Intelligent padlock and unlocking control method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses an intelligent padlock and a control method for unlocking and locking thereof, and the bilateral unlocking and locking module of the intelligent padlock is arranged in the internal space of the padlock shell, and the bilateral unlocking and locking module comprises an unlocking and locking module and a power mechanism, the power mechanism comprises a driving wheel, a power motor for driving the driving wheel to rotate and a rack transmission assembly, the driving wheel is driven by the rack transmission assembly to drive the unlocking and locking module and the two ends of the lock hook to be simultaneously connected, the rack transmission assembly is provided with a first virtual position and a second virtual position, wherein the first virtual position corresponds to the idle position of the driving wheel and the rack transmission assembly when the driving wheel rotates in the locking direction, and the second virtual position corresponds to the idle position of the driving wheel and the rack transmission assembly when the driving wheel rotates in the unlocking direction. The technical scheme can solve the technical problem that the motor of the existing intelligent padlock is blocked when the motor unlocking module is used to unlock and lock, and the normal use of the intelligent padlock is affected.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of locks, in particular to an intelligent padlock and a control method for unlocking and locking thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] In subway and other places where passage doors need to be opened and closed or where there are lock holes for hanging, most of the current locking of these use scenarios is achieved by intelligent padlocks. However, many of the intelligent padlocks on the market have dual unlocking functions of a motor unlocking module and a mechanical unlocking module. However, when the intelligent padlocks use the motor unlocking module to unlock and lock, the motor may be blocked. When the motor is blocked, the intelligent padlock cannot be restored to normal operation and is stuck, thereby affecting the normal use of the intelligent padlock. SUMMARY

[0003] Embodiments of the present application provide an intelligent padlock and a control method for unlocking and locking thereof, aiming to solve the technical problem that the existing intelligent padlock may be blocked when using the motor unlocking module to unlock and lock, thereby affecting the normal use of the intelligent padlock.

[0004] To this end, an intelligent padlock is provided, which comprises a padlock shell, a control assembly, a lock hook assembly, a double-sided unlocking and locking module, and a power supply module, wherein,

[0005] The padlock shell has two lock hook insertion holes on the surface thereof, which are in communication with the internal space.

[0006] The lock hook assembly comprises a lock hook, both ends of the lock hook extending into the internal space through the lock hook insertion holes.

[0007] The double-sided unlocking and locking module is arranged in the internal space and comprises an unlocking and locking module and a power mechanism. The power mechanism comprises a driving wheel, a power motor driving the driving wheel to rotate, and a rack transmission assembly. The driving wheel is driven by the rack transmission assembly to drive the unlocking and locking module and both ends of the lock hook to be simultaneously connected by a movable lock. The rack transmission assembly is provided with a first virtual position capable of reducing the driving force required for restarting the power motor in a locked state and a second virtual position capable of reducing the driving force required for restarting the power motor in an unlocked state. The first virtual position corresponds to an idling position where the driving wheel and the rack transmission assembly are disconnected when the driving wheel rotates in the locking direction. The second virtual position corresponds to an idling position where the driving wheel and the rack transmission assembly are disconnected when the driving wheel rotates in the unlocking direction.

[0008] The control assembly and the power supply module are respectively arranged in the internal space, and the control assembly is electrically connected with the power mechanism and the power supply module.

[0009] Optionally, in some embodiments of the application, the driving wheel comprises a gear portion and a non-gear portion divided along the circumference of the driving wheel, and the diameter of the non-gear portion is less than or equal to the diameter of the base circle of the gear portion.

[0010] Optionally, in some embodiments of the application, the two ends of the locking hook are respectively recessed with a locking recess, the unlocking module comprises two elastic locking pins and an elastic locking pin, the two elastic locking pins are respectively connected with the two locking recesses under the elastic force, the elastic locking pin has a first position for locking the two elastic locking pins and a second position for unlocking the two elastic locking pins, the driving wheel is driven by the rack transmission assembly to drive the elastic locking pin to move linearly, so that the elastic locking pin switches between the first position and the second position.

[0011] Optionally, in some embodiments of the application, the elastic locking pin is provided with a first driving portion, the rack transmission assembly comprises a rack slidingly arranged along the length direction of the elastic locking pin, the rack is further provided with a power column, the power column is in abutting connection with the first driving portion, so that when the power column moves linearly along with the rack, the first driving portion is extruded, and the elastic locking pin moves linearly; the rack is provided with a straight tooth trace extending along the length direction of the elastic locking pin, the rack is in meshing connection with the driving wheel through the straight tooth trace, the rack is further provided with the first virtual position and the second virtual position, and the first virtual position and the second virtual position are respectively arranged on the two sides of the straight tooth trace.

[0012] Optionally, in some embodiments of the application, the double-sided unlocking module further comprises a first sealed housing, the first sealed housing is internally provided with a first cavity, the power mechanism is sealed in the first cavity, the rack transmission assembly further comprises a rack fixing sheet, the rack fixing sheet is fixedly arranged on the cavity wall of the first cavity, and the rack fixing sheet is provided with a rack sliding groove extending along the length direction of the elastic locking pin, and the rack is slidingly arranged on the rack sliding groove.

[0013] Optionally, in some embodiments of the application, the double-sided unlocking module further comprises a first magnetic element and a second magnetic element, the first magnetic element is arranged on the elastic locking pin, and the second magnetic element is arranged on the power column; the control assembly can induct the first magnetic element to feed back the state of the elastic locking pin, and can induct the second magnetic element to feed back the state of the power mechanism.

[0014] Optionally, in some embodiments of the application, the double-sided unlocking and locking module further comprises a first sealed housing, the first sealed housing is internally provided with a first cavity and a second cavity in communication with each other, the power mechanism is sealed in the first cavity; the first sealed housing is further provided with two pin holes in communication with the second cavity, each pin hole is opposite to a lock groove, and each pin hole is movably provided with an elastic upper locking pin, so that each elastic upper locking pin is movably locked with the corresponding lock groove under the elastic force, the elastic locking pin is movably arranged in the second cavity, so that one end of the elastic locking pin is located between the two elastic upper locking pins under the elastic force, and the other end of the elastic locking pin further extends into the first cavity and is in transmission connection with the rack transmission assembly.

[0015] Optionally, in some embodiments of the application, the elastic locking pin comprises a locking pin body and a locking pin spring, one end of the locking pin body is placed in the second cavity, the other end of the locking pin body extends into the first cavity and is elastically arranged on the cavity wall of the first cavity by the locking pin spring, so that one end of the locking pin body is located between the two elastic upper locking pins under the elastic force of the locking pin spring.

[0016] Optionally, in some embodiments of the application, the elastic locking pin is further provided with a second driving part, and the double-sided unlocking and locking module further comprises a mechanical lock body module, the mechanical lock body module comprises an elastic lever, a spiral column and a mechanical lock cylinder with a key hole, one end of the elastic lever is in abutting connection with the spiral column, the other end of the elastic lever is in abutting connection with the second driving part, the mechanical lock cylinder can drive the spiral column to rotate under the action of a matched mechanical key, so that the elastic lever is driven to move linearly by extruding the second driving part under the rotation of the spiral column.

[0017] Optionally, in some embodiments of the application, one end of the elastic lever is provided with a spherical surface, and the spiral column is provided with a spiral rising surface, the spherical surface is in abutting connection with the spiral rising surface.

[0018] Optionally, in some embodiments of the application, the lock hook assembly further comprises a third magnetic element reflecting the state of the lock hook, the third magnetic element is arranged at one end of the lock hook, and the control assembly can further induct the third magnetic element to feedback the state of the lock hook.

[0019] Optionally, in some embodiments of the application, the padlock shell is provided with a partition plate, which divides the internal space of the padlock shell into a first sealed chamber and a second sealed chamber, the two lock hook insertion holes are respectively arranged on the top side of the second sealed chamber, and the partition plate is further provided with a first wire passing hole and a second wire passing hole; the control assembly is arranged in the first sealed chamber, and the control assembly is in wired electrical connection with the power supply module through the first wire passing hole, and the control assembly is in wired electrical connection with the double-side unlocking and locking module through the second wire passing hole.

[0020] In addition, the application further provides an unlocking and locking control method of the intelligent padlock, which is applied to the intelligent padlock and includes the following steps.

[0021] When the intelligent padlock is in the locked state, the power motor can drive the driving wheel to rotate in the unlocking direction under the control of the unlocking command, and drive the elastic locking pin to perform a first linear motion through the rack transmission assembly, so that the elastic locking pin is switched from the first position to the second position, and after the gear teeth of the driving wheel reach the second virtual position, the power motor is turned off after a preset time delay, and the motor unlocking process of the intelligent padlock is completed.

[0022] When the intelligent padlock is in the unlocked state, the power motor can drive the driving wheel to rotate in the locking direction under the control of the unlocking command, and drive the elastic locking pin to perform a second linear motion under the action of the elastic force through the rack transmission assembly, so that the elastic locking pin is switched from the second position to the first position, and after the gear teeth of the driving wheel reach the first virtual position, the power motor is turned off after a preset time delay, and the motor locking process of the intelligent padlock is completed, the locking direction is opposite to the unlocking direction, and the direction of the first linear motion is opposite to the direction of the second linear motion.

[0023] The technical scheme provided in the application, the power mechanism of the bilateral unlocking and locking module, drives the driving wheel to rotate through the power motor, drives the two ends of the unlocking and locking module and the locking hook to simultaneously move and lock through the transmission of the rack transmission assembly when the driving wheel rotates, to realize the unlocking and locking function of the intelligent padlock. Meanwhile, the rack transmission assembly is provided with a first virtual position capable of reducing the driving force required when the power motor restarts in the locking state and a second virtual position capable of reducing the driving force required when the power motor restarts in the unlocking state, wherein the first virtual position corresponds to the idle position of the driving wheel and the rack transmission assembly transmission when the driving wheel rotates in the locking direction, and the second virtual position corresponds to the idle position of the driving wheel and the rack transmission assembly transmission when the driving wheel rotates in the unlocking direction, so that the driving wheel does not appear the motor stall (i.e. the position of the motor stop has more virtual position after passing the detection position, which ensures that the motor does not appear stall in normal operation) in the locking state or the unlocking state, and the driving force required when the power motor drives the driving wheel to rotate again when the intelligent padlock starts again is smaller. It can be seen that the technical scheme can solve the technical problem that the existing intelligent padlock may appear motor stall when using the motor unlocking module to unlock, which affects the normal use of the intelligent padlock. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a structure schematic diagram of the intelligent padlock in the embodiment of the application;

[0025] Figure 2 It is a structure schematic diagram of the intelligent padlock in the embodiment of the application; Figure 1 It is a structure schematic diagram of the intelligent padlock in the embodiment of the application;

[0026] Figure 3 It is a structure schematic diagram of the intelligent padlock in the embodiment of the application; Figure 1 It is a structure schematic diagram of the intelligent padlock in the embodiment of the application;

[0027] Figure 4 It is a structure schematic diagram of the intelligent padlock in the embodiment of the application; Figure 3 It is a structure schematic diagram of the intelligent padlock in the embodiment of the application;

[0028] Figure 5 It is a structure schematic diagram of the intelligent padlock in the embodiment of the application; Figure 3 It is a structure schematic diagram of the intelligent padlock in the embodiment of the application;

[0029] Figure 6 It is a structure schematic diagram of the intelligent padlock in the embodiment of the application; Figure 3 It is a structure schematic diagram of the intelligent padlock in the embodiment of the application;

[0030] Figure 7 It is a structure schematic diagram of the intelligent padlock in the embodiment of the application; Figure 3 It is a structure schematic diagram of the intelligent padlock in the embodiment of the application;

[0031] Figure 8 Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a state of the intelligent padlock according to the present application; Figure 3 Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a state of the intelligent padlock according to the present application;

[0032] Figure 9 Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a state of the intelligent padlock according to the present application; Figure 3 Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a state of the intelligent padlock according to the present application;

[0033] Figure 10 Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a state of the intelligent padlock according to the present application; Figure 3 Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a state of the intelligent padlock according to the present application;

[0034] Figure 11 Fig. 7 is a flow chart of a method for controlling the intelligent padlock according to the present application.

[0035] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0036] 1, intelligent padlock; 100, padlock housing; 110, front shell; 111, shackle insertion hole; 120, rear cover; 200, control assembly; 300, shackle assembly; 310, shackle; 311, shackle recess; 320, third magnetic element; 400, double-sided unlocking and locking module; 410, elastic locking pin; 411, locking pin body; 412, locking pin spring; 420, elastic locking pin; 421, locking pin body; 4211, first driving part; 4212, second driving part; 422, locking pin spring; 430, power mechanism; 431, driving wheel; 4311, gear part; 4312, non-gear part; 432, power motor; 433, rack; 4331, power column body; 4332, straight tooth pattern; 4333, first virtual position; 4334, second virtual position; 434, rack fixing sheet; 4341, rack sliding groove; 440, first sealing housing; 441, first limit; 442, second limit; 451, first magnetic element; 452, second magnetic element; 460, mechanical lock body module; 461, elastic lever; 4611, lever body; 4612, lever torsional spring; 462, spiral column; 4621, spiral rising surface; 4622, limiting lug; 4623, transmission groove; 463, mechanical lock cylinder; 500, power supply module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a particular order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in a sequence other than that illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” or “having,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0038] In one embodiment, such as Figures 1 to 9 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment provides a smart padlock 1, which specifically includes a padlock housing 100, a control component 200, a hook assembly 300, a double-sided locking / unlocking module 400, and a power supply module 500. The padlock housing 100 has two hook insertion holes 111 on its surface that communicate with the internal space. The hook assembly 300 includes a hook 310, with a locking groove 311 recessed at each end of the hook 310, and both ends of the hook 310 extending into the internal space through a hook insertion hole 111. The double-sided locking / unlocking module 400 can be installed inside the padlock housing 100. The module includes a locking / unlocking module and a power mechanism 430. The power mechanism 430 includes a drive wheel 431, a motor 432 that drives the drive wheel 431, and a rack and pinion drive assembly. The drive wheel 431 is driven by the rack and pinion drive assembly to simultaneously engage the locking / unlocking module with both ends of the lock hook 310. The rack and pinion drive assembly has a first vacant position 4333 that reduces the driving force required to restart the motor 432 when it is locked, and a second vacant position 4334 that reduces the driving force required to restart the motor when it is unlocked. The first vacant position 4333 corresponds to the drive wheel 431 moving along the locking direction (i.e.,...). Figure 7 When the drive wheel 431 rotates in the counter-clockwise direction (as indicated by the arrow), it is in a free-spinning position where it is disengaged from the rack and pinion drive assembly. The second virtual position 4334 corresponds to the drive wheel 431 rotating in the unlocking direction (i.e., Figure 6 When rotating clockwise (as indicated by the arrow), the drive wheel 431 is in an idle position where it is disengaged from the rack and pinion drive assembly. The control component 200 and the power supply module 500 are respectively installed in the internal space, and the control component 200 is electrically connected to the power mechanism 430 and the power supply module 500 respectively.

[0039] It can be understood that, in order to facilitate the smart padlock 1 to be quickly closed or opened when being installed or maintained, the padlock shell 100 can be specifically composed of a front shell 110 with a receiving groove and a rear cover 120, so as to form an internal space of the padlock shell 100 by covering the opening of the receiving groove with the rear cover 120. The control assembly 200 mentioned above is mainly used to issue corresponding unlocking instructions to control the power mechanism 430 to perform corresponding unlocking operation after the user is authenticated by electronic information such as password or fingerprint. The power supply module 500 mentioned above is mainly used to supply power for the working of the control assembly 200 and the power mechanism 430.

[0040] In this way, the power mechanism 430 of the double-side unlocking module 400 of the smart padlock 1 can drive the driving wheel 431 to rotate through the power motor 432, so that the driving wheel 431 is driven to rotate through the transmission of the rack transmission assembly, to drive the two ends of the unlocking module and the lock hook 310 to be simultaneously connected by the movable lock, so as to realize the unlocking function of the smart padlock 1. At the same time, the rack transmission assembly is provided with the first virtual position 4333 capable of reducing the driving force required for the power motor 432 to restart in the locked state and the second virtual position 4334 capable of reducing the driving force required for the power motor 432 to restart in the unlocked state, wherein the first virtual position 4333 corresponds to the idling position of the driving wheel 431 and the rack transmission assembly transmission disengagement when the driving wheel 431 rotates in the locking direction, and the second virtual position 4334 corresponds to the idling position of the driving wheel 431 and the rack transmission assembly transmission disengagement when the driving wheel 431 rotates in the unlocking direction, so that the driving wheel 431 does not appear the motor stall condition (i.e. the position of the motor stop has more virtual position after passing the detection position, which ensures that the motor does not appear stall in normal operation) in the locked state or the unlocked state, and the driving force required for the power motor 432 to drive the driving wheel 431 to rotate again when the smart padlock 1 is started again is smaller.

[0041] In some examples, as shown in Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the driving wheel 431 includes a gear portion 4311 and a non-gear portion 4312 divided along the circumference of the driving wheel 431, and the diameter of the non-gear portion 4312 is less than or equal to the diameter of the base circle of the gear portion 4311. In this way, the above structure can ensure that the driving wheel 431 can quickly re-establish transmission connection with the rack transmission assembly through the gear portion 4311 after the power motor 432 is restarted and idles.

[0042] In some examples, as shown in Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5As shown, the two ends of the lock hook 310 are respectively concave with a lock recess 311, and the unlocking and locking module specifically can include two elastic locking pins 410 and an elastic locking pin 420, the two elastic locking pins 410 are correspondingly connected with the two lock recesses 311 under the elastic force, the elastic locking pin 420 has a first position for locking the two elastic locking pins 410 and a second position for unlocking the two elastic locking pins 410, the driving wheel 431 is driven by the rack transmission assembly to drive the elastic locking pin 420 to move linearly, so that the elastic locking pin 420 is switched between the first position and the second position. In this way, through the above structure, the bilateral unlocking and locking module 400 can drive the elastic locking pin 420 to move linearly by the power mechanism 430, so as to realize the one-to-one corresponding connection between the two elastic locking pins 410 and the two lock recesses 311, that is, to realize the bilateral locking function of the intelligent padlock 1. At the same time, since the elastic locking pin 420 adopts the linear movement to realize the bilateral locking function of the intelligent padlock 1, the problem of large span in the middle of the lock hook 310 caused by the rotating structure of the locking pin can be avoided, so that the space utilization of the intelligent padlock 1 is higher, and the intelligent padlock 1 can be designed to be smaller.

[0043] It can be understood that the lock hook 310 is preferably in a U-shaped structure, so that the two ends of the lock hook 310 are respectively concave with a lock recess 311, and the two lock recesses 311 are arranged opposite to each other at this time. At this time, the above-mentioned bilateral unlocking and locking module 400 can be specifically arranged between the two lock recesses 311. When one end of the elastic locking pin 420 is located between the two elastic locking pins 410 to hinder each elastic locking pin 410 from moving away from the corresponding lock recess 311, the intelligent padlock 1 is in a bilateral locking state. When one end of the elastic locking pin 420 is no longer located between the two elastic locking pins 410, the intelligent padlock 1 is in a bilateral unlockable state. At this time, the lock hook 310 can be pulled out by external force, so that the two elastic locking pins 420 are pressed by external force and move away from the corresponding lock recess 311, thereby realizing the bilateral unlocking of the intelligent padlock 1. In order to better enable the two elastic locking pins 420 to be pressed by external force to be separated from the corresponding lock recess 311 when the lock hook 310 is pulled out by external force, the lock recess 311 in the embodiment is preferably in an arc-shaped groove structure, and the part where the elastic locking pin 410 is inserted into the lock recess 311 is in a spherical structure. The first position mentioned above specifically refers to one end of the elastic locking pin 420 being located between the two elastic locking pins 410 to hinder each elastic locking pin 410 from moving away from the corresponding lock recess 311, thereby locking the two elastic locking pins 410. The second position mentioned above specifically refers to one end of the elastic locking pin 420 no longer being located between the two elastic locking pins 410, so that each elastic locking pin 410 can move away from the corresponding lock recess 311 under the action of external force, thereby unlocking the two elastic locking pins 410.

[0044] In some examples, as shown in Figure 3 , Figures 5 to 10 The elastic locking pin 420 is provided with a first driving part 4211, the rack transmission assembly includes a rack 433 slidingly arranged along the length direction of the elastic locking pin 420, and a power column 4331 is further protruded on the rack 433 and in abutting connection with the first driving part 4211, so that the elastic locking pin 420 moves linearly by extruding the first driving part 4211 when the power column 4331 moves linearly following the rack 433. The rack 433 is provided with a straight tooth trace 4332 extending along the length direction of the elastic locking pin 420, and the rack 433 is in meshing connection with the driving wheel 431 through the straight tooth trace 4332. The rack 433 is further provided with a first virtual position 4333 and a second virtual position 4334, and the first virtual position 4333 and the second virtual position 4334 are respectively arranged on the two sides of the straight tooth trace 4332. In this way, the above structure can be set to better drive the elastic locking pin 420 to move linearly by the power mechanism 430. Since the power column 4331 of the power mechanism 430 extrudes the first driving part 4211 of the elastic locking pin 420 to make the elastic locking pin 420 move linearly, there is no fixed connection between the power column 4331 and the first driving part 4211 of the elastic locking pin 420. Therefore, the elastic locking pin 420 can also move linearly under the action of other external force mechanisms without affecting the motor movement of the power mechanism 430. This can facilitate the subsequent setting of the mechanical unlocking structure, so that the mechanical unlocking structure and the motor unlocking structure can be well considered. Further, the double-sided unlocking module 400 further includes a first sealing housing 440, the first sealing housing 440 is internally provided with a first cavity, and the power mechanism 430 is sealed in the first cavity. The rack transmission assembly further includes a rack fixing sheet 434, the rack fixing sheet 434 is fixedly arranged on the cavity wall of the first cavity, and the rack fixing sheet 434 is provided with a rack sliding groove 4341 extending along the length direction of the elastic locking pin 420. The rack 433 is slidingly arranged on the rack sliding groove 4341. In this way, the rack 433 can be better slidingly arranged along the length direction of the elastic locking pin 420 through the above structure.

[0045] In some examples, as shown in Figure 3 , Figures 5 to 10As shown, the bilateral locking / unlocking module 400 specifically includes a first magnetic element 451 and a second magnetic element 452. The first magnetic element 451 is mounted on the elastic locking pin 420, and the second magnetic element is mounted on the power column 4331. The control component can sense the first magnetic element 451 to provide feedback on the state of the elastic locking pin 420, and can sense the second magnetic element 452 to provide feedback on the state of the power mechanism 430. In addition, the elastic locking pin 420 specifically includes a locking pin body 421 and a locking pin spring 422 for elastically assembling the locking pin body 421. That is, one end of the locking pin body 421 can be positioned between the two elastic upper locking pins 410 under the elastic force of the locking pin spring 422 to lock the two elastic upper locking pins 410. At this time, the first magnetic element 451 can be specifically mounted on the locking pin body 421, and the first driving part 4211 mentioned above and the second driving part 4212 mentioned below can be specifically disposed on the other end of the locking pin body 421.

[0046] Thus, through the above structural settings, when this smart padlock 1... Figure 6 When the device is in the locked state, its motor 432 can rotate clockwise (i.e., rotate in the unlocking direction), causing the teeth of the drive wheel 431 to reach the first virtual position 4333 and engage with the straight teeth 4332 of the rack 433. This drives the rack 433 to move downwards, and the rack 433 then drives the locking pin 421 to compress the locking pin spring 422 downwards and leave the locked position. This allows the elastic locking pin 410 to retract inwards. After the drive wheel 431 rotates a certain angle, it disengages from the straight teeth 4332 of the rack 433, causing the teeth of the drive wheel 431 to reach the second virtual position 4334. At this time, the drive wheel 431 can continue to rotate a certain angle (virtual position). By detecting the position of the first magnetic element 451 of the locking pin 421 and the second magnetic element 452 of the power column 4331, the drive wheel 431 passes the second virtual position 4334 and stops after a 50ms delay, completing the motor unlocking process. When this smart padlock 1 is in the locked state... Figure 7As shown in the unlocking state, the power motor 432 rotates counterclockwise (i.e. rotates in the locking direction) to make the gear teeth of the driving wheel 431 reach the second virtual position 4334 and engage with the straight tooth pattern 4332 of the rack 433, driving the rack 433 to move upward. At this time, the locking pin body 421 moves upward under the elastic restoring force of the locking pin spring 422, filling the space between the two elastic upper locking pins 410. When the driving wheel 431 is disengaged from the straight tooth pattern 4332 of the rack 433, and the gear teeth of the driving wheel 431 reach the first virtual position 4333, the driving wheel 431 can still rotate a certain angle (virtual position). The position feedback of the first magnetic element 451 of the locking pin body 421 and the second magnetic element 452 of the power column 4331 is fed back to the position information, and the driving wheel 431 stops 50 ms after passing the first virtual position 4333, completing the motor locking process. As can be seen, through the above structure, the driving wheel 431 will not appear motor stall in the locking state or the unlocking state (i.e. the position of the motor stop has more virtual positions after passing the detection position, ensuring that the motor will not appear stall in normal operation). At the same time, through the cooperation of the first magnetic element 451 (which can be a magnetic steel) and the second magnetic element 452 (which can be a magnetic steel), the locking and unlocking state of the intelligent padlock 1 can be accurately determined.

[0047] In some examples, as shown in Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 , the double-side unlocking and locking module 400 further includes a first sealing housing 440, which has a first cavity and a second cavity arranged in communication with each other, and the power mechanism 430 is sealed in the first cavity. The first sealing housing 440 is also provided with two pin holes (not shown in the figure) in communication with the second cavity, each pin hole is opposite to a lock recess 311, and each pin hole is movably provided with an elastic upper locking pin 410, so that each elastic upper locking pin 410 is movably connected with the corresponding lock recess 311 under the elastic force. The elastic locking pin 420 is movably arranged in the second cavity, so that one end of the elastic locking pin 420 is located between the two elastic upper locking pins 410 (i.e. the elastic locking pin 420 is in the first position) under the elastic force, and the other end of the elastic locking pin 420 extends into the first cavity and is in transmission connection with the rack transmission assembly of the power mechanism 430. In this way, the above structure can realize the reasonable layout of the two elastic upper locking pins 410, the elastic locking pin 420 and the power mechanism 430, and better independent sealing and waterproof protection of the power mechanism 430.

[0048] It can be understood that each elastic upper locking pin 410 can specifically consist of an upper locking pin body 411 with a spherical end and an upper locking pin spring 412, i.e. the upper locking pin body 411 is movably assembled in the corresponding pin hole through the upper locking pin spring 412, and in order to optimize the structural composition and make the overall structure of the intelligent padlock 1 more compact, the two elastic upper locking pins 410 can share one upper locking pin spring 412, i.e. the two upper locking pin bodies 411 are movably assembled in the corresponding pin holes through the same upper locking pin spring 412, at this time the two ends of the upper locking pin spring 412 abut against one upper locking pin body 411 respectively.

[0049] In some examples, as shown in Figure 3 、 Figure 5 、 Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the elastic locking pin 420 can specifically include a locking pin body 421 and a locking pin spring 422, one end of the locking pin body 421 is placed in the second cavity, the other end of the locking pin body 421 extends into the first cavity and is elastically arranged on the cavity wall of the first cavity through the locking pin spring 422, so that under the elastic force of the locking pin spring 422, one end of the locking pin body 421 is located between the two elastic upper locking pins 410 (i.e. so that the elastic locking pin 420 is in the first position), to hinder each elastic upper locking pin 410 from moving away from the corresponding lock catch groove 311. In this way, the above structure can be set to better assemble the elastic locking pin 420 in the first sealing shell 440.

[0050] In some examples, as shown in Figure 4 、 Figure 7 、 Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, the elastic locking pin 420 is also provided with a second driving part 4212, and the double-side unlocking and locking module 400 further comprises a mechanical lock body module 460, which comprises an elastic lever 461, a screw column 462 and a mechanical lock cylinder 463 with a key hole. One end of the elastic lever 461 is in abutting cooperation with the screw column 462, and the other end of the elastic lever 461 is in abutting cooperation with the second driving part 4212. The mechanical lock cylinder 463 can drive the screw column 462 to rotate under the action of a suitable mechanical key, so as to drive the elastic lever 461 to perform lever movement under the rotation of the screw column 462, and then make the other end of the elastic lever 461 extrude the second driving part 4212, so that the elastic locking pin body 420 moves linearly (specifically, the locking pin body 421 moves linearly towards the direction of the locking pin spring 422). In this way, the above structure can be used to increase the emergency unlocking function of the mechanical lock body module 460 without affecting the spacing of the module lock hooks 310, so that the motor unlocking and the mechanical emergency unlocking become a module and do not affect each other, which is convenient for maintenance, improves the efficiency of derivative design, reduces the size of the whole lock, and enables the intelligent padlock 1 to be unlocked in emergency through the mechanical key when the motor unlocking function fails, thereby effectively improving the reliability of the intelligent padlock 1. At the same time, the mechanical lock body module 460 adopts the transmission mode of lever movement of the elastic lever 461, which can solve the problem of jamming or inflexible movement of the existing mechanical lock body module 460 which adopts a cantilever state and a multi-link structure for transmission.

[0051] In some examples, as shown in Figure 4 As shown, one end of the elastic lever 461 is provided with a spherical surface, and the screw column 462 is provided with a spiral rising surface 4621, and the spherical surface is in abutting cooperation with the spiral rising surface 4621. In this way, the above structure can make the elastic lever 461 better perform lever movement under the action of the screw column 462, and make the movement between the screw column 462 and the elastic lever 461 more smooth.

[0052] It can be understood that the elastic lever 461 can specifically comprise a lever body 4611 and a lever torsional spring 4612, and the lever body 4611 is elastically assembled in the first cavity through the lever torsional spring 4612. In this way, the above structure can better realize the assembly of the elastic lever 461 in the first cavity. At this time, the above-mentioned spherical surface can be arranged at one end of the lever body 4611, and the spherical surface is in abutting cooperation with the spiral rising surface 4621, so that one end of the lever body 4611 is in transmission connection with the screw column 462. The other end of the lever body 4611 is in abutting connection with the second driving part 4212, so that the other end of the lever body 4611 is in transmission connection with the second driving part 4212.

[0053] In some examples, as shown in Figure 4As shown, the spiral column 462 is further provided with a limiting lug 4622, and the cavity wall of the first cavity is further provided with a first limiting portion 441 and a second limiting portion 442 for limiting the rotation angle of the spiral column 462. When the limiting lug 4622 is located in the first limiting portion 441, the smart padlock 1 is in a locked state, and when the limiting lug 4622 is located in the second limiting portion 442, the smart padlock 1 is in an unlocked state. In this way, the above structure can ensure that the mechanical lock cylinder 463 can be rotated at a suitable angle to ensure that the locking and unlocking operation is in place. Further, the mechanical lock cylinder 463 is provided with a transmission protrusion (not shown) at one end away from the keyhole (not shown), and the spiral column 462 is provided with a transmission groove 4623. The transmission protrusion and the transmission groove 4623 are inserted and driven in transmission to enable the mechanical lock cylinder 463 to be rotated by the spiral column 462 under the action of the appropriate mechanical key.

[0054] In some examples, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 The lock hook assembly 300 further includes a third magnetic element 320 reflecting the state change of the lock hook, and the third magnetic element 320 is arranged at one end of the lock hook 310. The control assembly can also induct the third magnetic element 320 to feedback the state of the lock hook 310. In this way, the above structure can realize accurate detection of the state change of the lock hook 310, and in combination with the detection of the first magnetic element 451 and the second magnetic element 452, the state of the padlock can be more accurately monitored. Further, the third magnetic element 320 described above can preferably use a magnetic steel to ensure that it can accurately reflect the state change of the lock hook 310.

[0055] In some examples, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the padlock shell 100 is internally provided with a partition plate, which divides the internal space of the padlock shell 100 into a first sealed chamber and a second sealed chamber, two lock hook insertion holes 111 are respectively arranged at the top side of the second sealed chamber, and a first wire passing hole and a second wire passing hole are also arranged on the partition plate. The control assembly 200 is internally provided in the first sealed chamber, and the control assembly is in wired electrical connection with the power supply module 500 through the first wire passing hole, and the control assembly is in wired electrical connection with the double-side unlocking and locking module 400 through the second wire passing hole. In this way, through the above structural arrangement, the monitoring of the padlock state is realized in cooperation with the above-mentioned selection of the magnetic element (including the first magnetic element and the first and second magnetic detection elements) and the control assembly. Since the magnetic element and the control assembly do not need to be directly or cross-contacted, the low protection of the control assembly caused by the detection of the structure with the possibility of spatial intersection such as the photoelectric switch or the micro switch can be avoided, so that the control main board is completely isolated from other structures, and the overall protection level is more reliable. That is, after the internal space of the padlock shell 100 is divided into the first sealed chamber and the second sealed chamber by the partition plate, the control assembly 200 including the control main board is individually sealed in the first sealed chamber which is not in communication with the lock hook insertion hole 111, to ensure its sealing performance. At the same time, the double-side unlocking and locking module 400 and the power supply module 500 can also be individually sealed, and then sealed in the second sealed chamber which is in communication with the lock hook insertion hole 111, so that these two parts can normally operate even if water enters the second sealed chamber. In this way, the intelligent padlock 1 can realize the respective waterproof protection of the control assembly, the double-side unlocking and locking module 400 and the power supply module 500 through simple structural isolation, thereby effectively improving the waterproof performance of the intelligent padlock 1.

[0056] As shown in Figure 11 In one embodiment, the application also provides an unlocking and locking control method of an intelligent padlock, which can be applied to the intelligent padlock 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment. The unlocking and locking control method specifically includes the following steps:

[0057] Step S110: When the intelligent padlock is in the locked state, the power motor can drive the driving wheel to rotate in the unlocking direction under the control of the unlocking command, and drive the elastic locking pin to perform the first linear motion through the rack transmission assembly, so that the elastic locking pin is switched from the first position to the second position, and after the gear teeth of the driving wheel reach the second virtual position, the power motor is turned off after a delay of a preset time, completing the motor unlocking process of the intelligent padlock.

[0058] Step S120: When the smart padlock is in the unlocking state, the power motor can drive the driving wheel to rotate in the locking direction under the control of the unlocking command, and drive the driving wheel through the rack transmission assembly, so that the elastic locking pin makes the second linear motion under the elastic force, and then the elastic locking pin is switched from the second position to the first position, and the gear teeth of the driving wheel reach the first virtual position, and the power motor is turned off after a delay of a preset time, completing the motor locking process of the smart padlock.

[0059] It can be understood that the above-mentioned locking direction should be opposite to the above-mentioned unlocking direction, that is, when the unlocking direction is clockwise, the locking direction should be counterclockwise, and when the unlocking direction is counterclockwise, the locking direction should be clockwise. The direction of the first linear motion should be opposite to the direction of the second linear motion, that is, when the direction of the first linear motion is downward as shown in Figure 6 , the direction of the second linear motion should be upward as shown in Figure 6 . The above-mentioned preset time can be 40s-60s, preferably 50s, so as to better ensure that the driving wheel 431 can completely reach the first virtual position 4333 or the second virtual position 4334 idle.

[0060] In this way, the unlocking and locking control method of the smart padlock 1 of the embodiment of the application can ensure that the driving wheel 431 completely reaches the corresponding virtual position (first virtual position or second virtual position) idle, so that the driving wheel 431 will not appear motor locked state whether in the locking state or in the unlocking state, and the driving force required for the power motor 432 to drive the driving wheel 431 to rotate again when the smart padlock 1 is started again is smaller.

[0061] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, but not to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent replacement to part of the technical features. The modification or replacement does not make the essence of the corresponding technical solution deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A smart padlock, characterized in that, It includes a padlock housing, control components, lock hook assembly, double-sided locking / unlocking module, and power supply module, among which, The padlock housing has two hook insertion holes on its surface that communicate with the internal space; The locking hook assembly includes a locking hook, with both ends of the locking hook extending into the internal space via a locking hook insertion hole; The double-sided locking / unlocking module is installed in the internal space. The double-sided locking / unlocking module includes a locking / unlocking module and a power mechanism. The power mechanism includes a drive wheel, a power motor that drives the drive wheel to rotate, and a rack and pinion transmission assembly. The drive wheel is driven by the rack and pinion transmission assembly to drive the locking / unlocking module to simultaneously engage in a movable locking connection with both ends of the lock hook. The rack and pinion transmission assembly is provided with a first vacant position that can reduce the driving force required to restart the power motor when the motor is locked and a second vacant position that can reduce the driving force required to restart the power motor when the motor is unlocked. The first vacant position corresponds to the idle position where the drive wheel is disengaged from the rack and pinion transmission assembly when the drive wheel rotates in the locking direction, and the second vacant position corresponds to the idle position where the drive wheel is disengaged from the rack and pinion transmission assembly when the drive wheel rotates in the unlocking direction. The control component and the power supply module are respectively installed in the internal space, and the control component is electrically connected to the power mechanism and the power supply module respectively. The two ends of the locking hook are respectively recessed with a locking groove. The locking and unlocking module includes two elastic locking pins and an elastic locking pin. Under the elastic force, the two elastic locking pins are movably locked to the two locking grooves one by one. The elastic locking pin has a first position for locking the two elastic locking pins and a second position for unlocking the two elastic locking pins. The drive wheel is driven by the rack and pinion drive assembly to drive the elastic locking pin to perform linear motion, so that the elastic locking pin switches between the first position and the second position. The elastic locking pin is provided with a first driving part, and the rack and pinion transmission assembly includes a rack that slides along the length direction of the elastic locking pin. A power column is also protruding from the rack. The power column is abutted and connected to the first driving part so that when the power column moves linearly with the rack, it squeezes the first driving part, causing the elastic locking pin to move linearly. The rack is provided with straight teeth extending along the length direction of the elastic locking pin. The rack is meshed with the drive wheel through the straight teeth. The rack is also provided with a first vacant position and a second vacant position, and the first vacant position and the second vacant position are respectively located on both sides of the straight teeth.

2. The smart padlock according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive wheel includes a gear portion and a non-gear portion divided circumferentially along the drive wheel, wherein the diameter of the non-gear portion is less than or equal to the diameter of the base circle of the gear portion.

3. The smart padlock according to claim 1, characterized in that, The double-sided locking and unlocking module further includes a first sealing housing, which contains a first cavity. The power mechanism is sealed in the first cavity. The rack and pinion drive assembly further includes a rack fixing plate, which is fixed to the cavity wall of the first cavity. The rack fixing plate has a rack groove extending along the length direction of the elastic locking pin, and the rack is slidably disposed on the rack groove.

4. The smart padlock according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bilateral locking and unlocking module further includes a first magnetic element and a second magnetic element. The first magnetic element is mounted on the elastic locking pin, and the second magnetic element is mounted on the power column. The control component can sense the first magnetic element to provide feedback on the state of the elastic locking pin, and can sense the second magnetic element to provide feedback on the state of the power mechanism.

5. The smart padlock according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bilateral locking and unlocking module further includes a first sealing housing, which contains a first cavity and a second cavity that are interconnected. The power mechanism is sealed in the first cavity. The first sealing housing also has two pin holes that are connected to the second cavity. Each pin hole is aligned with a locking groove, and an elastic locking pin is movably installed in each pin hole. Under elastic force, each elastic locking pin is movably locked to the corresponding locking groove. The elastic locking pin is movably installed in the second cavity, so that under elastic force, one end of the elastic locking pin is located between the two elastic locking pins, and the other end of the elastic locking pin extends to the first cavity and is connected to the rack and pinion drive assembly.

6. The smart padlock according to claim 5, characterized in that, The elastic locking pin includes a locking pin body and a locking pin spring. One end of the locking pin body is placed in the second cavity, and the other end of the locking pin body extends into the first cavity and is elastically mounted on the cavity wall of the first cavity by the locking pin spring, so that under the elastic force of the locking pin spring, one end of the locking pin body is located between the two elastic upper locking pins.

7. The smart padlock according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic locking pin is also provided with a second driving part. The double-sided unlocking and locking module also includes a mechanical lock body module. The mechanical lock body module includes an elastic lever, a spiral column, and a mechanical lock cylinder with a keyhole. One end of the elastic lever abuts against the spiral column, and the other end of the elastic lever abuts against the second driving part. The mechanical lock cylinder can drive the spiral column to rotate under the action of a suitable mechanical key. The rotation of the spiral column drives the elastic lever to perform lever movement, thereby causing the other end of the elastic lever to drive the elastic locking pin to move linearly by pressing the second driving part.

8. The smart padlock according to claim 7, characterized in that, One end of the elastic lever is provided with a spherical surface, and the spiral column is provided with a spiral rising surface, and the spherical surface and the spiral rising surface are engaged in abutment.

9. The smart padlock according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking hook assembly also includes a third magnetic element that reflects the state of the locking hook. The third magnetic element is disposed at one end of the locking hook, and the control assembly can also sense the third magnetic element to provide feedback on the state of the locking hook.

10. The smart padlock according to claim 1, characterized in that, The padlock housing has a built-in partition that divides the internal space of the padlock housing into a first sealed chamber and a second sealed chamber. The two lock hook insertion holes are respectively opened on the top side of the second sealed chamber. The partition also has a first wire passage hole and a second wire passage hole. The control component is built into the first sealed chamber, and the control component is wired to the power supply module through the first wire passage hole. The control component is also wired to the double-sided unlocking and locking module through the second wire passage hole.

11. A method for controlling the locking and unlocking of a smart padlock, applied to the smart padlock as described in any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The unlocking and locking control method includes the following steps: When the smart padlock is in the locked state, the power motor can drive the drive wheel to rotate along the unlocking direction under the control of the unlocking command, and drive the elastic locking pin to perform a first linear motion through the rack and pinion transmission assembly, so that the elastic locking pin switches from the first position to the second position, and after the tooth of the drive wheel reaches the second false position, the power motor is turned off after a preset time, thus completing the motor unlocking process of the smart padlock; When the smart padlock is in the unlocked state, the power motor can drive the drive wheel to rotate along the locking direction under the control of the unlocking command, and transmit the rotation through the rack and pinion transmission assembly, so that the elastic locking pin performs a second linear motion under the action of elastic force, thereby causing the elastic locking pin to switch from the second position to the first position, and after the tooth of the drive wheel reaches the first false position, the power motor is turned off after a preset time, completing the motor locking process of the smart padlock. The locking direction is set opposite to the unlocking direction, and the direction of the first linear motion is set opposite to the direction of the second linear motion.

Images