Damper device

Abstract

Provided is a damper device capable of stably exerting braking force. This damper device is provided with: a rack body (3) that comprises a rack gear (33) formed in a longitudinal direction; a rotating damper that comprises a pinion gear (51) that meshes with the rack gear (33) and a rotor linked to the pinion gear (51); and a case (4) that slidably retains the rack body (3) and rotatably accommodates the rotating damper. The pinion gear (51) or the rotor comprises a convex section (553) that is formed on an end surface (552) facing the rack body (3). The rack body (3) comprises a base section (31) that: is in contact with the convex section (553) and slides against the convex section (553); and is in contact with the case (4) on both sides of a sliding track of the convex section (553) relative to the rack body (3) and slides against the case (4). The base section (31) comprises: first portions (311) that do not include the sliding track; and a second portion (312) that includes the sliding track and has a total thickness less than the thickness of the first portions (311).

Description

Damper Device

[0001] The present invention relates to a damper device that provides a damping effect to a predetermined action, such as the opening of a lid of a glove box in a vehicle.

[0002] For example, a damper device may be provided in a glove box of a vehicle to prevent the cover from suddenly opening. Among various damper devices, a damper device using a rotary damper is known. The damper device using a rotary damper has the advantage of being easily made compact.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a damper device that can improve braking force response when the rack body reverses its moving direction. According to the damper device described in Patent Document 1, when the rack body moves in a predetermined direction, the planetary gear moves to one side of the housing as the gear housing rotates and engages with the engaging portion, restricting its rotation. Therefore, the rotation of the gear housing is stopped via the planetary gear, and the rotor rotates relative to the gear housing. This applies a braking force to the rotation of the rotor via the viscous fluid, thereby applying a braking force to the movement of the rack body.

[0004] Furthermore, according to the damper device described in Patent Document 1, when the rack body moves in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction, the planetary gear moves to the other side of the accommodation part as the gear housing rotates and abuts against the rotation permitting part, allowing rotation. As a result, the gear housing rotates together with the rotor, and the braking force against the rotation of the rotor is released, and the braking force against the movement of the rack body is released.

[0005] Here, dimensional variations in the components that make up the damper device, such as the rack body, can cause variations in the sliding resistance between the components, which can lead to variations in the braking force of the damper device.Damper devices are required to exert a stable braking force.

[0006] Patent No. 7133709

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a damper device that can exert a stable braking force.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a damper device comprising: a rack body having a rack gear formed along the longitudinal direction; a rotary damper having a pinion gear that meshes with the rack gear and a rotor connected to the pinion gear; and a case that slidably holds the rack body and rotatably houses the rotary damper, wherein either the pinion gear or the rotor has a convex portion formed on an end face facing the rack body; the rack body has a base that contacts the convex portion and slides against the convex portion and contacts the case on both sides of a relative sliding track of the convex portion with respect to the rack body and slides against the case; and the base has a first portion that does not include the sliding track and a second portion that includes the sliding track and has an overall thickness that is thinner than the thickness of the first portion.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, the rack body contacts and slides against the convex portion at the second portion, which has a thickness thinner than the first portion overall, i.e., a bending rigidity lower than that of the first portion. Therefore, the rack body stably contacts the convex portion and the case with a large deflection compared to when the second portion is not provided or when the rack body contacts the convex portion at the first portion. As a result, the damper device according to the present invention can suppress variations in the sliding resistance between the rack body and the convex portion and between the rack body and the case, thereby providing a stable braking force.

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a damper device that can stably exert braking force.

[0011] 6 is a perspective view illustrating a damper device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the damper device according to the present embodiment when viewed in the direction of arrow A3 shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 8 is an exploded view illustrating a damper device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 9 is an exploded view illustrating a rotary damper according to the present embodiment; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the cutting plane A-A shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 12 is a plan view illustrating a rack body according to the present embodiment when viewed from above; FIG. 13 is a plan view illustrating a rack pair according to the present embodiment when viewed from below; FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the cutting plane B-B shown in FIG. 6; FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along the cutting plane C-C shown in FIG. 6; FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along the cutting plane D-D shown in FIG. 17; FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional perspective view illustrating a state in which a rotary damper and a planetary gear according to the present embodiment are housed in a case; FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a braking force of the damper device according to the present embodiment is applied; FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the braking force of the damper device according to the present embodiment is released; FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state before the rack body according to the present embodiment is fully pulled out from the case; FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the rack body according to the present embodiment has been fully pulled out from the case; FIG. 23 is a plan view illustrating a state in which the rack body according to the present embodiment has been fully pulled out from the case.

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are preferred specific examples of the present invention, and therefore various technically preferable limitations are applied, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to these aspects unless otherwise specified in the following description to the effect that the present invention is limited. Furthermore, in each drawing, similar components are given the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a damper device according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the damper device according to this embodiment when viewed in the direction of arrow A3 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an exploded view showing the damper device according to this embodiment. Fig. 4 is an exploded view showing a rotational damper according to this embodiment.

[0014] The damper device 2 according to this embodiment includes a rack body 3, a case 4, and a rotary damper 5. As shown in Fig. 3 , the case 4 rotatably houses the rotary damper 5 and holds the rack body 3 slidably along the longitudinal direction A1 of the rack body 3.

[0015] The rack body 3 has a base 31, a first side wall 321, and a second side wall 322. The base 31 has a narrow, generally flat plate shape extending along the longitudinal direction A1. The first side wall 321 is connected to the base 31 on one side in the width direction A2 of the base 31 and stands upright toward the inner surface (i.e., the side facing the rotary damper 5). The second side wall 322 is connected to the base 31 on the other side in the width direction A2 of the base 31 and stands upright toward the side facing the rotary damper 5. The width direction A2 in this embodiment is an example of a "direction intersecting the longitudinal direction" in the present invention.

[0016] The base 31 has a first portion 311 and a second portion 312. The thickness of the entire second portion 312 is thinner than the thickness of the first portion 311. Details of the first portion 311 and the second portion 312 will be described later.

[0017] 1 and 3 , a first stopper 35 is provided at one end of the base 31 in the longitudinal direction A1. The first stopper 35 protrudes outward from the outer surface of the first portion 311 of the base 31 (i.e., the surface opposite the side facing the rotary damper 5). When the rack body 3 is pulled out from the case 4, the first stopper 35 comes into contact with a side surface 453 (see FIG. 16 ) of the rear wall portion 45 of the case 4, thereby restricting the pulling out of the rack body 3.

[0018] A pair of brackets 36 are provided at the other end of the base 31 in the longitudinal direction A1. The brackets 36 extend outward from the other end of the base 31 along the longitudinal direction A1. A mounting hole 361 is formed in each of the pair of brackets 36. For example, a mounting shaft protruding from the side wall of a glove box lid is inserted into the mounting hole 361. In this way, the end of the rack body 3 in the longitudinal direction A1 is attached to a part to which a braking force is to be applied, such as a glove box lid.

[0019] A spring portion 38 is provided between the bracket 36 and the second portion 312 in the longitudinal direction A1. When the rack body 3 is pressed into the case 4, the spring portion 38 elastically deforms by contacting the inner surface of an insertion hole 441 (see FIG. 3) formed in the front wall portion 44 of the case 4. This allows the spring portion 38 to suppress vibration of the rack body 3 relative to the case 4, thereby suppressing abnormal noise caused by the vibration.

[0020] A first guide portion 341 is provided on one side of the base portion 31 in the width direction A2. The first guide portion 341 protrudes outward from the outer surface of the first portion 311 above the first side wall portion 321 and extends along the longitudinal direction A1. The first guide portion 341 contacts the inner surface of an insertion hole 441 formed in the front wall portion 44 of the case 4 and the inner surface 452 (see FIG. 5 ) of an insertion hole 451 (see FIG. 3 ) formed in the rear wall portion 45 of the case 4, and slides relative to the inner surfaces of the insertion hole 441 and the inner surface 452 of the insertion hole 451.

[0021] In this specification, for the sake of convenience, the direction in which the rack body 3 faces the rotary damper 5 may be referred to as "downward," and the direction opposite to the direction in which the rack body 3 faces the rotary damper may be referred to as "upward."

[0022] A second guide portion 342 is provided on the other side of the base portion 31 in the width direction A2. The second guide portion 342 protrudes outward from the outer surface of the first portion 311 above the second side wall portion 322 and extends along the longitudinal direction A1. The second guide portion 342 comes into contact with the inner surfaces of the insertion holes 441 and 451, and slides relative to the inner surfaces of the insertion holes 441 and 451.

[0023] 2, a rack gear 33 is provided on the inner surface of the second side wall portion 322. The rack gear 33 is formed along the longitudinal direction A1 and meshes with a pinion gear 51 (see FIG. 3) of the rotary damper 5. When the rack body 3 slides relative to the case 4 in the longitudinal direction A1, the pinion gear 51 meshing with the rack gear 33 rotates, and the rotor 55 (see FIG. 3) attached to the pinion gear 51 rotates. Details of the rotary damper 5 will be described later.

[0024] 1 and 3, a second stopper 371 is provided on the outer surface of the first side wall 321. The second stopper 371 protrudes outward from the outer surface of the first side wall 321. When the rack body 3 is pulled out from the case 4, the second stopper 371 comes into contact with a first receiving portion 423 (see FIGS. 14 and 15) provided on the inner surface of the first side wall 42 (see FIGS. 1 and 3) of the case 4, thereby restricting the pulling out of the rack body 3.

[0025] 2, a third stopper 372 is provided on the outer surface of the second side wall 322. The third stopper 372 protrudes outward from the outer surface of the second side wall 322. When the rack body 3 is pulled out from the case 4, the third stopper 372 comes into contact with a second receiving portion 433 (see FIGS. 3, 14, and 15) provided on the inner surface of the second side wall 43 (see FIG. 3) of the case 4, thereby restricting the pulling out of the rack body 3.

[0026] The case 4 has a bottom wall 41, a first side wall 42, a second side wall 43, a front wall 44, and a rear wall 45. The first side wall 42 is connected to the bottom wall 41 on one side in the width direction A2 and stands upright toward the side that houses the rotary damper 5. The second side wall 43 is connected to the bottom wall 41 on the other side in the width direction A2 and stands upright toward the side that houses the rotary damper 5.

[0027] The front wall 44 is connected to the bottom wall 41 at the other end in the longitudinal direction A1 and stands upright toward the side that houses the rotary damper 5. The front wall 44 connects the other end of the first side wall 42 and the other end of the second side wall 43, and has an insertion hole 441. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the rack body 3 is inserted into the case 4 through the insertion hole 441 in the front wall 44.

[0028] The rear wall 45 is connected to the bottom wall 41 at one end in the longitudinal direction A1 and stands upright toward the side that houses the rotary damper 5. The rear wall 45 connects one end of the first side wall 42 and one end of the second side wall 43, and has an insertion hole 451. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , after the rack body 3 is inserted into the case 4 through the insertion hole 441 of the front wall 44, one end of the rack body 3 (i.e., the portion where the first stopper 35 is provided) is positioned outside the case 4 through the insertion hole 451 of the rear wall 45.

[0029] 3, the first side wall 42 has a first guide portion 421 and a second guide portion 422 (see FIGS. 5, 14, and 15). The first guide portion 421 is provided on the inner surface of the other end of the first side wall 42 and protrudes inward from the inner surface. The second guide portion 422 is provided on the inner surface of one end of the first side wall 42 and protrudes inward from the inner surface. When the rack body 3 is held in the case 4, the first guide portion 421 and the second guide portion 422 are close to the outer surface of the first side wall 321 of the rack body 3 and restrict movement of the rack body 3 in the width direction A2.

[0030] 3 , the second side wall 43 has a first guide portion 431 and a second guide portion 432. The first guide portion 431 is provided on the inner surface of the other end of the second side wall 43 and protrudes inward from the inner surface. The second guide portion 432 is provided on the inner surface of one end of the second side wall 43 and protrudes inward from the inner surface. When the rack body 3 is held in the case 4, the first guide portion 431 and the second guide portion 432 are close to the outer surface of the second side wall 322 of the rack body 3 and restrict movement of the rack body 3 in the width direction A2.

[0031] 3, an annular rib 411 is formed on the inner surface of the bottom wall portion 41. The rib 411 fits into an annular groove (not shown) formed in the bottom surface of the gear housing 56 of the rotary damper 5, and rotatably supports the gear housing 56.

[0032] 2, a hook 46 is provided on the outer surface of the bottom wall portion 41. The hook 46 is attached to a member that provides a damping effect. When the damper device 2 according to this embodiment is applied to, for example, a glove box, the hook 46 is attached to a side wall of a main body provided on the vehicle body side. Furthermore, the bracket 36 of the rack body 3 is connected to a side wall of a lid of the glove box that is attached to the main body in an openable and closable manner.

[0033] 4, the rotary damper 5 has a pinion gear 51, a first cap 52, a second cap 53, a seal ring 54, a rotor 55, and a gear housing 56. The gear housing 56 has a large-diameter gear 561 on its outer periphery. The gear housing 56 also has a recess 562 on its inside that houses the rotor 55.

[0034] The rotor 55 has a support shaft 551 and a base 555, and is housed in a recess 562 of the gear housing 56 in a state where it can rotate relative to the gear housing 56. The base 555 has an overall disk shape. The support shaft 551 is provided in the center of one side of the base 555 and protrudes outward. The support shaft 551 is fitted into the shaft insertion hole 531 of the second cap 53 via the seal ring 54, and protrudes outside the space formed between the gear housing 56 and the first cap 52 through the shaft insertion hole 521 of the first cap 52. The rotor 55 may be composed of a single component or multiple components. Even if the rotor 55 is composed of multiple components, the rotor 55 of this embodiment is included in the "rotor" of the present invention.

[0035] A protrusion 553 is provided on a tip surface 552 of the support shaft 551. The tip surface 552 in this embodiment is an example of the "end surface" of the present invention, and faces the rack body 3. The protrusion 553 protrudes outward from the tip surface 552 and comes into contact with the rack body 3, as will be described later. When the rack body 3 slides in the longitudinal direction A1 relative to the case 4, it slides against the protrusion 553. In other words, when the rack body 3 slides in the longitudinal direction A1 relative to the case 4, the protrusion 553 slides relative to the rack body 3.

[0036] The pinion gear 51 has a gear portion 511 on its outer periphery. The pinion gear 51 also has a shaft hole 512 formed in its center. A support shaft 551 of the rotor 55 is inserted into and fixed to the shaft hole 512 of the pinion gear 51, whereby the pinion gear 51 is attached to the rotor 55 and rotates integrally with the rotor 55.

[0037] A viscous fluid (not shown) is sealed between the gear housing 56 and the second cap 53 and surrounds the rotor 55. When the pinion gear 51 rotates with the rotation of the large-diameter gear 561 of the gear housing 56 restricted, the rotor 55 rotates relative to the gear housing 56 while receiving resistance from the viscous fluid. As a result, a braking force against the rotation of the rotor 55 is applied via the viscous fluid. On the other hand, when the pinion gear 51 rotates with the rotation of the large-diameter gear 561 of the gear housing 56 not restricted, the rotor 55 rotates together with the gear housing 56 due to the viscosity of the viscous fluid. In this case, the braking force against the rotation of the rotor 55 is released.

[0038] The protrusion 553 does not necessarily have to be provided on the rotor 55, but may also be provided on the pinion gear 51. That is, the pinion gear 51 may be attached to the support shaft 551 of the rotor 55 in a state where the pinion gear 51 covers the tip end surface 552 of the support shaft 551, and the protrusion 553 may be provided in the center of the upper end surface of the pinion gear 51. In this case, the pinion gear 51 may be made up of a single component or multiple components. Even when the pinion gear 51 is made up of multiple components, the pinion gear 51 of this embodiment is included in the "pinion gear" of the present invention. In the following description, a case where the protrusion 553 is provided on the tip end surface 552 of the support shaft 551 of the rotor 55 will be exemplified.

[0039] 3 , the damper device 2 according to this embodiment further includes a planetary gear 6. The planetary gear 6 is rotatably housed in the case 4, and meshes with a large-diameter gear 561 of the gear housing 56. The planetary gear 6 has a gear portion 61 and a disk portion 62. The gear portion 61 is provided on the outer periphery of the planetary gear 6. The disk portion 62 is provided adjacent to one end face of the gear portion 61 in the axial direction, and has an outer diameter that is the same as or larger than the outer diameter of the gear portion 61.

[0040] Next, the damper device 2 according to this embodiment will be further described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the rack body according to this embodiment as viewed from above. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the rack pair according to this embodiment as viewed from below. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C in Fig. 6. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D in Fig. 6.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 5, the rack body 3 comes into contact with a convex portion 553 formed on a tip surface 552 of the support shaft 551 at a first surface 314. As shown in Fig. 8, the first surface 314 corresponds to the inner surface of the rack body 3. When the rack body 3 slides relative to the case 4 in the longitudinal direction A1, the first surface 314 of the rack body 3 slides relative to the convex portion 553. In other words, the rack body 3 slides relative to the convex portion 553 while receiving a force from the convex portion 553 in the direction of arrow A4 shown in Fig. 5. At this time, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the convex portion 553 slides relative to the rack body 3 along a sliding track 554.

[0042] 5, the rack body 3 contacts the case 4 on both sides of a sliding track 554 of the protrusion 553 relative to the rack body 3, and slides relative to the case 4. That is, the first guide portion 341 is formed on the second surface 315 on one side of the sliding track 554, and contacts the inner surfaces of the insertion holes 441 and 452 of the insertion holes 451. As shown in FIG. 8, the second surface 315 corresponds to the outer surface of the rack body 3. When the rack body 3 slides relative to the case 4 in the longitudinal direction A1, the first guide portion 341 slides relative to the case 4. That is, the rack body 3 slides relative to the case 4 while receiving a force from the case 4 in the direction of arrow A5 shown in FIG. 5.

[0043] Further, a second guide portion 342 is formed on a second surface 315 on the other side of the sliding track 554, and comes into contact with the inner surfaces of the insertion holes 441 and 452 of the insertion holes 451. When the rack body 3 slides relative to the case 4 in the longitudinal direction A1, the second guide portion 342 slides relative to the case 4. In other words, the rack body 3 slides relative to the case 4 while receiving a force from the case 4 in the direction of arrow A6 shown in FIG.

[0044] 5 and 8 , the second portion 312 of the base 31 has a recess 313. The recess 313 is provided in the second surface 315 and is recessed from the second surface 315 toward the first surface 314. Therefore, the thickness of the second portion 312 of the base 31 is thinner than the thickness of the first portion 311 of the base 31. Specifically, the entire thickness of the second portion 312 of the base 31 is thinner than the thickness of the first portion 311 of the base 31.

[0045] 6 , the second portion 312 of the base 31 is a portion that includes the sliding track 554 of the convex portion 553. A center 316 (see FIG. 6 ) of the second portion 312 in the width direction A2 is located on one side of the sliding track 554 of the convex portion 553 (i.e., the side of the first side wall portion 321). The first portion 311 of the base 31 is a portion that does not include the sliding track 554 of the convex portion 553.

[0046] In this way, the rack body 3 contacts the convex portion 553 at the second portion 312, the entire thickness of which is thinner than the thickness of the first portion 311, i.e., the second portion 312 has lower bending rigidity than the first portion 311, and slides against the convex portion 553. Therefore, the rack body 3 stably contacts the convex portion 553 and the case 4 in a state where a large deflection has occurred, compared to when the second portion 312 is not provided or when the rack body 3 contacts the convex portion 553 at the first portion 311. As a result, the damper device 2 according to this embodiment can suppress variations in the sliding resistance occurring between the rack body 3 and the convex portion 553 and between the rack body 3 and the case 4, and can exert a stable braking force.

[0047] 6 , the second portion 312 has only one recess 313. When the rack body 3 is viewed from above, the recess 313 is formed in a rectangular shape and is surrounded by the first portion 311. In other words, the second portion 312 is surrounded by the first portion 311. In other words, the second portion 312 is surrounded on all sides by the first portion 311.

[0048] 6 and 8 , the first guide portion 341 is provided in the first portion 311 located on one side of the second portion 312 in the width direction A2 (i.e., the side of the first side wall portion 321). The second guide portion 342 is provided in the first portion 311 located on the other side of the second portion 312 in the width direction A2 (i.e., the side of the second side wall portion 322). The rack gear 33 is provided in the first portion 311 located on the other side of the second portion 312 in the width direction A2, and is formed to be attached to the inner surface of the second side wall portion 322. That is, the rack gear 33 is provided in the first portion 311 on the other side of the sliding track 554 of the convex portion 553 (i.e., the side of the second side wall portion 322).

[0049] 6 and 9, a pair of brackets 36 and a spring portion 38 are provided in the first portion 311 located on the other side of the second portion 312 in the longitudinal direction A1. As shown in Fig. 6 and 10, a first stopper 35 is provided in the first portion 311 located on one side of the second portion 312 in the longitudinal direction A1.

[0050] In this way, the first guide portion 341, the second guide portion 342, the bracket 36, the spring portion 38 and the first stopper 35 are provided on the first portion 311 which surrounds the periphery of the second portion 312 and is thicker than the entire thickness of the second portion 312.

[0051] Next, the operation of the damper device 2 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a state in which the rotary damper and planetary gear according to this embodiment are housed in a case. Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a braking force of the damper device according to this embodiment is applied. Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the braking force of the damper device according to this embodiment is released. Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a state before the rack body according to this embodiment is fully pulled out from the case. Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the rack body according to this embodiment has been fully pulled out from the case. Fig. 16 is a plan view showing a state in which the rack body according to this embodiment has been fully pulled out from the case.

[0052] Figures 12 and 13 are cross-sectional views taken along the line E-E in Figure 11. Figures 14 and 15 are cross-sectional views taken along the line F-F in Figure 1. Figure 15 is a plan view of the damper device according to this embodiment as viewed in the direction of arrow A7 in Figure 1.

[0053] The damper device 2 according to this embodiment is mounted between a pair of components moving toward or away from each other, and applies a braking force to at least one of the pair of components. When the damper device 2 is applied to, for example, a glove box, the hook 46 of the case 4 is attached to the side wall of the main body provided on the vehicle body, as described above with reference to Figures 1 to 4. In addition, the bracket 36 of the rack body 3 is connected to the side wall of the lid of the glove box, which is attached to the main body in an openable and closable manner.

[0054] 1 to 4, when the lid of the glove box is closed, the spring portion 38 is elastically deformed by contacting the inner surface of the insertion hole 441 formed in the front wall portion 44 of the case 4. That is, when the lid of the glove box is closed, the bracket 36 of the rack body 3 is located close to the front wall portion 44 of the case 4. Also, as shown in FIG. 14, the second stopper 371 is not in contact with the first receiving portion 423 provided on the inner surface of the first side wall portion 42 of the case 4 and is spaced apart from the first receiving portion 423. The third stopper 372 is not in contact with the second receiving portion 433 provided on the inner surface of the second side wall portion 43 of the case 4 and is spaced apart from the second receiving portion 433.

[0055] When the rack body 3 is pulled out from the case 4 as indicated by arrow A31 in Fig. 14, the second stopper 371 comes into contact with the first receiving portion 423, thereby restricting the pulling out of the rack body 3, as shown in Fig. 15. The third stopper 372 comes into contact with the second receiving portion 433, thereby restricting the pulling out of the rack body 3. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 16, the first stopper 35 comes into contact with the side surface 453 of the rear wall portion 45 of the case 4, thereby restricting the pulling out of the rack body 3.

[0056] 14 , when the rack body 3 is pulled out from the case 4, the first guide portion 421 and the second guide portion 422 provided on the first side wall portion 42 of the case 4 come close to the outer surface of the first side wall portion 321 of the rack body 3, restricting the movement of the rack body 3 in the width direction A2. Also, the first guide portion 431 and the second guide portion 432 provided on the second side wall portion 43 of the case 4 come close to the outer surface of the second side wall portion 322 of the rack body 3, restricting the movement of the rack body 3 in the width direction A2.

[0057] The damper device 2 according to this embodiment applies a braking force to the lid of the glove box when the lid of the glove box is pulled out, i.e., when the rack body 3 is pulled out from the case 4. In other words, the damper device 2 according to this embodiment is used to prevent the lid of the glove box from opening suddenly.

[0058] 12 and 13 , a pair of storage sections 442 are provided inside the connecting portion between the front wall section 44 and the first side wall section 42 of the case 4, and inside the connecting portion between the front wall section 44 and the second side wall section 43 of the case 4. The pair of storage sections 442 have shapes that are line-symmetrical with respect to the center line L of the case 4 in the width direction A2.

[0059] The accommodation portion 442 is formed in the bottom wall portion 41 of the case 4, and accommodates a protrusion (not shown) provided on the other axial end face of the planetary gear 6, thereby rotatably holding the planetary gear 6. The accommodation portion 442 has a shape that holds the planetary gear 6 so that the planetary gear 6 can move a predetermined distance along the outer periphery of the large-diameter gear 561.

[0060] An engaging portion 443 is provided at one end of the accommodation portion 442 in the movement direction of the planetary gear 6 (i.e., the end close to the center line L of the case 4). The engaging portion 443 restricts the rotation of the planetary gear 6 when the gear portion 61 of the planetary gear 6 abuts against the engaging portion 443. In the case 4 of this embodiment, the engaging portion 443 is configured as a corner portion that can be engaged with the gear portion 61 of the planetary gear 6.

[0061] Furthermore, a rotation permitting portion 444 is provided at the other end of the accommodation portion 442 in the movement direction of the planetary gear 6 (i.e., the end away from the center line L of the case 4). The rotation permitting portion 444 allows the planetary gear 6 to rotate when the planetary gear 6 abuts against the rotation permitting portion 444. In the case 4 of this embodiment, the rotation permitting portion 444 is configured with a concave curved surface that is arc-shaped in a plan view. The planetary gear 6 can rotate while abutting against the curved surface of the rotation permitting portion 444.

[0062] As shown by arrow A11 in FIG. 12 , when the rack body 3 is pulled out relative to the case 4, the pinion gear 51 meshing with the rack gear 33 (see FIGS. 3 and 7 ) rotates in the direction of arrow A12 in FIG. 12 . This causes the rotor 55 to which the pinion gear 51 is attached to rotate in the direction of arrow A12 in FIG. 12 . Therefore, the gear housing 56, which contacts the rotor 55 via the viscous fluid, attempts to rotate in the direction of arrow A12 in FIG. 12 . As a result, the large-diameter gear 561 rotates in the direction of arrow A12 in FIG. 12 . This causes the planetary gear 6 meshing with the large-diameter gear 561 to rotate in the direction of arrow A13 in FIG. 12 inside the accommodation portion 442. Therefore, the gear portion 61 of the planetary gear 6 engages with the engagement portion 443, restricting the rotation of the planetary gear 6.

[0063] As a result, the rotation of the large-diameter gear 561 stops, and only the rotor 55 rotates inside the gear housing 56 in the direction of arrow A12 shown in Fig. 12. Therefore, a braking force against the rotation of the rotor 55 is applied by the viscous fluid, and acts as a braking force against the movement of the rack body 3 in the direction of arrow A11 shown in Fig. 12. As a result, the damper device 2 can suppress the sudden opening of the glove box lid.

[0064] On the other hand, as shown by arrow A21 in FIG. 13 , when the rack body 3 is pushed into the case 4, the pinion gear 51 meshing with the rack gear 33 rotates in the direction of arrow A22 in FIG. 13 . This causes the rotor 55 to which the pinion gear 51 is attached to rotate in the direction of arrow A22 in FIG. 13 . Therefore, the gear housing 56, which contacts the rotor 55 via the viscous fluid, attempts to rotate in the direction of arrow A22 in FIG. 13 . As a result, the large-diameter gear 561 rotates in the direction of arrow A22 in FIG. 13 . This causes the planetary gear 6 meshing with the large-diameter gear 561 to rotate in the direction of arrow A23 in FIG. 13 inside the accommodation portion 442. Therefore, the planetary gear 6 abuts against the inner wall of the rotation-permitting portion 444, allowing the planetary gear 6 to rotate.

[0065] 3, the disk portion 62 having an outer diameter equal to or larger than that of the gear portion 61 is provided adjacent to one axial end face of the gear portion 61. Therefore, when the planetary gear 6 rotates in contact with the inner wall of the rotation permitting portion 444, the disk portion 62 rotates smoothly in contact with the inner wall of the rotation permitting portion 444. This suppresses the generation of abnormal noise.

[0066] Since the planetary gear 6 is allowed to rotate, the large-diameter gear 561 rotates together with the rotor 55. This releases the braking force acting on the rack body 3 in the direction of arrow A21 in FIG. 13. As a result, the rack body 3 is pushed into the case 4 with little resistance. This allows the glove box lid to be quickly closed.

[0067] In the damper device 2 according to this embodiment, when the moving direction of the rack body 3 is reversed, the braking force is switched by the planetary gear 6, which has an outer diameter smaller than that of the large-diameter gear 561, moving inside the accommodation portion 442. Therefore, the moving distance required to switch the braking force can be shortened, and the responsiveness of the switching of the braking force can be improved.

[0068] As described above, the pair of housing portions 442 have shapes that are symmetrical with respect to the center line L of the case 4 in the width direction A2. Therefore, by selecting the housing portion 442 into which the planetary gear 6 is inserted, the braking direction of the rack body 3 can be changed.

[0069] 12 and 13 , when the planetary gear 6 is placed in the accommodation portion 442 on the opposite side to the accommodation portion 442 into which the planetary gear 6 is inserted (i.e., the lower accommodation portion 442 in FIGS. 12 and 13 ), when the rack body 3 moves in the direction of arrow A11 in FIG. 12 , the pinion gear 51 meshing with the rack gear 33 rotates in the direction of arrow A12 in FIG. 12 . Therefore, the planetary gear 6 rotates in the direction of arrow A13 in FIG. 12 and abuts against the inner wall of the rotation permitting portion 444, thereby permitting the rotation of the planetary gear 6. This releases the braking force against the movement of the rack body 3 in the direction of arrow A11 in FIG. 12 .

[0070] On the other hand, when the rack body 3 moves in the direction of arrow A21 shown in Fig. 13, the pinion gear 51 meshing with the rack gear 33 rotates in the direction of arrow A22 shown in Fig. 13. As a result, the planetary gear 6 rotates in the direction of arrow A23 shown in Fig. 13, and the gear portion 61 of the planetary gear 6 engages with the engaging portion 443. This restricts the rotation of the planetary gear 6. As a result, a braking force against the rotation of the rotor 55 is applied by the viscous fluid, which acts as a braking force against the movement of the rack body 3 in the direction of arrow A21 shown in Fig. 13.

[0071] Therefore, in the damper device 2 according to this embodiment, the braking direction of the rack body 3 relative to the case 4 can be appropriately changed simply by changing the arrangement of the planetary gears 6 .

[0072] As described above, according to the damper device 2 of this embodiment, the rack body 3 comes into contact with the convex portion 553 at the second portion 312, the entire thickness of which is thinner than the thickness of the first portion 311, i.e., the second portion 312 has lower bending rigidity than the first portion 311, and slides against the convex portion 553. Therefore, the rack body 3 comes into stably contact with the convex portion 553 and the case 4 in a state where a large deflection has occurred, compared to when the second portion 312 is not provided or when the rack body 3 comes into contact with the convex portion 553 at the first portion 311.

[0073] As a result, the damper device 2 according to this embodiment can suppress variations in the sliding resistance that occurs between the rack body 3 and the convex portion 553 and between the rack body 3 and the case 4, thereby stably exerting a braking force. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the generation of abnormal noise when the rack body 3 slides against the convex portion 553 and when the rack body 3 slides against the case 4. It is also possible to suppress the generation of abnormal noise due to vibration of the rack body 3 relative to the rotation damper 5 and the case 4. Furthermore, because variations in sliding resistance can be suppressed, it is possible to reduce the operating force of the rack body 3 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the braking force acts.

[0074] 5 , the recess 313 formed in the second portion 312 is provided on the second surface 315 opposite the first surface 314 that contacts the protrusion 553. This prevents components that constitute the rotary damper 5, such as the pinion gear 51 and the rotor 55, from coming into contact with and getting caught on the step in the recess 313. In other words, it is possible to avoid unnecessary contact between the components that constitute the rotary damper 5 and the step in the recess 313. This allows the rack body 3 to move smoothly relative to the rotary damper 5.

[0075] 6 , the second portion 312 is surrounded by the first portion 311. Therefore, the first portion 311, which has a bending rigidity higher than that of the second portion 312, is present around the second portion 312. This allows the damper device 2 according to this embodiment to stably exert a braking force while ensuring the strength of the rack body 3. For example, the damper device 2 can stably exert a braking force while ensuring the strength of the portions around the second portion 312 where the first guide portion 341, the second guide portion 342, the bracket 36, the spring portion 38, and the first stopper 35 are provided.

[0076] As described above with reference to FIGS. 6 and 8 , the rack gear 33 is provided in the first portion 311 on the other side (i.e., the side of the second side wall portion 322) of the sliding track 554 of the convex portion 553. Therefore, the damper device 2 according to this embodiment can ensure the strength of the portion where the rack gear 33 is provided. Furthermore, the center 316 of the second portion 312 in the width direction A2 is located on one side (i.e., the side of the first side wall portion 321) of the sliding track 554 of the convex portion 553. Therefore, the damper device 2 according to this embodiment can set the second portion 312 over a wider range while ensuring the strength of the portion where the rack gear 33 is provided. As a result, the damper device 2 according to this embodiment can more reliably suppress variations in the sliding resistance occurring between the rack body 3 and the convex portion 553 and between the rack body 3 and the case 4, thereby exerting a braking force more stably.

[0077] The above describes the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claims. The configurations of the above embodiments can be partially omitted or arbitrarily combined in a different manner from the above.

[0078] 2: Damper device, 3: Rack body, 4: Case, 5: Rotary damper, 6: Planetary gear, 31: Base, 33: Rack gear, 35: First stopper, 36: Bracket, 38: Spring portion, 41: Bottom wall portion, 42: First side wall portion, 43: Second side wall portion, 44: Front wall portion, 45: Rear wall portion, 46: Hook, 51: Pinion gear, 52: First cap, 53: Second cap, 54: Seal ring, 55: Rotor, 56: Gear housing, 61: Gear portion, 62: Disk portion, 311: First portion, 312: Second portion, 313: Recess, 314: First surface, 315: Second surface, 316: Center, 321: First side wall portion, 322: Second side wall portion, 341: First guide portion, 342: Second guide portion, 361: Mounting hole, 371: Second stopper, 372: Third stopper, 411: Rib, 421: First guide portion, 422: Second guide portion, 423: First receiving portion, 431: First guide portion, 432: Second guide portion, 433: Second receiving portion, 441: Insertion hole, 442: Storage portion, 443: Engagement portion, 444: Rotation permitting portion, 451: Insertion hole, 452: Inner surface, 453: Side surface, 511: Gear portion, 512: Shaft hole, 521: Shaft insertion hole, 531: Shaft insertion hole, 551: Support shaft, 552: Tip surface, 553: Convex portion, 554: sliding track, 555: base, 561: large diameter gear, 562: recess

Claims

1. A damper device comprising: a rack body having a rack gear formed along the longitudinal direction; a pinion gear that meshes with the rack gear and a rotor that is connected to the pinion gear; and a case that slidably holds the rack body and rotatably houses the rotary damper, wherein either the pinion gear or the rotor has a convex portion formed on an end face facing the rack body, the rack body having a base that contacts the convex portion and slides against the convex portion and contacts the case on both sides of a relative sliding track of the convex portion with respect to the rack body and slides against the case, and the base has: a first portion that does not include the sliding track; and a second portion that includes the sliding track and has an overall thickness that is thinner than the thickness of the first portion.

2. A damper device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the second part has a recess formed on a second surface of the rack body opposite to the first surface that contacts the convex portion, and recessed from the second surface toward the first surface.

3. A damper device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second portion is surrounded by the first portion.

4. A damper device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rack gear is provided in the first portion on one side of the sliding track, and the center of the second portion in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction is located on the other side of the sliding track.

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