Rotating device

Abstract

In the rotating device, a link member (19) comprises: a first link member (36) on which an output shaft (20) is formed or fixed; and a second link member (37) rotatably connected to the slider (18) and movable relative to the first link member (36) in the longitudinal direction of the link member (19). A connection portion between the second link member (37) and the slider (18) is defined as a slider connection portion (38), the first link member (36) has a first contact portion (36j), and when the slider connection portion (38) is disposed at the same position as the output shaft (20) in the Y direction, which is an axial direction of the screw (14b), and the link member (19) is furthest contracted, the first contact portion (36j) extends to a side of the slider connection portion (38) in the Y direction. The second link member (37) is formed with a second contact section (37c) that comes into contact with the first contact section (36j) from the Z1 direction side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a rotating device. Background Technology

[0002] A known ball screw assembly includes a ball screw shaft, a nut engaging with the ball screw shaft, and a motor connected to one end of the ball screw shaft via a reduction gear mechanism (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The ball screw assembly described in Patent Document 1 includes a rocker arm, one end of which is fixed to a freely swingable driven shaft. The other end of the rocker arm is rotatably connected to the nut. The rocker arm includes a first component and a second component. The first component is rotatably connected to the nut. The second component is fixed to the driven shaft.

[0003] In the ball screw device described in Patent Document 1, the connecting parts of the first component and the second component are slidably connected. The first component is movable relative to the second component along the axial direction of the swing arm. In this ball screw device, when the ball screw shaft rotates and causes the nut to move along the ball screw shaft, the swing arm rotates about the driven shaft as its pivot point. When the swing arm rotates, the driven shaft also rotates. When the swing arm rotates, the first component moves relative to the second component along the axial direction of the swing arm, and the length of the swing arm changes.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-132720 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention

[0008] The inventors of this application have developed a rotating device for rotating a specified rotating object. The rotating device under development includes: a motor having a lead screw; a slider engaging with the lead screw and moving linearly along the axial direction of the lead screw when the lead screw rotates; a connecting rod member rotatably connected at one end to the slider; and an output shaft formed or fixed to the other end of the connecting rod member and engaging with the rotating object.

[0009] The linkage component includes: a first linkage component on which an output shaft is formed or fixed; and a second linkage component rotatably connected to a slider. The second linkage component is held movable by the first linkage component and is capable of linear movement relative to the first linkage component along the long side of the linkage component. The second linkage component moves relative to the first linkage component along the long side of the linkage component as the slider moves. Therefore, the linkage component extends and retracts along the long side of the linkage component as the slider moves.

[0010] In the rotating device under development, the axial direction of the lead screw is designated as the first direction, the direction perpendicular to the first direction (i.e., the axial direction of the output shaft) is designated as the second direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions is designated as the third direction. The inventors of this application are researching ways to shorten the distance between the output shaft and the lead screw in the third direction, thereby miniaturizing the rotating device in that direction. The inventors are also researching ways to increase the rotation angle of the output shaft in the rotating device under development.

[0011] In the rotating device under development, to shorten the distance between the output shaft and the lead screw in the third direction, it is necessary to shorten the first connecting rod component so that the connecting part between the slider and the second connecting rod component, i.e., the slider connecting part, is positioned in the same position as the output shaft in the axial direction (first direction) of the lead screw, and that the slider connecting part does not interfere with the first connecting rod component when the connecting rod component is retracted to its maximum extent. Similarly, it is necessary to shorten the second connecting rod component so that the slider connecting part is positioned in the same position as the output shaft in the axial direction (first direction) of the lead screw, and that the second connecting rod component does not interfere with the output shaft, etc., when the connecting rod component is retracted to its maximum extent.

[0012] Furthermore, to increase the rotation angle of the output shaft, the amount of movement of the slider needs to be increased. However, if the amount of movement of the slider is increased, the amount of movement of the second link component relative to the first link component will also increase. Therefore, if the lengths of the first and second link components are shortened and the amount of movement of the slider is increased, there is a risk that the first link component will detach from the second link component when the slider moves to the end of the lead screw and the second link extends.

[0013] Therefore, the technical problem of the present invention is to provide a rotating device including a linkage component, one end of which is rotatably connected to a slider, and the other end of which is formed or fixed with an output shaft. The linkage component includes a first linkage component and a second linkage component, the second linkage component being movably held on the first linkage component and being able to move linearly relative to the first linkage component along the long side direction of the linkage component. Even if the distance between the output shaft and the lead screw is shortened and the movement of the slider is increased, the second linkage component can be prevented from falling off the first linkage component when the slider moves to the end side of the lead screw and the linkage component extends.

[0014] Technical solutions to solve technical problems

[0015] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a rotating device for rotating a predetermined rotating object, comprising: a motor having a lead screw; a slider having a threaded portion that engages with the lead screw and moves linearly along the axial direction of the lead screw when the lead screw rotates; a connecting rod member having one end rotatably connected to the slider; an output shaft formed or fixed to the other end of the connecting rod member and engaging with the rotating object; and a holding member that holds the output shaft so that it can rotate, wherein the axial direction of the lead screw is designated as a first direction, a direction perpendicular to the first direction is designated as a second direction, and a direction perpendicular to the first and second directions is designated as a third direction, the axial direction of the output shaft is parallel to the second direction, one end of the connecting rod member can rotate relative to the slider with the second direction as the axial direction of rotation, the output shaft is disposed at a position closer to the third direction than the slider, and one end of the lead screw is disposed closer to the third direction than the output shaft. The lead screw is positioned on one side of the first direction, with the other end of the lead screw positioned on the opposite side of the output shaft in the first direction. The connecting rod component includes: a first connecting rod component on which the output shaft is formed or fixed; and a second connecting rod component rotatably connected to the slider. The connection between the second connecting rod component and the slider is defined as the slider connection portion. The direction of the imaginary straight line connecting the center of the output shaft and the center of the slider connection portion when viewed from the second direction is defined as the long side direction of the connecting rod component. The second connecting rod component is held by the first connecting rod component to be movable and can move linearly relative to the first connecting rod component along the long side direction of the connecting rod component. The first connecting rod component has a first contact portion. When the slider connection portion is positioned in the first direction at the same position as the output shaft, the first contact portion extends to the side of the slider connection portion in the first direction. The second connecting rod component has a second contact portion that contacts the first contact portion from one side in the second direction.

[0016] In the rotating device of this aspect, the connection between the second connecting rod member and the slider is designated as a slider connecting portion, and the first connecting rod member has a first contact portion. When the slider connecting portion is positioned in the first direction at the same location as the output shaft and the connecting rod member is retracted to its maximum extent, the first contact portion extends to the side of the slider connecting portion in the first direction. Therefore, in this aspect, even if the distance between the output shaft and the lead screw in the third direction is shortened, interference between the slider connecting portion and the first connecting rod member can be prevented, and the length of the first connecting rod member can be increased.

[0017] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second connecting rod member has a second contact portion that contacts the first contact portion from one side in a second direction. Therefore, even if the distance between the output shaft and the lead screw is shortened, and the movement of the slider is increased to increase the movement of the second connecting rod member relative to the first connecting rod member, when the slider moves to the end side of the lead screw and the connecting rod member extends, the second contact portion of the second connecting rod member can contact the first contact portion of the first connecting rod member, which has become longer, thereby preventing the second connecting rod member from detaching from the first connecting rod member. In other words, in this aspect, even if the distance between the output shaft and the lead screw is shortened and the movement of the slider is increased, it is possible to prevent the second connecting rod member from detaching from the first connecting rod member when the slider moves to the end side of the lead screw and the connecting rod member extends.

[0018] Invention Effects

[0019] As described above, according to one aspect of the invention, the rotating device includes a linkage component, one end of which is rotatably connected to a slider, and the other end of which is formed or fixed with an output shaft. The linkage component includes a first linkage component and a second linkage component, the second linkage component being movably held on the first linkage component and being able to move linearly relative to the first linkage component along the long side direction of the linkage component. Even if the distance between the output shaft and the lead screw is shortened and the movement of the slider is increased, it is possible to prevent the second linkage component from falling off the first linkage component when the slider moves to the end side of the lead screw and the linkage component extends. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the rotating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 It is represented from different directions Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the rotating device shown.

[0022] Figure 3 Is it installation? Figure 1 A perspective view of the air outlet of the vehicle using the rotating device shown.

[0023] Figure 4 It is assembly Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a vehicle's dashboard showing the air vents.

[0024] Figure 5 It is used for explanation Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the air outlet shown.

[0025] Figure 6 From Figure 1 The diagram shown depicts a state where the rotating device has removed the second housing.

[0026] Figure 7 From Figure 1 The top view shown depicts the state of the rotating device without the second housing.

[0027] Figure 8 From Figure 1 The top view shown depicts the state of the rotating device without the second housing.

[0028] Figure 9 From Figure 1 The rotating device shown is a bottom view with the first housing and motor frame removed.

[0029] Figure 10 yes Figure 6 The diagram shows a three-dimensional view of the motor frame.

[0030] Figure 11 yes Figure 1 The first housing shown is a perspective view.

[0031] Figure 12 yes Figure 1 The second shell shown is a perspective view.

[0032] Figure 13 It is Figure 1 The second housing shown and Figure 6 The diagram shows a three-dimensional representation of the motor frame being pulled out.

[0033] Figure 14 From Figure 1 The EE direction indicates a side view of a portion of the housing.

[0034] Figure 15 yes Figure 6 The slider shown is viewed from below.

[0035] Figure 16 yes Figure 15 A sectional view of section FF in the image.

[0036] Figure 17 It is Figure 6 The diagram shows a three-dimensional representation of the slider, output shaft, and first connecting rod components extracted from the image.

[0037] Figure 18 yes Figure 6 The top view of the first and second linkage components shown.

[0038] Figure 19 It is used for explanation Figure 8 A bottom view showing the linkage component in its extended state.

[0039] Figure 20 yes Figure 7 The cross-sectional view of the connecting rod component shown is a GG section. Detailed Implementation

[0040] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] (General structure of the rotating device)

[0042] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the rotating device 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 It is represented from different directions Figure 1 A perspective view of the rotating device 2 shown. Figure 3 Is it installation? Figure 1 A perspective view of the vehicle air outlet 4 of the rotating device 2 shown. Figure 4 It is assembly Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the vehicle's instrument panel 7 showing the air outlet 4. Figure 5 It is for the instruction manual Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the air outlet section 4 is shown. Figure 6 From Figure 1 The diagram shows a perspective view of the rotating device 2 with the second housing 31 removed.

[0043] The rotating device 2 in this embodiment is a device for rotating a predetermined rotating object. In this embodiment, the rotating object is the fins 5 and 6 (see [reference needed]) installed in the vehicle air outlet 4 for adjusting the airflow direction. Figure 5 ).like Figure 4 As shown, the air outlet 4 is assembled in the dashboard 7 of a car, forming the air outlet of the vehicle air conditioner 6. Multiple fins 5 arranged vertically and multiple fins 6 arranged horizontally are housed within the frame 8 of the air outlet 4.

[0044] A cover 9 covering the fins 5 and 6 is mounted on the frame 8. In the air outlet 4 assembled to the instrument panel 7, the cover 9 faces the interior of the vehicle. The fins 5 are rotatable in a horizontal direction. The fins 6 are rotatable in a vertical direction. Two rotating devices 2 are mounted on the air outlet 4. Specifically, two rotating devices 2 are fixed to the frame 8. One of the rotating devices 2 rotates the multiple fins 5. The other rotating device 2 rotates the multiple fins 6.

[0045] The rotating device 2 in this embodiment is very thin. Therefore, as Figure 3 As shown, by mounting the rotating device 2 along the side of the frame 8, so that the normal direction of the side of the frame 8 is aligned with the thickness direction of the rotating device 2, the amount of protrusion of the rotating device 2 from the frame 8 can be suppressed. A rotating shaft 10 connected to the rotating device 2 and connected to the fins 5 and 6 (see...) Figure 1 When the rotating shaft 10 rotates, fins 5 and 6 rotate.

[0046] The rotating device 2 includes a motor 13 as a drive source. The motor 13 is a stepper motor. The motor 13 includes: a rotor 15 having a rotating shaft 14 and a drive magnet; and a stator 16 having drive coils and disposed on the outer periphery of the drive magnet. The output-side portion of the rotating shaft 14 protrudes beyond the stator 16. The portion of the rotating shaft 14 protruding beyond the stator 16 forms a lead screw 14b, the outer peripheral surface of which is formed with a feed thread. That is, the motor 13 includes a lead screw 14b. The rotation center of the lead screw 14b coincides with the rotation center of the rotor 15.

[0047] The rotating device 2 also includes a slider 18, which has a threaded portion 18b that engages with the lead screw 14b (see...). Figure 15 When the lead screw 14b rotates, the slider 18 moves linearly along the axial direction of the lead screw 14b. The rotating device 2 also includes: a connecting rod component 19, one end of which is rotatably connected to the slider 18; an output shaft 20, which is formed or fixed to the other end of the connecting rod component 19 and engages with the rotating shaft 10; and a housing 21 that houses the rotor 15, stator 16, slider 18, and connecting rod component 19 of the lead screw 14b. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft 10 is the engaging part that engages with the output shaft 20.

[0048] In the following description, the axial direction of the lead screw 14b (that is, the axial direction of the rotor 15) is... Figure 1 The Y-direction in the equation is called the "left-right direction". The direction perpendicular to the left-right direction... Figure 1 The Z-direction in the equation is called the "vertical direction," which is perpendicular to both the horizontal and vertical directions. Figure 1 The X direction in the equation is called the "front-back direction". Furthermore, one side of the front-back direction... Figure 1 The X2 direction side in the equation is called the "rear" side, and the opposite side is... Figure 1 The X1 direction side in the equation is called the "front" side, and the side in the left and right directions is... Figure 1 The Y1 direction side in the equation is called the "right" side, and the opposite side is... Figure 1 The Y2 direction side in the equation is called the "left" side, and the side in the up and down direction is... Figure 1 The Z1 direction side in the equation is called the "upper" side, and the opposite side is... Figure 1 The Z2 direction side in the equation is called the "lower" side.

[0049] In this embodiment, the left-right direction (Y direction) is the axial direction of the lead screw 14b, i.e., the first direction. The up-down direction (Z direction) is the second direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the lead screw 14b. The front-back direction (X direction) is the third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions. The rotating device 2 is formed as a flat plate, with a thinner thickness in the up-down direction. The axial direction of the output shaft 20 is parallel to the up-down direction. The output shaft 20 is positioned rearward from the lead screw 14b and the slider 18.

[0050] (The structure of the motor)

[0051] Figure 7 and Figure 8 From Figure 1 The top view shown shows the state of the rotating device 2 with the second housing 31 removed. Figure 9 From Figure 1 The rotating device 2 shown is a bottom view with the first housing 30 and motor frame 24 removed. Figure 10 yes Figure 6 A perspective view of the motor frame 24 shown.

[0052] As described above, the motor 13 includes a lead screw 14b. The lead screw 14b protrudes to the left from the stator 16. That is, the stator 16 is located on the right side of the lead screw 14b. When viewed from the left and right, the stator 16 has a circular shape. A trapezoidal thread is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lead screw 14b. The right end of the lead screw 14b is located on the right side of the output shaft 20. The left end of the lead screw 14b is located on the left side of the output shaft 20. A square thread may also be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lead screw 14b.

[0053] In addition to the rotor 15 and the stator 16, the motor 13 also includes: a metal motor frame 24 fixed to the stator 16; a bearing 25 supporting the left end of the rotating shaft 14 (i.e., the output end of the lead screw 14b); a bearing supporting the right end of the rotating shaft 14; a leaf spring 26 that applies force to the left side of the rotating shaft 14; a flat circuit board 27 for driving and controlling the motor 13; and wires 28 connected to the circuit board 27.

[0054] The motor frame 24 is formed by bending a metal plate of a predetermined shape into a predetermined shape. The motor frame 24 includes: a flat stator fixing portion 24b, which is fixed to the stator 16; a flat lead screw holding portion 24c, which holds the left end of the lead screw 14b, which forms the front end of the lead screw 14b, so that it can rotate; and a flat connecting portion 24d, which connects the stator fixing portion 24b and the lead screw holding portion 24c. The thickness direction of the connecting portion 24d is aligned with the vertical direction. The connecting portion 24d is formed as a rectangular flat plate that is elongated in the horizontal direction. The long side of the rectangular connecting portion 24d is aligned with the horizontal direction.

[0055] The stator fixing part 24b rises upward from the right end of the connecting part 24d. The lead screw holding part 24c rises upward from the left end of the connecting part 24d. The thickness direction of the stator fixing part 24b and the thickness direction of the lead screw holding part 24c are aligned with the left-right direction. The lead screw holding part 24c holds the bearing 25. That is, the lead screw holding part 24c holds the left end of the lead screw 14b so that it can rotate via the bearing 25. The left end face of the stator 16 is fixed to the stator fixing part 24b. The stator fixing part 24b has a through hole for the rotating shaft 14 to be inserted.

[0056] The motor frame 24 further includes: a flat reinforcing portion 24e that rises upward from the front end of the connecting portion 24d; and a flat substrate fixing portion 24f that fixes the circuit board 27. The motor frame 24 of this embodiment is composed of a stator fixing portion 24b, a lead screw holding portion 24c, a connecting portion 24d, a reinforcing portion 24e, and a substrate fixing portion 24f. The substrate fixing portion 24f extends to the left from the rear end of the stator fixing portion 24b. The thickness direction of the substrate fixing portion 24f is consistent with the front-rear direction.

[0057] The motor frame 24 has a reinforcing section 24e. The reinforcing section 24e rises vertically from the front end of the connecting section 24d. The thickness direction of the reinforcing section 24e is aligned with the front-to-back direction. The reinforcing section 24e is formed as a long, rectangular plate that is elongated in the left-to-right direction. The long side of the rectangular reinforcing section 24e is aligned with the left-to-right direction. The right end of the reinforcing section 24e is positioned relative to the slider 18 when it reaches its rightmost movement limit position (see...). Figure 8 The solid line in the middle is located on the right side of the right end. The left end of the reinforcing part 24e is positioned at the slider 18 (see the left side) when it is moved to the left limit position. Figure 8 The left end of the double-dotted line (in the image) is located on the left side.

[0058] The upper surface of the stator fixing part 24b is mostly a convex curved surface with an arc shape when viewed from the left-right direction. The upper end face of the lead screw holding part 24c and the upper end face of the reinforcing part 24e are planes perpendicular to the vertical direction. The vertical width of the lead screw holding part 24c is equal to the vertical width of the reinforcing part 24e, and the upper end faces of the lead screw holding part 24c and the reinforcing part 24e are positioned at the same position in the vertical direction. The upper end of the stator fixing part 24b is positioned above the upper end face of the lead screw holding part 24c. The upper end of the stator fixing part 24b and the upper end of the stator 16 are positioned at the same position in the vertical direction. The lower end of the stator 16 is positioned below the lower surface of the connecting part 24d.

[0059] The motor frame 24 is housed within the housing 21. As described below, the housing 21 is composed of a first housing 30 and a second housing 31, which are divided vertically. The motor frame 24 is fixed to the housing 21 by being sandwiched between the first housing 30 and the second housing 31. That is, the motor 13 is fixed to the housing 21 by being sandwiched between the first housing 30 and the second housing 31. The connecting portion 24d is provided with positioning holes 24g and 24h for positioning the motor frame 24 relative to the housing 21 in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 24d provides two positioning holes 24g and 24h.

[0060] Positioning hole 24g is a circular hole that penetrates the connecting portion 24d in the vertical direction. Positioning hole 24h is an elongated hole that penetrates the connecting portion 24d in the vertical direction. Positioning hole 24h is an elongated hole with the left-right direction as its long side. Positioning holes 24g and 24h are formed at the same position in the front-back direction. Positioning hole 24g is located to the left of the center of the connecting portion 24d in the left-right direction, and positioning hole 24h is located to the right of the center of the connecting portion 24d in the left-right direction. When viewed from the vertical direction, positioning holes 24g and 24h are located on the axis of the lead screw 14b.

[0061] The circuit board 27 is a rigid substrate such as a glass epoxy resin substrate. The circuit board 27 is formed into a rectangular flat plate. The thickness direction of the circuit board 27 is aligned with the front-to-back direction. That is, the thickness direction of the circuit board 27 is aligned with the front-to-back direction. The long side of the rectangular circuit board 27 is aligned with the left-to-right direction. The circuit board 27 is fixed to the substrate fixing part 24f by screws 29. The circuit board 27 is disposed on the rear side of the stator 16. The circuit board 27 is housed within the housing 21.

[0062] The vertical width of the circuit board 27 is less than or equal to the vertical width of the stator 16. In this embodiment, the vertical width of the circuit board 27 is narrower than the vertical width of the stator 16. The upper end face of the circuit board 27 is positioned lower than the upper end of the stator 16. The lower end face of the circuit board 27 is positioned at the same vertical position as the lower end of the stator 16. The right end portion of the circuit board 27 is positioned to the right of the right end face of the stator 16. The wire 28 is soldered and fixed to the front surface of the right end portion of the circuit board 27. The wire 28 extends from the circuit board 27 toward the front. The wire 28 is then bent to the right and extended to the right from the housing 21.

[0063] (Structure of the shell)

[0064] Figure 11 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the first housing 30 shown. Figure 12 yes Figure 1A perspective view of the second housing 31 shown. Figure 13 It is Figure 1 The second housing 31 shown and Figure 6 The motor frame 24 shown is a three-dimensional view with the frame pulled out. Figure 14 From Figure 1 The EE direction in the diagram represents a side view of a portion of housing 21.

[0065] The housing 21 is flat and thin in the vertical direction. The housing 21 is made of resin. As described above, the housing 21 houses the lead screw 14b, stator 16, slider 18, and connecting rod assembly 19, etc. The housing 21 includes: a housing portion 21b for housing the lead screw 14b, stator 16, slider 18, and connecting rod assembly 19, etc.; and two fixed portions 21c fixed to the frame 8 of the air outlet portion 4.

[0066] The housing 21 in this embodiment is composed of a storage part 21b and two fixed parts 21c.

[0067] The storage section 21b is hollow. The upper and lower surfaces of the storage section 21b are planes perpendicular to the vertical direction. The sidewalls of the storage section 21b are plate-shaped. The storage section 21b includes: a first storage section 21d, which stores the motor 13 and the slider 18; and a second storage section 21e, which stores the connecting rod member 19. The storage section 21b is composed of the first storage section 21d and the second storage section 21e. The first storage section 21d forms the front portion of the housing 21. The second storage section 21e forms the rear portion of the housing 21. The front end of the second storage section 21e is connected to the rear end of the first storage section 21d.

[0068] When viewed from above, the second storage section 21e is a triangle whose width gradually narrows towards the rear when viewed from below. In other words, when viewed from above, the right side of the second storage section 21e tilts to the right as it moves towards the front. Similarly, the left side of the second storage section 21e tilts to the left as it moves towards the front. Both the right and left sides of the second storage section 21e are parallel to the plane in the vertical direction.

[0069] In this embodiment, when viewed from above, the second storage portion 21e is an isosceles triangle whose width gradually narrows towards the rear when viewed from above. When viewed from above, the second storage portion 21e is an isosceles triangle with its base parallel to the left-right direction. The apex of the isosceles triangle-shaped second storage portion 21e constitutes the rear end of the housing 21.

[0070] Viewed from above, the first storage section 21d is a long, narrow rectangle. The right and left sides of the first storage section 21d are planes perpendicular to the left-right direction. The front side of the first storage section 21d is a plane perpendicular to the front-back direction. The reinforcing part 24e of the motor frame 24 housed in the housing 21 is positioned along the front wall of the first storage section 21d. The left side of the first storage section 21d is positioned at the same position as the left front end of the second storage section 21e in the left-right direction. The right side of the first storage section 21d is positioned to the right of the right front end of the second storage section 21e, and the right end of the first storage section 21d protrudes to the right of the second storage section 21e. The right end of the first storage section 21d, which protrudes to the right of the second storage section 21e, forms a third storage section 21f for housing the stator 16 and the circuit board 27.

[0071] The fixed portions 21c are disposed on both sides of the second storage portion 21e in the left-right direction. When viewed from the top-bottom direction, the two fixed portions 21c are arranged symmetrically from left to right. The fixed portions 21c are formed into a flat plate with the thickness direction in the top-bottom direction. The thickness of the fixed portions 21c in the top-bottom direction is thinner than that of the storage portion 21b in the top-bottom direction. The upper surface of the fixed portions 21c is disposed below the upper surface of the storage portion 21b. The lower surface of the fixed portions 21c is disposed above the lower surface of the storage portion 21b.

[0072] The distance (vertical distance) between the upper surface of the storage portion 21b and the upper surface of the fixed portion 21c is equal to the distance (vertical distance) between the lower surface of the storage portion 21b and the lower surface of the fixed portion 21c. When viewed from above, the fixed portion 21c has a triangular shape whose width gradually increases towards the side of the second storage portion 21e. The fixed portion 21c has a through hole 21g extending through the vertical direction. The fixed portion 21c is fixed to the frame 8 by screws inserted into the through hole 21g.

[0073] The housing 21 holds the output shaft 20 in a rotatable position. Specifically, the housing 21 holds the output shaft 20 in a rotatable position near the apex of the second receiving portion 21e. That is, the output shaft 20 is rotatably held at the left-right center of the second receiving portion 21e and fixed to the rear end of the housing 21. In this embodiment, the housing 21 is a retaining member that holds the output shaft 20 in a rotatable position (that is, holds the other end of the connecting rod member 19 in a rotatable position). When viewed from above, the two through holes 21g are symmetrically arranged with respect to the left-right center line of the second receiving portion 21e that passes through the axis of the output shaft 20.

[0074] The housing 21 is composed of a first housing 30 and a second housing 31, which are divided vertically. The first housing 30 forms the lower half of the housing 21 and has an opening on its upper side. The second housing 31 forms the upper half of the housing 21 and has an opening on its lower side. Figure 1 As shown, the first housing 30 and the second housing 31 are fixed to each other by screws 32. Specifically, the first housing 30 and the second housing 31 are fixed to each other by three screws 32.

[0075] Screws 32 are disposed at three locations: the top corner of the second receiving portion 21e forming the rear end of the housing 21; the right front end of the second receiving portion 21e; ​​and the left front end of the second receiving portion 21e. That is, the first housing 30 and the second housing 31 are fixed to each other at these three locations: the top corner of the second receiving portion 21e forming the rear end of the housing 21, the right front end of the second receiving portion 21e, and the left front end of the second receiving portion 21e.

[0076] The first housing 30 includes: a flat lower surface portion 30b forming the lower surface of the first housing 30; a side surface portion 30c forming the side surface of the first housing 30; and a fixed portion 30d forming the lower side portion of the fixed portion 21c. The thickness direction of the lower surface portion 30b is consistent with the vertical direction. The lower surface of the lower surface portion 30b is the lower surface of the receiving portion 21b. The side surface portion 30c rises upward from the outer peripheral end of the lower surface portion 30b. The fixed portion 30d is formed as a flat plate. The lower surface of the fixed portion 30d is positioned above the lower surface of the lower surface portion 30b.

[0077] A retaining hole 30e for holding the output shaft 20 is formed at the rear end of the lower surface portion 30b. The retaining hole 30e is a circular hole that penetrates the lower surface portion 30b in the vertical direction. A protruding rib 30f is formed on the upper surface of the lower surface portion 30b, which can contact the connecting rod member 19 housed in the housing 21 from below. That is, the second housing portion 21e for housing the connecting rod member 19 is formed with the rib 30f, which can contact the connecting rod member 19 from below. In this embodiment, a rib 30f is formed on the upper surface of the lower surface portion 30b. When viewed from the vertical direction, the rib 30f is an arc shape with the retaining hole 30e as the center of curvature. That is, when viewed from the vertical direction, the rib 30f is an arc shape with the output shaft 20 as the center of curvature.

[0078] A mounting recess 30g is formed inside the first housing 30 for mounting the connecting portion 24d of the motor frame 24. The mounting recess 30g is formed at the front end of the lower surface portion 30b. The mounting recess 30g is recessed downward from the upper surface of the lower surface portion 30b. The depth of the mounting recess 30g is slightly shallower than the thickness of the connecting portion 24d. The lower surface of the connecting portion 24d contacts the bottom surface (upper surface) of the mounting recess 30g. Specifically, the entire lower surface of the connecting portion 24d contacts the bottom surface of the mounting recess 30g. That is, the connecting portion 24d contacts the first housing 30 from the top.

[0079] Multiple positioning protrusions 30h are formed on the bottom surface of the recess 30g, which are used to position the motor frame 24 in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. In this embodiment, two positioning protrusions 30h are formed. The positioning protrusions 30h are formed into cylindrical shapes that stand upright. The two positioning protrusions 30h are arranged at the same position in the front-rear direction. The two positioning protrusions 30h are arranged at a distance from each other in the left-right direction.

[0080] The positioning protrusion 30h is inserted into the positioning holes 24g and 24h of the motor frame 24. That is, the positioning protrusion 30h engages with the positioning holes 24g and 24h. As described above, when viewed from above, the positioning holes 24g and 24h are positioned on the axis of the lead screw 14b. Therefore, when viewed from above, the two positioning protrusions 30h are also positioned on the axis of the lead screw 14b.

[0081] The first housing 30 has a cylindrical screw mounting portion 30j. The inner circumferential surface of the screw mounting portion 30j has an internal thread for engaging with a screw 32. The screw mounting portion 30j is formed at three locations: the apex of the second receiving portion 21e where the screw 32 is positioned; the right front end of the second receiving portion 21e; ​​and the left front end of the second receiving portion 21e. The screw mounting portion 30j rises upwards from the lower surface portion 30b and connects to the side surface portion 30c.

[0082] Two of the three screw mounting portions 30j have positioning protrusions 30k for positioning the first housing 30 and the second housing 31 in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. Specifically, the positioning protrusions 30k are formed on the screw mounting portions 30j located at the top corner of the second receiving portion 21e and on the screw mounting portions 30j located at the right front end of the second receiving portion 21e. That is, the first housing 30 has positioning protrusions 30k. The positioning protrusions 30k are formed in annular shape and protrude upward from the upper end surface of the screw mounting portions 30j.

[0083] A first limiting portion 30p is formed on the front side of the screw mounting portion 30j located at the right front end of the second storage portion 21e to limit the movement range of the slider 18 to the right. A second limiting portion 30r is formed on the front side of the screw mounting portion 30j located at the left front end of the second storage portion 21e to limit the movement range of the slider 18 to the left. That is, the first housing 30 has a first limiting portion 30p and a second limiting portion 30r. The first limiting portion 30p and the second limiting portion 30r stand upright from the lower surface portion 30b and are connected to the screw mounting portion 30j.

[0084] The slider 18 can contact the first limiting part 30p and the second limiting part 30r. The first limiting part 30p has a limiting part-side contact surface 30s for the slider 18 to contact. Specifically, the limiting part-side contact surface 30s is formed on the left side of the first limiting part 30p. The limiting part-side contact surface 30s is a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction. The second limiting part 30r has a limiting part-side contact surface 30t for the slider 18 to contact. Specifically, the limiting part-side contact surface 30t is formed on the right side of the second limiting part 30r. The limiting part-side contact surface 30t is a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction.

[0085] At the right front end of the lower surface portion 30b, an opening 30u is formed for the lower end of the stator 16. The opening 30u is a rectangular quadrilateral hole that extends vertically through the lower surface portion 30b. At the rear side of the opening 30u, an opening 30v is formed for the lower end of the circuit board 27. The opening 30v is a rectangular quadrilateral hole that extends vertically through the lower surface portion 30b and is elongated horizontally. At the right front end of the side surface portion 30c, a notch 30w is formed for leading the wire 28 to the outside of the housing 21.

[0086] A wire guide portion 30x is formed on the right side of the opening 30u, which guides the wire 28 in a serpentine manner from the circuit board 27 to the recessed notch 30w. That is, the first housing 30 has a wire guide portion 30x. In this embodiment, two wire guide portions 30x are formed. The wire guide portion 30x is formed as a cylinder that rises upward from the lower surface portion 30b. The two wire guide portions 30x are arranged at the same position in the left-right direction and are arranged at a distance from each other in the front-back direction. After the wire 28 passes through the right side of the wire guide portion 30x arranged on the rear side, it passes through the left side of the wire guide portion 30x arranged on the front side, and then extends to the right from the notch 30w.

[0087] The second housing 31 includes: a flat upper surface portion 31b forming the upper surface of the second housing 31; a side surface portion 31c forming the side surface of the second housing 31; and a fixed portion 31d forming the upper part of the fixed portion 21c. The thickness direction of the upper surface portion 31b is consistent with the vertical direction. The upper surface of the upper surface portion 31b is the upper surface of the receiving portion 21b. The side surface portion 31c rises downward from the outer peripheral end of the upper surface portion 31b. The fixed portion 31d is formed as a flat plate. The upper surface of the fixed portion 31d is positioned lower than the upper surface of the upper surface portion 31b. The lower surface of the fixed portion 31d contacts the upper surface of the fixed portion 31d.

[0088] A retaining hole 31e for holding the output shaft 20 is formed at the rear end of the upper surface portion 31b. The retaining hole 31e is a circular hole that penetrates the upper surface portion 31b in the vertical direction. A protruding rib 31f is formed on the lower surface of the upper surface portion 31b, which can contact the connecting rod member 19 housed in the housing 21 from above. That is, the second housing portion 21e for housing the connecting rod member 19 is formed with rib 31f, which can contact the connecting rod member 19 from above. In this embodiment, two ribs 31f are formed on the lower surface of the upper surface portion 31b. When viewed from the vertical direction, the rib 31f is an arc shape with the retaining hole 31e as the center of curvature. That is, when viewed from the vertical direction, the rib 31f is an arc shape with the output shaft 20 as the center of curvature.

[0089] The second housing 31 has through holes 31g and 31h for accommodating a portion of the screw 32. The through holes 31g and 31h are formed at three locations: the apex of the second receiving portion 21e where the screw 32 is disposed; the right front end of the second receiving portion 21e; ​​and the left front end of the second receiving portion 21e. Of these three through holes 31g and 31h, two through holes 31g are positioning holes for inserting the positioning protrusion 30k of the first housing 30. The two through holes 31g are formed at two locations: the apex of the second receiving portion 21e; ​​and the right front end of the second receiving portion 21e.

[0090] As described above, the motor frame 24 is fixed to the housing 21 by being sandwiched between the first housing 30 and the second housing 31. As described above, the lower surface of the connecting portion 24d of the motor frame 24 contacts the bottom surface of the placement recess 30g. The second housing 31 is formed with fixing protrusions 31j, 31k, and 31p that contact the motor frame 24 from above. The fixing protrusions 31j, 31k, and 31p protrude downward from the lower surface of the upper surface portion 31b.

[0091] In this embodiment, the second housing 31 is formed with: a fixing protrusion 31j that contacts the upper end face of the lead screw holding portion 24c; a fixing protrusion 31k that contacts the upper surface of the connecting portion 24d on the right end side; and a fixing protrusion 31p that contacts the upper end face of the reinforcing portion 24e (see [link]). Figure 13 The lower end faces of the fixing protrusions 31j, 31k, and 31p are planes perpendicular to the vertical direction. The fixing protrusion 31j is formed at two locations spaced apart in the front-rear direction. The fixing protrusion 31j contacts a portion of the upper end face of the lead screw retaining part 24c. The fixing protrusion 31p contacts the center portion of the reinforcing part 24e in the left-right direction.

[0092] Fixed protrusions 31k are formed at two locations spaced apart in the front-rear direction. Each fixed protrusion 31k contacts a portion of the upper surface of the connecting portion 24d. A portion of the lead screw 14b is positioned between the two fixed protrusions 31k. In other words, the two fixed protrusions 31k are positioned to clamp the lead screw 14b in the front-rear direction. The inner surface of each fixed protrusion 31k in the front-rear direction is a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The two fixed protrusions 31k are connected by a connecting protrusion 31i, which protrudes downward from the lower surface of the upper surface portion 31b. The lower surface of the connecting protrusion 31i is a concave surface with an arc shape when viewed from the left-right direction. The lower surface of the connecting protrusion 31i smoothly connects to the inner surface of the two fixed protrusions 31k in the front-rear direction. The connecting protrusion 31i is positioned above the lead screw 14b.

[0093] In this embodiment, the lower surface of the connecting portion 24d contacts the bottom surface of the placement recess 30g with a predetermined contact pressure, the fixing protrusion 31j contacts the upper end surface of the lead screw holding portion 24c with a predetermined contact pressure, the fixing protrusion 31k contacts the upper surface of the connecting portion 24d with a predetermined contact pressure, and the fixing protrusion 31p contacts the upper end surface of the reinforcing portion 24e with a predetermined contact pressure. Thus, the motor frame 24 is fixed to the housing 21 in a state of being sandwiched between the first housing 30 and the second housing 31.

[0094] An opening 31u is formed at the front right end of the upper surface portion 31b, for the upper end of the stator 16 and the upper end of the stator fixing portion 24b. As described above, an opening 30u is formed at the front right end of the lower surface portion 30b, for the lower end of the stator 16. That is, openings 30u and 31u for a portion of the stator 16 are formed on both sides of the housing 21 in the vertical direction. The opening 31u is a rectangular quadrilateral hole that penetrates the upper surface portion 31b in the vertical direction. A substrate mounting recess 31v is formed on the rear side of the opening 31u, for the upper end of the circuit board 27. The substrate mounting recess 31v is an elongated rectangular recess that is recessed upward from the lower surface of the upper surface portion 31b and does not penetrate the upper surface portion 31b in the vertical direction.

[0095] As described above, a notch 30w is formed at the right front end of the side portion 30c of the first housing 30. No notch is formed at the right front end of the side portion 31c of the second housing 31. Therefore, when the first housing 30 and the second housing 31 are fixed together, the housing 21 will form an outlet hole 33 for leading the wire 28 to the outside of the housing 21 (see...). Figure 14 In other words, the housing 21 has a lead-out hole 33. The function of the wire guide 30x is to guide the wire 28 from the circuit board 27 to the lead-out hole 33 in a serpentine manner. On the right side of the opening 31u, a cylindrical guide holding part 31x is formed to hold the upper end of the wire guide 30x.

[0096] The two fixing protrusions 31k and the connecting protrusion 31i are positioned to the right of the first limiting portion 30p of the first housing 30. The two fixing protrusions 31k and the connecting protrusion 31i are positioned to the left of the openings 30u, 30v, 31u and the outlet hole 33. The function of the two fixing protrusions 31k and the connecting protrusion 31i is to prevent foreign objects (dust) that enter the interior of the housing 21 through the openings 30u, 30v, 31u or the outlet hole 33 from entering the space inside the housing 21 for storing the slider 18 and the connecting rod component 19.

[0097] (Structure of the slider, output shaft, and connecting rod assembly)

[0098] Figure 15 yes Figure 6 The bottom view of slider 18 shown. Figure 16 yes Figure 15 A sectional view of section FF in the image. Figure 17 It is Figure 6 The three-dimensional view shows the slider 18, output shaft 20, and first connecting rod component 36 pulled out. Figure 18 yes Figure 6 The bottom view of the first link component 36 and the second link component 37 shown. Figure 19 It is used for explanation Figure 8A bottom view of the linkage component 19 in its extended state. Figure 20 yes Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of the GG section of the connecting rod component 19 shown. Figure 19 This indicates the state of the connecting rod component 19 when the slider 18 moves to the left limit position.

[0099] The slider 18 is disposed in the left-right direction between the stator fixing part 24b and the lead screw holding part 24c of the motor frame 24, and is disposed above the connecting part 24d and behind the reinforcing part 24e. The slider 18 is formed of resin. The slider 18 includes: a slider body part 18c that engages with the lead screw 14b; and a connecting part 18d that is connected to one end of the connecting rod member 19.

[0100] The slider body 18c is composed of a flat upper wall 18e disposed on the upper side of the lead screw 14b, a flat front wall 18f disposed on the front side of the lead screw 14b, and a flat rear wall 18g disposed on the rear side of the lead screw 14b. That is, the slider body 18c covers a portion of the lead screw 14b from both sides in the front-back direction and from one side in the vertical direction.

[0101] The thickness direction of the upper wall portion 18e is consistent with the vertical direction. The thickness direction of the front wall portion 18f and the rear wall portion 18g is consistent with the front-rear direction. A threaded portion 18b is formed on the front surface of the rear wall portion 18g. The front surface of the rear wall portion 18g is a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The threaded portion 18b has a plurality of thread teeth 18h, which are arranged along the axial direction (left-right direction) of the lead screw 14b. The thread teeth 18h are formed as straight lines that are slightly inclined relative to the vertical direction. That is, the threaded portion 18b is formed in a rack shape.

[0102] An upwardly projecting protrusion 18j is formed at both ends of the upper surface of the upper wall portion 18e in the front-rear direction. A downwardly projecting protrusion 18k is formed at the front end of the lower end face of the front wall portion 18f and the rear end of the lower end face of the rear wall portion 18g. The protrusions 18j and 18k are formed as straight lines that are longer in the left-right direction. The protrusion 18j can contact the lower surface of the upper surface portion 31b of the second housing 31. The protrusion 18k can contact the upper surface of the connecting portion 24d of the motor frame 24. An elastic plate 18p is formed in the front wall portion 18f, which is used to suppress the wobbling of the slider 18 relative to the lead screw 14b. The elastic plate 18p is formed as a flat plate that stands upright from the lower end of the front wall portion 18f. The elastic plate 18p contacts the lead screw 14b from the front with a specified contact pressure.

[0103] The connecting portion 18d is disposed on the rear side of the slider body 18c. The connecting portion 18d consists of a base 18q extending rearward from the slider body 18c and a fixed shaft portion 18r serving as the rotation center of the connecting rod member 19 relative to the slider 18. The base 18q is formed into a flat plate shape connected to the lower end of the rear wall portion 18g. The thickness direction of the base 18q is consistent with the vertical direction. When viewed from the vertical direction, the shape of the base 18q is an approximately isosceles triangle whose width in the left-right direction gradually narrows towards the rear.

[0104] The fixed shaft portion 18r protrudes upward from the base 18q. That is, the fixed shaft portion 18r stands upright from the base 18q, and its root is connected to the base 18q. The fixed shaft portion 18r is formed as a thick-walled cylindrical shape. The axial direction of the fixed shaft portion 18r is aligned with the vertical direction. That is, one end of the connecting rod member 19 can rotate relative to the slider 18 with the vertical direction as its rotation axis. The fixed shaft portion 18r is positioned approximately at the center of the base 18q in the front-rear direction. The fixed shaft portion 18r is positioned at the center of the slider 18 in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the base 18q is a shaft forming portion connected to the root of the fixed shaft portion 18r.

[0105] The right side of the front portion of the base 18q forms a slider-side contact surface 18s that can contact the limiting portion-side contact surface 30s of the housing 21. The left side of the front portion of the base 18q forms a slider-side contact surface 18t that can contact the limiting portion-side contact surface 30t of the housing 21. The slider-side contact surfaces 18s and 18t are planes perpendicular to the left-right direction. When the slider 18 moves to the right until the slider-side contact surface 18s contacts the limiting portion-side contact surface 30s, the slider 18 is positioned at the right-side movement limit position. When the slider 18 moves to the left until the slider-side contact surface 18t contacts the limiting portion-side contact surface 30t, the slider 18 is positioned at the left-side movement limit position.

[0106] Output shaft 20 is formed at the other end of connecting rod member 19. Specifically, output shaft 20 is integrally formed with first connecting rod member 36 (described later) at the other end of connecting rod member 19, which is part of first connecting rod member 36. As described later, first connecting rod member 36 is formed of resin, and output shaft 20 is also formed of resin. Output shaft 20 is formed as a cylinder with the vertical direction as its axial direction. Output shaft 20 includes: a lower shaft portion 20b inserted into a retaining hole 30e of lower surface portion 30b; and an upper shaft portion 20c inserted into a retaining hole 31e of upper surface portion 31b. The lower end face of lower shaft portion 20b is positioned vertically at the same position as the lower surface of lower surface portion 30b. The upper end face of upper shaft portion 20c is positioned vertically at the same position as the upper surface of upper surface portion 31b. That is, output shaft 20 does not protrude from housing 21 outward in the vertical direction.

[0107] The inner circumferential surface of the output shaft 20 forms an engagement hole 20d that engages with the rotating shaft 10. That is, the output shaft 20 has an engagement hole 20d that extends vertically through the output shaft 20 and engages with the rotating shaft 10. When viewed from above, the engagement hole 20d is D-shaped. A recess 20f is formed in the planar portion 20e of the inner circumferential surface of the D-shaped engagement hole 20d to reduce thickness. The recess 20f is recessed towards the outer circumferential side of the output shaft 20. The recess 20f is formed as a square groove extending from the upper end face to the lower end face of the output shaft 20.

[0108] The rotating shaft 10 has a plane that contacts the flat portion 20e. That is, the rotating shaft 10 is D-shaped. In this embodiment, the flat portion 20e forms a positioning portion for positioning the rotating shaft 10 at a location in the circumferential direction of the output shaft 20. In other words, the output shaft 20 has a positioning portion for positioning the rotating shaft 10 at a location in the circumferential direction of the output shaft 20, and this positioning portion is formed within the engaging hole 20d.

[0109] The connecting rod component 19 is formed into an oblong block shape when viewed from above. The length of the connecting rod component 19 is relatively short. The connecting rod component 19 is flat and thin in the vertical direction. The connecting rod component 19 includes: a first connecting rod component 36 on which the output shaft 20 is formed; and a second connecting rod component 37 rotatably connected to the slider 18. In this embodiment, the connecting rod component 19 is composed of the first connecting rod component 36 and the second connecting rod component 37. The first connecting rod component 36 and the second connecting rod component 37 are formed of resin.

[0110] The second link component 37 is held movable by the first link component 36. If the connection between the second link component 37 and the slider 18 is defined as the slider connection part 38, the imaginary straight line VL connecting the center of the output shaft 20 and the center of the slider connection part 38 when viewed from the top and bottom direction (see...) Figure 8 If the direction of the first link component 36 is set to the long side direction of the link component 19, then the second link component 37 can move linearly relative to the first link component 36 along the long side direction of the link component 19.

[0111] In the following description, the direction perpendicular to the long side and the vertical direction of the connecting rod member 19 is referred to as the short side direction of the connecting rod member 19. Furthermore, the side of the connecting rod member 19 along the long side direction, i.e., the side of the slider connecting portion 38, is referred to as the "long side direction side," and the opposite side, i.e., the output shaft 20 side, is referred to as the "other side of the long side direction." When the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same position as the output shaft 20 in the left-right direction and the connecting rod member 19 is retracted to its maximum extent (see...), the direction is described as follows: Figure 6(etc.), the long side of the connecting rod component 19 is aligned with the front-to-back direction, the short side of the connecting rod component 19 is aligned with the left-to-right direction, one side of the long side is aligned with the front side, and the other side of the long side is aligned with the rear side.

[0112] The output shaft 20 is formed at the end of the first link member 36 on the other side of its long side. If the end of the first link member 36 forming the output shaft 20 is referred to as the link member end 36b, then the first link member 36 includes the link member end 36b and a link member base 36c connected to the long side of the link member end 36b. Furthermore, the first link member 36 includes flat blade portions 36d and 36e. When the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same left-right direction as the output shaft 20 and the link member 19 is maximally retracted, the blade portion 36d extends to the right and front from the link member base 36c, and the blade portion 36e extends to the left and front from the link member base 36c. In this embodiment, the first link member 36 is composed of the link member end 36b, the link member base 36c, and the blade portions 36d and 36e.

[0113] The connecting rod end 36b is formed into a cylindrical shape. The output shaft 20 is disposed on the inner circumference of the connecting rod end 36b. The lower end face of the connecting rod end 36b is a circular, flat annular plane 36f surrounding the lower shaft portion 20b (see...). Figure 18 The upper end face of the connecting rod component end 36b is a circular, flat annular plane 36g surrounding the upper shaft portion 20c (see...). Figure 17 The annular planes 36f and 36g are planes perpendicular to the vertical direction. The lower surface of the lower shaft portion 20b is positioned lower than the annular plane 36f, and the upper surface of the upper shaft portion 20c is positioned higher than the annular plane 36g.

[0114] The base 36c of the connecting rod component is generally rectangular in shape and thinner in the vertical direction. The lower surface of the base 36c of the connecting rod component is a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. The lower surface of the base 36c of the connecting rod component is positioned slightly above the annular plane 36f. The lower surface of the base 36c of the connecting rod component is positioned in the vertical direction at approximately the same position as the lower surface of the base 18q of the slider 18.

[0115] The first link member 36 has a guide groove 36h for guiding the second link member 37 along the long side of the link member 19. The guide groove 36h is located on one side of the long side of the end 36b of the link member. The guide groove 36h is formed at the center of the short side of the link member 19. The guide groove 36h is formed as a shallow square groove with openings at one end and the top of the first link member 36 along the long side. The bottom surface (top surface) of the guide groove 36h is a side surface perpendicular to the vertical direction. The bottom surface of the guide groove 36h is located slightly below the upper surface of the base 18q of the slider 18. The two sides of the guide groove 36h in the short side direction of the link member 19 are planes perpendicular to the short side direction of the link member 19. The width of the guide groove 36h in the short side direction of the link member 19 is wider than the outer diameter of the fixed shaft portion 18r.

[0116] The guide groove 36h is mainly formed in the base 36c of the connecting rod member. The width of the base 36c of the connecting rod member 19 in the short side direction is greater than the width of the guide groove 36h in the short side direction of the connecting rod member 19. The upper surfaces of the base 36c of the connecting rod member 19 on both sides of the guide groove 36h in the short side direction of the connecting rod member 19 are planes perpendicular to the vertical direction. These upper surfaces are positioned above the bottom surface of the guide groove 36h and below the annular plane 36g.

[0117] Blade portions 36d and 36e are formed as flat plates with their thickness along the vertical direction. The upper and lower surfaces of blade portions 36d and 36e are planes perpendicular to the vertical direction. The thickness of blade portion 36d is equal to the thickness of blade portion 36e. When viewed from the vertical direction, blade portions 36d and 36e are symmetrical about an imaginary line VL. Blade portions 36d and 36e are connected to the upper end of the connecting rod component base 36c.

[0118] The upper surfaces of blade portions 36d and 36e are disposed on the same plane as the upper surfaces of the connecting rod base 36c located on both sides of the guide groove 36h in the short-side direction of the connecting rod 19. The upper surface of the connecting rod base 36c, on the side of the connecting rod 19 closer to the guide groove 36h, forms the same plane as the upper surface of blade portion 36d. The upper surface of the connecting rod base 36c, on the other side of the connecting rod 19 closer to the guide groove 36h, forms the same plane as the upper surface of blade portion 36e.

[0119] The lower surfaces of blade portions 36d and 36e are positioned above the lower surface of the connecting rod member base 36c. The lower surfaces of blade portions 36d and 36e are positioned slightly above the bottom surface of the guide groove 36h and the upper surface of the base 18q of the slider 18. The outer end faces of blade portions 36d and 36e in the short-side direction of the connecting rod member 19 are planes perpendicular to the short-side direction of the connecting rod member 19. The end faces of blade portions 36d and 36e in the long-side direction are planes perpendicular to the long-side direction of the connecting rod member 19. The inner end faces of blade portions 36d and 36e in the short-side direction of the connecting rod member 19 are positioned on the long-side direction of the connecting rod member base 36c and form part of the side surface of the guide groove 36h in the short-side direction of the connecting rod member 19.

[0120] When the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same left-right direction as the output shaft 20, the front portion of the blade portion 36d, located forward of the connecting rod member base 36c, has an inclined surface connecting the right end face and the front end face of the blade portion 36d. This inclined surface is inclined to the left as it moves forward. Similarly, when the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same left-right direction as the output shaft 20, the front portion of the blade portion 36e, located forward of the connecting rod member base 36c, has an inclined surface connecting the left end face and the front end face of the blade portion 36e. This inclined surface is inclined to the right as it moves forward.

[0121] First contact portions 36j are formed on both sides of the guide groove 36h in the short side direction of the connecting rod member 19 to contact the second connecting rod member 37. That is, the first connecting rod member 36 has two first contact portions 36j. The first contact portions 36j include blade portions 36d and 36e, and the first contact portions 36j extend in the long side direction than the base portion 36c of the connecting rod member. Furthermore, when the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same position as the output shaft 20 in the left-right direction and the connecting rod member 19 is retracted to its maximum extent, the first contact portions 36j extend to both sides of the slider connecting portion 38 in the left-right direction (see...). Figure 7 ).

[0122] In this embodiment, when the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same horizontal direction as the output shaft 20 and the connecting rod member 19 is retracted to its maximum extent, the front end of the first contact portion 36j (i.e., the front end face of the blade portions 36d and 36e) is positioned forward of the front end of the slider connecting portion 38. Furthermore, when the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same horizontal direction as the output shaft 20, a portion of the front end side of the first contact portion 36j (specifically, a portion of the front end side of the blade portions 36d and 36e) is positioned on the upper side of the base 18q of the slider 18.

[0123] The upper surface of the first contact portion 36j is a first contact surface 36k perpendicular to the vertical direction. That is, a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction and facing upwards, namely the first contact surface 36k, is formed on the first connecting rod member 36. One of the two first contact surfaces 36k is formed by the upper surface of the connecting rod member base 36c on the side of the connecting rod member 19 that is closer to the guide groove 36h and the upper surface of the blade portion 36d. The other first contact surface 36k is formed by the upper surface of the connecting rod member base 36c on the side of the connecting rod member 19 that is closer to the guide groove 36h and the upper surface of the blade portion 36e.

[0124] The base 36c of the connecting rod component has a recess 36p, which prevents interference between the base 36c of the connecting rod component and the base 18q of the slider 18 when the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same left-right direction as the output shaft 20. The recess 36p is recessed along the side of the base 18q when the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same left-right direction as the output shaft 20. The recess 36p is recessed from one end face of the connecting rod component base 36c in the long side direction toward the other end in the long side direction. That is, the recess 36p is recessed toward the output shaft 20 side. When viewed from above, the shape of the recess 36p is arc-shaped. On the end face of the connecting rod component base 36c in the long side direction, the width of the recess 36p in the short side direction of the connecting rod component 19 is approximately equal to the width of the guide groove 36h in the short side direction of the connecting rod component 19.

[0125] The second link member 37 is disposed above the first link member 36. The length of the second link member 37 along the long side of the link member 19 is shorter than the length of the first link member 36 along the long side of the link member 19. The width of the second link member 37 along the short side of the link member 19 is narrower than the width of the first link member 36 along the short side of the link member 19. That is, the width of the first link member 36 along the short side of the link member 19 is wider than the width of the second link member 37 along the short side of the link member 19. The width of the end of the second link member 37 along the long side of the link member 19 gradually narrows towards the long side.

[0126] The upper surface of the second link member 37 is a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. The upper surface of the second link member 37 is positioned slightly lower than the annular plane 36g of the first link member 36. The second link member 37 consists of a link member base 37b and two second contact portions 37c. The link member base 37b is generally rectangular and thinner in the vertical direction. The second contact portions 37c contact the first contact portion 36j of the first link member 36 from above. In other words, the second link member 37 has second contact portions 37c that contact the first contact portion 36j from above. The second contact portions 37c extend from the link member base 37b towards both sides of the short side of the link member 19.

[0127] Both vertical surfaces of the connecting rod base 37b and both vertical surfaces of the second contact portion 37c are planes perpendicular to the vertical direction. The lower surface of the second contact portion 37c is positioned higher than the lower surface of the connecting rod base 37b. The upper surfaces of the connecting rod base 37b and the second contact portion 37c are arranged on the same plane, forming a single plane that constitutes the upper surface of the second connecting rod 37.

[0128] An insertion hole 37d is formed at the end of the base 37b of the connecting rod member along its long side, into which the fixed shaft portion 18r of the slider 18 is inserted. The insertion hole 37d is a circular hole that passes through the second connecting rod member 37 in the vertical direction. The slider connecting portion 38 is composed of the fixed shaft portion 18r and the insertion hole 37d. The end of the second connecting rod member 37 along its long side (i.e., one end of the connecting rod member 19) is connected to the slider 18 at the rear side of the lead screw 14b. The second connecting rod member 37 is positioned higher than the base 18q of the slider 18. The upper end face of the fixed shaft portion 18r is positioned in the vertical direction at approximately the same position as the upper surface of the second connecting rod member 37.

[0129] A guide protrusion 37e is formed on the portion of the base 37b of the connecting rod member that is lower than the lower surface of the second contact portion 37c, and is disposed in the guide groove 36h. That is, the second connecting rod member 37 has a guide protrusion 37e that engages with the guide groove 36h. In this embodiment, the guide groove 36h and the guide protrusion 37e form a guide portion 39, which guides the second connecting rod member 37 relative to the first connecting rod member 36 along the long side direction of the connecting rod member 19 (see [link]). Figure 20 In other words, the connecting rod member 19 has a guide portion 39. The two sides of the guide protrusion 37e in the short side direction of the connecting rod member 19 are planes perpendicular to the short side direction of the connecting rod member 19. The guide protrusion 37e has a recessed portion 37f that is recessed from the lower surface of the connecting rod member base 37b toward the upper side.

[0130] The second contact portion 37c is disposed on both sides of the guide protrusion 37e in the short-side direction of the connecting rod member 19. The first contact portion 36j is disposed on both sides of the guide groove 36h in the short-side direction of the connecting rod member 19. That is, the first contact portion 36j and the second contact portion 37c are disposed on both sides of the guide portion 39 in the short-side direction of the connecting rod member 19. The end face of the second contact portion 37c on the other side in the long-side direction is a plane perpendicular to the long-side direction of the connecting rod member 19. The outer end face of the second contact portion 37c in the short-side direction of the connecting rod member 19 is a plane perpendicular to the short-side direction of the connecting rod member 19.

[0131] The lower surface of the second contact portion 37c is a second contact surface 37g that contacts the first contact surface 36k. That is, the second contact portion 37c has a second contact surface 37g, which is a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction and contacts the first contact surface 36k. In this embodiment, even when the slider 18 moves to its left-right movement limit position and the connecting rod member 19 extends to its maximum extent, the second contact portion 37c still contacts the first contact portion 36j from above (see...). Figure 8 and Figure 19 At this time, the contact area between the second contact portion 37c and the first contact portion 36j is relatively large.

[0132] A second recess 37h is formed in the base 37b of the connecting rod member to prevent interference between the end 36b of the first connecting rod member 36 (i.e., the end of the first connecting rod member 36 on the output shaft 20 side) and the base 37b of the connecting rod member when the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same left-right direction as the output shaft 20. The second recess 37h is recessed along the side of the end 36b of the connecting rod member when the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same left-right direction as the output shaft 20. The second recess 37h is recessed from the end face on the other side of the long side of the base 37b of the connecting rod member. That is, the second recess 37h is recessed towards the slider connecting portion 38. When viewed from above, the shape of the second recess 37h is arc-shaped.

[0133] As described above, the outer end face of the second contact portion 37c in the short-side direction of the connecting rod member 19 is a plane perpendicular to the short-side direction of the connecting rod member 19. The other end face of the second contact portion 37c in the long-side direction is a plane perpendicular to the long-side direction of the connecting rod member 19. Therefore, when the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same position as the output shaft 20 in the left-right direction, the left-right end faces of the second contact portion 37c (specifically, the right end face of the second contact portion 37c positioned on the right and the left end face of the second contact portion 37c positioned on the left) are perpendicular to the left-right direction, and the other end face of the second contact portion 37c in the long-side direction is perpendicular to the front-back direction. In other words, when the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same position as the output shaft 20 in the left-right direction, the right rear corner of the second contact portion 37c and the left rear corner of the second contact portion 37c 31 are angled.

[0134] In the rotating device 2, when the motor 13 drives the lead screw 14b to rotate, the slider 18 moves left and right along the lead screw 14b. When the slider 18 moves left and right, the connecting rod assembly 19 rotates about the output shaft 20 as its center of rotation. When the connecting rod assembly 19 rotates, the second connecting rod assembly 37 moves relative to the first connecting rod assembly 36 along the long side of the connecting rod assembly 19, thereby extending and retracting the connecting rod assembly 19. When the connecting rod assembly 19 rotates, the output shaft 20 also rotates. When the output shaft 20 rotates, the rotating shaft 10 rotates.

[0135] In this embodiment, the distance the slider 18 moves from a position in the left-right direction where it is positioned at the same location as the output shaft 20 until the slider-side contact surface 18s of the slider 18 contacts the limiting side contact surface 30s of the housing 21 is equal to the distance the slider 18 moves from a position in the left-right direction where it is positioned at the same location as the output shaft 20 until the slider-side contact surface 18t of the slider 18 contacts the limiting side contact surface 30t of the housing 21. When the slider 18 moves from a state where the slider-side contact surface 18s and the limiting side contact surface 30s are in contact to a state where the slider-side contact surface 18t and the limiting side contact surface 30t are in contact, the connecting rod member 19 and the output shaft 20 rotate, for example, by 90°.

[0136] In this embodiment, when the slider-side contact surface 18s contacts the limiting-side contact surface 30s, the output shaft 20 is positioned at a predetermined reference position in the circumferential direction of the output shaft 20. That is, when the slider 18 contacts the first limiting part 30p, the output shaft 20 is positioned at a reference position in the circumferential direction of the output shaft 20. In this embodiment, when the output shaft 20 is positioned at the reference position in the circumferential direction of the output shaft 20, viewed from above, as... Figure 8As shown, the planar portion 20e of the output shaft 20 is tilted 45° clockwise relative to the front-rear direction. That is, in this embodiment, when viewed from above, when the planar portion 20e of the output shaft 20 is tilted 45° clockwise relative to the front-rear direction, the position of the output shaft 20 is the reference position in the circumferential direction of the output shaft 20.

[0137] (Thickness of the casing and rotating mechanism)

[0138] As described above, openings 30u and 31u are formed on both vertical surfaces of the housing 21 for a portion of the stator 16 to be disposed thereon. In this embodiment, the thickness of the housing 21 in the vertical direction is less than or equal to the width of the stator 16 in the vertical direction. Specifically, the thickness of the housing 21 in the vertical direction is equal to the width of the stator 16 in the vertical direction. The upper end of the stator 16 is disposed at the same position in the vertical direction as the upper surface of the housing 21 (i.e., the upper surface of the upper surface portion 31b), and the lower end of the stator 16 is disposed at the same position in the vertical direction as the lower surface of the housing 21 (i.e., the lower surface of the lower surface portion 30b) (see [reference]). Figure 14 ).

[0139] As described above, the lower surface of the housing 21 has an opening 30v for a portion of the circuit board 27 to be disposed, but the lower end face of the circuit board 27 is disposed at the same position as the lower end of the stator 16 in the vertical direction. As described above, the output shaft 20 does not protrude from the housing 21 outward in the vertical direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, there is no structure that protrudes outward in the vertical direction from both sides of the housing 21 in the vertical direction (i.e., both sides of the storage portion 21b in the vertical direction).

[0140] Therefore, in this embodiment, the two sides of the rotating device 2 in the vertical direction are planes perpendicular to the vertical direction. The thickness of the rotating device 2 in the vertical direction is equal to the thickness of the housing 21 in the vertical direction. That is, the thickness of the rotating device 2 in the vertical direction is equal to the width of the stator 16 in the vertical direction. The thickness of the rotating device 2 in the vertical direction is 11 mm or less. For example, the thickness of the rotating device 2 in the vertical direction is about 10 mm.

[0141] (Main effects of this implementation method)

[0142] As described above, in this embodiment, the first connecting rod member 36 has a first contact portion 36j. When the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same left-right direction as the output shaft 20 and the connecting rod member 19 is retracted to its maximum extent, the first contact portion 36j extends to both sides of the slider connecting portion 38 in the left-right direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the distance between the output shaft 20 and the lead screw 14b in the front-rear direction is shortened, the length of the first connecting rod member 36 can be increased, while preventing interference between the slider connecting portion 38 and the first connecting rod member 36. In this embodiment, the second connecting rod member 37 has a second contact portion 37c that contacts the first contact portion 36j from above.

[0143] Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the front-to-back distance between the output shaft 20 and the lead screw 14b is shortened, and the movement of the slider 18 is increased to increase the movement of the second connecting rod member 37 relative to the first connecting rod member 36, when the slider 18 moves to its left-to-right movement limit position and the connecting rod member 19 is extended to its maximum extent, the second contact portion 37c can still contact the first contact portion 36j from above, and the contact area between the second contact portion 37c and the first contact portion 36j can be relatively large at this time. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the distance between the output shaft 20 and the lead screw 14b is shortened, and the movement of the slider 18 is increased, the second connecting rod member 37 can be prevented from detaching from the first connecting rod member 36 when the slider 18 moves to its left-to-right movement limit position and the connecting rod member 19 is extended to its maximum extent.

[0144] In this embodiment, when the slider 18 moves to its left-right movement limit and the connecting rod 19 extends to its maximum extent, the contact area between the bottom surface of the guide groove 36h of the first connecting rod 36 and the lower surface of the guide protrusion 37e of the second connecting rod 37 is small (see...). Figure 19 Therefore, if the first contact portion 36j and the second contact portion 37c are not provided, the second link component 37 may detach from the first link component 36 when the slider 18 moves to the left-right movement limit position and the link component 19 extends to the maximum extent.

[0145] In this embodiment, the first contact surface 36k of the first connecting rod component 36 and the second contact surface 37g of the second connecting rod component 37, which are perpendicular to the vertical direction, are in contact. Therefore, in this embodiment, the contact state between the first contact portion 36j and the second contact portion 37c can be stabilized.

[0146] In this embodiment, when the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same horizontal direction as the output shaft 20, the right rear corner of the second contact portion 37c and the left rear corner of the second contact portion 34c are angled. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the slider 18 moves to its left-right movement limit position and the connecting rod member 19 extends to its maximum extent, the contact area between the first contact portion 36j and the second contact portion 37c can be further increased. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the slider 18 moves to its left-right movement limit position and the connecting rod member 19 extends to its maximum extent, the second connecting rod member 37 can be effectively prevented from detaching from the first connecting rod member 36.

[0147] In this embodiment, the first contact portion 36j and the second contact portion 37c are disposed on both sides of the guide portion 39 in the short-side direction of the connecting rod member 19, and the guide portion 39 guides the second connecting rod member 37 relative to the first connecting rod member 36 in the long-side direction of the connecting rod member 19. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the slider 18 moves to the left-right movement limit position and the connecting rod member 19 is extended to the maximum extent, the second connecting rod member 37 can be reliably prevented from falling off the first connecting rod member 36. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the second connecting rod member 37 moves relative to the first connecting rod member 36, the state of the second connecting rod member 37 is easily stabilized.

[0148] In this embodiment, the guide groove 36h of the first link member 36 is open at the top. Therefore, in this embodiment, compared to forming a guide hole in the first link member 36 that surrounds the second link member 37 when viewed from the long side direction of the link member 19, the link member 19 can be made thinner in the vertical direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the guide groove 36h is open at the top, so compared to forming a guide hole in the first link member 36 that surrounds the second link member 37 when viewed from the long side direction of the link member 19, the sliding resistance between the first link member 36 and the second link member 37 can be reduced. Therefore, in this embodiment, the second link member 37 can move smoothly relative to the first link member 36.

[0149] In this embodiment, the first connecting rod member 36 has a recess 36p to prevent interference between the base 18q of the slider 18 and the first connecting rod member 36 when the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same left-right direction as the output shaft 20 and the connecting rod member 19 is retracted to its maximum extent. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the front-rear distance between the output shaft 20 and the lead screw 14b is shortened, interference between the slider 18 and the first connecting rod member 36 when the connecting rod member 19 is retracted to its maximum extent can be prevented.

[0150] In this embodiment, the second connecting rod member 37 has a second recess 37h, which prevents interference between the connecting rod member end 36b of the first connecting rod member 36 and the second connecting rod member 37 when the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same horizontal direction as the output shaft 20 and the connecting rod member 19 is retracted to its maximum extent. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the longitudinal distance between the output shaft 20 and the lead screw 14b is shortened, interference between the connecting rod member end 36b and the second connecting rod member 37 can be prevented when the connecting rod member 19 is retracted to its maximum extent.

[0151] (Other implementation methods)

[0152] The above-described embodiments are examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention, but are not limited thereto. Various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0153] In the above embodiment, if the first connecting rod member 36 does not interfere with the slider 18 when the connecting rod member 19 is retracted to its maximum extent, then the recess 36p may not be formed in the first connecting rod member 36. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, if the second connecting rod member 37 does not interfere with the connecting rod member end 36b when the connecting rod member 19 is retracted to its maximum extent, then the second recess 37h may not be formed in the second connecting rod member 37.

[0154] In the above embodiment, when the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same left-right direction as the output shaft 20 and the connecting rod member 19 is retracted to its maximum extent, one of the two first contact portions 36j may not extend to the side of the slider connecting portion 38 in the left-right direction. That is, when the slider connecting portion 38 is positioned in the same left-right direction as the output shaft 20 and the connecting rod member 19 is retracted to its maximum extent, the front end of one of the two first contact portions 36j may be positioned further back than the rear end of the slider connecting portion 38.

[0155] In the above embodiments, the first contact surface 36k and the second contact surface 37g may not be planes perpendicular to the vertical direction. For example, the first contact surface 36k and the second contact surface 37g may be planes slightly inclined relative to the vertical direction. That is, the first contact surface 36k and the second contact surface 37g only need to be planes intersecting the vertical direction. Even in this case, the contact state between the first contact portion 36j and the second contact portion 37c can be stabilized.

[0156] In the above embodiments, a guide groove for guiding the second link member 37 relative to the first link member 36 in the long side direction of the link member 19 may also be formed in the second link member 37, and a guide protrusion engaging with the guide groove may be formed in the first link member 36. In the above embodiments, a guide hole that surrounds the entire circumference of the second link member 37 when viewed from the long side direction of the link member 19 may also be formed in the first link member 36.

[0157] In the above embodiment, the output shaft 20, which is separately formed from the first connecting rod member 36, may also be fixed to the other end of the first connecting rod member 36. In the above embodiment, the output shaft 20 may be formed as a cylinder. In this case, the output shaft 20 protrudes from the housing 21 toward both sides or one side in the vertical direction. In this case, for example, as a positioning part for positioning the rotating shaft 10 at a location in the circumferential direction of the output shaft 20, a key-shaped protrusion is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the output shaft 20. The rotating shaft 10 is formed, for example, as a cylinder, and a recess that engages with the protrusion is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 10.

[0158] In the above embodiment, a fixed shaft portion serving as the rotation center of the connecting rod member 19 relative to the slider 18 can be formed in the second connecting rod member 37, and an insertion hole for inserting the fixed shaft portion can be formed in the slider 18. In this case, the slider connection portion 38 is constituted by the fixed shaft portion formed in the second connecting rod member 37 and the insertion hole formed in the slider 18. In the above embodiment, the end of the second connecting rod member 37 on the long side can be connected to the slider 18 on the upper side of the lead screw 14b. In this case, the fixed shaft portion 18r is formed on the slider body portion 18c. In this case, the base portion 18q is not required.

[0159] In the above embodiment, the slider body 18c can be formed in a cylindrical shape. For example, the slider body 18c can be a nut component formed in a cylindrical shape or the like. In this case, as the threaded portion 18b, a helical internal thread is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the slider body 18c. In the above embodiment, the motor 13 may also not include the motor frame 24. In this case, for example, the stator 16 and the bearing 25 are mounted to the lower surface portion 30b of the first housing 30.

[0160] In the above embodiments, the rotating device 2 may not include the housing 21. Even in this case, the rotating device 2 includes a retaining member that holds the fixed shaft 20 in a rotatable manner. In the above embodiments, a portion of the rotating shaft 14 forms a lead screw 14b, but it is also possible that the lead screw 14b, which is separately formed from the rotating shaft 14, is fixed to the rotating shaft 14. Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the motor 13 may be a motor other than a stepper motor. In the above embodiments, the rotating device 2 can rotate a rotating object other than the fins 5 and 6 used for adjusting the wind direction.

[0161] (Structure of this technology)

[0162] This technology can be implemented using the following structure.

[0163] (1) A rotating device for rotating a specified rotating object. The motor includes: a lead screw; a slider having a threaded portion that engages with the lead screw and moves linearly along the axial direction of the lead screw when the lead screw rotates; a connecting rod assembly having one end rotatably connected to the slider; an output shaft formed or fixed to the other end of the connecting rod assembly and engaging with a portion of the rotating object; and a retaining member that holds the output shaft so that it can rotate. The axial direction of the lead screw is defined as the first direction, the direction perpendicular to the first direction is defined as the second direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions is defined as the third direction. The axial direction of the output shaft is parallel to the second direction. One end of the connecting rod component can rotate relative to the slider with the second direction as the axis of rotation. The output shaft is positioned on the third-direction side relative to the slider. One end of the lead screw is positioned on a side closer to the output shaft in the first direction, and the other end of the lead screw is positioned on the opposite side closer to the output shaft in the first direction. The linkage assembly includes: a first linkage assembly having the output shaft formed or fixed thereon; and a second linkage assembly rotatably connected to the slider. The connection between the second connecting rod component and the slider is defined as the slider connection part, and the direction of the imaginary straight line connecting the center of the output shaft and the center of the slider connection part when viewed from the second direction is defined as the direction of the long side of the connecting rod component. The second link component is held movable by the first link component and can move linearly relative to the first link component along the long side of the link component. The first connecting rod component has a first contact portion. When the slider connecting portion is positioned at the same location as the output shaft in the first direction, the first contact portion extends to the side of the slider connecting portion in the first direction. The second connecting rod component has a second contact portion that contacts the first contact portion from one side in the second direction.

[0164] (2) The rotating device according to (1), wherein, The first contact portion has a first contact surface, which is a plane that intersects the second direction and faces the second direction. The second contact portion has a second contact surface, which is a plane that intersects the second direction and contacts the first contact surface.

[0165] (3) The rotating device according to (1) or (2), wherein, When the slider connecting part is positioned at the same location as the output shaft in the first direction, the end face of the second contact part in the first direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the end face of the second contact part on the third direction side is perpendicular to the third direction.

[0166] (4) The rotating device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein, The connecting rod component has a guide portion for guiding the second connecting rod component relative to the first connecting rod component along the long side direction of the connecting rod component. The first contact portion and the second contact portion are arranged on both sides of the guide portion in the direction perpendicular to the long side of the connecting rod member and in the direction perpendicular to the short side of the connecting rod member in the second direction.

[0167] (5) The rotating device according to (4), wherein, A guide groove is formed on the first connecting rod component, which is used to guide the second connecting rod component along the long side direction of the connecting rod component. The guide groove in the second direction has an opening on one side. A guide protrusion is formed on the second connecting rod component to engage with the guide groove. The guide portion is composed of the guide groove and the guide protrusion.

[0168] (6) The rotating device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein, The slider has a fixed shaft portion protruding in the second direction and a shaft forming portion connected to the root portion of the fixed shaft portion. The second connecting rod component has an insertion hole for the fixed shaft portion to be inserted. The slider connection part is formed by the fixed shaft part and the insertion hole. The first connecting rod component has a recess that is recessed along the side of the shaft forming portion when the slider connection portion is positioned in the first direction at the same position as the output shaft, and is recessed toward the output shaft side.

[0169] (7) The rotating device according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein, The second connecting rod component has a second recess, which is recessed on the side of the end of the first connecting rod component on the output shaft side when the first connecting rod component is disposed at the same position as the output shaft in the first direction along the slider connection portion, and recessed toward the slider connection portion side.

[0170] (8) The rotating device according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein, The rotating object is a fin installed at the air outlet of the vehicle for adjusting the airflow direction.

[0171] In this technology, preferably, the first contact portion has a first contact surface, which is a plane intersecting the second direction and facing towards the second direction, and the second contact portion has a second contact surface, which is a plane intersecting the second direction and contacting the first contact surface. This configuration stabilizes the contact state between the first and second contact portions.

[0172] In this technology, it is preferable that when the slider connecting part is positioned at the same location as the output shaft in the first direction, the end face of the second contact part in the first direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the end face of the second contact part on the third direction is perpendicular to the third direction. With this configuration, when the slider moves to the end of the lead screw and the connecting rod extends, the contact area between the first and second contact parts can be increased. Therefore, when the slider moves to the end of the lead screw and the connecting rod extends, the second connecting rod part can be effectively prevented from detaching from the first connecting rod part.

[0173] In this technology, it is preferable that the connecting rod member has a guide portion that guides the second connecting rod member relative to the first connecting rod member in the long side direction of the connecting rod member. A first contact portion and a second contact portion are disposed on both sides of the guide portion in the direction perpendicular to the long side of the connecting rod member and in the direction perpendicular to the short side of the connecting rod member in the second direction. This configuration reliably prevents the second connecting rod member from detaching from the first connecting rod member when the slider moves to the end of the lead screw and the connecting rod member extends. Furthermore, this configuration facilitates stabilizing the state of the second connecting rod member when it moves relative to the first connecting rod member.

[0174] In this technology, a guide groove is preferably formed on the first connecting rod member. The guide groove is used to guide the second connecting rod member along the long side direction of the connecting rod member. One side of the guide groove in the second direction is open. A guide protrusion is formed on the second connecting rod member to engage with the guide groove. The guide part is composed of the guide groove and the guide protrusion.

[0175] With this configuration, the guide groove in the second direction is open on one side, thus allowing the connecting rod member to be thinner in the second direction compared to forming a guide hole in the first connecting rod member that surrounds the entire circumference of the second connecting rod member when viewed from its long side. Furthermore, with this configuration, the guide groove in the second direction is open on one side, thus reducing the sliding resistance between the first and second connecting rod members compared to forming a guide hole in the first connecting rod member that surrounds the entire circumference of the second connecting rod member when viewed from its long side. Therefore, the second connecting rod member can move smoothly relative to the first connecting rod member.

[0176] In this technology, the slider preferably has a fixed shaft portion protruding in a second direction and a shaft forming portion connected to the root of the fixed shaft portion. The second connecting rod member has an insertion hole for the fixed shaft portion to be inserted. The fixed shaft portion and the insertion hole constitute the slider connecting portion. The first connecting rod member has a recess that is recessed along the side of the shaft forming portion when the slider connecting portion is positioned in the first direction at the same position as the output shaft, and is recessed towards the output shaft side. With this configuration, even if the distance between the output shaft and the lead screw is further shortened, interference between the slider and the first connecting rod member can be prevented when the connecting rod member is retracted to its maximum extent.

[0177] In this technology, it is preferable that the second connecting rod member has a second recess, which is recessed on the side of the output shaft side end of the first connecting rod member when it is positioned in the same direction as the output shaft along the slider connection portion in the first direction, and is recessed toward the slider connection portion. With this configuration, even if the distance between the output shaft and the lead screw is further shortened, interference between the output shaft side end of the first connecting rod member and the second connecting rod member can be prevented when the connecting rod member is retracted to its maximum extent.

[0178] In this technology, for example, the rotating object is a fin provided at the air outlet of a vehicle for adjusting the airflow direction.

[0179] Symbol Explanation

[0180] 2. Rotating device

[0181] 4. Air outlet

[0182] 5, 6 Fins (for rotating objects)

[0183] 10 Rotating shaft (locking part)

[0184] 13 motors

[0185] 14b lead screw

[0186] 18 sliders

[0187] 18b Threaded section

[0188] 18q Base (shaft forming part)

[0189] 18r fixed shaft section

[0190] 19. Linkage assembly

[0191] 20 Output shaft

[0192] 21 Housing (Retaining Components)

[0193] 36 First Linkage Component

[0194] 36b Linkage assembly end (output shaft side end of the first linkage assembly)

[0195] 36h guide groove

[0196] 36j First contact part

[0197] 36k First contact surface

[0198] 36p concave

[0199] 37 Second Linkage Component

[0200] 37c Second Contact Section

[0201] 37d Insertion Hole

[0202] 37e Guide protrusion

[0203] 37g Second contact surface

[0204] 37h Second recess

[0205] 38 Slider connection part

[0206] 39 Guiding section

[0207] VL Imaginary Straight Line

[0208] X Third Direction

[0209] X2 One side of the third direction

[0210] The axial direction and first direction of the Y-screw

[0211] Y1 One side of the first direction

[0212] Y2, the other side of the first direction

[0213] Z Second Direction

[0214] Z1 is one side of the second direction.

Claims

1. A rotating device for rotating a predetermined rotating object, characterized in that, include : Motor, which has a lead screw; slider, which has a threaded portion that engages with the lead screw and moves linearly along the axial direction of the lead screw when the lead screw rotates; A linkage component, one end of which is rotatably connected to the slider; an output shaft formed or fixed to the other end of the linkage component and engaging with a locking portion of the rotating object; and a retaining component that holds the output shaft in a rotatable position. The axial direction of the lead screw is defined as the first direction, the direction perpendicular to the first direction is defined as the second direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions is defined as the third direction. The axial direction of the output shaft is parallel to the second direction. One end of the connecting rod component can rotate relative to the slider with the second direction as the axis of rotation. The output shaft is positioned on the third-direction side relative to the slider. One end of the lead screw is positioned on a side closer to the output shaft in the first direction, and the other end of the lead screw is positioned on the opposite side closer to the output shaft in the first direction. The linkage component includes: a first linkage component, wherein the first linkage component forms or is fixed with the output shaft; and a second linkage component, which is rotatably connected to the slider. The connection between the second connecting rod component and the slider is defined as the slider connection part, and the direction of the imaginary straight line connecting the center of the output shaft and the center of the slider connection part when viewed from the second direction is defined as the direction of the long side of the connecting rod component. The second link component is held movable by the first link component and can move linearly relative to the first link component along the long side of the link component. The first connecting rod component has a first contact portion. When the slider connecting portion is positioned at the same location as the output shaft in the first direction, the first contact portion extends to the side of the slider connecting portion in the first direction. The second connecting rod component has a second contact portion that contacts the first contact portion from one side in the second direction.

2. The rotating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first contact portion has a first contact surface, which is a plane that intersects the second direction and faces the second direction. The second contact portion has a second contact surface, which is a plane that intersects the second direction and contacts the first contact surface.

3. The rotating device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, When the slider connecting part is positioned at the same location as the output shaft in the first direction, the end face of the second contact part in the first direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and the end face of the second contact part on the third direction side is perpendicular to the third direction.

4. The rotating device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The connecting rod component has a guide portion that guides the second connecting rod component relative to the first connecting rod component along the long side direction of the connecting rod component. The first contact portion and the second contact portion are arranged on both sides of the guide portion in the direction perpendicular to the long side of the connecting rod member and in the direction perpendicular to the short side of the connecting rod member in the second direction.

5. The rotating device according to claim 4, characterized in that, A guide groove is formed on the first connecting rod component, which is used to guide the second connecting rod component along the long side direction of the connecting rod component. The guide groove in the second direction has an opening on one side. A guide protrusion is formed on the second connecting rod component to engage with the guide groove. The guide portion is composed of the guide groove and the guide protrusion.

6. The rotating device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The slider has a fixed shaft portion protruding in the second direction and a shaft forming portion connected to the root portion of the fixed shaft portion. The second connecting rod component has an insertion hole for the fixed shaft portion to be inserted. The slider connection part is formed by the fixed shaft part and the insertion hole. The first connecting rod component has a recess that is recessed along the side of the shaft forming portion when the slider connection portion is positioned in the first direction at the same position as the output shaft, and is recessed toward the output shaft side.

7. The rotating device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second connecting rod component has a second recess that is recessed along the side of the end of the first connecting rod component on the output shaft side when the slider connection is positioned in the first direction at the same position as the output shaft, and recessed toward the slider connection side.

8. The rotating device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The rotating object is a fin installed at the air outlet of the vehicle for adjusting the airflow direction.

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