Patent ID: 7886403

Claim:
A self-propelled forward movement mechanism for moving a movable body having an upper portion supported by a rail forward by self propulsion to a stop position after the movable body is moved forward to a self-propelling start position, comprising: a runner movably attached to the rail, engaged with the rail in the self-propelling start position, and having a striker in a lower portion; a catcher corresponding to the striker, movably housed in the upper portion of the movable body along a moving direction of the movable body, and engaged with the movable body in a reference position; and urging means structured so as to store an urging force when the catcher is in the reference position, wherein the catcher in the reference position captures the striker of the runner stopped and engaged with the rail in the self-propelling start position of the movable body, and an engagement between the catcher and the movable body is released upon a capture so that the urging force of the urging means is released, and wherein due to a backward movement of the movable body to the self-propelling start position from the stop position, the catcher is moved in the reference position again, and releases the striker of the runner, and an engagement between the runner and the rail is subsequently released.