JP7489364B2 - Opening and closing mechanism of the opening and closing body - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an opening and closing mechanism for an opening and closing body.

For example, some freight vehicles such as trucks and passenger cars are provided with an opening and closing body such as a tailgate at the rear of the vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, the opening and closing body is closed by manually pushing up the opening and closing body. In Patent Document 1, the cord connected to the opening and closing body is configured to be wound onto a spool when the opening and closing body is manually closed.

JP 2003-222173 A

However, in Patent Document 1, the opening and closing body must be directly and manually operated when closing the opening and closing body.

The present invention aims to provide an opening and closing mechanism for an opening and closing body that has a simple configuration and that allows the opening and closing body to be directly operated manually or the like, and also allows the opening and closing body to be indirectly operated.

The opening and closing mechanism of the present invention is an opening and closing mechanism for an opening and closing body that includes a wire for the opening and closing body connected to the opening and closing body that is opened and closed between a first position and a second position, a first rotating body that is rotatable about a predetermined axis and that can wind and unwind the wire for the opening and closing body, a second rotating body that is directly or indirectly connected to the first rotating body and rotatable about a predetermined axis, a biasing member that is provided between the first rotating body and the second rotating body and that accumulates a biasing force as the first rotating body rotates relative to the second rotating body in a predetermined direction, and an operating member that is operated to rotate the second rotating body, and the wire for the opening and closing body is wound around the first rotating body by the first rotating body rotating in a first direction when the opening and closing body moves from the second position to the first position, and the wire for the opening and closing body is wound around the first rotating body by the first rotating body rotating in a first direction. When the opening/closing body moves from the first position to the second position, the first rotating body rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and is unwound from the first rotating body. When the opening/closing body is located at the second position, if the second rotating body rotates in the same direction as the first direction by the operating member, the second rotating body and the first rotating body rotate in the first direction in conjunction with each other, and the opening/closing body can be moved to the first position. When the opening/closing body is located at the second position, if the opening/closing body moves to the first position without operating the operating member, the first rotating body rotates in the first direction relative to the second rotating body due to the biasing force of the biasing member, and the opening/closing body wire is wound around the first rotating body.

According to the present invention, with a simple configuration, the opening and closing body can be directly operated manually or the like, and the opening and closing body can also be indirectly operated.

1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration when an opening/closing mechanism for an opening/closing body according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a vehicle. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a configuration of an opening/closing mechanism of an opening/closing body according to an embodiment of the present invention; 3 is an exploded perspective view of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in FIG. 2 with a cover member removed; FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in FIG. 2, showing a state in which a second rotating body has been removed from the state shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in FIG. 2, showing a state in which a biasing member is removed from the state shown in FIG. 4; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in FIG. 2, showing a state in which the opening/closing body is in a first position which is an initial state of the opening/closing body. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in FIG. 2, showing a state in which the opening/closing body starts to move from the first position to the second position. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in FIG. 2, showing a state in which the opening/closing body has finished moving from the first position to the second position. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in FIG. 2, showing a state in which the opening/closing body starts to move from the second position to the first position by pulling the operating wire. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in FIG. 2, showing a state in which the opening/closing body has finished moving from the second position to the first position by pulling the operating wire. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in FIG. 2, showing a state in which a return operation of the operating wire has started; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another example of the operation of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in FIG. 2, showing a state in which the opening/closing body starts to move from the second position to the first position without operating the operating wire. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing a modified example of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body. 14 is a perspective view of the second rotating body shown in FIG. 13 as viewed from the first rotating body side. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in FIG. 13, and shows the opening/closing mechanism when the opening/closing body is in a second position. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in FIG. 13, and shows the opening/closing mechanism when the opening/closing body is in a first position. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the configuration of another modified example of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body. FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in FIG. 17. 18 is a view of the cover member of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in FIG. 17 as viewed from the direction of the arrow A.

The opening and closing mechanism of an opening and closing body according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment shown below is merely an example, and the opening and closing mechanism of the opening and closing body of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of an opening/closing mechanism for an opening/closing body according to one embodiment of the present invention when applied to a vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 1, the opening/closing mechanism 1 of the opening/closing body 7 according to this embodiment (hereinafter also referred to as the opening/closing mechanism 1) is attached to an attachment target having the opening/closing body 7. The type of attachment target having the opening/closing body 7 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, a vehicle 8 having the opening/closing body 7. The vehicle shown in FIG. 1 is, for example, a minivan, but may be another type of vehicle such as a truck. Note that the attachment target having the opening/closing body 7 may be something other than the vehicle 8.

The type of opening/closing body 7 in the vehicle 8 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a gate that is configured to open and close at least a portion of an opening 81, such as an entrance or exit, in the vehicle 8, as shown in FIG. 1. The gate is, for example, a tailgate (back door) that is configured to open and close at least a portion of the opening 81 of the vehicle 8. Note that the opening/closing body 7 may be a member other than a tailgate.

In this embodiment, the opening 81 is provided at the rear of the vehicle 8. In this embodiment, the opening 81 is an entrance through which the user, nursing care products such as a wheelchair, and luggage can enter and exit the vehicle 8. In this embodiment, the opening 81 is provided with an upper tailgate 71 and a lower tailgate 72. The upper tailgate 71 is provided so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction (see arrow Da) around a rotation axis provided horizontally at the upper edge of the opening 81. The lower tailgate 72 is provided so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction (see arrow Db) around a rotation axis provided horizontally at the lower edge of the opening 81. The opening/closing mechanism 1 rotates the lower tailgate 72 in the vertical direction. The upper tailgate 71 is rotated in the vertical direction by another opening/closing mechanism such as an extension mechanism 15 that supports the upper tailgate 71.

The opening/closing mechanism 1 may be provided on an object other than the vehicle 8. The opening/closing body 7 on the vehicle 8 may be a gate that opens to the side. In other words, the opening/closing body 7 on the vehicle 8 may be a gate that is rotatable horizontally around a pivot axis that is provided vertically on the right or left edge of the opening 81.

The opening/closing body 7 is preferably usable as a slope plate that facilitates loading and unloading of a care product, such as a wheelchair, onto and from an attachment target, such as a vehicle 8. In this embodiment, the opening/closing body 7 can be used as a slope plate in the open state.

The number of opening/closing mechanisms 1 provided on the mounting target such as the vehicle 8 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, there is one. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the opening/closing body 7 is opened and closed by one opening/closing mechanism 1. However, this is not limited to this, and the opening/closing body 7 may be opened and closed by two or more opening/closing mechanisms 1. In addition, the position at which the opening/closing mechanism 1 is mounted is not particularly limited, but in the example shown in FIG. 1, the opening/closing mechanism 1 is mounted on the inner wall surface of the passenger compartment of the vehicle 8, specifically, on the inner surface of the side wall.

The following describes the opening/closing mechanism 1 using an example in which the opening/closing body 7 is the lower tailgate 72. Note that the lower tailgate 72 is merely one example of the opening/closing body 7, and the opening/closing body 7 is not limited to this. The opening/closing body 7 may be, for example, a tailgate provided at the rear of the bed of a truck.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the opening/closing body 7 is a tailgate provided at the rear of the vehicle 8, which is opened and closed by rotating around a horizontal axis. The tailgate can swing between a first position P1 and a second position P2. In this embodiment, the first position P1 is a closed position, and the second position P2 is an open position. The "closed position" referred to here is a position where the opening/closing body 7 closes at least a part of the opening 81. Also, the "open position" referred to here is a position where the opening/closing body 7 opens at least a part of the opening 81. Note that the first position P1 may be one position in the opening/closing process, and does not have to be a closed position. Also, the second position P2 may be one position in the opening/closing process, and does not have to be an open position. For example, conversely, the first position P1 may be an open position, and the second position P2 may be a closed position. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the first position P1 is a position where the opening/closing body 7 rotates upward to close the lower region of the opening 81. The second position P2 is a position where the opening/closing body 7 rotates downward to open the lower region of the opening 81. More specifically, the first position P1 is a closed position where the tailgate stands upright vertically (closed state). The second position P2 is an open position where the tailgate rotates from the closed position to a tilted state (open state). Note that the first position P1 does not have to be a vertically standing state as long as it closes the lower region of the opening 81.

In this embodiment, the opening/closing body 7 is a plate-shaped member. The position at which the opening/closing body 7 is provided on the mounting object is not limited. In this embodiment, the opening/closing body 7 is provided so as to be able to open and close the lower region of an opening 81 provided at the rear of the vehicle 8. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the opening/closing body 7 is provided so as to be able to swing up and down about a rotation axis provided horizontally on the lower edge of the opening 81. When rotated downward, the opening/closing body 7 is inclined so as to face diagonally downward from the rotation axis side toward the tip side. When rotated downward, the opening/closing body 7 can be used as a slope plate.

A user of a care product such as a wheelchair can easily load the care product into a vehicle 8 or the like by moving the care product uphill on the opening/closing body 7. When the opening/closing body 7 is rotated upward, it is arranged so that it faces upward from the pivot axis side toward the tip side, for example, along a substantially vertical direction. By arranging the lower tailgate 72 facing upward in this manner, the lower tailgate 72 can close the lower area of the opening 81. Furthermore, by rotating the upper tailgate 71 downward, the entire opening 81 can be closed.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the opening and closing mechanism of the opening and closing body of one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the opening and closing mechanism of the opening and closing body shown in Figure 2, showing the state in which the cover member has been removed. Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the opening and closing mechanism of the opening and closing body shown in Figure 2, showing the state in which the second rotating body has been removed from the state shown in Figure 3. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the opening and closing mechanism of the opening and closing body shown in Figure 2, showing the state in which the biasing member has been removed from the state shown in Figure 4.

The opening and closing mechanism 1 will now be described in detail. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 to 5, the opening and closing mechanism 1 includes an opening and closing body wire 2, a first rotating body 3, a second rotating body 4, a biasing member 5, and an operating member 6. The opening and closing mechanism 1 further includes a rotation restricting section 10, a cover member 12, and a base member 16.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wire 2 for the opening/closing body is connected to an opening/closing body 7 that opens and closes between a first position P1 and a second position P2. In this embodiment, the opening/closing body 7 at the first position P1 is arranged so that it faces upward from the pivot axis side toward the tip side, for example, so that it stands up along the vertical direction. The second position P2 is a position where the opening/closing body 7 rotates downward to open the lower region of the opening 81. The opening/closing body 7 at the second position P2 is inclined so that it faces diagonally downward from the pivot axis side toward the tip side. The inclination angle of the opening/closing body 7 at the second position P2 is preferably an angle that allows a user of a care product such as a wheelchair to easily climb the care product on the opening/closing body 7.

The opening/closing body wire 2 supports the opening/closing body 7 when the opening/closing body 7 is opened or closed. The opening/closing body wire 2 supports the opening/closing body 7 so that the open state is maintained when the opening/closing body 7 is in the open state, and supports the opening/closing body 7 so that the closed state is maintained when the opening/closing body 7 is in the closed state. The opening/closing body wire 2 is wound around the first rotating body 3 with one end connected to the wire end fixing portion 36 of the first rotating body 3, as shown in FIG. 3. The other end of the opening/closing body wire 2 is connected to the opening/closing body 7. The first rotating body 3 is connected to the opening/closing body 7 via the opening/closing body wire 2, and rotates in response to the operation of the opening/closing body 7 when the opening/closing body 7 operates.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in Figure 2, showing a state in which the opening/closing body is in the first position, which is the initial state of the opening/closing body. Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in Figure 2, showing a state in which the opening/closing body starts to move from the first position to the second position. Figure 6 to Figure 8 sequentially show the states of the opening/closing mechanism 1 when the opening/closing body 7 moves from the first position P1 (closed position in the illustrated example) to the second position P2 (open position in the illustrated example).

Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the opening and closing mechanism of the opening and closing body shown in Figure 2, and is a diagram showing a state in which the opening and closing body starts to move from the second position to the first position by pulling the operating wire. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the opening and closing mechanism of the opening and closing body shown in Figure 2, and is a diagram showing a state in which the opening and closing body has finished moving from the second position to the first position by pulling the operating wire. Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the opening and closing mechanism of the opening and closing body shown in Figure 2, and is a diagram showing a state in which the return operation of the operating wire has started. Note that Figures 9 to 11 sequentially show the states of the opening and closing mechanism 1 when the opening and closing body 7 moves from the second position P2 (open position) to the first position P1 (closed position).

In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 8 to 10, when the opening/closing body 7 moves from the second position P2 to the first position P1, the first rotating body 3 rotates in the first direction D1, and the opening/closing body wire 2 is wound up on the first rotating body 3. Also, as shown in Figs. 6 to 8, when the opening/closing body 7 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the first rotating body 3 rotates in the second direction D2, which is the opposite direction to the first direction D1, and the opening/closing body wire 2 is unwound from the first rotating body 3.

The first rotating body 3 is a member that can rotate around a predetermined axis (shaft 9 in the example shown in FIG. 3) and can wind and unwind the opening/closing body wire 2. In this embodiment, the first rotating body 3 is provided so as to be rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the side wall of the vehicle 8. The shape and structure of the first rotating body 3 are not particularly limited as long as it can wind and unwind the opening/closing body wire 2 and can rotate around a predetermined axis. In this embodiment, the first rotating body 3 is a disk-shaped pulley. In this embodiment, the first rotating body 3 is configured so as to be rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the side wall of the vehicle 8. In this embodiment, the first rotating body 3 has a wire end fixing portion 36 to which one end of the opening/closing body wire 2 is connected, and a winding groove 31 around which the opening/closing body wire 2 is wound, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5.

When the second rotating body 4 is rotated by the operating member 6 described later, it rotates the first rotating body 3 in conjunction with the first rotating body 3, moving the opening/closing body 7. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 8 to 10, when the opening/closing body 7 is located at the second position P2 and the second rotating body 4 is rotated by the operating member 6 in the same direction as the first direction D1 (hereinafter simply referred to as the first direction D1), the second rotating body 4 and the first rotating body 3 rotate in conjunction with each other in the first direction D1, and the opening/closing body 7 can be moved to the first position P1.

The second rotating body 4 is configured so that the first rotating body 3 can rotate relative to the second rotating body 4 when the opening/closing body 7 moves to the first position P1 without the operating member 6 being operated, as will be described in detail later.

The second rotating body 4 is a member that is directly or indirectly connected to the first rotating body 3 and can rotate around a predetermined axis (shaft 9 in the example shown in FIG. 3). In this embodiment, the second rotating body 4 rotates around the same axis as the first rotating body 3. The shape and structure of the second rotating body 4 are not particularly limited as long as the second rotating body 4 is directly or indirectly connected to the first rotating body 3 and can rotate around a predetermined axis. In this embodiment, the second rotating body 4 is a disk-shaped pulley, and an operation wire 61, which will be described later, is connected to it. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the second rotating body 4 has a wire end fixing portion 42 to which one end of the operation wire 61 is connected, and a winding groove 41 around which the operation wire 61 is wound.

As described above, the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4 can rotate relative to each other and can also rotate in conjunction with each other. In this embodiment, the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4 are provided with an interlocking mechanism 11 that enables a relative rotation state in which one of the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4 can rotate relative to the other as shown in Figures 7 and 11, and an interlocking state in which the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4 rotate in conjunction with each other as shown in Figure 9. As shown in Figure 9, the interlocking mechanism 11 includes an engagement portion 111 provided on one of the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4, and a guide portion 112 provided on the other of the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4.

In this embodiment, the first rotating body 3 is provided with a guide portion 112, and the second rotating body 4 is provided with an engagement portion 111. However, the first rotating body 3 may be provided with an engagement portion 111, and the second rotating body 4 may be provided with a guide portion 112.

The guide portion 112 guides the engaging portion 111 when the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4 rotate relative to each other, and engages with the engaging portion 111 at a predetermined position in the rotational direction, allowing the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4 to rotate in conjunction with each other. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the guide portion 112 has a guide path 113 that extends along the rotational direction of the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4, and an engaged portion 115 that engages with the engaging portion 111 that moves with the rotation of one of the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4.

The shape and structure of the guide portion 112 are not particularly limited as long as it can guide the engaging portion 111 when the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4 rotate relative to each other and can engage with the engaging portion 111 at a predetermined position in the rotational direction, allowing the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4 to rotate in conjunction with each other. In this embodiment, the guide portion 112 is a groove portion that extends in a C-shape along the circumferential direction of the first rotating body 3 as shown in FIG. 9, but it does not have to be C-shaped as long as the engaging portion 111 has a guide path 113 along which it can move along the rotational direction.

The guide path 113 allows the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4 to rotate relative to each other while the engaging portion 111 moves along the guide path 113 in the rotational direction. In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 8, 12, and 6 in order, the engaging portion 111 is configured to move along the guide path 113 so as to allow the first rotating body 3 to rotate relative to the second rotating body 4 when the opening/closing body 7 moves from the second position P2 to the first position P1 without the operation of the operating member 6.

In detail, when the engaging portion 111 is engaged with the engaged portion 115 (hereinafter also referred to as the first engaged portion 115), the first rotating body 3 can rotate relative to the second rotating body 4 in the first direction D1. Therefore, the first rotating body 3 rotates relative to the second rotating body 4 in the first direction D1, and the opening/closing body 7 can be moved from the second position P2 to the first position P1 without operating the operating member 6.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 6 to 8 in order, when the opening/closing body 7 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the engagement portion 111 is configured to move along the guide path 113 so as to allow the first rotating body 3 to rotate relative to the second rotating body 4. In detail, when the engagement portion 111 is engaged with the second engaged portion 114 described below, the first rotating body 3 can rotate relative to the second rotating body 4 in the second direction D2. Therefore, the engagement portion 111 moves along the guide path 113 so as to allow the first rotating body 3 to rotate relative to the second rotating body 4, and it becomes possible to move the opening/closing body 7 from the first position P1 to the second position P2 without rotating the second rotating body 4.

In this embodiment, the guide path 113 is configured as a C-shaped groove having a pair of side walls extending along the rotational direction. In this case, the engagement portion 111 can be stably guided.

The engaged portion 115 engages with the engaging portion 111 in the rotational direction, thereby enabling the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4 to rotate in conjunction with each other. In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 8 to 10 in order, when the opening/closing body 7 is located at the second position P2 and the operating member 6 is operated to rotate the second rotating body 4 in the first direction D1, the engaging portion 111 and the engaged portion 115 are configured to engage with each other in the rotational direction so that the first rotating body 3 rotates in the first direction D1 in conjunction with the rotation of the second rotating body 4 in the first direction D1.

In detail, when the second rotating body 4 rotates in the first direction D1 with the engaging portion 111 engaged with the first engaged portion 115, the first rotating body 3 rotates in the first direction D1 together with the second rotating body 4. Therefore, when the opening/closing body 7 is located at the second position P2 and the operating member 6 is operated to rotate the second rotating body 4 in the first direction D1, the first rotating body 3 rotates in the first direction D1 in conjunction with the rotation of the second rotating body 4 in the first direction D1, and the opening/closing body 7 can be moved from the second position P2 to the first position P1 by operating the operating member 6.

The engaged portion 115 has a wall portion that engages in the rotational direction when the second rotating body 4 rotates in the first direction D1 relative to the first rotating body 3. In this embodiment, the engaged portion 115 is one end of the C-shaped guide path 113, but is not particularly limited as long as it can engage in the rotational direction when rotated.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a second engaged portion 114 is provided at the other end in the rotational direction of the guide path 113. With this configuration, the first rotating body 3 rotates relative to the second rotating body 4 in the first direction D1, and the engaging portion 111 abuts against the second engaged portion 114, thereby restricting further relative rotation in the first direction D1.

The second engaged portion 114 has a wall portion that engages in the rotational direction when the first rotating body 3 rotates in the second direction D2 relative to the second rotating body 4. In this embodiment, the second engaged portion 114 is the other end of the C-shaped guide path 113, but is not particularly limited as long as it can engage in the rotational direction when the first rotating body 3 rotates relative to the second rotating body 4.

When the first rotating body 3 and the fourth rotating body 4 rotate relative to each other, the engaging portion 111 moves along the guide path 113 and engages with the engaged portion 115 to link the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 6 to 8, when the opening/closing body 7 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the engaging portion 111 moves along the guide path 113 to allow the first rotating body 3 to rotate relative to the second rotating body 4.

The configuration of the engaging portion 111 is not particularly limited as long as it moves along the guide path 113 during the relative rotation of the first rotating body 3 and the fourth rotating body 4 and engages with the engaged portion 115 to link the first rotating body 3 and the fourth rotating body 4. In this embodiment, the engaging portion 111 is a columnar protrusion that protrudes from the second rotating body 4 toward the first rotating body 3, as shown in FIG. 4. The engaging portion 111 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape. The engaging portion 111 is guided along the circumferential direction of the first rotating body 3 by the guide path 113 of the first rotating body 3. In addition, the engaging portion 111 can engage with the second engaged portion 114 when the first rotating body 3 rotates relative to the second rotating body 4 in the first direction D1 and reaches the second engaged portion 114, and can engage with the first engaged portion 115 when the first rotating body 3 rotates relative to the second rotating body 4 in the second direction D2 and reaches the first engaged portion 115.

The biasing member 5 is provided between the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4. The biasing member 5 is, for example, an elastic body such as a spring. The biasing member 5 is capable of applying a rotational biasing force to the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4. In this embodiment, the biasing force of the biasing member 5 is accumulated by the relative rotation of the first rotating body 3 in a predetermined direction with respect to the second rotating body 4.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 6 to 8, the opening/closing mechanism 1 is configured such that when the opening/closing body 7 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the first rotating body 3 rotates relative to the second rotating body 4, and a biasing force is accumulated in the biasing member 5. As a result, a biasing force in the first direction D1 is applied to the first rotating body 3, and a biasing force in the second direction D2 is applied to the second rotating body 4. In this embodiment, the biasing force is accumulated when the opening/closing body 7 moves to the second position P2, so that when the opening/closing body 7 moves from the second position P2 to the first position P1, the biasing force in the first direction D1 applied to the first rotating body 3 causes the opening/closing body wire 2 to be wound up by the first rotating body 3.

In this embodiment, in the state shown in FIG. 6, when the opening/closing body 7 is located at the first position P1, the biasing member 5 is in a natural state or in a state where the biasing force is weak. When the first rotating body 3 rotates relative to the second rotating body 4 from this state, the biasing member 5 is displaced according to the rotation angle when the first rotating body 3 rotates relative to the second rotating body 4, and a biasing force according to the displacement is generated in the biasing member 5. In detail, a biasing force is generated that tries to rotate the first rotating body 3 in a direction (first direction D1 in the example shown in FIG. 3) opposite to the rotation direction (second direction D2 in the example shown in FIG. 3) when the first rotating body 3 rotates relative to the second rotating body 4. As a result, a biasing force in the first direction D1 is generated in the first rotating body 3, and a biasing force in the second direction D2 is generated in the second rotating body 4.

In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 8, 12 and 6 in that order, when the opening/closing body 7 is located at the second position P2, if the operating member 6 is not operated and the opening/closing body 7 moves to the first position P1, the first rotating body 3 rotates relative to the second rotating body 4 in the first direction D1 due to the biasing force of the biasing member 5, and the opening/closing body wire 2 is wound around the first rotating body 3.

In this embodiment, when the opening/closing body 7 is in the second position P2, a biasing force is generated in the biasing member 5 that tends to rotate the first rotating body 3 in the first direction D1 relative to the second rotating body 4. Therefore, when the opening/closing body 7 is moved to the first position P1, for example, by manual operation without operating the operating member 6, the biasing force of the biasing member 5 causes the opening/closing body wire 2 to be wound around the first rotating body 3.

In this embodiment, as described above, when the opening/closing body 7 is located at the second position P2, if the second rotating body 4 is rotated in the same direction as the first direction D1 by the operating member 6, the second rotating body 4 and the first rotating body 3 rotate in the first direction D1 in conjunction with each other, and the opening/closing body 7 can be moved to the first position P1. Therefore, by operating the operating member 6, the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4 can be rotated in conjunction with each other, and the opening/closing body 7 can be moved from the second position P2 to the first position P1. In addition, when the opening/closing body 7 is located at the second position P2, if the opening/closing body 7 moves to the first position P1 without operating the operating member 6, the first rotating body 3 rotates relative to the second rotating body 4 in the first direction D1 due to the biasing force of the biasing member 5, and the opening/closing body wire 2 is wound around the first rotating body 3. This makes it possible, when the opening/closing body 7 is moved directly to the first position P1, for example manually, without using the operating member 6, to rotate the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4 relative to each other, without rotating the second rotating body 4, and to wind the opening/closing body wire 2 around the first rotating body 3 by the biasing force of the biasing member 5.

As described above, by winding the opening/closing body wire 2 around the first rotating body 3 using the biasing force of the biasing member 5, the opening/closing body 7 can be directly operated manually or the like. Furthermore, when the operating member 6 is operated, the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4 are interlocked to move the opening/closing body 7 to the first position P1, so that the opening/closing body 7 can be indirectly operated by operating the operating member 6 without directly operating the opening/closing body 7 by hand. Therefore, with a simple configuration, the opening/closing body 7 can be directly operated manually or the like, and the opening/closing body 7 can also be indirectly operated.

As described above, the type of the biasing member 5 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, it is a torsion spring. In this embodiment, the torsion spring, which is the biasing member 5, is arranged in a wound state around the axis of the first rotating body 3 (shaft 9 in the example shown in FIG. 4) as shown in FIG. 4. One end of the torsion spring is fixed to the first rotating body 3, and the other end of the torsion spring is fixed to the second rotating body 4. Note that, as long as a biasing force is accumulated in the biasing member 5 by the relative rotation of the first rotating body 3 in a predetermined direction with respect to the second rotating body 4, the biasing member 5 may be another type of spring, such as a spiral spring (power spring).

The operating member 6 is a member that is operated to rotate the second rotating body 4. The configuration of the operating member 6 is not particularly limited, but for example, it is an operating wire 61 wound around the second rotating body 4. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, one end of the operating wire 61 is attached to the second rotating body 4, and the other end of the operating wire 61 has an operating section 62 that can pull the operating wire 61. When the operating wire 61 is pulled, the second rotating body 4 rotates in the first direction D1. In this embodiment, the opening/closing body 7 moves from the second position P2 to the first position P1 by pulling the operating wire 61 and rotating the second rotating body 4 in the first direction D1.

The operating wire 61 is a member that can be rotated by the second rotating body 4 when it is wound around the second rotating body 4 and pulled by the operating unit 62.

The operation unit 62 is a part or member that can be operated by the user. In this embodiment, the operation unit 62 is a handle member having a grip portion that is made of a material different from the wire. Note that the operation unit 62 may be anything that can be operated by the user, and may be, for example, a loop-shaped portion formed by winding the other end portion of the operation wire 61 into a loop.

The configuration of the operating member 6 is not limited to the above example having the operating wire 61, and may be, for example, a handle attached to the second rotating body 4 so as to directly rotate the second rotating body 4. The user can rotate the second rotating body 4 by gripping and turning the handle.

In this embodiment, when the second rotating body 4 rotates in the first direction D1 by pulling the operating wire 61, the first rotating body 3 rotates together with the fourth rotating body 4 in the first direction D1 by the interlocking mechanism 11. Therefore, by pulling the operating wire 61, the opening/closing body 7 can move from the second position P2 to the first position P1.

In this embodiment, the operating cable 61 is pulled to move the opening/closing body 7 from the second position P2 to the first position P1, and then the second rotating body 4 rotates relative to the first rotating body 3 in the second direction D2 due to the biasing force of the biasing member 5, and the operating wire 61 that is unwound from the second rotating body 4 is wound up by the second rotating body 4.

In this embodiment, when the opening/closing body 7 has moved from the second position P2 to the first position P1, the biasing force (the force that rotates the second rotating body 4 in the second direction D2) generated in the biasing member 5 when the opening/closing body 7 was moved from the first position P1 to the second position P2 is maintained. Therefore, when the user releases the operation unit 62 (return operation), the biasing force of the biasing member 5 rotates the second rotating body 4 in the second direction D2, and the operation wire 61 is wound up around the second rotating body 4 in accordance with this rotation. According to this configuration, the operation wire 61 is wound up by the biasing force of the biasing member 5, so that the operation wire 61 can be easily and automatically wound up without slackening the operation wire 61.

The rotation restriction unit 10 restricts the second rotating body 4 from rotating in the second direction when the opening/closing body 7 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2 and the first rotating body 3 rotates in the second direction D2. Specifically, the rotation restriction unit 10 is configured to prevent the second rotating body 4 from rotating together with the first rotating body 3 in the second direction D2 when the first rotating body 3 rotates relative to the second rotating body 4. In addition, the rotation restriction unit 10 can restrict, for example, the occurrence of a problem in which the opening/closing body wire 2 is wound too much around the second rotating body 4 when the opening/closing body 7 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2, causing the entire operating member 6 to enter the cover member 12.

The configuration of the rotation restriction unit 10 is not particularly limited, but the rotation restriction member 10 may be, for example, a member having an opening large enough to allow the operation wire 61 to pass through but not the operation unit 62, and restricting the passage of the operation unit 62 by abutting the edge of the opening when the opening/closing body 7 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2. Note that the configuration of the rotation restriction unit 10 is not limited to this, and for example, an opening 121 large enough to allow the operation wire 61 to pass through but not the operation unit 62 may be formed in the cover member 12, and the periphery of the opening 121 may be the rotation restriction unit 10.

The cover member 12 is a member that covers the other components of the opening/closing mechanism 1. In this embodiment, the cover member 12 houses the first rotating body 3, the second rotating body 4, and the biasing member 5. In this embodiment, the cover member 12 is detachably attached to a base member 16 fixed to the vehicle body. The cover member 12 is also formed with an opening 121 (see Figures 2 and 3) through which the opening/closing body wire 2 and the operation wire 61 can be inserted. The shape of the cover member 12 is not particularly limited as long as it can house the first rotating body 3, the second rotating body 4, and the biasing member 5.

The base member 16 is a member that serves as a base for the other members of the opening/closing mechanism 1. In this embodiment, the base member 16 is fixed to the vehicle body by a fixing member such as a screw. A shaft 9 protrudes from the base member 16. The first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4 are rotatably supported by the shaft 9.

Next, the flow of operation of the opening/closing device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 12. Here, the explanation will be made assuming that the initial state (the opening/closing body 7 is in the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in Figure 1) is a state in which the opening/closing body 7 is in the first position P1, which is the closed position, and the operating member 6 is not being operated. Note that the following explanation of the operation is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the following explanation. Note that, hereinafter, the first position P1, which is the closed position, will be referred to as the closed position P1, and the second position P2, which is the open position, will be referred to as the open position P2.

6, in the initial state, the opening/closing body 7 is in the closed position P1, the operating unit 62 is not operated, and the operating unit 62 is in contact with the rotation restricting unit 10. In the initial state, as shown in FIG. 6, the engaging unit 111 is located on the second engaged unit 114 side of the guide path 113, and the second rotating body 4 is rotatable in the first direction D1 relative to the first rotating body 3. On the other hand, the second rotating body 4 cannot rotate in the second direction D2 because the operating unit 62 is engaged with the rotation restricting unit 10. In addition, the first rotating body 3 is restricted from rotating relative to the second rotating body 4 in the first direction D1, but is allowed to rotate relative to the second rotating body 4 in the second direction D2. The opening/closing body 7 is locked to the vehicle in the closed position P1 by a locking mechanism (not shown).

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, when the user moves the opening/closing body 7 toward the open position P2, the opening/closing body wire 2 is unwound from the first rotating body 3 in response to the movement of the opening/closing body 7. Accordingly, the first rotating body 3 rotates relative to the second rotating body 4 in the second direction D2 (see the thick arrow). As the first rotating body 3 rotates relative to the second rotating body 4, the engaging portion 111 moves away from the second engaged portion 114 along the guide path 113. In addition, as the first rotating body 3 rotates relative to the second rotating body 4, a biasing force is accumulated in the biasing member 5 provided between the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4. As described above, the biasing force is a force that tries to rotate the first rotating body 3 relative to the second rotating body 4 in the first direction D1, and also a force that tries to rotate the second rotating body 4 in the second direction D2 relative to the first rotating body 3. The opening/closing body 7 may be moved to the open position P2 by the user pressing the opening/closing body 7 toward the open position P2, or may be moved automatically by the weight of the opening/closing body 7, or may be moved by both the pressing force of the user and the weight of the opening/closing body 7.

8, when the user moves the opening/closing body 7 to the open position P2, the engaging portion 111 engages with the first engaged portion 115 of the first rotating body 3. When the first engaged portion 115 and the engaging portion 111 are engaged, the first rotating body 3 is restricted from rotating relative to the second rotating body 4 in the second direction D2, but is allowed to rotate relative to the second rotating body 4 in the first direction D1. The second rotating body 4 is restricted from rotating in the second direction D2 by the rotation restricting portion 10, but is allowed to rotate in the first direction D1 in conjunction with the first rotating body 3. When the opening/closing body 7 is in the open position P2, for example, a care product such as a wheelchair can be easily loaded onto or unloaded from an attachment target such as a vehicle 8 by moving the care product uphill or downhill on the opening/closing body 7.

8, when the user grasps the operation part 62 and pulls the operation wire 61, as shown in FIG. 9, the second rotating body 4 rotates in the first direction D1, and the first rotating body 3 also rotates in the first direction D1. That is, as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, when the engaging part 111 and the first engaged part 115 are engaged, the second rotating body 4 rotates in the first direction D1, and the second rotating body 4 and the first rotating body 3 rotate together in the first direction D1 in conjunction with each other (see the two thick arrows in FIG. 9). As the first rotating body 3 rotates in the first direction D1, the opening/closing body wire 2 is wound up by the first rotating body 3, and the opening/closing body 7 rotates to approach the closed position P1.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10, when the opening/closing body 7 is moved to the closed position P1, the engagement portion 111 engages with the first engaged portion 115 of the first rotating body 3, and the rotation of the first rotating body 3 and the second rotating body 4 stops. In the state shown in FIG. 10, the user holds the operating portion 62 in a pulled state. Therefore, the biasing force generated in the biasing member 5 is also maintained.

11, when the user releases the operating unit 62, the second rotating body 4 rotates relative to the first rotating body 3 in the second direction D2 due to the biasing force of the biasing member 5 (see the thick arrow). At this time, as the second rotating body 4 rotates in the second direction D2, the engagement portion 111 moves along the guide path 113, and since no force is applied to the first rotating body 3 in the second direction D2, the first rotating body 3 does not rotate. As a result, the operating wire 61 is wound up around the second rotating body 4 by the biasing force of the biasing member 5. Then, the operating wire 61 is wound up to a position where the operating unit 6 abuts against the rotation regulating portion 10, and the rotation of the second rotating body 4 stops. As a result, the opening and closing mechanism 1 returns to the initial state shown in FIG. 6.

Above, with reference to Figs. 6 to 11, an example has been described in which the opening/closing body 7 is moved from the open position P2 to the closed position P1 by pulling the operating wire 61. However, it is also possible to move the opening/closing body 7 from the open position P2 to the closed position P1 without pulling the operating wire 61. Next, with reference to Fig. 12, an example in which the opening/closing body 7 is moved from the second position P2 to the first position P1 without pulling the operating wire 61 will be described.

Figure 12 is a diagram showing another example of the operation of the opening and closing mechanism of the opening and closing body shown in Figure 2, and shows a state in which the opening and closing body starts to move from the second position to the first position without operating the operating wire. Note that Figure 12 shows a state after the state shown in Figure 8.

When the opening/closing body 7 is in the open position P2 (see FIG. 8), the user manually or otherwise presses the opening/closing body 7 toward the closed position P1 without pulling the operation wire 61. When the opening/closing body 7 is in the open position P2, as described above, the biasing force of the biasing member 5 is generated to rotate the first rotating body 3 relative to the second rotating body 4 in the first direction D1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, when the opening/closing body 7 is moved to the closed position P1 without operating the operation member 6, the biasing force of the biasing member 5 rotates the first rotating body 3 relative to the second rotating body 4 in the first direction D1 (see the thick arrow), and the opening/closing body wire 2 is wound up around the first rotating body 3. In addition, the first rotating body 3 is rotated in the first direction D1 by the biasing force of the biasing member 5, so that the opening/closing body wire 2 is easily and automatically wound up around the first rotating body 3 without slackening.

In this way, the opening/closing mechanism 1 according to this embodiment is configured such that when the opening/closing body 7 is located at the second position P2, the operating member 6 is operated to move the opening/closing body 7 to the first position P1, and when the opening/closing body 7 is located at the second position P2, the opening/closing body wire 2 is wound up around the first rotating body 3 using the biasing force of the biasing member 5 without operating the operating member 6. Therefore, with a simple configuration, the opening/closing body 7 can be directly operated manually or the like, and the opening/closing body 7 can be indirectly operated. Furthermore, when the opening/closing body 7 is transitioned from the open state to the closed state (moved from the open position P2 to the closed position P1), the opening/closing body wire 2 can be wound up around the first rotating body 3 while preventing slack from occurring in the opening/closing body wire 2.

As a modification of the above embodiment, as shown in Figs. 13 and 14, a configuration may be used that includes a first rotating body 3A, a second rotating body 4A, a biasing member 5A, and a shaft 9A whose shapes are modified from those of the above embodiment. A damper member 13 may also be added.

Figure 13 is an exploded perspective view showing a modified example of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body. Figure 14 is a perspective view of the second rotating body shown in Figure 13 as seen from the first rotating body side. Below, the opening/closing mechanism 1A of the opening/closing body relating to the modified example will be described with reference to Figures 13 and 14. Note that the following description will focus on the differences from the above-mentioned embodiment, and a description of the configuration common to the above-mentioned embodiment will be omitted. Note that the configuration of the above-mentioned embodiment can be applied to this modified example, and the configuration of this modified example can also be applied to the above-mentioned embodiment.

As shown in Figure 13, the opening/closing mechanism 1A of the opening/closing body (hereinafter also referred to as the opening/closing mechanism 1A) includes a shaft 9A, a first rotating body 3A, a damper member 13, a biasing member 5A, and a second rotating body 4A. The opening/closing mechanism 1A is configured by assembling the first rotating body 3A, the damper member 13, the biasing member 5A, and the second rotating body 4A by inserting the shaft 9A through them while they are arranged in this order.

The first rotating body 3A is a member that can rotate around a predetermined axis (shaft 9A in the example shown in FIG. 13) and can wind and unwind the opening/closing body wire 2. In this modified example, the first rotating body 3A is a plate-shaped pulley having a magatama-shaped outer periphery (periphery) 32. The outer periphery 32 of the first rotating body 3A has a winding portion 321 around which the opening/closing body wire 2 can be wound, and a non-winding portion 322 around which the opening/closing body wire 2 cannot be wound. The winding portion 321 is formed with a winding groove 31A around which the opening/closing body wire 2 is wound, that is, which guides the opening/closing body wire 2. The depth of the winding groove 31A is constant throughout the entire winding portion 321.

In this modified example, one end 33 of the wrapping portion 321 is connected to one end of the non-wrapping portion 322, and the other end 34 of the wrapping portion 321 is connected to the other end of the non-wrapping portion 322. In addition, in this modified example, the wrapping portion 321 has an outwardly convex curved shape, and the non-wrapping portion has a linear shape. More specifically, the curvature of the wrapping portion 321 gradually increases from one end 33 to the other end 34. That is, the curvature of the wrapping portion 321 is minimum at one end 33 and maximum at the other end 34.

The first rotating body 3A is configured such that the distance D from the central axis of rotation C (a virtual axis indicated by a dashed line) on which the shaft 9A is located to the winding portion 321 gradually changes along the circumferential direction of the winding portion 321. In detail, the distance D is maximum at one end 33 of the winding portion 321 and minimum at the other end 34. The distance D gradually decreases from the one end 33 to the other end 34 of the winding portion 321. The attachment portion 35 to which one end of the opening/closing body wire 2 is attached is provided at or near the other end 34 of the winding portion 321.

As shown in FIG. 13, the second rotating body 4A is a member that is directly or indirectly connected to the first rotating body 3A and can rotate around a predetermined axis (shaft 9 in the example shown in FIG. 3). In this modified example, as shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, the second rotating body 4A is a disk-shaped pulley. A winding groove 41A that guides the operating wire 61 of the operating member 6 is formed on the outer periphery of the second rotating body 4A. The radius d of the second rotating body 4A is constant, and the depth of the winding groove 41A is also constant.

The first rotating body 3A and the second rotating body 4A are provided with an interlocking mechanism 11A that enables a relative rotation state in which one of the first rotating body 3A and the second rotating body 4A can rotate relative to the other, and an interlocking state in which the first rotating body 3A and the second rotating body 4A rotate in interlocking fashion.

The interlocking mechanism 11A includes an engagement portion 111A provided on one of the first rotating body 3A and the second rotating body 4A, and a guide portion 112A provided on the other of the first rotating body 3A and the second rotating body 4A.

In this modified example, an engagement portion 111 is provided on the surface of the first rotating body 3A facing the second rotating body 4A, and a guide portion 112A is formed on the surface of the second rotating body 4A facing the first rotating body 3. The configuration of the guide portion 112A is not particularly limited, but in this modified example, it is a groove portion that extends in a C-shape along the circumferential direction of the second rotating body 4A. Note that, conversely, the engagement portion 111A may be provided on the second rotating body 4A, and the guide portion 112A may be provided on the first rotating body 3A.

In this modified example, as shown in FIG. 14, the guide portion 112A has a guide path 113A that extends along the rotational direction of the first rotating body 3A and the second rotating body 4A, and engaged portions 114A, 115A that engage with the engaging portion 111A that moves with the rotation of one of the first rotating body 3A and the second rotating body 4A. The configuration of the engaging portion 111A and the guide portion 112A is the same as in the above-described embodiment, except that the engaging portion 111A is provided on the first rotating body 3A and the guide portion 112A is provided on the second rotating body 4A, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

The first rotating body 3A and/or the second rotating body 4A have an accommodating recess 14 that at least partially accommodates the damper member 13 and the biasing member 5A (torsion spring in this modified example). In this modified example, the accommodating recess 14 is formed, for example, on the surface of the second rotating body 4 facing the first rotating body 3. By accommodating the damper member 13 and the biasing member 5A in such an accommodating recess 14, the opening/closing mechanism 1A can be configured more compactly in the direction along the central axis C than if the accommodating recess 14 is not provided.

The damper member 13 is a member that applies a braking force to the rotation of the first rotating body 3A. By providing such a damper member 13, the rotation speed of the first rotating body 3A can be appropriately adjusted to reduce the impact when the engaging portion 111A contacts the first engaged portion 115A and the second engaged portion 114A, thereby improving the durability of the opening/closing mechanism 1A. In addition, by appropriately adjusting the rotation speed of the first rotating body 3A, sudden opening and closing of the opening/closing body 7 can be suppressed, and injuries to the user, etc. caused by sudden opening and closing of the opening/closing body 7 can be prevented.

The damper member 13 is also placed in the space inside the biasing member 5A, in this modified example, the space inside the torsion spring. This allows the opening/closing mechanism 1A to be configured more compactly than when the damper member 13 is placed outside the biasing member 5A. Therefore, even if the damper member 13 is provided, the opening/closing mechanism 1A can be provided in a small space.

Next, the operation of the opening/closing mechanism 1A will be described with reference to Figures 15 and 16. Figure 15 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in Figure 13, and is a diagram showing the opening/closing mechanism when the opening/closing body is in the second position. Figure 16 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the opening/closing mechanism of the opening/closing body shown in Figure 13, and is a diagram showing the opening/closing mechanism when the opening/closing body is in the first position.

Here, the operation of the opening/closing mechanism 1A from when the opening/closing body 7 is in the open position P2 until the opening/closing body 7 moves to the closed position P1 will be described. Although the explanation of the opening/closing mechanism 1A of this modified example will be omitted, it can basically achieve the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment. In the example shown in Figures 15 and 16, the opening/closing body 7 is fixed to a support member 83 that is attached to the vehicle body 82 so that it can swing up and down. The opening/closing body 7 may be attached directly to the vehicle body 82 without using the support member 83.

As shown in FIG. 15, when the user moves the opening/closing body 7 to the open position P2, the engaging portion 111A engages with the first engaged portion 115A of the second rotating body 4A. This allows the second rotating body 4A to rotate in the first direction D1 in conjunction with the first rotating body 3A. From this state, when the user operates the operating portion 62 to pull the operating wire 61, the second rotating body 4A and the first rotating body 3A rotate together in the first direction D1 (see the two thick arrows). As the first rotating body 3A rotates in the first direction D1, the first rotating body 3A winds up the opening/closing body wire 2, and the opening/closing body 7 rotates closer to the closed position P1.

The amount by which the winding portion 321 winds the opening/closing body wire 2 varies depending on the rotation angle of the first rotating body 3A. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, when the opening/closing body 7 is in the open position P2, the opening/closing body wire 2 is slightly wound around the winding portion 321 near the central axis C, and extends toward the opening/closing body 7 from a position in the winding portion 321 where the distance D from the central axis C is approximately minimum (the position approximately closest to the central axis C). Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 15, the ratio (D/d) of the distance D to the radius d is approximately minimum over the entire section of the winding portion 321.

15, as the first rotating body 3A rotates in the first direction D1, the winding portion 321 winds up the opening/closing body wire 2, and the opening/closing body 7 eventually rotates to the closed position P1 (see FIG. 16). When the opening/closing body 7 is in the closed position P1 as shown in FIG. 16, the opening/closing body wire 2 is wound long around almost the entirety of the winding portion 321 and extends toward the opening/closing body 7 from near one end 33 of the winding portion 321, that is, from the position where the distance D from the central axis C of the winding portion 321 is approximately maximum (the position farthest from the central axis C). Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 16, the ratio (D/d) of the distance D to the radius d is approximately maximum in the entire section of the winding portion 321. The smaller the value of the ratio (D/d), the smaller the force required to operate the operating member 6 when performing the closing operation of the opening/closing body 7, so that the force required to operate the operating member 6 can be reduced in the open state of the opening/closing body 7 as shown in FIG. 15. When closing the opening/closing body 7, the burden on the user tends to be large when starting to close the opening/closing body 7, so by reducing the operating force of the operating unit 6 when the opening/closing body 7 is in the open state, the burden on the user can be effectively reduced.

As another variation of the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 17 to 19, a configuration may be provided with a cover member 12B whose shape is modified from that of the above embodiment.

Figure 17 is a perspective view showing the configuration of another modified example of the opening and closing mechanism of the opening and closing body. Figure 18 is an exploded perspective view of the opening and closing mechanism of the opening and closing body shown in Figure 17. Figure 19 is a view of the cover member of the opening and closing mechanism of the opening and closing body shown in Figure 17 as seen from the direction of the arrow A.

As shown in Figures 17 and 18, an opening/closing mechanism 1B (hereinafter also referred to as opening/closing mechanism 1B) for an opening/closing body according to another modified example includes a wire 2B for the opening/closing body, a first rotating body 3B, a biasing member (not shown), a second rotating body 4B, an operating member 6B, and a shaft 9B. The opening/closing mechanism 1B is configured by combining the first rotating body 3B, the biasing member, and the second rotating body 4B arranged in this order with the shaft 9B inserted through them. The opening/closing mechanism 1B also includes a cover member 12B and a base member 16B.

The opening/closing mechanism 1B differs from the cover member 12 shown in Figures 1 to 3 in the configuration of the cover member 12B. Furthermore, the configuration of the opening/closing mechanism 1B other than the cover member 12B is substantially similar to the opening/closing structure 1 shown in Figures 2 to 12 or the opening/closing structure 1A shown in Figures 13 to 16. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences between the cover member 12B and the cover member 12 (see Figures 1 to 3), and will omit a description of the configuration that is common to the above-mentioned embodiment or modified example. Note that the configurations of the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example can be applied to this modified example, and the configuration of this modified example can also be applied to the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example.

The cover member 12B of the opening/closing mechanism 1B according to this modification covers the first rotating body 3B and the second rotating body 4B. In the example shown in FIG. 18, the cover member 12B has a side portion 12B1 that covers the outer periphery of the first rotating body 3B and the second rotating body 4B, and a front portion 12B2 that covers the opposite side of the mounting surface, such as a wall surface, to which the opening/closing mechanism 1B is attached, in the first rotating body 3B and the second rotating body 4B. Note that in the example shown in FIG. 17 and FIG. 18, the cover member 12B is open on the opposite side to the front portion 12B2, but this is not limited thereto, and for example, the opposite side may be closed by a lid portion. In addition, the operating member 6B in this modification is specifically, for example, an operating wire 61B that is wound around the outer periphery of the second rotating body 4B. In this modification, one end of the operating wire 61B is attached to the second rotating body 4B, and the other end of the operating wire 61B has an operating portion 62B that can be operated by pulling the operating wire 61B.

The cover member 12B has a wall portion 122B. The wall portion 122B has at least one of a first wall portion 122B1 and a second wall portion 122B2. In the example shown in FIG. 18, the wall portion 122B is provided protruding from the back surface of the front portion 12B2 (the inner surface of the cover member 12B) in the rotation axis direction AD of the first rotating body 3B. The wall portion 122B is also provided on the inside of the side portion 12B1. Note that, although the first wall portion 122B1 and the second wall portion 122B2 are formed integrally in the example shown in FIG. 18, this is not limiting and they may be formed separately.

The first wall portion 122B1 is provided along the outer periphery of the first rotating body 3B at a position close to the outer periphery of the first rotating body 3B so as to prevent the opening/closing body wire 2B wound around the outer periphery of the first rotating body 3B from falling off the first rotating body 3B when the first rotating body 3B rotates. In this specification, "a position close to the outer periphery of the first rotating body 3B so as to prevent the opening/closing body wire 2B from falling off the first rotating body 3B" means a position close to the outer periphery of the first rotating body 3B to such an extent that the opening/closing body wire 2B can be prevented from falling off the winding groove 31B of the first rotating body 3B by the biasing force of the biasing member when the opening/closing body wire 2B is wound around the first rotating body 3B by the biasing force of the biasing member from a state in which the opening/closing body wire 2B is unwound from the first rotating body 3B. Specifically, for example, the distance between the first wall portion 122B1 and the outer periphery of the first rotating body 3B is equal to or less than the diameter of the opening/closing body wire 2B. In this modified example, "along the outer periphery of the first rotating body 3B" means that the opening/closing body wire 2B is aligned in a manner that prevents it from falling out of the winding groove 31B of the first rotating body 3B. For example, the first wall portion 122B1 is formed in an arc shape along the outer periphery of the first rotating body 3B.

The second wall portion 122B2 is provided along the outer periphery of the second rotating body 4B at a position close to the outer periphery of the second rotating body 4B so as to prevent the operation wire 61B wound around the outer periphery of the second rotating body 4B from falling off the second rotating body 4B when the second rotating body 4B rotates. In this specification, "a position close to the outer periphery of the second rotating body 4B so as to prevent the operation wire 61B from falling off the second rotating body 4B" means a position close to the outer periphery of the second rotating body 4B to a degree that can prevent the operation wire 61B from falling off the winding groove 41B of the second rotating body 4B due to the biasing force of the biasing member when the operation wire 61B is wound around the second rotating body 4B or the impact of the collision of the operation unit 62B with the rotation restriction unit 10B described later when the winding is completed. Specifically, for example, the second wall portion 122B2 is spaced from the outer periphery of the second rotating body 4B by less than the diameter of the operation wire 61B. In this modified example, "along the outer periphery of the second rotating body 4B" means a state in which the operation wire 61B is arranged so as to be prevented from falling off the winding groove 41B of the second rotating body 4B. For example, the second wall portion 122B2 is formed in an arc shape along the outer periphery of the second rotating body 4B. In the example shown in FIG. 18, the maximum radius (the distance from the center of rotation to the outer periphery) of the first rotating body 3B having a magatama-shaped outline (outer periphery shape) is approximately the same as the radius of the second rotating body 4B, so that the first wall portion 122B1 and the second wall portion 122B2 are continuous in the extension direction of the shaft 9B (the rotation axis direction AD of the first rotating body 3B and the second rotating body 4B) and have approximately the same radius of curvature. The shape and size of the first wall portion 122B1 and the second wall portion 122B2 can be changed depending on the diameter and shape of the first rotating body 3B and the second rotating body 4B.

In addition, in this modified example, the cover member 12B is provided with a rotation restricting portion 10B. For example, when the opening/closing body 7 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the rotation restricting portion 10B can restrict the opening/closing body wire 2B from wrapping too much around the second rotating body 4B and causing the entire operating member 6B to enter into the cover member 12B. In this modified example, the rotation restricting portion 10B is an opening large enough to allow the operating wire 61B to pass through but not the operating portion 62B. In addition, in this modified example, a wire introduction portion 10B1 for introducing the operating wire 61B into the rotation restricting portion 10B is formed during the manufacture of the opening/closing mechanism 1B.

In this modified example, by providing a wall portion 122B1 on the cover member 12, it acts as a barrier when the opening/closing body wire 2B tries to fall off from the winding groove 31B of the first rotating body 3B, and therefore it is possible to prevent the opening/closing body wire 2B from falling off from the winding groove 31B of the first rotating body 3B when the first rotating end body 3B rotates. Also, by providing a wall portion 122B2 on the cover member 12, it acts as a barrier when the operation wire 61B tries to fall off from the winding groove 41B of the second rotating body 4B, and therefore it is possible to prevent the operation wire 61B from falling off from the winding groove 41B of the second rotating body 4B when the second rotating end body 4B rotates.

The cover member 12B in this modified example also has a slit-shaped wire lead-out portion 123B that leads the opening/closing body wire 2B from inside the cover member 12B to the outside. In this specification, "slit-shaped" means a linear cut. In other words, the slit-shaped wire lead-out portion 123B may be a linear cut, and may be, for example, straight, curved, or broken. In this modified example, the wire lead-out portion 123B is formed on the side portion 12B1 of the cover member 12B.

The wire lead-out portion 123B is formed so that the width direction WD, which is perpendicular to the length direction LD of the wire lead-out portion 123B, is aligned with the rotation axis direction AD of the first rotating body 3B. In other words, as long as the swinging of the opening/closing body wire 2B in the rotation axis direction AD when the opening/closing body wire 2B is wound up and unwound can be suppressed, the width direction WD of the wire lead-out portion 123B may be the same as the rotation axis direction AD of the first rotating body 3B, or may be slightly offset from the rotation axis direction AD of the first rotating body 3B.

The wire lead-out portion 123B has a width W1 (see FIG. 19) capable of suppressing the swing of the opening/closing body wire 2B in the rotation axis direction AD when the opening/closing body wire 2B is wound and unwound with the rotation of the first rotating body 3B. In this specification, the "width capable of suppressing the swing of the opening/closing body wire 2B in the rotation axis direction AD" refers to a width capable of restricting the movement of the opening/closing body wire 2B in the rotation axis direction AD to a predetermined range when the opening/closing body wire 2B is wound around the first rotating body 3B and unwound from the first rotating body 3B so that the opening/closing operation of the opening/closing body 7 can be stably performed. The width W1 is not particularly limited as long as it is a width that allows the opening/closing operation of the opening/closing body 7 to be stably performed, but is preferably 1.1 to 5 times, and more preferably 1.5 to 3 times the diameter of the opening/closing body wire 2B.

In the opening/closing body wire 2B, the vertical inclination angle of the portion unwound from the first rotating body 3B changes depending on the degree of opening/closing of the opening/closing body 7. Therefore, the length L1 of the wire guide portion 123B is set to a length such that the opening/closing body wire 2B is located within the wire guide portion 123B between the state in which the opening/closing body 7 is closed (located at position P1) and the state in which the opening/closing body 7 is open (located at position P2). Preferably, the length L1 of the wire guide portion 123B is set to a length such that it does not interfere with the upper and lower ends of the wire guide portion 123B even if the inclination angle of the opening/closing body wire 2B changes. In this modified example, the cover member 12B is formed with a wire introduction portion 124B for introducing the opening/closing body wire 2B into the wire guide portion 123B during the manufacture of the opening/closing mechanism 1B. The wire introduction portion 124B is connected to the wire guide portion 123B. In detail, the wire introduction section 124B communicates with the wire guide section 123B at a position within the wire guide section 123B where the wire 2B for the opening/closing body does not reach even if the inclination angle of the wire 2B for the opening/closing body changes when the opening/closing mechanism 1B is in use. For example, the wire introduction section 124B communicates with the wire guide section 123B at the upper end of the wire guide section 123B. Therefore, even if the inclination angle of the wire 2B for the opening/closing body changes when the opening/closing mechanism 1B is in use, the wire introduction section 124B prevents the wire 2B for the opening/closing body from slipping out of the wire guide section 123B. Note that the wire introduction section 124B may be blocked when the opening/closing mechanism 1B is in use to more reliably prevent the wire guide section 123B from slipping out.

In this modified example, by providing the cover member 12B with a wire lead-out section 123B, both side edges in the width direction WD of the wire lead-out section 123B function as stoppers for the swinging of the opening/closing body wire 2B. Therefore, when the opening/closing body wire 2B is wound and unwound on the first rotating body 3B, the opening/closing body wire 2B is prevented from swinging in the rotation axis direction AD of the first rotating body 3B at the portion where it is led out from the inside to the outside of the cover member 12B, so that the opening and closing operation of the opening/closing body 7 can be performed stably. In addition, when the opening/closing body wire 2B is wound and unwound on the first rotating body 3B, the wire lead-out section 123B can guide the opening/closing body wire 2B.

LIST OF SYMBOLS 1, 1A, 1B Opening/closing mechanism of opening/closing body 2, 2B Wire for opening/closing body 3, 3A, 3B First rotating body 31, 31A, 31B Winding groove of first rotating body 32 Outer circumference of first rotating body 321 Winding portion 322 Non-winding portion 33 One end of winding portion 34 Other end of winding portion 35 Mounting portion 36 Wire end fixing portion 4, 4A, 4B Second rotating body 41, 41A, 41B Winding groove of second rotating body 42 Wire end fixing portion 5, 5A Pressing member 6, 6B Operating member 61, 61B Operating wire 62, 62B Operating portion 7 Opening/closing body 71 Upper tailgate 72 Lower tailgate 8 Vehicle 81 Opening of vehicle 82 Vehicle body 83 Support member 9, 9A, 9B Shaft 10, 10B Rotation restricting portion 10B1 wire introduction portion 11, 11A interlocking mechanism 111, 111A engaging portion 112, 112A guiding portion 113, 113A guiding path 114, 114A second engaged portion 115, 115A first engaged portion 12, 12B cover member 12B1 side portion 12B2 front portion 121 opening of cover member 122B wall portion 122B1 first wall portion 122B2 second wall portion 123B wire lead-out portion 124B wire introduction portion 13 damper member 14 accommodation recess 15 expansion/contraction mechanism 16, 16B base member C central axis d radius of second rotating body D distance from central axis of rotation to winding portion D1 first direction D2 second direction P1 first position P2 second position

Claims (11)

an opening/closing body wire connected to an opening/closing body that is opened and closed between a first position and a second position;
A first rotating body that can rotate around a predetermined axis and can wind and unwind the opening/closing body wire;
A second rotating body that is directly or indirectly connected to the first rotating body and is rotatable around a predetermined axis;
a biasing member provided between the first rotating body and the second rotating body, the biasing force being accumulated as the first rotating body rotates relative to the second rotating body in a predetermined direction;
An opening/closing mechanism for an opening/closing body including an operating member that is operated to rotate the second rotating body,
the wire for the opening/closing body is wound around the first rotating body by the first rotating body rotating in a first direction when the opening/closing body moves from the second position to the first position, and is unwound from the first rotating body by the first rotating body rotating in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction when the opening/closing body moves from the first position to the second position,
when the opening/closing body is located at the second position, when the second rotating body is rotated in the same direction as the first direction by the operating member, the second rotating body and the first rotating body rotate in the first direction in conjunction with each other, thereby moving the opening/closing body to the first position,
When the opening/closing body is located at the second position, if the operating member is not operated and the opening/closing body moves to the first position, the first rotating body rotates relative to the second rotating body in the first direction due to the biasing force of the biasing member, and the opening/closing body wire is wound around the first rotating body.
Opening and closing mechanism of the opening and closing body. The opening and closing mechanism is
a rotation restricting portion that restricts the second rotor from rotating in the second direction when the opening/closing body moves from the first position to the second position and the first rotor rotates in the second direction,
2. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein when the opening and closing body moves from the first position to the second position, the first rotating body rotates relative to the second rotating body, so that a biasing force is accumulated in the biasing member. the first rotating body and the second rotating body each include an interlocking mechanism that enables a relative rotation state in which one of the first rotating body and the second rotating body is rotatable relative to the other, and an interlocking state in which the first rotating body and the second rotating body rotate in conjunction with each other,
the interlocking mechanism includes an engagement portion provided on one of the first rotating body and the second rotating body, and a guide portion provided on the other of the first rotating body and the second rotating body,
The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the guide portion has a guide path extending along the rotational direction of the first rotating body and the second rotating body, and an engaged portion that engages with an engaging portion that moves in association with the rotation of one of the first rotating body and the second rotating body. The interlocking mechanism includes:
When the opening/closing body moves from the first position to the second position, the engagement portion moves along the guide path so as to allow the first rotating body to rotate relative to the second rotating body,
The opening and closing mechanism of claim 3, wherein when the opening and closing body is located at the second position and the operating member is operated to rotate the second rotating body in the first direction, the engaging portion and the engaged portion engage in a rotational direction so that the first rotating body rotates in the first direction in conjunction with the rotation of the second rotating body in the first direction. The interlocking mechanism includes:
5. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the engagement portion is configured to move along the guide path so as to allow the first rotating body to rotate relative to the second rotating body when the opening and closing body moves from the second position to the first position without operation of the operating member. The opening and closing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the operating member is an operating wire wound around the second rotating body, one end of the operating wire is attached to the second rotating body, and the other end of the operating wire has an operating section that can pull the operating wire, and when the operating wire is pulled, the second rotating body rotates in the first direction. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 6, in which the operating wire is pulled to move the opening and closing body from the second position to the first position, and then the second rotating body rotates relative to the first rotating body due to the biasing force of the biasing member, and the operating wire unwound from the second rotating body is wound around the second rotating body. the biasing member is a torsion spring wound around the axis of the first rotor,
The opening/closing mechanism further includes a damper member that applies a braking force to the rotation of the first rotating body,
The damper member is disposed in a space inside the torsion spring,
The opening and closing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first rotating body and/or the second rotating body has an accommodating recess that at least partially accommodates the damper member and the torsion spring. The opening/closing body is a tailgate provided at a rear part of a vehicle, which is opened and closed by pivoting about a horizontal axis,
The first position is a closed position in which the tailgate is in a vertically upright state,
The opening/closing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the second position is an open position in which the tailgate is rotated from the closed position and brought down. the operating member is an operating wire wound around an outer periphery of the second rotating body,
The opening/closing mechanism further includes a cover member that covers the first rotating body and the second rotating body,
The cover member has a wall portion,
The wall portion is
The opening and closing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising at least one of: a first wall portion provided along an outer periphery of the first rotating body at a position close to the outer periphery of the first rotating body so as to prevent the opening and closing body wire wound around the outer periphery of the first rotating body from falling off the first rotating body when the first rotating body rotates; and a second wall portion provided along an outer periphery of the second rotating body at a position close to the outer periphery of the second rotating body so as to prevent the operating wire wound around the outer periphery of the second rotating body from falling off the second rotating body when the second rotating body rotates. The opening/closing mechanism further includes a cover member that covers the first rotating body and the second rotating body,
the cover member has a slit-shaped wire outlet portion that leads the opening/closing body wire from the inside to the outside of the cover member,
The wire guide portion is formed such that a width direction perpendicular to a length direction of the wire guide portion is aligned with a rotation axis direction of the first rotor,
The opening and closing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the wire guide portion has a width capable of suppressing swaying of the opening and closing body wire in the direction of the rotation axis when the opening and closing body wire is wound and unwound in association with rotation of the first rotating body.

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