1. Field of the Invention
Devices, systems, and methods consistent with the invention relate to a lidded storage structure which is provided in an occupant compartment of a vehicle, such as an automotive vehicle, and more particularly, to a storage structure having an opening and closing type sliding lid.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a console is provided between driver and front passenger seats, serving as an arm rest and as a storage unit in a vehicle such as an automotive vehicle. Such a storage unit, generally called a console box, has an opening at the top and a lid which opens and closes said opening thereof and whose upper surface is made of a soft material or cloth.
In a related art structure of a console box, a lid for opening and closing the console box is rotatably connected to a side of the box at a rear end of the lid (in a front-rear direction of the vehicle), whereas a front end of the lid is provided with a locking mechanism. The lid can be opened by releasing the lock and thereafter lifting the lid front end.
In another related art structure, a lid is slidable in a vehicle body front-rear direction and is opened by sliding toward a vehicle body rear side and then lifting a lid front end while keeping this sliding state of the lid (or while continuing to slide the lid).
In addition, in order to improve the operability of various kinds of equipment or instruments to be mounted in a vehicle, a related art lid of a console box is provided with switches and electrical indicators. In a console box with such electrical components provided therein, when installing a wiring within a lid of the console box, flexible printed circuit boards (FPC), flexible flat cables (FFC) and the like are used to comply with space requirements and with requirements of anti-bending performance. In the case where a wiring is installed within such a rotatable type of lid of a console box as described above, if a transition portion of the wiring from the console box to the lid is set and disposed in the vicinity of a center of rotation of the lid, it is unnecessary to have a margin (slack or extra length) for the wire because there is almost no relative movement between a wire portion fixed to the console box and a wire portion fixed to the lid. However, in the case of a so-called slidable type of lid which is slid with respect to a console box, because of movement of the entire lid relative to the console box, it is necessary to have slack or extra length of wire, which enables such movement.
In the case in which wire slack is provided when installing a wiring across a stationary part and a movable part connected to the stationary part, it is necessary to house a wire slack portion, which changes in shape according to movement of the movable part, within a predetermined area or region in a desired manner. To respond thereto, the slack portion is applied with kinks or bends in advance. Such kinks or bends applied to the slack portion are easily and appropriately bent or curved along the kinks or bends when an outlet portion where the wire is drawn out of the stationary part and an introductory portion where the wire is introduced in the movable part come closer to each other in such a manner as to induce a stress in the wire. An example thereof is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 10-244886. This published document describes a structure in which a flat cable is wired between a body and a door, wherein a slack portion of the flat cable is bent and thereafter housed in an accommodating region which is provided in the door, and a band-shaped spring made of metal is also housed in the accommodating region, one end of the spring being fixed to a body side and the other end being fixed to an inside of the accommodating region. With this spring, even if the door is continually opened and closed, the bent shape of the slack portion can be maintained.
In the case in which, when a slack of a cable is laid across a console and a slide type lid, an additional member or band-shaped spring such as that disclosed in the above-mentioned document is used, it is necessary to deform the additional member when opening and closing the lid. Thus, there is a risk of the opening and closing operation being hindered. Further, because an additional member of this kind is inevitably used, productivity or assemble-ability is surely decreased. As a result, the cost of production is increased.
On the other hand, because flexible printed circuit boards and flat cables have flexibility and flat plate-shapes, it is possible to previously apply kinks or bends with respect thereto. However, if such kinks or bends are to be applied to a slack of a cable prior to assembling the console, there is an increase in operation time and facility size in order to achieve this. As a result, the number of man-hours involved for assembling each console box will be increased, and therefore, productivity and assemble-ability thereof will be deteriorated.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds