JP2023130770A - On-vehicle roof box lock mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an on-vehicle roof box lock mechanism capable of achieving secure locking.SOLUTION: An on-vehicle roof box lock mechanism comprises a catch unit and a lock unit 4 connected with the catch unit by a connection rod 32. The catch unit has a latch 30 and a striker. The latch 30 has a latch bracket 30a and a locking pawl 30b fixed to one end of the connection rod 32. The lock unit 4 has a lock base 42 fixed to the other end of the connection rod 32 and a lock body 40 which is slidable. The lock body 40 has a lock plate 40b which is engaged with the lock base 42 and is rotatable. A slit 42b into which the lock plate 40b can enter only when the latch 30 and the striker are locked to each other, is formed on the lock base 42.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle roof box locking mechanism.

A roof box that is fixed on the roof of a vehicle is used. More specifically, a roof carrier is fixed to the roof of a vehicle, and a roof box is fixed to a crossbar of the roof carrier. The roof box is composed of a bottom case and a cover that closes the upper opening of the bottom case. The roof box also has a locking mechanism that locks the cover in the closed state.

The roof box disclosed in Patent Document 1 below is provided with a plurality of hinges on the right side when mounted on a vehicle. Further, the roof box is provided with a locking mechanism inside the left side when mounted on the vehicle. The locking mechanism includes a catch unit for keeping the cover closed. The catch unit includes a pair of latches on the bottom case side and a pair of strikers on the cover side that are engaged with the latches when the cover is closed.

By lifting the vehicle left side of the cover while releasing the locking state between the latch of the catch unit and the striker, the cover can be opened centering on the hinge on the right side of the vehicle. Here, the lock mechanism includes, in addition to the catch unit, a lock unit that locks the locked state between the latch of the catch unit and the striker.

Patent No. 4943603

In the locking mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is undesirable that the locking operation is performed when the latch is not engaged with the striker. However, depending on the combination configuration of the lock unit and catch unit, for example, in order to avoid the lock operation being performed when releasing the lock, it is necessary to modify the members such as the rod that connects the lock unit and catch unit. Accuracy is required. That is, in the locking mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1, if a member with poor processing accuracy is employed, locking reliability may not be obtained.

Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a locking mechanism for a vehicle roof box that can be reliably locked.

One aspect of the present disclosure is an in-vehicle roof box locking mechanism, which is provided between a bottom case of a roof box and a cover that closes an upper opening of the bottom case, and maintains a closed state of the cover with respect to the bottom case. and a lock unit connected to the catch unit by a connecting rod. The catch unit is provided inside the roof box in the closed state, and includes a latch attached to the bottom case and a striker attached to the cover. The latch includes a latch bracket fixed to the bottom case, and a locking pawl fixed to one end of the connecting rod that is swingably attached to the latch bracket and extends along its swing axis. have. The striker includes a striker bracket fixed to the cover and a locked member fixed to the striker bracket. The lock unit includes a lock case fixed to the bottom case, a swingable lock base fixed to the other end of the connecting rod within the lock case, and slides in a sliding direction perpendicular to the swing axis. and a lock body housed within the lock case. The lock body has a lock plate that is engaged with the lock base and is rotatable in a plane perpendicular to the sliding direction of the lock plate. A slit in the lock base into which the lock plate can enter only when the locking pawl connected to the lock base and the connecting rod is in a locking swing position in which the locking claw is locked with the locked member. is formed.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a locking mechanism for a vehicle roof box that can be reliably locked.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a roof box equipped with a locking mechanism according to an embodiment. It is a perspective view showing the inside of the roof box. It is a perspective view of the said lock mechanism. It is an enlarged perspective view of the catch unit in the said lock mechanism. It is an enlarged perspective view of the latch of the said catch unit. It is an enlarged perspective view of the lock unit of the said catch unit. It is an enlarged perspective view showing the inside of the above-mentioned lock unit. It is an enlarged perspective view showing the inside of the above-mentioned lock unit. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the locking mechanism (unlockable state).

Hereinafter, an in-vehicle roof box locking mechanism according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the roof box 1 in a closed state. The left side in FIG. 1 is the front of the vehicle. A roof carrier (not shown) is fixed to the vehicle, and the roof box 1 is fixed to two crossbars of the roof carrier by its clamp mechanism 2. The crossbars extend in the lateral direction of the vehicle, and one crossbar is located at the front of the roof and the other is located at the rear of the roof.

The roof box 1 includes a bottom case 1a and a cover 1b that closes an upper opening of the bottom case 1a. In the roof box 1 of this embodiment, the cover 1b can be opened upward from either the right side or the left side of the vehicle. The roof box 1 of this embodiment includes a locking mechanism shown in FIG. 3, which will be explained in detail later. The locking mechanism is provided along the right side wall inside the bottom case 1a, and is also provided along the left side wall. When opening the cover 1b from the right side, the locking mechanism on the left side functions as a hinge, and when opening the cover 1b from the left side, the locking mechanism on the right side functions as a hinge. Each locking mechanism includes a pair of catch units 3 and a lock unit 4 disposed at the center of the pair of catch units 3.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, catch units 3 are attached to the inner surfaces of the left and right side panels of the bottom case 1a and the cover 1b, respectively. Each catch unit 3 is provided between the bottom case 1a and the cover 1b, and includes a latch 30 attached to the bottom case 1a and a striker 31 attached to the cover 1b. Each catch unit 3 is provided inside the roof box 1 when the cover 1b is in the closed state, and cannot be accessed when the roof box 1 is in the closed state, ensuring safety against theft of luggage. There is.

Note that the cover 1b is not shown in FIG. 2, and only the striker 31 fixed to the cover 1b is shown. Further, in FIG. 3, the bottom case 1a and the cover 1b are not shown, and only the locking mechanism when the cover 1b is closed is shown. Further, in FIG. 2, only the rail 20 of the above-mentioned clamp mechanism 2 is shown, and the clamp unit that is slidably attached to the rail 20 is not shown. As shown in FIG. 2, beads are formed in a grid shape on the bottom plate of the bottom case 1a to improve surface rigidity. Note that, as shown in FIG. 1, the bottom case 1a and the cover 1b are formed such that the circumferential wall of the cover 1b is located outside the circumferential wall of the bottom case 1a when the roof box 1 is in the closed state. There is. Therefore, rain and the like are prevented from entering the inside of the roof box 1, and the upward opening operation of the cover 1b can be performed smoothly.

The catch unit 3 is a mechanism for maintaining the closed state of the cover 1b so that the cover 1b does not open accidentally, and is part of a locking mechanism that locks the closed state of the cover 1b by cooperating with the lock unit 4. It is also a department. When the cover 1b is closed, the striker 31 is locked to the latch 30. In this embodiment, two catch units 3 are provided spaced apart along one side of the roof box 1 (for example, the right side of the vehicle), and these two catch units 3 are connected by a connecting rod 32 via a lock unit 4. has been done. A lock unit 4 is provided between the pair of catch units 3 to lock the cover 1b in the closed state. The two catch units 3 can be interlocked with the lock unit 4 through a connecting rod 32. The lock unit 4 is also provided with a push button 40a for releasing the locked state between the latch 30 and the striker 31. The push button 40a is provided with a keyhole into which a key 41 used to lock the lock unit 4 is inserted.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, links 5 for maintaining the open state of the cover 1b are attached to the front and rear parts of the roof box 1 between the bottom case 1a and the cover 1b. There is. The link 5 may include a damper.

In this embodiment, the locking mechanism consisting of the locking unit 4 and the pair of catch units 3 is also provided symmetrically on the opposite side (for example, the left side of the vehicle) of the roof box 1 that is opposite to the above-mentioned side. The locking mechanism on each side also functions as a hinge for opening and closing the cover 1b. Thereby, as described above, the cover 1b can be opened from either the right side or the left side of the vehicle. When opening the cover 1b from the right side of the vehicle, the locking mechanism on the left side of the vehicle functions as a hinge. On the other hand, when the cover 1b is opened from the left side of the vehicle, the locking mechanism on the right side of the vehicle functions as a hinge. The hinge function of the catch unit 3 of the locking mechanism will also be explained in detail later.

The catch unit 3 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. Note that the catch unit 3 shown in FIG. 4 shows the catch unit 3 on the left side in FIG. 3, and the latch 30 of the catch unit 3 shown in FIG. 5 shows the latch 30 on the right side in FIG. There is.

The four catch units 3 of this embodiment have the same configuration. However, regarding the latch 30, the extending direction of the connecting rod 32 described above differs depending on its installation position. Further, regarding the striker 31, the shape of its upper part is partially different in order to avoid interference with the cover 1b. First, the latch 30 will be explained. Although the side wall of the bottom case 1a is present on the right side in FIGS. 4 and 5, the bottom case 1a is not shown.

The latch 30 includes a latch bracket 30a fixed to the bottom case 1a with rivets, and a hook 30b as a locking pawl that is swingably attached to the latch bracket 30a. The latch bracket 30a has a shape that covers a portion other than the tip of the hook 30b. A V-shaped guide notch 30a1 is formed in each side plate portion of the latch bracket 30a to guide a bar 31b as a locked portion of the striker 31, which will be described later.

The hook 30b is swingably attached to the latch bracket 30a via the above-mentioned connecting rod 32. That is, the hook 30b is non-rotatably fixed to one end of the connecting rod 32, and the connecting rod 32 is rotatably supported by the latch bracket 30a. The connecting rod 32 extends from the latch bracket 30a toward the lock unit 4. The central axis of the connecting rod 32 coincides with the swing axis of the hook 30b, and the connecting rod 32 extends along this swing axis. The tip of the hook 30b is either protruded into the guide cutout 30a1 or retracted from the guide cutout 30a1, depending on the swinging of the hook 30b.

A torsion coil spring (not shown) as a biasing member that swings its tip toward the side wall of the bottom case 1a is built inside the hook 30b. A connecting rod 32 is inserted through the coil portion of the torsion coil spring. Therefore, if the hook 30b and the bar 31b are not engaged and no force other than the biasing force of the torsion coil spring is acting, the tip of the hook 30b will be at the engagement position with the bar 31b (see Figure 5). 9) is located closer to the side wall of the bottom case 1a (the left side state in FIG. 9). Hereinafter, the swinging position of the hook 30b when the hook 30b as a locking pawl and the bar 31b as a locked member are locked in the state shown in FIG. 5 will be referred to as the "locking swing position". call. As will be described later, a lock base 42 of the lock unit 4 is fixed to the other end of the connecting rod 32 to which the hook 30b is fixed at one end. The lock base 42 also swings as the hook 30b swings, and the swing position of the lock base 42 when the hook 30b is in the lock swing position is also referred to as the "lock swing position."

The upper surface of the hook 30b is a curved convex surface. When closing the cover 1b, the bar 31b of the striker 31 comes down from above and is guided to the guide notch 30a1. The guided bar 31b pushes against the curved convex surface of the hook 30b, and the hook 30b is swung counterclockwise in FIG. 5 against the biasing force of the torsion coil spring described above. When the bar 31b reaches the bottom of the guide notch 30a1, the contact between the bar 31b and the curved convex surface is released. As a result, the biasing force of the torsion coil spring causes the hook 30b to swing again so that its tip protrudes into the guide notch 30a1, that is, to return to the locking swing position shown in FIG. In this way, the locked state of the catch unit 3 is completed.

When a push button 40a of the lock unit 4, which will be described later, is pressed, the connecting rod 32 is rotated around its central axis, and the above-mentioned locked state is released. Therefore, while the push button 40a is pressed, the bar 31b can be moved upward, so that the cover 1b can be opened. Note that the swinging hook 30b is covered by the latch bracket 30a. Although cargo is loaded on the bottom case 1a, since the hook 30b is covered by the latch bracket 30a, swinging of the hook 30b is prevented from being obstructed by the cargo.

On the other hand, the striker 31 of the catch unit 3 includes a striker bracket 31a fixed to the cover 1b with rivets, and a bar 31b as a locked member fixed to the striker bracket 31a. The striker bracket 31a has an inverted L-shape, and its tip is bifurcated, and a bar 31b is attached to connect the bifurcated portions. The space between the bifurcated portions is formed to allow the hook 30b to swing when it is engaged with the hook 30b, and to avoid interference with the latch bracket 30a.

Next, the lock unit 4 will be explained in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. FIG. 6 is a diagram of the lock unit 4 viewed from the front side, that is, from the side wall side of the bottom case 1a. However, the bottom case 1a is not shown in FIG. On the other hand, FIGS. 7 and 8 are views of the lock unit 4 viewed from the back side. However, in order to show the internal structure of the lock unit 4, the lock case 43 is not shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Further, one of the connecting rods 32 is not shown in FIG. 7, and neither the other connecting rod 32 nor the lock base 42 is shown in FIG.

The lock unit 4 includes a lock body 40 having a push button 40a, a pair of lock bases 42, and a lock case 43. The lock body 40 and the pair of lock bases 42 are housed in a box-shaped lock case 43. Lock case 43 is fixed to bottom case 1a with rivets.

A circular hole is formed in the rear part of the lock body 40, and a coil spring 40c as a biasing member is housed therein. The coil spring 40c is stored in a compressed state between the lock body 40 and the lock case 43. Therefore, the lock body 40 is always urged forward (toward the side of the vehicle in which the roof box 1 is mounted). A push button 40a formed on the front surface of the lock body 40 projects outward from a button hole formed in the bottom case 1a. When the push button 40a is not pressed, the stepped portion at the rear of the push button 40a is in contact with the bottom case 1a around the button hole, and the lock body 40 is located at its most forward position.

Further, the lock body 40 is slidably housed in a lock case 43 while being supported by a pair of lock bases 42 . When the push button 40a is pressed, the entire lock body 40 is slid rearward against the biasing force of the coil spring 40c. From the rear side surface of the lock body 40, pins 40d protrude laterally in opposite directions. The pair of pins 40d are supported by a pair of lock bases 42, which will be described later, so that the lock body 40 is slidably held within the lock case 43.

On the other hand, a pair of lock plates 40b that protrude in opposite directions are provided at the front portion of the lock body 40. A key cylinder is built inside the lock body 40, and the lock plate 40b is rotated by turning a key 41 inserted into a keyhole formed in the push button 40a. The rotation is 90° clockwise from the state shown in FIG. In the unlocked state shown in FIG. 6, the pair of lock plates 40b extend vertically, but in the locked state rotated 90 degrees clockwise from the state shown in FIG. 6, the pair of lock plates 40b extend horizontally. It will be extended. Note that the key cylinder and lock plate 40b are rotated by the key 41, and the lock body 40 itself is not rotated.

The lock plate 40b is rotatable in a plane perpendicular to the sliding direction of the lock body 40. However, inside the lock case 43, a pair of partitions 43a are provided that allow the lock plate 40b to rotate only when the lock body 40 is in the above-described forward position. In other words, the pair of partitions 43a interfere with the lock plate 40b to prevent rotation of the lock plate when the push button 40a is pressed and the lock body 40 is not located at the frontmost position.

On the other hand, when the lock body 40 is located at the frontmost position and the pair of lock bases 42 are at the above-mentioned locking swing positions, the lock plate 40b can rotate without interfering with the partition 43a. Further, when the lock plate 40b of the lock body 40 is rotated by 90 degrees with the key 41 to be in the locked state, the lock plate 40b enters into a slit 42b of the lock base 42, which will be described later. When the push button 40a is attempted to be pressed in this state, the lock plate 40b comes into contact with the front edge of the partition 43a and the inner surface of the slit 42b, making it impossible to press the push button 40a. Note that the connecting rod 32 is rotatably held in an insertion hole formed in a side panel of the lock case 43. Further, the partition 43a has a shape that does not inhibit engagement between the pin 40d and the elongated hole 42a.

Next, the lock base 42 will be explained in detail. A thick plate-shaped lock base 42 is swingably disposed between the partition 43a and the side panel of the lock case 43. The lock base 42 is non-rotatably attached to the other end of the connecting rod 32. Furthermore, a long hole 42a into which a pin 40d is inserted is formed in the center of the lock base 42. The long hole 42a is curved so that the pin 40d is held within the long hole 42a even when the lock base 42 swings and the lock body 40 slides. Furthermore, the above-mentioned slit 42b into which the lock plate 40b can be inserted is also formed on the front side of the lock base 42.

When the catch unit 3 is not in the locked state, the lock base 42 swings closest to the side wall of the bottom case 1a due to the biasing force of the torsion coil spring in the hook 30b (the left side state in FIG. 9). At this time, the pin 40d of the lock body 40 located at the forefront position is located at the rearmost side (the near side in FIGS. 7 and 8) within the elongated hole 42a. When the catch unit 3 is locked, the lock base 42 connected to the hook 30b by the connecting rod 32 swings significantly backward and then swings forward again to enter the locked state. When the lock base 42 swings significantly backward, the pin 40d reaches the frontmost side (inner side in FIGS. 7 and 8) within the elongated hole 42a. When the catch unit 3 is in the locked state, the pin 40d is located between the center and the rear end of the elongated hole 42a. When the push button 40a is pressed in this state and the lock body 40 is slid rearward, the pin 40d comes into contact with the inner surface of the elongated hole 42a on the rear side, causing the lock base 42 to swing rearward. That is, the hook 30b is swung in the unlatching direction to release the locked state and open the cover 1b.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the connecting rod 32 of one lock base 42 and the connecting rod 32 of the other lock base 42 are connected inside the lock case 43 by a connecting member 32a. The protrusion 32a1 (see FIG. 7) of the connecting member 32a inserted into one of the connecting rods 32 has the same shape as the hole of the cylindrical connecting rod 32, and the one connecting rod 32 cannot rotate with respect to the connecting member 32a. It is. However, the protrusion 32a2 (see FIG. 8) of the connecting member 32a inserted into the other connecting rod 32 has a shape that allows rotation within a predetermined angular range with respect to the hole shape of the cylindrical connecting rod 32. There is. Therefore, the other connecting rod 32 is rotatable within a predetermined angular range with respect to the connecting member 32a. As a result, the pair of lock bases 42 can swing independently from each other, although within a predetermined angular range. That is, the pair of hooks 30b can also swing independently from each other within a predetermined angular range. The predetermined angle range corresponds to the swingable range of the hook 30b (and the lock base 42).

Note that each lock base 42 is formed with three through holes: a long hole 42a, a slit 42b, and a connecting rod 32, but the outer part of the long hole 42a is partially thinned and is transparent. It has not been made into a hole. However, if sufficient strength and rigidity can be ensured, the thin outer part of the elongated hole 42a may be made into a through hole.

From the above configuration, only when the hook 30b and the lock base 42 are in the locking swing position, that is, when the hook 30b and the bar 31b are locked and the lock body 40 is in the frontmost position, the lock plate 40b can be rotated to lock the locking mechanism. There are two sets of hooks 30b and lock bases 42, but as shown in FIG. 9, even if one is in the locking swing position, the hooks cannot be locked unless the other is in the locking swing position. For example, if the cover 1b is not closed properly due to luggage in the roof box 1 and one of the pair of catch units 3 is not properly locked, the locking operation cannot be performed.

In such a case, as described above, since the pair of connecting rods 32 can swing independently of each other, the other can be normally locked. Therefore, by pushing the cover 1b from above on the catch unit 3 which is not properly locked, the locking operation becomes possible. Therefore, the usability of the roof box 1 is greatly improved.

The lock mechanism shown in FIG. 3, which includes a pair of catch units 3 and a lock unit 4 provided between them, is provided along one side of the roof box 1. Since the two catch units 3 are provided apart from each other, when opening and closing the cover 1b from one side, the open side can be caught reliably, and the two catch units 3 can be connected by the connecting rod 32. The interlocking allows the cover 1b to be opened easily.

When opening and closing the cover 1b from one side in this way, the locking mechanism on the side opposite to this one side is in the locked state (including the locked state), and the two catch units 3 in the locked state function as hinges. do. Conversely, when opening and closing the cover 1b from the opposite side, the locking mechanism on one side functions as a hinge mechanism. That is, the cover 1b can be opened both ways.

Further, in addition to the catch unit 3, it is also necessary to release the above-mentioned link 5 that maintains the open state of the cover 1b, but in this embodiment, by simultaneously releasing the locked state of the four catch units 3, the cover 1b It is also possible to completely separate the bottom case 1a from the bottom case 1a. If the cover 1b can be completely separated from the bottom case 1a, it will be easier to clean the roof box 1, and it will also be easier to fix the roof box 1 to and remove it from the roof carrier.

According to the locking mechanism of this embodiment, the locking mechanism is composed of the catch unit 3 and the lock unit 4, which are connected by the connecting rod 32. The catch unit 3 is provided inside the roof box in the closed state, and includes a latch 30 attached to the bottom case 1a and a striker 31 attached to the cover 1b. The latch 30 includes a latch bracket 30a fixed to the bottom case 1a, and a hook fixed to one end of a connecting rod 32 that is swingably attached to the latch bracket and extends along its swing axis. 30b. On the other hand, the striker 31 includes a striker bracket 31a fixed to the cover 1b and a bar (locked member) 31b fixed to the striker bracket 31a.

Further, the lock unit 4 includes a lock case 43, a swingable lock base 42 fixed to the other end of the connecting rod 32 within the lock case 43, and a lock case that is slidable in a sliding direction perpendicular to the swing axis. 43 and a lock body 40 housed within the lock body 43. The lock body 40 has a lock plate 40b that is engaged with the lock base 42 and is rotatable in a plane perpendicular to the sliding direction thereof. Here, only when the hook (locking claw) 30b connected to the lock base 42 and the connecting rod 32 is in the "locking swing position" where the hook (locking claw) 30b is locked with the bar (locked member) 31b, the lock plate A slit 42b into which the lock 40b can enter is formed in the lock base 42.

Therefore, the lock plate 40b is placed in the slit 42b only when the hook (locking pawl) 30b and the bar (locked member) 31b are in the normal locking state, that is, in the "locking swing position". It is impossible to prevent the hook (latching claw) 30b and the lock base 42 from swinging. In other words, the locking mechanism is operated only when the catch unit 3 is in a normal latching state and the hook (latching pawl) 30b and the lock base 42 are in the "locking swing position" to perform reliable locking. I can do it. Since the locking mechanism cannot be activated unless it is in a normal locked state, insufficient locking will not occur.

Further, according to the lock mechanism of this embodiment, the lock base 42 swings as the lock body 40 that engages with the lock base 42 slides. As the lock base 42 swings, the hook (latching claw) 30b connected to the lock base 42 by the connecting rod 32 is moved from the locking swing position. That is, by sliding the lock body 40, the locked state of the catch unit 3 can be easily released, and the cover 1b can be easily opened.

Further, according to the locking mechanism of this embodiment, two catch units 3 are provided spaced apart along one side of the roof box, and a lock unit 4 is provided between the two catch units 3. The lock unit 4 is connected to the two catch units 3 by connecting rods 32, and the two connecting rods 32 are rotatable around the swing axis independently of each other. Therefore, the closed state of one side of the roof box 1 can be reliably held by the two catch units 3. On the other hand, since the two catch units 3 can be interlocked by the connecting rod 32 via the lock unit 4, it is easy to open one side of the roof box 1. Furthermore, the two catch units can each operate independently, making it easier to open and close the cover 1b. For example, it is not necessary to properly lock the two catch units 3 at the same time to maintain the normally closed state of the cover 1b, and it is also possible to lock the two catch units 3 one by one. As a result, a reliable locking state can be realized and a reliable lock can be achieved.

Here, according to the locking mechanism of this embodiment, when the cover 1b is in the closed state, the circumferential side wall of the cover is located outside the circumferential side wall of the bottom case 1a, and the lock is provided with the two catch units 3 and the lock unit 4. A mechanism is also provided symmetrically on the opposite side to the above-mentioned one side. Two sets of locked catch units 3 on each side also function as a hinge mechanism for the cover 1b. Since the circumferential wall of the cover 1b is located outside the circumferential wall of the bottom case 1a in the closed state, rain and the like are prevented from entering the inside of the roof box 1, and the upward opening movement of the cover 1b is prevented. It can be done smoothly. Furthermore, two catch units 3 are provided symmetrically on the opposite sides of the above-mentioned one side, and the two sets of catch units 3 in the locked state on each side also function as a hinge mechanism for the cover. Therefore, the roof box 1 can be opened from either one side or the opposite side.

Although the embodiments have been described above, it is possible to modify or transform the embodiments based on the content disclosed above. All components of the embodiments described above and all features recited in the claims may be extracted individually and combined insofar as they do not contradict each other.

1 Roof box 1a Bottom case 1b Cover 3 Catch unit 30 Latch 30a Latch bracket 30b Hook (locking claw)
31 Striker 31a Striker bracket 31b Bar (locked member)
32 Connecting rod 4 Lock unit 40 Lock body 40b Lock plate 42 Lock base 42b Slit 43 Lock case

Claims (4)

An in-vehicle roof box locking mechanism,
a catch unit that is provided between a bottom case of a roof box and a cover that closes an upper opening of the bottom case, and maintains a closed state of the cover with respect to the bottom case;
It includes the catch unit and a lock unit connected by a connecting rod,
The catch unit is provided inside the roof box in the closed state, and includes a latch attached to the bottom case and a striker attached to the cover,
The latch includes a latch bracket fixed to the bottom case, and a locking pawl fixed to one end of the connecting rod that is swingably attached to the latch bracket and extends along its swing axis. It has
The striker includes a striker bracket fixed to the cover and a locked member fixed to the striker bracket,
The lock unit slides in a sliding direction perpendicular to the swing axis with a lock case fixed to the bottom case and a swingable lock base fixed to the other end of the connecting rod within the lock case. and a lock body housed within the lock case;
The lock body has a lock plate that is engaged with the lock base and is rotatable in a plane perpendicular to the sliding direction thereof,
A slit in the lock base into which the lock plate can enter only when the locking pawl connected to the lock base and the connecting rod is in a locking swing position in which the locking claw is locked with the locked member. An in-vehicle roof box locking mechanism formed in. The lock base swings as the lock body engages with the lock base, and as the lock base swings, the locking claw connected to the lock base by the connecting rod swings. The vehicle roof box locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism is moved from the locking swing position. Two catch units are provided spaced apart along one side of the roof box, and the lock unit is provided between the two catch units,
The lock unit is connected to the two catch units by the connecting rod, and
The vehicle-mounted roof box locking mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the two connecting rods are rotatable about the swing axis independently of each other. In the closed state, the peripheral side wall of the cover is located outside the peripheral side wall of the bottom case,
The lock mechanism including the two catch units and the lock unit is also provided symmetrically on the opposite side of the one side,
The vehicle-mounted roof box locking mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the two sets of locked catch units on each side also function as a hinge mechanism for the cover.

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