Patent Application
20190048626
The present invention relates to an opening/closing body locking device that is used to lock an opening/closing body in a closed state. The opening/closing body is openably/closably mounted to an opening portion of a stationary body.
For example, an opening/closing body such as a lid is openably/closably mounted to an opening portion formed in a stationary body such as a glove box of an automobile. Further, there is provided a locking device for locking the lid in a closed state with respect to the opening portion, and for bringing the lid into an opened state from the opening portion.
As this kind of locking device, there is known a locking device including a lid openably/closably mounted to an opening portion, a rod mounted to the lid so as to be slidable, and a return spring that biases a distal end of the rod in a direction to protrude toward a concave portion on an inner surface of the opening portion. However, in this locking device, upon closure of the lid, the rod fits into the concave after it temporarily retracts, that is, after a tapered portion formed at the back surface side of the distal end of the rod collides against the circumference of the opening portion and slides thereon. Thus, there may arise a problem of collision noise caused by the rod colliding against the circumference of the opening portion.
In order to solve the above-described problem, Patent Document 1 describes a vehicular storage device that includes an opening/closing member, a concave portion provided to an interior member, a rod passing through the concave portion, a return spring biasing the rod in a direction to fit into the concave portion, one pin that prevents the rod from returning to the state of fitting into the concave portion after the rod is pushed out from the concave portion against the biasing force of the return spring to move the opening/closing member toward an open position, and a pin biasing spring that biases the pin from the opening/closing member in a direction of penetrating into a moving track of the rod.
In the above-described vehicular storage device, in a state where the opening/closing member closes the interior member, the pin is biased by the pin biasing spring to be brought into elastically contact with the interior member while the distal end of the rod fits into the concave portion of the interior member, and thus the opening/closing member is locked in a closed state. When an operating member is operated in this state, the distal end of the rod is pulled from the concave portion against the biasing force of the return spring, and the opening/closing member is opened from the interior member. At this time, while the rod is pushed outward by the biasing force of the return spring, a convex portion provided to the rod engages into a cylinder portion on a base end of the pin to restrict an outward-protruding amount of the rod. Thus, a lapping tab between the distal end of the rod and the inner surface of the interior member upon closure of the opening/closing member can be reduced, and a sliding-contact noise can be reduced.
However, in the vehicular storage device of Patent Document 1, in a state where the opening/closing member is opened, it is impossible to eliminate a hitting noise, because the entire distal end of the rod cannot be pulled into the position of being not in contact with the inner surface of the interior member.
In addition, although the above-described general locking device has a configuration such that the distal end of the rod enters into the concave portion to be engaged therein, there may be play between the distal end of the rod and the concave portion depending on dimension accuracy and the like. In this regard, in the vehicular storage device of Patent Document 1, one pin biased with the pin biasing spring is brought into elastically contact with the interior member to bias the opening/closing member in a direction to open the opening/closing member in a state where the opening/closing member closes the interior member. However, because the opening/closing member is by one pin, that is, only at one point, the opening/closing member wobbles, and there may be play at an engaging portion of the rod.
The object of the present invention is to provide an opening/closing body locking device that is capable of reducing a noise generated when an opening portion of a stationary body is closed, and capable of reducing play between a pair of locking portions and hook portions engaging the locking portions.
In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention provides an opening/closing body locking device for an opening/closing body that is openably/closably mounted to an opening portion of a stationary body, the locking device including:
locking portions provided on one of both lateral sides of the opening/closing body and both lateral sides of the opening portion of the stationary body;
a pair of link rods that are mounted to the other one of the opening/closing body and the stationary body, and are interlocked with each other to slidably move so that hook portions at distal ends thereof engage and disengage the locking portions;
a biasing unit that biases the hook portions of the link rods in directions that the hook portions engage the locking portions;
an operating member that causes the hook portions of the link rods to slide in directions that the hook portions disengage the locking portions against biasing force of the biasing unit;
pressing members that are provided on the both lateral sides of the opening portion of the stationary body or the both lateral sides of the opening/closing body, and press the opening/closing body in a direction to open the opening/closing body in a state where the hook portions engage the locking portions while the opening/closing body closes the opening portion; and
a holding unit that holds the hook portions in a state where the hook portions disengage the locking portions against the biasing force of the biasing unit after the hook portions of the link rods are slid in the directions to disengage the locking portions by operating the operating member, and releases the holding of the hook portions to make the hook portions engage the locking portions when the opening/closing body is closed.
There may be configured the opening/closing body locking device,
wherein, in a state where the hook portions engage the locking portions while the opening/closing body closes the opening portion of the stationary body, the hook portions and the pressing members are disposed at opposite positions sandwiching the locking portions.
There may be configured the opening/closing body locking device,
wherein the locking portions having a pin shape are provided to the opening/closing body,
wherein the stationary body includes concave portions that receive the locking portions,
wherein the pressing members are disposed on the stationary body,
wherein the link rods are provided to the stationary body and are biased inward such that the hook portions approach each other, and
wherein, when the opening/closing body is closed, the hook portions block the concave portions to thereby retain the locking portions.
There may be configured the opening/closing body locking device,
wherein the locking portions are provided on the both lateral sides of the opening portion of the stationary body, and
wherein the pair of link rods are mounted to the opening/closing body, and are biased by the biasing unit such that the hook portions protrude outward.
There may be configured the opening/closing body locking device,
wherein, when the hook portions of the link rods are slid in the directions to disengage the locking portions by operating the operating member, the holding unit is interlocked with at least the pressing member provided on one lateral side among the pressing members provided on the both lateral sides of the opening portion of the stationary body or the both lateral sides of the opening/closing body, and is moved by the biasing force of the pressing member to engage the link rod to thereby hold the hook portion in a state where the hook portion disengages the locking portion, while when the opening/closing body is closed to press the pressing member, the engagement of the holding unit with the link rod is released to thereby release the holding of the hook portion.
There may be configured the opening/closing body locking device,
wherein the holding unit is provided on the both lateral sides of the opening portion of the stationary body or the both lateral sides of the opening/closing body so as to be interlocked with the pressing members provided also on the both lateral sides of the opening portion of the stationary body or the both lateral sides of the opening/closing body.
There may be configured the opening/closing body locking device,
wherein the operating member is provided to the opening/closing body so as to be pushable while the pair of link rods are mounted to the opening/closing body so as to be slidable, so that the pair of link rods slide in directions that the hook portions disengage the locking portions against the biasing force of the biasing unit by pushing the operating member,
wherein the holding unit includes a holding member that engages and disengages at least one of the link rods,
wherein the holding member is integrated or interlocked with the pressing member, and
wherein, when the operating member is pushed, the opening/closing body is pressed in the closing direction while the pressing member is pressed, whereby the holding member moves in a direction that the holding member disengages the link rod.
There may be configured the opening/closing body locking device,
wherein the opening/closing body includes a lever that is mounted to the opening/closing body so as to be rotatable via a supporting shaft,
wherein the pressing member is provided to one end portion of the lever, and
wherein the holding member of the holding unit is provided to the other end portion of the lever so as to be engageable and disengageable with at least one of the link rods.
There may be configured the opening/closing body locking device,
wherein the holding member of the holding unit is elastically deformable.
According to the present invention, the opening/closing body is pressed in the direction to open the opening/closing body by the pressing members on the both lateral sides of the opening portion of the stationary body or the both lateral sides of the opening/closing body in a state where the opening/closing body closes the opening portion of the stationary body, and the hook portions of the pair of the link rods engage the locking portions on the both lateral sides of the opening/closing body or the both lateral sides of the opening portion of the stationary body. Thus, the hook portions and the locking portions that are disposed on the both lateral sides of the opening/closing body and the both lateral sides of the opening portion of the stationary body can be brought into contact with each other in a uniformly balanced manner without play, which can prevent an unusual sound from being made by vibration and the like of vehicles.
By sliding the hook portions of the link rods in the direction that the hook portions disengage the locking portions against the biasing force of the biasing unit by operating the operating member in a state where the opening/closing body is closed and the hook portions engage the locking portions, the engagement between the hook portions and the locking portions is released to allow the opening/closing body to be opened. At this time, the hook portions are held in a state where the hook portions disengage the locking portions by the holding unit.
Then, when the opening/closing body is closed again, the holding of the hook portions by the holding unit is released to slide the pair of link rods, and the hook portions engage the locking portions. Thus, the opening/closing body is held in the closed state.
As described above, the opening/closing body locking device is configured such that the holding unit is released upon closure of the opening/closing body, and then, the hook portions engage the locking portions. Thus, the opening/closing body can be closed more smoothly while a hitting noise generated upon closure of the opening/closing body can be reduced as compared with the conventional locking device in which the tapered portions at the distal ends of the hook portions are brought into contact with the locking portions and slide to be locked by the locking portions.
Hereinafter, an opening/closing body locking device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described referring to
As shown in
The glove box 1 includes mounting concave portions 2a, 2b provided at upper portions on the both lateral sides thereof. On the other hand, the lid 5 includes a notch 5b provided at the upper portion on one lateral side thereof corresponding to the mounting concave portion 2a of the glove box 1. Pin-shaped locking portions 6, 6 protrude from the upper portions on the both lateral sides of the lid 5 toward the outside thereof via wall portions 6b that bulge inward.
The locking device 10 according to the present embodiment includes a pair of link rods 20, 30 that are interlocked with each other to slidably move via a rotor 40, and a torsional spring 43 (the “biasing unit” in the present invention) that biases the link rods 20, 30 in directions that the link rods 20, 30 engage the locking portions 6, 6.
The link rod 20 has a letter-L bent shape on its distal end side, and includes a hook portion 23 having a plate shape and protruding inward protruding inward. The hook portion 23 has a tapered shape on the outer surface at the distal end, and includes guiding ribs 23b, 23b on the both sides. A coupling concave portion 24 for coupling with the rotor 40 is provided to the link rod 20 on the base end side.
The link rod 30 includes a rod 31 and a slider 33 coupled to the distal end of the rod 31. The rod 31 is bent in the middle of the axial direction, and its distal end extends parallel to the base end. The rod 31 includes a coupling concave portion 31a for coupling with the rotor 40 on the base end side, and includes a coupling pin 31b protruding at the distal end.
The slider 33 includes a base portion 34 having a square pillar shape, an extending portion 35 having the letter-L shape that extends inward from a lateral surface at the distal end of the base portion 34, and a hook portion 36 having a plate shape that extends from the distal end of the extending portion 35 so as to be orthogonal to the central axis of the base portion 34 as shown in
The above-described link rods 20, 30 are coupled to the rotor 40 shown in
A bezel 50 is mounted to the mounting concave portion 2b of the glove box 1 as shown in
The holding portion 53 holds a pressing member 55 including a pressing pin 56 and a coil spring 59. The pressing pin 56 includes a base portion 57, to a front surface of which an elastic member 57a made from rubber, sponge or the like is fixed, and a pillar portion 58 extending from a back surface of the base portion 57. In a state where the base portion 57 is disposed inside the concave portion 51 while the pillar portion 58 is disposed inside the holding portion 53, the coil spring 59 is provided around the outer periphery of the pillar portion 58 to bias the pressing pin 56 toward the front of bezel. Thus, the locking portion 6 of the lid 5 is pressed in the direction to open the lid 5 (see the arrows B in
A locking assembly 15 including plural constructional members is mounted to the mounting concave portion 2a of the glove box 1 (see
Referring also to
The above-described key placement portion 61 includes a striker passage 63 in the up/down direction. The striker 73 is disposed in the key placement portion 61 so as to be slidable in the up/down direction. A key housing tube 64 protrudes from the front surface of the key placement portion 61 to house the key cylinder 70 rotatably. The cover 71 (see
The slider holding portion 62 has a letter-U frame shape that is open on the both lateral sides and the back side. The slider 33 is held by the slider holding portion 62 on the inner periphery so as to be slidable along the width direction of the glove box 1. A spring holding tube 65 protrudes from the front surface of this slider holding portion 62. A pair of slits 66, 66 are provided to the slider holding portion 62 above and below the spring holding tube 65 so as to communicate with the interior of the U-shaped frame. A cushion mounting hole 67 is provided to the slider holding portion 62 in the middle of the upper portion. A cushion 69 (see
The pusher 75 (the “operating member” in the present invention) is retained in front of the slider holding portion 62 so as to be pushable in the direction orthogonal to the sliding direction of the slider 33. Pressing ribs 77, 77 having a plate shape that are inserted into the above-described slits 66, 66 protrude from the back surface of the pusher 75. Each pressing rib 77 includes a slant face 77a on its distal end, the slant face 77a being brought into slidable contact with the slant face 38a of the receiving portion 38 of the slider 33 (see
When the pusher 75 is pushed against the biasing force of the coil spring 78, the slant faces 77a of the pressing ribs 77 are brought into slidable contact with the slant faces 38a of the receiving portions 38 of the slider 33. Then, the link rod 30 is slid against the biasing force of the torsional spring 43 while the link rod 20 is slid via the rotor 40. Thus, the link rods 20, 30 are slid in directions that the hook portions 23, 36 of the link rods 20, 30 disengage the locking portions 6, 6 of the lid 5, that is, toward the outside of the glove box such that the hook portions 23, 36 move away from each other (see
The above-described holder 80 is mounted to the housing 60 on the lateral side. As shown in
The above-described holding portion 83 holds the pressing member 55 in a manner similar to the holding portion 53 of the above-described bezel 50. That is, according to the pressing member 55, the locking portion 6 of the lid 5 is pressed in the direction to open the lid 5 (see the arrow B in
A holding lever 87 is provided to the holder 80 (see
The holding lever 87 is arranged to, when the pusher 75 is pushed to slide the hook portion 36 in the direction to disengage the locking portion 6, and the holding lever 87 climbs over the holding protruding portion 37 of the slider 33, swing in a direction that the distal end portion 88 moves away from the holding protruding portion 37 with the base end side as a pivot center as indicated by the alternate long and two short dashes line in
When the pusher 75 is pushed in a state where the hook portions 23, 36 engage the locking portions 6, 6 of the lid 5 as shown in
When the lid 5 is closed from this state, the locking portions 6, 6 respectively press the pressing members 55, 55 to release the engagement between the holding lever 87 and the holding protruding portion 37 to release the holding states of the hook portions 23, 36 as shown
Here, the holding lever 87 mounted to the pressing member 55 and the holding protruding portion 37 provided to the slider 33 of the link rod 3 function as the “holding unit” in the present invention. The housing 60, the pusher 75, and the like of the locking assembly 15 are not illustrated for the sake of illustration in
Next, an operation and an effect of the locking device 10 including the above-described constructional members will be described.
First, because the housing 60, the key cylinder 70, the cover 71, the striker 73, the pusher 75, the holder 80, the slider 33 of the link rod 30 and the pressing member 55 are assembled into the locking assembly 15 as shown in
In the locking device 10, the pressing pins 56, 56 of the pressing members 55, 55 respectively bias the locking portions 6, 6 of the lid 5 in the direction to open the lid 5 in a state where the hook portions 23, 36 of the link rods 20, 30 engage the pin-shaped locking portions 6, 6 of the lid 5, and the lid 5 is closed to the opening portion 2 of the glove box 1 as shown in
When the opening portion 2 of the glove box 1 is opened from the above-described state, the pusher 75 is pushed against the biasing force of the coil spring 78 (see
When the hook portions 23, 36 are slid in the directions to disengage the locking portions 6, 6 as described above, the holding protruding portion 37 of the slider 33 of the link rod 30 pushes the protruding portion 89 of the holding lever 87 against the biasing force of the coil spring 59 as shown in
Then, by moving the lid 5 in the direction to close the opening portion 2 of the glove box 1, the locking portions 6, 6 of the lid 5 enter into the concave portion 51 of the bezel 50 (see
As described above, in this locking device 10, when the lid 5 is opened from the opening portion 2, the holding unit including the holding lever 87 and the holding protruding portion 37 of the slider 33 holds the hook portions 23, 36 in a state where the hook portions 23, 36 disengage the locking portions 6, 6, and when the lid 5 is closed to the opening portion 2, the holding unit is released to make the hook portions 23, 36 engage the locking portions 6, 6. Thus, the lid 5 can be closed smoothly with no resistance while a hitting noise generated upon closure of the lid 5 can be reduced.
In the present embodiment, when the hook portions 23, 36 engage the locking portions 6, 6 of the lid 5 to close the opening portion 2 of the glove box 1 with the lid 5, the hook portions 23, 36 and the pressing members 55, 55 are disposed at opposite positions sandwiching the locking portions 6, 6. Thus, the locking portions 6, 6 are sandwiched between the hook portions 23, 36 and the pressing members 55, 55 to make it easier to exert the pressure forces of the pressing members 55, 55 on the locking portions 6, 6, which can make the hook portions 23, 36 engage the locking portions 6, 6 firmly without play.
In the present embodiment, the pin-shaped locking portions 6, 6 are provided to the lid 5 while the link rods 20, 30, the pressing members 55, 55, and the concave portions 51, 81 arranged to receive the locking portions 6, 6 are provided to the glove box 1. When the lid 5 is closed to the opening portion 2, the locking portions 6, 6 get into the concave portion 51 of the bezel 50 and the concave portion 81 of the holder 80. Then, the holding unit is released, and the plate-shaped hook portions 23, 36 slide and retain the locking portions 6, 6 so as to close the front openings of the concave portions 51 and 81 (see
In the present embodiment, the holding lever 87 constituting the holding unit is mounted to the pressing pin 56 of the pressing member 55 corresponding to the link rod 30 such that the holding unit is interlocked with the motion of the pressing member 55. Thus, the pressing member 55 and the holding unit can share constructional members, which can reduce the number of constructional members to achieve simplification of the structure.
An opening/closing body locking device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
As shown in the enlarged explanatory view of relevant components of
A lid 5a according to the present embodiment includes a panel 7 including a pusher mounting hole 7a, and a box 8 fixed to the back surface side of the panel 7 and including a pass-through hole 8a provided at the lateral portion. The pusher 75 is retained so as to be pushable into the pusher mounting hole 7a. In the interior space of the lid 5a, a slider 90 is disposed so as to be slidable along the width direction of the lid 5a. The slider 90 includes one end surface that forms a slant face 90a and a pressing rod 90b protruding from the other end surface.
When the pusher 75 is pushed in a state where the lid 5a is closed to the opening portion 2 of the glove box 1, the slider 90 slides against the biasing force of the biasing unit (not illustrated) via the slant faces 77a, 90a. Then, the pressing rod 90b protruded from the pass-through hole 8a pushes the hook portion 36 of the link rod 30 outward to release the engagement between the hook portion 36 and the locking portion 6.
An opening/closing body locking device according to the third embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
As shown in the enlarged explanatory view of relevant components of
The lid 5b according to the present embodiment includes a panel 7 including a pusher mounting hole 7a, and a box 8 fixed to the back surface side of the panel 7, a pass-through hole 8a provided at the lateral portion of the box 8 to allow a hook portion 36a of a link rod 30a pass therethrough, and a disposition hole 8b provided to the box 8 on the lateral surface toward the panel to allow a distal end of the pressing member to be disposed therein.
The pusher 75 (the “operating member” in the present invention) is retained so as to be pushable into the pusher mounting hole 7a of the above-described lid 5b. A pair of link rods (only one link rod 30a is illustrated while the other link rod is not illustrated in
When the pusher 75 on the lid 5b is pushed (see the arrow G), the link rod 30a slides against the biasing force of the biasing unit (not illustrated) in a direction that the hook portion 36a disengages the locking portion 6a while the other link rod (not illustrated) is interlocked with the link rod 30a to slide in a direction that the hook portion of the other link rod disengages the locking portion 6a.
In the interior space of the lid 5b, a pressing arm 93 is held so as to be rotatable via a supporting shaft 93a in a state where the distal end of the pressing arm 93 is disposed in the disposition hole 8b while the distal end of the pressing arm 93 is biased toward the back side of the lid by a torsional spring 94. The pressing arm 93 and the torsional spring 94 constitute a pressing member 92.
A locking bar 96 having a rod shape and including an insertion hole 96a is provided while the distal end of the link rod 30a is inserted into the insertion hole 96a. One end of the locking bar 96 is coupled to the base end of the pressing arm 93 so as to be rotatable via a supporting shaft 96b. Thus, the locking bar 96 slidably moves in the direction approximately orthogonal to the link rod 30a in response to the rotational movement of the pressing arm 93 to thereby engage and disengage the holding protruding portion 91 of the link rod 30a (see
In a state where the hook portion 36a of the link rod 30a engages the concave locking portion 6a of the opening portion 2 of the glove box 1, and the lid 5a is closed to the opening portion 2, the distal end of the pressing arm 93 is pressed in contact with the circumference of the front opening of the opening portion 2, and biased in the direction to open the lid 5a. Thus, the hook portion 36a is pushed onto the inner peripheral surface of the locking portion 6a, which can prevent play of the hook portion 36a (see the arrow D in
When the pusher 75 on the lid 5a is pushed in a state where the lid 5a is closed to the opening portion 2 of the glove box 1, the link rod 30a slides via the slant faces 77a, 39 against the biasing force of the biasing unit (not illustrated) toward the inside of the lid. After the locking bar 96 climbs over the holding protruding portion 91, then, the holding protruding portion 91 engages the circumference of the insertion hole 96a of the locking bar 96 in a state where the link rod 30a is pulled toward the inside of the lid from the pass-through hole 8a. Thus, the hook portion 36a is held in the state of disengaging the concave locking portion 6a (see
In the present embodiment, by pushing the pusher 75 on the lid 5d (see the arrow G), the lid 5b is pressed in the direction to close the opening portion 2 of the glove box 1 while the distal end of the pressing arm 93 is pushed to rotationally move the pressing arm 93 via the supporting shaft 93a. Then, the locking bar 96 is interlocked with the pressing arm 93 to slide in a direction that the holding protruding portion 91 of the link rod 30a disengages the circumference of the insertion hole 96a (see the alternate long and two short dashes line in
Thus, when the pusher 75 is pushed as indicated by the arrow G in a state where the lid 5b is closed, that is, in a state where the hook portion 36a of the link rod 30a engages the locking portion 6a and the hook portion of the link rod (not illustrated) engages the locking portion 6a while the locking bar 96 disengages the link rod 30a, the lid 5b is pressed in the arrow H direction together with the pusher 75. On the other hand, the pressing arm 93 is pressed by the circumference of the front opening of the opening portion 2 to move the locking bar 96 in the direction to disengage the link rod 30a (see the alternate long and two short dashes line in
As a result, the link rod 30a can smoothly move in the direction that the hook portion 36a disengages the locking portion 6a, while the locking bar 96 is prevented from engaging the link rod 30a. The other link rod (not illustrated) that is interlocked with the link rod 30a also moves in the direction to disengage the locking portion 6a.
As described above, after one link rod 30a and the other link rod slide in the directions of disengaging the locking portions 6a, then, the holding protruding portion 91 of the link rod 30a engages the circumference of the insertion hole 96a of the locking bar 96. Thus, the hook portion 36a is held in the state of disengaging the concave locking portion 6a. Thus, from this state, the lid 5b opens due to its own weight or the like even when the hand is disengaged from the lid 5b. Thus, providing the pusher 75 that is the pushable operating member on the front surface of the lid 5b also allows the lid 5b to be opened and closed smoothly.
An opening/closing body locking device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
As shown in the enlarged explanatory view of relevant components of
To be specific, the pusher 75 is retained so as to be pushable at the circumference of the opening portion 2 of the glove box 1. A slider 97 including a slant face 97a and a pressing rod 97b protruding therefrom is disposed at a position adjacent to the pusher 75 such that the slider 97 is slidable along the width direction of the opening portion 2 of the glove box 1 and such that the pressing rod 97b is capable of protruding from and retract into the concave locking portion 6a.
When the pusher 75 is pushed in a state where the lid 5a is closed to the opening portion 2 of the glove box 1, the slider 97 slides against the biasing force of the biasing unit (not illustrated) via the slant faces 77a, 90a. Then, the slider 97 pushes the hook portion 36a of the link rod 30a toward the inside of the lid to release the engagement between the hook portion 36a and the concave locking portion 6a.
An opening/closing body locking device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
An opening/closing body locking device 10d (hereinafter, referred to as the “locking device 10d”) according to the present embodiment is different from the above-described embodiments in including a lever 100 integrating a pressing member and a holding unit.
The lid 5c according to the present embodiment has a structure approximately same as the lid 5b according to the third embodiment (see
The supporting member 9 includes a pair of leg portions 9a projecting from the inner surface of the lid 5c, a plate portion 9b connecting the leg portions 9a, 9a, and a supporting hole 9c provided to the plate portion 9b and into which the link rod 30b is inserted. A guiding member 110 including an elastic hook 111 is provided to the inner periphery of the supporting hole 9c. The elastic hook 111 slidably guides the link rod 30b without play by being brought into elastically contact with the outer periphery of the link rod 30b.
A plate-shaped member 32 extends from one lateral surface of the hook portion 36a of the link rod 30b facing the panel 7 at a position apart from the distal end. Engaging protrusions 32a, 32a having a square pillar shape protrude from the plate-shaped member 32 on the both lateral sides in the width direction at the distal end.
The lever 100 is supported between the pair of the leg portions 9a of the supporting member 9 so as to be swingable via a supporting shaft 102. The lever 100 includes a main body portion 101 having a predetermined bent shape and attached to the leg portions 9c via the supporting shaft 102 so as to be swingable, a pressing arm 103 extending from one end of the main body portion 101, and a pair of holding hooks 105, 105 which are protruding to be elastically deformable from the both lateral sides of the other end of the main body portion 101 so as to engage and disengage the engaging protrusions 32a of the link rod 30b.
A torsional spring 107 is attached to the main body portion 101, and the distal end of the pressing arm 103 is biased toward the back side of the lid. The torsional spring 107 and the pressing arm 103 function as the “pressing member” in the present invention. The holding hooks 105 and the engaging protrusions 32a of the link rod 30b function as the “holding unit” in the present invention. The holding hooks 105 functions as the “holding member” in the present invention.
A rotational movement stopper 101a is provided to the main body portion 101 so as to protrude from the bent portion on the lateral surface facing the panel 7. Bringing the rotational movement stopper 101a into contact with a corner portion of a block 9e provided between the leg portions 9a of the supporting member 9 restricts the rotational movement angle of the lever 100 (see
The holding hooks 105 are made thin at the base end sides so as to be flexible, and have engaging portions 105a having tapered surfaces that gradually become thicker at the distal end sides. In a state where the lid 5c is closed to the opening portion 2 of the glove box 1, the holding hooks 105 are disposed adjacent to the engaging protrusions 32a of the link rod 30b, and the engaging portions 105a of the holding hooks 105 are disposed closer to the base end of the link rod 30b than the engaging protrusions 32a as shown in
When the pusher 75 on the lid 5c is pushed (see the arrow G) in a state where the lid 5c is closed to the opening portion 2 of the glove box 1, the link rod 30b slides against the biasing force of the biasing unit (not illustrated) via the slant faces 77a, 39 toward the inside of the lid. Then, the engaging protrusions 32a of the link rod 30b are brought into contact with the engaging portions 105a of the holding hooks 105 to move while elastically deforming the holding hooks 105 to climb over the engaging portions 105a of the holding hooks 105. Then, the engaging portions 105a engage the end faces of the engaging protrusions 32a on the distal end side of the hook portion. Thus, the hook portion 36a of the link rod 30b is held in the state of disengaging the concave locking portion 6a (see
When the lid 5c is closed from this state, the distal end of the lever 100 is brought into contact with the circumference of the front opening of the opening portion 2 of the glove box 1. Then, the lever 100 rotationally moves via the supporting shaft 102, and the engaging portions 105a of the holding hooks 105 disengage the engaging protrusions 32a. Thus, the link rod 30b is biased toward the outside of the lid by the biasing unit (not illustrated), and the hook portion 36a engages again the locking portion 6a (see
In the present embodiment, the holding hooks 105 that are elastically deformable are employed as the holding member of the holding unit, so that the holding hooks 105 are elastically deformed in moving the hook portion 36a of the link rod 30b so as to be in the state of disengaging the locking portion 6a of the glove box 1. Thus, the engaging protrusions 32a of the link rod 30b can climb over the holding hooks 105 to move, and can engage the holding hooks 105 in a state where the locking is released (see
In the present embodiment, the pressing arm 103 that constitutes the pressing member is provided to one end of the lever 100 mounted to the lid 5c while the holding hooks 105 that function as the holding member of the holding unit are provided to the other end. Thus, the pressing member and the holding unit can be easily mounted to the lid 5c. Because the pressing member and the holding unit are integrated, the thickness of the lid 5c can be reduced, and the space can be saved.
In the present embodiment, by pushing the pusher 75 on the lid 5c (see the arrow G), the lid 5c is pressed in the direction to close the opening portion 2 of the glove box 1 (see the arrow H) in a manner similar to the third embodiment while the distal end of the lever 100 is pushed to rotationally move via the supporting shaft 102. Then, the holding hooks 105 are interlocked with the lever 100 to move in the direction to disengage from the link rod 30b, that is, to rotationally move in the direction that the holding hooks 105 are slightly away from the engaging protrusions 32a of the link rod 30b.
This configuration allows the engaging protrusions 32a of the link rod 30b to easily climb over the holding hooks 105 of the lever 100, which allows the link rod 30b to smoothly move. When the engaging protrusions 32a of the link rod 30b climb over the holding hooks 105 of the lever 100, the engaging portions 105a engage the end faces of the engaging protrusions 32a on the distal end side of the hook portion, and the hook portion 36a of the link rod 30b is held in the state of disengaging the concave locking portion 6a. Thus, from this state, the lid 5c can be opened, for example, due to its own weight or the like even when the hand is disengaged from the lid 5c.
An opening/closing body locking device according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
An opening/closing body locking device 10e (hereinafter, referred to as the “locking device 10e”) according to the present embodiment is different from the locking device 10d according to the fifth embodiment in the operating member.
To be specific, an operating member 76 of the locking device 10e includes a housing 76a having a box shape, and a handle 76b attached to the front surface of the housing 76a so as to be rotatable. The operating member 76 is mounted to a handle mounting hole 7b of the lid 5c such that the handle 76b is capable of being pushed and pulled. The handle 76b at the upper portion on the both lateral sides in the width direction is supported by the housing 76a so as to be rotatable. A pressing protrusion (not illustrated) protrudes from the back surface of the handle 76b.
When the handle 76b is pulled in a state where the lid 5c is closed to the opening portion 2 of the glove box 1 (see
The above-described configuration in which a link rod is pulled via a cam face by pulling a handle, for example, the known configuration of JP-A-2009-180028 can be employed, and thus, a detailed description thereof is omitted.
Although the opening/closing body locking devices according to the above-described embodiments are applied to the configurations that the lids 5, 5a, 5b, and 5c are openably/closably mounted to the opening portion 2 of the glove box 1, the present invention is not limited to these configurations. For example, the opening/closing body locking devices may be applied to a configuration in which a glove box is mounted to an opening portion of an instrument panel (the instrument panel functions as the “stationary body”, and the glove box functions as the “opening/closing body”) so as to be rotatable, a configuration in which a lid is openably/closably mounted to an opening portion of an instrument panel (the instrument panel functions as the “stationary body” and the lid functions as the “opening/closing body”), or the like. That is, the opening/closing body locking devices can be applied to a variety of opening and closing bodies that open and close opening portions of stationary bodies.
Although the above-described embodiments use the configurations that pushing the pusher directly or indirectly slides one of the link rods to interlock the other link rod to slide, the present invention is not limited to these configurations. For example, the configuration in the six embodiment shown in
While the pressing members are provided on the both lateral sides of the opening portion of the glove box or on the both lateral sides of the lid, and the holding unit is provided to the glove box on one lateral side of the opening portion or on one lateral side of the lid in the above-described embodiments, the holding unit may be provided to the glove box on the both lateral sides of the opening portion or on the both lateral sides of the lid so as to be interlocked with both the pressing members. According to this embodiment, because the holding unit is provided to the glove box on the both lateral sides of the opening portion or on the both lateral sides of the lid, the pressing members on the both lateral sides are pressed when the opening/closing body is closed, and the holding unit on the both lateral sides is interlocked with the pressing members to release the engagement with the link rods. Then, the link rods are slid by the biasing unit to make the hook portions engage the locking portions. Thus, an accident (so-called “one engagement”) that only a hook portion of one of the link rods engages a locking portion can be avoided, and the hook portions of the pair of link rods are allowed to reliably engage the locking portions.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-046986 | Mar 2012 | JP | national |
| 2012-121668 | May 2012 | JP | national |
The present application is a Continuation Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/382,208 filed on Aug. 29, 2014, which is based on International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2013/053332 filed on Feb. 13, 2013, and which claims priority from Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2012-046986 and 2012-121608, filed on Mar. 2, 2012 and May 29, 2012, respectively, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14382208 | Aug 2014 | US |
| Child | 16162493 | US |
