JP4310227B2 - Side lock device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a side lock device that locks, for example, a glove box itself or an independent lid that is attached to an instrument panel side of an automobile so as to be opened and closed.

  Although this type of conventional side lock device is not specifically shown, a pair of left and right ring levers are rotatably supported in a housing fixed to the center of the glove box body, and each of the link levers on the left and right sides is supported. A pair of latches for entering and exiting the lock hole formed in the instrument panel are provided on the upper end side, and the pair of latches are always biased in the direction of engaging the lock hole between the lower end portions of the left and right link levers. It is the structure which mounts | wears with the tension | pulling coil spring to perform (for example, refer patent document 1).

When the glove box body is closed, the leading ends of the latches provided at the upper ends of the left and right link levers are engaged with the corresponding left and right lock holes on the instrument panel side. When the locked state is released and the glove box is opened, it is provided facing the middle part of the pair of left and right link levers by swinging the operation handle. If each projecting arm is pushed down against the biasing spring pressure of the tension coil spring, the left and right link levers rotate in the direction opposite to the biasing direction, causing the tip of the latch to retract from the lock hole. This makes it possible to move the glove box in the opening direction.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-60079

  However, in the conventional side lock device, the right handle type vehicle used in countries with different traffic regulations because the operation handle is pivotally supported on a bearing piece standing on the housing side. Since the position of the glove box on the left and right-hand drive models is different on the left and right, if you try to place the operation handle of the side lock device at a position other than the center of the glove box, The device itself had to be changed. In addition, even when the operation direction or operation method of the operation handle is inevitably changed due to national circumstances, national character, or fashion, the design change of the side lock device is forced each time.

  The present invention was developed in order to effectively solve the problems of such a conventional side lock device. The invention according to claim 1 attaches the opening / closing body to the support body so that the opening / closing body can be opened and closed, and The left and right latches are urged in the direction of the lock hole formed on the support side by the spring pressure of the urging spring means, and the left and right latches are operated by operating the operation handle. In the side lock device for retreating the front end portion from the lock hole on the support body against the biasing spring means, the pair of left and right latches are interlocked via a link lever rotatably supported on the opening / closing body side, The operating handle is provided with an operating portion that contacts the latch, and at least one of the latches is provided with two or more contacting surfaces that contact the operating portion of the operating handle.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, on the premise of the first aspect, the opening / closing body includes a holding member that movably holds one of the latches, the holding member is detachable from the opening / closing body, and the operation handle is provided. It is characterized by being supported so as to be swingable or pressable.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, on the premise of the first or second aspect, the latch includes an elastic piece having a protrusion, the link lever includes a concave portion that fits the protrusion, and the thickness of the link lever is that of the latch. It is characterized by being thinner than the wall thickness.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, on the premise of the first to third aspects, each of the pair of left and right latches has a shaft portion provided on the rear end side of each of the latches and a hole portion through which the shaft portion on the other side is inserted. Each of the holes has a braking means, and an urging spring means is attached to one shaft portion.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, on the premise of the second to fourth aspects, the latch has an elastic claw for temporarily fixing the holding member.

  Therefore, in the invention described in claim 1, at least one of the latches has two or more contact surfaces that contact the operating portion of the operation handle, and the position of the operation handle can be freely moved along the latch. If the operating handle is operated while the operating portion is changed to contact the corresponding contact surface, the distal ends of the pair of left and right latches are retracted against the urging spring means from the lock hole on the support side. Thus, it is possible to provide a number of operating directions and operating methods for the operating handle.

  In the invention according to claim 2, the holding member that supports the operation handle so as to be swingable or pressable is detachable from the opening / closing body, and the holding member is placed at an arbitrary position of the opening / closing body. In accordance with this, the installation position of the operation handle can be freely changed. In the invention according to claim 3, since the thickness of the link lever is thinner than the thickness of the latch, the entire latch becomes thinner, and the side lock device itself can be made thinner.

  In the invention of claim 4, the shaft structure corresponding to each hole is inserted into each other, so that the frame structure is completed by itself and can withstand deformation due to torsional moment, etc., and each hole Because of having a braking means, it is possible to prevent an unpleasant hitting sound from being generated when the latch enters and exits the lock hole. In the invention according to claim 5, since the latch and the holding member can be delivered in a temporarily assembled state because the elastic claw for temporarily fixing the holding member to the latch is provided, the working efficiency is improved.

  In the present invention, at least one of the pair of left and right latches is provided with two or more contact surfaces that contact the operation portion of the operation handle, so that the position of the operation handle can be freely changed along the latch. If the operation handle is operated while the operating part is in contact with the corresponding contact surface, the tip of the left and right pair of latches can be retracted against the biasing spring means from the lock hole on the support side. Therefore, it is intended to provide various operation directions and operation methods of the operation handle.

  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments shown below. The side lock device according to the embodiment is also a glove box itself or an independent lid thereof attached to an instrument panel of an automobile so as to be opened and closed. Here, for the sake of convenience, a case where the present invention is applied to a glove box will be described. Further, it is assumed that the box body of the glove box is pivotally supported with respect to the space of the instrument panel.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, one of the left and right latches movably held between the outer panel and the inner panel on the design surface of the glove box body is one latch. The rear end portion side of 1A is curved upward, and the rear end portion side of the other latch 1B is curved downward so that they can be linked together in the vertical direction. A shaft portion 2 with a retaining claw 2a to be inserted into a hole portion 3 to be described later is integrally projected on the end surface, and a hole portion 3 through which each of the shaft portions 2 is inserted is provided at a curved base. The other shaft portion 2 is inserted into each hole portion 3 from opposite directions, whereby a frame structure is constructed in this portion so that it can withstand deformation due to a torsional moment or the like.

  The link lever 5 described later is rotated by the force transmitted from one of the operation handles 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D described later to the one latch 1A, and the force is transmitted to the other latch 1B. The latches 1A and 1B and the link lever 5 are connected by loose fitting between a projection 4a and an end hole 5a, which will be described later, and a link (not shown) as a rotation fulcrum. Since there is a gap in the engagement, the link lever 5 is twisted when the opening force transmitted from the operation handles 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D to the latch 1B is transmitted to the link lever 5, and the reaction force and The reaction may cause a twisting force or a twisting moment to act on the latch 1B. However, in the present embodiment, the curved portion of the latch 1A and the curved portion of the latch 1B are connected by the respective shaft portions 2 so as to surround the link lever 5, so that the frame structure is formed. Since the secondary moment can be improved, even if there is no sliding support member for the latches 1A and 1B near the link lever 5, the torsional force and the torsional moment can be sufficiently countered.

  Further, the latches 1A and 1B are engaged with the lock holes on the instrument panel side, and the end surfaces of the retaining claws 2a of the respective shaft portions 2 collide with the end surfaces of the corresponding hole portions 3, thereby engaging with the lock holes. The amount is limited, the movement of the latches 1A and 1B is stopped, and the glove box body is closed with respect to the instrument panel. In this embodiment, therefore, high-viscosity grease is injected into the hole portion 3 to exert a braking force between the shaft portion 2 and the hole portion 3, and also between the retaining claw 2 a and the hole portion 3. By applying grease of viscosity, the impact at the time of collision is softened and the occurrence of hitting sound is suppressed. The present invention is not limited to this, and an O-ring is mounted between the retaining claw 2a and the hole 3 to reduce the impact at the time of collision, thereby suppressing the generation of hitting sound, or By mounting an O-ring on the shaft portion 2 and forming a simple air damper by forming an air discharge hole having a fine cross-sectional area connecting the inside and the outside air in the hole portion 3, It is also possible to suppress the generation of sound.

  In addition to this, each of the left and right latches 1A and 1B is provided with an elastic piece 4 having a protrusion 4a in the cutout region by notching the middle part of its curved shape, and the protrusion of each elastic piece 4 By fitting 4a into end holes 5a which are recesses formed at both ends of the link lever 5, the left and right latches 1A and 1B are connected to each other so as to be interlocked, and the left and right latches 1B are connected to the shaft 2 A compression coil spring 6 serving as an urging spring means for urging the tip of each latch 1A, 1B in the direction of a lock hole formed on the instrument panel side is mounted. The link lever 5 is rotatably supported by a support (not shown) provided on the outer panel side through the central hole 5b. As shown in FIG. By setting the thickness to be thinner than the thickness of the latches 1A and 1B and making the entire latches 1A and 1B thin, the side lock device itself can be made thin in combination with the overlapping state in the vertical direction. Therefore, the space that can be used effectively for the glove box can be widened compared to the conventional products.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the blind side first engaging hole 7 and the through hole-like second side are formed on the straight side surfaces facing the outer panels of the left and right latches 1A and 1B. A plurality of engagement holes 8 are provided at a predetermined interval in a paired relationship, and one latch 1A, which will be described later, is moved toward the end of the straight side facing the inner panel as shown in FIG. By forming the elastic claw 9 for temporarily holding the holding members 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D that can be held and delivering the latches 1A and 1B and the holding members in a temporarily assembled state, the efficiency of the assembly work can be improved. It has a configuration. A contact surface 7a perpendicular to the moving axis direction of the latches 1A and 1B is formed for the first engagement hole 7, and the latches 1A and 1B are formed for the second engagement hole 8. It is assumed that the contact surface 8a is inclined with respect to the moving axis direction. In FIG. 2, the holes visible on the side surfaces of the latches 1 </ b> A and 1 </ b> B are the above-described through-hole-like second engagement hole portions 8.

  Therefore, when the operating handle 10A that swings in the vertical direction from bottom to top is used for the pair of left and right latches 1A and 1B having such a configuration, as shown in FIG. The holding hole 12 that movably holds the tip of one latch 1A, the shaft 14 that fits the bearing hole 13 of the operation handle 10A, the fixed piece 15 that is fixed to the outer panel, the operation An insertion hole 17 for inserting the tapered operation portion 16A of the handle 10A into the holding hole 12 is formed, and for the operation handle 10A, a bearing hole portion 13 fitted to the shaft portion 14 on both sides thereof, By forming the tapered operation portion 16A to be fitted into the second engagement hole portion 8 described above, the bearing hole portion 13 and the shaft portion 14 are fitted, and thereby the operation handle 10A is swung by the holding member 11A. Supporting movably To.

  And while inserting the front-end | tip part of one latch 1A in the holding hole 12 of 11 A of holding members, the holding member 11A is corresponded to the arbitrary 2nd engagement hole 8 side, and the outer panel side via the fixing piece 15 If the screw is fastened, the tapered operation portion 16A of the operation handle 10A supported by the holding member 11A is fitted into the second engagement hole portion 8. In this case, only the tip of one latch 1A is held via the holding member 11A, but the tip of the other latch 1B is a through hole formed on the side surface of the glove box body. Since it will be held directly, there is no risk of hindering the operation of both 1A and 1B. Of course, it goes without saying that the tip of one latch 1A is also held by the through hole.

  Then, after that, by swinging the operation handle 10A, as shown in FIG. 5, the tapered contact portion 8a of the second engagement hole 8 corresponding to the tapered operation portion 16A of the operation handle 10A. The tip of one latch 1A is retreated from the lock hole of the instrument panel against the biasing spring pressure of the compression coil spring 6, and the tip of the other latch 1B is also linked. Since the lever 5 is retracted from the lock hole, the glove box can be moved in the opening direction. In this case, even when an operation handle that swings in the vertical direction from top to bottom is used, it is used under the same principle. When the swinging operation of the operation handle 10A is released, the operation handle 10A automatically returns to the original closed state by the urging force of the compression coil spring 6.

  Next, when the operation handle 10B swinging laterally from the left to the right is used for the pair of left and right latches 1A and 1B, as shown in FIG. In addition to the hole 12, the shaft portion 14, and the fixed piece 15, an insertion hole 17 for inserting the linear operation portion 16 </ b> B of the operation handle 10 </ b> B into the holding hole 12 is formed. A bearing hole 13 and a linear actuating portion 16B are formed on the side, and the operation handle 10B is supported by the holding member 11B in a swingable manner by fitting the bearing hole 13 and the shaft portion 14 together. And

  And while inserting the front-end | tip part of one latch 1A in the holding hole 12 of 11 A of holding members again, this time, holding member 11B is corresponded to the arbitrary 1st engaging hole parts 7 via the fixing piece 15 this time. If it is screwed to the outer panel side, the linear operating portion 16B of the operation handle 10B supported by the holding member 11B is fitted into the first engagement hole 7. In this case as well, only the tip of one latch 1A is held via the holding member 11B, but the tip of the other latch 1B is a through hole formed in the side surface of the glove box body. It will be held directly.

  Then, after that, by swinging the operation handle 10B, the linear operation portion 16B of the operation handle 10B follows the orthogonal contact surface 7a of the first engagement hole portion 7 as shown in FIG. The front end of one latch 1A is retracted from the lock hole of the instrument panel against the biasing spring pressure of the compression coil spring 6, and the front end of the other latch 1B is also moved to the link lever 5 at the same time. Thus, the glove box can be moved in the opening direction. In this case, even when an operation handle that swings laterally from right to left is used, it is used under the same principle. When the swing operation of the operation handle 10B is released, the operation handle 10B automatically returns to the original closed state by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 6.

  Further, when the push type operation handle 10C is used for the pair of left and right latches 1A and 1B, as shown in FIG. 8, in addition to the holding hole 12 and the fixing piece 15 described above, the holding member 11C is provided. , The insertion hole 17 into which the tapered operating portion 16C of the operation handle 10C is inserted into the holding hole 12, the slit 19 for restricting the movement distance and position of the engagement leg 18 provided on the operation handle 10C side, A guide wall 19a for guiding the movement of the leg 18 is formed, and for the operation handle 10C, a tapered actuating portion 16C is formed at the center thereof, and four locking legs 18 are formed around it. By engaging the locking leg 18 in the slit 19, the operation handle 10C is supported by the holding member 11C so that it can be pressed in a direction perpendicular to the latch.

  Then, the tips of the four latching legs 18 are engaged with the slits 19 to obtain a state in which the inner surfaces of the latching legs 18 are in sliding contact with the guide walls 19a, and the tip of one latch 1A is held. If the holding member 11C is screwed to the outer panel side via the fixing piece 15 corresponding to the arbitrary second engagement hole portion 8 while being inserted into the holding hole 12 of the member 11C, the holding member 11C is supported. The tapered operation portion 16C of the operation handle 10C is fitted into the second engagement hole portion 8. Also in this case, only the tip of one latch 1A is held through the holding member 11C, but the tip of the other latch 1B is a through hole formed on the side surface of the glove box body. It will be held directly.

  Then, after that, by pressing the operating handle 10C in the direction of the holding member 11C, the tapered operating portion 16C of the operating handle 10C is in contact with the inclined surface of the second engaging hole 8 as shown in FIG. 8a, the front end of one latch 1A is retracted from the lock hole of the instrument panel against the biasing spring pressure of the compression coil spring 6, and the front end of the other latch 1B is also moved. Since the link lever 5 is retracted by the action of the link lever 5, the glove box can be moved in the opening direction. When the pressing operation of the operation handle 10C is released, the operation handle 10C is automatically returned to the original closed state by the urging force of the compression coil spring 6.

  Further, when the slide type operation handle 10D is used for the pair of left and right latches 1A and 1B, as shown in FIG. 10, in addition to the holding hole 12 and the fixing piece 15 described above, An insertion hole 17 into which the linear operating portion 16D of the operation handle 10D is inserted into the holding hole 12 and a support hole 20 with a notch groove that slidably supports the operation handle 10D itself are formed. Then, a linear actuating portion 16D is formed on one end thereof, and the operation handle 10D is supported by the holding member 11D by supporting the operation handle 10D in the support hole 20 by obtaining the deflection of the support hole 20. It shall be supported so that it can be pressed in the direction.

  And while inserting the front-end | tip part of one latch 1A in the holding hole 12 of holding member 11D, holding member 11D is set to the outer panel side via the fixing piece 15 corresponding to arbitrary 1st engagement hole parts 7. When screwed, the linear operation portion 16D of the operation handle 10D supported by the holding member 11D is fitted into the first engagement hole 7. In this case as well, only the tip of one latch 1A is held via the holding member 11D, but the tip of the other latch 1B is a through hole formed in the side surface of the glove box body. It will be held directly.

  Therefore, after that, the operation handle 10D is pressed along the holding member 11D, so that the linear operating portion 16D of the operation handle 10D comes into contact with the first engagement hole portion 7 at right angles as shown in FIG. Sliding along the surface 7a, the tip of one latch 1A is retracted from the lock hole of the instrument panel against the biasing spring pressure of the compression coil spring 6, and at the same time, the tip of the other latch 1B Since the link lever 5 is also retracted from the lock hole, the glove box can be moved in the opening direction. When the swing operation of the operation handle 10D is released, the operation handle 10D automatically returns to the original closed state by the biasing force of the compression coil spring 6.

  In the above description, the operation handles 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D are supported at arbitrary installation positions via the holding members 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D on the one latch 1A side. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the other latch 1B side is provided with the same structure as the one latch 1A. Therefore, the operation handle 10A is provided on the other latch 1B side via the holding members 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D. It is possible to support 10B, 10C, and 10D at any installation position. In any case, simply selecting the fixing position of the holding members 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D that support the operation handles 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D so as to be swingable or pressable enables the operation handles 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D. 10D can be supported at an arbitrary installation position.

  In this embodiment, since the operation handles 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D and the latches 1A and 1B exist on the front side and the back side of the outer panel, the operation handles 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D are provided. The operating portions 16A, 16B, 16C, and 16D are fitted into the engagement holes 7 and 8 through an opening (not shown) provided on the outer panel side. However, when changing the installation positions of the operation handles 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D, it is necessary to change the position of the opening of the outer panel at the same time, but it is not necessary to change the design of the side lock device itself. .

  Further, holding members 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D that support the pivoted link lever 5 and the operation handles 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D so as to be swingable or pressable and also hold the latches 1A and 1B so as to be slidable. Are attached to the back side of the outer panel. Therefore, when changing the installation position of the operation handles 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D, along with the change of the opening position, the column that supports the link lever 5 is supported. It is only necessary to change the mounting seats of the holding pieces 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D (not shown) and the holding pieces 11A, 11D, 11C, and 11D at the same time. .

  As described above, since the holding members 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D hold the latches 1A and 1B slidably on both sides of the contact surfaces 7a and 8a, the operation handles 10A, 10B, 10C, and When the force is transmitted from 10D to the latches 1A and 1B, the opening force can be smoothly transmitted to the latches 1A and 1B even if the direction of the force changes.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, by using a common left and right pair of latches 1A and 1B, the operation handle 10A can be used without changing the entire apparatus even for a right-hand drive specification vehicle or a left-hand drive specification vehicle.・ The installation positions of 10B, 10C, and 10D can be changed freely, and the operation direction can be changed freely between the vertical and horizontal swing types, and the operation method is also the push type and push. Since it can be freely changed between the type and the slide type, it is not necessary to change the design of the side lock device each time.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the contact surfaces for contacting the operation portions 16A, 16B, 16C, and 16D of the operation handles 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D are formed on the inner side of the latches 1A and 1B. However, this is not limited, and, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, a contact surface 8a that protrudes from the side surface of the latches 1A and 1B is formed to protrude toward the holding members 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D. Although it is possible to provide a notch 21 that allows movement of the contact surface 8a, the configuration of the embodiment has an advantage that the latches 1A and 1B themselves can be made thin.

  In any case, although not specifically shown, when the glove box body is in a closed state, the left and right latches 1A and 1B have their distal ends locked to corresponding left and right locks on the instrument panel side. It goes without saying that the glove box is locked in its closed position by engaging in the hole.

  The side lock device according to the present invention can provide various operation directions and operation methods of the operation handle, and in particular, locks the glove box itself or an independent lid thereof that can be opened and closed on the instrument panel side of the automobile. In some cases, it is convenient.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows a left-right paired latch provided to the side lock apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention from the outer panel side. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the left-right paired latch from the inner panel side. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the state which the end hole of the link lever fitted with the protrusion of the elastic piece. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows an up-and-down swing type operation handle and its holding member. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the state which retracted the latch with the up-and-down swing type operation handle. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows a left-right swing type operation handle and its holding member. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the state which retracted the latch with the left-right rocking | fluctuation type operation handle. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows a push type operation handle and its holding member. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the state which latched back with the push type operation handle. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows a slide type operation handle and its holding member. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the state which retracted the latch with the slide-type operation handle. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the other example of the contact surface and holding member which contact the action | operation part of an operation handle.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1A One latch 1B The other latch 2 Shaft part 2a Retaining claw 3 Hole part 4 Elastic piece 4a Projection 5 Link lever 5a End hole (recessed part)
5b Center hole 6 Compression coil spring (biasing spring means)
7 first engagement hole 7a orthogonal contact surface 8 second engagement hole 8a inclined contact surface 9 elastic claw 10A vertical swing type operation handle 10B left / right swing type operation handle 10C push type operation Handle 10D Slide type operation handle 11A Vertical swing type holding member 11B Left / right swing type holding member 11C Push type holding member 11D Slide type holding member 12 Insertion hole 13 Bearing hole portion 14 Shaft portion 15 Fixed piece 16A Tapered shape Actuator 16B Linear Actuator 16C Taper Actuator 16D Linear Actuator 17 Insertion Hole 18 Locking Leg 19 Slit 20 Support Hole 21 Notch

Claims (5)

An opening / closing body is attached to the support body so that the opening / closing body can be opened and closed, and a pair of left and right latches are movably held on the opening / closing body side, and the left and right latches are moved toward the lock hole formed on the support body side by the spring pressure of the biasing spring means. In the side lock device that urges and moves the front end of each of the left and right latches against the urging spring means from the lock hole on the support side by operating the operation handle, the pair of left and right latches on the opening / closing body side The operating handle is provided with an operating portion that comes into contact with the latch, and at least one of the contact surfaces that comes into contact with the operating portion of the operating handle is provided on at least one of the latches. A side lock device provided as described above. The opening / closing body includes a holding member that movably holds one of the latches, and the holding member is detachable from the opening / closing body and supports the operation handle so as to be swingable or pressable. Item 10. The side lock device according to Item 1. 3. The latch according to claim 1, wherein the latch includes an elastic piece having a protrusion, the link lever includes a recess to be fitted to the protrusion, and the thickness of the link lever is smaller than the thickness of the latch. A side lock device according to claim 1. Each of the pair of left and right latches has a shaft portion provided on the rear end side of each of the latches, and a hole portion through which the counterpart shaft portion is inserted. Each hole portion has a braking means and is attached to one shaft portion. 4. The side lock device according to claim 1, further comprising a bias spring means. The side lock device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the latch has an elastic claw for temporarily fixing the holding member.

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