Structure and structural system

Abstract

The present invention provides a technique for quickly returning an acting portion to a normal state when it is difficult for the acting portion to apply a moving force to a moving portion.SOLUTION: A structure for an opening / closing operation of an opening / closing target includes a moving portion that moves between a first position and a second position, and an acting portion that can be in a first state when the moving portion is at the first position, can be in a second state when the moving portion is at the second position, and applies a force to the moving portion so as to bias the movement of the moving portion by shifting from the first state to the second state when the moving portion moves from the first position to the second position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to structures and structural systems. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Techniques have been developed for biasing the movement of moving parts such as doors and windows using biasing means such as springs (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-85101 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-285117 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When there is an acting portion that biases the moving portion to move, there are cases where the acting portion is in a state where it is difficult to bias the moving portion with a moving force.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of at least one of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a technology for quickly returning the acting part to a normal state when it is difficult for the acting part to exert a moving force on the moving part. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is, for example, a structure for opening and closing an object to be opened and closed, the structure comprising: a moving part that moves between a first position and a second position; and an acting part that can be in a first state when the moving part is at the first position and in a second state when the moving part is at the second position, and that applies a force to the moving part so as to urge the movement of the moving part by changing its state from the first state to the second state when the moving part moves from the first position to the second position, wherein the first position is a position when the object to be opened and is a position of the moving part where the moving part cannot receive the action of a force from the acting part regardless of the state of the acting part; the second position is a position when the object to be opened and is a position of the moving part when the acting part is in the second state; the moving part comprises a returning part that returns the acting part to the first state when the moving part is at the first position and the acting part is in the second state; and the returning part has a structure that can return the acting part, which is in the second state, to the first state when the moving part, which is located between the first position and the second position, moves to the first position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, when it is difficult for the action portion to apply a moving force to the moving portion, it is possible to quickly return the action portion to its normal state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram of a slide rail unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Structural diagram of a cam unit according to one embodiment [Figure 3] Structural diagram of a plate according to one embodiment [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a slide rail unit according to one embodiment; [Figure 5] Schematic diagram illustrating an error state of a cam according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation of recovering from a cam error according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] Schematic diagram of a slide rail unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a slide rail unit according to one embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the direction in which the door slides from an open state to a closed state is defined as the X direction, the direction in which the outer rail 2 and the inner rail 3 overlap is defined as the Z direction (also referred to as the thickness direction), and the direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Z direction (also referred to as the width direction) is defined as the Y direction.

[0010] First Embodiment (Overview of Slide Rail Unit 1) FIG. 1(A) is a front view of a slide rail unit 1 (an example of the "structural system" of the present invention), and FIG. 1(B) is a side view of the slide rail unit 1. The slide rail unit 1 is installed, for example, on a door that opens and closes slidingly, and is a unit that uses the restoring force of a coil spring 204 to retract the door into the closed position just before the door is completely closed. This retracting force also acts on the door when it is in the closed position, maintaining the closed state. FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B) show the slide rail unit 1 when the door is in the closed position. Note that the slide rail unit 1 may be installed on other objects besides doors, such as sliding windows and desk drawers.

[0011] The slide rail unit 1 includes an outer rail 2. The outer rail 2 is a rail formed by bending, for example, a rectangular metal plate into a U-shape, with linear grooves extending in the X direction formed on both ends in the Y direction. Such an outer rail 2 is installed in a frame surrounding the door. A front portion 206 of a cam unit 200 (described later) is fixed to the outer rail 2.

[0012] The slide rail unit 1 also includes an inner rail 3. The inner rail 3 is also formed, for example, by bending a rectangular metal plate. The inner rail 3 overlaps the outer rail 2 in the Z direction and slides along the groove of the outer rail 2 in the X direction, allowing it to move relatively to the outer rail 2. The inner rail 3 includes sliding members (e.g., wheels) made of a material with a low coefficient of friction and high slidability (e.g., PolyOxyMethylene) at the Y-direction end where it comes into contact with the groove of the outer rail 2. This inner rail 3 is installed on a door. In order to reduce the coefficient of friction at the contact area, the surface of the contact area may be treated with Teflon (registered trademark) or grease may be applied. Such a treatment to improve slidability may also be applied to the groove of the outer rail 2.

[0013] The slide rail unit 1 also includes a retraction mechanism 4 (an example of a "structure" of the present invention). The retraction mechanism 4 is provided between the outer rail 2 and the inner rail 3 in the Z direction. The retraction mechanism 4 includes a cam unit 200 and a plate 300, which will be described later, and retracts the door, which is sliding from an open state to a closed state, to the closed state by using the restoring force of a spring, for example.

[0014] (Cam Unit 200) FIG. 2(A) is a front view of a cam unit 200 according to this embodiment (an example of the "acting portion" of the present invention), and FIG. 2(B) is a side view of the cam unit 200. The cam unit 200 includes a fixed plate 203. The fixed plate 203 is formed, for example, by bending a metal plate into an L-shape. The fixed plate 203 includes a front portion 206 and a side portion 207 bent relative to the front portion 206. The front portion 206 is fixed to the outer rail 2. A pin 202 is fixed to this front portion 206. The front portion 206 is also formed with a stopper 209 that is cut out and bent in an L-shape in the Z direction.

[0015] The cam unit 200 also includes a cam 201. The cam 201 is formed, for example, by bending a metal plate into a U-shape. The cam 201 is pre-processed so that it has a substantially triangular shape when viewed from the Z direction. A hole that opens in the Z direction is disposed near a predetermined vertex of the triangular plane of the cam 201. A pin 202 is inserted into this hole so that the cam 201 can rotate in the XY plane with the pin 202 as the rotation axis.

[0016] Cam unit 200 also includes coil spring 204 and pin 205. Pin 205 is located at a different position from pin 202 on the triangular plane of cam 201, and is fixed to cam 201 so as to penetrate cam 201 in the Z direction. Coil spring 204 has hook shapes on both ends. The hook on one end is fixed to side surface portion 207 of fixing plate 203. The hook on the other end is fixed to pin 205. Cam unit 200 also includes pin 208 (an example of a "protrusion" of the present invention). Pin 208 is fixed near a vertex on the triangular plane of cam 201 that is different from the vertex on which pin 202 is provided. Pin 208 is also provided so as to protrude in the Z direction relative to cam 201.

[0017] (Plate 300) FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of plate 300 (an example of the "moving section" and "sliding member" of the present invention) according to this embodiment. Plate 300 is, for example, a rectangular metal sheet, and includes notch 301 (an example of the "first hole" of the present invention) and notch 302 (an example of the "second hole" of the present invention). Notch 301 is shaped like an arc with approximately the same width in the XY plane. This width is set to be slightly wider than the diameter of pin 208 of cam unit 200, for example. Meanwhile, the width of the opening of notch 302 is, for example, about 1.5 times the diameter of pin 208. Furthermore, the back portion of notch 302 relative to the opening extends in the -X direction.

[0018] Plate 300 also includes bending portion 304 (an example of a "second structural portion" of the present invention) and bending portion 305 (an example of a "first structural portion" of the present invention). Bending portion 304 is provided near the entrance of notch 302, and is formed by bending a portion extending in the X direction in the Z direction. Bending portion 305 is provided at the end of plate 300 in the X direction, and is formed by bending a portion extending in the X direction in the Z direction. Here, the bending angles of bending portions 304 and 305 are set, for example, between several degrees and 45 degrees. Such bending portions 304 and 305 function as so-called leaf springs. Notch 302, bending portion 304, and bending portion 305 are examples of a "returning portion" of the present invention.

[0019] Furthermore, a hole 306 is provided in the plate 300. The hole 306 and a hole provided at the tip of the inner rail 3 in the X direction are overlapped in the Z direction. Bolts are passed through these holes, and the plate 300 is fixed to the inner rail 3.

[0020] (Example of operation of retraction mechanism 4) Next, an example of the operation of the retraction mechanism 4 will be described. FIG. 4(A) illustrates the retraction mechanism 4 when the door is open (hereinafter also referred to as the open state). Meanwhile, FIG. 4(B) illustrates the retraction mechanism 4 when the door is closed (hereinafter also referred to as the closed state). The outer rail 2 and inner rail 3 are omitted. The state of the cam unit 200 in FIG. 4(A) is an example of the "first state" of the present invention. Meanwhile, the state of the cam unit 200 in FIG. 4(B) is an example of the "second state" of the present invention. The position of the plate 300 located in the -X direction relative to the pin 208, as shown in FIG. 4(A), is an example of the "first position" of the present invention. While the cam unit 200 is in the "first state" in FIG. 4(A), if the plate 300 is located in the -X direction relative to the pin 208, the position of the plate 300 is considered to be the "first position" even when the cam unit 200 is in the "second state." Moreover, the position of the plate 300 when the pin 208 is in the notch 301 and the door is in the closed state as shown in FIG. 4(B) is an example of the "second position" of the present invention.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4(A), in the released state, the length of coil spring 204 is extended relative to its natural length. Therefore, coil spring 204 exerts a restoring force on cam 201 in the X direction via pin 205. However, pin 205, which serves as the rotation axis of cam 201 in the X direction, is aligned with coil spring 204 and pin 202. Therefore, no moment is generated in cam 201 with pin 202 as the rotation axis. Therefore, cam 201 is stationary in the released state.

[0022] In this state, when the door is pulled toward the closed state, the plate 300 slides in the X direction. This causes the pin 208 to enter the notch 301. The pin 208 that has entered the notch 301 comes into contact with the side wall 307 that forms the notch 301 (an example of the "wall that forms the first hole" of the present invention). The pin 208 then receives a reaction force from the side wall 307 in a direction parallel to the XY plane. This reaction force then generates a moment in the cam 201 around the pin 202 as the rotation axis. In this way, the cam 201 begins to rotate. In the example of FIG. 4(A), the cam 201 rotates clockwise around the pin 202 as the rotation axis.

[0023] As cam 201 rotates, pin 205 fixed to cam 201 also rotates. As a result, pin 205 is no longer aligned with coil spring 204 and pin 202 in the X direction. When the position of pin 205 changes in this way, the restoring force of coil spring 204 urges cam 201 to rotate clockwise. Furthermore, this change in the position of pin 205 causes coil spring 204 to compress, further increasing this urging force. Therefore, a user moving the door toward the closed state feels as if the door is being pulled into the closed state.

[0024] The rotation of this cam 201 is stopped when the X-direction end 210 of the underside of the cam 201 comes into contact with the stopper 209 (see FIG. 2(B)). FIG. 4(B) shows an example of the retraction mechanism 4 in this state. Note that even in the closed state, the length of the coil spring 204 is extended relative to its natural length, so the restoring force of the coil spring 204 acts on the door in the closing direction. Note that when the door moves from the closed state to the open state, the opposite operation to the above occurs.

[0025] (Error condition description) However, when the door is in the open position and pin 208 is not in notch 301, cam 201 may rotate by accident. Alternatively, pin 208 of cam 201 may accidentally come out of notch 301 while the door is being opened or closed. In these cases, the door is in the open position, but cam unit 200 is in the state shown in FIG. 4(B). FIG. 5 shows an example of retraction mechanism 4 in such a state. Note that hereinafter, the state shown in FIG. 5 may also be referred to as an error state.

[0026] (Example 1 of recovering from an error state) In the state shown in Figure 5, the user is unaware of the error. Therefore, the user attempts to move the door to the closed position. Then, the plate 300 in Figure 5 moves in the X direction, and the curved portion 305 comes into contact with the pin 208. Figure 6(A) illustrates the retraction mechanism 4 in this state. The curved portion 305 then elastically deforms and moves in the X direction so as to ride up onto the pin 208 in the Z direction, after which the pin 208 enters the notch 302. Figure 6(B) illustrates the state when the curved portion 305 enters the notch 302. Here, the curved portion 305 rides up onto the pin 208 in the Z direction, and when the pin 208 enters the notch 302, the user feels a rattle in the door. Therefore, the user realizes that something is wrong with the retraction mechanism 4.

[0027] The user notices something is wrong and moves the door in the opposite direction, i.e., toward the open position. This causes plate 300 to move in the -X direction. As a result, side wall 308 (an example of the "wall forming the second hole" of the present invention) that forms notch 302 comes into contact with pin 208. Side wall 308 then applies a force to pin 208 in the -X direction. This force generates a moment in cam 201 in the counterclockwise direction (in FIG. 6(B)) around pin 202 as the rotation axis.

[0028] If cam 201 continues to rotate in this manner, pin 208 will pass through the entrance of notch 302 and move out. Therefore, force from side wall 308 to pin 208 will no longer be applied. Cam unit 200 will then return to the state shown in FIG. 4(A). In this way, retraction mechanism 4 is restored from the error state. If the user moves the door again in the direction of the closed state, retraction mechanism 4 will operate as shown in FIG. 4(A) to FIG. 4(B), and the retraction function will function normally.

[0029] (Example 2 of recovering from an error state) Even when the state of the retraction mechanism 4 transitions from FIG. 6(A) to FIG. 6(B), the user may not notice anything unusual happening to the retraction mechanism 4. However, in this embodiment, even in such cases, the retraction mechanism 4 can quickly recover from the error state. More specifically, if the user moves the door from the state of FIG. 6(B) to the closed state, the curved portion 304 elastically deforms so as to ride on the pin 208 in the Z direction and moves in the X direction, after which the pin 208 enters the notch 301. This state is the same as the state of FIG. 4(B). In this way, the retraction mechanism 4 recovers from the error state. If the user moves the door in this state toward the open state, the retraction mechanism 4 operates normally, as shown in FIG. 4(B) to FIG. 4(A).

[0030] (Actions and Effects) According to the above-described operation example 1 for recovering from an error state, the user notices something unusual about the door halfway between the open and closed positions and naturally returns the door to the open position. This allows the retraction mechanism 4 to quickly recover from the error. Furthermore, according to the above-described operation example 2 for recovering from an error state, the retraction mechanism 4 can recover from the error state to a normal state even if the user does not notice anything unusual about the door, and normal operation is possible when the user opens the closed door. By providing these two modes for recovering from an error state, the accuracy of recovery from an error state is improved. Furthermore, both of these recovery modes can be achieved simply by the user naturally operating the door to open or close. With this slide rail unit 1, it can be said that recovery of the retraction mechanism 4 from an error state can be easily performed.

[0031] Second Embodiment FIG. 7 illustrates an overview of a slide rail unit 1A according to the second embodiment. An outer rail 2A is provided with a slit 7 that opens in the Z direction. The slit 7 includes a linear slit 7B that extends linearly in the X direction and a curved slit 7A that bends relative to the linear slit 7B. A cam unit 200A is fixed to this outer rail 2A. However, unlike the cam unit 200 according to the first embodiment, the cam unit 200A does not include a fixed plate 203, and the cam unit 200A is not fixed to the outer rail 2A via the fixed plate 203. The cam unit 200A is fixed to the outer rail 2A by pins 202A and 208A slidably engaging with the slit 7. One end of a coil spring 204A is also fixed directly to the outer rail 2A without the fixed plate 203. Meanwhile, a plate 300A is fixed to the inner rail 3A.

[0032] (Example of operation) The state shown in Figure 7 is the open state, in which pin 208A is located at the end of bent slit 7B. In this open state, the length of coil spring 204A is longer than its natural length. Therefore, the restoring force of coil spring 204A is applied to cam 201A in the X direction. However, pin 208A is in contact with the wall that forms bent slit 7A in the X direction, and pin 202A receives a reaction force from this wall in the -X direction, causing cam 201A to remain stationary.

[0033] When the door is slid toward the closed position in this open state, pin 208A enters notch 301A. Then, pin 208A comes into contact with side wall 307A that forms notch 301A. Then, a force acts on pin 208A from side wall 307A, causing cam 201A to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 7 around pin 205A as the rotation axis. Note that while rotating in this manner, pin 208A also slides in bent slit 7B.

[0034] Thereafter, pin 208A enters cutout 301A and moves from bent slit 7B to straight slit 7A. Since straight slit 7A is formed parallel to the X direction in the X direction, pin 208A no longer comes into contact with the wall forming straight slit 7A in the X direction. Therefore, pin 208A no longer receives a force from the wall forming straight slit 7A that resists the restoring force of coil spring 204A. Therefore, cam 201A is biased in the X direction. Furthermore, because pin 208A is fitted into cutout 301A, plate 300A also moves in the X direction along with cam 201A. Therefore, the user feels as if the door is being pulled into the closed state.

[0035] The movement of this cam 201A stops when the pin 202A comes into contact with the X-direction end of the linear slit 7. Figure 8 shows an example of an outline of the retraction mechanism 4A when the door is in the closed state. Note that the inner rail 3A is not shown in Figure 8. Even in the closed state, the length of the coil spring 204 is extended relative to its natural length, so the restoring force of the coil spring 204 acts on the door in the closing direction. Note that when the door moves from the closed state to the open state, the operation is reverse to that described above.

[0036] The state of cam unit 200A in FIG. 7 is an example of the "first state" of the present invention. On the other hand, the state of cam unit 200A in FIG. 8 is an example of the "second state" of the present invention. The position of plate 300A located in the -X direction from pin 208A as shown in FIG. 7 is an example of the "first position" of the present invention. Although cam unit 200A is in the "first state" in FIG. 7, if plate 300A is located in the -X direction from pin 208A even when cam unit 200A is in the "second state," the position of plate 300A is considered to be the "first position." Furthermore, the position of plate 300A when pin 208A is inserted into notch 301A and the door is in the closed state as shown in FIG. 8 is an example of the "second position" of the present invention.

[0037] (Actions and Effects) The slide rail unit 1A described above has the same effects as the slide rail unit 1 according to the first embodiment. Furthermore, the retraction mechanism 4A according to the second embodiment can also quickly return from an error state to a normal state, just like the retraction mechanism 4 according to the first embodiment. That is, if the plate 300A moves from the -X direction to the +X direction while the cam unit 200A is in the state shown in FIG. 8 (second state), the cam unit 200A and the plate 300A operate as in Operation Example 1 and Operation Example 2 for returning from the error state according to the first embodiment.

[0038] <Modification> Although the shape of cam 201 is flat when viewed in the Z direction, it may have projections and recesses in the Z direction. Cam 201 may be replaced by a member not generally referred to as a cam. Coil spring 204 may be replaced by an elastic member with elasticity, such as rubber. Notches 301 and 302 may be recesses. Pin 205 does not need to be aligned with coil spring 204 and pin 202 in the open state. In this case, the contraction force of coil spring 204 acts on cam 201 in the open state, generating a moment in cam 201. A stopper may be provided to stop this rotation. A mechanism may be provided to release this stopper when pin 208 moves inside notch 301. At least a portion of outer rail 2, inner rail 3, cam 201, plate 300, etc. may be molded from resin instead of sheet metal. In such a case, plate 300 may have a taper in the X direction instead of curved portions 304 and 305.

[0039] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1: slide rail unit, 2: outer rail, 3: inner rail, 4: retraction mechanism, 7: slit, 200: cam unit, 201: cam, 202, 205, 208: pin, 203: fixed plate, 204: coil spring, 206: front part, 207: side part, 209: stopper, 300: plate, 301, 302: notch, 304, 305: curved part, 306: hole, 307, 308: side wall

Claims

[Claim 1] A structure for opening and closing an object, a moving unit that moves between a first position and a second position; an acting unit that can be in a first state when the moving unit is at the first position, and can be in a second state when the moving unit is at the second position, and that applies a force to the moving unit so as to urge the moving unit to move by transitioning from the first state to the second state when the moving unit moves from the first position to the second position, the first position is a position when the open / close object is open, and is a position of the moving part at which the moving part cannot receive a force from the action part regardless of a state of the action part, the second position is a position when the open / close object is closed, and is a position of the moving part when the action part is in the second state, the moving unit includes a returning unit that returns the action unit to the first state when the moving unit is at the first position and the action unit is in the second state, The returning unit has a structure that allows the moving unit, which is located between the first position and the second position, to move to the first position, thereby returning the action unit, which is in the second state, to the first state. structure.

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