Electric operation device

Abstract

To provide an electric operation device which can hold grease in a sliding part of members.SOLUTION: The electric operation device outputs an electric signal according to an operation of an operation tool, and includes: a cam shaft extending in a horizontal direction; a cam having a pressing unit and being capable of rocking around the cam shaft, an operation tool being attached to the cam; a push rod located below the pressing unit and displaced downward by being pressed downward at the upper end part thereof; a base extending in a vertical direction below the pressing unit and having a guide hole for guiding the push rod in a vertical direction; and a grease cup forming a storage space for storing the grease with the upper end part of the push rod in the upper part of the guide hole. The grease cup is integrally formed with the base.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electrical operating device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic operating device that includes a cam that is rotatably attached to a support base and operated by an operator, and a magnetic detector that detects the rotational position of the cam. A boss provided on the underside of the cam contacts the head of the plunger, and is returned to a neutral position by a spring housed in a body connected to the support base. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-10635 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] From the viewpoint of durability, it is desirable to apply grease to the parts of the electric operating device where they slide against each other, such as the contact point between the boss and plunger in Patent Document 1. However, even if grease is applied, the grease may leak from the sliding points to other parts as the electric operating device is used repeatedly.

[0005] Therefore, one aspect of the present disclosure aims to provide an electrical operating device that can retain grease at sliding points between parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An electrical operating device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an electrical operating device that outputs an electrical signal in response to operation of an operating tool, and includes a cam shaft extending horizontally, a cam having a pressing portion, to which the operating tool is attached and capable of swinging around the cam shaft, a push rod located below the pressing portion and displaced downward when its upper end is pressed downward by the pressing portion, a base extending in the vertical direction below the pressing portion and having a guide hole that guides the push rod in the vertical direction, and a grease cup above the guide hole that forms a storage space for storing grease together with the upper end of the push rod, and the grease cup is integrally molded with the base. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an electrical operating device capable of retaining grease at sliding points between parts. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view, partially in section, of an electrical operating device according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the electrical operating device of FIG. 1 in an unoperated state. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the electric operating device of FIG. 1 in a fully operated state. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of a contact portion between the cam and the push rod. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] <Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view, partially in cross section, of an electric operating device 1 according to an embodiment. The electric operating device 1 outputs an electric signal in response to the operation of an operating tool. The electric operating device 1 of this embodiment is, for example, a travel pedal device of a construction machine such as a hydraulic power shovel. The electric operating device 1 outputs electric signals for separately driving the left and right crawlers of the construction machine in the forward and backward directions. The electric operating device 1 is fixed to the floor of the driver's cab of the construction machine.

[0011] The electric operating device 1 includes a left operating device 2A and a right operating device 2B. The left operating device 2A is for operating the left crawler, and the right operating device 2B is for operating the right crawler. Pedals are attached to each of the left operating device 2A and the right operating device 2B. The left operating device 2A and the right operating device 2B output electric signals according to the amount of operation of the attached pedals by the operator. The left operating device 2A and the right operating device 2B include a common casing 3.

[0012] The left operating device 2A includes a cam 4 to which a pedal is attached as an operating tool, and a camshaft 5 extending horizontally. The cam 4 is supported by the casing 3 so as to be swingable around the camshaft 5. When the operator is not operating the pedal, the cam 4 is in a predetermined neutral position within the swing range. The neutral position may also be called a non-operation position. A potentiometer 6 for detecting the swing angle of the cam 4 is disposed at one end of the camshaft 5. The potentiometer 6 is disposed between the camshafts 5 of the left operating device 2A and the right operating device 2B. The potentiometer 6 detects the swing direction from the neutral position and the swing angle from the neutral position of the cam 4 that swings integrally with the pedal, and an electric signal corresponding to the swing direction and the swing angle is output to the outside via a wiring 7 extending from the bottom of the casing 3.

[0013] For example, when the operator depresses the pedal forward to swing the cam 4 in a first direction, the left operating device 2A outputs a signal to drive the left crawler in the forward direction. For example, when the operator depresses the pedal backward to swing the cam 4 in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the left operating device 2A outputs a signal to drive the left crawler in the backward direction.

[0014] The left operating device 2A and the right operating device 2B are equivalent to each other. The right operating device 2B, like the left operating device 2A, is provided with a cam 4 and a camshaft 5, which are supported by a casing 3. The left operating device 2A and the right operating device 2B are arranged side by side so that their camshafts 5 are coaxial. The left operating device 2A and the right operating device 2B have a substantially symmetrical structure with respect to a plane perpendicular to the camshaft 5 that passes through the middle between the left operating device 2A and the right operating device 2B. For this reason, in the following description, the left operating device 2A will be described, and the description of the right operating device 2B will be omitted.

[0015] 2 and 3 are side cross-sectional views of the left operating device 2A cut along a plane perpendicular to the camshaft 5. FIG. 2 shows the left operating device 2A in a state where it is not operated by the operator. FIG. 3 shows the left operating device 2A in a state where the pedal is fully operated by the operator. In this embodiment, the swing range of the cam 4 is restricted to a predetermined swing range as described later, and the state where the pedal is fully operated by the operator is a state where the swing angle of the cam 4 from the neutral position is maximum. In addition, for convenience, in this specification, the horizontal direction in which the camshaft 5 extends may be referred to as the left-right direction, and the horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction in which the camshaft 5 extends may be referred to as the front-rear direction. The left operating device 2A has a structure that is substantially symmetrical with respect to a plane that passes through the camshaft 5 and is perpendicular to the front-rear direction.

[0016] The casing 3 includes a base 11 and a pair of cam supports 12. The base 11 is located below the cam 4. The base 11 is substantially plate-shaped and faces the cam 4 in the up-down direction. In this embodiment, the base 11 is a part that is attached to the construction machine. The base 11 has a plurality of bolt holes 11a through which bolts are inserted to attach the electric operating device 1 to, for example, the floor of the cab of the construction machine. The pair of cam supports 12 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction and protrude upward from the base 11. The cam 4 is arranged between the pair of cam supports 12 in the left-right direction. Both ends of the cam shaft 5 protrude in the left-right direction from both side surfaces of the cam 4. The pair of cam supports 12 support both ends of the cam shaft 5 above the base 11. The pair of cam supports 12 are integrally molded with the base 11.

[0017] The cam 4 has a generally rectangular shape that is long in the front-rear direction. A camshaft 5 is fixed to the center of the cam 4 in the front-rear direction. When the cam 4 is in the neutral position, it has a symmetrical shape with respect to a plane that passes through the camshaft 5 and is perpendicular to the front-rear direction. Stoppers 13, 13 are disposed directly below both ends of the cam 4 in the front-rear direction. The stoppers 13, 13 protrude upward from the base 11. The stopper 13 is molded integrally with the base 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the stopper 13 abuts against an end of the cam 4 in the front-rear direction by swinging the cam 4 by a predetermined angle, thereby restricting the swing range of the cam 4.

[0018] (Return mechanism) The left operating device 2A is equipped with a return mechanism for returning the cam 4 to a neutral position. The return mechanism of the left operating device 2A is equipped with two push rods 31, 31 and two coil springs 32, 32. When one end of the cam 4 is displaced downward by the operation of the operator, the coil spring 32 imparts an upward biasing force to the cam 4 via the push rod 31 so that the cam 4 returns to the neutral position.

[0019] The base 11 of the casing 3 has two guide holes 3a. The two guide holes 3a extend in the vertical direction below the cam 4. The guide hole 3a guides the push rod 31 in the vertical direction. The guide hole 3a is a substantially cylindrical space with a central axis extending in the vertical direction. The two guide holes 3a are arranged with an interval in the front-rear direction. One guide hole 3a is located in front of the cam shaft 5, and the other guide hole 3a is located behind the cam shaft 5.

[0020] The push rod 31 is slidably disposed in the guide hole 3a. The push rod 31 is displaced downward by being pressed downward by the cam 4. The upper ends of the two push rods 31 abut against two pressing portions 22, 22 of the cam 4, respectively. In this embodiment, the pressing portions 22 are located between the center and end portions of the cam 4 in the front-rear direction.

[0021] In this embodiment, a nut 22a is fixed to the lower surface of the main body member 21 of the cam 4, and the pressing portion 22 is configured with a set screw 22b that screws into the nut 22a. The configuration of the pressing portion 22 is not particularly limited. For example, the pressing portion 22 may be a member that is fixed to the main body member 21 of the cam 4 with a flat-tip set screw or the like. Also, the pressing portion 22 does not have to be a separate body from the main body member 21 of the cam 4, and may be a part of the main body member 21 of the cam 4, for example.

[0022] The casing 3 has two storage chambers 3b that are connected to the lower ends of the two guide holes 3a, respectively. The storage chambers 3b are substantially cylindrical spaces with a central axis extending in the vertical direction. The substantially cylindrical guide holes 3a and the substantially cylindrical storage chambers 3b have the same central axis. The diameter of the storage chambers 3b is larger than the diameter of the guide holes 3a.

[0023] The casing 3 has two spring cases 14 extending downward from a base 11, and a lid body 15. The storage chamber 3b is formed by the base 11, the spring cases 14, and the lid body 15. The base 11 forms the upper surface of the storage chamber 3b, the spring cases 14 form the cylindrical side surface of the storage chamber 3b, and the lid body 15 forms the lower surface of the storage chamber 3b.

[0024] The upper ends of the two spring cases 14 are connected to the base 11. The two spring cases 14 are integrally formed with the base 11. Instead of connecting the two spring cases 14 to the base 11, the two spring cases 14 may be integrated together, in other words, one spring case having two cylindrical spaces may be connected to the base 11.

[0025] The lid body 15 is connected to the lower end of the spring case 14. The lid body 15 is a separate body from the spring case 14. The lid body 15 is a flat plate-like body having a substantially rectangular shape. The lid body 15 is fixed to the spring case 14 with a fastening member such as a bolt.

[0026] A coil spring 32 is disposed in each housing chamber 3b. An annular spring receiving piece 33 is disposed above the coil spring 32 in each housing chamber 3b. The annular spring receiving piece 33 is vertically slidable within the housing chamber 3b. The spring receiving piece 33 is sandwiched between the push rod 31 and the coil spring 32 in the vertical direction. The lower end of the push rod 31 abuts against an upper surface of the spring receiving piece 33, and the upper end of the coil spring 32 abuts against a lower surface of the spring receiving piece 33.

[0027] Since the diameter of the spring receiving piece 33 is larger than the diameter of the guide hole 3a, the sliding range of the spring receiving piece 33 is limited within the accommodation chamber 3b by contacting the upper surface of the accommodation chamber 3b. When the cam 4 is in the neutral position, the spring receiving piece 33 is in contact with the upper surface of the accommodation chamber 3b. In addition, when the cam 4 swings, the push rod 31 and the spring receiving piece 33 are pushed by the cam 4 and can be displaced downward against the biasing force of the coil spring 32.

[0028] An annular spring receiving piece 34 is disposed below the coil spring 32 in each housing chamber 3b. The lower end of the coil spring 32 abuts against the upper surface of the spring receiving piece 34. The spring receiving piece 34 is pressed against the lower surface of the housing chamber 3b, i.e., against the cover body 15, by the biasing force of the coil spring 32. Therefore, the spring receiving piece 34 is fixedly disposed within the housing chamber 3b.

[0029] A damper assembly 40 is disposed below each push rod 31. The damper assembly 40 generates a resistance force when the cam 4 swings toward the return position.

[0030] The damper assembly 40 is disposed on the center line of the coil spring 32 along the biasing direction of the coil spring 32. At least a portion of the damper assembly 40 is disposed in the accommodation chamber 3b.

[0031] The damper assembly 40 has an outer dimension that allows it to be inserted radially inside the coil spring 32. More specifically, the dimension of the damper assembly 40 in a direction perpendicular to the center line of the coil spring 32 is smaller than the inner diameter of the coil spring 32. The damper assembly 40 is generally cylindrical in shape. The diameter of the damper assembly 40 is smaller than the inner diameter of the coil spring 32. The damper assembly 40 and the coil spring 32 are arranged coaxially.

[0032] At least a portion of the damper assembly 40 is disposed radially inward of the coil spring 32. At least a portion of the damper assembly 40 overlaps with the coil spring 32 when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the center line of the coil spring 32 along the biasing direction, i.e., when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction.

[0033] The damper assembly 40 includes a fixed part that is fixedly disposed relative to the casing 3, and a movable part that displaces together with the push rod 31 relative to the fixed part. The fixed part is a substantially cylindrical cylinder 41. The cylinder 41 is removable from the casing 3. The entire cylinder 41 is disposed in the accommodation chamber 3b. The diameter of the cylinder 41 is smaller than the inner diameter of the coil spring 32. The lower surface of the cylinder 41 abuts against the lid 15.

[0034] 2, one of the two damper assemblies 40 is shown on the left side of the drawing, and the configuration inside the cylinder 41 of the damper assembly 40 is shown generally. The movable parts of the damper assembly 40 include a piston 42, a piston rod 43, and a rod head 44. The piston 42, the piston rod 43, and the rod head 44 are displaced together with respect to the cylinder 41.

[0035] The piston 42 is disposed in the cylinder 41 so as to be movable up and down within the cylinder 41. The piston rod 43 is connected to the piston 42 and passes through an upper end of the cylinder 41 in the up and down direction. A substantially cylindrical rod head 44 is fixed to the end of the piston rod 43 on the side extending from the cylinder 41. The diameter of the rod head 44 is smaller than the inner diameter of the coil spring 32. The rod head 44 has an outer dimension that allows it to be inserted through the guide hole 3a. The diameter of the rod head 44 is smaller than the diameter of the guide hole 3a.

[0036] The upper end of the rod head 44 abuts against the lower end of the push rod 31. Specifically, the lower end of the push rod 31 is generally cylindrical with a bottom that opens downward, and includes a circular bottom wall 31a and a cylindrical peripheral wall 31b disposed on the peripheral portion of the bottom wall 31a. The rod head 44 is located radially inward of the peripheral wall 31b. The inner diameter of the peripheral wall 31b and the diameter of the rod head 44 are generally the same. The upper surface of the rod head 44 abuts against the bottom wall 31a. The lower end of the peripheral wall 31b abuts against the annular spring receiving piece 33.

[0037] In this embodiment, the cylinder 41 is filled with oil, and the inside of the cylinder 41 is divided into an upper first chamber 41a and a lower second chamber 41b by the piston 42. The damper assembly 40 has a flow path that allows the movement of oil between the first chamber 41a and the lower second chamber 41b.

[0038] Specifically, the piston 42 includes a first flow passage 46a and a second flow passage 46b that communicate the first chamber 41a and the second chamber 41b. A first valve 47a is disposed in the first flow passage 46a. The first valve 47a allows the flow of fluid from the first chamber 41a to the second chamber 41b through the first flow passage 46a, and prohibits the flow of fluid from the second chamber 41b to the first chamber 41a through the first flow passage 46a. A second valve 47b is disposed in the second flow passage 46b. The second valve 47b allows the flow of fluid from the second chamber 41b to the first chamber 41a through the second flow passage 46b, and prohibits the flow of fluid from the first chamber 41a to the second chamber 41b through the second flow passage 46b. For example, the first valve 47a and the second valve 47b are disk-shaped shims disposed radially outside the piston rod 43.

[0039] In this embodiment, the damper assembly 40 is configured so that resistance is generated only when the movable portion is pressed downward. That is, the configurations of the first flow path 46a and the second flow path 46b and the first valve 47a and the second valve 47b are adjusted so that the flow of fluid from the second chamber 41b to the first chamber 41a receives more resistance than the flow of fluid from the first chamber 41a to the second chamber 41b. For example, the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the second flow path 46b is smaller than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the first flow path 46a.

[0040] The damper assembly 40 includes a damper spring 45. The damper spring 45 is disposed between the cylinder 41 and the rod head 44 in the vertical direction, and biases the push rod 31 upward. The damper spring 45 maintains the abutting state between the pressing portion 22 of the cam 4 and the upper end portion of the push rod 31 when the cam 4 swings from the neutral position and the pressing portion 22 is displaced upward.

[0041] More specifically, as shown on the right side of the page in Fig. 3, when the cam 4 swings from the neutral position and the pressing portion 22 is displaced upward, it pushes up the push rod 31 so as to move away from the spring receiving piece 33 that is in contact with the upper surface of the accommodation chamber 3b. In this way, since the contact state between the pressing portion 22 of the cam 4 and the upper end portion of the push rod 31 is maintained, a resistance force can be applied to the movement of the cam 4 from the position in which it is fully operated toward the neutral position. This makes it possible to suppress the cam 4 going beyond the neutral position when returning to the neutral position, i.e., to prevent the cam 4 from overshooting.

[0042] The annular spring receiving piece 34 abuts against the damper assembly 40 in a direction perpendicular to the center line of the coil spring 32, and functions as a damper support that supports the damper assembly 40 in a direction perpendicular to the center line of the coil spring 32. That is, the spring receiving piece 34 restricts movement of the damper assembly 40 in the accommodation chamber 3b in a direction perpendicular to the center line of the coil spring 32. Specifically, the spring receiving piece 34 includes a disk-shaped bottom wall 34a against which the lower end of the coil spring 32 abuts, a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 34b rising upward from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall 34a, and a cylindrical inner peripheral wall 34c rising upward from the inner peripheral edge of the bottom wall 34a.

[0043] The diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 34b facing radially outward is approximately the same as the diameter of the accommodation chamber 3b. Therefore, by being disposed in the accommodation chamber 3b, the spring receiving piece 34 is restricted from moving in a direction perpendicular to the center line of the coil spring 32 relative to the accommodation chamber 3b. Moreover, the diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall 34c facing radially inward is approximately the same as the diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the damper assembly 40, more specifically, the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the cylinder 41. Therefore, by being disposed radially inward of the spring receiving piece 34, the damper assembly 40 is restricted from moving in a direction perpendicular to the center line of the coil spring 32 relative to the spring receiving piece 34.

[0044] (Grease cup) 4 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the contact portion between the cam 4 and the push rod 31. The electric operating device 1 is provided with a grease cup 50. The grease cup 50 constitutes a storage space S for storing grease together with the upper end portion of the push rod 31 above the guide hole 3a. The grease cup 50 is integrally molded with the base 11. More specifically, in this embodiment, the grease cup 50 is a part of the casing 3, and the grease cup 50, the base 11, the pair of cam supports 12, the stopper 13, and the spring case 14 are integrally molded.

[0045] The grease cup 50 has an annular bottom wall 51 and a cylindrical peripheral wall 52 that rises upward at the outer periphery of the bottom wall 51. The bottom wall 51 faces upward below the cam 4 and faces the cam 4 in the up-down direction. The inner periphery of the bottom wall 51 is connected to the upper end of the guide hole 3a, and the guide hole 3a extends downward from the inner periphery of the bottom wall 51. The inner periphery of the bottom wall 51 defines the cylindrical surface that constitutes the guide hole 3a and the bottom wall 51.

[0046] The position of the contact portion between the pressing portion 22 of the cam 4 and the push rod 31 is arranged so as to be immersed in the grease in the grease cup 50. Specifically, the grease cup 50 is configured so that the pressing portion 22 is located below the upper end 52a of the peripheral wall 52 when the cam 4 is in at least a part of the swing range. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, when the cam 4 is located in the neutral position, the height of the contact portion between the pressing portion 22 of the cam 4 and the push rod 31 matches the height of the upper end 52a of the peripheral wall 52 of the grease cup 50. Therefore, when the cam 4 swings from the neutral position, one of the two pressing portions 22 is displaced below the upper end 52a of the peripheral wall 52 of the grease cup 50.

[0047] In this embodiment, when the stopper 13 is in contact with the cam 4, the height of the upper end of the push rod 31 is located at approximately the same height as the bottom wall 51. That is, when the cam 4 is in the neutral position, the upper end of the push rod 31 protrudes upward from the guide hole 3a, so that the storage space S is annular, and when the upper end of the push rod 31 moves downward below the upper end 52a of the peripheral wall 52, at least a portion of the storage space S becomes cylindrical.

[0048] When the cam 4 is located in the neutral position, the height of the contact portion between the pressing portion 22 of the cam 4 and the push rod 31 may not be the same as the height of the upper end 52a of the peripheral wall 52 of the grease cup 50. For example, when the cam 4 is located in the neutral position, the height of the contact portion between the pressing portion 22 of the cam 4 and the push rod 31 may be lower or higher than the height of the upper end 52a of the peripheral wall 52 of the grease cup 50. The cam 4 may be disposed so that when the swing angle of the cam 4 from the neutral position is maximum, in other words, when the cam 4 is in contact with the stopper 13, the pressing portion 22 is located lower than the upper end 52a of the peripheral wall 52. When the stopper 13 is in contact with the cam 4, the height of the upper end of the push rod 31 may be located lower than the bottom wall 51 or may be located higher than the bottom wall 51.

[0049] The base 11 has a recessed portion 11b recessed downward between two grease cups 50 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, a portion of the upper surface of the base 11 that overlaps with the cam shaft 5 in a top view is recessed downward compared to an upper end 52a of the peripheral wall 52. In this embodiment, the center of the cam 4 enters into a space surrounded by the recessed portion 11b. Although not particularly limited, the lower end of the cam 4 in the neutral position is located lower than the upper end 52a of the peripheral wall 52.

[0050] (Action and effect) As described above, in this embodiment, since the grease cup 50 that, together with the upper end of the push rod 31, forms the storage space S for storing grease, it is possible to hold grease around the upper end of the push rod 31. Furthermore, since the grease cup 50 is integrally molded with the base 11, it is possible to reduce the number of parts required to hold the grease.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the grease cup 50 is configured so that the pressing portion 22 is located below the upper end 52a of the peripheral wall 52 when the cam 4 is in at least a portion of its swing range. Therefore, the grease stored in the grease cup 50 can suppress not only wear at the sliding portion between the upper end of the push rod 31 and the base 11, but also wear at the sliding portion between the upper end of the push rod 31 and the pressing portion 22 of the cam 4.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is possible to position the camshaft 5 as low as possible while avoiding interference between the portion of the cam 4 near the camshaft 5 and the base 11. This makes it easy to realize a configuration in which the height of the contact portion between the upper end of the push rod 31 and the pressing portion 22 of the cam 4 and the height of the rotation center of the cam 4 are brought closer to each other, thereby reducing wear of the contact portion.

[0053] <Other embodiments> Although the embodiment has been described above, the above configuration can be modified, deleted, or added within the scope of the present invention.

[0054] For example, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the electric operating device is used as a traveling pedal device of a construction machine, but the electric operating device may be applied to pedals other than the traveling pedal. The electric operating device may be an electric lever device that is operated by the operator's hand, and in this case, a lever may be attached to the cam instead of or in addition to the pedal.

[0055] The electric operating device can be suitably used in hydraulic circuits for driving construction machines such as hydraulic excavators, hydraulic cranes, wheel loaders, etc. However, the electric operating device can also be applied to vehicles and machines other than construction machines.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the electric operation device includes a left operation device and a right operation device, but the electric operation device may include only one of the left operation device and the right operation device.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the electric operating device has a structure that is substantially symmetrical with respect to a plane that passes through the camshaft and is perpendicular to the front-rear direction, but the electric operating device may have a structure that is asymmetrical with respect to a plane that passes through the camshaft and is perpendicular to the front-rear direction. For example, in the above embodiment, the electric operating device includes a pair of push rods 31, 31, a pair of coil springs 32, 32, and a pair of damper assemblies 40, but the electric operating device may have the push rods, coil springs, and damper assemblies disposed only on one side, either in front or behind the camshaft. In this case, the electric operating device is configured so that the cam that swings integrally with the operating tool is operated only in a direction against the biasing force of the coil spring from the non-operated position.

[0058] The position of the potentiometer 6 that detects the swing angle of the cam 4 can be changed as appropriate. The electric operating device may be any device that outputs an electric signal in response to the operation of the operating tool. Instead of the potentiometer, the electric operating device may be provided with another type of electronic device that detects the presence or absence of swing of the cam, the swing direction of the cam, or the swing angle of the cam. For example, instead of or in addition to the potentiometer, the electric operating device may be provided with a switch that detects the swing of the cam from the non-operated position.

[0059] The structure and mechanism of the damper assembly described in the above embodiment are merely examples. The damper assembly does not have to be substantially cylindrical as a whole. The diameter of the damper assembly may be equal to or greater than the inner diameter of the coil spring. At least a portion of the damper assembly does not have to overlap with the coil spring when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the center line of the coil spring. The damper assembly and the coil spring may be disposed in separate accommodation chambers partitioned in the vertical direction. The fluid in the cylinder does not have to be oil, and may be gas or the like.

[0060] Although the damper assembly is configured to generate resistance only when the movable part is pushed downward, it may be configured to generate resistance also when the movable part is pushed upward. Also, for example, the flow path that allows the oil to move between the first chamber and the second chamber may be provided by a cylinder, not a piston.

[0061] Instead of housing the damper assembly in the casing, the casing itself may be provided with a damper chamber that functions the same as a cylinder that is removable from the casing. In this case, the damper chamber may be filled with oil and divided by the piston 42 into an upper first chamber 41a and a lower second chamber 41b.

[0062] The configuration of the casing is not limited to that described in the above embodiment. For example, the base may not have a bolt hole. In the above embodiment, the base 11, the pair of cam supports 12, the stopper 13, the spring case 14, and the grease cup 50 in the casing 3 are integrally molded, but the configuration of the casing is not limited to this. One or more elements of the base, the pair of cam supports, the stopper, the spring case, and the grease cup may be separate from the other elements. For example, one or both of the pair of cam supports and the stopper may be separate from the base. For example, the base and the spring case may be separate. In addition, the lid may be integrally molded with the spring case or the like.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the portion of the upper surface of the base 11 that overlaps with the camshaft 5 in a top view is recessed downward relative to the upper end 52a of the peripheral wall 52, but the shape of the base is not limited to this.

[0064] The shape of the grease cup is not limited to that described in the above embodiment. The grease cup may be concave in side view so as to store grease. For example, the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall of the grease cup may not be circular, and may be, for example, rectangular. The peripheral wall of the grease cup may not be cylindrical, and may be an inverted frustum shape in which the cross section perpendicular to the vertical direction becomes smaller toward the bottom. The grease cup may not have a bottom wall perpendicular to the vertical direction, and the entire grease cup may be an inverted frustum shape in which the cross section perpendicular to the vertical direction becomes smaller toward the bottom.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the position of the contact portion between the pressing portion 22 of the cam 4 and the push rod 31 is arranged so as to be immersed in the grease in the grease cup 50, but the position of the contact portion between the pressing portion of the cam 4 and the push rod does not have to be arranged so as to be immersed in the grease in the grease cup. Even in this case, wear at the sliding portion between the upper end of the push rod and the base can be suppressed.

[0066] [Disclosure form] Each of the following aspects is a disclosure of a preferred embodiment.

[0067] [Aspect 1] An electric operating device that outputs an electric signal in response to an operation of an operating tool, A camshaft extending horizontally; a cam having a pressing portion, to which the operating tool is attached, and capable of swinging around the cam shaft; a push rod located below the pressing portion, the push rod being displaced downward by an upper end portion being pressed downward by the pressing portion; a base extending in a vertical direction below the pressing portion and having a guide hole for guiding the push rod in the vertical direction; a grease cup that is disposed above the guide hole and that, together with an upper end of the push rod, defines a storage space for storing grease, The grease cup is integrally molded with the base.

[0068] According to the above-mentioned configuration, since the grease cup that, together with the upper end of the push rod, forms a storage space for storing grease, it is possible to hold grease around the upper end of the push rod. Furthermore, since the grease cup is integrally molded with the base, the number of parts required to hold grease can be reduced.

[0069] [Aspect 2] The grease cup is a bottom wall that is below the cam and faces the cam in the up-down direction, the bottom wall having an inner peripheral edge that is connected to an upper end of the guide hole; The electric operating device of embodiment 1, further comprising a peripheral wall rising upward at an outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall.

[0070] [Aspect 3] The cam is configured to be swingable within a predetermined swing range, 3. The electrical operating device according to claim 2, wherein the grease cup is configured such that the pressing portion is positioned lower than an upper end of the peripheral wall when the cam is in at least a portion of the swing range.

[0071] According to the above configuration, the grease stored in the grease cup not only reduces wear at the sliding point between the upper end of the push rod and the base, but also reduces wear at the sliding point between the upper end of the push rod and the pressing portion of the cam.

[0072] [Aspect 4] The electric operating device according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein a portion of an upper surface of the base that overlaps with the cam shaft in a top view is recessed downward relative to an upper end of the peripheral wall.

[0073] According to the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to position the camshaft as low as possible while avoiding interference between the portion of the cam near the camshaft and the base, which makes it easy to realize a configuration in which the height of the contact portion between the upper end of the push rod and the pressing portion of the cam is close to the height of the center of rotation of the cam, thereby reducing wear of the contact portion.

[0074] [Aspect 5] The electric operating device of any one of aspects 1 to 4, further comprising: a second push rod arranged on the opposite side of the cam shaft to the side on which the first push rod is located in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the cam shaft. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1: Electrical operating device 3: Casing 3a: Guide hole 3b: Containment room 4: Cam 5: Camshaft 6: Potentiometer 11: Bass 15: Lid 22: Pressing part 31: Push rod 32: Coil spring 33: Spring support piece 34: Spring support piece 40: Damper assembly 41: Cylinder 42: Piston 43: Piston rod 44: Rod head 45: Damper spring 50: Grease cup 51: Bottom wall 52: Peripheral wall

Claims

1. An electric operating device that outputs an electric signal according to the operation of an operating tool, a camshaft extending horizontally; a cam having a pressing portion, to which the operating tool is attached, and which is swingable around the cam shaft; a push rod located below the pressing portion, the upper end of which is pressed downward by the pressing portion and displaced downward; a base extending in the vertical direction below the pressing portion and having a guide hole for guiding the push rod in the vertical direction; a grease cup that is located above the guide hole and that, together with the upper end of the push rod, forms a storage space for storing grease, The grease cup is integrally molded with the base.

2. The grease cup is a bottom wall that is below the cam and faces the cam in the up-down direction, and has an inner peripheral edge that is connected to an upper end of the guide hole; The electric operating device according to claim 1 , further comprising a peripheral wall rising upward at an outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall.

3. The cam is configured to be swingable within a predetermined swing range, The electric operating device according to claim 2, wherein the grease cup is configured such that the pressing portion is located below an upper end of the peripheral wall when the cam is in at least a part of the swing range.

4. The electric operating device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a portion of the upper surface of the base that overlaps with the camshaft in a top view is recessed downward relative to an upper end of the peripheral wall.

5. 3. The electric operating device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second push rod disposed on the opposite side of the cam shaft from the side on which the first push rod is located in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the cam shaft.

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