Supports – Brackets – Article holding means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-12
2004-01-06
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
Article holding means
C224S926000, C297S188190
Reexamination Certificate
active
06672554
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to an article storage device and a shutter bendable in the sliding direction used therein. More particularly, the present invention relates to an article storage device installed at a console, a seat, and a door lining in a passenger room of a vehicle to store or hold an article, such as small or miscellaneous goods, a drink container, or a cellular phone.
FIGS.
13
(
a
) through
13
(
c
) shows three examples of conventional article storage devices installed in a door lining. FIG.
13
(
a
) shows an article storage device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication (KOKAI) No. 62-33335. The article storage device in FIG.
13
(
a
) is formed of a storage section
51
, which is provided at a corner section of an upper surface of an arm rest
50
and opened to have a substantially L-shape in section, and a cover
52
having a substantially inverted L-shape in section in correspondence with the storage section
51
. The cover
52
is rotatably assembled with a lower rim of the storage section
51
on the room side through a pivotal shaft
53
. In a case that a container K or the like is placed in or taken out from the storage section
51
, the cover
52
is moved around the pivotal shaft
53
as a supporting point or fulcrum such that the cover
52
is switched between a closed position for covering the storage section
51
and an opened position rotated to the room side in a use state.
The storage devices shown in FIGS.
13
(
b
) and
13
(
c
) have a common feature in that storage sections
54
,
57
are provided in a concave form at the upper surface of the arm rest
50
and the container K or the like can be inserted into the concave space from right above the storage sections
54
,
57
. In the device shown in FIG.
13
(
b
), a cover
55
is rotatably assembled with a rim of an upper opening of the storage section
54
through a pivotal shaft
56
, and the cover
55
is moved around the pivotal shaft
56
as a fulcrum such that the cover
55
is switched between the closed position for covering the upper opening of the storage section
54
and the opened position rotated toward the outside. In the device shown in FIG.
13
(
c
), a door or a cover
58
is assembled with a rim of the upper opening of the storage section
57
through a pivotal shaft
59
and an urging spring
60
, and the cover
58
is movable around the pivotal shaft
59
such that the cover
58
is switched between the closed position for covering the upper opening of the storage section
57
and the opened position rotated to the inside by resisting against a spring force of the urging spring
60
. Incidentally, the storage sections
51
,
54
,
57
can be used as a storage section for storing the article other than the container.
All of the conventional structures described above are simple and convenient for holding the container or for placing in and taking out the container. The structures shown in FIG.
13
(
b
) and FIG.
13
(
c
) are excellent in that the cover
55
or
58
does not protrude to the room side as compared with the structure in FIG.
13
(
a
). The structure in FIG.
13
(
c
) is excellent in that the cover
55
at the opened position gets out of the way when taking out the article or the container K. However, in the conventional structure, in order to secure the article storing ability and container holding ability, the storage section needs to have an enough depth to a certain degree. As the depth of the storage section is increased, the ability of placing in and taking out the article is impaired, and an operation of opening and closing the cover is deteriorated. Also, in case that the installation site of the storage section
51
,
54
, or
57
is located at an uprising wall
61
a
of the door lining
61
as schematically shown in FIG.
13
(
c
), when the article or the container K is placed in or taken out from the storage section
57
, the drink container K hits the uprising wall
61
a
to make the uprising wall
61
a
dirty. Further, since the storage device is protruded significantly to the room side, the safety and the appearance thereof are deteriorated.
As the door or cover used in the storage device, there is a shutter guided by a guide groove provided along a rim of an opening of the storage section of the device. The shutter slides along the guide groove to thereby open and close the opening of the storage section as shown in FIGS.
14
(
a
) to
14
(
c
). A structure shown in FIG.
14
(
a
) has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 54-33442. In the structure shown in FIG.
14
(
a
), an upper opening of a storage device
50
is opened and closed by a shutter
53
. Namely, the device
50
is formed of a case body
51
forming a storage section
51
a
opened at the upper side thereof, and a cover
52
provided with an opening
52
a
for covering the case body
51
from above. A guide groove for guiding the sliding movement of the shutter
53
is formed between the case body
51
and the cover
52
. A shutter
53
includes a shutter main body
54
bendable through thin wall sections
54
a
, and a large number of projections
55
projected at both sides of the main body
54
. The projections
55
are fitted in the guide groove, and the shutter
53
is moved from a closed position for closing the upper opening of the storage section
51
a
to an opened position by sliding toward the left lower side in the figure, in which the shutter does not interfere the storage section
51
a.
A structure shown in FIG.
14
(
b
) has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 07-82967. In the structure shown in FIG.
14
(
b
), a front opening of a storage device
56
is opened and closed by a shutter
58
. Namely, the storage device
56
has a case body
57
opened at a front side, and guide grooves are formed in the vertical direction at both rims of an opening. The shutter
58
is formed in a plate shape with the upper and lower surfaces connected by a plurality of connecting pieces. A large number of notched grooves are formed at the upper or lower surface, so that the shutter
58
can be bent. Both sides of the shutter
58
are fitted in the guide grooves, and the shutter
58
is moved from the closed position for closing the front opening of the case body
57
to the opened position by sliding toward an upper inner surface side of the storage device.
A structure shown in FIG.
14
(
c
) has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 08-192685. In the structure shown in FIG.
14
(
c
), an upper opening of a storage device
59
is opened and closed by a shutter
61
. The storage device
59
constitutes a case body
60
opened at an upper side, and guide grooves
62
are formed at both rim portions of the opening. The shutter
61
is formed of two layers, that is, a lower core layer and an upper layer, and includes a large number of projections and warp prevention pieces
61
a
at both sides of the shutter
61
. The projections and the warp prevention pieces
61
a
are fitted in the guide grooves
62
. The shutter
61
is moved from a closed position for closing the upper opening of the case body
60
to an opened position by sliding toward a right lower side in the figure, in which the shutter
61
does not interfere the case body
60
.
The shutters described above are respectively formed of molded resins. When the shutter is switched from the closed position to the opened position, the shutter slides towards the position where the shutter gets out of the way of the storage device side. Therefore, the guide groove includes a curved section which includes a guide section corresponding to the curved section, and the shutter main body is bendable such that the shutter main body fits the curved section. Therefore, in designing the shutter, in addition to the appearance characteristics and the processing property, it is desirable that the shutter slides without rattling. It is also desirable to improve the flexibility at the curved section in the guide groove and h
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Nifco Inc.
Ramirez Ramon O.
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