Earthquake-resistant unlocking / locking device and earthquake-resistant remote unlocking / locking system

Abstract

Conventional methods for unlocking disaster prevention warehouse doors rely too heavily on mechanical earthquake detection devices. This means that even authorized personnel approaching a warehouse cannot unlock it without the correct key if the earthquake detection device is not activated due to an earthquake. Furthermore, the lack of communication capabilities prevents unlocking from remote monitoring centers. [Solution] The device can be unlocked by any of the following methods: (i) unlocking by the earthquake detection device; (ii) unlocking by short-range wireless communication such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth® or by disaster prevention administrative radio; or (iii) unlocking by a manual key; and it can also be unlocked from a remote location. Furthermore, it is characterized by the addition of an earthquake sensitivity adjustment function.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an earthquake unlocking / locking device and an earthquake remote unlocking / locking system that connects a plurality of such devices via a communication network. This earthquake unlocking / locking device refers to, for example, a lock of a key storage box that centrally stores keys for opening a lock (jō) hung on an entrance door of a disaster prevention warehouse or evacuation shelter of a local public body or a highway management company, or a device that automatically or manually unlocks / locks a lock (jō) hung on an entrance door of a disaster prevention warehouse or evacuation shelter during an earthquake. The earthquake remote unlocking / locking system refers to a system in which, for example, locks hung on doors of disaster prevention warehouses and public evacuation shelters installed at multiple locations can be remotely unlocked / locked by on-site personnel or a monitoring center during an earthquake via wireless or the Internet.

Background Art

[0002] Most of the above-mentioned disaster prevention warehouses, etc. are unmanned, and the key for unlocking the lock (jō) hung on the door is not necessarily frequently used. Therefore, in the event of an earthquake, there is a practical problem that it is not easy to find the key even if one hurriedly searches for the key to open the lock. In such a case, what is currently widely used is a mechanical earthquake sensing device that automatically unlocks the lock (jō) hung on the door of a disaster prevention warehouse, etc. when it senses an earthquake. There are already many conventional examples of this mechanical earthquake sensing device. For example, Utility Model Registration No. 3144509 (filed on May 12, 2008) discloses an earthquake sensing device in which a pendulum-type weight is always locked in a state of hanging vertically downward in a stationary state, and the pendulum-type weight swings during an earthquake to automatically unlock. This configuration shifts the lock of the disaster prevention warehouse door from the locked state to the unlocked state by a mechanical structure of the swinging of the weight, and since it performs an unlocking operation in an emergency without using any power, it still has a very high practicality especially during a power outage when an earthquake occurs.

[0003] The reason for attempting to perform unlocking operations entirely mechanically without using electricity is that, at the time of filing, for example around 2008, solar panels were not yet widely available as a substitute for electric unlocking devices powered by commercial electricity during power outages caused by earthquakes, as they were not yet small, high-performance, and inexpensive. However, since then, with the dramatic advancements in solar panels and the emergence of small, high-capacity mobile batteries, the need to rely entirely on mechanical earthquake sensing devices for such unlocking devices is diminishing. Nevertheless, the principle of initiating the unlocking operation by the swinging of a weight is still used in the earthquake-resistant unlocking / locking device according to the present invention.

[0004] Regarding other mechanical earthquake detection devices, including the prior art mentioned above, the following are all utility model registrations by the same inventor who collaborated with the inventor of the present invention: No. 3145311 (filed January 11, 2008), No. 5405163 (filed March 24, 2009), JP 2011-1788 (filed June 22, 2009), No. 5547782 (filed September 18, 2012), No. 5547788 (filed October 25, 2012), and No. 3148810 (filed September 18, 2008) by an affiliated company. All of these applications disclose earthquake-induced unlocking devices that use mechanical earthquake detection devices for unlocking operations, and do not disclose any electric-type earthquake-induced unlocking devices. The reason for this is that, as mentioned above, solar panels and mobile batteries were not yet sufficiently inexpensive at the time of filing. Furthermore, non-patent literature, such as that shown in Figure 7, describes a commercially available emergency remote unlocking system that can be unlocked wirelessly. However, this is a device specifically for wireless remote unlocking that does not use a mechanical earthquake detection device, and is therefore different from the present invention.

[0005] The following problems have now been pointed out regarding the conventional mechanical unlocking devices mentioned above. (1) Even if the mechanical earthquake detection device does not detect an earthquake, unlocking may still be necessary. For example, if a mechanical earthquake detection device is pre-configured to detect an earthquake of magnitude 5 or lower and unlock the door of a disaster prevention warehouse, it will naturally not unlock during a magnitude 4 earthquake. However, even during a magnitude 4 earthquake, many residents often gather at evacuation centers, and therefore there may be a need to open the door of the disaster prevention warehouse located there. In such cases, it may be necessary for the person in charge who rushes to the scene to manually unlock the door during an actual earthquake. However, even in this case, the person in charge cannot unlock the door unless they have a master key with them. (2) There is no function to check the current unlocked / locked status. Conventional mechanical earthquake detection devices, when an earthquake of a certain magnitude or higher occurs, cannot confirm from the outside, especially from a remote location, whether the disaster prevention warehouse has been unlocked in response to the earthquake or whether it remains locked. In other words, with conventional mechanical earthquake detection devices, when an earthquake of a certain magnitude or higher occurs, a pendulum-type weight hanging vertically downwards within the device swings strongly, leading to the inference that "it has likely been automatically unlocked." However, it is not possible to confirm, for example, that the unlocking operation has actually taken place from a monitoring center managing a highway. For example, if a disaster prevention warehouse located in service area A, where an earthquake occurred, and another service area B should both be unlocked, it is impossible to confirm whether both are actually unlocked. This is because the device lacks sensors or communication means to confirm unlocking. (3) It only has a forced unlocking function and no forced locking function. Conventional mechanical earthquake detection devices can forcibly unlock, for example, the door of a disaster prevention warehouse using a pre-energized spring when an earthquake occurs, but they cannot forcibly lock it manually from a monitoring center. This is because it is not possible to re-energize the spring and forcibly lock it from a remote location. (4) Lack of earthquake sensitivity adjustment function Current mechanical earthquake detection devices lack a mechanism for adjusting earthquake sensitivity. In conventional designs, the length of the weight's suspension axis is constant, inevitably resulting in constant earthquake sensitivity. To illustrate this again with the example of disaster prevention warehouses in service areas, which are numerous along expressways, it is obvious that not all service areas are located on ground with the same strength. Suppose the expressway monitoring center wants to unlock only the disaster prevention warehouses in service areas where an earthquake of magnitude 5 or higher has occurred. However, if only service area A is located on hard ground that is less prone to shaking, an illogical situation arises. In other words, current mechanical earthquake detection devices have a uniform suspension axis length, and the weight inside the mechanical earthquake detection device installed in the disaster prevention warehouse of service area A does not swing sufficiently during an earthquake of magnitude 5 because the warehouse is located on hard ground. As a result, the disaster prevention warehouse in service area A, which is located on hard ground, is not automatically unlocked. This is because current mechanical earthquake detection devices lack an earthquake sensitivity adjustment function to pre-adjust the suspension axis for service area A, which is located on hard ground. The primary objective of the present invention is to solve the four problems described above. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3144509 [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3145311 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 5405163 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-1788 [Patent Document 5] Patent Publication No. 5547782 [Patent Document 6] Patent Publication No. 5547788 [Patent Document 7] Utility Model Registration No. 3148810 [Non-patent literature]

[0007] [Non-Patent Document 1] "Key Opener" pamphlet [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The problem we aim to solve can be summarized in the following four points. (1) Conventional technology for unlocking disaster prevention warehouse doors relies too heavily on mechanical earthquake detection devices. As a result, even authorized personnel who have approached each disaster prevention warehouse cannot unlock the doors without the designated key if the earthquake detection device is not activated due to an earthquake. Furthermore, because the system lacks any communication capabilities, remote unlocking operations cannot be performed from a remote monitoring center. (2) In the event of an earthquake of a certain magnitude or higher, the system lacks a function to confirm from a remote monitoring center whether the mechanical earthquake detection devices installed in individual disaster prevention warehouses, such as those located in service areas on expressways, have already been unlocked in response to the earthquake or remain locked. (3) The disaster prevention warehouse cannot be forcibly locked from a monitoring center located in a remote location. (4) Furthermore, current mechanical earthquake detection devices lack an earthquake sensitivity adjustment function that allows for subtle adjustments to detect earthquakes of different seismic intensities. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] As an alternative to the mechanical earthquake detection device that detects an earthquake and performs the unlocking operation as described in the above problem (1), the following unlocking methods will be used: i) unlocking operation by an authorized person using short-range communication such as Bluetooth®, ii) unlocking operation via disaster prevention radio or the internet using a widely used digital method, iii) unlocking operation by an authorized person using a master key, and iv) unlocking operation of a dial lock. An earthquake-resistant unlocking / locking device and earthquake-resistant remote unlocking / locking system will be used. The power supply for this will use an internal battery, and of course, the battery will be constantly charged by a solar panel or, depending on the installation location, by commercial power. The above-mentioned short-range communication and unlocking operation via disaster prevention radio or the internet using a digital method will be performed using a solenoid that opens and closes the lock electromagnetically near the lock. The opening and closing instructions to this solenoid will be given by an authorized person or a monitoring center. This solenoid can, of course, perform not only the unlocking operation but also the locking operation described in problem (3) above.

[0010] Furthermore, regarding the status confirmation function mentioned in issue (2) above, which allows a remote monitoring center to check the unlocked / locked state, a sensor for detecting the open / closed state is installed near the lock, and this sensor information is transmitted to the person in charge or the monitoring center.

[0011] Furthermore, the earthquake sensitivity adjustment function mentioned in issue (4) above is achieved by adjusting the length of the shaft from which the pendulum-type weight of the mechanical earthquake sensor hangs vertically downward. In other words, if we liken the shaft and weight to a bolt and nut relationship, the weight, which corresponds to the nut, is rotated along the shaft, which corresponds to the bolt, thereby changing the shaft length. According to the law of inertia, for earthquakes of the same seismic intensity, a longer shaft length will result in less oscillation of the weight, while conversely, for earthquakes of the same seismic intensity, a shorter shaft length will result in greater oscillation of the weight. In other words, it is possible to adjust the oscillation of the weight in response to earthquakes by changing the shaft length. A shorter shaft length will increase earthquake sensitivity, and a longer shaft length will decrease earthquake sensitivity. Depending on whether the mechanical earthquake sensor is installed in a service area on hard bedrock or on soft ground, it is possible to adjust the shaft length in advance to appropriately adjust the earthquake sensitivity to match the ground strength of the installation site. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The earthquake-induced unlocking / locking device and the earthquake-induced remote unlocking / locking system using this device of the present invention, like the conventional example, are configured to automatically unlock without the use of a key, primarily by a mechanical earthquake detection device, at the same time as detecting an earthquake. This basic operating principle is the same as the conventional example. However, even personnel authorized to unlock disaster prevention warehouses, etc., could not unlock them if they did not have the designated key. In the present invention, however, individual earthquake-induced unlocking / locking devices can be directly unlocked using existing short-range communication means, such as a mobile phone. This can also be done from a monitoring center via a communication network. From the monitoring center, it becomes possible to forcibly unlock or forcibly lock a large number of disaster prevention warehouses installed in service areas A, B, ... Z, etc., which has the advantage of allowing on-site personnel and the monitoring center to reliably control the disaster prevention warehouses.

[0013] On the other hand, in conventional disaster prevention warehouses equipped only with mechanical earthquake detection devices, it is impossible for a remote monitoring center to know whether the lock has been reliably automatically unlocked. In other words, the monitoring center can only infer that the lock on the disaster prevention warehouse is unlocked because the weight of the mechanical earthquake-induced automatic unlocking device oscillates within a predetermined range during an earthquake, but it cannot confirm that the lock has been reliably unlocked and that the disaster prevention materials stored inside the warehouse can be retrieved. In contrast, the earthquake-induced remote unlocking / locking system of the present invention is equipped with a function to confirm the current state of the lock's open / closed status, so it is possible to reliably confirm that the door of the disaster prevention warehouse is unlocked even from a remote monitoring center. The monitoring center has the great advantage of being able to clearly see the unlocked / locked status of disaster prevention warehouses installed in service areas A, B, ... Z on a highway, for example, by the illumination of individual lamps.

[0014] Furthermore, it has the advantage of being able to easily fine-tune the earthquake sensitivity of the mechanical earthquake sensing device in advance to match the natural conditions of the installation site (such as the strength of the ground), a feature not found in conventional technology.

[0015] After the occurrence of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in the current Reiwa 6th year, there is a current situation where many local governments have sent a large number of requests for the early installation of such earthquake unlocking / locking devices and earthquake remote unlocking / locking systems.

Brief Explanation of Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an earthquake unlocking / locking device and an earthquake remote unlocking / locking system according to the invention of the present application. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a right perspective view showing the state of the earthquake sensing device during earthquake standby, that is, during locking. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a plan view of the earthquake sensing device with the set handle removed, showing the state during earthquake standby, that is, during locking. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a plan view of the earthquake sensing device with the set handle removed, showing the state during earthquake occurrence, that is, during unlocking. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a plan view showing the configuration of the lock unit, which is a feature of the invention of the present application. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a right perspective view of an earthquake sensing device according to a second embodiment with an earthquake sensitivity adjustment function added. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a catalog copy of a very remote unlocking system that can perform wireless remote unlocking, which is a non-patent document.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an earthquake unlocking / locking device 100 and an earthquake remote unlocking / locking system 400 according to the invention of the present application. For example, for the locks hung on the doors of a plurality of disaster prevention warehouses installed in a service area within a highway, an earthquake unlocking / locking device 100 that performs unlocking / locking operations during an earthquake is installed in each disaster prevention warehouse. Further, these plurality of earthquake unlocking / locking devices 100 are connected to a monitoring center 300 via a public communication network 200, and an earthquake remote unlocking / locking system 400 is configured.

[0018] The earthquake-induced unlocking / locking device 100 consists of a conventional mechanical earthquake detection device 10, a communication unit 20 that gives instructions to an external public communication network 210 and to various parts within the earthquake detection device 10, a lock unit 40 connected to the earthquake detection device 10 by a traction wire 10-5, a status confirmation unit 30 that detects whether the lock unit 40 is in a locked or unlocked state, a relocking solenoid unit 50 that relocks the earthquake detection device 10, and a power supply unit 60 which is a commercial power supply or solar panel that supplies power.

[0019] First, an example of the configuration of the earthquake detection device 10 that constitutes the earthquake-induced unlocking / locking device 100 described above is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5547788, so a detailed description will be omitted, but a general overview of its operation will be given below. Figure 2 is a right-hand perspective view showing the earthquake detection device 10 in earthquake standby mode, i.e., locked mode. In the figure, by manually rotating the set handle 10-1 clockwise, the stopper arm 10-2 engages with the stopper 10-3, and the device enters earthquake standby mode, i.e., earthquake detection mode. Furthermore, Figures 3 and 4 are plan views showing the earthquake detection device 10 with the set handle 10-1 removed, with Figure 3 showing the earthquake standby mode, i.e., locked mode, and Figure 4 showing the state when an earthquake occurs, i.e., unlocked mode. The rotating plate 10-4 in Figure 3 is formed of a circular metal plate, but it may also be made of synthetic resin. The aforementioned set handle 10-1 is fixed to the rotating plate 10-4 and, by rotating it by hand, biases the drive spring 10-6 and engages the stopper 10-3 with the claw portion of the stopper arm 10-2. The left end of the towing wire 10-5 is fixed to the rotating plate 10-4, and the right end is connected to the lock unit 40 described later. The stopper arm 10-2 is pivotally supported. The drive spring 10-6 is biased by manually rotating the rotating plate 10-4 to the right, with one end of the drive spring 10-6 attached to the rotating plate 10-4 and the other end attached to the drive spring lower post 10-7 provided on the base. The locking spring 10-8 engages the stopper arm 10-2 and the stopper 10-3, with one end of the locking spring 10-8 attached to the stopper arm 10-2 and the other end attached to the base. The pendulum-type weight 10-9 is set to a predetermined weight and is attached to the push-up disc 10-11 via the suspension shaft 10-10. The push-up disc 10-11 also tilts in accordance with the swinging motion of the pendulum-type weight 10-9. Furthermore, the passive plate 10-12 moves up and down in accordance with the swinging motion of the push-up disc 10-11, and the push-up rod 10-13, which is vertically fixed to the passive plate 10-12, pushes up the left end of the stopper arm 10-2.

[0020] The functional operation of the earthquake sensing device 10 is explained below with reference to Figure 4. The drive spring 10-6 is attached to the outer periphery of the rotating plate 10-4. When an earthquake occurs, the pendulum-type weight 10-9 attached to the lower end of the fixed-length suspension shaft 10-10 swings, causing the push-up disc 10-11 to push up the passive plate 10-13, which can move freely up and down. The push-up rod 10-14 is then pushed upward, and the stopper arm 10-2, which is pivotally supported by the stopper arm shaft 10-15, disengages from the stopper 10-3. Since the rotating plate 10-4 is biased to rotate counterclockwise by the drive spring 10-6, the traction wire 10-5, whose left end is fixed to the rotating plate 10-4 along a groove provided on its outer circumference, is pulled to the left to unlock the lock unit 40. In other words, when an earthquake occurs, the pendulum-type weight 10-9 swings, causing the stopper arm 10-2, which is pivotally supported by the stopper arm shaft 10-15, to disengage from the stopper 10-3. As a result, the traction wire 10-5 is pulled to the left along a groove provided on the outer circumference of the rotating plate 10-4, which is biased to rotate counterclockwise by the drive spring 10-6, and the lock unit 40 can be released. This basic operation itself is the same as in the prior art.

[0021] Next, the lock unit 40 shown in Figure 1, which is a feature of the present invention, will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a plan view showing the configuration of the lock unit 40. This lock unit 40 is attached to the door of, for example, a disaster prevention warehouse and is locked under normal circumstances. The unlocking operation of this lock unit 40 has three types of unlocking means: (1) an unlocking operation by the earthquake detection device 10 detecting an earthquake and pulling the traction wire 10-5, (2) an unlocking operation by the excitation of the unlocking solenoid 40-3 inside the lock unit, and (3) an unlocking operation by inserting a manual key into the locking key insertion part 40-15. This makes it possible for disaster prevention personnel to easily perform the unlocking operation from near the disaster prevention warehouse, and also enables unlocking from a remote monitoring center 300, unlike the conventional example which relies solely on a mechanical earthquake detection device 10.

[0022] The operation of the lock unit 40 will now be described. In the unlocking operation by the earthquake sensing device 10 described in (1) above, first the earthquake sensing device 10 is activated and the traction wire 10-5 is pulled upward. This pulls up the slider 40-4 and compresses the traction wire release spring 40-10, disengaging the female engagement part 40-5 of the slider 40-4 from the male engagement part 40-13 of the unlocking lever 40-11. As a result, the unlocking lever 40-11 may be rotated by a biased unlocking spring (not shown), or it can be rotated manually to unlock it. Details of this specific configuration are omitted as they are based on prior art design.

[0023] Furthermore, the unlocking operation using the unlocking solenoid 40-3 described in (2) above is as follows: (i) First, the switch 40-8 is turned ON by wireless communication or the like in the conventional example, and the unlocking solenoid 40-3 is activated, magnetically attaching the slider 40-4, compressing the slider release spring 40-9, which disengages the female engagement part 40-5 of the slider 40-4 from the male engagement part 40-13 of the unlocking lever 40-11, allowing the unlocking lever 40-11 to be rotated in the direction of rotation of the unlocking lever 40-52. When the unlocking lever 40-11 is rotated, the hinge 40-18 disengages from the housing side wall 40-19, allowing the door to be opened. In this case, the unlocking lever 40-11 can be rotated manually, by a biased spring (not shown), or remotely via the communication unit 20 shown in Figure 1 to a remote monitoring center 300 using a rotation solenoid (not shown). However, the specific configuration is a matter of prior art design, so details are omitted. Furthermore, the operation of the switch 40-8 that activates the unlocking solenoid 40-3 may be configured so that a disaster prevention officer who has rushed to the disaster prevention warehouse can operate it from outside the lock unit 40 via the communication unit 20 using short-range wireless communication such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth (registered trademark), or by an unlocking operation via the public network 200 from the monitoring center 300 described later. Of course, security measures such as a PIN code are in place. The specific configuration is also a matter of prior art design using short-range wireless communication, so details are omitted. Furthermore, by utilizing digital disaster prevention administrative radio systems (municipal digital broadcasting systems, municipal digital mobile communication systems), it is possible to remotely issue unlocking commands from the monitoring center 300 via the communication unit 20. Details regarding the data format and other specific configurations of the wireless communication used for this remote operation are omitted as they are design matters based on conventional technology.

[0024] Furthermore, regarding the manual unlocking operation using a key as described in (3) above, when the unlocking key is inserted into the locking key insertion part 40-15 and rotated, the locking part cam stopper 40-14 rotates in the locking cam stopper rotation direction 40-54. When the locking part cam stopper 40-14 rotates, the unlocking lever 40-11 is pulled down by the unlocking lever traction spring 40-16, disengaging the male engagement part 40-13 of the unlocking lever 40-11 from the female engagement part 40-5 of the slider 40-4, allowing the unlocking lever 40-11 to be manually rotated in the unlocking lever rotation direction 40-52. Thus, the present invention has the advantage of being able to be unlocked by any of the following means: automatic unlocking by the earthquake detection device 10, unlocking operation from a monitoring center or via short-range wireless communication, and unlocking operation using a manual key, allowing for flexible on-site response.

[0025] Next, the status confirmation unit 30, a feature of the present invention shown in Figure 1, will be described. As shown in the earthquake-induced remote unlocking / locking system 400 according to the present invention, the status confirmation unit 30 is used at a remote monitoring center 300 to remotely determine whether the mechanical earthquake detection device 10 has successfully detected an earthquake and whether the doors of a specific disaster prevention warehouse, such as one located at the earthquake site, among several disaster prevention warehouses installed at remote locations, have been properly unlocked. Conventional mechanical earthquake detection devices lack communication functions and sensors to detect unlocking / locking status, and the monitoring center 300 could only infer that the earthquake detection device had successfully performed the unlocking operation when an earthquake occurred. In contrast, the present invention makes it possible to reliably confirm that the unlocking operation has been performed. To this end, as shown in Figure 5, an open / closed state detection sensor 40-17 is installed near the hinge 40-18 that unlocks / locks the door. The detection data is sent to the monitoring center 300 via the communication unit 20, and the open / closed status of the doors of each disaster prevention warehouse can be visually confirmed by, for example, the status indicator lamp 330 that shows the open / closed status. When an earthquake occurs, it is possible to visually confirm that the doors of the disaster prevention warehouses installed at that location are unlocked by the illumination of the status indicator lamp 330. If, through this visual confirmation, it is confirmed that a normal unlocking operation has not been performed, the monitoring center 300 can send an unlocking command again manually from the unlocking / locking command unit 320 to the earthquake-resistant unlocking / locking device 100, or it can send a separate command to the disaster prevention personnel of the disaster prevention warehouse by telephone or other means, instructing them to take further action. Furthermore, the unlocking operation based on this unlocking command is performed by re-exciting the unlocking solenoid 40-3 of the lock unit 40, as described in (2) above.

[0026] On the other hand, when the monitoring center 300 issues a locking command, rather than an unlocking command, to the earthquake-resistant unlocking / locking device 100 via the unlocking / locking command unit 320, the earthquake-resistant unlocking / locking device 100 in the disaster prevention warehouse needs to re-engage the stopper arm 10-2 with the stopper 10-3 by rotating the rotating plate 10-4 to the right in order to reset the earthquake detection device 10 shown in Figure 2. For this reason, the monitoring center 300 issues a reset command to the re-locking solenoid unit 50 shown in Figure 1 via the center communication unit 310, the public network 200, and the communication unit 20 of the earthquake-resistant unlocking / locking device 100, and forcibly re-engages the earthquake detection device 10 by pulling the tow wire 10-5 to rotate the rotating plate 10-4 to the right. As a result, the mechanical earthquake detection device 10 returns to the earthquake standby state, i.e., earthquake detection mode. Simultaneously with this operation, the lock unit 40 is configured to relock by rotating the locking hinge 40-18 using, for example, a solenoid (not shown) for relocking the lock unit. This returns the entire earthquake-resistant unlocking / locking device 100 to the earthquake standby state, i.e., earthquake detection mode. The specific details of how the earthquake-resistant unlocking / locking device 100 returns to the earthquake standby state, i.e., earthquake detection mode, are a combination of design elements from the prior art, so the details are omitted.

[0027] Next, the power supply for the earthquake-resistant unlocking / locking device 100 will be explained. Conventionally, in locations such as disaster prevention warehouses, it was assumed that commercial power would likely be lost during an earthquake, and unlocking operations were performed using only a mechanical earthquake detection device. However, not all commercial power supplies are necessarily lost during an earthquake, and with the dramatic advancements in solar panel technology in recent years, the need to assume no power supply is diminishing. Therefore, as shown in Figure 1, this invention is configured to use commercial power or a solar panel power supply unit 60. As a result, the earthquake-resistant unlocking / locking device 100 functions as a communication terminal electrically connected to the monitoring center 300.

[0028] (Second embodiment of earthquake detection device 10) Figure 6 is a right perspective view of an earthquake sensing device 10 with an added earthquake sensitivity adjustment function. In this embodiment, instead of the pendulum-type weight 10-9 attached to the lower end of the fixed-length suspension shaft 10-10 in the above-described earthquake sensing device 10, an earthquake sensing device 10A according to a second embodiment is disclosed that has an earthquake sensitivity adjustment function, comprising a pendulum-type weight 10-9A whose position can be changed vertically along the suspension shaft 10-10A, so that the position of the weight can be changed. That is, in the earthquake sensing device 10A according to this second embodiment, the length of the shaft from which the pendulum-type weight 10-9A hangs vertically downward is adjusted. This pendulum-type weight 10-9A can move up and down along the suspension rod 10-10A, from which the weight position can be changed. For example, by configuring the shaft and the weight in a bolt-and-nut relationship, the vertical position of the weight can be easily changed by rotating the pendulum-type weight 10-9A. This means that, according to the law of inertia, for earthquakes of the same magnitude, a longer axis length results in less oscillation of the weight, while a shorter axis length results in greater oscillation. In other words, a shorter axis length increases earthquake sensitivity, and a longer axis length decreases it. This earthquake sensitivity adjustment function allows for the pre-adjustment of the axis length to appropriately fine-tune the earthquake sensitivity according to the ground strength of the installation site, depending on whether the earthquake sensing device 10A is installed in a disaster prevention warehouse in a service area on hard bedrock or on soft ground. [Industrial applicability]

[0029] The earthquake-induced unlocking / locking device 100 of the present invention is primarily configured to automatically unlock without the use of a key using a mechanical earthquake detection device 10. However, personnel who rush to the disaster prevention warehouse can directly unlock / lock individual disaster prevention warehouses using a mobile phone or other means of short-range communication. Furthermore, the earthquake-induced remote unlocking / locking system 400 also allows for earthquake-induced unlocking / locking operations to be performed from a monitoring center 300 via a communication network. Furthermore, it is equipped with a function to check the current status of the locks, so it is possible to reliably confirm that the doors of the disaster prevention warehouses are unlocked even from a monitoring center located in a remote location. In particular, the monitoring center has the significant advantage of being able to clearly understand the unlocked / locked status of disaster prevention warehouses installed in service areas A, B, ... Z on highways, for example, by the illumination of individual indicator lights. Furthermore, the mechanical earthquake detection device has the advantage of allowing for easy fine-tuning in advance to match the natural conditions of the installation site (such as the strength of the ground), thanks to its earthquake sensitivity adjustment function. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0030] 100 Earthquake-resistant unlocking / locking device 400 Earthquake-resistant remote unlocking / locking system 10 Mechanical Earthquake Detection Devices 10-5 Towing wire 20 Communications Department 30 Current Situation Confirmation Department 40-tablet unit 50. Solenoid section for relocking 60 power supply section 200 public telecommunications networks 300 monitoring centers 310 Center Communications Department 320 Unlock / Lock Command Unit 330 Status Indicator Lamp

Claims

1. An earthquake-resistant unlocking / locking device that performs unlocking / locking operations on a lock on a door in the event of an earthquake, comprising: a mechanical earthquake sensing device (10); a communication unit (20) that gives instructions to an external public communication network (200) and to each component of the earthquake sensing device (10); a lock unit (40) connected to the earthquake sensing device (10) by a traction wire (10-5); a status confirmation unit (30) that detects whether the lock unit (40) is in a locked or unlocked state; a re-locking solenoid unit (50) that re-locks the earthquake sensing device (10); and a power supply unit (60) that supplies power to the earthquake-resistant unlocking / locking device. The mechanical earthquake detection device (10) is configured to detect an earthquake by causing a pendulum-type weight (10-9) to swing, and to unlock the lock unit (40) by pulling a traction wire (10-5) fixed to a rotating plate (10-4) which is rotated by a drive spring (10-6). The lock unit (40) is configured to be unlocked by any of the following unlocking operations: (i) an unlocking operation by the earthquake sensing device (10) sensing an earthquake and pulling the traction wire (10-5); (ii) an unlocking operation by the activation of the unlocking solenoid (40-3) by an external command via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth® or disaster prevention administrative radio through the communication unit (20); or (iii) an unlocking operation by using a manual key. The aforementioned status confirmation unit (30) is configured to install an open / closed state detection sensor (40-17) near the hinge (40-18) that unlocks / locks the door, and to send the detection data to the outside via the communication unit (20). The re-locking solenoid unit (50) is configured to forcibly reset the mechanical earthquake detection device (10) and re-lock the lock unit (40) when it receives a reset command from an external source via the communication unit (20). The power supply unit (60) is configured to supply the necessary drive power to the communication unit (20), the status confirmation unit (30), the lock unit (40), and the re-locking solenoid unit (50) in an earthquake-resistant unlocking / locking device (100).

2. The earthquake-induced unlocking / locking device (100) according to claim 1 is configured with an earthquake-sensitive adjustment function, replacing the mechanical earthquake-sensing device (10) with an earthquake-sensitive adjustment function, and the earthquake-sensing device (10A) is configured with a pendulum-type weight (10-9A) that can be moved vertically along a suspension shaft (10-10A) that can change the position of the weight, instead of a pendulum-type weight (10-9) attached to the lower end of a fixed-length suspension shaft (10-10), thereby adding an earthquake-sensitive adjustment function that finely adjusts the earthquake sensitivity in accordance with the law of inertia by changing the length of the axis over which the weight swings.

3. The current status confirmation unit (30) of the earthquake-resistant unlocking / locking device (100) described in claim 1 receives detection data on whether the door is unlocked or locked from the open / closed state detection sensor (40-17) via the communication unit (20), the public telephone network (200), and the center communication unit (310) in the remote monitoring center (300), and makes it possible to visually confirm whether the door is unlocked or locked using the current status indicator lamp (330). Furthermore, the remote unlocking / locking system (400) during an earthquake is characterized by being configured such that an unlocking / locking command unit (320) at a remote monitoring center (300) issues a reset command to the re-locking solenoid unit (50) of the earthquake-resistant unlocking / locking device (100), thereby forcibly resetting the earthquake detection device (10) and re-locking the lock unit (40).

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