Operating mechanism of movable member, and automobile storage apparatus

• US 7,765,642 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nifco Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nifco Incorporated
• Inventors: Fukuo, Michihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Batson; Victor
• Assistant Examiner(s): SULLIVAN, MATTHEW J
• Application Number:
  US11/433,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20060265864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 16/78, 16/79, 16/77, 16/71, 162/77, 162/80, 162/91, 162/93, 163/54, 16/54, 16/50, 185/39, 220/264
• US Class Current: 16/228
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/04 in driver or passenger space , e.g. using racks B60R7/005, B60R7/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/32 for console boxes, e.g. between passenger seats
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/022 Released by pushing in the closing direction
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/619 using flexible or rigid rack-and-pinion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/22 Locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/232 by automatically acting means
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/11 Manual wing operation
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/538 Interior lids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53 Means to assemble or disassemble
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53687 by rotation of work part

Abstract

An operation mechanism attaches a movable member to a main body to be rotatable between a first position and a second position. The movable member is held in the first position by a locking device. The operation mechanism includes a base attached to the main body, a contact portion attached to the movable member, and a coil spring having one end fixed to the base, and the other end attached to the contact portion for urging the movable member in the first position toward the second position. A transfer track for the contact portion is formed at the base. By the transfer track, after the movable member in the first position is moved to a predetermined position by a force accumulated on the spring, when the movable member is pushed to the second position, the spring stores a force from the predetermined position to the second position.

Claims

1. Operation mechanism for attaching a movable member to a main body rotatably between a first position and a second position, and holding the movable member in the first position by locking means, comprising:

a base attached to the main body,

a contact portion attached to the movable member,

a coil spring having a winding portion with one end and the other end, said one end being fixed to the base and the other end being attached to the contact portion, said the other end being rotatable relative to the winding portion and rotating the movable member in the first position toward the second position, and

a transfer track formed at the base and engaging the contact portion, said transfer track and said the other end of the coil spring being arranged to move the contact portion such that the movable member in the first position is moved to a predetermined position by said the other end by a force accumulated on the spring, and after the movable member passes the predetermined position in a direction to the second position, the winding portion of the coil spring again stores a force from the predetermined position to the second position by said the other end to reduce a movement speed from the first position to the predetermined position.

2. Operation mechanism according to claim 1, wherein

said transfer track comprises a guide member having a guide face extending along an arc of an imaginary circle, and an arc shape through-bore,

said contact portion comprises a shaft passing through the through-bore, and a rolling member provided on the shaft to rotate and travel along the guide face, and

said other end of the coil spring is arranged to support the rolling member such that a circumferential face of the rolling member is always pressed against the guide face of the guide member, and when the rolling member is situated at a beginning of the guide face, the shaft is always pressed to allow the rolling member to contact the guide face and the spring stores an urging force to move the rolling member toward a final end of the guide face.

3. Operation mechanism according to claim 2, wherein said base includes a side face of the through-bore facing the guide face of the guide member, said side face forming a bearing face of the shaft and being curved in accordance with curvature of the guide face, and a pitch between the bearing face and the guide face being substantially equal to radius of the rolling member.

4. Operation mechanism according to claim 2, further comprising a damper apparatus attached to the rolling member for braking rotation of the movable member.

5. Operation mechanism according to claim 3, wherein said through-bore includes a first end as the beginning for placing the shaft when the movable member is in the first position, a second end for placing the shaft when the movable member is in the second position, and a middle position between the first and second ends, said shaft in the second end and the shaft in the first end being located on a same side relative a location of the other end of the coil spring in the middle position.

6. Operation mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the other end of the coil spring pushes the shaft from the first end to the middle position, and when the shaft is pushed further to the second end, the coil spring stores a force to push the shaft back to the middle position.

7. An automobile storage apparatus comprising a storage member as the main body, a lid member as the movable member for closing the opening of the storage member in the first position, and the operating mechanisms according to claim 1 for connecting the lid member to the storage member.

11. Operation mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the other end of the coil spring rotates in one direction as the movable member rotates from the first position to the predetermined position, and rotates in a direction opposite to the one direction as the movable member further rotates from the predetermined position to the second position.

8. A storage apparatus comprising:

a main body having an opening,

a lid member for closing the opening of the main body,

an operation mechanism for attaching the movable member to the main body rotatably between a first position and a second position, and

a locking device for holding the movable member in the first position relative to the main body,

wherein said operation mechanism comprises;

a base formed at the main body and having an arc shape through-bore,

a contact portion attached to the movable member, and including a shaft and a rolling member provided around the shaft, said shaft passing through the arc shape through-bore so as to move therealong,

a torsion spring for applying a rotational force to the contact portion so as to move the contact portion along the arc shape through-bore, said torsion spring having a winding portion with one end and the other end, said one end being attached to the base and the other end being attached to the shaft, said the other end being rotatable relative to the winding portion and rotating the movable member in the first position toward the second position, and

a transfer track for the contact portion formed at the base, said transfer track having an arc shape guide portion with a center of curvature same as that of the arc shape through-bore so that the shaft and the rolling member rotatingly travel along the arc shape through-bore and arc shape guide portion, respectively, by the rotational force of the torsion spring,

wherein said arc shape through-bore includes a first end for placing the shaft when the movable member is in the first position, a second end for placing the shaft when the movable member is in the second position, and a middle position located between the first and second ends, said middle position being located in a horizontal direction furthest away from the center of the curvature, and said arc shape through-bore is arranged such that the shaft is moved from the first end to the middle position by said the other end by a force accumulated in the torsion spring and a force is again stored to the torsion spring when the shaft is moved from the middle position to the second end by said the other end to reduce a movement speed from the first position to the middle position.

9. A storage apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the middle position is located close to the second end to reduce a rotational speed of the shaft when the shaft is moved close to the second end.

10. A storage apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a damper apparatus attached to the rolling member for braking rotation of the movable member and disposed in the center of the curvature.

12. A storage apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the other end of the coil spring rotates in one direction as the shaft moves from the first end to the middle position, and moves in a direction opposite to the one direction as the shaft further rotates from the middle position to the second end.