WO1995027837A1

WO1995027837A1 - Device capable of opening/closing a door member at either side thereof

Info

Publication number: WO1995027837A1
Application number: PCT/KR1995/000034
Authority: WO
Inventors: Byung Ki Park
Original assignee: Byung Ki Park
Priority date: 1994-04-07
Filing date: 1995-04-07
Publication date: 1995-10-19
Also published as: KR950029522A

Abstract

A device capable of opening/closing a door member at each side thereof comprises at least a pair of hinge pins (8) fixed on one of the door member and the main body, a fixing member (3) fixed on the other one and having pin guide grooves (6), a pair of latch members (10) supported at the fixing members (3) to move in a longitudinal direction of the fixing member (3). The latch members (10) have ends facing each other with a predetermined gap and the other ends having a receiving recess (11) for receiving the hinge pin (8) inserted in the pin guide groove (6). When one hinge pin (8) comes out from the receiving recess (11) of the corresponding latch member (10) to open the door member at side of the one hinge pin (8), the corresponding latch member (10) moves cooperatively toward the other latch member (10) and contacts therewith to prevent the other latch member (10) from moving.

Description

DEVICE CAPABLE OF OPENING/CLO SING

A D O OR MEMBER AT EITHER SIDE THERE OF

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an opening/closing device for use in a door member, and more particularly to an opening/closing device of a door member by which the door member can be opened/closed optionally at either desired side thereof.

BACKGROUND ART

A door is a useful structure in a hum an life which is necessarily installed in buildings, furniture, electric home appliances such as a refrigerator or a micro wave oven, automobiles and so forth. The door member generally has hinges disposed only at one of the right and left sides and a grip disposed at the other side of the door member, and thereby is designed to be opened or closed at one side of the door.

Accordingly, it may be inconvenient for a user to use the door according as he is left-handed or right-handed, because the opening direction of the door is limited to only the predetermined direction as described above. There is a further disadvantage, by which the effective utilization of space is largely limited, that a user must always select a place, in which an appliance having a door as described above is placed, in consideration of the opening direction of the door. U.S . Patent No. 5,064,555 issued to Yoshio Inui et al. discloses an opening/closing device of a door member as a proposal to avoid such inconveniences as described above. The device, which enables a door member to be opened/closed at either side thereof and is particularly suitable to be used for a refrigerator, has hinge pins 102A, 102B disposed at the left and right and portions of one of a door and a body to which the door is assembled, a fixing plate 104B provided at the other of the door and the body and having grooves 107A, 107B in which the hinge pins 102A, 102B can be detachably engaged from the opening side of the door, and latch plates 105A, 105B rotatably disposed at the left and right ends of the fixing plate 104B and having latch grooves 108A, 108B in which the hinge pins 102A, 102B can be engaged, as shown in FIGs . 24 and 25. Links 106A, 106B are respectively mounted on each of the latch plates 105A, 105B, one end of each link being pivotally fixed at the end of each of shafts 113A, 11 IB protruding from the fixing plate 104B, and the other ends of the links 106A, 106B being connected with each other via a coupling link 106C . The latch plates 105A, 105B have lock pins 115A, 115B, and the links 106A, 106B on the latch plates 105A, 105B have lock holes 114A, 114B having slide guide sections 114A 1 , 114B 1 and stopper sections 1 14A2 , 114B extending not in alignment with each other in which the lock pins 115A, 115B are engaged.

In the opening/closing device of a door member, when a user pulls out the left side of the door in a closed state as shown in FIG . 24, the hinge pin 102B escapes from the groove 107B and the latch plate 105B rotates clockwise, and thereby the door is opened as shown in FIG. 25. At this moment, the lock pin 115B of the latch plate 105B moves along the slide guide section 114B of the link 106B, so that the link 106B is slanted to one side and the link 106A is slanted accordingly through the coupling link 106C . Thus, the lock pin 115A of the right latch plate 105 A comes into the stopper portion 114A2 of the lock hole 114A so as to prevent the right latch plate 105A from rotating even when a force for separating the hinge pin 102A is applied, and thereby can perform its hinge function safely.

When the left side of the door is being closed from the opened state thereof, the latch plate 105B is rotated and returned to the initial closed state by the hinge pin 102B . Toggle-type springs 110A, HOB are provided so as to ensure the rotating operation of the latch plates 105A, 105B between the opened and closed positions thereof.

Necessary conditions for double-side operation in a opening/closing device for a door member are as follow :

1) Hinge pins at each side of the door must be m aintained so that the hinge pins can be inserted into a certain object and escaped from it,

2) When the latch member of the side is in the opened state thereof, the latch member of the other side must secure a hinge pin firmly,

3) The latch member having been in the opened state thereof must be maintained in a state for re-accepting the hinge pin.

In the above-described known opening/closing device, latch plates 105A, 105B were adapted or inserting and escaping a hinge pin respectively, and three link mem bers 106A, 106B, 106C, lock pins 115A, 115B , and lock grooves

114A, 114B were used for satisfying said conditions 2) and

3).

Meanwhile, because the disclosed opening/closing device for a door member includes relatively many operating members and thus its structure is complicated, the cost of production and the rate of trouble occurrence of the device may be high. Further, because some link are installed transversely to the width direction of the door, there is a certain limitation for reducing the thickness of the device, Therefore, even though the disclosed opening/closing device may be suitable in a relative thick door such as that of a refrigerator, it does not appropriate for a door having a thin thickness. Also, because the coupling link 106C for the cooperation of the left and right links 105B , 106A transmits a force only linearly, the discolsed device can not be adopted in a covered door being inflated forward, backward, or toward in any one direction

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device capable of opening/closing a door mem ber at either side thereof which can be adopted in a thin thickness door and has a simple construction.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device capable of opening/closing a door member at either side thereof which can be adopted even for a door member having various sectional shape.

To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a device capable of opening/closing a door member at each side thereof comprising: at least a pair of hinge pins installed opposed to each other at the opposite ends of either one of the door member and a main body with which the door member is assembled; a fixing member fixed on the other one of the door member and the main body, the fixing member having pin guide grooves into/out which each of the hinge pins come in a pivoting direction of the door member pivoting at the opposite hinge pin; a pair of latch members supported at the fixing member to move in a longitudinal direction of the fixing member, the latch members having one ends facing each other with a predetermined gap and the other ends having a receiving recess for receiving the hinge pin inserted in the pin guide groove correspondingly, and when one hinge pin come out from the receiving recess of the corresponding latch member to open the door member at side of the one hinge pin, the corresponding latch member moving cooperatively toward the other latch member and contact therewith to prevent the other latch member from moving longitudinally, so that the other hinge pin is prevented from moving out from the receiving recess of the other latch member; a lock means for preventing the latch member having been moved toward the other latch member from returning to the original position, and for allowing the latch member to be released when the one hinge pin come into the corresponding pin guide groove.

A compression spring is preferably provided in the gap between the latch members, and each of the latch members has an inclined surface extending from the receiving recess to contact with the hinge pin moving along the pin guide groove, thereby the latch members move cooperatively with the moving of the hinge pins against the compression spring. A transmission means may be interposed between the compression spring and at least one of the latch members. When the transmission means has flexibility in his traveling path to conform to for example a curved path, the present device may be employed in a curved door. Such a transmission means m ay consist of a plurality of rollable elements.

In a preferred example of the invention, the lock means comprises a pair of rotating members fixed ratatably on the fixing member in the regions of the pin guide grooves and connected with the latch members by a slot-pin mechanism having a slot and a pin which can slide in the slot, the rotating member rotates by the hinge pin coming into the corresponding pin guide groove to return the corresponding latch member in the initial position and rotates back by the corresponding latch member moving toward the other latch member when the corresponding hinge pin comes out from the receiving recess of the corresponding latch member, and a toggle spring means is associated with each of the rotating members to resiliently maintain the rotating member in the two rotated positions.

In another example of the invention, the lock means comprises a lock slot formed in each of the latch mem bers including a longitudinal slot portion and transverse slot portion communicated with the longitudinal slot portion, and a lock pin disposed on the fixing member to be movable transversely to the moving direction of the latch member, having an external end portion projecting between the door member and the main body and a stopping projection moving in the lock slot, and being urged by a spring tow ard outside, thereby when one latch member moves tow ard the other latch member, the stopping projection of the lock pin moves along the logitudinal slot portion and then the transverse slot portion of the lock slot to prevent the one latch member from returning, and when the door m ember comes close to the main body, the lock pin retracts into the fixing member against the spring and then the stopping projection moves back along the transverse slot portion and subsequently the logitudinal slot portion to release the latch member.

In a further another example of the invention, the lock means comprises a pawl mounted on the fixing member and a catch portion formed on the latch member to engage with the pawl, the pawl and the catch portion engage with each other when the corresponding latch member have moved toward the other latch member to prevent the corresponding latch member from returning, and when the door member comes close to the main body, the pawl and the catch portion unengage to allow the corresponding latch member to return.

On the other hand, it is preferable that a guide is disposed either one of the door member and the main body and a roller is mounted the other of the door member and the main body to roll over the guide. This prevents the door member from sagging with respect to the main body.

Preferably, a pin end support is associated with each of the latch members to move together therewith. The pin end support contacts with and support the distal end of the corresponding hinge pin. A pin receiver m ay be advantageously associated with each of the pin guide grooves and has a p artial inner cylindrical shape for accomodating the hinge pin having been coming into the pin guide groove. Meanwhile, the hinge pins m ay be freely rotatable at their axis, for example by supporting with thrust bearing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a device capable of opening/closing a door member at either side thereof according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1 in a closed state; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1 in an open state;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a device capable of opening/closing a door member at either side thereof according to a second embodiment of this invention; Fig. 5 is a plan view showing an open state of Fig_f. 4;

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a device according to a third embodiment;

Fig. 7 to Fig. 9 are plan views illustrating operation of the device according to Fig. 6; Fig. 10 is a sectional view along I-I line of Fig. 6;

Fig. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a device according to a fourth embodiment of this invention; Fig. 12 is a cross sectional view of Fig . 11 ; Fig. 13 is a sectional view of the device according to a fifth embodiment; and

Fig 14 and Fig. 15 are plan views showing operation states of the conventional opening/closing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Fig. 1 is a exploded perspective view of a device cap able of opening/closing a door member at either side thereof according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1 in a closed state, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1 in an open state. As shown in the figures, the device has a substantially symmetrical arrangement at both left and right sides of the figures, and it may be therefore explained only with respect to one of the both sides. The device has a fixing member 3, which is to be disposed at a door member or a main body of an apparatus such as a refrigerator. The embodiments of the invention will be described as the fixing member 3 attached on the door member. Typically, the fixing member 3 shall be disposed on the upper and lower end of the door member respectively. The fixing member 3 has a cover part 5, with which the fixing member 3 forms an elongated box together, and is provided with a pin introduction opening 4 and a pin guide groove 6 at each of the both end regions thereof.

A p air of hinge pins 8 is mounted on brackets 9 projected from the main body to correspond to the pin introduction openings 4 of the fixing member 3. The hinge pins may be freely rotatable at their axis, for example by supporting with thrust bearing. When a pair of the fixing members 3 is provided at upper end and lower end of the door member, two pair of the hinge pins shall be mounted correspondingly. The hinge pins 8 have cylinderical contou r and their axes form the pivoting axes for the door m em ber pivoting relative to the main body. The hinge pins 8 can come into the fixing member 3 and come out therefrom through the pin introduction openings 4 and pin guide grooves 6 when the door member pivots at the opposite hinge pin 8.

A pair of latch members 10 is disposed in the fixing member 3 to move in a longitudinal direction of the fixing member 3. The latch members 10 have one ends facing each other with a predetermined gap. In the gap between end portions 15 of the latch members 10, a compression spring 19 is provided to open the gap. E ach of the latch mem bers 10 has a receiving recess 11 for receiving the hinge p in 8 having been inserted in the pin guide groove 6, and an inclined surface 12 extending from the receiving recess 11. The hinge pin 8 in the receiving recess 11 m ay move from the receiving recess 12 in contact with the inclined surface 12 along the pin guide groove 6. Thereby, due to the cooperation of the hinge pin 8 and the inclined surface 12, when the hinge pin 8 comes out of the receiving recess 11 , namely when the door member pivots at the opposite hinge pin 8 to open, the corresponding latch member 10(the left one in the figures) moves toward the opposite latch member 10(the right one in the figures) against the compression spring 19, consequently to contact his end portion 15 with the end portion 15 of the right latch member 10. Thus, as far as the left latch member 10 remains the moved position as in Fig. 3, the right latch member 10 can not move to the left to restrain the right hinge pin 8 in the pin guide groove 6, in which the right hinge pin 8 serves as pivoting hinge of the door member.

A lock means is provided to m aintain the open state(as in Fig. 3), in which the latch member 10 has been moved toward and restrains the opposite latch member 10, to guarantee the function of the hinge pin 8 serving as pivoting hinge of the door member. The lock means prevents the latch member 10 at open side from returning to the initial position.

Fig. 1 to 3 show a lock means comprising a rotating member 20 fixed rotatably on the fixing member 3 in the region of each of the pin guide grooves 6. The rotating member 20 is connected with the corresponding latch member 10 by a slot 13 formed in the latch member 10 and a pin 22 which can slide in the slot. The rotating member 20 has a rotating pin 21 fixed on the fixing member 3 and an arm 24 positioned in the region of the pin guide groove 6. A groove 23 is formed on the fixing member 3 for guiding the extention of the pin 22 to ensure a stable rotation of the rotating member 20. The rotating member 20 can rotates only between two rotated positions as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, since the pin 22 of the rotating member 20 is restrained in the slot 13 of the latch member 10. A toggle spring mechanism 30 is provided to resiliently maintain the rotating member 20 in each of the two rotated positions. The toggle spring mechanism 30 has a cylinder portion 31 mounted on the fixing member 3 with one end and a piston portion 32 inserted in the cylinder portion 31 and connected with the extention of the pin 22, which is spaced from the rotating pin 21 of the rotating member 20. A not shown compression spring is accommodated in the cylinder portion 31 to urge the piston portion 32. The toggle spring mechanism 30 can be replaced by the coil spring HOB of Fig. 14 and 15 employed in the prior art. When the left hinge pin 8 comes out the pin guide groove 6 from the state of the Fig. 2, the left latch member 10 moves toward the right latch member 10 due to the cooperation of the hinge pin 8 and the inclined surface 12. Accordingly, the rotating member 20 rotates counterclockwise due to moving of the pin 22 in the slot 13 and consequently takes the position as shown in Fig. 3. In the position, the rotating member 20 prevents the latch member 10 from returning to the initial position.

When the door member comes close to the main body 1 from the state of Fig.3 and the left hinge pin 8 comes into the corresponding pin guide groove 6, the left hinge pin 8 urges the arm 24 of the rotating member 20 to rotate it clockwise. The clockwise rotation of the rotating member 20 causes the latch member 10 to return to the initial position of Fig. 2 and receive the hinge pin 8 with the receiving recess 11. Thus, it takes the closed state of Fig.2. The device according to Fig. 1 to 3 has an additional lock means to improve the security of the locking for the latch member. The additional lock means comprises a lock slot 14 formed in the latch member 10 including a longitudinal slot portion and transverse slot portion communicated with the longitudinal slot portion, and a lock pin 40 disposed on the fixing member 3 capable of moving transversely to the moving direction of the latch member 10. The lock pin 40 has an external end portion projecting between the door member and the main body and a stopping projection 41 moving in the lock slot 14. The lock pin 40 is urged by a spring 42 toward outside. When the latch member 10 moves toward the other latch member 10, the stopping projection 41 of the lock pin 40 moves along the logitudinal slot , portion and then arrives in the transverse slot portion of the lock slot 14 and the external end portion of the lock pin 40 projects out to the outside, as shown in Fig. 3. Thereby, the left latch member 10 of Fig. 3 locked in the state and can not return to the position of Fig. 2. When the door member comes close to said m ain body, it causes the projected external end portion of the lock pin 40 to be retracted into the fixing member 3 against the spring 42 and then the stopping projection 41 moves b ack along the transverse slot portion and subsequently the logitudinal slot portion of the lock slot 14, thereby release the latch member 10 to return.

Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 show a second embodiment of this invention, in which a holder 45 is provided for assisting the holding function of the receiving recess 11 of the latch member 10 for the hinge pin 8. The holder has a holding recess 48 for receiving a part of the hinge pin 8 and is supported rotatably on the fixing member 3 through a rotating pin 46. The holder 45 has a guide pin 47 which is to be moved in a guide slot 16 formed on the latch member 10. Accordingly, cooperating with the longitudinal movement of the latch member 10, the holder 45 rotates between two rotated position for holding and releasing the hinge pin 8 as shown in Fig. 4 and 5. On the other hand, the holder 45 is mounted under the latch member 10 and the rotating member 20 not to interfere their operation. By this arrangement, in the closed state of Fig. 4, the holder 45 surrounds the hinge pin 8 in cooperation with the latch member 10. When the door member becomes to open at left side of the figures, the holder 45 releases the hinge pin 8 according to the movement of the latch member 10 to allow the hinge pin 8 to come out the pin guide groove 6. Here, as can be seen in the right side of Fig. 5 showing the opened state of the door member, the holder 45 m aintains to catching the right hinge pin 8 to support the pivoting of the hinge pin 8. When the hinge pin 8 comes into the pin guide groove 6, the holder 45 comes close to the hinge p in 8 according to the returning movement of the latch mem ber 10 to hold the hinge pin 8 together with the receiving recess 11 of the latch member 10. Fig. 6 is a exploded perspective view of a device according to the third embodiment of this invention, Fig. 7 to Fig. 9 are plan views illustrating operation of the device. In this embodiment, the rotating member 20 is located over the latch member 10 in contrast to the first and second embodiments in which the rotating member 20 is located under the latch member 10. Under the latch member 10, a pin receiver 50 is rotatably mounted in a supporter 53 fixed on the fixing member 3. The pin receiver 50 has a substantial cylindrical shape and has a journal portion 52 inserted in the supporter 53. The wall of the pin receiver 50 is partially opened to allow the hinge pin 8 to come into/out a pin accommodating portion 51. A spring 54 is provided to urge the pin receiver 50 in one rotation direction, and a stopper 55 is also provided to limit the rotation angle of the pin receiver 50. On the other hand, the hinge pin 8 has a projection protruded from the side surface thereof to act on the inner wall surface of the pin accommodating portion 51. In the closed state as in Fig. 7, the pin accommodating portion 51 of the pin receiver 50 is opened in the same direction as the pin guide groove 6 of the fixing mem ber 3 , and the hinge pin 8 is maintained in the pin accommodating portion 51. The horizontal projection 59 of the hinge pin 8 is positioned within the opened w all section of the pin receiver 50. As the door member become to open, the left hinge pin 8 in Fig. 7 comes easily out from the pin accommodating portion 51 through the opened wall section, while the right hinge pin 8 remains in the pin accommodating portion 51 to serve as the pivoting hinge of the door member. As the door member rotates at the right hinge pin 8, the right pin receiver 50 can not rotate relative to the right hinge pin 8 due to the projection 59 of the right hinge pin 8, while it rotates relative to the fixing member 3. Accordingly, as shown in Fig. 8, the pin rece iver 50 closes gradually the pin traveling path of the right pin guide groove 6, and consequently, as shown in Fig. 9 showing in an enlarged scale, the right hinge pin 8 become to be surrounded on the whole by the inner wall of the pin receiver 50 and the pin guide groove 6 to be secured therein.

Meanwhile, referring again to Fig. 6 to 8, another type of the lock means is disclosed. This lock means comprises a saw-toothed catch portion 17 formed on the side edge of the latch member 10 and a pawl member 60 fixed rotatably at a pin 61 on the fixing member 3 to engage with the catch portion 17. The pawl member 60 is resiliently urged to a direction engaging with the catch portion 17 by a spring 62. As shown in Fig. 8, the engagement of the pawl member 60 with catch portion 17 locks the latch member 10 in the opened position. On the other hand, A projection 63 is formed on the main body 1 to project toward the door member. When the door member comes close to the main body, a free end of the projection 63 acts on the pawl member 60 to release the engagement with the catch portion 17 to allow the latch member 10 to return.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 10 showing a partition section, a roller 65 is provided on the fixing member 3. This roller 65 is to be rolled on the upper surface of the guide projection 65 when the projection 65 comes into the fixing member 3. The guide projection 65 holds up the door member to prevent the door member from sagging with respect to the main body.

Fig. 11 is a exploded perspective view of a device according to the fourth embodiment of this invention, and Fig. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 11. Though Fig. 1 to Fig. 9 show devices which are applicable for the upper ends of the door member and the main body, Fig. 1 1 shows an example being applicable for the lower end thereof. In this embodiment, a pin end supporter 70 is provided between the fixing member 5 and the latch member 10. The pin end supporter 70 is slidably supported on the fixing member 3, preferably by means of rollers 73. The pin end supporter 70 connected with the latch mem bers 10 by pins 71 on the latch members 10 and slots 72 on the pin end supporter 70.

As shown in Fig. 12, the door member is closed and the right side end portion of the pin end supporter 70 is located on the distal end of the right hinge pin 8. From this state, when the right side of the door is opened, the right latch member 10 moves to the left and accordingly the pin end supporter 70 connected with the latch member 10 also moves to the left to locate on the distal end of the left hinge pin 8. On the contrary, when the left side of the door is opened, the pin end supporter 70 moves to the right to locate on the distal end of the right hinge pin 8. As a result of this, since the distal end of the hinge pin 8 serving as the pivoting hinge of the door member is alw ays supported by the pin end supporter 70, the hinge pin 8 can bear effectively the weight of the door member.

Fig. 13 is a cross sectional view of a device according to the fifth embodiment of this invention. In the previous embodiments of this invention, the latch member 10 is formed as a rigid body and directly contacts with the opposite latch member 10 to latch it. However, in this embodiment, a plurality of balls 80 are filled along the curved path 81 between the both latch members 10 with the predetermined gap. The balls 80 serve as a transmission means for transmitting the moving of one latch member 10 to the other latch member 10. Except that the balls are interposed between the latch members 10, the embodiment operates in the substantially similar manner as the previous examples. The balls 80 used in this embodiment may of course be substituted with any other flexible medium, such as rollers, wire, etc.. Anyway, by using of such a flexible mediation, the device can be employed even in curved door.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A device cap able of opening/closing a door member at each side thereof comprising: at least a pair of hinge pins installed opposed to each other at the opposite ends of either one of the door member and a main body with which the door member is assembled; a fixing member fixed on the other one of said door member and said main body, said fixing member having pin guide grooves into/out which each of said hinge pins come in a pivoting direction of said door member pivoting at the opposite hinge pin; a pair of latch members supported at said fixing member to move in a longitudinal direction of said fixing member, said latch members having one ends facing each other with a predetermined gap and the other ends having a receiving recess for receiving said hinge pin inserted in said pin guide groove correspondingly, and when one hinge pin come out from the receiving recess of the corresponding latch member to open the door member at side of said one hinge pin, said corresponding latch member moving cooperatively toward the other latch member and contact therewith to prevent the other latch member from moving longitudinally, so that the other hinge pin is prevented from moving out from the receiving recess of the other latch member; a lock means for preventing said latch member having been moved toward the other latch member from returning to the original position, and for allowing said latch member to be released when said one hinge pin come into said corresponding pin guide groove.

2. A device capable of opening/closing a door member according to claim 1, wherein a compression spring is provided in said gap between said latch members, and each of said latch members has a inclined surface extending from said receiving recess to contact with said hinge pin moving along said pin guide groove, thereby said latch members move cooperatively with the moving of said hinge p ins against said compression spring.

3. A device cap able of opening/closing a door member according to claim 2, wherein a transmission means is interposed between said compression spring and at least one of said latch members, said transmission means has flexibility to conform to a curved path.

4. A device capable of opening/closing a door member according to claim 3, wherein said transmission means consists of a plurality of rollable elements.

5. A device capable of opening/closing a door mem ber according to claim 1 , wherein said lock means comprises a pair of rotating members fixed rotatably on said fixing member in the regions of said pin guide grooves and connected with said latch members by a slot-pin mechanism having a slot and a pin which can slide in said slot, said rotating member rotates by said hinge pin coming into the corresponding pin guide groove to return the corresponding latch member in the original position and rotates back by the corresponding latch member moving tow ard the other latch member when the corresponding hinge pin comes out from said receiving recess of the corresponding latch member, and a toggle spring means is associated with each of said rotating members to resiliently maintain said rotating member in the two rotated positions.

6. A device capable of opening/closing a door mem ber according to claim 1, wherein said lock means comprises a lock slot formed in each of said latch members including a longitudinal slot portion and transverse slot portion communicated with said longitudinal slot portion, and a lock pin disposed on said fixing member to be movable transversely to the moving direction of said latch member, having an external end portion projecting between said door member and said main body and a stopping projection moving in said lock slot, and being urged by a spring toward outside, thereby when one latch member moves toward the other latch member, said stopping projection of said lock pin moves along said logitudinal slot portion and then said transverse slot portion of said lock slot to prevent said one latch member from returning, and when said door member comes close to said main body, said lock pin retracts into said fixing member against said spring and then the stopping projection moves back along said transverse slot portion and subsequently said logitudinal slot portion to release said latch member.

7. A device capable of opening/closing a door mem ber according to claim 1 , wherein said lock means comprises a pawl mounted on said fixing member and a catch portion formed on said latch member to engage with said pawl, said pawl and said catch portion engage with each other when the corresponding latch member have moved toward the other latch member to prevent the corresponding latch member from returning, and when said door member com es close to said main body, said pawl and said catch portion unengage to allow the corresponding latch member to return.

8. A device capable of opening/closing a door member according to claim 1 further comprising a guide disposed either one of said door member and said m ain body and a roller mounted the other of said door member and said main body to roll over said guide.

9. A device capable of opening/closing a door member according to claim 1 further comprising a pin end support associated with each of said latch members to move together therewith to contact with and support the distal end of the corresponding hinge pin.

10. A device capable of opening/closing a door member according to claim 1 further comprising a pin receiver associated with each of said pin guide grooves and having a partial inner cylindrical shape for accomodating said hinge pin having been coming into said pin guide groove.

11. A device capable of opening/closing a door member according to claim 1, wherein said hinge pins are freely rotatable at their axis.

12. A device capable of opening/closing a door mem ber according to claim 11 , wherein said hinge pins are supported by thrust bearings.