Lid opening-closing supporting mechanism and storage device using the same

Abstract

A lid opening-closing supporting mechanism in a biaxial rotating system of the invention is formed of a base shaft, a rotating member axially supported by the base shaft, a guide hole bored in a container, a branch hole branching from the guide hole, and first and second slide shafts attached to a lid and located in the guide hole. In case coefficient of friction between the second slide shaft and an inner surface of the guide hole is defined as μ, and an angle formed between a line connecting the base shaft with the first slide shaft and a line connecting the base shaft with the second slide shaft is defined as α, the base shaft, the first slide shaft and the second slide shaft are arranged to satisfy a formula expressed as α≧2μ tan −1 . Also, the first slide shaft may tightly contact an end portion of the guide hole, while the first and second slide shafts loosely contact the guide hole in other areas.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A supporting mechanism for opening and closing a lid for a base member, comprising: 
 a base shaft attached to the base member,    a rotating member axially supported by the base shaft and rotating around the base member,    a guide hole in a circular arc shape formed in a side wall of the base member along a rotation track of the rotating member,    a branch hole branching from the guide hole and formed in the side wall of the base member,    a first slide shaft fixed to the lid, said first slide shaft passing through the guide hole and axially supported by the rotating member, and    a second slide shaft fixed to the lid, said second slide shaft being located at the branch hole in a lid closed condition and being located at the guide hole in a lid open condition,    wherein when a coefficient of friction between the second slide shaft and an inner surface of the guide hole is defined as μ and an angle formed by a line connecting the base shaft and the first slide shaft and a line connecting the base shaft and the second slide shaft is defined as α, the rotating member, the first slide shaft and the second slide shaft are arranged to satisfy a formula expressed as α≧2μ tan −1 .    
     
     
         2 . A supporting mechanism according to    claim 1   , wherein in the lid closed condition for the base member, the first slide shaft is located at one end limit of the guide hole while the second slide shaft is located at a distal end portion of the branch hole, said lid being rotated in an opening direction from the closed condition such that the lid is rotated for a predetermined angle around the first slide shaft to allow the second slide shaft to move from the distal end portion of the branch hole to the guide hole, and said first slide shaft and the second slide shaft are moved in the guide hole to allow the second slide shaft to reach the other end limit, said rotating member and the lid being rotated around the base shaft; and said the lid in the open condition is rotated in a closing direction such that the first slide shaft and the second slide shaft are moved to allow the first slide shaft to reach the one end limit while the rotating member and the lid are rotated around the base shaft, and when the first slide shaft reaches the one end limit, the second slide shaft enters the branch hole to be moved to a distal end side of the branch hole while the lid is rotated around the first slide shaft to thereby close the lid.  
     
     
         3 . A supporting mechanism according to    claim 1   , further comprising urging means for urging the lid near the second slide shaft toward an outer side of the guide hole so that said urging means urges a rotating movement of the lid for more than a predetermined angle at a time of opening and closing, and the closed condition and the open condition of the lid are maintained by an urging force of the urging means.  
     
     
         4 . A supporting mechanism according to    claim 1   , wherein an inner surface of the guide hole is formed of an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resin, and said second slide shaft is formed of metal, said angle expressed as a being 44 degrees or more.  
     
     
         5 . A supporting mechanism according to    claim 1   , wherein said base member is a container to be mounted on an automobile and operating as one of a storage and a cup holder.  
     
     
         6 . A supporting mechanism for opening and closing a lid for a base member, comprising: 
 a base shaft attached to the base member,    a rotating member axially supported by the base shaft and rotating around the base member,    a guide hole in a circular arc shape formed in a side wall of the base member along a rotation track of the rotating member,    a branch hole branching from the guide hole and formed in the side wall of the base member,    a first slide shaft fixed to the lid, said first slide shaft passing through the guide hole and axially supported by the rotating member, and    a second slide shaft fixed to the lid, said second slide shaft being located at the branch hole in a lid closed condition and being located at the guide hole in a lid open condition,    wherein said guide hole has an end portion receiving the first slide shaft at a time of closing the lid, said end portion having a width closely contacting the first shaft, said guide hole having a width at portions other than the end portion loosely engaging the first and second slide shafts.    
     
     
         7 . A storage device, comprising: 
 a container including an opening, a side wall, a base shaft provided on the side wall, a guide hole formed in the side wall and having a circular arc shape around the base shaft, and a branch hole formed in the side wall to branch from the guide hole and having a circular arc shape,    an arm axially supported by the base shaft, and    a lid for covering the opening of the container including a first slide shaft disposed in the guide hole and engaging the arm, and a second slide shaft to be able to enter the guide hole and the branch hole, at least one part of the lid being accommodated inside the container at a time of opening the lid,    wherein said guide hole has an end portion receiving the first slide shaft at a time of closing the lid, said end portion having a width closely contacting the first shaft, said guide hole having a width at portions other than the end portion loosely engaging the first and second slide shafts.    
     
     
         8 . A storage device according to    claim 7   , wherein said branch hole has the width same as that of the guide hole other than the end portion.  
     
     
         9 . A storage device according to    claim 8   , wherein when the first slide shaft is located at the end portion, the second slide shaft can slide loosely in the blanch hole.