Patent ID: 8272167

Claim:
A sliding assistance mechanism for helping a switching operation of a moving body from a first position to a second position, or from the second position to the first position of a main body, through a halfway position, comprising: a case attached to said main body; a first moving member and a second moving member slidably provided on the case, respectively; a pair of latches, each being pivotally supported at each moving member, respectively, and releasably locked to a corresponding part of said case; an urging device provided between the moving members for urging the moving members to move closer to each other; a guide groove provided in the case for moving the latches along the same; and first and second operational members spaced apart from each other and provided in the moving body, wherein when said moving body is moved to the halfway position from the first position to the second position, an engagement of one of the latches with the second operational member provided in the second moving member is released, and when the first operational member is engaged with the other of the latches, the moving body is pulled by the urging device to the second position.