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  Storage bodyRelated Patent Categories: Receptacles, ClosuresThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070119852. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a storage body such as a glove box provided in an instrument panel of a vehicle of an automobile, etc., for example. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] Various glove boxes provided in an instrument panel of a vehicle of an automobile, etc. have been known. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 2-267,038 discloses a glove box using a driving force to open and close a cover body. [0005] In the glove box disclosed in the publication, a motor is driven firstly by applying an opening operation force or a closing operation force to the cover body manually. Thereafter, the cover body is opened and closed by a driving force of the motor. [0006] According to the glove box disclosed in the publication, it is possible to open and close the cover body with a simple operation by a user. However, there arises a problem that a cost for the glove box increases because motors are expensive. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The present invention has been developed and completed in view of the aforementioned circumstance. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a storage body in which a cover body can be opened and closed easily with a simple constitution without using a motor. [0008] A storage body according to the present invention can achieve the aforementioned object, and comprises: [0009] a main body having an opening portion and a guide portion; [0010] a cover body supported by the main body in such a manner that the opening portion can be opened and closed; [0011] an interlocking member connected to the cover body, and interlocking with opening and closing motion of the cover body; [0012] a slider having a pin portion which is connected to the interlocking member by way of a connecting mechanism and is guided by engaging with the guide portion, and moving along the guide portion by engagement of the guide portion with the pin portion in association with the opening and closing motion of the cover body; and [0013] an urging member being expandable and contractible for accumulating an urging force in association with the opening and closing motion of the cover body, the urging force urging the cover body in at least one of an opening movement and a closing movement; [0014] the main body having a base plate; [0015] the base plate being provided with the guide portion, the interlocking member, the slider, and the urging member; and [0016] the urging member having opposite ends, one of the opposite ends fastened to the base plate or the interlocking member, the other one of the opposite ends fastened to the slider. [0017] In this storage body, when the interlocking member interlocks in association with the opening and closing motion of the cover body, the pin portion of the slider connected to the interlocking member by way of the connecting mechanism is guided by the guide portion of the main body such that the slider moves along the guide portion. When the slider moves in such a manner, the urging member, in which one of the opposite ends thereof is fastened to the base plate of the main body or the interlocking member and the other one of the opposite ends thereof is fastened to the slider, expands and contracts so as to accumulate the urging force therein. [0018] Here, the magnitude of the urging force accumulated in the urging member (the amount of expansion and contraction of the urging member), the direction of the urging force, the timing for accumulating the urging force, and the timing for releasing the accumulated urging force change depending on the shape of the guide portion. Thus, when the shape of the guide portion is set appropriately, the slider moves along the guide portion by the urging force accumulated in the urging member. Consequently, the interlocking member moves by way of the connecting mechanism such that the cover body can be opened and closed by interlocking with this interlocking member. [0019] Thus, in the storage body according to the present invention, the urging force is accumulated in the urging member by the opening and closing motion of the cover body, and the thus accumulated urging force urges the cover body in its opening movement and/or its closing movement. As such, since the urging force, which has been accumulated in advance in association with the opening and closing motion of the cover body, can be utilized for the opening movement and/or the closing movement of the cover body, it is not necessary to dispose an expensive driving source, such as a motor, additionally. Accordingly, the cover body can be opened and closed with the simple constitution without using a motor. Therefore, the high cost as a result of employing an expensive driving source, such as a motor, can be prevented. [0020] In addition, by setting the shape of the guide portion appropriately, the strength and/or the timing, etc. for urging the cover body in the opening and closing motion can be set as desired, and the degree of designing freedom is enhanced accordingly. [0021] In addition, in the storage body according to the present invention, the main body has the base plate, and the guide portion, the interlocking member, the slider, and the urging member are provided in this base plate. Thus, while these members are provided with respect to this base plate, it is possible to confirm whether these members activate appropriately and adjust these members to activate appropriately before installing them to the main body. Therefore, confirmation and adjustment of the activation of these members can be carried out easily. Moreover, the installation operation is done with ease, because it is not necessary to install each member of the guide portion, the interlocking member, the slider, and the urging member to the main body separately. Further, the maintenance operation is also done with ease, because it is possible to adjust the activation by detaching the base plate from the main body. [0022] In a preferred embodiment, the storage body according to the present invention further comprises a first damper damping the opening movement or the closing movement of the cover body by damping a movement of the slider, wherein: [0023] the first damper is provided in the base plate. Continue reading... Full patent description for Storage body Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Storage body patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Storage body or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Bomb bin Next Patent Application: Inverting leak-proof floating container support Industry Class: Receptacles ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Storage body patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.17485 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Medical: Surgery , Surgery(2) , Surgery(3) , Drug , Drug(2) , Prosthesis , Dentistry |
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