Lid actuator

Abstract

To provide a lid actuator 10 capable of reducing a collision sound generated when closing an inflow port 6 by a lid 3.SOLUTION: A lid actuator 10 that performs an opening operation of opening an inflow port 6 for allowing a fluid to flow in by a lid 3 and a closing operation of closing the inflow port 6 by the lid 3 includes a drive mechanism 22 that drives the lid 3, and a control device 1 that can control the opening operation and the closing operation of the lid 3 by the drive mechanism 22 between a closed position α at which the inflow port 6 is closed and a maximum open position β. During the closing operation of the lid 3, the control device 1 can control the closing operation of the lid 3 such that the closing speed of the lid 3 in the first operating range E1 until the lid 3 reaches the closed position α is lower than the closing speed of the lid 3 immediately before the lid 3 reaches the first operating range E1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lid actuator. [Background technology]

[0002] Regarding technology for opening and closing a lid using a lid actuator, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle lid device. The vehicle lid device in Patent Document 1 includes a lid that is attached to the side of the vehicle body and that opens and closes between a closed position that closes an inlet for supplying energy to the vehicle and an open position that opens an opening, and an opening and closing mechanism that opens and closes the lid. When closing the lid, the opening and closing mechanism is configured to close the lid to the closed position manually or by a motor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-172355 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the lid is used to close the inlet, if the lid abuts against the opening with force, a loud collision noise may be generated between the lid and the opening, and there is room for improvement.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a lid actuator that can reduce the collision noise that may occur when the inlet is closed by the lid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A lid actuator according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a lid actuator that performs an opening operation of opening an inlet for allowing a fluid to flow in by a lid and a closing operation of closing the inlet by the lid, a drive mechanism for driving the lid; a control device capable of controlling the opening and closing operations of the lid by the drive mechanism between a closed position where the inlet is closed and an open position where the inlet is open, The control device When the lid is closed, the closing operation of the lid can be controlled so that the closing speed of the lid in the first operating range until the lid reaches the closed position is slower than the closing speed of the lid just before it reaches the first operating range. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a lid actuator that can reduce the collision noise that may occur when the inlet is closed by the lid. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating an example of the state of the opening and closing operation of the lid actuator. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a structure of a drive mechanism. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a drive mechanism to which a lid is attached. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an example of an electrical block diagram of a lid actuator including a control device and a drive unit. [Figure 5] 10 is an example of a flowchart of a lid opening / closing program. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an example of an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between a closing operation data table and a closing speed. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an example of an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between an opening operation data table and an opening speed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

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

[0010] (Lid Actuator 10) Fig. 1 is an example of an explanatory diagram showing the opening and closing states of the lid actuator. As shown in Fig. 1, the lid actuator 10 is configured to perform an opening operation in which the lid 3 opens the inlet 6, and a closing operation in which the lid 3 closes the inlet 6. The lid actuator 10 is also configured to reduce collision noise that may occur between the lid 3 and the inlet 6 when the lid 3 closes the inlet 6.

[0011] As a specific example, the lid actuator 10 includes a drive unit 2 including a drive mechanism 22 that drives the lid 3, and a control device 1 that controls the opening and closing operations of the lid 3 via the drive mechanism 22. The opening operation of the lid 3 is, for example, movement from a closed position α, in which the inlet 6 is closed, to a maximum open position β, in which the inlet 6 is open. The closing operation of the lid 3 is, for example, movement from the maximum open position β to the closed position α. ​​The control device 1 can control the closing operation of the lid 3 so that the closing speed of the lid 3 in a first operation range E1 (described below) until the lid 3 reaches the closed position α is slower than the closing speed of the lid 3 immediately before reaching the first operation range E1. In this way, during the closing operation of the lid 3, the closing speed of the lid 3 when it reaches the closed position α is slower than the closing speed of the lid 3 immediately before reaching the first operation range E1, thereby reducing the impact noise that may occur when the lid 3 abuts against the inlet 6.

[0012] Here, "inlet 6" refers to an opening for the inflow of fluid or electricity, and examples thereof include a fuel filler or power filler for an automobile, a fuel filler for a generator, a fuel filler for a ship, a fuel filler for an aircraft, a refill port for a fertilizer or pesticide tank for agricultural machinery, a fuel tank refill port, a lubricant filler for industrial machinery, a coolant filler for industrial machinery, a connection port for connecting a gas cylinder for a household gas stove or other gas heater, a cleaning solution tank refill port for a household cleaning machine, a fuel tank refill port for construction machinery, a battery charging port for a robot, and a chemical tank refill port for medical equipment. Furthermore, "fluid" includes liquids and gases such as fuel, coolant, oil, compressed air, natural gas, hydrogen gas, cleaning solution, and pesticide or fertilizer solution, as well as electric current, which is the flow of electrons flowing through a conductor.

[0013] Lids 3 are used in a wide variety of applications, including automobiles, motorcycles, and other vehicles, as well as generators, chargers, ships, factory equipment, and homes. Lids 3 are classified into hinged lids and sliding lids depending on the opening and closing configuration of the inlet 6. In the hinged lid configuration, the lid 3 is rotated around a hinge located on the periphery of the inlet 6, allowing the lid 3 to rotate perpendicular to the opening surface of the inlet 6. As a result, in the hinged lid configuration, when the lid 3 is rotated in the opening direction, the inlet 6 is completely exposed, facilitating the installation of a fluid supply device. In the sliding lid configuration, the lid 3 moves back and forth parallel to the opening surface of the inlet 6 (including both the forward and backward movement of the lid 3 rotating parallel to the opening surface of the inlet 6 and the forward and backward movement of the lid 3 moving linearly parallel to the opening surface of the inlet 6). As a result, in the sliding lid configuration, when the lid 3 opens the inlet 6, it waits in a position along the wall surface surrounding the inlet 6, making it possible to use it efficiently even in a narrow space. Note that in this embodiment, a hinged lid configuration will be described in detail as an example, but the present invention may also be applied to the sliding lid configuration.

[0014] The "closed position α" indicates one end of the operating range of the lid 3 (the operating range in which it can physically operate), and is the position where the closing operation of the lid 3 is completed by the control device 1. In other words, the closed position α is the position where the lid 3 closes the inlet 6 to prevent leakage of the internal fluid and the intrusion of foreign matter from the outside. The "maximum open position β" indicates the other end of the operating range of the lid 3 (the operating range in which it can physically operate), and is the position where the opening operation of the lid 3 is completed by the control device 1. In other words, the maximum open position β is the position where the lid 3 completely opens the inlet 6, allowing the inflow and outflow of fluid.

[0015] In this embodiment, the control device 1 controls the operation of the lid 3 between the closed position α and the fully open position β, but this is not limiting. For example, the control device 1 may control the operation of the lid 3 between the closed position α and a predetermined open position other than the fully open position β (for example, a position close to the fully open position). In other words, when refueling, it is not necessary to open the lid 3 to the fully open position β, as long as the inlet 6 is opened to an extent that allows fuel to be refueled.

[0016] In this embodiment, a hinged lid configuration is taken as an example, and the opening / closing angle is defined as 0° when the lid 3 is in the closed position α and as 120° when the lid 3 is in the maximum open position β, but the maximum open position β is not limited to 120°. For example, the maximum open position β may be defined as an opening / closing angle of 150° or 160°.

[0017] The "closing speed of the lid 3" refers to the speed at which the lid 3 moves toward the closing position α of the inlet 6. Specifically, it refers to the speed at which the lid 3 is driven by the drive mechanism 22 to close toward the inlet 6. The "first actuation region E1" refers to a specific range immediately before the lid 3 reaches the closing position α during the closing operation of the lid 3 by the lid actuator 10. Specifically, it is the final stage before the lid 3 closes the inlet 6 in a sealed state, and is a final stage region for adjusting the closing speed. "The closing operation of the lid 3 can be controlled so that the closing speed of the lid 3 in the first actuation region E1 is slower than the closing speed of the lid 3 immediately before reaching the first actuation region E1" refers to control of the lid actuator 10 to slow down the closing speed when the lid 3 enters (before or after entering) the first actuation region E1, which is the final stage of completely closing the inlet 6. This allows the lid 3 to slow down when it reaches the closed position α, thereby suppressing the impact noise when the lid 3 abuts against the inlet 6. The closing speed in the "first operating region E1" may be a constant speed or may be gradually decelerated.

[0018] The lid actuator 10 is not limited to a rotation direction of the lid 3, as long as it is configured to slow the closing speed of the lid 3 when it reaches the closed position α compared to the closing speed immediately before it reaches the first actuation region E1. That is, the rotation direction of the lid 3 may be an up-down direction parallel to gravity or a left-right direction perpendicular to gravity. However, as shown in FIG. 2 (described later), if the drive mechanism 22 does not have a self-restraining function, the lid 3 will rotate downward accelerating due to the action of gravity, and may come into contact with the inlet 6, generating a loud impact noise. Therefore, a configuration in which the closing speed of the lid 3 when it reaches the closed position α is slower than the closing speed immediately before it reaches the first actuation region E1 is highly effective.

[0019] 1, the control device 1 can control the opening operation of the lid 3 so that the opening speed of the lid 3 in a second operation range E2 (described later) until the lid 3 reaches the maximum open position β is slower than the opening speed of the lid 3 immediately before reaching the second operation range E2. This allows the lid actuator 10 to relatively increase the opening speed of the lid 3 up to the second operation range E2 immediately before reaching the maximum open position β, thereby shortening the opening operation time, and reducing the load on the mechanism supporting the lid 3 when stopping the lid 3 at the maximum open position β.

[0020] Here, the "opening speed of the lid 3" refers to the speed at which the lid 3 moves to the maximum open position β. Specifically, it refers to the speed at which the lid 3 is driven by the drive mechanism 22 to open toward the maximum open position β. The "second actuation range E2" refers to a specific range immediately before the lid 3 reaches the maximum open position β during the opening operation of the lid 3 by the lid actuator 10. Specifically, it is the final stage before the lid 3 completely opens the inlet 6, and is a final stage range for adjusting the opening speed. "The opening operation of the lid 3 can be controlled so that the opening speed of the lid 3 in the second actuation range E2 is slower than the opening speed of the lid 3 immediately before reaching the second actuation range E2" means that the opening speed is controlled to slow down before entering the second actuation range E2, which is the final stage when the lid 3 reaches the maximum open position β. The opening speed in the "second actuation range E2" may be constant or gradually decelerated. Furthermore, the closing speed of the lid 3 in the first actuation region E1 and the opening speed of the lid 3 in the second actuation region E2 may be the same or different.

[0021] (Lid actuator 10: drive mechanism 22) Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the structure of the drive mechanism, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the drive mechanism 22 to which the lid 3 is attached.

[0022] 2 and 3, the drive mechanism 22 has, as a drive source, a DC motor 221 whose rotational drive force is controlled by DC power. Examples of the DC motor 221 include a brushed DC motor, a brushless DC motor, a coreless DC motor, a servo motor, and a stepping motor. Examples of the DC motor 221 suitable for PWM control include a brushed DC motor, a brushless DC motor, a coreless DC motor, and a servo motor.

[0023] A worm gear 222 is provided on the rotating shaft 221a of the DC motor 221. The worm gear 222 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and its axis coincides with that of the rotating shaft 221a. Threaded teeth are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the worm gear 222 from one axial end toward the DC motor 221 to the other axial end. The worm gear 222 is meshed with a worm wheel 223. The worm wheel 223 is a disk-shaped gear having teeth that mesh with the worm gear 222, and has an axis perpendicular to the axis of the worm gear 222. This allows the worm wheel 223 to rotate at a high reduction ratio in a direction perpendicular to the rotational direction of the worm gear 222.

[0024] A first pinion gear 226 is provided on the worm wheel 223, with their axes aligned. An intermediate gear 224 is meshed with the first pinion gear 226, and the intermediate gear 224 is meshed with a second pinion gear 227. A drive gear 225 is provided on the second pinion gear 227, with their axes aligned. Thus, the worm wheel 223, the first pinion gear 226, the intermediate gear 224, the second pinion gear 227, and the drive gear 225 form a gear train that transmits the driving force of the worm wheel 223 to the drive gear 225.

[0025] One longitudinal end of a shaft-shaped support member 228 is provided at the center of the drive gear 225. The support member 228 has an axis that coincides with the rotation axis of the drive gear 225 and is configured to be rotatable at an angle that coincides with the rotation angle of the drive gear 225. The lid 3 is provided on the side peripheral surface of the support member 228 via a hinge mechanism 229. As a result, the lid 3 is configured to be rotatable by a rotation distance of the hinge mechanism 229 around the axis of the support member 228 as the rotation center. The drive mechanism 22 configured in this manner is attached to an apparatus main body (e.g., a vehicle main body) (not shown) so that the lid 3 can rotate between a closed position α and a maximum open position β shown in FIG. 1.

[0026] 4 is an example of an electrical block diagram of a lid actuator 10 including a control device 1 and a drive unit 2. Although the lid 3 does not constitute the lid actuator 10, for convenience, the lid 3 is also illustrated in FIG.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the drive mechanism 22 configured as described above constitutes a part of the drive unit 2. The drive unit 2 has the drive mechanism 22, an open / close button 21, and a pulse signal generator 23. As shown in FIG. 3, the open / close button 21 is configured to be attachable to the outer wall surface of the lid 3, for example. The open / close button 21 is electrically connected to the control device 1 (described later), and can output a lid open / close signal for instructing the opening and closing of the lid 3 to the control device 1 when an operator who opens or closes the lid 3 touches the button. Note that the lid open / close signal is, for example, a signal for closing the lid 3 when the lid 3 is in the fully open state, and a signal for opening the lid 3 when the lid 3 is in the closed state or an open state other than the fully open state.

[0028] The drive unit 2 also includes a lid angle detector for detecting the opening / closing angle of the lid 3. Specifically, the drive unit 2 includes a pulse signal generator 23 (shown in FIG. 4 ) as a lid angle detector, which detects the rotation speed of the DC motor 221 and the gear rotation speed of the drive mechanism 22. The pulse signal generator 23 is exemplified by an encoder attached to the rotating shaft 221a of the DC motor 221. The encoder is a device for accurately detecting the rotation angle and rotation speed of the DC motor 221, and examples thereof include an optical encoder that detects rotation using an optical disk and an optical sensor, and a magnetic encoder that detects rotation using a magnetic sensor and a magnetic disk. The pulse signal generator 23 may also be a Hall sensor mechanism in which a magnet is attached to the rotating shaft 221a of the DC motor 221 to measure the rotation speed of the DC motor 221 by detecting changes in the magnetic field, or a Hall sensor mechanism that detects the tip of the gear of the drive mechanism 22 based on changes in the magnetic field. Furthermore, the pulse signal generator 23 may be a photointerrupter mechanism in which a disk with a slit is provided on the rotating shaft 221a of the DC motor 221 or on the gear of the drive mechanism 22, and the slit is detected between a light source and a phototransistor. The pulse signal generator 23 configured in this way can indirectly detect the opening / closing angle of the lid 3 based on the pulse signal by associating the pulse signal with the opening / closing angle of the lid 3.

[0029] The lid angle detector may directly detect the opening / closing angle of the lid 3. Specifically, the pulse signal generator 23 configured as described above may be provided on the support member 228 to which the lid 3 is attached via the hinge mechanism 229, and the opening / closing angle of the lid 3 may be directly detected based on the pulse signal from the pulse signal generator 23. Furthermore, in the embodiment, even in a configuration without a self-restraint function, the driving force of the DC motor 221 may be transmitted to the lid 3. In this case, the regenerative power of the DC motor 221 may be used as a braking force to reduce the closing or opening speed of the lid 3. This makes it possible to efficiently control the operation of the lid 3 and achieve opening and closing at an appropriate speed.

[0030] (Lid actuator 10: control device 1) 1, the control device 1 has a position detection unit 11 and a lid opening / closing operation unit 12. The position detection unit 11 is capable of detecting the opening / closing angle (open / closed position) of the lid 3 based on a pulse signal from a drive mechanism 22. The lid opening / closing operation unit 12 is capable of supplying DC power, which is PWM controlled at a duty ratio corresponding to the opening / closing angle of the lid 3, to a DC motor 221 to open and close the lid 3.

[0031] The lid opening / closing actuator 12 of the control device 1 controls the DC power supplied to the DC motor 221 by PWM control. This makes it possible to control the closing speed of the lid 3 in the first operation range E1 during the closing operation of the lid 3 so that it is slower than the closing speed of the lid 3 immediately before it reaches the first operation range E1. Furthermore, the lid opening / closing actuator 12 controls the opening speed of the lid 3 in the second operation range E2 during the opening operation of the lid 3 so that it is slower than the opening speed of the lid 3 immediately before it reaches the second operation range E2.

[0032] Here, "PWM control" is an abbreviation for pulse width modulation (PWM) control, which converts DC power into on-off pulses and adjusts the average power by changing the pulse width (duty ratio). In PWM control, the higher the duty ratio, the higher the average voltage, and the lower the duty ratio, the lower the average voltage. By supplying DC power set by the PWM control duty ratio to the DC motor 221, the control device 1 can precisely control the rotational driving force of the DC motor 221 and the rotational speed of the rotating shaft 221a. As a result, while supplying DC power necessary for closing the lid 3, the speed at which the lid 3 abuts the inlet 6 can be reduced to reduce impact noise. Furthermore, precise power supply that takes into account the influence of forces acting on the lid 3 during the closing and opening operations of the lid 3 allows for flexible control of the opening and closing speeds (opening speed and closing speed) and behavior of the lid 3.

[0033] Furthermore, the lid opening / closing operation unit 12 of the control device 1 divides the range between the closed position α and the maximum open position β into multiple sections, and controls the closing speed and opening speed of the lid 3 using a duty ratio set for each of the divided sections. In this way, by controlling the closing speed and opening speed of the lid 3 using a duty ratio set for each of the divided sections into multiple sections, the speed of the closing operation and opening operation of the lid 3 can be easily controlled.

[0034] (Lid actuator 10: control device 1: hardware configuration) As shown in Fig. 4, the control device 1 has an input / output unit 13, a calculation unit 14, a memory unit 15, and a power supply unit 16. The input / output unit 13 is connected to an open / close button 21 and a pulse signal generator 23 of the drive unit 2, as well as to an open / close remote control button 4. The open / close remote control button 4 is connected to the control device 1 via wireless communication to enable data communication, and enables an operator to output a lid open / close signal for instructing the opening and closing of the lid 3 to the control device 1 when the operator touches the button. Note that, like the open / close button 21, the lid open / close signal of the open / close remote control button 4 is a signal for closing the lid 3 when the lid 3 is in the fully open state, and a signal for opening the lid 3 when the lid 3 is in the closed state or an open state other than the fully open state.

[0035] Fig. 5 is an example of a flowchart of a lid opening / closing program. The calculation unit 14 is capable of executing various programs such as the lid opening / closing program of Fig. 5. The memory unit 15 stores various programs such as the lid opening / closing program, as well as various data and information such as lid opening / closing data (see Figs. 6 and 7 described below). The power supply unit 16 has a function of supplying DC power, which is PWM controlled based on the lid opening / closing data, to the DC motor 221.

[0036] Specifically, the power supply unit 16 has a rectifying and smoothing circuit 166 connected to the power supply 5 that outputs AC power. The rectifying and smoothing circuit 166 has a function of converting AC power into DC power and generating a stable DC voltage to be supplied to the DC motor 221. When the power supply 5 outputs DC power, a DC / DC converter that converts the DC voltage to a predetermined DC voltage is provided instead of the rectifying and smoothing circuit 166. This allows appropriate power conversion to be performed depending on the type of power supply, and the required DC power is supplied to the DC motor 221.

[0037] The DC power that passes through the rectifying and smoothing circuit 166 is controlled via a switching unit 162 that includes a switching element. The switching element of the switching unit 162 is controlled by a PWM control unit 163, and the switching unit 162 adjusts the output voltage by rapidly switching the DC power on and off based on a PWM signal. Specifically, the PWM control unit 163 generates a PWM signal using a DAC (digital-analog converter) 164 and a triangular wave generator 165 to set a duty ratio according to the opening and closing operation of the lid 3. This PWM signal controls the duty ratio of the DC power from the rectifying and smoothing circuit 166 by switching on and off the switching element in the switching unit 162. The DC power having the duty ratio is output from the switching unit 162 and smoothed by a smoothing circuit 167. The smoothed DC power is then supplied to a DC motor 221 of the drive mechanism 22. This allows the rotation speed and torque of the DC motor 221 to be precisely adjusted.

[0038] Furthermore, the power supply unit 16 incorporates a detection circuit 161. The detection circuit 161 monitors the current and voltage of the DC power supplied to the DC motor 221. The monitored data is fed back to the PWM control unit 163, which enables the PWM control unit 163 to adjust the rotation operation of the DC motor 221 in real time.

[0039] In this embodiment, the method of changing the opening / closing speed of the lid 3 is described as using a method of changing the duty ratio of the DC power supplied to the DC motor 221 by PWM control, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, by using PWM control, the rotation speed and torque of the DC motor 221 can be precisely adjusted and the opening / closing speed of the lid 3 can be efficiently controlled, but similar effects can also be obtained by other methods.

[0040] For example, the opening and closing speed of the lid 3 can be controlled by providing the drive mechanism 22 with a variable gear mechanism or a brake mechanism. When a variable gear mechanism is used, the control device 1 can change the operating speed of the lid 3 by adjusting the number of gears. Specifically, a low-speed gear is used when slow, precise operation is required, and a high-speed gear is used when fast, swift operation is required. By using a speed-changing mechanism in this way, the opening and closing operation of the lid 3 can be controlled seamlessly and efficiently.

[0041] Furthermore, by providing a brake mechanism in the drive mechanism 22, it is possible to control the movement speed of the lid 3. By adjusting the braking force of the brake mechanism, the control device 1 can slow down the movement of the lid 3 or suddenly stop it as necessary. This makes it possible to soften the impact when the lid 3 comes into contact with the inlet 6, thereby reducing the mechanical load and collision noise.

[0042] (Lid actuator 10: Lid opening / closing program) The control device 1 executes each process of the lid opening / closing program shown in Fig. 5. When the lid opening / closing program is executed by the control device 1 (computer), an opening / closing instruction reception process (S1) is first executed. In the opening / closing instruction reception process, the control device enters a standby state until a lid opening / closing signal is received from the opening / closing button 21 or the opening / closing remote control button 4. When a lid opening / closing signal is received, an opening / closing operation flag indicating whether the lid 3 performed an opening operation or a closing operation when the previous lid opening / closing signal was received is read. The current lid opening / closing signal is then processed as an operation opposite to the previous operation. That is, if the previous operation was a "closing operation," the current lid opening / closing signal is determined to be an "opening operation," and if the previous operation was an "opening operation," the current lid opening / closing signal is determined to be an "closing operation."

[0043] Next, it is determined whether the current lid opening / closing signal instructs the lid 3 to be opened (S2). If it does (YES in S2), it is then determined whether the lid 3 is at the maximum open position β (S3). If the lid 3 is at the maximum open position β (YES in S3), there is no need to open the lid 3, and the program is terminated. On the other hand, if the lid 3 is not at the maximum open position β (NO in S3), an opening operation data table designation process (S4) is executed. This refers to the opening operation data table (see FIG. 7, which will be described later) and data required for the opening operation of the lid 3 is acquired. Then, a motor drive process (S7) is executed based on the acquired data, and the lid 3 is opened. Specifically, in the motor drive process (S7), the opening angle (open / closed position) of the lid 3 is detected based on a pulse signal from the pulse signal generator 23 in the drive mechanism 22 of FIG. 4 (the function of the position detection unit 11 in FIG. 1). Then, the opening operation data table is referenced, and the lid 3 is opened based on the table data (for example, duty ratio) corresponding to the detected opening / closing angle.

[0044] Furthermore, if the lid 3 is not to be opened in S2 (NO in S2), it is determined that the instruction is to close the lid 3, and it is then determined whether the lid 3 is in the closed position α (S5). If the lid 3 is in the closed position α (YES in S5), there is no need to close the lid 3, and the program is terminated. On the other hand, if the lid 3 is not in the closed position α (NO in S5), a closing operation data table designation process (S6) is executed. This refers to the closing operation data table (see FIG. 6, which will be described later) and data required for the closing operation of the lid 3 is acquired. Then, a motor drive process (S7) is executed based on the acquired data, and the lid 3 is closed. Specifically, in the motor drive process (S7), the opening / closing angle (open / closed position) of the lid 3 is detected based on a pulse signal from the pulse signal generator 23 in the drive mechanism 22 of FIG. 4 (the function of the position detection unit 11 in FIG. 1). Then, the closing operation data table is referenced, and the lid 3 is closed based on the table data (for example, duty ratio) corresponding to the detected opening / closing angle.

[0045] (Lid actuator 10: control device 1: closing operation data table) A specific example of the closing operation of the lid 3 will be described. Fig. 6 is an example of an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the closing operation data table (a data table showing duty ratios corresponding to opening and closing angle ranges) and the closing speed. Fig. 6 shows an example of the relationship between the opening and closing angle, duty ratio, and closing speed of the lid 3 when the lid 3 is operated from the maximum open position β to the closed position α. ​​Fig. 6 shows a mode in which, when the lid 3 operates from the maximum open position β to the closed position α, the lid 3 gradually accelerates, then operates at a high speed, and then decelerates just before closing.

[0046] Specifically, for example, when the lid 3 closes from the maximum open position β (opening / closing angle 120°) to the closed position α (opening / closing angle 0°), the duty ratio changes depending on the opening / closing angle range, and the closing speed of the lid 3 also changes accordingly. For example, in the opening / closing angle range of 120° to 110°, the duty ratio varies between 10% and 80%, causing the speed of the lid 3 to gradually accelerate from low to high. This allows the lid 3 to start moving smoothly in the initial operation stage.

[0047] Furthermore, for example, in the opening / closing angle range of 109° to 40°, the duty ratio is set to 80%, and the lid 3 operates at high speed. This high-speed region allows the lid 3 to move quickly toward the inlet 6, enabling an efficient closing operation. Furthermore, for example, in the opening / closing angle range of 39° to 30°, the duty ratio is set to 60%, and the speed of the lid 3 is decelerated to a medium-high speed. By slightly reducing the speed at this stage, the lid 3 is appropriately decelerated toward the final closing stage.

[0048] Furthermore, for example, in the opening / closing angle range of 29° to 20°, the duty ratio is set to 40%, and the lid 3 operates at a medium speed. In this medium speed range, stable operation is maintained as the lid 3 approaches the closed position α. ​​In the opening / closing angle range of 19° to 10°, the duty ratio is set to 20%, and the speed of the lid 3 is kept low. This reduces the impact when the lid 3 approaches the closed position α, and minimizes the impact noise at the closed position α.

[0049] In particular, in the first operation range E1, for example, an opening / closing angle range of 9° to 1°, the duty ratio is set to, for example, 10%, and the lid 3 operates at an extremely slow speed (slower than low speed). The control device 1 controls the closing operation of the lid 3 so that the closing speed of the lid 3 in the first operation range E1 when the lid 3 reaches the closed position α is slower than the closing speed of the lid 3 immediately before reaching the first operation range E1 (for example, an opening / closing angle range of 19° to 10°: duty ratio of 20%). As a result, in the closing operation of the lid 3, the lid actuator 10 closes the lid 3 so that the closing speed (extremely slow speed) of the lid 3 when it reaches the closed position α is slower than the closing speed (low speed) of the lid 3 immediately before reaching the first operation range E1, making it possible to reduce impact noise that may occur when the lid 3 abuts against the inlet 6.

[0050] Finally, at an opening / closing angle of 0°, the duty ratio is set to 0%, and the lid 3 comes to a complete stop. After the lid 3 has come to a complete stop, DC power with a duty ratio of, for example, 20% may be supplied to the DC motor 221 for a short period of time to strengthen the closure of the inlet 6 by the lid 3. By finely adjusting the duty ratio using such a data table, the closing operation of the lid 3 is performed smoothly and quietly, and the inlet 6 is adequately sealed.

[0051] (Lid actuator 10: control device 1: opening operation data table) Next, a specific example of the opening operation of the lid 3 will be described. Fig. 7 is an example of an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the opening operation data table (a data table showing the duty ratio corresponding to the opening / closing angle range) and the opening speed. Fig. 7 shows an example of the relationship between the opening / closing angle, duty ratio, and closing speed of the lid 3 when the lid 3 is operated from the closed position α to the fully open position β. Fig. 7 shows a mode in which, when the lid 3 operates from the closed position α to the fully open position β, the lid 3 gradually accelerates, then operates at a high speed, and then decelerates just before stopping.

[0052] Specifically, for example, when the lid 3 is opened from the closed position α (opening / closing angle 0°) toward the maximum open position β (opening / closing angle 120°), the duty ratio changes according to the opening / closing angle range, and the opening speed of the lid 3 also changes accordingly. For example, in the opening / closing angle range of 0° to 10°, the duty ratio varies between 10% and 80%, causing the speed of the lid 3 to gradually accelerate from low to high. This allows the lid 3 to start moving smoothly in the initial operation stage.

[0053] For example, in the opening / closing angle range of 11° to 70°, the duty ratio is set to 80%, and the lid 3 operates at high speed. This high-speed region allows the lid 3 to move quickly toward the maximum open position β, allowing for an efficient opening operation. For example, in the opening / closing angle range of 71° to 90°, the duty ratio is set to 60%, and the speed of the lid 3 is decelerated to a medium-high speed. By slightly reducing the speed at this stage, the lid 3 is appropriately decelerated toward the final opening stage.

[0054] Furthermore, for example, in the opening / closing angle range of 91° to 100°, the duty ratio is set to 40%, and the lid 3 operates at a medium speed. In this medium speed range, stable operation is maintained as the lid 3 approaches the maximum open position β. Also, for example, in the opening / closing angle range of 101° to 110°, the duty ratio is set to 20%, and the speed of the lid 3 is kept low. This makes it possible to reduce the impact when the lid 3 approaches the maximum open position β.

[0055] In particular, for example, in the opening / closing angle range of 111° to 120°, which is the second operation range E2, the duty ratio is set to 10%, and the lid 3 operates at an extremely slow speed. The control device 1 controls the opening operation of the lid 3 so that the opening speed of the lid 3 in the second operation range E2 until the lid 3 reaches the maximum open position β is slower than the opening speed of the lid 3 immediately before reaching the second operation range E2. As a result, during the opening operation of the lid 3, the lid actuator 10 opens the lid 3 at a slower opening speed (extremely slow) when the lid 3 reaches the maximum open position β than the opening speed (low speed) of the lid 3 immediately before reaching the second operation range E2, thereby reducing the impact that may occur when the lid 3 reaches the maximum open position β. Finally, at an opening / closing angle of 120°, the duty ratio is set to 0%, and the lid 3 comes to a complete stop. By adjusting this duty ratio precisely, the opening operation of the lid 3 is performed smoothly and quietly, and the lid 3 is stopped at the maximum open position β with high accuracy.

[0056] In this embodiment, the first operational region E1 is set to one division of the opening / closing angle range (for example, 9° to 1°), and the second operational region E2 is set to one division of the opening / closing angle range (111° to 120°). However, this is not limited to this and they may be set to one or more divisions. For example, the first operational region E1 may be set to two divisions of the opening / closing angle range (19° to 1°), and the second operational region E2 may be set to three divisions of the opening / closing angle range (91° to 120°). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the opening / closing angle range is set in units of approximately 10°, but this is not limited to this and they may be set in predetermined angle units such as 1° or 5°.

[0057] In this way, the control device 1 precisely controls the opening and closing operation of the lid 3 using the data table, reducing the impact noise and load on the mechanism that may occur during the operation of the lid 3. In particular, during the closing operation of the lid 3, the closing speed of the lid 3 in the first operation range E1 is controlled to be slower than the closing speed immediately before reaching the first operation range E1. This makes it possible to reduce the impact noise when the lid 3 abuts against the inlet 6. Furthermore, during the opening operation of the lid 3, the opening speed of the lid 3 in the second operation range E2 is controlled to be slower than the opening speed immediately before reaching the second operation range E2. This makes it possible to appropriately adjust the speed immediately before the lid 3 reaches the maximum open position β and reduce the load on the mechanism when the lid 3 stops opening.

[0058] The lid opening / closing program may be distributed in a state recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or USB memory, or may be distributed via a two-way communication network or communication line such as the Internet or a one-way communication network such as television broadcasting.

[0059] (summary) The lid actuator 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described above. The lid actuator 10 of the above-described embodiment mainly comprises the following components.

[0060] (1) A lid actuator 10 that performs an opening operation to open an inlet 6 for allowing a fluid to flow in by a lid 3 and a closing operation to close the inlet 6 by the lid 3, a drive mechanism 22 for driving the lid 3; a control device (1) that can control the opening and closing operations of the lid (3) by the drive mechanism (22) between a closed position α where the inlet (6) is closed and an open position (e.g., a maximum open position β) where the inlet (6) is open; The control device 1 includes: During the closing operation of the lid 3, the closing speed of the lid 3 in a first operation region E1 until the lid 3 reaches the closed position α can be controlled to be slower than the closing speed of the lid 3 immediately before reaching the first operation region E1. Lid actuator 10.

[0061] According to the lid actuator 10 described above in (1), when the lid 3 is closed, the closing speed of the lid 3 when it reaches the closed position α is slower than the closing speed of the lid 3 immediately before it reaches the first operation region E1. This makes it possible to reduce the impact noise that may be generated when the lid 3 abuts against the inlet 6.

[0062] (2) The drive mechanism 22 is The drive source is a DC motor 221 whose rotational drive force is controlled by DC power. The control device 1 includes: The DC power supplied to the DC motor 221 is controlled by PWM control. The closing speed of the lid 3 is controlled by dividing the range between the closed position α and the open position (for example, the maximum open position β) into a plurality of sections and setting a duty ratio for each section. The lid actuator 10 according to (1) above.

[0063] According to the lid actuator 10 described above in (2), the DC power supplied to the DC motor 221 is controlled by a duty ratio under PWM control, thereby enabling precise control of the rotational drive force of the DC motor 221 and the rotational speed of the rotary shaft 221a, which is rotated by the rotational drive force of the DC motor 221. This allows the speed at which the lid 3 contacts the inlet 6 to be reduced, thereby reducing impact noise, while still supplying DC power sufficient for the drive force required to close the lid 3. Furthermore, since precise power supply is possible taking into account the influence of the force acting on the lid 3 during the closing and opening operations of the lid 3, the speed and behavior of the lid 3 can be freely set. Furthermore, the closing speed of the lid 3 is controlled by a duty ratio set for each of a plurality of regions, which are obtained by dividing the range from the open position (e.g., the maximum open position β) to the closed position α. ​​Therefore, the speed of the opening and closing operations can be easily controlled by PWM control of the DC motor 221.

[0064] (3) The control device 1 is During the opening operation of the lid 3, the opening speed of the lid 3 in a second operation range E2 until the lid 3 reaches an open position (for example, a maximum open position β) can be controlled by the duty ratio of the PWM control so that the opening speed of the lid 3 is slower than the opening speed of the lid 3 immediately before reaching the second operation range E2. The lid actuator 10 according to (1) or (2) above.

[0065] The lid actuator 10 described in (3) above makes it possible to easily control the speed of the opening and closing operations using PWM control, while reducing the impact noise that may occur when the lid 3 abuts against the inlet 6. Furthermore, by controlling the opening operation of the lid 3 using the duty ratio of PWM control, it is possible to increase the response speed of the lid 3 during the opening operation by using the braking force generated by regenerative power. As a result, it is possible to simplify the structure of the lid actuator 10, and to reduce the impact noise that may occur when the lid 3 abuts against the inlet 6 while shortening the opening operation time by relatively increasing the opening speed up to the second operation region E2 immediately before reaching the open position (e.g., the maximum open position β).

[0066] As described above, within the scope of the concept of the present invention, those skilled in the art may conceive of various modifications and alterations. Therefore, it is understood that such modifications and alterations fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, even if a person skilled in the art appropriately adds or deletes components or modifies the design of the above-described embodiment, or adds or omits steps or modifies conditions, such modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they maintain the gist of the present invention.

[0067] For example, in the above embodiment, the hinged lid configuration is used as an example, and the closing speed and opening speed of the lid 3 are divided into multiple ranges from the closed position α to the open position (e.g., the maximum open position β), and each speed is controlled by a duty ratio set for each range. However, this is not limiting. For example, in a sliding lid configuration, the closing speed and opening speed of the lid 3 may be divided into multiple ranges from the closed position to the open position (e.g., the maximum open position β), and each speed may be controlled by a duty ratio set for each range. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1. Control device 2 Drive Unit 3 Lid 4 Open / close remote control button 5 Power supply 6 Inlet 10 Lid Actuator 11 Position detection unit 12 Lid opening / closing actuator 13 Input / output section 14 Arithmetic section 15 Storage section 16 Power supply section 21 Open / close button 22 Drive mechanism 23 Pulse signal generator 221 DC motor α Closed position β Maximum open position E1 First operating region E2 2nd working area

Claims

1. a lid actuator that performs an opening operation of opening an inlet for allowing a fluid to flow in by a lid and a closing operation of closing the inlet by the lid, a drive mechanism for driving the lid; a control device capable of controlling the opening and closing operations of the lid by the drive mechanism between a closed position where the inlet is closed and an open position where the inlet is open, The control device During the closing operation of the lid, the closing operation of the lid can be controlled so that the closing speed of the lid in a first operating region until the lid reaches the closed position is slower than the closing speed of the lid immediately before the lid reaches the first operating region. Lid actuator.

2. The drive mechanism includes: The drive source is a DC motor whose rotational drive force is controlled by DC power, The control device The DC power supplied to the DC motor is controlled by PWM control, The closing speed of the lid is controlled by dividing the range between the closed position and the open position into a plurality of sections and setting a duty ratio for each section. The lid actuator of claim 1 .

3. The control device During the opening operation of the lid, the opening operation of the lid can be controlled by the duty ratio of the PWM control so that the opening speed of the lid in a second operation range until the lid reaches the open position is slower than the opening speed of the lid immediately before the lid reaches the second operation range. The lid actuator of claim 2 .

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