Protective case, and drive unit

Abstract

To provide a protective case which can suppress intrusion of dust or rainwater.SOLUTION: A protective case 100 includes a housing 3, and a door part 4. The housing 3 has an opening 34. The door part 4 has a rotary shaft part 41, and a door body part 42. The rotary shaft part 41 is arranged so as to overlap the housing 3 outside the housing 3. The door body part 42 extends from the rotary shaft part 41 so as to cover the opening 34. The door part 4 is mounted on the housing 3 so as to be openable / closable around the rotary shaft part 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a protective case and a drive unit. [Background technology]

[0002] It has been proposed to mount a drive unit on a mobile object such as a pallet truck to assist the movement of the mobile object (for example, Patent Document 1). The electronic components used in this drive unit, such as a battery and an electronic circuit board, are housed in a protective case. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2014-512307 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The protective case has a door that can be opened and closed to allow the battery to be removed from the protective case. This door is generally attached to the housing via a hinge. However, this configuration creates a risk of dust, rainwater, etc. entering the housing through the gap between the door and the housing.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a protective case that can prevent the intrusion of dust or rainwater. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The protective case according to a first aspect includes a housing and a door. The housing has an opening. The door has a rotating shaft and a door main body. The rotating shaft is disposed on the outside of the housing so as to overlap with the housing. The door main body extends from the rotating shaft so as to cover the opening. The door is attached to the housing so as to be able to open and close around the rotating shaft.

[0007] According to this configuration, the rotation shaft of the door is disposed outside the housing and overlaps with the housing. Since the door and the housing overlap each other in this manner, it is possible to prevent the intrusion of dust or rainwater.

[0008] A protective case according to a second aspect is the protective case according to the first aspect, further comprising a first labyrinth portion extending from the outer surface of the housing on the opposite side of the rotary shaft from the door main body portion.

[0009] A protective case according to a third aspect is the protective case according to the second aspect, further comprising a second labyrinth portion. The second labyrinth portion extends from the first labyrinth portion so as to sandwich the rotating shaft portion between the second labyrinth portion and the housing.

[0010] A protective case according to a fourth aspect is the protective case according to the third aspect, wherein the second labyrinth portion is shorter in dimension from the first labyrinth portion than the portion of the housing that overlaps with the door portion.

[0011] A protective case according to a fifth aspect is the protective case according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the housing has a bottom plate portion that supports the rotating shaft portion. The bottom plate portion has a discharge flow path that extends from a portion of the housing that overlaps with the door portion to an edge of the bottom plate portion.

[0012] A protective case according to a sixth aspect is the protective case according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the housing has a bottom plate, a top plate, and side plate. The top plate is disposed above the bottom plate. The side plate extends from the bottom plate to the top plate. The side plate includes an opening. The door main body is disposed such that its inner surface faces the bottom plate and at least one side surface of the bottom plate.

[0013] A seventh aspect of the protective case is the sixth aspect of the protective case, wherein the top panel has a top panel main body and a peripheral wall. The peripheral wall extends from the outer periphery of the top panel main body toward the bottom panel. The door main body is positioned such that its inner surface faces the outer surface of the peripheral wall.

[0014] A protective case according to an eighth aspect is the protective case according to the seventh aspect, wherein the top plate has a third labyrinth portion extending from the outer surface of the peripheral wall portion, and the door main body is arranged so that its upper end surface faces the third labyrinth portion.

[0015] A protective case according to a ninth aspect is the protective case according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the housing has a bottom plate portion, a top plate portion, and a side plate portion. The top plate portion is disposed above the bottom plate portion. The side plate portion extends from the bottom plate portion to the top plate portion. The side plate portion includes an opening. The rotating shaft portion has a first end and a second end portion. The first end portion is inserted into a through hole formed in the bottom plate portion. The second end portion is inserted into a recess formed in the top plate portion.

[0016] A drive unit according to a tenth aspect includes a protective case according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, a battery disposed within the housing, and an electric motor configured to be driven by power from the battery. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, a protective case that prevents the intrusion of dust or rainwater can be realized. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] Side view of a pallet truck. [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view of the protective case seen from above. [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view of the protective case seen from above. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the protective case as viewed from above. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the protective case as seen from the side. [Figure 8] Side view of the protective case. [Figure 9] Side view of the protective case. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The protective case and drive unit according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of a pallet truck equipped with a drive unit according to this embodiment. This drive unit can also be mounted on moving objects other than pallet trucks (for example, hand lift trucks, hand trucks, or wheelchairs). This protective case can also be applied to electrical products other than drive units.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the pallet truck 200 has a pallet truck body 210 and a drive unit 20. The pallet truck body 210 has a loading platform (a pair of fork arms) 201, an operating handle 202, and a plurality of wheels 204. Each wheel 204 is a non-drive wheel. The drive unit 20 is attached to the pallet truck body 210.

[0021] <Drive unit> The drive unit 20 includes an electric motor 21, a battery 22, and a protective case 100. The drive unit 20 also includes drive wheels 24, a reducer 25, and the like.

[0022] When a user is manually driving the pallet truck 200, the electric motor 21 outputs an assist force for assisting the driving of the pallet truck 200. The electric motor 21 drives the drive wheels 24 to rotate.

[0023] The battery 22 is configured to supply power to the electric motor 21 and the like. The electric motor 21 is configured to be driven by power from the battery 22. The battery 22 is removably housed in the housing 3, which will be described later.

[0024] The reducer 25 reduces the rotation speed of the electric motor 21 and transmits the rotation speed to the drive wheels 24. The reducer 25 is made up of, for example, a plurality of gears.

[0025] [Protective case] 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views of the protective case 100 as viewed from above. Note that FIG. 2 shows the protective case 100 with the door 4 closed, and FIG. 3 shows the protective case 100 with the door 4 open. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the protective case 100 is configured to protect the battery 22 and other components housed therein. The protective case 100 has a housing 3, a door 4, and a labyrinth structure 6. The protective case 100 also has a first protective member 5, a locking mechanism 7, and a second protective member 8.

[0026] [Case] The housing 3 is configured to house various components. Specifically, the housing 3 houses a battery 22 therein. The housing 3 also houses an electronic board 9. The electronic board 9 is electrically connected to the battery 22. A plurality of semiconductor elements and the like are soldered to the electronic board 9.

[0027] The housing 3 has a first space 31 that houses the battery 22 and a second space 32 that houses the electronic board 9. That is, the housing 3 is divided into two spaces by a partition wall 33. The housing 3 is made of a synthetic resin such as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) resin, ASA (acrylonitrile styrene acrylate) resin, or PES (polyethersulfone) resin.

[0028] The housing 3 has an opening 34. Except for the opening 34, the housing 3 is airtight to prevent dust, rainwater, and the like from entering the inside from the sides and above.

[0029] The opening 34 is open in a first direction. The left-right direction in FIGS. 2 and 3 corresponds to the first direction. That is, in this embodiment, the opening 34 is open in the left-right direction in FIGS. 2 and 3. The opening 34 is disposed on a first side of the housing 3 in the first direction. That is, the housing 3 is open toward the first side in the first direction.

[0030] In the following description, the first side in the first direction is the side where the opening 34 of the housing 3 is formed, and the second side in the first direction is the opposite side to the first side. In this embodiment, the left side in Figures 2 and 3 is the first side in the first direction, and the right side in Figures 2 and 3 is the second side in the first direction. The battery 22 is removed from the housing 3 through this opening 34.

[0031] The housing 3 has a bottom plate portion 35, a top plate portion 36 (see FIG. 5), and a side plate portion 37. The bottom plate portion 35 has a discharge groove 351 (an example of a discharge flow path). The top plate portion 36 is disposed above the bottom plate portion 35. The side plate portion 37 extends upward from the bottom plate portion 35. More specifically, the side plate portion 37 extends from the bottom plate portion 35 to the top plate portion 36. The opening 34 is formed in this side plate portion 37. The top plate portion 36 is attached so as to cover the upper surface of the side plate portion 37.

[0032] [Door section] The door unit 4 is attached to the housing 3 so as to cover the opening 34 in an openable and closable manner. Note that FIG. 2 shows the door unit 4 in a closed state, and FIG. 3 shows the door unit 4 in an open state. The door unit 4 has a rotating shaft portion 41 and a door main body portion 42. The door unit 4 switches between an open state and a closed state by rotating around the rotating shaft portion 41. When the pallet truck 200 is traveling, for example, the door unit 4 is normally in a closed state. When the battery 22 is to be removed or replaced, the door unit 4 is in an open state.

[0033] Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of Fig. 2, with the rotating shaft 41 at the center. Note that Fig. 4 only shows the housing 3 and the door 4 for ease of illustration. As shown in Fig. 4, the rotating shaft 41 is disposed on the outside of the housing 3 so as to overlap with the housing 3. The rotating shaft 41 is substantially cylindrical.

[0034] Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view centered on the rotating shaft portion. As shown in Fig. 5, the rotating shaft portion 41 extends along the second direction. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft portion 41 extends along the up-down direction. The rotating shaft portion 41 has a first end portion 411 and a second end portion 412 along the second direction. In this embodiment, the first end portion 411 is the lower end portion of the rotating shaft portion 41, and the second end portion 412 is the upper end portion of the rotating shaft portion 41.

[0035] A first end 411 of the rotating shaft 41 is rotatably supported by the bottom plate 35 of the housing 3. Specifically, the first end 411 is inserted into a through-hole formed in the bottom plate 35. More specifically, the first support portion 411 is inserted into a through-hole formed in a support portion 352 (see FIG. 6 ) of the bottom plate 35. A second end 412 of the rotating shaft 41 is rotatably supported by the top plate 36 of the housing 3. Specifically, the second end 412 is inserted into a recess formed in the top plate 36. Note that the recess formed in the top plate 36 does not penetrate the top plate 36.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 2, the door main body 42 extends from the rotation shaft 41 so as to cover the opening 34. The door unit 4 extends in the third direction. Furthermore, the door main body 42 bulges toward the first side in the first direction when viewed from above. The rotation shaft 41 of the door unit 4 is disposed on the first side in the third direction. The door unit 4 has a tab 43 on the second side in the third direction of the door main body 42. A user can pinch this tab 43 to open or close the door unit 4. The third direction refers to a direction intersecting with the first direction. In this embodiment, the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The first side in the third direction is the side on which the rotation shaft 41 of the door unit 4 is disposed, and the second side in the third direction is the opposite side to the first side in the third direction.

[0037] [Labyrinth structure] 4, the labyrinth structure 6 is configured to further prevent dust, rainwater, and the like from entering the housing 3 from between the rotating shaft portion 41 and the housing 3. The labyrinth structure has a first labyrinth portion 61 and a second labyrinth portion 62.

[0038] The first labyrinth portion 61 is disposed on the opposite side of the rotary shaft portion 41 from the door main body portion 42. More specifically, when the door portion 4 is closed, the first labyrinth portion 61 is disposed on the opposite side of the boundary between the door main body portion 42 and the rotary shaft portion 41 with the rotary shaft portion 41 as a reference. In this embodiment, the first labyrinth portion 61 is disposed on the second side of the rotary shaft portion 41 in the first direction.

[0039] The first labyrinth portion 61 extends from the outer surface of the housing 3. More specifically, the first labyrinth portion 61 extends from the side plate portion 37 of the housing 3. The first labyrinth portion 61 extends in a direction away from the side plate portion 37.

[0040] 6 is a perspective view of the housing 3 with the top plate 36 removed. As shown in FIG. 6, the first labyrinth portion 61 also extends in the second direction along the rotation shaft 41. The first labyrinth portion 61 extends to the bottom plate 35 of the housing 3. More specifically, the bottom plate 35 has a support portion 352 that protrudes to the outside of the side plate 37. The first labyrinth portion 61 extends to this support portion 352.

[0041] 4, the second labyrinth portion 62 extends from the tip end of the first labyrinth portion 61. The second labyrinth portion 62 sandwiches the rotating shaft portion 41 between itself and the side plate portion 37 of the housing 3. That is, the second labyrinth portion 62 extends along the side plate portion 37 with a gap therebetween. The rotating shaft portion 41 is disposed between the second labyrinth portion 62 and the side plate portion 37.

[0042] The second labyrinth portion 62 is shorter in dimension from the first labyrinth portion 61 than a portion 38 of the housing 3 that overlaps with the door portion (hereinafter also referred to as "overlapping portion 38"). That is, with the first labyrinth portion 61 as the reference, the length L1 of the second labyrinth portion 62 is shorter than the length L2 of the overlapping portion 38.

[0043] The overlapping portion 38 overlaps with the rotating shaft portion 41 and also overlaps with a part of the door main body portion 42. Specifically, the overlapping portion 38 overlaps with the end of the door main body portion 42 on the rotating shaft portion 41 side. On the other hand, the second labyrinth portion 62 overlaps with the rotating shaft portion 41, but does not overlap with the door main body portion 42. This configuration prevents dust and rainwater from entering the housing 3, and allows the door portion 4 to be opened more widely when it is opened.

[0044] The rotating shaft 41 is housed in a space surrounded by the overlapping portion 38, the first labyrinth portion 61, and the second labyrinth portion 62. The rotating shaft 41 is covered on three sides except for the connecting portion with the door main body 42. In this way, a labyrinth structure is formed between the rotating shaft 41 and the housing 3, which further prevents dust and rainwater from entering.

[0045] The discharge groove 351 formed in the bottom plate portion 35 of the housing 3 extends from the overlapping portion 38 to the edge of the bottom plate portion 35. More specifically, the discharge groove 351 is connected to the lower end of the overlapping portion 38. The discharge groove 351 also extends to the edge of the bottom plate portion 35 that faces the door main body portion 42 of the door portion 4. The discharge groove 351 extends along the edge of the bottom plate portion 35. Therefore, even if rainwater enters the housing 3 through the labyrinth structure, it can be discharged to the outside of the housing 3 through the discharge groove 351.

[0046] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the protective case 100 as viewed from the side. As shown in FIG. 7, the door 4 is disposed on the outside of the housing 3. The door main body 42 of the door 4 is disposed so that its inner surface faces the side surface 353 of the bottom plate 35. More specifically, the inner surface of the lower end of the door main body 42 faces the side surface 353 of the bottom plate 35. The inner surface of the door main body 42 is the surface facing the inside of the housing 3. The door main body 42 extends downward below the bottom plate 35. That is, the lower end surface of the door main body 42 is located below the lower surface of the bottom plate 35. There is a gap between the door main body 42 and the bottom plate 35, but it is also possible for the door main body 42 to be in contact with the bottom plate 35 without a gap.

[0047] The door main body 42 is disposed so that its inner side surface faces the side surface 364 of the top plate 36. The upper end surface of the door main body 42 is located lower than the upper surface of the top plate 36.

[0048] The top plate portion 36 has a top plate main body portion 361, a peripheral wall portion 362, and a third labyrinth portion 363. The top plate main body portion 361 defines the upper surface of the housing 3. The peripheral wall portion 362 extends from the outer peripheral edge of the top plate main body portion 361 toward the bottom plate portion 35. In other words, the peripheral wall portion 362 extends downward from the outer peripheral edge of the top plate main body portion 361. The door main body portion 42 is disposed so that its inner surface faces the outer surface of the peripheral wall portion 362. The outer surface of the peripheral wall portion 362 is the side surface 364 of the top plate portion 36.

[0049] The third labyrinth portion 363 extends from the outer surface of the peripheral wall portion 362. The third labyrinth portion 363 also extends along the peripheral wall portion 362. The third labyrinth portion 363 has approximately the same length as the door main body portion 42. The door main body portion 42 is disposed so that its upper end surface faces the third labyrinth portion 363.

[0050] [First protective member] As shown in Fig. 2, the first protective member 5 is configured to protect the door portion 4. The first protective member 5 extends along the lower portion of the door portion 4 (see Fig. 8). The first protective member 5 is made of, for example, steel, aluminum, or resin.

[0051] The first protective member 5 extends in the third direction. The first protective member 5 is disposed on a first side in the first direction with respect to the housing 3. The first protective member 5 bulges out toward the first side in the first direction when viewed from above. Specifically, the first protective member 5 extends in a semi-annular shape when viewed from above.

[0052] 8 and 9 are side views of the protective case 100. Note that Fig. 8 shows a state in which the door portion 4 is closed, and Fig. 9 shows a state in which the door portion 4 is open. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the first protective member 5 is configured to be able to switch its position between a first position and a second position. Note that in Fig. 8, the first protective member 5 is in the first position, and in Fig. 9, the first protective member 5 is in the second position.

[0053] 8, when the first protective member 5 is in the first position, the first protective member 5 overlaps with the door portion 4 when viewed in a first direction (when viewed from the left side of FIG. 8). Therefore, if an obstacle on the road surface collides with the protective case 100, the door portion 4 can be protected by the first protective member 5.

[0054] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 9, when the first protective member 5 is in the second position, the first protective member 5 does not overlap with the opening 34 and the door 4 when viewed in the first direction (when viewed from the left side in Fig. 9). Furthermore, when the first protective member 5 is in the second position, the first protective member 5 is disposed in a position that does not interfere with the opening and closing operation of the door 4. Therefore, when the first protective member 5 is in the second position, the door 4 can be opened, and the battery 22 can be easily removed from the opening 34.

[0055] The first protective member 5 is configured to be slidable along the first direction. More specifically, the first protective member 5 is slidably attached to a guide member 11 attached to the housing 3. When switching from the first position to the second position, the first protective member 5 slides toward a first side in the first direction so as to move away from the housing 3 along the first direction. Furthermore, when switching from the second position to the first position, the first protective member 5 slides toward a second side in the first direction so as to move closer to the housing 3 along the first direction.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 8, when the first protective member 5 is in the first position, it restricts the movement of the door portion 4 so that the door portion 4 does not enter an open state. In detail, when the first protective member 5 is in the first position, it is adjacent to the door portion 4 on a first side in the first direction. The first protective member 5 may press the door portion 4 toward the housing 3. A buffer member 54 is provided between the first protective member 5 and the door portion 4 (see Fig. 2).

[0057] [Locking mechanism] 2 and 8, the locking mechanism 7 is configured to restrict the sliding movement of the first protective member 5 to cause the first protective member 5 to maintain the first position. The locking mechanism 7 is disposed on the second side in the third direction with respect to the housing 3. The locking mechanism 7 is disposed on the opposite side of the door portion 4 from the rotation shaft portion 41. Note that the locking mechanism 7 is not disposed on the first side in the third direction.

[0058] In this embodiment, the locking mechanism 7 is a so-called snap lock. The locking mechanism 7 has a hook portion 71, a lever portion 72, and a catch portion 73. The hook portion 71 and the lever portion 72 are attached to the housing 3. More specifically, the hook portion 71 and the lever portion 72 are attached to the housing 3 via the second protective member 8 and the guide member 11. Therefore, the hook portion 71 and the lever portion 72 are fixed and cannot slide in the first direction. The catch portion 73 is formed on the first protective member 5. Therefore, the catch portion 73 can slide in the first direction together with the first protective member 5. The catch portion 73 and the first protective member 5 are formed as a single member.

[0059] By hooking hook portion 71 onto catch portion 73 and tilting lever portion 72 to the second side in the first direction, lock mechanism 7 is activated and restricts the sliding movement of first protective member 5. By raising lever portion 72, the engagement between hook portion 71 and catch portion 73 can be released, and by releasing the engagement between hook portion 71 and catch portion 73, first protective member 5 can slide to the first side in the first direction so as to move away from housing 3.

[0060] [Second protective member] The second protective member 8 extends in the third direction. The second protective member 8 is disposed on the second side in the first direction relative to the housing 3. When viewed from above, the second protective member 8 bulges out toward the second side in the first direction. Specifically, when viewed from above, the second protective member 8 extends in a semi-annular shape. Therefore, the first protective member 5 and the second protective member 8 are disposed to cooperate with each other and surround the housing 3 in an annular shape.

[0061] [Variations] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Note that the following modifications can basically be applied simultaneously.

[0062] (a) In the above embodiment, the labyrinth structure is formed by the overlapping portion 38, the first labyrinth portion 61, and the second labyrinth portion 62, but the configuration of the protective case 100 is not limited to this. For example, the protective case 100 does not have to have the second labyrinth portion 62. Furthermore, the protective case 100 does not have to have both the first labyrinth portion 61 and the second labyrinth portion 62. (b) In the above embodiment, the protective case 100 has the first protective member 5 and the second protective member 8, but these protective members 5, 8 do not have to be included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 3: Housing 34: Opening 35: Bottom plate part 351: Discharge groove 36: Top plate 361: Top plate body 362: Peripheral wall 363: Third Labyrinth 37: Side plate part 38: overlapping part 4: Door section 41: Rotating shaft 42: Door body 6: Labyrinth structure 61: First Labyrinth 62: Second Labyrinth 20: Drive unit 21: Electric motor 22: Battery 100: Protective case

Claims

1. A housing having an opening; a door section that includes a rotating shaft section that is arranged on the outside of the housing so as to overlap with the housing, and a door main body section that extends from the rotating shaft section so as to cover the opening, and is attached to the housing so as to be openable and closable around the rotating shaft section; Equipped with a protective case.

2. A first labyrinth portion extending from an outer surface of the housing on the opposite side of the door body portion with respect to the rotating shaft portion is further provided. The protective case of claim 1 .

3. a second labyrinth portion extending from the first labyrinth portion so as to sandwich the rotating shaft portion between the first labyrinth portion and the housing; The protective case of claim 2.

4. In terms of a dimension from the first labyrinth portion, the second labyrinth portion is shorter than a portion of the housing that overlaps with the door portion. The protective case of claim 3.

5. the housing has a bottom plate portion supporting the rotating shaft portion, The bottom plate portion has a discharge flow path extending from a portion of the housing overlapping with the door portion to an edge of the bottom plate portion.

5. The protective case according to claim 1.

6. the housing has a bottom plate portion, a top plate portion disposed above the bottom plate portion, and a side plate portion extending from the bottom plate portion to the top plate portion and including the opening, The door main body is disposed such that an inner surface thereof faces at least one of the side surfaces of the top plate and the bottom plate. The protective case of claim 1 .

7. The top plate portion has a top plate main body portion and a peripheral wall portion extending from an outer peripheral edge portion of the top plate main body portion toward the bottom plate portion, The door body is disposed such that an inner surface thereof faces an outer surface of the peripheral wall. The protective case of claim 6.

8. the top plate portion has a third labyrinth portion extending from an outer surface of the peripheral wall portion, The door main body portion is disposed so that an upper end surface thereof faces the third labyrinth portion. The protective case of claim 7.

9. the housing has a bottom plate portion, a top plate portion disposed above the bottom plate portion, and a side plate portion extending from the bottom plate portion to the top plate portion and including the opening, The rotating shaft portion has a first end portion inserted into a through hole formed in the bottom plate portion and a second end portion inserted into a recess formed in the top plate portion. The protective case of claim 1 .

10. The protective case according to claim 1 ; a battery disposed within the housing; an electric motor configured to be driven by power from the battery; A drive unit comprising:

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