Shaft rotation jig

Abstract

To provide a shaft rotation jig that is attached to a shaft, which is a rotating object, and has excellent operability and handling properties for easily rotating the shaft. [Solution] A shaft rotation jig that is wrapped around a shaft to apply torque to the shaft, comprising a rod-shaped main trunk section that is longer than the outer diameter of the shaft, a band-shaped member that is connected to the main trunk section and bends or curves to wrap around the shaft, and a gripping portion provided at the end of the main trunk section away from the point where the band-shaped member is connected, and the band-shaped member is long enough to be sandwiched between the main trunk section and the shaft when it is aligned with the shaft, at a predetermined point away from the end where it is connected to the main trunk section.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a jig used to manually rotate a shaft. [Background technology]

[0002] When manually rotating an object, it is common to grasp the object and rotate it with one's hand. In this case, the torque that can be applied to the object depends on the force with which the hand is turned and the diameter of the object. In this case, if the torque required to rotate the object is large, the diameter of the object is limited, so the force required to turn the object by hand must be large. However, people with weak strength will not be able to turn the object. Various devices have been proposed to solve this problem. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device consisting of four metal pieces connected in a parallelogram shape with elastic bodies such as rubber attached to the metal pieces.

[0003] This tool is for opening bottle or can lids. It expands a parallelogram into a square or rectangular shape and fits around the outer periphery of the lid. The parallelogram is then closed to tightly seal the elastic body against the lid. In other words, the lid is clamped inside the metal piece, and by rotating the tool in this state, the lid rotates integrally with the tool. In this case, the parallelogram is deformed into a so-called flattened state, with its longest diagonal line larger than the diameter of the lid. Therefore, by applying force to the two corners on that diagonal line, a large torque can be generated with a small force. As a result, the tool described in Patent Document 1 is said to enable even a person with weak strength to easily open a tightly fastened lid. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-145392 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] To rotate a rotating object such as a lid or a rotating shaft with a small force, the point of application of the force is set at a position far away from the rotating object in the radial direction, and the force applied to that point is transmitted to the rotating object. In this way, a large torque can be applied to the rotating object with a small force. In addition, in this case, it is necessary to closely contact the rotating object with the tools, such as the fixtures or jigs, to prevent slippage.

[0006] The device described in Patent Document 1 flattens a parallelogram, lengthening a specific diagonal, allowing the point of application of force to be set at a location away from the lid. By applying a force in the rotational direction to the corners connected by the diagonal, torque can be applied to the lid, causing it to rotate. Meanwhile, in order to transmit torque to the lid, the elastic bodies attached to the four metal pieces must be firmly attached to the outer periphery of the lid. This can be achieved, for example, by applying a force inward in the radial direction of the lid, bringing the corners on the shorter diagonal lines closer together.

[0007] As described above, the tool described in Patent Document 1 requires simultaneous operations for fitting the tool to the lid and for rotating the tool. Moreover, because these operations are independent of each other, focusing on one operation can lead to neglecting the other, resulting in inability to apply a large torque or the tool slipping on the lid and spinning freely. This leaves room for improvement in terms of operability and ease of handling. Furthermore, the tool described in Patent Document 1 is configured as a ring, with four metal pieces connected in the shape of a parallelogram. Therefore, if the rotating object is a long, axial member, the end of the rotating object must be inserted into the parallelogram and then the tool must be advanced in the axial direction of the rotating object, which also presents challenges in terms of operability and ease of handling. Furthermore, if the rotating object has a large outer diameter, such as if some component is attached to its middle, the tool cannot be advanced in the axial direction to the point where torque is applied, ultimately rendering it unusable.

[0008] The present invention has been made with an eye on the above-mentioned technical problems, and aims to provide a shaft rotation jig that is easy to operate and handle, and that can be attached to a shaft, which is a rotating object, to easily rotate the shaft. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a shaft rotation jig that is wrapped around a shaft to apply torque to the shaft, and comprises a rod-shaped main trunk portion that is longer than the outer diameter of the shaft, a band-shaped member that is connected to the main trunk portion and bends or curves so as to wrap around the shaft, and a gripping portion that is provided at an end of the main trunk portion away from the point where the band-shaped member is connected, and the band-shaped member is long enough to be sandwiched between the main trunk portion that is aligned with the shaft and the shaft at a predetermined point away from the end connected to the main trunk portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] In the jig of the present invention, the main trunk is aligned perpendicularly to the shaft, which is the object to be rotated. In this state, a belt-shaped member is wrapped around the shaft, and a predetermined portion on the side opposite the connection portion (the so-called free end side) of the main trunk is sandwiched between the main trunk and the shaft. In this state, the gripping portion provided on the main trunk is tilted toward the shaft. By doing so, the main trunk clamps and fixes the predetermined portion of the belt-shaped member between the shaft and the main trunk. The main trunk acts as a lever using the clamping portion as a fulcrum, pulling the belt-shaped member with the connection portion serving as the point of application. As a result, tension is applied to the belt-shaped member, causing it to tighten around the shaft and become tightly attached to it. At the same time, the force applied to the gripping portion acts to tilt the main trunk in the circumferential direction of the shaft, ultimately generating a torque that rotates the belt-shaped member tightening the shaft in the circumferential direction of the shaft.

[0011] Since this torque is generated by the force applied to the gripping portion, which is located radially outward of the shaft, a small force generates a large torque, making it easy to rotate the shaft. Thus, the force generated by the operation of rotating the shaft serves as the tension that tightly contacts the belt-shaped member with the shaft and also as the torque that rotates the shaft. Therefore, according to the present invention, there is no need to perform two different operations, and a tool with excellent operability and ease of handling can be obtained. Furthermore, since the belt-shaped member can be simply wound around the shaft, the shaft can be rotated by wrapping it around it without being restricted by the length of the shaft or the components attached to the shaft. This also improves operability and ease of handling. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the state in which the belt-shaped member is bent into a closed rectangle. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a front view illustrating the operation of winding the wire around a shaft and rotating the shaft. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is merely an example of how the present invention can be implemented, and is not intended to limit the present invention.

[0014] An example of an embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 1. The shaft rotation jig (hereinafter simply referred to as the jig) 1 shown here has a rod-shaped main trunk 2. The main trunk 2 is the part that is held by an operator (not shown) to operate it, and the lower end in Figure 1 is a gripping part 3. The length of the main trunk 2 is greater than the outer diameter of a shaft 4, which is the rotating object described later.

[0015] A belt-shaped member 5 is connected to the part of the main trunk 2 opposite the grip part 3. The belt-shaped member 5 is a part that wraps around the shaft 4 and becomes one with it in the circumferential direction (rotational direction), and is configured to be bendable or curveable so as to wrap around the shaft 4. In the example shown in Figure 1, the belt-shaped member 5 is made up of four links 5a, 5b, 5c, and 5d.

[0016] These links 5a to 5d are rod-shaped members with a thickness similar to or slightly thinner than that of the trunk section 2, and their surfaces are structured to have a high coefficient of friction between them and the shaft 4. For example, a sleeve 6 made of rubber or other material having elasticity and a high coefficient of friction is attached to each link 5a to 5d. The elasticity increases the contact area with the shaft 4.

[0017] The first link 5a is attached near the end of the main trunk 2 opposite the grip portion 3, in a direction perpendicular to the main trunk 2, and is integrated with the main trunk 2. Therefore, the main trunk 2 and the first link 5a are integrated to form an L-shape. The second link 5b is connected to the tip of the first link 5a via a hinge 7. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the second link 5b is shorter than the first link 5a. Note that the first link 5a and the second link 5b only need to be connected so as to be bendable; therefore, the hinge 7 can be replaced with a configuration in which the end of the first link 5a and the end of the second link 5b are rotatably connected by an appropriate pin (not shown).

[0018] A third link 5c is connected to the tip of the second link 5b via a hinge 7. The third link 5c is slightly shorter than the first link 5a. The third link 5c is integrated with the fourth link 5d, and the two link elements form a link bent at a right angle. More specifically, the fourth link 5d is a predetermined length of the tip of the sub-stem 8, which is a rod-shaped member similar to the main stem 2, and is approximately the same length as the second link 5b. The third link 5c is located at a position of the sub-stem 8 that is lower than the tip by the length of the fourth link 5d and is oriented perpendicular to the sub-stem 8. Therefore, the third link 5c may be formed integrally with the sub-stem 8, or may be attached by welding or other means to form an integrated link.

[0019] Furthermore, when the belt-shaped member 5 is extended in a straight line, the orientation of the sub-stem 8 is opposite to the extension direction of the main stem 2. The portion of the sub-stem 8 opposite the fourth link 5d is longer, and the total length including the fourth link 5d is slightly shorter than that of the main stem 2. Therefore, when the sub-stem 8 or the fourth link 5d is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1 and the belt-shaped member 5 is bent into a closed rectangle as shown in FIG. 2, the sub-stem 8 is aligned along the main stem 2. In this state, the end of the sub-stem 8 can be gripped together with the grip portion 3 of the main stem 2, and therefore the end of the sub-stem 8 also forms the grip portion 9.

[0020] The total length of the belt-shaped member 5 is approximately the same as the outer periphery of the shaft 4, and therefore, by bending each link 5a to 5d into a closed rectangular or square shape, the belt-shaped member 5 is wound around the shaft 4 and the sleeves 6 provided on each link 5a to 5d come into contact with the outer periphery of the shaft 4.

[0021] The use and operation of the jig 1 will be described below. For example, when rotating a shaft 4, such as a propeller shaft (not shown), during assembly or inspection of a vehicle (not shown), the belt-shaped member 5 is placed and wound around the outer surface of the shaft 4. For example, while holding the main trunk 2 by hand, the sub-trunk 8 is rotated toward the main trunk 2, passing outside the shaft 4 and drawing a circle centered on the shaft 4. The sub-trunk 8 changes its orientation 180 degrees and moves to a position along the main trunk 2, bending the belt-shaped member 5 into a closed rectangle or square. In this case, the fourth link 5d enters the inside of the main trunk 2 and is sandwiched between the main trunk 2 and the shaft 4. In other words, when the belt-shaped member 5 is wrapped around the shaft 4, at least a portion of its tip end is long enough to be sandwiched between the main trunk 2 and the shaft 4.

[0022] Figure 3 shows the state in which the belt-shaped member 5 has been wound around the shaft 4 in this manner. In this state, the main trunk 2 and the sub-trunk 8 are lined up close to each other, and by firmly gripping their gripping portions 3, 9, the sleeve 6 provided on the belt-shaped member 5 comes into contact with the shaft 4, causing the belt-shaped member 5 to tighten around the shaft 4. When the gripping portions 3, 9 are gripped together and a force is applied in a direction that tilts the main trunk 2 and the sub-trunk 8 toward the shaft 4 (the direction of arrow A in Figure 3), the fourth link 5d, which is integrated with the sub-trunk 8, is sandwiched between the main trunk 2 and the shaft 4 and fixed to it. Meanwhile, the main trunk 2 functions as a lever with the point where the fourth link 5d is sandwiched between it and the shaft 4 as a fulcrum and the gripping portion 3 as a force point, so that the first link 5a is pulled in the direction in which the belt-shaped member 5 tightens around the shaft 4.

[0023] When the jig 1 is set in the state shown in Figure 3 and the main trunk 2 and sub-trunk 8 are gripped and tilted in the direction of arrow A, tension is applied to the belt-shaped member 5 while the fourth link 5d is fixed, so that the belt-shaped member 5 tightens around the shaft 4 and adheres tightly to the shaft 4. In other words, they are firmly integrated at least in the rotational direction. Furthermore, when the main trunk 2 and sub-trunk 8 are pushed in the direction of arrow A in Figure 3, the belt-shaped member 5 is wrapped around the shaft 4, so the force applied in the direction of arrow A acts as a torque on the shaft 4. Furthermore, because the gripping parts 3 and 9 that apply the force are far from the center of the shaft 4, a large torque can be applied to the shaft 4 even if the force applied to the gripping parts 3 and 9 is small. In other words, the shaft 4 can be rotated with a small force. Furthermore, by simply tilting or pushing the gripping portions 3, 9 in the direction of arrow A in Figure 3, the shaft 4 can be tightened by the belt-shaped member 5 and torque can be applied to the shaft 4, making it easier to rotate the shaft 4 or handle the jig 1.

[0024] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The belt-shaped member may be longer than the outer circumferential length of a rotating object such as a shaft. In this case, the belt-shaped member may be sandwiched between the main trunk and the rotating object at a predetermined intermediate location, leaving only the tip end. Furthermore, in the present invention, it is sufficient to sandwich a portion of the tip end of the belt-shaped member between the main trunk and the rotating object and fix the sandwiched portion by applying a force to the main trunk, and therefore the above-described sub-trunk or equivalent part may not be provided. Furthermore, since the belt-shaped member as a whole is required to be able to bend or curve so as to wrap around the rotating object, it may be rotatably connected to the main trunk or sub-trunk via a hinge or equivalent structure. Furthermore, in the present invention, instead of using the above-described sleeve, the belt-shaped member itself may be made of a material with a high friction coefficient. [Explanation of symbols]

[0025] 1 Shaft rotation jig 2 Main executives 3,9 Grip 4 shafts 5. Belt-shaped member 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d Links 6 sleeves 7 Hinge 8 Deputy Executive A arrow

Claims

[Claim 1] A shaft rotation jig that is wound around a shaft to apply torque to the shaft, a rod-shaped main trunk portion having a length greater than the outer diameter of the shaft; a belt-shaped member connected to the trunk portion and bent or curved so as to wrap around the shaft; a grip portion provided at an end of the main trunk portion away from a point where the belt-shaped member is connected; and The belt-shaped member has a length such that a predetermined portion away from the end connected to the main trunk portion is sandwiched between the main trunk portion and the shaft when the main trunk portion is aligned along the shaft. A shaft rotation jig characterized by:

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