Patent ID: 7392675
Filing Date: 2008-07-01
Classification: B60R,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A slot mechanism having an accommodation space into which an insertion object may be inserted through a slot, the insertion object having an arcuate insertion surface, the slot mechanism comprising: a shutter located in the accommodation space, wherein the shutter is movable along an insertion direction of the insertion object, wherein, when the insertion object is inserted into the accommodation space, the shutter is pressed by the arcuate insertion surface of the insertion object and moved toward the back of the accommodation space, and wherein, when the insertion object is removed from the accommodation space, the shutter is moved toward the slot to close the slot, wherein the shutter is shaped like a rectangular parallelepiped having a rectangle shutter surface that faces the insertion object when the insertion object is inserted into the slot; wherein the shutter surface has a plurality of projections, each of which contacts the arcuate insertion surface of the insertion object when the insertion object is inserted into the slot; wherein two regions are defined on the shutter surface and each region corresponds to a half of the insertion surface, at least one projection is located in each region, wherein the projections are also located so that a top of the arcuate insertion surface is disposed between the projections, wherein the shutter and the projections are integrally formed of the same material, and wherein the projections are semispherical; and wherein the slot mechanism further comprises: a shutter holder located in the accommodation space, the shutter holder being movable between a first position and a second position along an insertion direction of the insertion object into the accommodation space, the second position being closer to the back of the accommodation space than the first position is to the back of the accommodation space, the shutter being located in a shutter space defined in the shutter holder, the shutter being movable relative to the shutter holder between a third position and a fourth position along the insertion direction, the fourth position being closer to the back of the shutter space than the third position is to the back of the shutter space, wherein, when the insertion object is inserted into the accommodation space, the shutter is pressed by the insertion object and moved to the fourth position, and the shutter holder is pressed by the shutter, which has been moved to the fourth position, to the second position, and wherein when the insertion object is removed from the accommodation space, the shutter holder is moved to the first position and the shutter is moved to the third position, so that the slot is closed by the shutter; an insertion object locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism locks the insertion object to the shutter holder when the shutter is moved to the fourth position by the insertion object; and a holder retaining mechanism, wherein the holder retaining mechanism holds the shutter holder at the second position when the holder retaining mechanism is moved to the second position by the shutter.