Locking device and storage device

Abstract

To provide a lock device and a storage device having the same, superior in workability of installation of an energizing member, and capable of smoothly rotating a rotary member with a simple constitution.SOLUTION: The locking device 1 includes a base body 15, a rotation member 16 attached to the base body 15 along a predetermined direction and supported by the base body 15 so as to be rotatable in one direction and the other direction opposite to the one direction, a rod 10 connected to the rotation member 16 at a position opposite to the rotation member 16 with respect to a rotation center and capable of locking and unlocking by moving forward and backward according to rotation of the rotation member 16 in the one direction and the other direction, and a biasing member 25 capable of biasing the rotation member 16 with respect to the base body 15 along the predetermined direction and having a compression rate that increases as the rotation member 16 rotates in the other direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a locking device that can be locked and unlocked by advancing and retracting a locking member in response to the rotation of a rotating member, and to a storage device equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a storage device mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile includes a glove box installed under the passenger seat. The glove box has a cover attached to an opening in an instrument panel so as to be rotatable between an open position and a closed position, and a locking device is provided to keep the cover closed. When a knob serving as an operating part of the locking device is pulled toward the user, a pressing element of the knob presses a rotating member, causing the rotating member to rotate against the bias of a biasing member (return spring). As a result, two sets of rods connected to the rotating member retract toward the cover member in response to the rotation of the rotating member, thereby releasing the lock. When the force pulling the knob is released, the biasing force of the biasing member causes the rotating member to rotate in the opposite direction, returning the rods to the locked position (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-100343 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above configuration, one end of the biasing member needs to be hooked to the rotating member and the other end of the biasing member needs to be hooked to a holding member that holds the rotating member, so a configuration that makes it easier to assemble the biasing member is required. Also, for smooth operation of the locking device, it is required that the rotating member rotate without rattle.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such points, and an object thereof is to provide a lock device having good workability in assembling a biasing member and capable of smoothly rotating a rotating member with a simple configuration, and a storage device provided with the same.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The lock device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a base body, a rotating member attached to the base body along a predetermined direction and supported by the base body so as to be rotatable in one direction and the other direction opposite thereto, and the rotating member. Lock members respectively connected to positions on the opposite sides with respect to the rotation center, and capable of locking and unlocking by advancing and retreating according to the rotation of the rotating member in the one direction and the other direction, and the rotating member with respect to the base body. And a biasing member that can be biased along the predetermined direction, and the compression rate increases as the rotating member rotates in the other direction.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the workability of assembling the biasing member is good, and the rotating member can be smoothly rotated with a simple configuration.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] [Figure 1] It is an end view of a position corresponding to I-I in FIG. 3(c) showing a lock device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing the operation of the lock device, where (a) shows the locked state (initial position) by the lock member, and (b) shows the unlocked state of the lock member. [Figure 3] (a) is a perspective view showing the base body of the lock device, (b) is a perspective view showing the rotating member of the lock device, and (c) is a perspective view showing the lock device. [Figure 4] It is a partially exploded perspective view of the lock device. [Figure 5] It is an exploded perspective view of the lock device. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a storage device equipped with the same locking device. [Figure 7] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

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

[0010] In FIGS. 6 and 7 , reference numeral 1 denotes a locking device. The locking device 1 is capable of locking a second member to a first member and unlocking the lock. For example, the first member and the second member are used in any opening / closing device or storage device. In the illustrated example, the locking device 1 is used in a storage device 2. The storage device 2 is, for example, a glove box for a vehicle. The storage device 2 includes a main body 4, which is a first member having an opening 3, and a lid member 5, which is a second member that opens and closes the opening 3 of the main body 4. The locking device 1 is disposed in either the main body 4 or the lid member 5. In this embodiment, the locking device 1 is disposed in the lid member 5. The lid member 5 has multiple members, for example, an inner member 5a and an outer member 5b, and the locking device 1 is mainly disposed in the space between the inner member 5a and the outer member 5b in the lid member 5. The locking device 1 locks the lid member 5 to the main body 4 while closing the opening 3, and when unlocked, the lid member 5 can open the opening 3.

[0011] In the following, the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-down directions are defined based on the direction in which the storage device 2 is viewed from the user's side, with the direction of the arrow FR in the figure, which is the user's side, being the front side or near side, and the opposite direction, the direction of the arrow RR, being the rear side or back side, with the directions of the arrows L and R in the figure being the left-to-right directions and the directions of the arrows U and D being the up-to-down directions.

[0012] The locking device 1 includes a rod 10 which is a locking member, and an advancing / retracting mechanism 11 for advancing and retracting the rod 10.

[0013] The rod 10 is a long member also called a locking portion, a pin, or a latch portion. The rod 10 is a sliding member that can advance and retreat (slide) in a predetermined direction, and locks the first member and the second member by inserting and withdrawing one end (tip end) into and from a lock receiving portion, which is a receiving portion such as a hole provided in the other of the first member and the second member, in this embodiment, the first member (main body portion 4), as the rod 10 advances and retreats. In this embodiment, the rod 10 can advance and retreat in its longitudinal direction. That is, in this embodiment, the predetermined direction is the longitudinal direction of the rod 10, which is the left-right direction in the illustrated example.

[0014] In this embodiment, the rods 10 are set as a pair. One rod 10a and the other rod 10b are positioned side by side in the longitudinal direction, i.e., the left-right direction. In the illustrated example, the left-side rod 10a is longer than the right-side rod 10b, but the length relationship between the first and second rods 10a and 10b may be set as desired. Furthermore, the first rod 10a has a crank-like bent shape at the middle portion of its longitudinal direction. However, this is not limiting and any shape is acceptable as long as it is basically long and can be moved back and forth in the longitudinal direction. For clarity of explanation, hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, either or both of the first and second rods 10a and 10b may be simply referred to as rods 10.

[0015] The advancing / retreating mechanism 11 is configured to move the one rod 10a and the other rod 10b in opposite directions so as to link the advancing / retreating movements of the one rod 10a and the other rod 10b.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 3(a), 3(c), and 4 to 6, in this embodiment, the advancing / retreating mechanism 11 includes a base 15. The base 15 is also called a base portion, a body portion, a lock base, a retainer, etc., and is attached integrally to either the first member or the second member, which in this embodiment is the second member (the cover member 5). For example, the base 15 is supported by being sandwiched between the inner member 5a and the outer member 5b of the cover member 5 in the front-rear direction. In the illustrated example, the base 15 is formed as a separate body from either the first member or the second member, but this is not limiting and the base 15 may be formed integrally with the first member or the second member.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 3(b), 3(c), and 4 to 6, in this embodiment, the advancing / retreating mechanism 11 includes a rotating member 16 for interlocking the rod 10a and the rod 10b. The rotating member 16 is also called a rotor. The rotating member 16 interlocks the rods 10 to move in opposite directions. The rotating member 16 advances the rods 10 toward their respective rod receiving portions by rotating counterclockwise in FIG. 3(c), and retreats the rods 10 from their respective rod receiving portions by rotating clockwise in FIG. 3(c). Hereinafter, the rotation direction of the rotating member 16, which advances the rods 10, will be referred to as "one rotation direction," and the opposite direction will be referred to as "the other rotation direction." The rotating member 16, together with the rods 10, is attached to a base 15. The rotating member 16 is rotatably supported by a bearing 17 formed on the base 15. In this embodiment, the bearing portion 17 is provided to protrude in the front-to-rear direction, for example, from the rear of the base body 15, or in the illustrated example, on the side of the base body 15 facing the inner member 5a, and the rotating member 16 is capable of rotating left and right around the bearing portion 17. That is, the rotating member 16 in this embodiment is located at the rear of the base body 15, between the base body 15 and the inner member 5a.

[0018] The rotating member 16 has a supported portion 20 supported by the bearing portion 17, and a pair of arm portions 21 extending radially from the supported portion 20.

[0019] In the illustrated example, the supported part 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape having an axial hole 22 in the center as a rotation center shaft part. The bearing part 17 is inserted into the axial hole 22 from the front side to the rear side. The pair of arms 21 extend on opposite sides of the center of the axial hole 22, which is the center of the supported part 20, i.e., the rotation center of the rotating member 16. In other words, the pair of arms 21 are located on one side and the other side of the rotation center of the rotating member 16. In this embodiment, the arms 21 are located above and below the supported part 20. In this embodiment, each arm 21 has a cylindrical or rotor-shaped protrusion 23 formed in a direction parallel or approximately parallel to the axial direction of the supported part 20. The protrusion 23 is inserted into the other end (base end) of the rod 10 so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction and is connected to the other end of the rod 10. The protrusion 23 protrudes from the arm 21 toward the base 15, and when connected to the protrusion 23, the other end of the rod 10 is located between the arm 21 and the base 15 in the front-rear direction.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1 , the rotating member 16 is biased in a predetermined direction, that is, the front-rear direction, relative to the base body 15, by a biasing member 25. The biasing member 25 is a cylindrical, so-called series-wound compression coil spring, and is arranged so that its axial direction is parallel or approximately parallel to the rotating member 16 and the bearing portion 17 of the base body 15. In the present embodiment, the biasing member 25 is arranged coaxially with the rotating member 16 and the bearing portion 17 of the base body 15. In the illustrated example, the biasing member 25 is housed inside the axial hole portion 22 of the rotating member 16. The biasing member 25 is sandwiched in the axial direction between the base body 15 and the rotating member 16. For example, one end of the biasing member 25 is supported by a support claw 27 having an under-shape protruding from the inner circumferential surface of the axial hole portion 22 of the rotating member 16, and the other end of the biasing member 25 is supported by a support claw 28 having an under-shape protruding from the outer periphery of the bearing portion 17 of the base body 15. Therefore, the biasing member 25 is held inside the shaft hole 22 in a state where it is compressed in the axial direction between the support claws 27, 28. Therefore, the biasing member 25 applies biasing forces to the base 15 and the rotating member 16 in opposite directions in a predetermined direction, and in this embodiment, the biasing forces are applied rearward to the base 15 and forward to the rotating member 16. The biasing force of the biasing member 25 presses the base 15 and the rotating member 16 against each other to prevent them from coming loose, and acts as a holding force to hold them without rattle.

[0021] Furthermore, the biasing force of the biasing member 25 also acts as a holding force for holding the rod 10 in the locked state. That is, the biasing member 25 serves both to prevent rattling of the rotating member 16 relative to the base body 15 and to hold the rod 10 in the locked state.

[0022] In this embodiment, a cam structure consisting of a base-side sliding portion 30 formed on the base 15 and a rotating member-side sliding portion 31 formed on the rotating member 16 is used to convert the axial biasing force of the biasing member 25 into a biasing force in the rotation direction of the rotating member 16 relative to the base 15. The base-side sliding portion 30 and the rotating member-side sliding portion 31 face each other in the front-rear direction, which is a predetermined direction, and are pressed against each other in the front-rear direction, which is the predetermined direction, by the biasing force of the biasing member 25.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3(a), the base-side sliding portion 30 is a rib-like portion formed at the rear of the base 15 facing the rotating member 16, away from the bearing portion 17, along the left-right direction, which is the direction in which the rod 10 advances and retreats. The base-side sliding portion 30 is inclined so that its height gradually increases in a predetermined direction toward the other direction of the rotation direction of the rotating member 16, i.e., the clockwise direction in FIG. 3(a). In other words, the base-side sliding portion 30 is inclined so that its protrusion amount toward the rearward direction toward the rotating member 16 gradually increases in the other direction of the rotation direction of the rotating member 16. Furthermore, the tip of the base-side sliding portion 30 is inclined so that its height gradually decreases in a predetermined direction toward the bearing portion 17, i.e., toward the rotation center of the rotating member 16. Preferably, the base-side sliding portion 30 is disposed at multiple locations around the bearing portion 17. In this embodiment, the base-side sliding parts 30 are located on opposite sides of each other with respect to the central axis of the bearing part 17, that is, the rotation center of the rotating member 16.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3(b), the rotating member-side sliding portion 31 slides relative to the base-side sliding portion 30 as the rotating member 16 rotates. The rotating member-side sliding portion 31 is a rib-like portion formed along the rotation direction of the rotating member 16, i.e., the circumferential direction, at a position spaced outward from the shaft hole portion 22 and between the shaft hole portion 22 and the protrusion portion 23, at the front portion of the rotating member 16 facing the base 15. The rotating member-side sliding portion 31 is inclined so that its height gradually decreases in a predetermined direction toward the other side of the rotation direction of the rotating member 16, i.e., the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3(b). In other words, the rotating member-side sliding portion 31 is inclined so that the amount of protrusion toward the front direction toward the base 15 gradually decreases toward the other side of the rotation direction of the rotating member 16. Therefore, due to the inclination of the rotating member-side sliding portion 31 and the base-side sliding portion 30, their abutment changes the positional relationship between the base 15 and the rotating member 16 in a predetermined direction, i.e., the front-to-rear direction, as the rotating member 16 rotates relative to the base 15. In other words, the cam structure consisting of the rotating member-side sliding portion 31 and the base-side sliding portion 30 has a direction-changing function that changes the rotation of the rotating member 16 to movement in the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, the rotating member 16 moves more rearward relative to the base 15 as it rotates in the other direction of the rotation direction, so the distance between the support claws 27, 28 becomes relatively shorter, and the axial compression rate of the biasing member 25, i.e., the biasing force as the reaction force, becomes larger. Therefore, the compression rate of the biasing member 25 changes in response to the rotation of the rotating member 16, so that the compression rate becomes smaller as the rotating member 16 rotates in one direction and becomes larger as the rotating member 16 rotates in the other direction.

[0025] Furthermore, the tip of the rotating member-side sliding portion 31 is inclined so that its height gradually increases in a predetermined direction toward the shaft hole portion 22, i.e., toward the rotation center of the rotating member 16. Due to this inclination of the tip of the rotating member-side sliding portion 31 and the base-side sliding portion 30, the force pressing the rotating member-side sliding portion 31 and the base-side sliding portion 30 against each other by the biasing force of the biasing member 25 also acts to press the rotating member 16 and the base 15 in the radial direction, allowing the base-side sliding portion 30 and the rotating member-side sliding portion 31 to slide smoothly. Preferably, the same number of rotating member-side sliding portions 31 as the number of base-side sliding portions 30 are formed. In this embodiment, the rotating member-side sliding portions 31 are arranged on opposite sides of each other with respect to the central axis of the shaft hole portion 22, i.e., the rotation center of the rotating member 16, and are each located on the arm portion 21.

[0026] In this embodiment, the rod 10 shown in FIGS. 3(c) and 5 is moved by the operation of an operating unit 35, which is operated by a user such as a vehicle occupant when unlocking the vehicle. The operating unit 35 is also called a handle member, an operating handle, or a knob. In this embodiment, the operating unit 35 is movably provided on the base 15 and is exposed from either the first member or the second member to which the locking device 1 is attached (the second member (cover member 5) in this embodiment). The operating unit 35 is a member that moves relative to the base 15 in response to a user's operation to retract the rod 10 from the lock receiving portion and release (unlock) the lock set by the locking device 1. Alternatively, the operating unit 35 may directly apply an external force to the rotating member 16. The pair of rods 10 are integrally linked by the rotating member 16, so the operating unit 35 can retract the rod 10 in the unlocking direction by applying an external force to the rotating member 16 directly or indirectly via one of the rods 10. The operating unit 35 may be configured to be slidable relative to the base 15 as long as it operates to change its position or posture relative to the base 15, but in this embodiment, the operating unit 35 is supported on the front part of the base 15 and is rotatable in the left and right directions.

[0027] A pressure applying portion 36 protrudes from the rear portion of the operating portion 35, i.e., from the side facing the base body 15, and this pressure applying portion 36 is inserted from the front to the rear into a hole 37 (shown in FIG. 3(a)) formed in the base body 15, and faces a pressure receiving portion 38 of the other rod 10b in the left-right direction at the rear position of the base body 15. That is, in this embodiment, the other rod 10b is a rod that is operated by receiving an external force directly from the operating portion 35, and the one rod 10a is a driven rod that is operated indirectly via the rotating member 16 in response to the operation of the operating portion 35. The pressure receiving portion 38 protrudes, for example, from the lower portion of the other rod 10b.

[0028] In the illustrated example, at least one of the rods 10, in this embodiment, each of the rods 10a and 10b, is guided in the forward and backward directions by the base 15. That is, the base 15 is formed with a guide portion 39 that guides the rod 10. The guide portion 39 is also called a slider portion. The guide portion 39 is formed with a U-shaped cross section that is open at the rear, and extends in the left-right direction. The guide portion 39 is located close to the pressure-receiving portion 38.

[0029] 1 to 6 , in the locking device 1, the biasing member 25 is inserted into the axial hole 22, and the rotating member 16, one end of which is held by the support claw 27, is aligned with the axial hole 22 and the bearing 17 of the base 15. The rotating member 16 is then pushed from rear to front together with the biasing member 25, and the other end of the biasing member 25 is held by the support claw 28. As a result, the biasing force of the biasing member 25 holds the base-side sliding portion 30 and the rotating-member-side sliding portion 31 in a state where they are pressed together in the front-to-rear direction. In other words, the biasing member 25 biases the rotating member 16 in a direction opposite to the mounting direction relative to the base 15. In this way, the base 15, the rotating member 16, and the urging member 25 can be assembled simply by pushing them in the axial direction, which improves the workability of assembling the urging member 25 compared to a configuration in which one end of the urging member 25 is hooked to the base 15 and the other end is hooked to the rotating member 16.

[0030] Next, one and the other rods 10a, 10b are connected to the protrusions 23, 23 of the arms 21, 21 of the rotating member 16. In this embodiment, one end of the biasing member 25 is connected to the base body 15, and the other end is connected to one rod 10a. Each of the rods 10a, 10b is fitted into a guide portion 39 of the base body 15.

[0031] Furthermore, the operating part 35 is rotatably assembled to the base body 15 from the front part of the base body 15 while the pressure part 36 is inserted into the hole part 37, and the pressure part 36 is opposed to the pressure receiving part 38 of one of the rods 10a.

[0032] The locking device 1 assembled in this manner can be attached to the storage device 2 (shown in Figure 7) by attaching the base 15 to the first or second member, for example, the inner member 5a of the cover member 5 in this embodiment, and covering it with the outer member 5b.

[0033] The locking device 1 assumes an initial position where the one and other rods 10a, 10b are each biased in the advancing direction because the biasing force of the biasing member 25 becomes a biasing force in one direction of the rotation of the rotating member 16 due to the inclination of the base-side sliding part 30 and the rotating-member-side sliding part 31. When the cover member 5 is in the position where it closes the opening 3, the tip of the rod 10 is inserted into the lock receiving part and is held, locking the cover member 5 to the main body 4.

[0034] Furthermore, when releasing the lock by the locking device 1, when the user rotates the operating part 35 from the state shown in Figure 2(a) to the state shown in Figure 2(b), the pressure applying part 36 of the operating part 35 comes into contact with the pressure receiving part 38 of the other rod 10b and presses the other rod 10b to the left via the pressure receiving part 38, causing the other rod 10b to move to the left along the guide part 39 and retract from the lock receiving part, and the rotating member 16 to which the other rod 10b and the protrusion part 23 are connected is pushed in the other direction of rotation so as to rotate against the force of the biasing member 25, causing the rotating member 16 to rotate around the bearing part 17, and one of the rods 10a connected to the protrusion part 23 is pulled to the right as the rotating member 16 rotates, moving to the right and retracting from the lock receiving part. That is, the pair of rods 10 move in opposite directions via the rotating members 16, and the tip ends of the rods 10 are pulled out of the lock receiving portions, and the lock by the locking device 1 is released.

[0035] In this embodiment, the compression rate of biasing member 25 increases as rotating member 16 rotates in another direction, so rotating member 16 rotates while always being biased toward base body 15. This allows rotating member 16 to rotate smoothly with a simple configuration without rattle around bearing portion 17, and rotating member 16 is biased to return to its initial position from any rotation angle. Therefore, a locking device 1 that can be opened and closed smoothly can be provided.

[0036] Specifically, the base side sliding portion 30 is inclined so that its height gradually increases in a predetermined direction toward the other side of the rotation direction of the rotating member 16, and the rotating member side sliding portion 31 is inclined so that its height gradually decreases in a predetermined direction toward the other side of the rotation direction of the rotating member 16. As a result, under normal circumstances, the biasing force of the biasing member 25 also acts in one direction of the rotating member 16, i.e., in the direction that holds the rotating member 16 in the initial position that maintains the lock by the rod 10, and when the rotating member 16 rotates, the compression rate of the biasing member 25 increases the more the rotating member 16 is rotated.

[0037] In other words, one biasing member 25 can serve both to prevent rattle of the rotating member 16 and to maintain the locked state of the rod 10, allowing for a simple configuration.

[0038] Furthermore, since the biasing member 25 is housed and held between the support claws 27 and 28, the mounting layout of the biasing member 25 can be made compact.

[0039] Furthermore, the rotating member 16 rotates when an external force is applied to the rotating member 16 directly or indirectly via at least one of the rods 10, so that the rotating member 16 can be easily rotated.

[0040] In one embodiment, the biasing member 25 is not limited to being disposed inside the axial hole portion 22, but may be disposed at any position as long as it can generate a biasing force in the direction in which the base side sliding portion 30 and the rotating member side sliding portion 31 are pressed against each other.

[0041] Furthermore, the locking device 1 is not limited to being used in a storage device 2 such as a glove box for a vehicle, but may be used to lock the lid member 5 of any storage device 2. [Industrial Applicability]

[0042] The present invention is suitably used in a locking device that locks a cover member of a storage device for a vehicle, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1 Locking device 2 Storage device 3 Opening 4 Main body 5 Cover member 10 Rod as locking member 15 Base 16 Rotating member 25 biasing member 30 Base side sliding part 31 Rotating member side sliding portion

Claims

1. a substrate; a rotating member attached to the base along a predetermined direction and supported by the base so as to be rotatable in one direction and in another direction opposite thereto; a locking member connected to the rotating member at a position on the opposite side of the rotation center, and capable of locking and unlocking by moving forward and backward in accordance with the rotation of the rotating member in the one direction and the other direction; a biasing member that can bias the rotating member relative to the base body in the predetermined direction, and whose compression rate increases as the rotating member rotates in the other direction; A locking device comprising:

2. the base body has a base body side sliding portion, the rotating member has a rotating member-side sliding portion that is positioned opposite the base-side sliding portion in a predetermined direction and slides relative to the base-side sliding portion as the rotating member rotates; the base-side sliding portion is inclined so that its height gradually increases in the predetermined direction toward the other side of the rotation direction of the rotating member, The rotating member side sliding portion is inclined so that its height gradually decreases in the predetermined direction toward the other direction of the rotating direction of the rotating member.

2. The locking device according to claim 1.

3. The rotating member rotates when an external force is applied directly or indirectly via at least one of the locking members.

2. The locking device according to claim 1.

4. a main body having an opening; a cover member that can open and close the opening; a locking device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, provided on either the main body or the lid member, for locking the lid member to the main body in a state where the opening is closed; A storage device comprising:

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