Push-out device
A coil spring of a push-up device for pushing out a fuel lid in an open direction includes a large pitch portion and small pitch portion, which have different pitches. Therefore, when the fuel lid is being closed, the coil spring, which pushes a rod into a case, has an increase rate of an urging force at an initial stroke less than an increase rate of the urging force at a later stroke following the initial stroke.
1. A push-up device, comprising:
a case having a tube-shape and adapted to be fixed to an auto body side facing a fuel lid;
a rod slidably held inside the case, and protruding from an inside of the case so as to push out the fuel lid;
an urging mechanism positioned between the case and the rod, and compressed by an elastic deformation inside the case so as to urge the rod in a direction protruding from the inside of the case, the urging mechanism being a coil spring including a large pitch portion and a small pitch portion, which have different pitches; and
a lock mechanism positioned between the case and the rod, and holding the rod against an urging force of the urging mechanism so as to lock the rod in a retracted position of the case,
wherein the urging mechanism has an increase rate of the urging force at an initial stroke, which pushes the rod into the case, less than an increase rate of the urging force at a later stroke following the initial stroke,
when the rod is to be locked, the rod is pressed to enter into the case while passing the initial stroke and entering into the later stroke so that the rod is rocked by the lock mechanism,
the lock mechanism locks the rod in the retracted position of the case in a state wherein the small pitch portion is compressed leaving an unlocking push-in amount of the rod, and
in a condition where the rod is rocked, the coil spring has the unlocking push-in amount so that when the rod is further pushed for the unlocking push-in amount, the rod is released from the lock mechanism.
2. A push-up device according to claim 1 , wherein the small pitch portion is formed in two end portions of the coil spring in a longitudinal direction.
3. A push-up device according to claim 2 , wherein the small pitch portions at the two end portions have same lengths, and the large pitch portion has a length such that the length of the large pitch portion is greater than the lengths of the small pitch portions.
4. A push-up device according to claim 3 , wherein in the initial stroke, the large pitch portion is compressed, and the small pitch portions are compressed in the later stroke.
5. A combination comprising the push-up device according to claim 4 and the fuel lid, wherein in the initial stroke, the fuel lid is closed and the rod enters into the case to a position before locking, and in the later stroke, the rod advances further to be locked by the lock mechanism.
6. A push-up device according to claim 1 , wherein the lock mechanism is a cam type lock mechanism in which a cam operates by pushing the rod in so as to switch between locking and unlocking.
7. A combination comprising the push-up device according to claim 1 and the fuel lid, wherein in the initial stroke, the fuel lid is closed and the rod enters into the case to a position before locking, and in the later stroke, the rod advances further to be locked by the lock mechanism.