Assist device for movable body

An assist device for a movable body assisting at least a forward movement of the movable body supported by a stationary body up to a position where movement ends from a predetermined movement position by urging means, comprising:

• a striker member provided in one of the stationary body or the movable body, and a catcher member provided in the other of the stationary body or the movable body,
• wherein the catcher member is provided so as to be movable between a standby position and a retracted position, and also at the standby position, the catcher member is positioned in the standby position by holding means while being urged by the urging means, and
• when the movable body is moved forward to a predetermined movement position, the striker member is caught and engaged with the catcher member positioned in the standby position, subsequently, holding of the holding means is released to allow the catcher member to move up to the retracted position by being urged by the urging means, and an urging force of the urging means is applied to the movable body up to the position where the movement ends, and furthermore,
• the assist device for the movable body comprises operation means that can operate to move the catcher member, having been moved or relatively moved to the retracted position in a condition without catching the striker member, toward the standby position,
• wherein the striker member comprises a striker base and a striker axis projecting so as to be retractable by being urged from the striker base,
• wherein the catcher member is a pivotal body, and also comprises an engaging recess for the striker axis which is open in an outer circumference thereof and continues toward a pivot center side thereof, and when the movable body is moved forward to the predetermined movement position, the striker axis enters into an engaging recess of the catcher member which is in the standby position, and due to subsequent urging of the urging means, the catcher member is pivoted to the retracted position, so that the urging force is applied to the movable body up to the position where the movement ends, and also, and
• wherein in a state where the catcher member is moved to the retracted position without catching the striker member, a forward movement of the movable body toward the position where the movement ends is allowed due to retraction of the striker axis against urging accompanied with abutting against a lateral portion of the movable body by the striker member.