Cover opening and closing mechanism and apparatus provided with the same

Abstract

A cover opening and closing mechanism has a shaft portion for slidably engaging a guide groove section, so that a cover is switched between a closed state and an open state relative to a main body. The guide groove section is provided on the main body, and includes two arc-shaped grooves. The shaft portion is provided on the cover, and includes two shafts guided in the arc-shaped grooves. A forcing device is provided between the main body and the cover for urging the cover. When the cover switches from the closed state to the open state, one of the shafts slides toward one end of one of the arc-shaped grooves around the other shaft after the other shaft slides toward the other end of the other of the arc-shaped grooves around the one shaft.

1 . A cover opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing a cover relative to a corresponding part of a main body, comprising: 
 a guide groove section provided on the main body and including a first arc-shaped groove with two ends and a second arc-shaped groove with two ends arranged with a distance in between,    a shaft section provided on the cover for slidably situated in the guide groove section and including a first shaft guided in the first arc-shaped groove and a second shaft guided in the second arc-shaped groove, and    forcing means provided between the main body and the cover for urging and holding the cover in a closed state such that the first shaft is positioned at one of the two ends of the first arc-shaped groove and the second shaft is positioned at one of the two ends of the second arc-shaped groove, said cover switching from the closed state to an open state such that the second shaft slides toward the other of the-two ends of the second arc-shaped groove around the first shaft after the first shaft slides toward the other of the two ends of the first arc-shaped groove around the second shaft.    
   
   
       2 . A cover opening and closing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said forcing means is an expandable spring and arranged such that in opening the cover, when the first shaft reaches the other of the two ends of the first arc-shape groove from the closed state to expand the spring, the cover is opened automatically by the spring.  
   
   
       3 . A cover opening and closing apparatus for opening and closing a cover relative to a corresponding part of a main body, comprising: 
 an upright wall provided on the main body and including a first arc-shaped groove with two ends and a second arc-shaped groove with two ends arranged with a distance in between,    an arm provided on the cover and including a first shaft slidably guided in the first arc-shaped groove and a second shaft slidably guided in the second arc-shaped groove, and    forcing means provided between the upright wall and the arm for urging and holding the cover in a closed state such that the first shaft is positioned at one of the two ends of the first arc-shaped groove and the second shaft is positioned at one of the two ends of the second arc-shaped groove, said cover switching from the closed state to an open state such that the second shaft slides toward the other of the two ends of the second arc-shaped groove around the first shaft after the first shaft slides toward the other of the two ends of the first arc-shaped groove around the second shaft.    
   
   
       4 . A cover opening and closing apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising damping means provided between the upright wall and the arm for damping a rotational speed of the cover.  
   
   
       5 . A cover opening and closing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said damping means includes a damper with a rotating gear attached to the arm, and a plurality of teeth parts provided at different positions on the upright wall so that the rotating gear engages the teeth parts in a switching manner from one of the teeth parts to the other of the teeth parts.  
   
   
       6 . A cover opening and closing apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising an escape groove formed in a front bottom wall of the main body for escaping the arm, and a cover member pivotally supported on the upright wall for standing up to cover the escape groove when the cover switches from the closed state to the open state.