Bi-directional lid opening apparatus

A container combination including:

• a box body;
• a lid selectable between a state in which said lid has a rotation axis in a first side to be openable and closable in a first direction relative to said box body and a state in which said lid has a rotation axis in a second side to be openable and closable in a second direction relative to said box body;
• a movable member movable to a first position when said lid is opened in said first direction, a second position when said lid is opened in said second direction, and a closing position when said lid is closed, said closing position residing between said first position and said second position, said movable member having opposite end portions, said movable member extending parallel with a direction between said first side and said second side, said movable member having opposite end portions and an intermediate portion connecting the opposite end portions;
• first and second operating buttons coupled to the opposite end portions of said movable member respectively, said first and second operating buttons being selectively operable;
• a first biasing member for normally biasing said movable member to said closing position;
• a holding member for holding said movable member in said first position when said first operating button is pressed and said movable member is moved to said first position against the biasing force of said first biasing member, and for holding said movable member in said second position when said second operating button is pressed and said movable member is moved to said second position against the biasing force of said first biasing member, and releasing the holding state in response to the closed state of said lid.

An opening and closing apparatus for a lid including:

• a box body;
• a lid openable and closable in two directions relative to said box body;
• an operating button for opening and closing said lid;
• a pair of hinge pins inserted in a pair of holes formed in said box body, and retractable from said pair of holes in operative association with said operating button, each of said pair of holes having an outline edge;
• a biasing member;
• a link for inserting said pair of hinge pins into said pair of holes by the biasing force of said biasing member;
• and
• a holding member for holding said link to cause said pair of hinge pins to be retracted from said pair of holes against the biasing force of said biasing member when said operating button is pressed;
• said holding member being adapted to come into engagement with said link to thereby prohibit said hinge pins from moving toward said holes in a first state in which said hinge pins and said outline edges are greatly spaced apart from each other in the opening direction of said lid, and to be disengaged from said link to thereby permit said hinge pins to resiliently contact with said outline edges of said holes by the biasing force of said biasing member in a second state in which said hinge pins and said outline edges are proximate to each other in the opening direction of said lid, and to move said hinge pins gradually until they contact with said outline edges in the process of said lid being pivotally moved from said first state to said second state.

A container combination including:

• a box body;
• a lid selectable between a state in which said lid has a rotation axis in a first side to be openable and closable in a first direction relative to said box body and a state in which said lid has a rotation axis in a second side to be openable and closable in a second direction relative to said box body;
• a movable member movable to a first position when said lid is opened in said first direction, a second position when said lid is opened in said second direction, and a closing position when said lid is closed, said closing position residing between said first position and said second position, said movable member extending parallel with a direction between said first side and said second side, said movable member having opposite end portions and an intermediate portion connecting the opposite end portions;
• first and second operating buttons coupled to the opposite end portions of said movable member respectively, said first and second operating buttons being selectively operable;
• a biasing member for normally biasing said movable member to said closing position, said biasing member having opposite end portions;
• a holding block containing said biasing member therein and having two opposed guide ports in a direction of movement of said movable member;
• and a pair of legs provided on said movable member and engagable with the opposite end portions of said biasing member.

An opening and closing apparatus for a lid including:

• a box body;
• a lid openable and closable in two directions relative to said box body;
• an operating button for opening and closing said lid;
• a hinge pin inserted in a hole formed in said box body, and retractable from said hole in operative association with the operation of said operating button;
• a guide cam having a guide wall and a reversing projection disposed at a predetermined distance from said guide wall;
• and
• a spring bar having a tip end portion engageable with said guide cam;
• wherein said tip end portion of said spring bar is guided and biased away from said guide wall by said reversing projection while said hinge pin is moved in a direction to be retracted from said hole in operative association with the operation of said operating button, and after said hinge pin has been retracted from said hole, said tip end portion of said spring bar is moved toward said guide wall by the spring force of said spring bar.

A container combination including:

• a box body;
• a lid selectable between a state in which said lid has a rotation axis in a first side to be openable and closable in a first direction relative to said box body and a state in which said lid has a rotation axis in a second side to be openable and closable in a second direction relative to said box body;
• a movable member movable to a first position when said lid is opened in said first direction, a second position when said lid is opened in said second direction, and a closing position, said closing position residing between said first position and said second position, said movable member extending parallel with a direction between said first side and said second side, said movable member having opposite end portions and an intermediate portion connecting the opposite end portions;
• first and second operating buttons coupled to the opposite end portions of said movable member respectively, said first and second operating buttons being selectively operable;
• a first biasing member for normally biasing said movable member to said closing position;
• a pair of first hinge pins inserted in a pair of first holes formed in said box body, and retractable from said pair of first holes in operative association with the movement of said movable member to said first position;
• a pair of second hinge pins inserted in a pair of second holes formed in said box body, and retractable from said pair of second holes in operative
• association with the movement of said movable member to said second position;
• a first hinge pin guide portion for guiding said pair of first hinge pins;
• a second hinge pin guide portion for guiding said pair of second hinge pins;
• and
• first and second movable member guide portions slidably contacting with said movable member to guide the movement of said movable member resulting from the pressing of said first or second operating button;
• said first movable member guide portion being disposed adjacent to said first hinge pin guide portion, said second movable member guide portion being disposed adjacent to said second hinge pin guide portion.