Electronic lock transmission devices, electronic locks, and socket assemblies

Abstract

This invention provides an improved transmission device for electronic locks, an electronic lock, and a socket assembly that disconnects gear transmission connections in the transmission path of an electronic lock. [Solution] The transmission device comprises a drive gear driven by an electronically locked motor, a transmission shaft connected to the drive gear for transmission, a driven gear fitted onto and connected to the transmission shaft, and a block having a rack portion that meshes with the driven gear. The transmission device further comprises a clutch mechanism, the clutch mechanism including a tension rope, a slider movably housed in a groove in the block and connected to the tension rope via a spring, both having a smooth top surface and an inclined surface, and a ball head positioned at the first end of the transmission shaft adjacent to the driven gear. The clutch mechanism configures the transmission shaft to be axially movable and engageable with the driven gear for transmission.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of priority of Chinese Patent Application No. CN2024222254502, filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on September 11, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a transmission device for an electronic lock, an electronic lock, and a socket assembly, and more particularly, in the field of charging equipment for new energy vehicles, etc., it relates to a transmission device for an electronic lock, an electronic lock, and a socket assembly, which aims to disconnect the transmission connection when performing emergency unlocking by means of a tension rope.

Background Art

[0003] Conventional fuel - powered vehicles emit a large amount of pollutants. Therefore, the air pollution problem caused by fuel - powered vehicles is particularly prominent. In order to protect the environment and reduce air pollution, the vehicle industry is currently mainly focusing on the development of new energy vehicles including electric vehicles, because electric vehicles directly use electrical energy and do not emit pollutants. To facilitate the charging of electric vehicles, electric vehicles currently have a charging socket that fits into a charging gun to charge the on - vehicle battery. Correspondingly, generally, an electric vehicle is charged by a charging station having a charging plug, also commonly known as a charging gun. During charging, the charging plug is directly inserted into the charging socket of the electric vehicle, and then the charging of the electric vehicle can be carried out.

[0004] For example, according to national standards, when charging an electric vehicle, the charging plug must be securely locked into the electric vehicle's charging socket and cannot be removed from the electric vehicle's charging socket to ensure safety during charging by preventing the charging plug from accidentally detaching from the charging socket. In related technologies, charging plugs are usually equipped with an electronic lock. The electronic lock is an important component of the AC charging socket according to national standards. The electronic lock locks the plug gun during vehicle charging and provides a signal to the vehicle that the charging plug is locked. The internal transmission structure of current electronic locks generally includes a motor gear as the main power source, the motor gear drives an intermediate transmission gear set, the intermediate transmission gear set ultimately drives the rack of the lock rod, and multiple, usually three, gear sets mesh with each other to drive the operation of the electronic lock.

[0005] Furthermore, if the electronic lock malfunctions and the movable part cannot be automatically driven to switch between the locked and unlocked positions, the movable part can be reset to the locked or unlocked position by, for example, pulling the tension rope, thereby enabling emergency unlocking.

[0006] When an emergency lock release is performed, the gears of the transmission chain mesh with each other. Therefore, when the tension rope pulls the rack backward, the transmission gears are inevitably driven, which drives the gears to move in the opposite direction. This means that the design of the emergency lock release force has very high requirements for the motor, and it becomes difficult to reduce the force value to a very low level. This limits the applications of existing electronic locks.

[0007] In related technologies, there is an urgent need for improved transmission devices, electronic locks, and socket assemblies for electronic locks. This improvement involves, for example, designing the intermediate transmission gear set into a clutch gear structure, so that when the rack is pulled backward using a tension rope during emergency unlocking, a switch is triggered by a slider, and thus the clutch gear is disengaged from the transmission gear in the transmission path, thereby achieving the objective of disengaging the transmission connection during emergency unlocking using a tension rope, for example in the field of charging equipment for new energy vehicles. In other words, when the rack of the lock rod is pulled, the movement of the driven gear does not cause the motor gear to move in the opposite direction. In other words, during the emergency release process, the lock rod's rack is pulled, disconnecting the power transmission from the motor. Therefore, in actual use, interference from the motor is avoided, the emergency release force is not limited by the motor, and the force required during emergency release is minimized. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The object of this disclosure is to solve at least one of the above-mentioned problems and drawbacks present in the related art by providing an improved transmission device, electronic lock, and socket assembly for electronic locks that disconnects the gear transmission connection in the transmission path of the electronic lock when emergency unlocking is performed by a tension rope. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, this disclosure is realized by the following technical solutions.

[0010] In a first embodiment of the present disclosure, a transmission device for an electronic lock comprises a drive wheel driven by a motor of the electronic lock, a transmission shaft connected to the drive wheel, a driven wheel located on the transmission shaft and connected to the transmission shaft, and a block having a rack portion that meshes with the driven wheel, the transmission device further comprises a clutch mechanism, the clutch mechanism comprising a tension rope and a slider movably housed in a groove of the block and connected to the tension rope via a spring, the slider having a smooth top surface and an inclined surface, and a ball head provided at a first end of the transmission shaft adjacent to the driven wheel, the transmission shaft being axially movable and configured to engage with a driven gear for transmission with the clutch mechanism.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, the transmission shaft switches between a first state in which the transmission shaft is connected to the driven wheel and a second state in which the transmission shaft is disconnected from the driven wheel due to the interaction between the spring and the slider.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment, as the tensile force applied to the slider by the tension rope causes the slider to move linearly toward the spring in the groove, the ball head is lifted along the inclined surface to its upper surface, in which case the transmission shaft enters a second state, and as the elastic restoring force applied to the slider by the spring's return causes the slider to move linearly toward the spring in the groove, the ball head descends along the inclined surface until it is away from the inclined surface, and the transmission shaft returns to a first state.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, the transmission shaft includes a shaft located between the drive wheel and the block, a first shaft gear adjacent to the drive wheel, and a second shaft gear located in the center of the shaft, the first and second shaft gears being integrally fixed to the shaft.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, the first axle gear and the second axle gear are two spur gears that are coaxially arranged and axially separated from each other.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment, the drive wheel includes a first spur gear section, which is coaxially positioned with a first shaft gear at a second end of the transmission shaft opposite to the first end, and is drive-connected to the first shaft gear.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment, the transmission device further comprises a substantially cylindrical shaft cover provided on the transmission shaft, the shaft cover having a first external gear projecting axially on a first side facing the drive wheel in the axial direction, the first external gear being fixedly meshed with a first spur gear portion.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, the shaft cover further has a centrally located recess on the first side facing the drive wheel axially for housing a first shaft gear, the inner wall of which defines a first internal gear, and the first shaft gear can translate axially to mesh with the first internal gear, so that the first spur gear portion is detachably transmitted to the first shaft gear via the shaft cover.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, the shaft cover has a second side that is axially opposite to the first side and is flat, and the shaft cover further has a central through-hole that extends axially from the second side and communicates with the first internal gear, and the central through-hole is configured to be suitable for the shaft of the transmission shaft to pass through.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment, the teeth of the first circumferential gear are spur teeth, and tooth grooves between adjacent teeth are formed by recessing the circumferential surface of the second side of the cylinder and are configured to accommodate the corresponding teeth of the first spur gear portion, and the upper surfaces of all teeth of the first circumferential gear are aligned with the circumferential surface of the cylinder.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, a counterbore is formed on the side of the drive wheel where the first spur gear portion is located, and an elastic member is housed in the counterbore, which is configured to allow a shaft to pass through and to fit around the shaft.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment, the driven wheel is provided at a first end of the transmission shaft and is transmission-connected to the second shaft gear.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, the driven wheel has a second spur gear portion and a cylindrical end portion that are integrally and coaxially arranged. The second spur gear portion is transmission-connected to a rack portion, and a second outer peripheral gear and a second inner peripheral gear are formed. The second outer peripheral gear is transmission-connected to the rack portion, and the second inner peripheral gear translates axially with respect to the second shaft gear and meshes with the second shaft gear on the axially leading end side toward the second shaft gear.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment, each tooth of the second inner peripheral gear is a flat tooth tapered radially inward, and each tooth of the second shaft gear is tapered toward the second inner peripheral gear at one end.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment, the ball head is at least partially spherical and made of plastic. The ball head is fixed to the end of the shaft at the first end of the transmission shaft.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment, the tension rope is connected to the slider via a connecting rod that extends longitudinally through the block and is movable. The spring is fitted around the connecting rod and fixed to the block and the slider at both ends, respectively.

[0026] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic lock is provided, which includes a housing, the above-described transmission device housed in the housing, and a motor fixed to the housing and having an output shaft and an output gear provided on the output shaft. The drive wheel is driven by the motor through a transmission connection with the output gear.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment, the drive wheel further includes a bevel gear portion. The bevel gear portion and the first spur gear portion are integrated and coaxially arranged. The drive wheel is transmission-connected to the output gear only through the output gear.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, the block is integrally connected to the locking rod of the electronic lock.

[0029] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a socket assembly for inserting a charging gun for charging, the socket assembly comprising a charging socket and the above-described electronic lock attached to the charging socket.

[0030] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate specific aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein and, together with the description, serve to explain some of the principles associated with the disclosed embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG is a schematic perspective view of an electronic lock according to an embodiment of the present disclosure with the upper cover of the housing removed for clarity. [Figure 2] FIG is a schematic perspective view of a transmission device for an electronic lock according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG is a schematic perspective view of a gear transmission system in a transmission device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG is a schematic perspective view of a transmission shaft in a transmission device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5a] FIG is a schematic perspective view of a drive wheel in a transmission device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure viewed from different angles. [Figure 5b] FIG is a schematic perspective view of a drive wheel in a transmission device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure viewed from different angles. [Figure 6] FIG is a schematic perspective view of a shaft cover in a transmission device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7a] FIG is a schematic perspective view of a driven wheel in a transmission device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure viewed from different angles. [Figure 7b] FIG is a schematic perspective view of a driven wheel in a transmission device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure viewed from different angles. [Figure 8]This is a cross-sectional view showing the assembly relationship between the drive wheel, shaft cover, transmission shaft, and driven wheel. [Figure 9] This is a schematic perspective view of a power transmission device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10a] This is a schematic perspective view of a clutch mechanism in different operating states according to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 10b] This is a schematic perspective view of a clutch mechanism in different operating states according to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 10c] This is a schematic perspective view of a clutch mechanism in different operating states according to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 10d] This is a schematic perspective view of a clutch mechanism in different operating states according to embodiments of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0032] To enable those skilled in the art to implement the disclosure, the disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings provided as exemplary examples of the disclosure. In particular, the following drawings and examples are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure to a single embodiment, but other embodiments are possible by replacing some or all of the elements described or illustrated. Furthermore, where certain elements of the disclosure can be implemented in part or in whole using known components, only the portion of such known components necessary for understanding the disclosure will be described, and detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components will be omitted so as not to obscure the disclosure. Embodiments described as being implemented in software should not be limited thereto, and may include embodiments implemented in hardware, or a combination of software and hardware, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art, unless otherwise specified herein. In this specification, embodiments showing a single component should not be considered limiting; rather, this disclosure is intended to encompass other embodiments containing multiple identical components unless otherwise explicitly stated herein, and vice versa. Furthermore, the applicant does not intend any term in the specification or claims to have any non-general or special meaning unless otherwise explicitly stated herein. In addition, this disclosure encompasses current and future known equivalents to known components referred to herein as examples.

[0033] Unless otherwise specified, terms such as “bottom” and “top,” “upper” and “lower” in the content described herein are all relative concepts. Furthermore, in the content described herein, the terms “corresponding” or “corresponding” are used in pairs and refer to the correspondence between components that work together.

[0034] Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the electronic lock 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, with the upper cover of the housing removed for clarity. Figure 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the transmission device 10 for the electronic lock 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] According to one general technical concept of the present disclosure, a transmission device 10 for an electronic lock 1 is provided, for example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The transmission device 10 is a drive wheel 11 driven by a motor 20 of the electronic lock 1, for example, the drive wheel 11 is driven and is transmitted to an output gear 22 of an output shaft 21 of the motor 20, a transmission shaft 12 transmitted to the drive wheel 11, a driven wheel 13 provided on and transmitted to the transmission shaft 12, and a block 14 having a rack portion 140 that meshes with the driven wheel 13, for example, the rack portion 140 and the driven wheel 13 mesh with each other to form a rack and gear pair, the block 14. The transmission device 10 further comprises a clutch mechanism 15, which includes a tension rope 151 and a slider 152 movably housed in a groove 141 of a block 14 and connected to the tension rope 151 via a spring 153, the slider 152 having a smooth upper surface 1522 and an inclined surface 1521, and a ball head 154 provided at a first end of the transmission shaft 12 adjacent to the driven wheel 13 and configured to movably abut, for example, one of the upper surface 1522 and the inclined surface 1521, or to be away from the upper surface 1522 or the inclined surface 1521. The clutch mechanism 15 configures the transmission shaft 12 to be axially movable and engageable with the driven wheel 13 for transmission. As a result, the transmission shaft 12, the driven wheel 13, and the drive wheel 11 form a separable transmission connection. For example, the groove 141 may be a straight groove 141 having a flat bottom surface on which the slider 152 can move.

[0036] In this configuration, the slider 152 of the clutch mechanism 15 is pulled by the tension rope 151, and as the slider 152 moves linearly in the groove 141, the ball head 154 at the free end of the transmission shaft 12 slides against the inclined surface 1521 and is then lifted up to the upper surface 1522, so that the transmission shaft 12 is movable in the axial direction and finally disconnected from the transmission, thereby preventing the gear of the motor 20 from rotating in reverse. Thus, by pulling the lock rod 40 during emergency unlocking, the rack of the lock rod 40 is moved, thereby disconnecting the transmission from the motor 20, so that in actual use, interference from the motor 20 is avoided, the emergency unlocking force is not limited by the motor 20, and the force value during emergency unlocking is minimized.

[0037] For example, generally, during this process, the tensile force applied to the slider 152 by the tension rope 151 causes the slider 152 to press the spring 153 against the block 14, and at the same time, the ball head 154 contacts the inclined surface 1521 of the slider 152 and is lifted slidably against the inclined surface 1521 until it reaches the upper surface 1522. When the tension rope 151 is released, the elastic restoring force of the spring 153 acts on the slider 152, pushing the slider 152 in the opposite direction, and thus the slider 152 moves back to its original position. At the same time, as the slider 152 translates, the ball head 154 translates along the upper surface 1522 and then descends along the inclined surface 1521 until it is separated from the inclined surface 1521.

[0038] In response to this, the interaction between the spring 153 and the slider 152 causes the transmission shaft 12 to switch between a first state in which it is connected to the driven wheel 13 and a second state in which the transmission shaft 12 is disconnected from the driven wheel 13.

[0039] In a more specific embodiment, for example, as the tensile force applied to the slider 152 by the tension rope 151 causes the slider 152 to move linearly toward the spring 153 in the groove 141, the ball head 154 is lifted along the inclined surface 1521 to the upper surface 1522, in which case the transmission shaft 12 enters a second state, and as the elastic restoring force applied to the slider 152 by the spring 153 when the slider 152 returns to its original position causes the slider 152 to move linearly toward the spring 153 in the groove 141, the ball head 154 descends along the inclined surface 1521 until it is separated from the inclined surface 1521, in which case the transmission shaft 12 returns to a first state.

[0040] In a particular exemplary embodiment, for example, the ball head 154 is at least partially spherical and made of plastic. The ball head 154 is fixed to the end of the drive shaft 12 at a first end. This configuration allows the ball head 154 to slide against the inclined surface 1521 and the upper surface 1522 of the slider 152, taking into account the coefficient of friction of the plastic material, and to elastically contact the inclined surface 1521 and the upper surface 1522 of the slider 152 without causing unnecessary wear.

[0041] As another example, the tension rope 151 is connected to the slider 152 via a connecting rod 142 that extends longitudinally through the block 14. The spring 153 is fitted around the connecting rod 142 and secured at its ends to the block 14 and the slider 152, respectively.

[0042] Figure 3 shows a schematic perspective view of the gear transmission system of the transmission device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 3, in the transmission device 10, the output gear 22 of the motor 20, the drive wheel 11, the transmission shaft 12, the driven wheel 13, and the block 14 along the transmission path constitute a gear transmission system.

[0044] Figure 4 shows a schematic perspective view of the transmission shaft 12 of the transmission device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 4, the drive shaft 12 includes a shaft 120 positioned between the drive wheel 11 and the block 14, a first shaft gear 121 positioned adjacent to the drive wheel 11, and a second shaft gear 122 positioned in the center of the shaft 120, the first shaft gear 121 and the second shaft gear 122 being integrally fixed to the shaft 120.

[0046] In a further embodiment, as shown in the figure, the first axle gear 121 and the second axle gear 122 are two spur gears that are coaxially arranged and axially separated from each other.

[0047] Figures 5a and 5b show schematic perspective views of the drive wheel 11 of the transmission device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, viewed from different angles.

[0048] According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figures 5a and 5b, the drive wheel 11 includes, for example, a first spur gear section 111, which is driven to an output gear 22 of the motor 20 via, for example, a bevel gear section 112 integrally and coaxially arranged with the first spur gear section 111. The first spur gear section 111 is coaxially arranged with a first shaft gear 121 at a second end of the transmission shaft 12 opposite to the first end, and is driven to the first shaft gear 121.

[0049] In a typical embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in the figure, for example, the drive wheel 11 is indirectly connected to a first axle gear 121 of a transmission shaft 12, the first axle gear 121 is axially movable relative to the drive wheel 11 and may be disconnected from the drive wheel 11.

[0050] Figure 6 shows a schematic perspective view of the shaft cover 16 in the transmission device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] In a specific embodiment as shown in Figure 6, the transmission device 10 further includes a substantially cylindrical shaft cover 16 fitted around the transmission shaft 12. The shaft cover 16 has a first external gear 161 projecting axially on a first side facing the drive wheel 11 in the axial direction. The first external gear 161 is fixedly meshed with the first spur gear portion 111. This ensures a strong meshing and connection between the shaft cover 16 and the first spur gear portion 111 of the drive wheel 11 via the first external gear 161.

[0052] In a further specific embodiment as illustrated, the shaft cover 16 further has a centrally located recess on the first side facing the drive wheel 11 in the axial direction for housing a first shaft gear 121. The inner wall of the recess defines a first internal gear 162. The first shaft gear 121 is axially translated to mesh with the first internal gear 162, thus establishing a releasable transmission connection between the first spur gear section 111 and the first shaft gear 121 via the shaft cover 16. In a further embodiment as illustrated, the shaft cover 16 has a second side that is axially opposite to the first side and is flat. The shaft cover 16 further has a central through-hole 163 extending axially from the second side and communicating with the first internal gear 162. The central through-hole 163 is configured to accommodate the shaft 120 of the transmission shaft 12. As a result, the recess is adapted to accommodate the first axle gear 121 of the transmission shaft 12, and the transmission shaft 12 can be translated axially with respect to the drive wheel 11, and the first axle gear 121 of the transmission shaft 12 can be translated in and out of the recess to engage and disengage from the first internal gear 162. This arrangement allows the shaft cover 16 to achieve a releasable transmission connection with the first axle gear 121 of the transmission shaft 12 via the first internal gear 162 defined by the inner wall of the recess.

[0053] In yet another embodiment, as shown in the figure, the teeth of the first circumferential gear 161 are spur teeth, and the tooth grooves between adjacent teeth are formed by recessing the circumferential surface on the second side of the cylinder and are configured to accommodate the corresponding teeth of the first spur gear portion 111. Furthermore, the upper surfaces 1522 of all the teeth of the first circumferential gear 161 are aligned with the circumferential surface of the cylinder. This particular configuration of the first circumferential gear 161 is simple and easy to machine and facilitates tight engagement with the first spur gear portion 111.

[0054] Furthermore, in yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, as illustrated, a counterbore 113 is formed on one side of the drive wheel where the first spur gear portion 111 is located. An elastic member 164 is housed within the counterbore and is fitted to allow a shaft 120 to pass through and to fit around the shaft 120. The elastic member 164 is typically, for example, a compression spring, thereby providing a gradually strengthening restraint against excessive insertion of the shaft 120. The deeper the shaft 120 is inserted beyond the design expectation, the greater the elastic restoring force becomes, thereby preventing unexpected axial movement of the shaft 120. Furthermore, when the tension rope 151 is released, the elastic member 164 provides an elastic restoring force acting on the second end of the shaft 120, driving the transmission shaft 12 to reset. Consequently, the ball head 154 at the first end of the transmission shaft 12 also tends to slide along the upper surface 1522 of the slider 152, from the upper surface 1522 to the inclined surface 1521, and then frictionally slide downward along the inclined surface 1521. Simultaneously, the spring 153 housed in the groove 141 of block 14 also applies an elastic restoring force to the slider 152, causing it to translate and move away from the spring 153. This causes the slider 152, particularly its inclined surface 1521, to move in the opposite direction away from the ball head 154, resulting in a tendency for the inclined surface 1521 and the ball head 154 to gradually separate from each other until they are finally separated, thereby rendering the clutch mechanism 15 inoperable but facilitating the re-establishment of a complete transmission path for the electronic lock 1.

[0055] Figures 7a and 7b show schematic perspective views of the driven wheel 13 of the transmission device 10 from different angles according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] In exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figures 7a and 7b, for example, the driven wheel 13 is provided at the first end of the transmission shaft 12 and is transmitted to the second shaft gear 122.

[0057] In a specific embodiment, for example, as shown in the figure, the driven gear 13 has a second spur gear portion 130 and a cylindrical end portion 133 that are integrally and coaxially arranged. The second spur gear portion 130 has a second outer circumferential gear 131 that is transmitted to the rack portion 140 and a second inner circumferential gear 132 that is axially translatable to engage with the second shaft gear 122, formed on the tip side facing the second shaft gear 122 in the axial direction. As shown in the figure, the second outer circumferential gear 131 is arranged in the circumferential direction and extends radially outward.

[0058] In a further specific embodiment, for example, as shown in the figure, each tooth of the second internal gear 132 is a radially tapered spur, and each tooth of the second shaft gear 122 is tapered toward the end facing the second internal gear 132. This arrangement allows each surface of the spur teeth of the second internal gear 132 of the second spur gear section 130 of the driven wheel 13 to form an outwardly extending guide surface, facilitating the insertion and movement of the second internal gear 132 of the second spur gear section 130 into the second shaft gear 122 of the transmission shaft 12, thereby ensuring accurate insertion to achieve a transmission connection between the second shaft gear 122 of the transmission shaft 12 and the second internal gear 132 of the second spur gear section 130 of the driven wheel 13. Furthermore, since the transmission shaft 12 is movable in the axial direction, the transmission connection between the second shaft gear 122 and the second internal gear 132 of the second spur gear section 130 of the driven wheel 13 can be released.

[0059] Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view illustrating the assembly relationship between the drive wheel 11, shaft cover 16, transmission shaft 12, and driven wheel 13.

[0060] Figure 9 shows a schematic perspective view of the transmission device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] In this arrangement, as typically shown in Figure 8, the output gear 22 of the motor 20 and the bevel gear section 112 of the drive wheel 11 typically form a cross-axis bevel gear transmission pair. The first spur gear section 111 of the drive wheel 11 is securely engaged with the first outer circumferential gear 161 of the shaft cover 16 and fixed relative to each other. Furthermore, the first inner circumferential gear 162 of the shaft cover 16 and the first shaft gear 121 at the second end of the transmission shaft 12 form an internal gear transmission pair. The second shaft gear 122 in the center of the transmission shaft 12 and the rack section 140 of the block 14 form a rack-gear transmission pair. In addition, the elastic member 164 housed in the recess of the shaft cover 16 can apply elastic force to the first shaft gear 121 that presses against the elastic member 164. This constitutes the transmission path of the transmission system of the transmission device 10.

[0062] Furthermore, typically, as shown in Figure 9, a ball head 154 provided at the end of the first end of the transmission shaft 12 makes frictional sliding contact with one of the upper surface 1522 and the inclined surface 1521 of the slider 152. A tension rope 151 can apply tensile force to the slider 152. In addition, a spring 153 housed in a groove 141 of the block 14 can apply elastic force to the slider 152 by pressing the spring 153. This constitutes a transmission path for the clutch mechanism 15 of the transmission device 10.

[0063] Figures 10a to 10d show schematic perspective views of the clutch mechanism 15 in different operating states according to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0064] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, typical steps for continuously switching between different operating states of the clutch mechanism 15 of the transmission 10 throughout the entire operating cycle are shown, for example, in Figures 10a to 10d.

[0065] As an example, as shown in the figure, during the emergency unlocking process, a switch that disengages the clutch gear is triggered by slider 152 for emergency unlocking. Pulling the rack of lock lever 40 prevents the driven gear from reversing the motor gear.

[0066] In a specific embodiment, as shown in the figure, the tension rope 151 is first pulled in response to the fulfillment of the emergency release condition. The tension rope 151 applies a tensile force to the slider 152, and thus the slider 152 translates longitudinally along itself, compressing the spring 153. At the same time, the inclined surface 1521 of the slider 152 contacts the ball head 154 and pushes the ball head 154, and thus the ball head 154 is gradually lifted along the inclined surface 1521 while the ball head 154 is in frictional contact with the inclined surface 1521. The lifting of the ball head drives the transmission shaft 12 to move axially in the vertical direction, as shown in the figure, and thus the second shaft gear 122 of the transmission shaft 12 moves axially relative to the second internal gear 132 of the second spur gear section 130 of the driven wheel 13, tending to disengage the transmission between the second shaft gear 122 and the second internal gear 132. This step essentially serves as the initial stage of the emergency unlocking process.

[0067] Next, the tension rope 151 is continuously pulled until the slider 152 drives the rack section 140 into an unlocked state. During this movement, the inclined surface 1521 of the slider 152 remains in contact with the ball head 154. The second internal gear 132 of the driven wheel 13, which is in contact with the rack section 140 via the second external gear 131, is disengaged from the transmission shaft 12, specifically the second shaft gear 122 of the transmission shaft 12. Thus, the driven wheel 13 is disengaged from the output shaft 21 of the motor 20. Simultaneously, the recess in the shaft cover 16 accommodates the transmission shaft 12 inserted axially upward, and the elastic member 164 within the recess tends to be compressed and elastically return to its original position. This step essentially continues to trigger the clutch mechanism 15.

[0068] Subsequently, the unlocking operation is completed, the tension rope 151 is released, and the tensile force applied to the slider 152 is stopped. The slider 152 then returns to its original position due to the action of the compressed spring 153, and as the slider 152 returns longitudinally to its original position, the ball head 154 moves from the upper surface 1522 toward the inclined surface 1521. At this time, the compressed elastic member 164 in the recess of the shaft cover 16 also applies an elastic restoring force to the transmission shaft 12, driving the transmission shaft 12 axially downward and returning it to its original position, thereby pushing the ball head 154 downward along the inclined surface 1521 from its highest point. Furthermore, as the slider 152 returns away from the spring 153 and the ball head 154 is pushed downward against the inclined surface 1521 by the transmission shaft 12, the contact between the ball head 154 and the inclined surface 1521 of the slider 152 gradually decreases until they are completely separated from each other. At this point, the clutch mechanism 15 returns to its original position, and thus the transmission connection of the entire transmission system is restored, i.e., the complete transmission path is restored. This step essentially involves re-engaging and disengaging the clutch mechanism 15.

[0069] Finally, the motor 20 drives the locking action through the complete transmission path. The output gear 22 of the motor 20, located on the output shaft 21, drives the rack 140 into a locked state through the transmission connections of the transmission system. This step essentially involves the transmission system being continuously engaged until the lock is properly locked.

[0070] Based on the above configuration, the improved transmission device 10 for the electronic lock 1, applicable to the field of electric vehicle charging, achieves the following superior technical advantages over existing solutions in the art by configuring the intermediate transmission gear set as a clutch gear structure: When the rack is pulled backward by the tension rope 151 during emergency unlocking, the slider 152 triggers a switch that disengages the clutch gear, and thus the transmission gears of the transmission path are disengaged. This enables the disengagement of the transmission connection during emergency unlocking using the tension rope 151, for example, in the field of new energy vehicle charging equipment. In other words, when the rack of the lock bar 40 is pulled, the movement of the driven gear does not reverse the movement of the gear of the motor 20. This means that during emergency release, the movement of the lock bar 40's rack disconnects the transmission from the motor 20. Therefore, in actual use, interference from the motor 20 is avoided, the emergency release force is not limited by the motor 20, and the force value during emergency release is minimized.

[0071] In another aspect of the present disclosure, as illustrated, the present disclosure also provides an electronic lock 1 comprising a housing 30, the above-mentioned transmission device 10 housed within the housing 30, and a motor 20 fixed to the housing 30 and having an output shaft 21 and an output gear 22 on the output shaft 21. The drive wheel 11 is driven by the motor 20 via a transmission connection to the output gear 22.

[0072] In exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown, the drive wheel 11 further includes a bevel gear section 112. The bevel gear section 112 and the first spur gear section 111 are integrally and coaxially arranged, and the drive wheel 11 is power-driven to the output gear 22 only through the output gear 22.

[0073] In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in the illustration, block 14 is integrally connected to the lock bar 40 of the electronic lock 1.

[0074] In addition, considering that the electronic lock 1 provided in another aspect of this disclosure includes the above-described transmission device 10, the electronic lock 1 also has the advantages of the above-described transmission device 10 for the electronic lock 1, which will not be further described here.

[0075] In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, as illustrated, the present disclosure also provides a socket assembly for inserting a charging plug for charging, comprising a charging socket and the above-mentioned electronic lock 1 attached to the charging socket.

[0076] Furthermore, considering that the socket assembly comprises the above-described transmission device 10 and the above-described electronic lock 1 for the electronic lock 1 provided in another aspect of the present disclosure, the socket assembly also has the advantages of the above-described transmission device 10 and electronic lock 1, and is therefore not further described herein.

[0077] The transmission device for the electronic lock, the electronic lock, and the socket assembly for receiving the charging plug in the above embodiments of the present disclosure can be used to charge an electric vehicle or other electrical device.

[0078] The above description is intended to be illustrative, not limiting. While this disclosure has been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the embodiments disclosed in the drawings are intended to illustrate preferred embodiments of this disclosure and should not be understood as limiting this disclosure.

[0079] Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that the above embodiments are illustrative and can be improved upon by those skilled in the art. The structures described in the various embodiments can be modified and combined freely without creating any inconsistencies in structure or principle. These modifications should be within the scope of the protections of this disclosure.

[0080] The breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited by any of the exemplary embodiments described above, but only by the following claims and their equivalents.

[0081] It should be noted that the terms “equip” or “include” do not exclude other elements or steps, and the terms “one (a)” or “one (an)” do not exclude multiple elements. In addition, no reference figures in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A transmission device (10) for an electronic lock (1), The aforementioned transmission device, - A drive wheel (11) driven by the motor (20) of the electronic lock, - The transmission shaft (12) connected to the aforementioned drive wheel, - A driven wheel (13) located on the transmission shaft, which is connected to the transmission shaft by a driven wheel (13), - A block (14) having a rack portion (140) that engages with the driven wheel and Equipped with, The transmission device further comprises a clutch mechanism (15), The aforementioned clutch mechanism is Tension rope (151), A slider (152) is movably housed in a groove (141) of the block and connected to the tension rope via a spring (153), the slider having a smooth upper surface (1522) and a smooth inclined surface (1521), A ball head (154) provided at the first end of the transmission shaft adjacent to the driven wheel and Includes, The transmission device (10) is configured such that the transmission shaft is movable in the axial direction and can engage with a driven gear for transmission to the clutch mechanism.

2. The transmission device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the transmission shaft (12) switches between a first state in which the transmission shaft is connected to the driven wheel (13) and a second state in which the transmission shaft is disconnected from the driven wheel (13) due to the interaction between the spring (153) and the slider (152).

3. As the tensile force applied to the slider (152) by the tension rope (151) causes the slider (152) to move linearly toward the spring (153) in the groove (141), the ball head (154) is lifted along the inclined surface (1521) to the upper surface (1522), and the transmission shaft (12) enters the second state. The transmission device (10) according to claim 2, wherein the elastic restoring force applied to the slider (152) by the return of the spring (153) causes the slider (152) to move linearly away from the spring (153) in the groove (141), and as a result, the ball head (154) descends along the inclined surface (1521) until it is separated from the inclined surface (1521), and the transmission shaft (12) returns to the first state.

4. The transmission shaft (12) includes a shaft (120) provided between the drive wheel (11) and the block (14), a first shaft gear (121) adjacent to the drive wheel (11), and a second shaft gear (122) located in the center of the shaft (120), wherein the first shaft gear (121) and the second shaft gear (122) are integrally fixed to the shaft (120), as described in claim 1, the transmission device (10).

5. The transmission device (10) according to claim 4, wherein the first shaft gear (121) and the second shaft gear (122) are two spur gears arranged coaxially and spaced apart from each other in the axial direction.

6. The transmission device (10) according to claim 5, wherein the drive wheel (11) includes a first spur gear portion (111), the first spur gear portion (111) is coaxially positioned with the first shaft gear (121) at a second end of the transmission shaft (12) opposite to the first end, and is transmitted to the first shaft gear (121).

7. The transmission device (10) further comprises a substantially cylindrical shaft cover (16) provided on the transmission shaft (12), the shaft cover (16) having a first outer peripheral gear (161) projecting in the axial direction on a first side facing the drive wheel (11) in the axial direction, and the first outer peripheral gear (161) is fixedly meshed with the first spur gear portion (111), as described in claim 6.

8. The transmission device (10) according to claim 7, wherein the shaft cover (16) further has a centrally located recess on the first side facing the drive wheel (11) in the axial direction for housing the first shaft gear (121), the inner wall of the recess defining a first internal gear (162), and the first shaft gear (121) can translate in the axial direction to mesh with the first internal gear (162), and thus the first spur gear portion (111) is detachably transmitted to the first shaft gear (121) via the shaft cover (16).

9. The transmission device (10) according to claim 8, wherein the shaft cover (16) has a second side that is axially opposite to the first side and is flat, and the shaft cover (16) further has a central through hole (163) that extends axially from the second side and communicates with the first internal gear (162), and the central through hole (163) is configured to be suitable for the shaft (120) of the transmission shaft (12) to pass through.

10. The teeth of the first outer circumferential gear (161) are spur teeth, and the tooth grooves between adjacent teeth are formed by recessing the circumferential surface of the second side of the cylinder, and are configured to accommodate the corresponding teeth of the first spur gear portion (111). The transmission device (10) according to claim 9, wherein the upper surfaces (1522) of all the teeth of the first outer gear (161) are aligned with the circumferential surface of the cylinder.

11. A drive wheel has a counterbore (113) formed on the side where the first spur gear portion (111) is located, and an elastic member (164) is housed in the counterbore, wherein the elastic member (164) is able to pass through the shaft (120) and is fitted to fit around the shaft (210), as described in claim 9.

12. The transmission device (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the driven wheel (13) is provided at the first end of the transmission shaft (12) and is transmitted to the second shaft gear (122).

13. The driven wheel (13) has a second spur gear portion (130) and a cylindrical end portion (133) arranged integrally and coaxially, wherein the second spur gear portion (130) has a second outer circumferential gear (131) that is transmitted to the rack portion (140) and a second inner circumferential gear (132) that is axially translated with respect to the second shaft gear (122) and meshes with the second shaft gear (122) at its axial end towards the second shaft gear (122), as described in claim 12.

14. The transmission device (10) according to claim 13, wherein each tooth of the second internal gear (132) is a flat tooth tapered radially inward, and each tooth of the second shaft gear (122) is tapered toward the second internal gear (132) at one end.

15. The transmission device (10) according to claim 4, wherein the ball head (154) is at least partially spherical and made of plastic, and the ball head (154) is fixed to the end of the shaft (120) at the first end of the transmission shaft (12).

16. The transmission device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the tension rope (151) is connected to the slider (152) via a connecting rod (142) that extends longitudinally movably through the block (14), and the spring (153) is fitted around the connecting rod (142) and fixed at both ends to the block (14) and the slider (152), respectively.

17. An electronic lock (1), Housing (30) and The transmission device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 16, housed in the housing (30), The motor (20) is fixed to the housing (30) and has an output shaft (21) and an output gear (22) provided on the output shaft (21). Equipped with, The drive wheel (11) is driven by the motor (20) via a transmission connection to the output gear (22), and is an electronic lock (1).

18. The electronic lock (1) according to claim 17, wherein the drive wheel (11) further includes a bevel gear section (112), the bevel gear section (112) and the first spur gear section (111) are integrated and coaxially arranged, and the drive wheel (11) is power-driven to the output gear (22) only via the output gear (22).

19. The electronic lock (1) according to claim 17, wherein the block (14) is integrally connected to the lock rod (40) of the electronic lock (1).

20. A socket assembly for inserting a charging gun for charging, Charging socket and The electronic lock (1) according to any one of claims 17 to 19 is attached to the charging socket and A socket assembly equipped with the following features.

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