JP2024087575A - Vehicle battery case - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicle battery case which prevents a lid part from opening against user's will.SOLUTION: A vehicle battery case 100 includes: a housing chamber 21s for housing a battery cartridge B detachably mounted on a vehicle; a body part 2 which is provided with the housing chamber 21s and an opening through which the battery cartridge B passes; a lid part 3 which is rotatably supported by the body part 2 and opens or closes the opening; and lock mechanisms 10 provided at the body part 2 and the lid part 3. Each lock mechanism 10 has an operation part 10a which is operated to change a lock state, in which the lid part 3 is changed to a fully closed attitude, at which the lid part 3 fully closes the opening, to be fixed to the body part 2, to a release state in which fixation of the lid part 3 to the body part 2 is released. The operation part 10a is located at the body part 2 side relative to an outer surface 3g, which is opposite to an inner surface facing the body part 2, of the lid part 3 in the fully closed attitude.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a battery case for a vehicle.

Technology relating to a battery cartridge that can be attached and detached to an electric vehicle has been disclosed (for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses an electric vehicle in which multiple battery packs are mounted under the vehicle floor. In the electric vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1, the battery packs are attached and detached through a battery pack entrance and exit. The battery packs mounted under the vehicle floor are protected by a door installed at the battery pack entrance and exit.

JP 2001-016706 A

The electric vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not disclose a mechanism for locking the door to protect the battery pack. As a result, there is a risk that the lid (the door in Patent Document 1) may open against the user's will due to vehicle vibration, etc.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle battery case that prevents the lid from opening against the user's will.

The vehicle battery case according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a storage chamber that stores a battery cartridge that is removably mounted on a vehicle, a main body in which the storage chamber is provided and an opening through which the battery cartridge passes, a lid that is rotatably supported on the main body and opens and closes the opening, and a locking mechanism provided on the main body and the lid, and the locking mechanism has an operating unit that operates the locking state in which the lid is fixed to the main body by changing the lid to a fully closed position in which the opening is fully closed, to a release state in which the lid is released from the locking state, and the operating unit is located closer to the main body than the outer surface of the lid on the opposite side to the inner surface of the lid that faces the main body in the fully closed position.

According to this configuration, the operating unit that operates the lid from a locked state in which the lid is fixed to the main body to a released state in which the lid is released from the fixed state of the main body is located closer to the main body than the outer surface of the lid opposite the inner surface that faces the main body in the fully closed position. In other words, because the operating unit does not protrude beyond the outer surface of the lid, the lid is prevented from being unlocked against the user's will, and the lid can be prevented from opening. In addition, the configuration in which the operating unit does not protrude beyond the outer surface of the lid makes it possible to prevent the lid from being unlocked against the user's will, resulting in a simple structure.

As another feature, the lid portion may have a rib that protrudes in a direction away from the main body portion beyond the outer surface when in the fully closed position.

According to this configuration, the lid has a rib that protrudes in a direction away from the main body from the outer surface, and for example, the operation unit is surrounded by the rib, which more effectively prevents the lid from being unlocked against the user's will. In addition, unintentional operation of the operation unit (e.g., pressing operation) is prevented by interference with the rib that ensures the strength of the lid, resulting in a battery case that combines the durability of the lid with a function to prevent the battery cartridge from falling off.

As another feature, the locking mechanism may have a push button as the operating part, an engaging part provided on either the lid part or the main body part, and an engaged part provided on the other of the lid part or the main body part and engaged with the engaging part, and the engaging part and the engaged part may be engaged when the lid part changes to the fully closed position, and when the lid part is in the fully closed position, the engagement between the engaging part and the engaged part may be released when the push button is pressed.

With this configuration, when the push button is pressed, the engagement between the engaging part and the engaged part is released, i.e., the lock is released, preventing the lid part from being unlocked against the user's will.

Another feature is that multiple locking mechanisms may be provided.

According to this configuration, multiple locking mechanisms are provided. Therefore, even if the lock of one locking mechanism is released, the lock of the other locking mechanisms is maintained, and it is possible to more reliably prevent the lid from being opened against the user's will.

As another feature, the locking mechanisms may be provided at both ends of the case in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the battery cartridge is attached and detached.

According to this configuration, multiple locking mechanisms are provided at separate locations on both ends of the case. Therefore, even if one locking mechanism is released, other locking mechanisms are unlikely to be released, and the lid can be more reliably prevented from opening against the user's will.

1 is a diagram showing an overview of a vehicle battery case according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a case according to the embodiment. 3 is a perspective view showing a case in which the attitude of the lid portion shown in FIG. 2 is different. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing one end in the longitudinal direction of a lid portion according to the embodiment. FIG. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the locking mechanism as viewed from the side of the case according to the embodiment. 13 is a diagram showing the locking mechanism as viewed from the rear side of the case according to the embodiment. FIG. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a locking mechanism according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a locking mechanism according to the embodiment. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating a movement of the locking mechanism according to the embodiment during a locking operation. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a movement of the locking mechanism when the locking mechanism according to the embodiment is released. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a locking mechanism according to another embodiment. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a locking mechanism according to another embodiment.

The following describes a vehicle battery case according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[Overview of vehicle battery case]
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a vehicle battery case 100. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle battery case 100 is mounted on a vehicle C. The vehicle C is an electric vehicle (electric vehicle) that runs on electric power, such as an electric car. The vehicle C includes a rotating electric machine (not shown) such as a motor that is driven by electric power, and wheels W to which power from the rotating electric machine is transmitted. The vehicle C runs when electric power is supplied to the rotating electric machine and the wheels W rotate.

The vehicle battery case 100 includes a case 1 that detachably houses a battery cartridge B. The case 1 is placed, for example, on the floor surface F of the vehicle C.

The battery cartridge B is a rechargeable battery (secondary battery) such as a nickel-metal hydride battery or a lithium-ion battery. The battery cartridge B is attached to a case 1 mounted on the vehicle C and electrically connected to the vehicle C, thereby supplying stored power to the vehicle C. When the remaining capacity (amount of stored power) of the battery cartridge B becomes low, it is replaced with a charged battery cartridge B, for example at an exchange station.

In the following, when attaching the battery cartridge B, the attachment direction of the battery cartridge B to the case 1 is referred to as the "X1 direction", the removal direction is referred to as the "X2 direction", and the direction along the X1 and X2 directions is referred to as the "X direction" (an example of the attachment/detachment direction). In addition, the direction perpendicular to the floor surface F of the vehicle C is referred to as the "Z direction", one of the Z directions (upward) is referred to as the "Z1 direction", and the other (downward) is referred to as the "Z2 direction". Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the X and Z directions is referred to as the Y direction, and one of the Y directions is referred to as the "Y1 direction" (rearward of the vehicle C) and the other is referred to as the "Y2 direction" (forward of the vehicle C).

〔Case〕
2 and 3 are perspective views showing the case 1. As shown in Fig. 2 and 3, the case 1 has a main body 2 and a lid 3. The main body 2 includes a housing 21 that houses a battery cartridge B, and a handle 22 that is supported by the housing 21 so as to be rotatable (swingable).

The housing 21 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. An opening 21h that is rectangular when viewed along the X direction is formed in the housing 21. The opening 21h connects the internal space 21s of the housing 21 to the outside of the internal space 21s. The internal space 21s is formed by the inner surface of the wall that constitutes the housing 21, and the battery cartridge B that passes through the opening 21h is accommodated in the internal space 21s. Note that hereinafter, the internal space 21s may be referred to as the "accommodation chamber 21s."

The handle 22 includes a grip portion 22a that is gripped by a user who is performing operations such as attaching and detaching the battery cartridge B. The handle 22 changes its posture by rotating about the first axis A1. In detail, the posture of the handle 22 switches between a first posture in which the grip portion 22a is positioned in the Z1 direction of the housing 21 as shown in FIG. 2, and a second posture in which the grip portion 22a faces the lid portion 3 in the X direction as shown in FIG. 3.

The lid portion 3 is flat and has a shape (rectangular in this embodiment) and outer dimensions that allow it to cover the opening 21h. In this embodiment, the lid portion 3 is configured such that the length in the longitudinal direction of the central portion in the short side direction (hereinafter referred to as "central portion 3c") is longer than the other portions of the lid portion 3 (see FIG. 3).

The lid 3 is supported by the main body 2 so that its longitudinal direction is along the Y direction and its lateral direction is along the Z direction. The lid 3 is supported by the main body 2 so that it can rotate (swing) freely around a second axis A2 that extends along the Y direction. In this embodiment, the lid 3 is supported rotatably by a hinge H that the main body 2 has. Note that the lid 3 may be supported rotatably by the main body 2 by a structure other than the hinge H.

The lid portion 3 changes its position by rotating around the second axis A2. In detail, the position of the lid portion 3 is switched between a fully open position in which the opening 21h is fully open as shown in FIG. 2, and a fully closed position in which the opening 21h is fully closed as shown in FIG. 3. This causes the opening 21h to be opened and closed by the lid portion 3. When the battery cartridge B is being attached or detached, the lid portion 3 is in a fully open position. On the other hand, when the battery cartridge B is not being attached or detached (for example, when the vehicle is traveling), the lid portion 3 is in a fully closed position. Hereinafter, the surface of the lid portion 3 that faces the storage chamber 21s in the fully closed position is referred to as the "lid inner surface 3n" (see FIG. 2), and the opposite surface is referred to as the "lid outer surface 3g" (see FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 3, when the handle 22 is in the second position, the lid 3 and the handle 22 face each other in the X direction (more specifically, the handle 22 is located on the movement trajectory of the lid 3), so the lid 3 cannot change to the fully open position.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lid portion 3 has a rib 3r protruding from the lid outer surface 3g. The rib 3r protrudes in a direction away from the storage chamber 21s (in the X2 direction when the lid portion 3 is in the fully closed position). The rib 3r includes a first rib 31r that is formed continuously from one end of the lid portion 3 to the other end along the longitudinal direction of the lid portion 3, and a second rib 32r that extends in a direction intersecting the first rib 31r (the short side direction of the lid portion 3). A plurality of first ribs 31r are provided side by side in the short side direction of the lid portion 3. The central portion 3c of the lid portion 3 is surrounded by the first rib 31r and the second rib 32r.

[Lock mechanism]
The vehicle battery case 100 further includes a locking mechanism 10 that fixes the lid portion 3 to the main body portion 2. In the following, fixing the lid portion 3 to the main body portion 2 may be simply referred to as "locking," and the state in which the lid portion 3 is fixed to the main body portion 2 may be referred to as the "locked state."

In this embodiment, the vehicle battery case 100 has two locking mechanisms 10, which are provided at the ends of the case 1 (main body 2 and lid 3) in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the battery cartridge B is attached and detached. In this embodiment, the two locking mechanisms 10 are provided at the center 3c of the lid 3 (a portion that protrudes further in the longitudinal direction than other portions of the lid 3).

The configuration of the locking mechanism 10 will be described below with reference to Figures 4 to 9. However, since the two locking mechanisms 10 have the same configuration, the following describes the configuration of one of the two locking mechanisms 10, and the description of the other configuration will be omitted.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing one end of the lid 3 in the longitudinal direction. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the locking mechanism 10 as viewed from the side of the case 1. As shown in Figure 4, the locking mechanism 10 has a push button 10a (an example of an operating unit) that is pressed by a user. When the push button 10a is pressed, the locking mechanism 10 releases the fixation of the lid 3 to the main body 2, i.e., the lock (locked state) of the lid 3. Hereinafter, the state in which the fixation of the lid 3 to the main body 2 is released is referred to as the "released state". On the other hand, the locking mechanism 10 locks the lid 3 (puts it in a locked state) by changing the lid 3 to a fully closed position. In other words, the push button 10a is a button for operating from a locked state in which the lid 3 is fixed to the main body 2 by changing to a fully closed position in which the lid 3 fully closes the opening 21h, to a released state in which the fixation of the lid 3 to the main body 2 is released.

In this embodiment, the push button 10a is surrounded by three first ribs 31r and three second ribs 32r. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the push button 10a is located closer to the main body 2 than the lid outer surface 3g of the lid 3. In other words, the push button 10a does not protrude beyond the lid outer surface 3g of the lid 3.

The locking mechanism 10 includes a first mechanism 11 provided in the main body 2 and a second mechanism 12 provided in the lid 3. The first mechanism 11 is fixed to the main body 2 by a fastening member (a screw in this embodiment), and the second mechanism 12 is fixed to the lid 3 by a fastening member (a screw in this embodiment).

[First mechanism]
5 to 7, the first mechanism 11 includes a flat striker 111. The striker 111 has a butterfly-shaped base 112 (see FIGS. 5 and 7) that resembles a butterfly with its wings open in a plan view (viewed in the Y direction), a first standing portion 113 that stands with the base 112 as its base end, a second standing portion 114 that stands with the base 112 as its base end at a position away from the first standing portion 113, and a connecting portion 115 that connects a tip portion 113a of the first standing portion 113 and a tip portion 114a of the second standing portion 114. In this embodiment, the first standing portion 113, the second standing portion 114, and the connecting portion 115 are cylindrical pins.

As shown in FIG. 7, two first screw holes 112j are formed in the base 112. By screwing a screw or the like into the two first screw holes 112j, the base 112 is fixed to the main body 2 together with the cover part (not shown).

[Second Mechanism]
The second mechanism 12 includes a slider 120 having the push button 10a provided at one end 120a, a first fixing member 121 fixed to the cover 3 (fixing portion 3h of the cover 3), and a second fixing member 122 fixed to the cover 3 together with the first fixing member 121. Hereinafter, the end 120a of the slider 120 on the side where the push button 10a is provided is referred to as the "slider tip portion 120a." The fixing portion 3h of the cover 3 is a portion that fixes the second mechanism 12, and in this embodiment, it protrudes from the cover inner surface 3n toward the main body 2.

As shown in FIG. 8, the slider 120 is a rod-shaped member (cylindrical in this embodiment) that extends in a direction perpendicular to the lid inner surface 3n of the lid portion 3, and is supported by a first fixing member 121 and a second fixing member 122 so as to be freely movable back and forth in the axial direction of the slider 120, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the lid inner surface 3n of the lid portion 3.

The first fixing member 121 is a flat plate having a rectangular shape when viewed along the axial direction of the slider 120. The first fixing member 121 includes a first end 121a provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the first fixing member 121, a second end 121b provided at the other end, and a central portion 121c provided between the first end 121a and the second end 121b. A first insertion hole 121h penetrating the central portion 121c is formed in the central portion 121c, and the slider 120 is inserted into the first insertion hole 121h.

A second screw hole (not shown) is formed in each of the first end 121a and the second end 121b. The first fixing member 121 is fixed to the lid portion 3 (fixing portion 3h of the lid portion 3) by screwing a screw or the like into the second screw hole of the first fixing member 121. A step is formed between the first end 121a and the second end 121b and the central portion 121c, respectively, and when the first fixing member 121 is fixed to the lid portion 3, the central portion 121c protrudes toward the lid portion 3.

The second fixing member 122 is disposed on the side farther from the lid portion 3 than the first fixing member 121. The second fixing member 122 includes a first plate body 122a that is provided parallel to the first fixing member 121, and a second plate body 122b that stands upright from the first plate body 122a.

The first plate body 122a is rectangular when viewed along the axial direction of the slider 120 (see FIG. 6). The first plate body 122a is formed with a second insertion hole 122h penetrating the first plate body 122a, and the slider 120 is inserted into the second insertion hole 122h. The first plate body 122a is fixed to the lid portion 3 (fixing portion 3h of the lid portion 3) so that the second insertion hole 122h overlaps (communicates with) the first insertion hole 121h of the first fixing member 121. The second fixing member 122 is fixed to the lid portion 3 together with the first fixing member 121 by screwing a screw or the like into a third screw hole (not shown) formed in the second fixing member 122.

The second plate body 122b extends from the first plate body 122a as a base end in a direction away from the lid portion 3.

The second plate body 122b has an elongated hole 122m extending along the axial direction of the slider 120. A guide pin 120t of the slider 120 is inserted into the elongated hole 122m. By inserting the guide pin 120t, which penetrates the slider 120 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, into the elongated hole 122m, the reciprocating motion of the slider 120 becomes a motion along the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole 122m (the X direction when the lid part 3 is in the fully closed position).

The second plate body 122b includes a notch 122n having a size capable of accommodating the first standing portion 113 of the first mechanism 11. The notch 122n is provided at the tip 122c of the second plate body 122b (hereinafter referred to as the "plate tip 122c"). As shown in FIG. 7, the maximum length W1 of the notch 122n in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the slider 120 is slightly larger than the diameter D of the first standing portion 113.

As shown in FIG. 8, the second mechanism 12 further includes a hook member 123 that rotates (swings) in response to the reciprocating motion of the slider 120, a shaft portion 124 that rotatably supports the hook member 123, a torsion spring 125 wound around the shaft portion 124, and a leaf spring 126 that biases the first mechanism 11 in a direction away from the second mechanism 12.

The hook member 123 has a fishhook shape. Hereinafter, one end of the hook member 123 is referred to as the "hook tip 123a" (see FIG. 7), and the other end is referred to as the "hook base 123b" (see FIG. 8). The hook base 123b is connected to the slider 120 via a guide pin 120t. In detail, the hook member 123 is connected to the slider end 120b on the opposite side to the end of the slider 120 on which the push button 10a is provided (slider tip 120a) via the guide pin 120t.

The hook member 123 has a claw portion 123t at the hook tip portion 123a. As shown in FIG. 7, the claw portion 123t includes a flat engagement surface 123e (an example of an engagement portion) that faces the shaft portion 124, and an inclined surface 123f that is inclined relative to the engagement surface 123e. The angle between the inclined surface 123f and the engagement surface 123e is 90 degrees or less. The inclined surface 123f is formed so as to approach the engagement surface 123e toward the tip P side of the claw portion 123t.

The hook member 123 is rotatably supported by a shaft portion 124 provided between the hook tip portion 123a and the hook base portion 123b. The hook member 123 rotates about the third axis A3 in response to the reciprocating motion of the slider 120.

As shown in FIG. 8, the shaft portion 124 stands from the second plate body 122b and is supported by the second plate body 122b so as to be freely rotatable. When the slider 120 reciprocates, the shaft portion 124 rotates together with the hook member 123 about the third axis A3. A torsion spring 125 that biases the hook member 123 is wound around the shaft portion 124.

The torsion spring 125 biases the hook member 123 to return it to the reference position. In this embodiment, the reference position is a position in which the engaging surface 123e of the hook member 123 faces (or contacts) the engaged surface 113s (an example of an engaged portion) of the first standing portion 113 when the lid portion 3 is in the closed state (see the left diagram in FIG. 10). The engaged surface 113s is the surface of the first standing portion 113 that is farther from the lid portion 3. That is, the torsion spring 125 is wound around the shaft portion 124 so that it tightens when the engaging surface 123e of the hook member 123 rotates away from the first standing portion 113 (clockwise in FIG. 7). That is, the hook member 123 rotates against the biasing force of the torsion spring 125 so that the engaging surface 123e moves away from the first standing portion 113 (clockwise in FIG. 7).

One end of the torsion spring 125 is engaged with the first engaging portion 123k of the hook member 123, and the other end of the torsion spring 125 is engaged with the second engaging portion 122k of the second fixing member 122.

The leaf spring 126 has a generally U-shape, and one end 126a is fixed to the first plate body 122a. The other end 126b of the leaf spring 126 contacts the biased surface 114s (the surface of the second upright portion 114 on the lid portion 3 side) of the second upright portion 114 of the striker 111, and biases the first mechanism 11 (striker 111) and the second mechanism 12 in a direction away from each other. The biasing force of the torsion spring 125 and the biasing force of the leaf spring 126 can be adjusted by the designer of the vehicle battery case 100, etc.

[Operation of the locking mechanism]
Hereinafter, the operation of the lock mechanism 10 during the locking operation and the unlocking operation will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, the movement of the locking mechanism 10 during the locking operation to fix (lock) the lid 3 to the main body 2 will be described. During the locking operation, the user rotates the lid 3 around the third axis A3 to the fully closed position, as shown in FIG. 3. When the lid 3 is in the fully closed position, the locking mechanism 10 locks the lid 3. This causes the lid 3 to be fixed to the main body 2 and enters a locked state.

In more detail, when the cover 3 rotates around the third axis A3 to change to the fully closed position and the second mechanism 12 fixed to the cover 3 approaches the first mechanism 11, the inclined surface 123f of the hook member 123 comes into contact with the abutment surface 113t of the first standing portion 113, as shown in the right-hand diagram of Fig. 9. When the user further presses the cover 3 from this state, a force toward the first standing portion 113 acts on the inclined surface 123f, as shown in the left-hand diagram of Fig. 9, and at the same time, a reaction force from the abutment surface 113t of the first standing portion 113 acts on the inclined surface 123f. This causes the hook member 123 to rotate around the third axis A3 (clockwise in Fig. 9) against the biasing force of the torsion spring 125. When the hook member 123 rotates to a position where the tip P of the claw portion 123t passes over the first standing portion 113, the hook member 123 is released from the reaction force from the abutting surface 113t of the first standing portion 113 against the inclined surface 123f, and returns to the reference position as shown in the left diagram of Figure 10 by the biasing force of the torsion spring 125. As a result, the engaging surface 123e contacts (or faces; hereinafter referred to as "engage") the engaged surface 113s of the first standing portion 113.

When the engagement surface 123e and the first standing portion 113 are engaged, the engagement surface 123e is located further in the X1 direction than the first standing portion 113. This restricts the movement of the hook member 123 (lid portion 3) in the X2 direction. In other words, the lock on the lid portion 3 is tightened, and the lid portion 3 is in a locked state.

Next, the movement of the locking mechanism 10 during unlocking will be described. During unlocking, the user grasps the grip portion 22a of the handle 22 described with reference to Figures 2 and 3, rotates the handle 22 around the first axis A1 to change it to the first position, and then presses the push button 10a. When the push button 10a is pressed, the locking mechanism 10 releases the lock on the lid portion 3, and the lid portion 3 enters the released state.

In more detail, as shown in the left diagram of Fig. 10, when the push button 10a provided at the slider tip 120a is pressed and the slider 120 moves in the X1 direction along the long hole 122m, the hook member 123 rotates (clockwise in Fig. 10) around the third axis A3 against the biasing force of the torsion spring 125. As shown in the right diagram of Fig. 10, when the hook member 123 rotates to a position where the tip P of the hook member 123 does not face the first standing portion 113, the engagement between the engagement surface 123e and the first standing portion 113 is released, and the restriction on the movement of the hook member 123 (lid portion 3) in the X2 direction is released. In other words, the lock on the lid portion 3 is released. When the engagement surface 123e and the first erected portion 113 are disengaged, the hook member 123 returns to the reference position, and the biasing force of the leaf spring 126 causes the second mechanism 12 to move away from the first mechanism 11 (in the X2 direction), and the lid portion 3 assumes a position slightly open relative to the main body portion 2.

Once the lid 3 is unlocked, the user can move the lid 3 to the fully open position and install or remove the battery cartridge B.

[Effects of the embodiment]
As described above, according to this embodiment, the push button 10a, which is operated to change from a locked state in which the lid part 3 is fixed to the main body part 2 to an unlocked state in which the lid part 3 is released from the fixed state of the lid part 3 to the main body part 2, is located closer to the main body part 2 than the outer lid surface 3g of the lid part 3 in the fully closed position, thereby preventing the lock of the lid part 3 from being released against the user's will and preventing the lid part 3 from opening.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the push button 10a is surrounded by a rib 3r that protrudes in a direction away from the main body 2 beyond the outer lid surface 3g of the lid 3, which more effectively prevents the lid 3 from being unlocked against the user's will.

In addition, according to this embodiment, when the push button 10a is pressed, the engagement surface 123e on the lid 3 and the engaged surface 113s on the main body 2 are disengaged, i.e., the lock of the lid 3 (the fixation of the lid 3 to the main body 2) is released, so that the lock of the lid 3 can be prevented from being released against the user's will.

In addition, according to this embodiment, two locking mechanisms 10 are provided. Therefore, even if the locking by one of the locking mechanisms 10 is released, the locking by the other locking mechanism 10 is maintained, and it is possible to more reliably prevent the lid portion 3 from being opened against the user's will.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the two locking mechanisms 10 are provided at separate locations on both ends of the case 1 (both ends in the Y direction when the lid 3 is in a fully closed state). Therefore, even if the lock by one locking mechanism 10 is released, the lock by the other locking mechanism 10 is unlikely to be released, and the lid 3 can be more reliably prevented from opening against the user's will.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the cutout portion 122n is formed to be slightly larger than the diameter D of the first standing portion 113. This allows the second mechanism 12 to smoothly approach the first mechanism 11 (first standing portion 113) or move away from the first mechanism 11 (first standing portion 113).

[Another embodiment]
The present invention may be configured as follows other than the above-described embodiment (common numbers and symbols as in the embodiment are used for components having the same functions as in the embodiment).

(1) In this embodiment, the push button 10a has been described as an example of an operating unit that releases the lock, but the operating unit is not limited to the push button 10a and may be, for example, a handle 10b that is pulled by the user to release the lock, as shown in FIG. 11. Also, as shown in FIG. 12, the operating unit may be a push button 10c that is pushed from the side opposite the lid 3 of the locking mechanism 10. The shape of the hook member 123 of the second mechanism 12 and the position of the shaft 124 may be changed as appropriate depending on the position of the operating unit and the operation (pushing or pulling) performed on the operating unit.

(2) In this embodiment, the push button 10a is surrounded by three first ribs 31r and three second ribs 32r, but the number and arrangement of the ribs 3r surrounding the push button 10a can be changed as appropriate. In addition, the ribs 3r may be omitted from the cover portion 3, and the push button 10a does not have to be surrounded by the ribs 3r.

(3) In this embodiment, the case where there are two locking mechanisms 10 has been described, but the number of locking mechanisms 10 can be changed as appropriate within a range that ensures safety and does not impair user convenience, and may be one, or three or more.

(4) The position at which the locking mechanism 10 is provided can be changed as appropriate. For example, the locking mechanism 10 may be provided at one end in the Z direction and one end in the Y direction.

(5) In this embodiment, the first mechanism 11 is provided on the main body 2, and the second mechanism 12 is provided on the lid 3. However, the parts where the first mechanism 11 and the second mechanism 12 are provided can be interchanged, and the second mechanism 12 can be provided on the main body 2, and the first mechanism 11 can be provided on the lid 3. In this case, the push button 10a is provided recessed from the outer surface 21w of the main body 2. Also, when the second mechanism 12 is provided on the main body 2, and the first mechanism 11 is provided on the lid 3, the main body 2 may have a rib, and the push button 10a may be surrounded by the rib of the main body 2.

This invention can be used in vehicle battery cases.

2: Main body portion 3: Lid portion 3g: Lid outer surface (outer surface)
3n: Lid inner surface (inner surface)
3r: Rib 10: Locking mechanism 10a: Push button (operation part)
21h: Opening 21w: Outer surface 21s: Storage chamber 100: Vehicle battery case 113s: Engaged surface (engaged portion)
123e: Engagement surface (engagement portion)
B: Battery cartridge C: Vehicle

Claims (5)

a storage chamber for storing a battery cartridge that is detachably mounted on a vehicle; and a main body portion in which the storage chamber is provided and an opening through which the battery cartridge passes is formed;
a cover portion rotatably supported on the main body portion and configured to open and close the opening portion;
a lock mechanism provided on the main body and the lid,
the locking mechanism has an operation unit that operates from a locked state in which the lid portion is fixed to the main body portion by changing to a fully closed position in which the lid portion fully closes the opening portion, to a released state in which the lid portion is released from the fixed state to the main body portion,
The operating portion is located closer to the main body portion than an outer surface of the lid portion opposite an inner surface of the lid portion that faces the main body portion when in the fully closed position. The vehicle battery case according to claim 1, wherein the lid portion has a rib that protrudes in a direction away from the main body portion beyond the outer surface in the fully closed position. the lock mechanism has a push button as the operation unit, an engaging unit provided on one of the lid unit and the main body unit, and an engaged unit provided on the other of the lid unit and the main body unit, the engaged unit engaging with the engaging unit,
When the cover portion changes to the fully closed position, the engaging portion and the engaged portion engage with each other,
3. The vehicle battery case according to claim 1, wherein the push button is pressed when the lid is in the fully closed position, thereby releasing the engagement between the engaging portion and the engaged portion. The vehicle battery case according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of the locking mechanisms are provided. 5. The vehicle battery case according to claim 4, wherein the locking mechanisms are provided at both ends of the main body in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the battery cartridge is attached and detached.

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