Coverable container for vehicles

A mechanism for a coverable container for an area between the front seats of a motor vehicle, said container having a box-like housing which is open towards the top, and having a flap, for use as an arm rest, which can be pivoted on the housing by means of a hinge and closes off the housing opening, said mechanism comprising:

• a support lever adapted to be articulated on the flap, on the underside thereof, at a distance from a pivot axis of the flap;
• a latching strip adapted to be connected to the housing and having latching grooves arranged vertically thereon, one above another;
• a latching lug formed on the support lever and adapted to engage with the respective latching grooves of the latching strip, preventing downward movement of said support lever and the flap articulated thereto;
• a latching spring in connection with said strip which biases said latching lug of said support lever into engagement with said latching grooves of said latching strip;
• a guide pin arranged on said supporting lever;
• a guide in connection with said strip which has a continuous guide track with two separate spaced apart track sections, one of said track sections being adjacent said latching strip and one being remote from said latching strip, each extending over a displacement path of the guide pin, with an upper and a lower junction of the track sections, said guide track engaging with and guiding a path of movement of said guide pin;
• and
• means for causing a changeover of the guide pin in the guide track such that when the support lever is displaced upwards upon opening of the flap, the guide pin moves in the track section of the guide track which is adjacent the latching strip, and when the support lever is displaced downwards upon closure of the flap, the guide pin passes into the track section remote from the latching strip and, in the closed position of the flap, the guide pin changes over again into the other track section adjacent the latching strip.