Guide mechanism, opening-closing mechanism of covering member using the guide mechanism and interior equipment for automobile using the opening-closing mechanism

#The invention relates to a guide mechanism, an opening-closing mechanism of a covering member using the guide mechanism, and an interior equipment to be installed in a car using the opening-closing mechanism for securely and smoothly guiding an object to move along a predetermined path supported by a predetermined supporting base frame. The object includes a covering member for opening or closing an opening portion of various things or materials, interior equipment to be installed in a car, and various articles to be used by drawing out of a housing portion.

#Conventionally, an interior equipment such as a cup-holder, an ashtray, and various types of glove compartment is installed in an instrument panel of an automobile. Also recently, a liquid crystal display panel of a car navigation system may be installed. In this case, a covering member is usually attached to the ashtray or the various types of the glove compartment. The covering member for protection may also be attached to the liquid crystal display panel of the car navigation system, as it is preferred that the panel is protected with the covering member when the system is not used.

#In this case, when the covering member is opened and the glove compartment and the car navigation system are used, the opened covering member sometimes becomes an obstacle. Especially in the case of the liquid crystal display panel of the car navigation system, the covering member may block the display panel. Additionally, the liquid crystal display panel of the car navigation system is used in a state that the covering member is opened for a long time, so that it is preferred that the opened covering member is stored into the instrument panel. Further, the cup holder is generally housed in the instrument panel, and the cup holder is drawn out of the instrument panel when used. As for the various ashtrays and grove compartments, they are drawn out of the instrument panel in the same manner when used.

#FIG. 1 is a side view showing an interior equipment for an automobile in a closed state as an example in which a covering member opens and closes with an opening-closing mechanism using a guide mechanism of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state where the covering member of the interior equipment for the automobile turns and opens;

#FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state that the covering member of the interior equipment slides to be stored;

#Hereunder, embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIGS. 1-4 show an interior equipment in a car in which an opening-closing mechanism using a guiding mechanism according to the present invention guides a covering member (a moving member) 2 to open and close an opening of a box-type main frame (a supporting main frame) 1. The interior equipment is installed in the car such that the box-type main frame 1 is incorporated into an instrumental panel i of the car, and then a liquid crystal display panel of a car navigation system, for example, is disposed in the box-type main frame 1.

#The box-type main frame 1 includes a curved front surface having an opening, and an upper wall and upper portions of both side surfaces extending backward to thereby form a box shape. Elongated plate attaching members 11 formed in a substantially zigzag shape project at the front ends of both sides of the main frame. By fixing the screws (not shown) into the screw holes 111 provided in the attaching members 11, the box-type main frame 1 is fixed inside the instrument panel i.

#The first guiding groove 3a and the second guiding groove 3b are provided on upper end portions of both side surfaces of the box-type main frame 1, as shown in FIGS. 1-3. The first guiding groove 3a includes a circular arc shape branch groove 31a disposed at a location slightly backward from a front end thereof. The second guiding groove 3b also includes a circular arc shape branch groove 31b branched from a front end thereof. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5(B), the first and second guiding grooves 3a, 3b and the branch grooves 31a, 31b thereof are structured such that a pair of thin wall members 32 are projected from an outer surface of the side wall of the box-type main frame 1 with a predetermined space therebetween, and a space between the thin wall members 32 is formed as the guide grooves. Incidentally, the pair of the thin wall members 32 constituting both guide grooves 3a, 3b and branch grooves 31a, 31b are connected at end portions so that the guiding grooves 3a, 3b and branch grooves 31a, 31b between the thin wall members 32 are closed.