Actuator for lock mechanism of opening / closing body

Abstract

To provide an actuator for a lock mechanism of an opening / closing body capable of suppressing hammering sound while improving waterproofness and dust-resistance.SOLUTION: This actuator 10 for a lock mechanism of an opening / closing body includes a moving member 60, an electric drive device 50, a case 11, and a manual lever 70 that enables the moving member 60 to be manually moved. A lever opening 35 is provided in the case 11, a cover member 80 made of a soft resin material that covers a lever insertion portion 75 of the manual lever 70 from the outside and enables the lever insertion portion to be operated is mounted in the lever opening 35, portions of the cover member 80 located inside the lever opening 35 form stopper portions 87, 88, and the lever insertion portion 75 abuts against the stopper portions 87, 88 when the moving member 60 reciprocates.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an actuator for a locking mechanism for an opening / closing body, which is used in a locking mechanism that locks an opening / closing body, which is openably and closably attached to an opening of a fixed body, in a closed state with respect to the opening, and is configured to be able to release the lock provided by the locking mechanism. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, fuel lids on automobiles are provided with devices for holding the lid closed relative to the opening.

[0003] As an example of such a device, the following Patent Document 1 describes a rotary telescopic device having a main body member with a cylindrical portion, a movable member that is axially slidably and rotatably held within the cylindrical portion and has a locking groove, a spring member that biases the movable member, a protrusion formed on the outer periphery of the movable member, a cam groove into which the protrusion fits, a locking member that engages with the locking groove, and a drive device consisting of a motor or the like that slides the locking member.

[0004] When the drive device is not in operation, the engaging member engages with the lock groove, restricting the movement of the movable member and locking the opening / closing body in a closed state relative to the opening of the fixed member. On the other hand, when the drive device is operated, the engaging member slides away from the movable member and disengages from the lock groove. As a result, the movable member becomes movable and the opening / closing body opens from the opening of the fixed member.

[0005] However, if the drive device does not operate due to a malfunction or the like, it is necessary to slide the locking member in a direction away from the moving member to disengage it from the lock groove. For this reason, an operating knob is provided on the locking member, and this operating knob is inserted and removed from a slide hole formed in the main body member, so that the locking member can be slid via the operating knob. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6686258 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the case of the rotary telescopic device of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, since a slide hole is formed in the main body member, water, dust, etc. may enter the main body member through this part. In addition, when the locking member slides in a direction approaching the moving member and hits the moving member, a hitting sound may be generated.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE ... An object of the present invention is to provide an actuator for a locking mechanism of an opening / closing body that can suppress striking noise while improving waterproofing and dustproofing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an actuator for a locking mechanism for an opening / closing body, which is used in a locking mechanism that locks an opening / closing body, which is attached to an opening of a fixed body so as to be able to open and close, in a closed state with respect to the opening, and is configured to be able to release the locking effected by the locking mechanism, the actuator having a movable member that acts on the locking mechanism to lock and unlock, an electric drive unit that moves the movable member between a locked position and an unlocked position, a case that covers at least the movable member and the electric drive unit, and a manual lever that is provided on the movable member and enables the movable member to be manually moved from the locked position to the unlocked position, the case being provided with a lever opening that movably inserts and removes the manual lever, and a cover member made of a soft resin material is attached to the lever opening that covers from the outside a portion of the manual lever that is inserted from the lever opening and enables the manual lever to be operated from the outside, and a portion of the cover member that is located inside the lever opening forms a stopper portion, and the actuator is configured so that the inserted portion of the manual lever abuts against the stopper portion when the movable member moves to the locked position and / or the unlocked position. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, a cover member is attached to the lever opening, covering from the outside the portion of the manual lever that is inserted from the lever opening. Therefore, the cover member can seal the gap between the lever opening and the portion of the manual lever that is inserted, thereby improving waterproofing and dustproofing. Furthermore, when the moving member moves, the portion of the manual lever that is inserted comes into contact with the stopper portion of the cover member, thereby suppressing the impact noise when the moving member moves. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of an actuator for a lock mechanism of an opening / closing body according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an actuator for a lock mechanism of the opening / closing body. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an actuator for a lock mechanism of the opening / closing body. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a moving member and a manual lever that constitute the actuator for the lock mechanism of the opening / closing body. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the moving member and the manual lever when viewed from a direction different from that in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a cover member constituting the actuator for the lock mechanism of the opening / closing body according to the present invention. [Figure 8] 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the cover member when viewed from a direction different from that in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 1 is an enlarged perspective sectional view of a main portion of an actuator for a lock mechanism of an opening / closing body according to the present invention; [Figure 10] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part B in FIG. [Figure 11] 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which the moving member has moved from the state shown in FIG. 10. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is an enlarged sectional perspective view of a main portion of another embodiment of the actuator for a lock mechanism of an opening / closing body according to the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an actuator for a lock mechanism of the opening / closing body. [Figure 14] 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a case where the moving member has moved from the state shown in FIG. 13. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] (One embodiment of the actuator for the lock mechanism of the opening / closing body) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of an actuator for a lock mechanism of an opening / closing body according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] The actuator 10 for the locking mechanism of an opening / closing body in this embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as "actuator 10") is used in a locking mechanism that locks an opening / closing body 5, such as a fuel lid, which is openably and closably attached to an opening 2 of a fixed body 1, in a closed state with respect to the opening 2, as shown in FIG. 1, and is configured to be capable of releasing the lock provided by the locking mechanism.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, a fixed body 1 having a generally cylindrical box shape is fixed to the periphery of a fuel filler opening of a vehicle body 1a. An opening / closing body (fuel lid) 5 is attached to an opening 2 of the fixed body 1 so as to be openable and closable via a hinge portion 3. A recess 2a is provided on the circumferentially opposite side of the opening 2 of the fixed body 1 from the hinge portion 3, and an actuator 10 is disposed on the side of this recess 3a.

[0015] An engagement portion 6 is provided on the inner surface of the opening / closing body 5. This engagement portion 6 is made up of a pair of side walls 7, 7 and a connecting wall 8 connecting one end of the side walls 7, 7, and forms a gate-shaped frame. An engagement groove 9 is provided between the pair of side walls 7, 7. An engagement piece 44 (see FIG. 1) provided on an actuator 10 engages with this engagement groove 9, whereby the opening / closing body 5 is locked in a closed state relative to the opening 2 (retained in a closed state). The engagement portion 6 constitutes a part of the "locking mechanism" of the present invention.

[0016] The actuator 10 is used to lock the opening / closing body 5 in a closed state relative to the opening 2 by a locking mechanism, or to release the locking mechanism.

[0017] Although the actuator 10 of this embodiment is used in the opening and closing structure of a fuel lid as described above, it may also be used, for example, in the opening and closing structure of a storage compartment in an automobile, or in furniture or daily necessities that are opened and closed by pushing, and there are no particular limitations on the manner of use or installation location.

[0018] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the actuator 10 of this embodiment includes a case 11 having a cylindrical portion 15 with a circular inner circumference, a rod 40 with a circular outer circumference that is disposed within the cylindrical portion 15 and is held rotatably and axially movable relative to the cylindrical portion 15, a first biasing member 17 that biases the rod 40 in a direction protruding from one end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15, and a cam mechanism formed between the rod 40 and the cylindrical portion 15 that rotates the rod 40 while moving it axially.

[0019] The actuator 10 also has a movable member 60 that acts on the locking mechanism to lock and unlock, an electric drive unit 50 that moves the movable member 60 to the locked position and the unlocked position, and a manual lever 70 that is provided on the movable member 60 and enables the movable member 60 to be manually moved from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0020] In this embodiment, the engagement portion 6 having an engagement groove 9 provided in the opening / closing body 5, the engagement piece 44 and the lock hole 46 provided in the rod 40, and the lock protrusion 66 provided in the movable member 60 form the "lock mechanism" of the present invention (see Figures 1, 2 and 4).

[0021] Furthermore, the case 11 is provided with a lever opening 35 through which the manual lever 70 can be movably inserted and removed, and a cover member 80 made of a soft resin material is attached to the lever opening 35 to cover the portion of the manual lever 70 that is inserted from the lever opening 35 (lever insertion portion 75) from the outside and to enable the manual lever 70 to be operated from the outside (see Figure 4).

[0022] The portion of the cover member 80 that is located inside the lever opening 35 forms stopper portions 87, 88, and is configured so that when the movable member 60 moves to the locked position and / or the unlocked position, the lever insertion portion 75 of the manual lever 70 abuts against the stopper portions 87, 88 (see Figures 9 to 11).

[0023] Each component will be described below. First, the structure of the case 11 will be described in detail.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, this case 11 is composed of a first case 20 and a second case 30 that are assembled together such that a cylindrical portion 15 having a circular inner circumference is divided in the axial direction.

[0025] Further, the tubular portion 15 is composed of a first tubular portion 23 and a second tubular portion 33 which are formed by dividing the tubular portion 15 in the axial direction, with the first tubular portion 23 being provided on the first case 20 side and the second tubular portion 33 being provided on the second case 0 side.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the first case 20 has a long frame shape (here, a long box shape with a bottom and an open top) having a base 21 that is a roughly long plate extending long in one direction and a peripheral wall 22 that stands upright from the periphery of the base 21.

[0027] A first tubular portion 23 having a substantially cylindrical shape is provided on one longitudinal end side of the base portion 21. Furthermore, a spring support pillar 25 is provided protruding from the inside of the first tubular portion 23, and a coil spring forming the first biasing spring 17 is supported by this spring support pillar 25.

[0028] On the other hand, the second case 30 is in the shape of a long plate extending long in one direction, and has a long frame shape (here, a long box shape with an open bottom and a ceiling at the top) having a base 31 arranged opposite the base 21 of the first case 20, and a peripheral wall 32 extending from the periphery of the base 31 toward the first case 20.

[0029] Further, a second tubular portion 33 having a substantially cylindrical shape is provided on one longitudinal end side of the base portion 31. As shown in Fig. 4, in a state in which the first case 20 and the second case 30 are assembled to form the case 11, the first tubular portion 23 is inserted into the second tubular portion 33, and a cam groove 34 is formed on the end faces of both tubular portions 23, 33 facing each other in the axial direction, into which a cam protrusion 45 (see Fig. 2) provided on the rod 40 is fitted.

[0030] 2, a lever opening 35 for inserting and removing the manual lever 70 is formed penetrating the base 31 at a position of the base 31 adjacent to the second tubular portion 33. The lever opening 35 has a generally rectangular shape (long hole shape) extending long in the longitudinal direction of the base 31.

[0031] 4, 9 and 10, an annular protrusion 36 having an annular projection shape is provided to protrude from the peripheral edge of the front side (also called the outside, the side opposite to the face facing the base 21 of the first case 20) of the lever opening 35. Furthermore, an annular groove 37 having an annular recessed groove shape is formed on the peripheral edge of the back side (also called the inside, the side facing the base 21 of the first case 20) of the lever opening 35.

[0032] Next, the rod 40 will be described in detail.

[0033] 2 and 4, the rod 40 of this embodiment has a tubular wall 41 that is substantially cylindrical and extends a predetermined length, and a spring accommodating portion 42 that is closed at one axial end and open at the other axial end is formed inside the tubular wall 41. The first biasing spring 17 is accommodated inside the spring accommodating portion 42.

[0034] A columnar portion 43 having a reduced diameter projects from the center of one axial end of the rod 40, and a band-shaped engagement piece 44 is connected to the tip of the columnar portion 43.

[0035] The engaging piece 44 rotates and changes its angle in accordance with the rotation of the rod 40, and engages with and disengages from the engaging portion 6 of the opening / closing body 5. In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the engaging piece 44 is arranged so as to be in the direction along the groove direction of the engaging groove 9 of the engaging portion 6 when the opening / closing body 5 is opened from the opening 2 of the fixed body 1, whereas when the opening / closing body 5 is closed relative to the opening 2 of the fixed body 1, the angle of the longitudinal direction of the engaging piece 44 changes so as to be perpendicular to the groove direction of the engaging groove 9.

[0036] Furthermore, a pair of cam protrusions 45, 45 protrude in the outer diameter direction at a location on the outer periphery of the cylindrical wall 41 near the base end in the axial direction. In this embodiment, there is a protrusion forming member (not shown) that is separate from the rod 40 and is formed by appropriately bending a metal wire material such as stainless steel or spring steel, and the pair of cam protrusions 45, 45 are bent and formed on both ends of the protrusion forming member.

[0037] Each cam protrusion 45 has a circular outer periphery. These cam protrusions 45, 45 fit into the cam grooves 34 formed in the cylindrical portion 15, and rotate and move the rod 40 in the axial direction in response to the pushing action of the rod 40. The cam protrusions 45 may be formed integrally with the rod 40.

[0038] Circular lock holes 46, 46 are formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical wall 41 on the axial base end side of the pair of cam protrusions 45, 45 at positions perpendicular to the protruding direction of the pair of cam protrusions 45, 45. A lock protrusion 66 of the moving member 60 is inserted into and removed from this lock hole 46 (see FIGS. 10 and 11).

[0039] The cam groove 34 into which the cam protrusion 45 fits is similar to the cam groove structure described in Patent Application No. 2018-535654 filed by the present applicant, so detailed explanation will be omitted, but it has generally the following structure.

[0040] That is, this cam groove 34 has a first fitting groove into which the cam protrusion 45 fits to hold the rod 40 protruding from the tubular portion 15, a second fitting groove into which the cam protrusion 45 fits to hold the rod 40 retracted into the tubular portion 15, a first guide groove that guides the cam protrusion 45 from the first fitting groove to the second fitting groove when the rod 40 is pressed against the biasing force of the first biasing member 17 with the cam protrusion 45 fitted in the first fitting groove, and a second guide groove that removes the cam protrusion 45 from the second fitting groove and guides it to the first fitting groove when the rod 40 is pressed against the biasing force of the first biasing member 17 with the cam protrusion 45 fitted in the second fitting groove.

[0041] Moreover, the first fitting groove, the first guide groove, the second fitting groove, and the second guide groove are arranged so as to go around the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion 15 in this order.

[0042] In the rod 40 having the above-mentioned configuration, the engagement piece 44 and the lock hole 46 constitute a part of the "lock mechanism" of the present invention.

[0043] Next, the electric drive unit 50 will be described in detail.

[0044] The electric drive device 50 of this embodiment is a so-called solenoid, and comprises a frame 51 having an approximately U-shaped frame shape, a core portion 52 supported on the inside of the frame 51 and containing a conductor wire or the like wound inside, a plunger 53 that slides back and forth, and a plurality of magnets 54 arranged on the base end side of the plunger.

[0045] The plunger 53 has an expanded diameter portion 53a at its tip in the extending direction. A spring support plate 55 is fixed to one end opening side of the frame 51. A second biasing member 19 made of a coil spring is disposed on the outer periphery of the plunger 53. In a compressed state, the second biasing member 19 has its base end supported by the spring support plate 55 and its tip end supported by the expanded diameter portion 53a. Therefore, the plunger 53 is always biased in a direction in which the expanded diameter portion 53a at the tip is separated from the spring support plate 55 and approaches the rod 40.

[0046] Furthermore, for example, when the switch of the electric drive unit 50 inside the vehicle cabin is turned ON and electricity is supplied to the electric drive unit 50 by an electric supply means not shown (when electricity is applied), a magnetic circuit is formed by the core portion 52, the magnet 54, etc., and the plunger 53 is drawn in (attracted), and the plunger 53 slides in a direction in which the expanded portion 53a at the tip of the plunger approaches the spring support plate 55 and moves away from the rod 40, against the biasing force of the second biasing member 19.

[0047] On the other hand, when the switch of the electric drive unit 50 is turned OFF, the current supply from the electric supply means is cut off, and the plunger 53 is pushed out again by the force of the second biasing member 19, and the plunger 53 slides in a direction such that the expanded diameter portion 53a at the tip of the plunger moves away from the spring support plate 55 and closer to the rod 40.

[0048] The electric drive unit 50 is housed within the case 11 with the expanded diameter portion 53a facing the first cylindrical portion 23 so that the axial direction of the plunger 53 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 15 (see Figures 2 and 4).

[0049] In addition, a movable member 60 is attached to the tip of the plunger 53 in the extension direction, including the expanded diameter portion 53a, and the movable member 60 is adapted to be moved back and forth (reciprocated) between the locked position and the unlocked position.

[0050] That is, the electric drive unit 50 slides the movable member 60 back and forth to a locked position where the locking protrusion 66 is inserted into the locking hole 46 (see FIG. 10) and an unlocked position where the locking protrusion 66 has come out of the locking hole 46 (see FIG. 11).

[0051] The direction in which the moving member 60 reciprocates (direction in which it slides back and forth) due to the electric drive device 50 is referred to as a reciprocating slide direction F of the moving member 60 (hereinafter, also simply referred to as the "lock slide direction F").

[0052] Next, the moving member 60 will be described in detail.

[0053] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the movable member 60 of this embodiment has a pair of side wall portions 61, 61 arranged parallel to each other, and a curved wall portion 62 connecting one ends of the pair of side wall portions 61, 61, and has a generally U-shaped frame shape.

[0054] One end portion of the pair of side wall portions 61, 61 and the curved wall portion 62 in the lock-slide direction F is connected to each other by a connecting wall portion 63. Furthermore, a substantially U-shaped protrusion 64 is formed along the inner peripheral surfaces of the pair of side wall portions 61, 61 and the curved wall portion 62 on inner peripheral portions near the other end portion in the lock-slide direction F.

[0055] As shown in Figure 10, the expanded diameter portion 53a of the plunger 53 is inserted between this protrusion 64 and the connecting wall portion 63, so that the other end side of the expanded diameter portion 53a in the lock slide direction F engages with the inner peripheral portion of the protrusion 64, and one end side of the expanded diameter portion 53a in the lock slide direction F engages with the inner surface of the connecting wall portion 63.

[0056] As a result, the moving member 60 is attached to and integrated with the tip end of the plunger 53, and the moving member 60 also moves back and forth in association with the reciprocating sliding movement of the plunger 53.

[0057] In addition, a lock protrusion 66 protrudes from the center of the outer surface of the connecting wall portion 63 toward one side in the lock slide direction F. This lock protrusion 66 is substantially cylindrical in shape so as to fit into the lock hole 46, which is a circular hole provided in the rod 40.

[0058] When the locking protrusion 66 is inserted into the locking hole 46, the rod 40 is locked in a state where it is pushed into the tubular portion 15 (a state where the rod 40 is retracted from one end 15a of the tubular portion 15) (see Figure 10), and when the locking protrusion 66 comes out of the locking hole 46, the locked state is released (see Figure 11).

[0059] The locking protrusion 66 constitutes a part of the "locking mechanism" of the present invention. That is, the moving member 60 in this embodiment is configured to have a part of the locking mechanism integrally formed therewith. Also, it can be said that the moving member 60 in this embodiment is a member that performs locking and unlocking by the locking mechanism, and is also a member that constitutes the locking mechanism.

[0060] Furthermore, a plate-shaped lever connecting piece 67 extends along the lock-slide direction F from the other side surface in the lock-slide direction F of the curved wall portion 62.

[0061] Next, the manual lever 70 will be described in detail.

[0062] The manual lever 70 has a generally rectangular prism shape extending a predetermined length from the outer surface (the surface on the convex curved side) of the lever connecting piece 67 of the moving member 60 .

[0063] The manual lever 70 has a pair of side surfaces 71, 72 that face the lock-slide direction F and are arranged parallel to each other, and a pair of side surfaces 73, 73 that are arranged perpendicular to the pair of side surfaces 71, 72. Note that one side surface 71 faces one side of the lock-slide direction F, and the other side surface 72 faces the other side of the lock-slide direction F.

[0064] The manual lever 70 has a base 74 and an inserted portion (hereinafter simply referred to as a “lever inserted portion 75”) that extends from the base 74 and is inserted from the front opening of the lever opening 35 of the second case 30. The base end of the base 74 of the manual lever 70 is connected to the lever connecting piece 67.

[0065] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, a protrusion 77 is provided on the manual lever 70 at a portion that comes into contact with a stopper portion 87 of the cover member 80, which will be described later.

[0066] 9 and 10, in this embodiment, protrusions 77 are provided to protrude from the pair of side surfaces 71, 72 in a range spanning from the tip end of the base portion 74 to the base end of the inserted portion 75. That is, the manual lever 70 has a pair of protrusions 77, 77 protruding from both side surfaces 71, 72 facing the lock slide direction F.

[0067] Each convex portion 77 protrudes in a curved shape from the side surfaces 71, 72 (the top and its peripheral portion are curved) and forms a ridge extending over the entire width direction (direction perpendicular to the lock slide direction F) of the side surfaces 71, 72 from one end to the other end.

[0068] The manual lever 70 is integrally formed with the moving member 60 .

[0069] Next, the cover member 80 will be described in detail.

[0070] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the cover member 80 of this embodiment has a base 81 in the shape of a generally rectangular long plate (rectangular plate), a pair of side wall portions 82, 83 facing the lock slide direction F and extending parallel to each other from a pair of short sides of the base 81, and a pair of side wall portions 84, 84 extending from a pair of long sides of the base 81 and arranged perpendicular to the pair of side wall portions 82, 83, defining an internal space R, and forming a box shape (roughly a cap shape opening downward) having an opening on one side and a ceiling portion on the other side.

[0071] The outer peripheral shape of the side wall portions 82, 83, 84, 84 of the cover member 80 is substantially rectangular so as to fit the inner peripheral shape of the lever opening 35 of the second case 30. One side wall portion 82 faces one side of the lock slide direction F, and the other side wall portion 83 faces the other side of the lock slide direction F. The inner surfaces of the pair of opposing side wall portions 82, 83 form parallel flat surfaces without any protrusions or the like.

[0072] Furthermore, the manual lever 70 is inserted and arranged in the internal space R of the cover member 80 so as to be slidable back and forth along the lock slide direction F, and covers at least the entire lever insertion portion 75 of the manual lever 70 from the outside. In the above state, the side surface 71 of the manual lever 70 is arranged opposite the inner surface of the side wall portion 82 of the cover member 80, and the side surface 72 of the manual lever 70 is arranged opposite the inner surface of the side wall portion 83 of the cover member 80.

[0073] In addition, an annular flange portion 85 that protrudes to form a substantially square ring shape is provided from the outer periphery of the end portion of the cover member 80 opposite to the base portion 81. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, this annular flange portion 85 is adapted to fit into the annular groove portion 37 of the second case 30.

[0074] Furthermore, an annular protrusion 86 is provided that protrudes in a generally rectangular ring shape from the outer periphery of the cover member 80 closer to the base 81 than the annular flange 85. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, this annular protrusion 86 is adapted to engage with the tip surface of the annular protrusion 36 of the second case 30 in the protruding direction.

[0075] The above-mentioned cover member 80 is integrally formed in its entirety from soft resin material such as rubber or elastic elastomer, etc. Therefore, it is possible to grip the lever insertion portion 75 of the manual lever 70 from outside the cover member 80 while deforming the cover member 80, so that the manual lever 70 can be operated from outside.

[0076] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the end of the cover member 80 opposite the base 81 is inserted into the lever opening 35 of the second case 30, and as described above, the annular flange portion 85 is fitted into the annular groove portion 37 of the second case 30, and the annular protrusion portion 86 is engaged with the tip surface of the annular projection 36 of the second case 30, thereby attaching the cover member 80 to the lever opening 35.

[0077] In this case, the portions of the side wall portions 82, 83, 84, 84 of the cover member 80 between the annular flange portion 85 and the annular protrusion portion 86 are positioned inside the lever opening 35, and among them, the portions of the side wall portions 82, 83 facing the lock slide direction F between the annular flange portion 85 and the annular protrusion portion 86 form stopper portions 87, 88 (the stopper portion 87 is provided on the side wall portion 82 side, and the stopper portion 88 is provided on the side wall portion 83 side).

[0078] In addition, the entire range (entire periphery of the annular gap) between the inner periphery of the lever opening 35 of the second case 30 and the outer periphery of the lever insertion portion 75 of the manual lever 70 is covered by the side walls 82, 83, 84, 84 of the cover member 80.

[0079] When electricity is applied to the electric drive unit 50 from a state in which electricity is not being applied (see FIG. 10), the plunger 53 is pulled in (attracted) against the biasing force of the second biasing member 19, and the moving member 60 slides in the other direction in the lock slide direction F. It can also be said that the moving member 60 moves in a direction away from the rod 40 (moves back).

[0080] 11, the protrusion 77 on the side surface 72 of the manual lever 70 first hits the stopper portion 88 of the side wall portion 83 of the cover member 80. Then, a part or the whole of the side surface 72 of the manual lever 70 abuts against the inner surface of the side wall portion 83 of the cover member 80, and the sliding movement of the movable member 60 stops.

[0081] That is, the side surface 72 of the manual lever 70 indirectly abuts (collides with) the stopper portion 88 located on the other side of the lock slide direction F via the convex portion 77 provided on the other side of the lock slide direction F.

[0082] 11, when the power supply to the electric drive unit 50 is cut off, the plunger 53 is pushed out by the biasing force of the second biasing member 19, and the moving member 60 slides in one direction in the lock slide direction F. It can also be said that the moving member 60 moves in a direction approaching the rod 40 (moves forward and backward).

[0083] 10, the protrusion 77 on the side surface 71 of the manual lever 70 first hits the stopper portion 87 of the side wall portion 82 of the cover member 80. Then, a part or the whole of the side surface 71 of the manual lever 70 abuts against the inner surface of the side wall portion 82 of the cover member 80, and the sliding movement of the movable member 60 stops.

[0084] That is, the side surface 71 of the manual lever 70 indirectly abuts (collides) with the stopper portion 87 located on one side of the lock slide direction F via a protrusion 77 provided on one side of the lock slide direction F.

[0085] In addition, in this embodiment, when the movable member 60 moves from the unlocked position shown in FIG. 11 to the locked position shown in FIG. 10, and when it moves from the locked position shown in FIG. 10 to the unlocked position shown in FIG. 11, it abuts against stopper portions 87, 88, respectively, during both forward movement (forward operation) and return movement (return operation).

[0086] Furthermore, a portion of the cover member 80 is pressed against the outer periphery of the electric drive unit 50 .

[0087] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, when the cover member 80 is attached to the lever opening 35 of the second case 30 and the electric drive unit 50 is housed within the case 11, a portion of the outer surface of the side wall portion 83 of the cover member 80 and the outer surface of the annular flange portion 85 are pressed against the spring support plate 55 and magnet 54 of the electric drive unit 50.

[0088] (Modification) The shapes, structures, layouts, etc. of the case, rod, electric drive device, movable member, manual lever, cover member, etc. that constitute the actuator for the lock mechanism of the opening / closing body in the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0089] As described above, the "locking mechanism" in this embodiment is composed of the engagement portion 6 having an engagement groove 9 provided in the opening / closing body 5, the engagement piece 44 and locking hole 46 provided in the rod 40, and the locking protrusion 66 provided on the movable member 60. In other words, the movable member 60 is structured to indirectly lock and unlock the opening / closing body in the closed state via the rod 40.

[0090] However, for example, a locking mechanism used in a device (glove box opening / closing locking device) that locks or unlocks an opening / closing body such as a glove box that is openably and closably attached to the opening of a fixed body such as a vehicle instrument panel in a closed state may have the following structure.

[0091] The above-mentioned open / close locking device has a locking portion (locking hole, etc.) formed in the fixed body or the open / close body, and is provided with a pair of rod-shaped rods or a single rod that slides to engage and disengage with the locking portion, a latch, a rotor that rotates the rod, etc. Also, a moving member is directly moved toward or away from the rod or rotor, etc., to allow or restrict their movement. In such a structure, the locking portion, the sliding rod, the latch, the rotating rotor, etc., and the moving member form the "locking mechanism" of the present invention.

[0092] In addition, the cam mechanism in this embodiment consists of a cam protrusion 45 provided on the rod 40 side and a cam groove 34 provided on the tubular portion 15 side, but the cam mechanism may also have a structure consisting of a cam groove provided on the rod side and a cam protrusion provided on the tubular portion side, as long as it is possible to move the rod in the axial direction while rotating it.

[0093] Furthermore, although the electric drive device 50 in this embodiment is a solenoid, it may be, for example, a motor, an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or the like, as long as it is capable of moving the moving member between the locked position and the unlocked position. When the electric drive device is a motor, for example, a configuration can be adopted in which a worm gear is attached to the motor and teeth that mesh with the worm gear are provided on the moving member side.

[0094] Although the lever opening 35 in this embodiment is a substantially rectangular hole, the lever opening may be, for example, elliptical or oval, as long as the manual lever can slide in the shape. In this case, it is preferable that the manual lever and the cover member also have a shape corresponding to the lever opening.

[0095] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lock hole 46 is circular and the corresponding lock protrusion 66 is cylindrical; however, for example, the lock hole may be a rectangular or elliptical hole or recess and the outer periphery of the lock protrusion may be rectangular or elliptical in shape.

[0096] In addition, in this embodiment, the moving member 60 and the manual lever 70 are integrally formed, but the two members may be separate.

[0097] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a pair of protrusions 77, 77 are protruded from a pair of side surfaces 71, 72 of the lever insertion portion 75 of the manual lever 70, but a protrusion may also be provided on the stopper portion of the cover member (this will be explained in the embodiment described later).

[0098] In addition, in this embodiment, the lever insertion portion 75 of the manual lever 70 is adapted to indirectly abut against the stopper portions 87, 88 via the convex portion 77, but it is also possible to have the lever insertion portion abut directly against the stopper without providing a convex portion.

[0099] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the movable member 60 is configured to abut against the stopper portions 87, 88 when moving back and forth, when moving to the locked position and when moving to the unlocked position, but the movable member may be configured to abut against the stopper portions only when moving to the locked position or only when moving to the unlocked position, for example.

[0100] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the switch of the electric drive unit 50 is turned ON (when electricity is applied), the movable member 60 slides in a direction away from the rod 40, but the configuration may be such that, conversely, when the switch of the electric drive unit is turned ON, the movable member slides in a direction approaching the rod.

[0101] (Action and effect) Next, the function and effect of the actuator 10 having the above structure will be described.

[0102] When the cam protrusion 45 of the rod 40 is fitted into the first fitting groove (not shown) of the cam groove 34, the rod 40 protrudes a predetermined length from one end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15. In this state, the engagement piece 44 of the rod 40 passes through the engagement groove 9 of the engagement portion 6 and abuts against the inner surface side of the opening / closing body 5, and the opening / closing body 5 can be opened and closed relative to the opening 2 of the fixed body 1.

[0103] When the opening 2 of the fixed body 1 is closed with the opening / closing body 5 from the above state, the engagement piece 44 is pressed, and the rod 40 is pushed into the rear of the tubular portion 15 against the biasing force of the first biasing member 17, and the cam protrusion 45, which has come out of the first fitting groove, is guided by the first guide groove (not shown), and the rod 40 is pulled into the tubular portion 15 while rotating.

[0104] When the rod 40 is further pushed in, the cam protrusion 45 fits into a second fitting groove (not shown), and the rod 40 is held in a state where it is retracted into the cylindrical portion 15 by a predetermined length from one end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15. At the same time, the longitudinal direction of the engagement piece 44 of the rod 40 is perpendicular to the groove direction of the engagement groove 9 of the engagement portion 6 of the opening / closing body 5, so that the opening 2 of the fixed body 1 can be locked in a closed state by the opening / closing body 5.

[0105] In the above state, the electric drive unit 50 is not energized, the plunger 53 is pushed out by the biasing force of the second biasing member 19, the locking protrusion 66 of the moving member 60 is inserted into the locking hole 46 of the rod 40, and the rod 40 is locked (held) in a retracted state relative to the cylindrical portion 15. In this state, it is impossible to press the rod 40 further into the cylindrical portion 15, so that the cam protrusion 45 cannot be removed from the second fitting groove of the cam groove 34, and the opening / closing body 5 is locked in a closed state relative to the opening 2 of the fixed body 1.

[0106] When the switch of the electric drive unit 50 in the vehicle cabin is turned ON to energize the electric drive unit 50, the plunger 53 is retracted against the biasing force of the second biasing member 19, the locking protrusion 66 of the moving member 60 is pulled out of the locking hole 46 of the rod 40, and the retracted state of the rod 40 is unlocked from the tubular portion 15. Then, the state in which the rod 40 cannot be pushed into the tubular portion 15 is released, and the locked state of the opening / closing body 5 with respect to the opening 2 of the fixed body 1 is unlocked.

[0107] When the rod 40 is pushed into the first biasing member 17 against the biasing force from the unlocked state of the opening / closing body 5 as described above, the cam projection 45 comes out of the second fitting groove, and then the rod 40 is pressed again toward the one end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15 by the biasing force of the first biasing member 17. As a result, the cam projection 45 is guided by the second guide groove (not shown), and the rod 40 protrudes from the one end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15 while rotating.

[0108] Then, as the cam protrusion 45 fits into the first fitting groove, the rod 40 is held in a state protruding from one end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15. In this state, the engagement piece 44 is oriented along the groove direction of the engagement groove 9 of the engagement portion 6 of the opening / closing body 5, and the opening / closing body 5 is unlocked from the closed state. At this time, the opening / closing body 5 is pushed by the rod 40 and lifted to a predetermined height from the opening 2 of the fixed body 1 (lifter operation), so that the opening / closing body 5 can be manually opened.

[0109] 4, in this actuator 10, a cover member 80 that covers the lever insertion portion 75 of the manual lever 70 from the outside is attached to the lever opening 35 provided in the case 11. Therefore, the cover member 80 can seal the gap between the lever opening 35 and the insertion portion 75 of the manual lever 70, thereby improving waterproofing and dustproofing.

[0110] Then, as shown in FIG. 10, when electricity is applied to the electric drive unit 50 from a state in which electricity is not being applied, the plunger 53 is pulled in against the biasing force of the second biasing member 19, and the movable member 60 slides in the other direction in the lock slide direction F.

[0111] Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the protrusion 77 on the side surface 72 of the manual lever 70 first collides with the stopper portion 88 of the side wall portion 83 of the cover member 80, and then the side surface 72 of the manual lever 70 abuts against the inner surface of the side wall portion 83 of the cover member 80, thereby stopping the sliding movement of the movable member 60.

[0112] On the other hand, when the power supply to the electric drive unit 50 is cut off from the state shown in FIG. 11, the plunger 53 is pushed out by the biasing force of the second biasing member 19, and the moving member 60 slides in one direction in the lock-slide direction F.

[0113] Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the protrusion 77 on the side surface 71 of the manual lever 70 first collides with the stopper portion 87 of the side wall portion 82 of the cover member 80, and then the side surface 71 of the manual lever 70 abuts against the inner surface of the side wall portion 82 of the cover member 80, thereby stopping the sliding movement of the movable member 60.

[0114] In this manner, in this actuator 10, when the movable member 60 moves (during reciprocating sliding movement), the lever insertion portion 75 of the manual lever 70 abuts against the stopper portions 87, 88 of the cover member 80, thereby suppressing the impact noise when the movable member 60 moves (during reciprocating movement).

[0115] In this embodiment, a protrusion 77 is provided on the portion of the manual lever 70 that comes into contact with the stopper portion 87 of the cover member 80, as shown in FIGS.

[0116] According to the above embodiment, the protrusion 77 is provided at the portion of the manual lever 70 that abuts against the stopper portion 87 of the cover member 80. Therefore, when the movable member 60 moves to the locked position and / or the unlocked position, the protrusion 77 first abuts against the opposing member to cushion the impact, and then continues to abut against the opposing member until the manual lever 70 stops, thereby more effectively suppressing the impact sound.

[0117] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a portion of the cover member 80 is pressed against the outer periphery of the electric drive unit 50. According to the above aspect, since a portion of the cover member 80 is pressed against the outer periphery of the electric drive unit 50, rattling of the electric drive unit 50 can be suppressed, and abnormal noise due to rattling of the electric drive unit 50 can be suppressed.

[0118] (Another embodiment of the actuator for the lock mechanism of the opening / closing body) 12 to 14 show another embodiment of the actuator for a lock mechanism of an opening / closing body according to the present invention. Note that parts that are substantially the same as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0119] An actuator 10A for a lock mechanism of an opening / closing body (hereinafter, simply referred to as "actuator 10A") in this embodiment has a layout of protruding parts that differs from that in the above-described embodiment.

[0120] That is, in this embodiment, a protrusion 89 is provided on the stopper portion 87 of the cover member 80A.

[0121] Specifically, a convex portion 89 protrudes toward side wall portion 83 from the inner surface of a stopper portion 87 located on side wall portion 82 of cover member 80A, which is located on the inside of the lever opening 35, and a convex portion 89 protrudes toward side wall portion 82 from the inner surface of a stopper portion 88 located on side wall portion 83 of cover member 80A, which is located on the inside of the lever opening 35.

[0122] Each of the protrusions 89 protrudes from the side walls 82, 83 to form a curved surface, and is a ridge extending over the entire area of ​​the side walls 82, 83 from one end to the other end in the width direction.

[0123] Both side surfaces 71 and 72 of the manual lever 70A facing the lock slide direction F are flat surfaces with no protrusions.

[0124] Then, as shown in FIG. 13, when electricity is applied to the electric drive unit 50 from a non-energized state, the plunger 53 is pulled in against the biasing force of the second biasing member 19, and the movable member 60 slides in the other direction in the lock slide direction F.

[0125] Then, as shown in FIG. 14, the side surface 72 of the manual lever 70A first collides with the protrusion 89 on the side wall portion 83 of the cover member 80A, and then the side surface 72 of the manual lever 70A abuts against the inner surface of the side wall portion 83 of the cover member 80A, causing the sliding movement of the movable member 60 to stop.

[0126] On the other hand, when the power supply to the electric drive unit 50 is cut off from the state shown in FIG. 14, the plunger 53 is pushed out by the biasing force of the second biasing member 19, and the moving member 60 slides in one direction in the lock-slide direction F.

[0127] Then, as shown in FIG. 13, the side surface 71 of the manual lever 70A first collides with the protrusion 89 of the side wall portion 82 of the cover member 80A, and then the side surface 71 of the manual lever 70A abuts against the inner surface of the side wall portion 82 of the cover member 80A, causing the sliding movement of the movable member 60 to stop.

[0128] In this embodiment, as in the above embodiment, the cover member 80 can improve waterproof and dustproof properties, and the stopper portions 87, 88 and the protrusions 89 can suppress impact sounds generated when the movable member 60 moves back and forth.

[0129] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modified embodiments are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention, and such embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 1 Fixed body 2 Opening 5 Opening and closing body 10,10A Actuator for locking mechanism of opening and closing body (actuator) 11 Cases 20 Case 1 30 Case 2 35 Lever opening 40 Rod 44 Engagement piece 45 Cam protrusion 46 Lock hole 50 Electric Drive Unit 60 Moving parts 66 Lock protrusion 70,70A Manual Lever 77 Convex 80,80A Cover material 87,88 Stopper part 89 Convex

Claims

1. An actuator for a locking mechanism of an opening / closing body, the locking mechanism being used in a locking mechanism that locks an opening / closing body that is openably attached to an opening of a fixed body in a closed state with respect to the opening, and configured to be capable of releasing a lock by the locking mechanism, a movable member that acts on the locking mechanism to lock and unlock the locking mechanism; an electric drive device for moving the moving member between a locked position and an unlocked position; a case that covers at least the moving member and the electric drive device; a manual lever provided on the movable member for manually moving the movable member from the lock position to the unlock position, The case is provided with a lever opening through which the manual lever can be movably inserted and removed, a cover member made of a soft resin material is attached to the lever opening to cover from the outside a portion of the manual lever that is inserted through the lever opening and to enable the manual lever to be operated from the outside; A portion of the cover member located inside the lever opening forms a stopper portion, An actuator for a locking mechanism of an opening / closing body, characterized in that the inserted portion of the manual lever is configured to abut against the stopper portion when the movable member moves to the locked position and / or the unlocked position.

2. 2. The actuator for a lock mechanism of an opening / closing body according to claim 1, wherein a convex portion is provided on at least one of the stopper portion and a portion of the manual lever that abuts against the stopper portion.

3. 3. The actuator for a lock mechanism of an opening / closing body according to claim 1, wherein a part of the cover member is in pressure contact with an outer periphery of the electric drive device.

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