on the left side in Fig. 9. The guide rail 2 is formed on the inner surface 5a of the wall 5 that intersects with the receiving surface 6 at a right angle. The guide rail 2 is a groove with a bottom (see Figs. 20 and 21) and is formed over the entire length of the wall 5 (see Figs. 5 and 8). Two groove ends 2a of the guide rail 2 are each closed.

[0016] In the illustrated example, the wall 5 is configured by combining the lower structural body 5b and the upper structural body 5c in FIG. 15 so as to form the guide rail 2 between them. In the illustrated example, an auxiliary guide rail 7 is formed on the wall 5 on the right side in FIG. 9. The auxiliary guide rail 7 is also formed on the inner surface 5a of the wall 5 that intersects with the receiving surface 6 at a right angle. The auxiliary guide rail 7 is also a bottomed groove that is formed over the entire length of the wall 5. A first holding portion 7a and a second holding portion 7b, which will be described later, are formed at two groove ends of the auxiliary guide rail 7. In the illustrated example, the guide rail 2 and the auxiliary guide rail 7 are formed at substantially the same level. Furthermore, both the guide rail 2 and the auxiliary guide rail 7 are formed so as to follow an imaginary arc with the upper side curved outward.

[0017] In the illustrated example, the receiving surface 6 near the wall portion 5 where the guide rail 2 is formed and the receiving surface 6 near the wall portion 5 where the auxiliary guide rail 7 is formed each have a recess 6a formed at a position about midway in the second direction y for receiving a lower portion of a first bearing portion 19 (described later) of the lid member L in the unfolded state (see FIGS. 4 and 8). This prevents the lid member L, which is unfolded and covers the opening 1 of the storage device main body M, from rattling in the second direction y.

[0018] The storage device main body M further includes a capture mechanism 8 and a release mechanism 9, which will be described later (see FIG. 15). In the illustrated example, the main parts of these mechanisms are housed in the wall 5 on the left side in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 9a denotes an operation button that constitutes the release mechanism 9, and reference numeral 4a denotes a hole formed in the cover 4 that allows the operation button 9a to be exposed to the outside of the cover 4.

[0019] (Lid Member L) The lid member L closes the opening 1 in the unfolded state (FIG. 1), and has a guided portion 13 for the guide rail 2 on a first side portion 10 facing the guide rail 2 (see FIG. 17).

[0020] In the illustrated example, the lid member L has a rectangular plate shape that closes the opening 1 in the unfolded state. The lid member L also has auxiliary guided portions 14 for the auxiliary guide rails 7 on the second side portions 11 facing the first side portions 10 (see FIG. 17 ). The first and second side portions 10 and 11 are side portions that constitute the thickness of the lid member L and are located between the front and back surfaces of the lid member L. The lid member L also has two third side portions 12 along the first direction x that are perpendicular to both the first side portion 10 and the second side portion 11 (see FIG. 17 ). The guided portions 13 are formed by boss-like bodies that protrude from the first side portion 10 along the first direction x at each of the two corners where the first side portion 10 and the third side portion 12 intersect. In addition, the auxiliary guided portion 14 is composed of a boss-shaped body formed at each of the two corners where the second side portion 11 intersects with the third side portion 12, so as to protrude from the second side portion 11 in the opposite direction to the guided portion 13 along the first direction x.

[0021] The lid member L is formed by connecting two or more lid components 15, each having the guided portion 13, via a shaft 16, and is configured such that in the unfolded state, the lid components 15 are positioned flush to close the opening 1, and in the folded state by bending the lid components 15 about the shaft 16, the opening 1 is opened. In FIG. 17 , reference numeral 17 denotes a base of the lid component 15, and reference numeral 18 denotes a cover attached to the base 15 to form the design surface of the lid component 15. In the illustrated example, the lid member L is formed of two lid components 15. A first bearing portion 19 is formed on one side of the lid component 15 located midway in the second direction y when the lid component L is unfolded, and a second bearing portion 20 is formed on the other side of the lid component 15 located midway in the second direction y when the lid component L is unfolded (see FIG. 18 ).

[0022] The lid structure 15 located on the lower side in Fig. 17 has three first bearing portions 19 formed therein with a gap between adjacent bearing portions in the first direction x. The lid structure 15 located on the upper side in Fig. 17 has a plurality of second bearing portions 20 formed therein with a gap between them in the first direction x (see Fig. 18).

[0023] The two lid components 15 are combined with one of the first bearing portions 19, with the other second bearing portion 20 housed between the other first bearing portion 19, so that the second bearing portion 20 can rotate around the shaft 16 fixed to the first bearing portion 19. In the illustrated example, the two lid components 15 are combined with three shafts 16 whose axial centerlines are positioned on one imaginary straight line S1 (FIGS. 1, 9, and 17).

[0024] Each of the two lid structures 15 has one guided portion 13 and one auxiliary guided portion 14 (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The two lid structures 15 combined by the shaft 16 are combined with the storage device main body M in a state in which the guided portion 13 is accommodated in the groove-shaped guide rail 2 and the auxiliary guided portion 14 is accommodated in the groove-shaped auxiliary guide rail 7, thereby enabling regular transitions from the unfolded state (FIG. 1) to the folded state (FIG. 3) (transitions in the order of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3) and transitions from the folded state (FIG. 3) to the unfolded state (FIG. 1) (transitions in the order of FIGS. 3, 2, and 1).

[0025] In addition, the lid member L is provided with a biasing mechanism 21 that biases the lid structure 15 so as to transition the lid member L to the folded state when the capture by the capture mechanism 8 described below is released, and a damper mechanism 22 that brakes the movement of the lid structure 15 due to the biasing of the biasing mechanism 21, i.e., the transition movement of the lid member L (see Figures 17 and 18).

[0026] In the illustrated example, the biasing mechanism 21 is configured by a torsion coil spring 21a that is wound around the outside of the shaft body 16 between the first bearing portion 19 located on the left side in Fig. 19 and the intermediate first bearing portion 19. One end of the torsion coil spring 21a is fixed to the second bearing portion 20, and the other end of the torsion coil spring 21a is fixed to the first bearing portion 19 located on the left side in Fig. 19. In the illustrated example, when the lid member L is released from the capture by the capture mechanism 8 described below, the lid member L, which is in an unfolded state, is biased by the torsion coil spring 21a to transition from an unfolded state in which the inner surfaces of the two lid structures 15 are positioned on a single imaginary plane to a folded state in which the inner surfaces face each other.

[0027] In the illustrated example, the damper mechanism 22 is configured with a rotary damper 22a built in between the first bearing portion 19 located on the right side in FIG. 19 and the intermediate first bearing portion 19. In the illustrated example, two rotary dampers 22a are built in. The rotary damper 22a has an inner cylinder 22c rotatably housed within an outer cylinder 22b and is configured to apply a constant braking force to the rotation of the inner cylinder 22c. In the illustrated example, a viscous fluid such as silicone oil is sealed between the outer cylinder 22b and the inner cylinder 22c to apply a constant braking force to the rotation of the inner cylinder 22c. The outer cylinder 22b of the rotary damper 22a is fixed to one end of the shaft 16, while the other end of the shaft 16 is fixed to the first bearing portion 19. The inner cylinder 22c is fixed to the lid structure 15 on which the second bearing portion 20 is formed. This applies a constant braking force to the rotation or relative rotation of the second bearing portion 20 around the shaft body 16. Therefore, the transition of the unfolded lid member L to the folded state by the biasing mechanism 21 can be made gentle, giving the viewer a sense of moderation and luxury.

[0028] (Capturing Mechanism 8) The storage device main body M is provided with a capturing mechanism 8 that captures the captured portion 23 (see FIG. 8) formed on the first side portion 10 of the lid member L in the unfolded state (see FIG. 15). In the unfolded state, the lid member L positions the guided portion 13 at each of the two groove ends 2a of the guide rail 2, and the auxiliary guided portion 14 at each of the two groove ends of the auxiliary guide rail 7 (see FIG. 9). The capture of the captured portion 23 by the capturing mechanism 8 maintains the unfolded state of the lid member L, i.e., the state in which the opening 1 of the storage device main body M is blocked. The capture of the captured portion 23 by the capturing mechanism 8 can be released by operating the release mechanism 9, which will be described later. When this capture is released, the lid member L is guided by the guide rail 2 and the auxiliary guide rail 7 by the biasing force of the biasing mechanism 21, and transitions to the folded state.

[0029] In this embodiment, the capturing mechanism 8 comprises a first portion 8 a positioned inside the guide rail 2 and a second portion 8 b positioned outside the guide rail 2 .

[0030] In the illustrated example, a first through-hole 24 is formed in the storage device main body M at a position midway in the second direction y, penetrating the groove bottom forming portion 2b (see FIGS. 10 and 15 ) of the guide rail 2 in the first direction x. A second through-hole 25 is also formed in the wall portion 5 of the storage device main body M directly below the first through-hole 24, penetrating the wall portion 5 in the first direction x. The capture mechanism 8 includes the first portion 8a, the second portion 8b positioned below the first portion 8a, and a third portion 8c extending vertically between the first portion 8a and the second portion 8b, which integrates the first portion 8a and the second portion 8b. The capture mechanism 8 is built into the wall portion 5 so that the first portion 8a is positioned within the guide rail 2 through the first through-hole 24, and the second portion 8b can protrude from the wall portion 5 to the right side in FIG. 20 , which is the opening 1 side, through the second through-hole 25. The capture mechanism 8 is supported by the wall portion 5 so as to be movable within a certain range in the first direction x.

[0031] The capturing mechanism 8 also includes a biasing means that causes the first portion 8a to protrude most from the first penetrating portion 24 and the second portion 8b to protrude from the wall portion 5 through the second penetrating portion 25 to a reference position (see FIG. 20 ), where the capturing mechanism 8 is movable from this reference position toward the left in FIG. 20 . In the illustrated example, the biasing means is a torsion coil spring 8d (see FIGS. 10 and 15 ) built into the wall portion 5.

[0032] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the target portion 23 is a recess formed in the first side portion 10 of the lid member L (see FIG. 19 ). In the illustrated example, the target portion 23 has a groove shape extending in the second direction y when the lid member L is in the unfolded state. The second portion 8b of the capturing mechanism 8 has a cross-sectional shape that matches the target portion 23 and is configured to enter the target portion 23 at the reference position. When the lid member L is in the unfolded state, the second portion 8b of the capturing mechanism 8 in the reference position enters the target portion 23. This allows, first, the unfolded state of the lid member L, i.e., the state in which the opening 1 of the storage device main body M is blocked, to be maintained. Second, the capturing mechanism 8 can be released by moving the second portion 8b of the capturing mechanism 8 against the biasing force of the biasing means so that it escapes from the target portion 23, thereby transitioning the lid member L to the folded state and opening the opening 1 of the storage device main body M. Third, in the process of transitioning the lid member L from the folded state to the unfolded state, a part of the lid member L abuts against the second part 8b of the capturing mechanism 8, which has been positioned again at the reference position by the biasing means (torsion coil spring 8d), causing the capturing mechanism 8 to retract against the bias, thereby allowing the lid member L to transition to the unfolded state, and when the lid member L is in the unfolded state, the biasing force can again return the capturing mechanism 8 to the reference position, causing the second part 8b of the capturing mechanism 8 to again enter the captured part 23. This makes it possible to once again create a state in which the opening 1 of the storage device main body M is closed.

[0033] In the illustrated example, the second part 8b of the capture mechanism 8 has an inclined upper surface 8e so that the thickness of the second part 8b gradually decreases as it approaches its protruding end (see Figure 8), and this inclination of the upper surface 8e allows the capture mechanism 8, which is in the reference position, to smoothly retreat when a part of the lid member L abuts against the second part 8b of the capture mechanism 8 as described above.

[0034] In the illustrated example, the captured portion 23 is formed at a position that is the center of the mountain fold of the lid member L in the folded state (see FIG. 2). However, it is sufficient for the captured portion 23 to be located on the first side portion 10 of the lid member L. Although not shown, the captured portion 23 may be formed at a position between the center of the mountain fold of the lid member L in the folded state and the guided portion 13. In the illustrated example, in the folded state, the lid member L is configured so that the mountain fold is centered at the position where the pair of lid components 15 are joined by the shaft 16, and this center is positioned above the opening 1 to open the opening 1. The captured portion 23 is formed at a position that is midway in the second direction y on the first side portion 10 of the lid member L.

[0035] Specifically, the captured portion 23 is formed at an end portion of the first bearing portion 19 that constitutes the first side portion 10. The captured portion 23 configured in this manner is positioned on a single imaginary straight line S1 on which the axial center line of the shaft 16 is located. By providing the captured portion 23 in this position, it is possible to prevent, as much as possible, the position that serves as the center of the mountain fold in the lid member L, i.e., the position where the shaft 16 joins the two lid components 15, from being slightly lifted up by the action of the biasing mechanism 21 and separated from the receiving surface 6 when the lid member L is in the unfolded state. Although not shown, a similar lift-up prevention effect can also be achieved by providing the captured portion 23 at a position where the distance between the guided portion 13 in one lid component 15 and the center of the mountain fold is smaller than the distance from the guided portion 13.

[0036] In the illustrated example, in the process of the lid member L in the unfolded state transitioning to the folded state and in the process of the lid member L in the folded state transitioning to the unfolded state, the capturing mechanism 8 is retracted against the biasing force to a position where the second portion 8b does not come into contact with the design surface of the lid member L due to the abutment of the guided portion 13 against the first portion 8a. At the same time, the capturing mechanism 8 is configured to be advanced by the biasing force to a position where the second portion 8b captures the captured portion 23 in the unfolded state.

[0037] In the illustrated example, the first portion 8a of the capturing mechanism 8 has a trapezoidal plate shape in a plan view, with its length in the second direction y and its width in the first direction x (see FIG. 15 ). The width of the first portion 8a is set so that the capturing mechanism 8 does not protrude from inside the guide rail 2 when it is in the reference position.

[0038] Specifically, the first portion 8a has a top side 8f extending in the second direction y and a bottom side 8g extending in the second direction y that is longer than the top side 8f. The first portion 8a also has inclined sides 8h on both sides of the top side 8f that gradually increase the dimension of the first portion 8a in the second direction y as they approach the bottom side 8g. In the reference position, the first portion 8a is configured so that the bottom side 8g is flush with the groove bottom-forming portion 2b of the guide rail 2, and the top side 8f is flush with the groove opening 2c of the guide rail 2 (see FIG. 10 ).

[0039] In both the process of the lid member L in the unfolded state transitioning to the folded state and the process of the lid member L in the folded state transitioning to the unfolded state, in the illustrated example, one of the two guided portions 13 moves along the guide rail 2, but when the guided portion 13 reaches a position about halfway in the second direction y, the guided portion 13 comes into contact with the inclined edge 8h of the capturing mechanism 8, and the inclination of this inclined edge 8h causes the capturing mechanism 8 to move in a direction against the biasing force of the biasing means, and accordingly the second portion 8b also moves, causing the portion protruding from the second through portion 25 to be retracted into the wall portion 5 ( FIG. 12 ). As a result, in the process of the lid member L in the unfolded state transitioning to the folded state and the process of the lid member L in the folded state transitioning to the unfolded state, respectively, the design surface formed by the cover 18 is prevented from coming into contact with the second portion 8b and being damaged in the vicinity of the guided portion 13 moving along the guide rail 2.

[0040] (Release Mechanism 9) The storage device main body M is provided with a release mechanism 9 that is operated to release the captured portion 23 from the capturing mechanism 8 (see FIG. 15).

[0041] In the illustrated example, the release mechanism 9 is composed of an operation button 9a (see FIG. 1) which also forms part of the first operation mechanism 32 and the second operation mechanism 33 described below, and a linkage rod 9b connected to this operation button 9a.

[0042] In the illustrated example, the release mechanisms 9 are provided on both sides of an imaginary straight line S1 that passes through the middle of the lid member L in the second direction y when the lid member L is in the unfolded state (see FIG. 10 ). The release mechanism 9 on one side of the straight line S1 is configured to be symmetrical to the release mechanism 9 on the other side of the straight line S1, so in the following description, only the upper release mechanism 9 in FIG. 10 will be described, and a description of the lower release mechanism 9 in FIG. 10 will be omitted.

[0043] The operation button 9a is supported on the storage device main body M so as to be movable in the second direction y. The operation button 9a is biased by a compression coil spring 9c (see FIG. 16) serving as a biasing means, and the operation button 9a can be pressed in a direction approaching the straight line S1 against this bias, and when this pressing operation is stopped, the bias causes the operation button 9a to return to its position before the pressing operation. A portion of the operation button 9a is exposed to the side of the storage device main body M along the first direction x through a hole 4a formed in the side of the cover 4.

[0044] The linkage rod 9b is built into and supported by the wall 5 of the storage device main body M so as to be movable in the second direction y. The linkage rod 9b has a first cam surface 9d at an end located near the imaginary straight line S1 and a second cam surface 9e at the opposite end (see FIG. 10). The linkage rod 9b also has an arm 9e between both ends that protrudes in the first direction x. The arm 9e protrudes from the wall 5 toward the left in FIG. 10.

[0045] The second cam surface 9e of the linkage rod 9b is always in contact with a slider 30 formed on a first engagement portion 26 (see FIG. 15), which will be described later. The first engagement portion 26, which will be described later, is built into the wall portion 5 so as to be movable in the first direction x, and is biased by a torsion coil spring 31 so as to position a claw portion 28, which will be described later, within the guide rail 2. This bias causes the slider 30 to always be in contact with the second cam surface 9e of the linkage rod 9b. The linkage rod 9b is positioned at a reference position (see FIG. 10) by the bias of the torsion coil spring 28, which acts via the slider 30 in contact with the second cam surface 9e.

[0046] On the other hand, the first cam surface 9 d of the linkage rod 9 b is capable of coming into contact with the third portion 8 c of the capturing mechanism 8 .

[0047] When the operation button 9a is pressed, a part of the operation button 9a pushes the arm 9e of the linkage rod 9b in a direction approaching the imaginary straight line S1. As a result, the linkage rod 9b, which is in the reference position, moves in a direction approaching the imaginary straight line S1 (see FIGS. 10 and 11 ). This movement causes the first cam surface 9d of the linkage rod 9b to press the third portion 8c of the capture mechanism 8, and the capture mechanism 8 is moved in a direction to retract the portion of its second portion 8b that protrudes from the second through-hole 25 into the wall 5. In other words, pressing the operation button 9a that constitutes the first operation mechanism 32 (described later) releases the capture of the captured portion 23 by the capture mechanism 8. After this, when the pressing of the operation button 9a is stopped, the linkage rod 9b, which brings the slider 30 into contact with the second cam surface 9e, returns to its reference position due to the force of the torsion coil spring 31, and the capture mechanism 8, whose third part 8c has been released from pressure by the first cam surface 9d, also returns to its reference position, and the operation button 9a also returns to the position it was in before the pressing operation.

[0048] (First Engagement Portion 26, Second Engagement Portion 27) The lid member L is provided with the guided portions 13 on both sides of the shaft 16 in the first side portion 10, i.e., on both sides of the imaginary straight line S1 in the unfolded state (see FIG. 2). Meanwhile, the storage device main body M is provided with a first engagement portion 26 that engages with the guided portion 13 located on one side of the shaft 16 in the unfolded state of the lid member L, and a second engagement portion 27 that engages with the guided portion 13 located on the other side of the shaft 16 in the unfolded state (see FIG. 10).

[0049] In the illustrated example, a first engagement portion 26 is provided on one side of the virtual straight line S1, and a second engagement portion 27 is provided on the other side, and the second engagement portion 27 is configured to be linearly symmetrical to the first engagement portion 26 on either side of this virtual straight line S1. Therefore, in the following description, the first engagement portion 26 on the upper side in Figure 10 will be described, and a description of the second engagement portion 27 on the lower side in Figure 10 will be omitted.

[0050] The first engaging portion 26 is built into the wall portion 5 so as to be movable in the first direction x. The first engaging portion 26 includes a claw portion 28 that can protrude into the guide rail 2 through a third through-hole 36 formed in the groove bottom forming portion 2b of the guide rail 2, with a gap between it and the groove end 2a of the guide rail 2 that allows the guided portion 13 to be held, and a base 29. The base 29 is formed with a slider 30 that has a protruding shape that protrudes in the vertical direction. The first engaging portion 26 is configured to be positioned at a reference position that positions the claw portion 28 within the guide rail 2 by the biasing force of a torsion coil spring 31 that serves as a biasing means.

[0051] In the illustrated example, the side portion 28a of the claw portion 28 facing the imaginary straight line S1 is inclined in a direction such that the dimension of the claw portion 28 in the second direction y gradually decreases as it moves away from the imaginary straight line S1, and when the guided portion 13 is moved from the side of the imaginary straight line S1, the claw portion 28 moves from the reference position to the left side in Figure 10 against the urging force due to the abutment between the side portion 28a and the guided portion 13, allowing the guided portion 13 to move to the groove end 2a of the guide rail 2, and after the guided portion 13 has moved to this groove end 2a, the claw portion 28 moves again to the reference position due to the urging force and engages with the guided portion 13.

[0052] (First operation mechanism 32, second operation mechanism 33) The storage device main body M is also provided with a first operation mechanism 32 that enables the first engagement portion 26 to be released from the engagement, and a second operation mechanism 33 that enables the second engagement portion 27 to be released from the engagement (see FIG. 10 ). When the engagement of the first engagement portion 26 is released by operating the first operation mechanism 32, the capture by the capture mechanism 8 is released while the engagement of the second engagement portion 27 is maintained, and when the engagement of the second engagement portion 27 is released by operating the second operation mechanism 33, the capture by the capture mechanism 8 is released while the engagement of the first engagement portion 26 is maintained.

[0053] In the illustrated example, a first operation mechanism 32 is provided on one side of the imaginary straight line S1, and a second operation mechanism 33 is provided on the other side, and the second operation mechanism 33 is configured to be symmetrical to the first operation mechanism 32 across the imaginary straight line S1, so in the following description, only the first operation mechanism 32 on the upper side in Fig. 10 will be described, and a description of the second operation mechanism 33 on the lower side in Fig. 10 will be omitted. In the illustrated example, the first operation mechanism 32 is configured by the operation button 9a and the linkage rod 9b.

[0054] When the operation button 9a of the first operation mechanism 32 is pressed while the lid member L is in the unfolded state, the linkage rod 9b is moved in a direction approaching the imaginary straight line S1, changing the position at which the second cam surface 9e contacts the slider 30 of the first engagement portion 26. As a result, the first engagement portion 26 is moved from the reference position to the left in FIG. 10 , and the claw portion 28 is removed from the guide rail 2, thereby releasing the engagement of the claw portion 28 with the guided portion 13 (see FIGS. 11 and 12 ). Meanwhile, unless the operation button 9a of the second operation mechanism 33 is pressed, the engagement of the second engagement portion 27 with the guided portion 13 will not be released. At the same time, the movement of the linkage rod 9b in a direction approaching the imaginary straight line S1 moves the capture mechanism 8 from the reference position, releasing the capture of the captured portion 23, as described above. This allows the guided portion 13, which was engaged with the first engaging portion 26, to move within the guide rail 2 while maintaining the engagement of the engaged portion with the second engaging portion 27. The lid member L is shifted to a bent state by the biasing force of the biasing mechanism 21, and the opening 1 of the storage device main body M can be gradually opened from the upper side in Figure 10 (see Figures 2 to 3, and Figures 12 to 13).

[0055] Conversely, when the operation button 9a of the second operation mechanism 33 is pressed while the lid member L is in the unfolded state, the linkage rod 9b is moved in a direction approaching the imaginary straight line S1, changing the position at which the second cam surface 9e contacts the slider 30 of the second engagement portion 27. As a result, the second engagement portion 27 is moved from the reference position to the left in FIG. 10 , and the claw portion 28 thereof is removed from the guide rail 2, thereby releasing the engagement of the claw portion 28 with the guided portion 13. Meanwhile, unless the operation button 9a of the first operation mechanism 32 is pressed, the engagement of the first engagement portion 26 with the guided portion 13 is not released. At the same time, the movement of the linkage rod 9b in a direction approaching the imaginary straight line S1 causes the capture mechanism 8 to move from the reference position, releasing the capture of the captured portion 23, as described above. This allows the guided portion 13, which has been engaged with the second engaging portion 27, to move within the guide rail 2 while maintaining the engagement of the engaged portion with the first engaging portion 26. The lid member L is biased by the biasing mechanism 21 to transition to a bent state, allowing the opening 1 of the storage device main body M to gradually open from the bottom in Figure 10 (see Figures 6 and 7).

[0056] (Auxiliary guided portion 14) In addition, the lid member L has auxiliary guided portions 14 located on a virtual straight line S2 passing through the guided portion 13 on both sides of the shaft 16 at the second side portion 11 located opposite the first side portion 10 (see Figure 9).

[0057] In the illustrated example, the auxiliary guided portion 14 formed at one of the two corners where the second side portion 11 and the third side portion 12 meet is located on a virtual straight line S2 along the first direction x that passes through the guided portion 13 formed at one of the two corners where the first side portion 10 and the third side portion 12 meet, and the auxiliary guided portion 14 formed at the other of the two corners where the second side portion 11 and the third side portion 12 meet is located on a virtual straight line S2 along the first direction x that passes through the guided portion 13 formed at the other of the two corners where the first side portion 10 and the third side portion 12 meet (see Figure 9). On the other hand, the storage device main body M includes a first holding portion 7a that houses the auxiliary guided portion 14 located on one side of the shaft 16 in the unfolded state, a second holding portion 7b that houses the auxiliary guided portion 14 located on the other side of the shaft 16 in the unfolded state, and an auxiliary guide rail 7 for the auxiliary guided portion 14 that extends between the first holding portion 7a and the second holding portion 7b. When the engagement of the first engaging portion 26 is released by operating the first operating mechanism 32, the auxiliary guided portion 14 that was housed in the first holding portion 7a enters the auxiliary guide rail 7, allowing the lid structure 15 to move toward the folded state, and the auxiliary guided portion 14 that is housed in the second holding portion 7b is held within the second holding portion 7b. On the other hand, when the engagement of the second engagement portion 27 is released by operating the second operating mechanism 33, the auxiliary guided portion 14 housed in the second holding portion 7b enters the auxiliary guide rail 7, allowing the lid structure 15 to move toward the folded state, and the auxiliary guided portion 14 housed in the first holding portion 7a is held within the first holding portion 7a.

[0058] As a result, the transition of the lid member L between the unfolded state and the folded state can be smoothly achieved by the two guided portions 13 and the guide rail 2, and the two auxiliary guided portions 14 and the auxiliary guide rail 7. That is, when the lid member L transitions from the unfolded state to the folded state, the auxiliary guided portions 14 that are fixed to the storage device main body M relative to the auxiliary guided portions 14 that are movable and enter the auxiliary guide rail 7 to be guided are held by the first holding portions 7a or the second holding portions 7b, and are held in their intended positions together with the guided portions 13 that are fixed to the storage device main body M, and do not enter the auxiliary guide rail 7. As a result, when the lid member L transitions, tilting of the lid member L that would cause the virtual straight line S2 to not coincide with the first direction x is prevented, thereby ensuring the smooth transition of the lid member L.

[0059] In the illustrated example, the auxiliary guided portion 14 is axially shaped and supported in a hole 34 that has an opening in the second side portion 11 of the lid member L and extends in the first direction x so as to be movable in this first direction x (see FIG. 18 ). The auxiliary guided portion 14 has a portion that is positioned outside the hole 34 and a portion that is positioned inside the hole 34. In addition, the auxiliary guided portion 14 is constantly subjected to a biasing force in a direction that causes it to protrude from the second side portion 11 by a compression coil spring 35 that serves as a biasing means and is housed in the hole 34. The portion of the auxiliary guided portion 14 that is positioned outside the hole 34 has a protrusion 14b on an end 14a that is perpendicular to the central axis z (see FIG. 26 ) of the auxiliary guided portion 14.

[0060] Meanwhile, the first holding portion 7a and the second holding portion 7b have recesses 7c into which the protrusions 14b of the auxiliary guided portions 14 are fitted (see FIGS. 24 and 25). The first holding portion 7a and the second holding portion 7b also have support surfaces 7d adjacent to the recesses 7c that are flush with the groove bottom of the auxiliary guide rail 7. The first holding portion 7a and the second holding portion 7b also have inclined surfaces 7e between the recesses 7c and the support surfaces 7d. In the illustrated example, the first holding portion 7a and the second holding portion 7b each have two support surfaces 7d spaced apart in the circumferential direction around the center of the recess 7c, and each have inclined surfaces 7e adjacent to the two support surfaces 7d. The protrusions 14b each have a central portion 14c that fits into the center of the recess 7c and peripheral portions 14d that correspond to and abut the two support surfaces 7d (see FIGS. 26 and 27). The contour of the convex portion 14b and the contour of the concave portion 7c are complementary. When the lid member L is in the unfolded state and covers the opening 1 of the storage device main body M, the auxiliary guided portion 14 is positioned at the formation position of the first holding portion 7a or the second holding portion 7b, but the peripheral portion 14d of the convex portion 14b is in contact with the support surface 7d so as to be in a reference position (see FIG. 28) where the convex portion 14b does not enter the concave portion 7c. When the engagement of the first engaging portion 26 is released, the auxiliary guided portion 14 positioned on the imaginary straight line S2 passing through the guided portion 13 engaged with the first engaging portion 26 enters the auxiliary guide rail 7, and the transition of the lid member L to the folded state begins. At this time, the auxiliary guided portion 14, which is positioned on the imaginary straight line S2 passing through the guided portion 13 engaged with the second engaging portion 27, is rotated at the formation position of the second holding portion 7b in accordance with the rotation of the lid structure 15 based on the transition of the lid member L toward the folded state. Then, with this rotation, the protrusion 14b gradually enters the recess 7b due to the biasing force (FIG. 29). This allows the auxiliary guided portion 14 to be held as described above.

[0061] In addition, when the engagement of the second engagement portion 27 is released, the auxiliary guided portion 14, which is positioned on the virtual straight line S2 passing through the guided portion 13 engaged with the first engagement portion 26, is operated in the same manner.

[0062] When the lid member L in the folded state is returned to the unfolded state, the auxiliary guided portion 14 held as described above is gradually returned by the inclined surface 7e in a direction against the spring force, and returns to the reference position in which the peripheral portion 14d of the convex portion 14b is in contact with the support surface 7d.

[0063] In the illustrated example, the lid member L is composed of two lid components 15, but it may also be composed of, for example, five lid components 15. In this case, in the folded state, the lid member L is M-shaped, with two mountain fold centers. Guided portions 13 and auxiliary guided portions 14 are provided between the centers of the two mountain folds, resulting in three guided portions 13 and three auxiliary guided portions 14.

[0064] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes all embodiments that can achieve the object of the present invention.

[0065] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS M Storage device main body L Lid member 1 Opening 2 Guide rail 2a Groove end 2b Groove bottom forming portion 2c Groove opening 3 Base 4 Cover 4a Hole 5 Wall portion 5a Inner surface 5b Lower structure 5c Upper structure 6 Receiving surface 6a Recess 7 Auxiliary guide rail 7a First holding portion 7b Second holding portion 7c Recess 7d Support surface 7e Inclined surface 8 Capture mechanism 8a First portion 8b Second portion 8c Third portion 8d Torsion coil spring 8e Upper surface 8f Top edge 8g Bottom edge 8h Inclined edge 9 Release mechanism 9a Operation button 9b Linkage rod 9c Compression coil spring 9d First cam surface 9e Second cam surface 9f Arm portion 10 First side portion 11 Second side portion 12 Third side portion 13 Guided portion 14 Auxiliary guided portion 14a End portion 14b Convex portion 14c Central portion 14d Peripheral portion 15 Lid structure 16 Shaft body 17 Base 18 Cover 19 First bearing portion 20 Second bearing portion 21 Urging mechanism 21a Torsion coil spring 22 Damper mechanism 22a Rotary damper 22b Outer cylinder 22c Inner cylinder 23 Captured portion 24 First penetration portion 25 Second penetration portion 26 First engagement portion 27 Second engagement portion 28 Claw portion 28a Side portion 29 Base portion 30 Slider 31 Torsion coil spring 32 First operating mechanism 33 Second operating mechanism 34 Hole 35 Compression coil spring 36 Third penetration portion x First direction y Second direction S1 Virtual straight line S2 Virtual straight line z Central axis The entire contents of the specification, claims, drawings and abstract of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-028199 filed on February 28, 2024 are hereby incorporated by reference as the disclosure of the specification of the present invention.

Claims

1. A storage device comprising: a storage device main body having an opening and a guide rail; and a lid member that closes the opening in an unfolded state and has a guided portion for the guide rail on a first side facing the guide rail, wherein the lid member is formed by connecting two or more lid components each having the guided portion via an axis, and is configured so that in the unfolded state, each lid component is positioned flush to close the opening, and so that in the folded state by bending about the axis, the opening is open; the storage device main body is provided with a capturing mechanism that captures the captured portion formed on the first side of the lid member in the unfolded state, and a release mechanism that releases the capture when operated; and the lid member is provided with a biasing mechanism that biases the lid component to move the lid component to the folded state when the capture is released, and a damper mechanism that brakes the movement of the lid component due to the bias of the biasing mechanism.

2. A storage device as described in claim 1, wherein the captured portion is formed at a position that is the center of the mountain fold in the lid member in the folded state, or at a position where the distance between the guided portion and the central position in one of the lid structures is smaller than the distance between the guided portion and the central position.

3. A storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lid member is provided with a guided portion on each side of the shaft at the first side, and the storage device main body is provided with a first engagement portion that engages with the guided portion located on one side of the shaft when the lid member is in the unfolded state, and a second engagement portion that engages with the guided portion located on the other side of the shaft, a first operation mechanism that enables the engagement of the first engagement portion to be released, and a second operation mechanism that enables the engagement of the second engagement portion to be released, wherein when the engagement of the first engagement portion is released by operating the first operation mechanism, the capture by the capture mechanism is released while the engagement of the second engagement portion is maintained, and when the engagement of the second engagement portion is released by operating the second operation mechanism, the capture by the capture mechanism is released while the engagement of the first engagement portion is maintained, and the first operation mechanism and the second operation mechanism constitute part of the release mechanism.

4. The lid member has auxiliary guided portions located on an imaginary straight line passing through the guided portions on both sides of the shaft at a second side portion located opposite the first side portion, and the storage device main body has a first holding portion that houses the auxiliary guided portion located on one side of the shaft in the unfolded state, a second holding portion that houses the auxiliary guided portion located on the other side of the shaft in the unfolded state, and an auxiliary guide rail for the auxiliary guided portion that extends between the first holding portion and the second holding portion, and when the engagement of the first engagement portion is released by operating the first operating mechanism, the auxiliary guided portion that was housed in the first holding portion enters the auxiliary guide rail, allowing the lid structure to move toward the folded state, and the auxiliary guided portion that was housed in the second holding portion is held within the second holding portion, 4. The storage device of claim 3, wherein when the engagement of the second engagement portion is released by operating the second operating mechanism, the auxiliary guided portion housed in the second holding portion enters the auxiliary guide rail, allowing the lid structure to move toward the folded state, and the auxiliary guided portion housed in the first holding portion is held within the first holding portion.

5. A storage device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the capturing mechanism comprises a first part positioned within the guide rail and a second part positioned outside the guide rail, and wherein, during the process in which the lid member in the unfolded state transitions to the folded state and the process in which the lid member in the folded state transitions to the unfolded state, the capturing mechanism is configured to retract against the bias to a position in which the second part does not come into contact with the decorative surface of the lid member by the contact of the guided part with the first part, and to advance by the bias to a position in which the second part captures the captured part in the unfolded state.

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