WO2024095894A1

WO2024095894A1 - Rotation biasing device

Info

Publication number: WO2024095894A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/038760
Authority: WO
Inventors: 寿中曽称
Original assignee: 株式会社パイオラックス
Priority date: 2022-11-04
Filing date: 2023-10-26
Publication date: 2024-05-10

Abstract

Provided is a rotation biasing device that makes it possible to improve the ease of mounting a torsion coil spring to a spring mount. This rotating biasing device 10 has a spring mount 20 and a torsion coil spring 50 mounted to the spring mount 20. The torsion coil spring 50 has a coil section 53 obtained by winding a wire 51, a first arm section 55 extending from the coil section 53 and locked to the spring mount 20, and a second arm section 57 extending from the coil section 53 and locked to an attachment member. The spring mount 20 has a base section 21, a coil support section 35 disposed on the outside of the coil section 53 and serving to support the coil section 53, and a claw 45 that enters an interval in the wire of the coil section 53 and holds the torsion coil spring 50 to the spring mount 20 so as not to become detached therefrom.

Description

Rotational biasing device

The present invention relates to a rotational biasing device that uses a torsion coil spring to apply a rotational biasing force to a spring mounting body that is attached to a mounting member.

For example, an opening formed in a fixed body such as a glove box of an automobile has an opening or closing body such as a lid that can be opened or closed. Such an opening or closing body may be capable of being locked or opened via a pair of locking members.

In this case, a pair of locking members are slidably installed on the opening/closing body, and a rotational biasing device having a spring mounting body to which a torsion coil spring is attached is sometimes used to cause the pair of locking members to slide in sync. The pair of locking members have their base ends connected to the spring mounting body, and the rotational biasing force of the torsion coil spring biases their tip ends in a direction that engages with the pair of locking members provided in the opening.

As an example of a structure equipped with a rotational biasing device as described above, the following Patent Document 1 describes a locking device for an opening/closing body, which has a locking section provided on the opening of the fixed body or on the opening/closing body, a locking member slidably arranged on the opening/closing body or fixed body and engages and disengages with the locking section, a rotating member rotatably attached to the opening/closing body or fixed body via a rotating member attachment section, and a torsion spring that biases the locking member in a direction to engage with the locking section. The torsion spring has a wound section and a pair of arms extending from the wound section.

The rotating member has a main body, a rotating shaft protruding from the back side of the main body, a spring support part that is approximately cylindrical and protrudes from the front side of the main body and exteriorizes the wound part of the torsion spring, and a spring engagement claw formed on the spring support part. The spring engagement claw is formed to be flexible and deformable through a slit, and is composed of an elastic piece with a fixed end facing one end side of the spring support part (the main body side) and a free end facing the other end side of the spring support part (the side away from the main body), and a claw part protruding from the outside of the other end of the elastic piece.

Then, with the wound portion of the torsion spring positioned outside the spring support portion of the rotating member, the torsion spring is pushed against the rotating member in a direction in which one end of the wound portion approaches the main body of the rotating member. Then, the claw portion of the spring engagement claw enters the wound portion and gradually climbs over the wire of the wound portion, and the claw portion comes out of the opening at the other end of the wound portion and engages with the other end, thereby attaching the torsion spring to the rotating member (see Figures 10 and 11 of Patent Document 1).

WO2020/080342

In the case of the locking device of Patent Document 1, when attaching the torsion spring to the rotating member, the claw portion of the spring engagement claw is engaged with the other end of the torsion spring, so the workability of attaching the torsion spring to the rotating member cannot be said to be good.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a rotational biasing device that can improve the ease of mounting a torsion coil spring to a spring mounting body.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a spring mounting body that is attached to a workpiece so as to be rotatable relative to the workpiece, and a torsion coil spring that is attached to the spring mounting body and applies a rotational force, the torsion coil spring having a coil portion formed by winding wire, a first arm portion that extends from the coil portion and is engaged with the spring mounting body, and a second arm portion that extends from the coil portion and is engaged with the workpiece, the spring mounting body having a base portion, a coil support portion that protrudes from the base portion and is positioned on the outside or inside of the coil portion to support the coil portion, and a claw portion that fits between the wire of the coil portion to hold the torsion coil spring in the spring mounting body and prevent it from coming loose.

According to the present invention, the claws on the spring mounting body fit between the wires of the coil section, so that the torsion coil spring is mounted on the spring mounting body in a retaining state that prevents it from falling out, improving the ease of mounting the torsion coil spring to the spring mounting body.

1 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of a rotation biasing device according to the present invention; 13 is an exploded perspective view of a locking device when the rotation urging device is applied to a locking device for an opening/closing body. FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a spring mounting body constituting the rotation biasing device according to the present invention, seen from a direction different from that in FIG. 1 . FIG. FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how a torsion coil spring is mounted on the spring mounting body. FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion of the spring mounting body with a torsion coil spring mounted thereon. FIG. FIG. 9 is a plan view of FIG. 8 . 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 7 . 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 7 . 11 is an explanatory diagram of a case where an opening/closing body is closed by a locking device to which a rotational biasing device according to the present invention is applied. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the case where the opening/closing body is opened by the locking device. FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a spring mounting body constituting the rotational biasing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG.

(One embodiment of the rotation biasing device)
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a rotation biasing device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rotational biasing device 10 of this embodiment has a spring mounting body 20 that is attached to the mounting member so as to be rotatable relative to the mounting member, and a torsion coil spring 50 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "spring 50") that is attached to the spring mounting body 20 and applies a rotational biasing force in a predetermined direction (see arrow R in FIG. 9 and FIG. 12).

In this embodiment, the opening/closing body 4 shown in FIG. 2 constitutes the "attached member" in the present invention. More specifically, the spring mounting body 20 is rotatably attached to the spring mounting body attachment portion 60 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "attachment portion 60") provided on the inner member 6 constituting the opening/closing body 4 (see FIG. 8).

The spring 50 in this embodiment has a coil portion 53 formed by winding wire 51, a first arm portion 55 extending from the coil portion 53 and engaging with the spring mounting body 20, and a second arm portion 57 extending from the coil portion 53 and engaging with the mounting member, and is a so-called torsion spring.

In the following description, when the spring 50 is attached to the spring attachment body 20, one axial end of the coil portion 53 that is close to the base portion 21 (see FIG. 1) of the spring attachment body 20 is referred to as "one end 53a," and the other axial end of the coil portion 53 that is away from the base portion 21 is referred to as "the other end 53b." The axial direction of the coil portion 53 means the direction along the axis C1 of the coil portion 53 (see FIG. 7 and FIG. 11).

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, the coil portion 53 has a portion (sparsely wound portion) in which

adjacent wire rods

51, 51 are wound with a gap 59 between them in the axial direction. In this embodiment, the coil portion 53 is formed from a sparsely wound portion from one end 53a to the other end 53b in the axial direction, and there is no densely wound portion with no gap 59 between the

wire rods

51, 51.

The rotational biasing device 10 of this embodiment is also adapted to a locking device for an opening/closing body, for example a glove box, which is openably and closably attached to an opening 2 of a fixed body 1 such as a vehicle instrument panel, and is used to lock the opening/closing body 4. As shown in FIG. 2,

As shown in Figures 2 and 12, the locking device of this embodiment is mainly composed of a pair of

locking parts

3, 3 provided at the opening 2 of the fixed body 1, a pair of

locking members

70, 70 arranged on the opening/closing body 4 and engaging with and disengaging from the pair of

locking parts

3, 3, the spring mounting body 20 that is rotatably mounted on the opening/closing body 4 that forms the mounting member and to which the base ends 71, 71 of the pair of

locking members

70, 70 are connected and that links the sliding movement of the pair of

locking members

70, 70, the spring 50 that is mounted on the spring mounting body 20 and biases the

tip ends

72, 72 of the pair of

locking members

70, 70 in a direction in which they engage with the pair of locking parts 3, 3 (the direction of arrow E in Figure 12), and an operating member 80 that operates the sliding of the pair of

locking members

70, 70.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, hole-

shaped locking portions

3, 3 are provided on both inner sides of the opening 2 of the fixed body 1 in the width direction.

In addition, the opening/closing body 4 in this embodiment is composed of an outer member 5 that is placed on the passenger compartment side, and an inner member 6 that is placed on the back side of the outer member 5. A horizontally long rectangular concave storage recess 7 is formed above one widthwise side of the outer member 5. An operating member 80 is stored in this storage recess 7. A long hole-shaped mounting hole 8 is formed in the bottom 7a of the storage recess 7, and the operating member 80 is attached to this mounting hole.

The above "front side" or "surface side" refers to the side or surface that is located in the direction in which the opening/closing body opens from the opening of the fixed body, such as a vehicle. In addition, if the fixed body is provided on a vehicle, the side facing the interior space of the vehicle may also be referred to as the "front side" or "surface side". Furthermore, the "reverse side" or "reverse side" refers to the side opposite the "front side" or "surface side", i.e., the side or surface that is located in the direction in which the opening/closing body closes.

Furthermore, the above terms "front side," "front surface side," "back side," and "rear surface side" have the same meaning not only for the mounting hole, but also for other members (spring mounting body 20, mounting portion 60, etc.) described in detail below.

As shown in FIG. 2, the inner member 6 is generally box-shaped with an open top. In addition, the upper portion of the surface side (front side) of the inner member 6 that faces the outer member 5 is provided with a horizontally long concave lock arrangement recess 6a in which the pair of

lock members

70, 70 are slidably arranged.

Lock insertion holes

6b, 6b are formed on both longitudinal sides of the lock arrangement recess 6a.

As shown in Figures 2 and 12, the pair of

locking members

70, 70 in this embodiment have the same shape, with the base end 71 bent in a crank shape and extending linearly toward the tip end, and the tip end 72 is adapted to engage and disengage with the locking portion 3 (see Figures 12 and 13).

A rectangular frame-shaped portion 73 is provided on the tip end 72 side of each locking member 70. A connecting recess 74 is formed on the base end 71 of each locking member 70 for connecting to the spring mounting body 20 (see FIG. 1).

As further shown in FIG. 2, the operating member 80 in this embodiment is composed of a main body 81 that is fixed to the opening/closing body 4, and an operating body 83 that is rotatably attached to the main body 81.

The operating body 83 has its base end journaled on the main body 81, and its tip end rotates toward and away from the bottom 7a of the storage recess 7. In addition, an operating lever (not shown) protrudes from the back side of the operating body 83 and is inserted into the frame-shaped portion 73 of one of the locking members 70.

In addition, a mounting portion 60 is provided on the surface side of the bottom surface of the lock placement recess 6a for rotatably mounting the spring mounting body 20.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mounting portion 60 is generally box-shaped with one side open, like a dog house, and is made up of a generally U-shaped peripheral wall 61 standing upright from the bottom surface of the lock placement recess 6a of the inner member 6, and a ceiling wall 63 located at the leading end of the standing direction of the peripheral wall 61. In addition, a circular shaft support hole 64 is formed in the ceiling wall 63.

Furthermore, a spring locking wall 65 is erected at a position adjacent to the mounting portion 60. This spring locking wall 65 has a locking groove 66 formed therein, which is an elongated groove. The second arm portion 57 of the spring 50 is inserted into this locking groove 66 to be locked.

Next, the spring mounting body 20 will be described in detail.

In this embodiment, the spring mounting body 20 has a base portion 21, a coil support portion 35 that protrudes from the base portion 21 and is positioned outside the coil portion 53 to support the coil portion 53, and a claw portion 45 that fits between the wires of the coil portion 53 (here, the gaps 59 between the

wires

51, 51 adjacent in the axial direction) to hold the spring 50 in place on the spring mounting body 20.

The outside of the coil portion 53 means the outside in the radial direction of the coil portion 53 (it can also be said to be the radially outward direction). On the other hand, the inside of the coil portion 53 means the inside in the radial direction of the coil portion 53 (it can also be said to be the radially inward direction). Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, the direction in which the spring 50 is pressed into the spring mounting body 20 in order to mount the spring 50 on the spring mounting body 20 is referred to as the "spring pressing direction F."

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the base portion 21 has a locking portion 28 to which the first arm portion 55 of the spring 50 is locked. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the spring 50 is pressed against the spring mounting body 20 in a direction in which one axial end portion 53a of the coil portion 53 approaches the base portion 21, the claw portion 45 enters between the wires of the coil portion 53 (the gap 59 between the

wires

51, 51 adjacent in the axial direction), and holds the spring 50 against the spring mounting body 20 so as not to come off.

In the present invention, the claw portion "enters between the wire rods of the coil portion" does not only mean, as in this embodiment, that the coil portion 53 has a sparsely wound portion and there is a gap 59 between the wire rods 51 adjacent in the axial direction of the coil portion 53, and the claw portion 45 enters the gap 59 (see FIG. 11), but also includes a case where the claw portion enters between the wire rods arranged closely in the axial direction in the densely wound portion of the coil portion by being pushed from the radial outside or the radial inside of the coil portion, so as to enter between the wire rods.

To explain the shape and structure of the spring mounting body 20 in more detail, the base portion 21 constituting the spring mounting body 20 has a horizontally elongated, roughly diamond shape that extends long in one direction, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

A roughly cylindrical rotating shaft 23 protrudes from the back side of the base portion 21 (the side facing the bottom surface of the lock arrangement recess 6a) at the center in the extension direction (also called the longitudinal direction). The rotating shaft 23 is inserted into the shaft support hole 64 of the mounting portion 60, so that the spring mounting body 20 is rotatably supported on the mounting portion 60 (see FIG. 10). In the following description, the center of rotation of the spring mounting body 20 is referred to as "rotation center C2." The axis of the rotating shaft 23 coincides with the rotation center C2 of the spring mounting body 20.

Also, roughly

U-shaped slits

24, 24 are formed at radially opposing locations on the rotating shaft 23, and a pair of

elastic engagement pieces

25, 25 are provided so as to be able to flex and deform through these

slits

24, 24. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, each elastic engagement piece 25 has an engagement protrusion 26 protruding outward from the rotating shaft.

When the rotating shaft 23 is inserted into the shaft support hole 64 of the mounting portion 60, as shown in FIG. 11, the engaging

protrusions

26, 26 of the pair of elastic engaging

pieces

25, 25 are positioned opposite the rear periphery of the shaft support hole 64. As a result, the engaging protrusions 26 can engage with the rear periphery of the shaft support hole 64 while maintaining the rotational movement of the rotating shaft 23 inserted into the shaft support hole 64, and the rotating shaft 23 is held in place against the shaft support hole 64.

Furthermore, spherical locking

member connecting parts

27, 27 protrude from both ends in the extension direction on the back side of the base part 21. Each locking member connecting part 27 is inserted into and fitted into a connecting recess 74 formed in the base end part 71 of each locking member 70 (see FIG. 10), so that the base ends 71, 71 of the pair of locking

members

70, 70 are rotatably connected to both ends of the base part 21 in the extension direction (see FIG. 8).

Furthermore, approximately

rectangular locking portions

28, 28 are provided on the front side of both ends of the base portion 21 in the extension direction. As shown in FIG. 6, a locking protrusion 29 protrudes from the back side of each locking portion 28.

As shown in FIG. 5, a flexible elastic contact piece 31 is formed between the rotation shaft 23 and the locking member connecting part 27 of the base part 21 via a roughly U-shaped slit 30. Each elastic contact piece 31 is arranged with its fixed end facing one end of the base part 21 in the extension direction and its free end facing the center of the base part 21 in the extension direction.

With the rotating shaft 23 held in place in the shaft support hole 64, the free ends of the elastic contact pieces 31 abut against the surface of the ceiling wall 63 of the mounting part 60, making it possible to suppress rattling and tilting of the spring mounting body 20 when the spring mounting body 20 rotates relative to the shaft support hole 64 of the mounting part 60.

Also, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of sliding protrusions 32 are provided on the back side of the base portion 21, extending radially from the axis of the rotating shaft 23 (the rotation center C2 of the spring mounting body 20).

These sliding protrusions 32 come into contact with the surface of the ceiling wall 63 of the mounting part 60 when the spring mounting body 20 is rotatably attached to the mounting part 60. When the spring mounting body 20 rotates, each sliding protrusion 36 comes into sliding contact with the surface of the ceiling wall 63, reducing the contact area between the back side of the base part 21 and the surface of the ceiling wall 63, making it easier to rotate the spring mounting body 20.

Also, a generally cylindrical coil insertion section 33 protrudes from the front side of the base section 21, at the center in the extension direction. This coil insertion section 33 extends coaxially with the rotation shaft 23. In other words, the axis of the coil insertion section 33 coincides with the rotation center C2 of the spring mounting body 20. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 to 11, this coil insertion section 33 is arranged to be positioned inside the coil section 53 when the spring 50 is mounted on the spring mounting body 20.

The coil insertion section 33 serves the following functions:

In other words, if an unexpected external force acts on the coil portion 53 from the radially outward direction, the coil insertion portion 33 abuts against the inner circumference of the coil portion 53. As a result, the coil portion 53 is prevented from shifting position from the center of the extension direction of the base portion 21, and the coil portion 53 can be stably positioned in the center of the extension direction of the base portion 21. The coil insertion portion 33 is also used to align the coil portion 53 when mounting the spring 50 to the spring mounting body 20.

In this embodiment, the coil support portion 35 is shaped to extend along the axial direction of the coil portion 53. The coil support portion 35 is located in the center of the extension direction of the base portion 21 and has a pair of

walls

37, 37 that protrude from both side edges in the width direction (direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the base portion 21) in a direction away from the surface of the base portion 21.

Each wall portion 37 is shaped to curve like a bow and extend in the extension direction of the base portion 21 when viewed from the planar direction shown in FIG. 4 (the direction along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 23 and the coil insertion portion 33) so as to fit the shape of both side edges in the width direction of the center portion in the extension direction of the base portion 21, which is shaped like a horizontally elongated, roughly diamond-like shape extending in one direction. It can also be said that each wall portion 37 is shaped to curve so as to be convex outward and extend in the extension direction of the base portion 21 when viewed from the planar direction.

Also, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the inner surface (the surface facing the rotation center C2 of the spring mounting body 20) and the outer surface (the surface opposite the inner surface) of each wall portion 37 are gently curved, and the thickness of the central portion in the extension direction is slightly thinner than the thickness of both sides in the extension direction.

Furthermore, the pair of

walls

37, 37 are arranged opposite each other with the coil insertion portion 33 in between so that the center of their extension direction is aligned with the axis of the coil insertion portion 33 (the rotation center C2 of the spring mounting body 20). It can also be said that the pair of

walls

37, 37 are arranged opposite each other with the rotation center C2 of the spring mounting body 20 in between.

As shown in Figures 8, 9, and 11, the pair of

walls

37, 37 constituting the coil support portion 35 are positioned outside the coil portion 53 when the spring 50 is attached to the spring attachment body 20. At this time, since the inner surface of each wall portion 37 is gently curved as described above, the inner surface of the central portion in the extension direction of each wall portion 37 and the adjacent portion are positioned so as to follow the outer periphery of the coil portion 53, as shown in Figure 9.

In addition, the pair of

walls

37, 37 arranged on the outside of the coil portion 53 can also be said to extend (stand upright) along the axial direction of the coil portion 53.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the inner dimension of the pair of opposing

wall portions

37, 37, i.e., the inner dimension L1 between the inner faces at the center of the extension direction of the pair of wall portions 37, 37 (the position passing through the rotation center C2 of the spring mounting body 20), is formed to match or be larger than the outer diameter D of the coil portion 53 (see FIG. 7).

As a result, when the spring 50 is pressed into the spring mounting body 20 in order to mount the spring 50 on the spring mounting body 20, the inner surfaces of the pair of

walls

37, 37 are unlikely to interfere with the outer periphery of the coil portion 53, or do not interfere at all, or even if they do interfere to some extent, are hardly affected by it.

Also, as shown in FIG. 6, a resilient piece 41 that can be bent is formed in the center of the extension direction of each wall portion 37 by a roughly U-shaped slit.

That is, a pair of

first slits

39, 39 extending parallel to each other along the axial direction are formed in the center of each wall portion 37 in the extension direction. In addition, the ends of the pair of

first slits

39, 39 on the base portion 21 side are connected to each other by a second slit 40 that extends along the extension direction of the wall portion 37 so as to be perpendicular to the pair of

first slits

39, 39, forming a roughly U-shaped slit.

Each wall portion 37 has an elastic piece 41 formed on its inner side through the pair of

first slits

39, 39 and second slit 40.

Each elastic piece 41 has its fixed end 42 positioned on the side of the wall 37 opposite the base 21 (positioned on the end of the wall 37 away from the base 21), and its free end 43 positioned on the side of the wall 37 facing the base 21 (positioned on the end of the wall 37 close to the base 21).

Also, as shown in Figures 6 and 11, a claw portion 45 protrudes from a portion of each elastic piece 41 that is offset toward the base portion 21, in this case from the inside (inner surface) of the free end portion 43 of the elastic piece 41, toward the center of rotation C2 of the spring mounting body 20.

Furthermore, the thickness of the tip 46 of each claw portion 45 in the protruding direction (the length along the extension direction of the coil support portion 35) is formed to be smaller than the size of the gap 59 between the

wires

51, 51 of the coil portion 53 (the length along the axial direction of the coil portion 53). This makes it possible for at least the tip 46 of each claw portion 45 to enter the gap 59 of the coil portion 53.

Also, as shown in the partially enlarged view of Figure 11, each claw portion 45 has a tapered other end side engagement surface 47 that gradually protrudes less from the very end of the tip portion 46 (the end surface that protrudes most from the inner surface of the elastic piece 41) toward the fixed end portion 42 of the elastic piece 41.

When the claw portion 45 enters the gap 59 of the coil portion 53, the other end side engaging surface 47 can engage with the outer periphery of the wire 51 located on the other end 53b side relative to the gap 59 (the wire 51 located below the paper surface of Figure 11 relative to the gap 59).

The tapered retaining surface 47 on the other end makes it easier for the claw portion 45 to enter the gap 59 in the coil portion 53, and also serves to increase the amount of contact (hanging margin) with the outer periphery of the wire 51.

In addition, the above-mentioned other end side engaging surface 47 can engage with the outer periphery of the wire 51 located on the other end 53b side even when the claw portion 45 enters between the closely arranged wires in the densely wound portion of the coil portion, making it easier for the claw portion 45 to enter between the wires and increasing the amount of contact with the outer periphery of the wire 51.

Furthermore, a one-end side locking surface 48 is provided on the opposite side of the other-end side locking surface 47 of each claw portion 45. This one-end side locking surface 48 is capable of locking onto the outer periphery of the wire rod 51 located on the one-end side 53a relative to the gap 59 (the wire rod 51 located on the upper side of the paper in FIG. 11 relative to the gap 59) when the claw portion 45 enters into the gap 59 of the coil portion 53. The one-end side locking surface 48 allows the claw portion 45 to lock onto the outer periphery of the wire rod 51 located on the one-end side 53a even when the claw portion 45 enters between closely arranged wire rods in the densely wound portion of the coil portion.

Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the distance L2 between the extreme ends 46, 46 of a pair of

claws

45, 45 of a pair of

wall portions

37, 37 arranged opposite each other across the coil insertion portion 33 is formed to be smaller than the outer diameter D of the coil portion 53 (see FIG. 7). As a result, when the spring 50 is attached to the spring mounting body 20 and the claws 45 enter the gaps 59 of the coil portion 53, the claws 45 are reliably wrapped (overlapped) radially around the wire 51 (see the partially enlarged view in FIG. 11).

Then, when mounting the spring 50 to the spring mounting body 20, the following operations are performed. Note that the state in which the spring 50 is pressed into the spring mounting body 20 until one end 53a of the coil portion 53 abuts against the surface of the base portion 21 and further pressing of the spring 50 is restricted is referred to as the state in which the spring 50 is pressed maximally into the spring mounting body 20 in the spring pressing direction F (hereinafter, simply referred to as the "maximum spring pressing state").

First, the coil portion 53 is aligned so that it is positioned between the coil insertion portion 33 of the spring mounting body 20 and the pair of

walls

37, 37 that constitute the coil support portion 35 (see Figures 7 and 11).

Then, as shown in Figures 7 and 11, the spring 50 is pressed against the spring mounting body 20 in the spring pressing direction F so that one end 53a of the coil portion 53 approaches the surface of the base portion 21.

Then, the coil insertion section 33 is inserted inside the coil section 53, and the pair of

walls

37, 37 of the coil support section 35 are positioned outside the coil section 53, and the coil section 53 is pushed in while being guided by the pair of

walls

37, 37, until one end 53a of the coil section 53 approaches the surface of the base section 21. At this time, the claw section 45 provided on the coil support section 35 does not get caught on the wire 51 of the coil section 53.

Then, just before one end 53a of the coil portion 53 comes into contact with the surface of the base portion 21 (just before the maximum spring compression state), one end 53a of the coil portion 53 comes into contact with the tapered other end side engagement surface 47 of the claw portion 45. Then, the other end side engagement surface 47 of the claw portion 45 is pressed against one end 53a of the coil portion 53, and the elastic piece 41 is bent outward.

Then, when the spring 50 is pressed against the spring mounting body 20 and one end 53a of the coil portion 53 abuts against the surface of the base portion 21, further pressing of the spring 50 is restricted (maximum spring pressing state is reached), and the claw portion 45 passes over the first turn of wire 51 from one end 53a of the coil portion 53 and enters between the wires of the coil portion 53. Here, when it reaches the gap 59 between the

wires

51, 51 closest to one end 53a of the coil portion 53 (the gap 59 closest to one end 53a, which can also be said to be the first gap 59 from one end 53a), the elastic piece 41 elastically returns and the claw portion 45 enters the gap 59 (see the partially enlarged view of FIG. 11).

Then, the claw portion 45 that has entered the gap 59 engages the outer periphery of the wire 51 of the second turn from one end 53a of the coil portion 53 with the other end side engaging surface 47, and engages the outer periphery of the wire 51 of the first turn from one end 53a of the coil portion 53 with the one end side engaging surface 48. As a result, the spring 50 is attached to the spring attachment body 20 in a state where it is held in place to prevent it from coming loose.

As described above, in the rotational biasing device 10 of this embodiment, when the spring 50 is pressed into the spring mounting body 20, from the beginning of the pressing of the spring 50 until just before the maximum spring pressing state, the claw portion 45 does not catch on the wire 51 of the coil portion 53. It is only when the maximum spring pressing state is reached that the claw portion 45 overcomes the wire 51, and thereafter, when the maximum spring pressing state is reached, the claw portion 45 enters the gap 59 between the first turn of wire 51 and the second turn of wire 51 from one end 53a of the coil portion 53.

In addition, in the above-mentioned maximum spring compression state, the rotation center C2 of the spring mounting body 20 and the axis C1 of the coil portion 53 coincide or nearly coincide (see Figure 9).

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned maximum spring compression state, it is preferable that the claw portion 45 enters from one axial end portion 53a of the coil portion 53 that is close to the base portion 21 into the gap 59 in a portion that is equal to or less than 1/2 of the total number of turns of the wire 51 that winds around the coil portion 53, and it is even more preferable that the claw portion 45 enters into the gap 59 in a portion that is equal to or less than 1/3 of the total number of turns of the wire 51.

In this embodiment, as shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. 11, the claw portion 45 is configured to enter the gap 59 between the first turn of wire 51 and the second turn of wire 51 from one end 53a of the coil portion 53 toward the other end 53b of the coil portion 53, which is less than 1/2 of the total number of turns 5 of the wire 51 winding around the coil portion 53.

The first arm portion 55 of the spring 50 is disposed on the rear side of one of the locking portions 28 and hooked onto the locking projection 29, thereby locking the first arm portion 55 to the locking portion 28. The second arm portion 57 of the spring 50 is inserted into and locked into the locking groove 66 of the spring locking wall 65, allowing the rotational biasing force of the spring 50 to act on the spring mounting body 20.

As a result, as shown in the direction of arrow R in FIG. 12, the spring mounting body 20 is rotated and biased, so that the tip ends 72, 72 of the pair of locking

members

70, 70 are biased in a direction (arrow E direction in FIG. 12) in which they engage with the pair of locking

portions

3, 3. The tip ends 72, 72 of the pair of locking

members

70, 70 are inserted through the

lock insertion holes

6b, 6b provided in the lock arrangement recess 6a.

In addition, when the operating body 83 that constitutes the operating member 80 is rotated relative to the main body 81 in a direction in which its tip is moved away from the bottom 7a of the storage recess 7, the operating lever of the operating member 80 presses against the inner surface of the frame-shaped portion 73 of one of the locking members 70, so that the

tip portions

72, 72 of the pair of locking

members

70, 70 can be slid in a direction that does not engage with the pair of locking

portions

3, 3 of the fixed body 1 via the spring mounting body 20 (see FIG. 13).

(Modification)
The spring mounting body, torsion coil spring, and each of the components constituting the rotational biasing device of the present invention, as well as the locking portion, locking member, and operating member constituting the locking device of the opening/closing body using the rotational biasing device, and the shapes, structures, layouts, and the like of each of the components constituting these components are not limited to the above-mentioned aspects.

In addition, the rotation biasing device in this embodiment is used in a locking device for an opening/closing body, but it may also be used in a hinge structure of an opening/closing member that opens and closes via a hinge, or in a braking device that is attached between a pair of members that move toward or away from each other and applies a braking force when the pair of members move toward or away from each other, and there are no particular limitations on the location of application or use.

Furthermore, when the rotational biasing device is used as a locking device for an opening/closing body, as described above, it is applied to a structure in which a box-shaped glove box is rotatably attached to the opening of an instrument panel (in this case, the instrument panel is the "fixed body" and the glove box is the "opening/closing body"), for example, but it may also be applied to a structure in which a lid is attached to the opening of an instrument panel so that it can be opened and closed (in this case, the instrument panel is the "fixed body" and the lid is the "opening/closing body"), and it can be widely used for various opening/closing bodies that open and close the opening of a fixed body.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mounting hole 8 is formed in the opening/closing body 4, and the locking member 70 is arranged so as to be slidable on the opening/closing body 4, but the mounting hole may be formed in the fixed body, and the locking member may be arranged so as to be slidable on the fixed body side.

In addition, although the locking portion 3 in this embodiment is hole-shaped, the locking portion may not be hole-shaped, but may be recessed, protruding, frame-shaped, etc. Furthermore, the locking portion may be provided in the opening and closing body, rather than in the opening of the fixed body.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the operating member 80 is rotated, one locking member 70 is slid, and the other locking member 70 is slid via the spring mounting body 20. However, the spring mounting body may be directly rotated by rotating the operating member, thereby sliding the pair of locking members.

Furthermore, although the opening/closing body 4 in this embodiment is composed of an outer member 5 and an inner member 6, the opening/closing body may also be composed of a single plate material.

In addition, in this embodiment, the base portion 21 of the spring mounting body 20 has a horizontally elongated, generally diamond shape, but the base portion may also have, for example, a circular, elliptical, oval, rectangular, etc. shape.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first arm portion 55 of the spring 50 is adapted to engage with one of the engaging portions 28 provided on the base portion 21, but for example, a slit-shaped engaging groove may be formed at a predetermined location on the coil support portion of the spring mounting body, and the first arm portion of the torsion coil spring may be inserted and engaged into this engaging groove, as long as the first arm portion can be engaged with any part of the spring mounting body.

In addition, in this embodiment, the coil support portion 35 is made up of a pair of

wall portions

37, 37 arranged on the outside of the coil portion 53, but the coil support portion may also be arranged on the inside of the coil portion 53 (this will be described in other embodiments).

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the coil support portion 35 is made up of a pair of

wall portions

37, 37, but for example, the coil support portion may be cylindrical and positioned outside the coil portion 53.

In addition, in this embodiment, a pair of

walls

37, 37 are used that are arranged opposite each other across the rotation center C2 of the spring mounting body 20, but the walls may be, for example, three or more arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction outside the rotation center of the spring mounting body.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the elastic piece 41 is formed via a U-shaped slit consisting of a pair of

first slits

39, 39 and a second slit 40, but the elastic piece may be formed to be flexible and deformable, for example, by only a pair of first slits (such as a slit extending from just before one axial end of the wall portion to just before the other axial end).

In addition, the claw portion 45 in this embodiment protrudes from the free end 43 of the elastic piece 41, and is configured so that when the spring 50 is in the maximum spring compression state, the claw portion 45 enters into the gap 59 between the first turn of wire 51 and the second turn of wire 51 from one end 53a of the coil portion 53 (the first gap 59 from one end 53a). However, the claw portion may protrude, for example, from midway in the extension direction of the elastic piece. In this case, the claw portion enters into a specified gap in the coil portion before the torsion coil spring reaches the maximum spring compression state.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the claw portion 45 is configured to enter the first gap 59 from one end 53a of the coil portion 53, but the claw portion 45 may enter, for example, the second, third, fourth, etc. gap 59 from one end 53a of the coil portion 53, and the claw portion 45 may enter into any gap 59 in the coil portion 53.

In addition, in this embodiment, slits 39 and 40 are formed in the wall portion 37 to provide an elastic piece 41, and a claw portion 45 is protruded from the elastic piece 41. However, for example, the coil support portion itself may be a thin or narrow standing piece that can be flexibly deformed, and the claw portion may be provided directly on the standing piece.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the coil support part 35 provided with the claw part 45 is subject to flexural deformation, but the coil support part may be a rigid body that does not flexurally deform. In this case, when the torsion coil spring is pressed into the spring mounting body, the coil part side deforms appropriately, and the claw part enters into the gap.

In addition, in this embodiment, the coil portion 53 is formed from a loosely wound portion wound with gaps 59 from one end 53a to the other end 53b in the axial direction (all loosely wound portions), but the coil portion may, for example, have a densely wound portion with no gaps between adjacent wire rods in the axial direction, or may be all densely wound portions (in this case, as explained in paragraph 0037, the claw portion fits between the wire rods in the densely wound portion of the coil portion).

As mentioned above, "the claw portion penetrates between the wire rods of the coil portion" also includes the case where the claw portion penetrates between the wire rods in the densely wound portion of the coil portion by being pushed from the radially outward or radially inward of the coil portion, but in this case, it is necessary that the elastic restoring force of the elastic piece that has been flexed and deformed radially outward or radially inward is greater than the adhesion force between the closely arranged wire rods in the densely wound portion of the coil portion. This allows the claw portion to penetrate between the closely arranged wire rods in the densely wound portion of the coil portion.

(Action and Effect)
Next, the operation and effect of the rotational biasing device 10 having the above configuration will be described.

In the locking device for an opening/closing body using this rotational biasing device 10, the opening/closing body 4 is opened from the opening 2 of the fixed body 1, and the

tip portions

72, 72 of the pair of locking

members

70, 70 engage with the locking

portions

3, 3 of the fixed body 1, thereby locking the opening/closing body 4 in the closed state (see FIG. 12).

When the operating member 80 is operated from this state to rotate the operating body 83 relative to the main body 81 in a direction away from the main body 81 and the bottom 7a of the storage recess 7, as shown in FIG. 13, the tip 72 of one locking member 70 is pulled in a direction not to engage with the locking portion 3 against the rotational biasing force of the spring mounting body 20 (see arrow R in FIG. 12), and in conjunction with this, the tip 72 of the other locking member 70 is pulled in a direction not to engage with the locking portion 3 via the spring mounting body 20. As a result, the opening/closing body 4 is unlocked from the closed state, and the opening/closing body 4 can be opened from the opening 2 of the fixed body 1.

The rotational force application device 10 provides the following effects:

In other words, when the spring 50 is pressed into the spring mounting body 20 in the spring pressing direction F so that one end 53a of the coil portion 53 is close to the surface of the base portion 21 in order to mount the spring 50 on the spring mounting body 20, the claw portion 45 does not get caught on the wire 51 of the coil portion 53 from the beginning of pressing the spring 50 until just before the maximum spring pressing state, and the spring 50 is pressed in smoothly.

Then, when the spring is about to be fully compressed, the claw portion 45 climbs over the wire 51 for the first time, and then, when the spring is fully compressed, the claw portion 45 enters between the wires of the coil portion 53 (here, the gap 59 between the

wires

51, 51 adjacent in the axial direction), and the spring 50 is attached to the spring attachment body 20 in a retaining state that prevents it from coming loose (see Figure 11).

In other words, with this rotational biasing device 10, unlike the locking device for the opening/closing body of Patent Document 1, there is no need for an installation procedure in which the claw portion is made to go over one end of the coil portion from the other end and engage with the other end. Instead, with the simple task of simply pushing the spring 50 into the spring mounting body 20, the claw portion 45 enters a predetermined gap 59 in the coil portion 53, and the spring 50 is attached to the spring mounting body 20 in a state in which it is prevented from coming loose. This reduces the number (number of turns) of wire 51 of the coil portion 53 that the claw portion 45 must go over (here, it is sufficient for the claw portion 45 to go over only one turn of wire 51), improving the ease of installation of the spring 50 to the spring mounting body 20.

In this embodiment, as described above, the claw portion 45 is configured to enter the first gap 59 from one end 53a of the coil portion 53. However, for example, when the claw portion 45 enters the first gap 59 from one end 53a of the coil portion 53, the maximum spring compression state is not reached, and there may be room to further compress the spring 50 into the spring mounting body 20. In this case, the claw portion 45 may be configured to enter the second, third, fourth, etc. gap 59 from one end 53a of the coil portion 53.

In the above case, when the spring 50 is further pressed after the claw portion 45 has entered the first gap 59 from one end 53a of the coil portion 53, the claw portion 45 comes out of the first gap 59, accompanied by bending deformation of the elastic piece 41 and deformation of the coil portion 53, and the claw portion 45 climbs over the second turn of wire 51 and enters the second gap 59 from one end 53a of the coil portion 53.

Then, by pressing the spring 50 further, the claws 45 climb over the wire 51 one by one, while the elastic piece 41 flexes and the coil portion 53 deforms, and the claws 45 enter the third, fourth, fifth, etc. gaps 59 of the coil portion 53 one by one, from one end 53a. Then, the spring 50 is pressed into the spring mounting body 20 by a predetermined amount, and the claws 45 enter the gaps 59 at predetermined positions, so that the spring 50 is attached to the spring mounting body 20 in a state where it is prevented from coming off.

In the above case, when the spring 50 is pushed into the spring mounting body 20 in the spring pushing direction F, the claw portion 45 can be pushed in smoothly without getting caught on the wire 51 until it enters the first gap 59 in the coil portion 53, and by the claw portion 45 entering the gap 59 at a predetermined position, the number of wires 51 (number of turns) of the coil portion 53 that the claw portion 45 must overcome can be reduced, thereby improving the ease of mounting the spring 50 onto the spring mounting body 20.

In addition, when the spring 50 is attached to the spring attachment body 20 and the claw portion 45 is inserted into the gap 59 of the coil portion 53, the claw portion 45 is reliably wrapped around the wire 51 in the radial direction by a certain amount (see Figure 11).

As a result, even if the axis C1 of the coil portion 53 shifts relative to the rotation center C2 of the spring mounting body 20, causing the coil portion 53 to become misaligned, the claw portion 45 will be more likely to catch on the wire 51, and the coil portion 53 will be less likely to come off the coil support portion 35.

In addition, because the claw portion 45 fits between the wire of the coil portion 53, the claw portion 45 suppresses radial movement of the coil portion 53, and the coil support portion 35 is positioned outside the coil portion 53 and supports the coil portion 53, so that the coil portion 53 can be prevented from becoming eccentric or tilting with respect to the center of rotation C2 of the spring mounting body 20 (the axis C1 of the coil portion 53 can be prevented from becoming misaligned or tilting with respect to the center of rotation C2 of the spring mounting body 20).

In addition, in this embodiment, the coil support portion 35 is shaped to extend along the axial direction of the coil portion 53, and the coil support portion 35 is formed with a resilient piece 41 that is capable of bending and deforming via a pair of

first slits

39, 39 that extend in the axial direction, and a claw portion 45 is provided at a position of the resilient piece 41 that is offset toward the base portion 21 (see Figure 3).

According to the above embodiment, the claw portion 45 is provided at a position offset toward the base portion 21 of the elastic piece 41 formed to be capable of flexibly deforming on the coil support portion 35. Therefore, when the spring 50 is pressed into the spring mounting body 20 along the spring pressing direction F in order to mount the spring 50 on the spring mounting body 20, the claw portion 45 is positioned at the tip side of the spring pressing direction F.

As a result, one end 53a of the coil portion 53 does not come into contact with the claw portion 45 during the spring pushing operation, so the spring 50 can be pushed in smoothly, further improving the ease of mounting the spring 50 to the spring mounting body 20.

In addition, the spring 50 can be attached to the spring mounting body 20 with one end 53a of the coil portion 53 close to the base portion 21, so the axial length (axial height) of the coil support portion 35 can be kept low, making the spring mounting body 20 compact in the axial direction.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pair of

first slits

39, 39 are connected to each other on the base portion 21 side by the second slit 40, and an elastic piece 41 is formed via the pair of

first slits

39, 39 and the second slit 40, and the fixed end 42 of the elastic piece 41 is disposed on the side of the coil support portion 35 opposite the base portion 21, and the free end 43 is disposed on the base portion 21 side of the coil support portion 35, and the claw portion 45 is provided on the free end 43 side of the elastic piece 41 (see Figures 3 and 11).

In the above embodiment, the free end 43 of the elastic piece 41 is disposed on the base portion 21 side of the coil support portion 35, and the claw portion 45 is provided on the free end 43 side of the elastic piece 41. Therefore, when the spring 50 is pushed into the spring mounting body 20 along the spring pushing direction F in order to mount the spring 50 on the spring mounting body 20, the claw portion 45 can easily climb over the wire 51 of the coil portion 53 (here, the claw portion 45 can easily climb over the first turn of wire 51 from one end 53a of the coil portion 53), further improving the ease of mounting the spring 50 on the spring mounting body 20.

In addition, the claw portion 45 is provided on the free end portion 43 side of the elastic piece 41, which can ensure a large amount of flexural deformation. This makes it easier for the claw portion 45 to climb over the wire 51 when attaching the spring 50 to the spring attachment body 20, further improving the ease of attaching the spring 50 to the spring attachment body 20.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. 11, the claw portion 45 is configured to enter a gap 59 at a portion of the coil portion 53 that is less than half the total number of turns of the wire 51 that winds around the coil portion 53, from one axial end portion 53a of the coil portion 53 that is adjacent to the base portion 21.

According to the above embodiment, when the spring 50 is pushed into the spring mounting body 20 along the spring pushing direction F in order to mount the spring 50 on the spring mounting body 20, the number of turns (number of turns) of the wire 51 of the coil portion 53 that the claw portion 45 must overcome can be reduced, thereby further improving the ease of mounting the spring 50 on the spring mounting body 20.

In addition, in this embodiment, the coil support portion 35 has multiple wall portions 37 arranged on the outside of the coil portion 53, and claw portions 45 are provided on the inner surface of the wall portions 37 (see Figures 4 and 11).

According to the above embodiment, when the spring 50 is pressed into the spring mounting body 20 along the spring pressing direction F in order to mount the spring 50 on the spring mounting body 20, the spring 50 is pressed in while being guided by the multiple wall portions 37 of the coil support portion 35 arranged on the outside of the coil portion 53.

As a result, the position of the coil portion 53 can be stabilized by suppressing misalignment of the axis C1 of the coil portion 53 relative to the rotation center C2 of the spring mounting body 20 and tilting of the coil portion 53, and the amount of the claw portion 45 that penetrates into the gap 59 of the coil portion 53 (penetration amount) can be reliably secured, making it possible to stably engage the claw portion 45 with the outer periphery of the wire 51, and more reliably holding the spring 50 against the spring mounting body 20 to prevent it from coming loose.

In addition, in this embodiment, the rotational biasing device 10 is applied to a locking device for an opening/closing body, and further includes a locking portion 3 and a locking member 70 as described in paragraph 0020, the opening/closing body 4 serves as the mounting member, the locking member 70 is connected to the spring mounting body 20, and the rotational biasing force of the spring 50 biases the locking member 70 in a direction in which it engages with the locking portion 3.

The above aspect improves the ease of mounting the spring 50 to the spring mounting body 20 in the locking device. In addition, because the claws 45 fit between the wires of the coil portion 53, the claws 45 suppress radial movement of the coil portion 53, and the coil support portion 35 is positioned on the outside or inside of the coil portion 53 (here, positioned on the outside) to support the coil portion 53, so that the coil portion 53 can be prevented from becoming eccentric or tilting with respect to the center of rotation C2 of the spring mounting body 20. As a result, tilting of the locking member 70 can be suppressed, and the locking member 70 can be stably slid.

(Another embodiment of the rotation biasing device)
14 to 16 show another embodiment of the rotation biasing device according to the present invention. Note that parts that are substantially the same as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 16, the shape of the coil support part of the rotational biasing device 10A in this embodiment is different from that of the previous embodiment.

In other words, in this embodiment, the spring mounting body 20A is provided with a coil support portion 35A that is inserted and positioned inside the coil portion 53.

The coil support 35A has a generally cylindrical wall 37A extending from the center of the extension direction on the front side of the base 21, coaxially with the rotation shaft 23. In other words, the axis of the wall 37A coincides with the rotation center C2 of the spring mounting body 20A.

In addition,

elastic pieces

41, 41 are provided at radially opposing locations on the approximately cylindrical wall portion 37A.

As shown in FIG. 14, the elastic piece 41 in this embodiment is formed through a roughly U-shaped slit consisting of a pair of

first slits

39, 39 and a second slit 40, as in the previous embodiment. A claw portion 45 protrudes from the outside (outer surface) of the free end portion 43 of the elastic piece 41.

In addition, a plate-shaped piece 38 is provided on the inside of the wall portion 37A, which is disposed perpendicular to the pair of

elastic pieces

41, 41 and passes through the axis of the wall portion 37A (the rotation center C2 of the spring mounting body 20A). This plate-shaped piece 38 connects the radially opposing parts of the inner circumference of the wall portion 37A, thereby improving the rigidity of the wall portion 37A.

In this embodiment, when the spring 50 is pressed into the spring mounting body 20A in the spring pressing direction F to mount the spring 50 on the spring mounting body 20A, the wall portion 37A constituting the coil support portion 35A penetrates from one end portion 53a side of the coil portion 53, and when the maximum spring pressing state is reached, the claw portion 45 penetrates into the gap 59 of the coil portion 53, and the spring 50 is mounted on the spring mounting body 20A in a retaining state that prevents it from coming loose (see FIG. 16). As a result, the workability of mounting the spring 50 on the spring mounting body 20A can be improved.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modified embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention, and such embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Fixed body 2 Opening 3 Lock portion 4 Opening/closing

body

10, 10A

Rotational biasing device

20, 20A Spring mounting body 21

Base portion

35, 35A

Coil support portion

37, 37A Wall portion 39 First slit 40 Second slit 41 Elastic piece 42 Fixed end portion 43 Free end portion 45 Claw portion 50 Torsion coil spring (spring)
51 Wire 53 Coil portion 53a One end 53b Other end 55 First arm portion 57 Second arm portion 59 Gap 70 Lock member 80 Operation member

Claims

a spring mounting body that is attached to the mounting member so as to be capable of rotating relative to the mounting member;
a torsion coil spring that is attached to the spring attachment body and applies a rotational biasing force,
the torsion coil spring has a coil portion formed by winding a wire rod, a first arm portion extending from the coil portion and engaging with the spring mounting body, and a second arm portion extending from the coil portion and engaging with the workpiece,
The spring mounting body is
A base portion;
a coil support portion that protrudes from the base portion and is disposed on an outer or inner side of the coil portion to support the coil portion;
and a claw portion that fits between the wire of the coil portion and holds the torsion coil spring on the spring mounting body to prevent it from coming off.
The coil support portion has a shape extending along the axial direction of the coil portion,
The coil support portion is formed with a pair of first slits extending in the axial direction, the elastic piece being capable of being bent and deformed,
2. The rotation biasing device according to claim 1, wherein the claw portion is provided at a position of the elastic piece that is offset toward the base portion.
The pair of first slits are connected to each other by a second slit on the base portion side, and the elastic piece is formed via the pair of first slits and the second slit,
3. The rotation biasing device according to claim 2, wherein the claw portion is provided on a free end side of the elastic piece.
The rotational biasing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the claw portion enters between the wire at a portion of the coil portion that is half or less of the total number of turns of the wire that winds around the coil portion, from one axial end of the coil portion that is close to the base portion.
The rotational biasing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the coil support portion has a plurality of wall portions arranged on the outside of the coil portion, and the claw portions are provided on the inner surface of the wall portions.
The rotation biasing device is applied to a locking device of an opening/closing body that is openably and closably attached to an opening of a fixed body,
the locking device for the opening/closing body includes a locking portion provided on one of the fixed body or the opening/closing body, and a locking member disposed on the other of the fixed body or the opening/closing body and adapted to engage with and disengage from the locking portion,
The fixed body or the opening/closing body constitutes the attached member,
4. The rotational biasing device according to claim 1, wherein the locking member is connected to the spring mounting body, and the locking member is biased in a direction to engage with the locking portion by a rotational biasing force of the torsion coil spring.