Locking Structure
The locking structure for containers with built-in movable parts addresses the issue of lock damage by incorporating a mechanism that locks the opening and closing portion, redirecting force away from the lock, thus enhancing durability.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2021066391
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2021-04-09
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-21
- Estimated Expiration
- 2041-04-09
AI Technical Summary
Existing locking structures for containers with built-in movable parts, such as those found in stirrers and organic waste treatment devices, are prone to damage due to direct application of force during opening and closing operations.
A locking structure that locks the lid to a container with a built-in movable part, featuring a fixing portion, an opening and closing portion, and a lock portion. The opening and closing portion can switch between closed and open states, and the lock portion locks the opening and closing portion in the closed state to prevent damage.
The proposed locking structure effectively prevents damage to the lock portion by redirecting the force applied during lid opening and closing, thereby enhancing the durability and reliability of the locking mechanism.
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention primarily relates to a locking structure for locking a lid to a container having a built-in movable part. [Background technology]
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an agitator for agitating raw materials placed in a container. The agitator is provided with blades driven by a motor inside.
[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses an organic waste treatment device that heats and agitates organic waste. The organic waste treatment device is formed with an inlet for inputting organic waste, and is provided with an opening and closing door for opening and closing the inlet. A limit switch is also provided near the opening and closing door. When the opening and closing door is closed, it presses the limit switch. When the opening and closing door is opened, the limit switch is released. When the limit switch is released, a control circuit operates, and the rotation of the agitating blade is stopped. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-86626 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-85706 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0005] Since Patent Document 1 mainly describes adjusting the height of the blades, it does not fully describe the locking structure between the container and the lid. The organic waste treatment device in Patent Document 2 is configured so that the opening and closing door presses the limit switch, which may be damaged.
[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its main object is to provide a locking structure for locking a lid to a container having a built-in movable part, in which the locking part is less likely to be damaged. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] The problem to be solved by the present invention has been described above. Next, the means for solving this problem and the effects thereof will be described.
[0008] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a locking structure having the following configuration. That is, the locking structure locks a lid to a container incorporating a movable part driven by a drive device. The locking structure includes a fixing part, an opening / closing part, and a locking part. The fixing part fixes the lid to the container and is capable of releasing the fixation. The opening / closing part is switchable between a closed state in which the fixing part prevents the fixing part from being released by covering at least a part of the fixing part, and an open state in which the fixing part can be released. When the opening / closing part is in the closed state, the locking part locks the opening / closing part so that it does not switch to the open state, and detects and outputs the locked state.
[0009] As a result, the locking part locks the opening and closing part, not the fixed part, so the force involved in opening and closing the lid is less likely to be applied to the locking part, and therefore the locking part is less likely to be damaged. Effect of the Invention
[0010] According to the present invention, in a locking structure for locking a lid to a container having a built-in movable part, a configuration can be provided in which the locking part is less likely to be damaged. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a stirring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] 11A to 11C are diagrams showing a process of unlocking the locking portion. [Figure 4] 11A to 11C are diagrams showing a process of transitioning the opening / closing section from a closed state to an open state. [Diagram 5] A diagram showing the process of removing the bolts and opening the lid. [Figure 6] 11 is a flowchart showing a process related to prohibition / permission of release of a lock unit. [Figure 7] 6 is a flowchart showing a process related to prohibition / permission of blade drive. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, an outline of a stirring device 1 will be described with reference to Figs.
[0013] The agitator 1 is a device that agitates input raw materials to perform mixing and granulation. As shown in FIG.
[0014] The base 10 is installed on the floor surface of a factory or the like. An electric motor (drive device) 11, a reducer 12, and a power transmission unit 13 are provided inside the base 10. The electric motor 11 generates a drive force using electric power supplied from the outside. The drive force generated by the electric motor 11 is reduced in speed by the reducer 12, and is further transmitted to the main body unit 20 side by the power transmission unit 13. The electric motor 11 is controlled by a control unit 15. Note that the agitator 1 may be configured to operate using a drive force generated by a drive device other than the electric motor 11 (for example, an engine or a hydraulic motor).
[0015] The main body 20 is provided on the upper side of the base 10, and is a part that stirs the raw materials introduced through a pipe or the like (not shown). The main body 20 includes a container 21 and a lid 22. A blade (movable part, agitator blade) 25 is provided inside the container 21 (specifically, on the bottom surface). The blade 25 rotates when the driving force generated by the electric motor 11 is transmitted to the blade 25, thereby stirring the raw materials. In addition to the blade 25, another blade (chopper blade) may be provided on the side surface inside the container 21.
[0016] The lid 22 is attached to the upper surface of the container 21 to seal the container 21. A counterweight 26 is attached to the lid 22 via an arm 26a. The lid 22 can rotate up and down relative to the container 21 around an opening / closing shaft 23 (axis parallel to the horizontal plane) attached to the arm 26a as the center of rotation. The counterweight 26 assists in opening and closing the lid 22. The lid 22 can also rotate horizontally around a rotation shaft 24 (axis parallel to the vertical direction) as the center of rotation. When opening the lid 22, the lid 22 is first rotated upward around the opening / closing shaft 23 as the center of rotation, and then the lid 22 is rotated horizontally around the rotation shaft 24 as the center of rotation, thereby opening the container 21. By opening the container 21, cleaning and maintenance of the inside of the container 21 can be performed.
[0017] Next, the fixing structure and locking structure 30 of the lid 22 will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0018] 1, the container 21 is provided with a lower extension 21a extending radially outward. Similarly, the lid 22 is provided with an upper extension 22a extending radially outward. The lower extension 21a and the upper extension 22a are each provided at a plurality of locations. The locations at which the lower extension 21a and the upper extension 22a are provided correspond to each other.
[0019] An insertion portion 22b for inserting a bolt 32 is formed on the upper extension portion 22a. A receiving portion 33 is attached to the lower extension portion 21a. An insertion hole and a screw groove are formed in the receiving portion 33 so that a bolt can be inserted therein. The lid 22 is fixed to the container 21 by matching the insertion portion 22b with the receiving portion 33, inserting a bolt (fixing portion) 32, and fastening them. The fixation of the lid 22 can also be released by loosening the bolt 32. To release the fixation of the lid 22, it is necessary to loosen all of the bolts 32.
[0020] The locking structure 30 locks the lid 22 so that it does not come off from the container 21. The locking structure 30 is provided on one of the multiple sets of the lower extension portion 21a and the upper extension portion 22a. The locking structure 30 further includes an opening / closing portion 31 and a locking portion 40 in addition to the above-mentioned bolt 32, receiving portion 33, and rotating shaft 34.
[0021] The opening / closing part 31 covers the bolt 32 (particularly covers the upper side of the bolt 32) so that the bolt 32 cannot be removed. As shown in FIG. 4, the opening / closing part 31 is rotatably attached to the lower extension part 21a. The opening / closing part 31 can be rotated up and down around a rotation axis 34 (an axis parallel to the horizontal plane) as a rotation center. This allows the opening / closing part 31 to switch between a closed state and an open state. The left side of FIG. 4 shows the opening / closing part 31 in the closed state. Since the opening / closing part 31 in the closed state covers the bolt 32, the bolt 32 is prevented from being loosened (i.e., the fixing of the lid 22 is prevented). The right side of FIG. 4 shows the opening / closing part 31 in the open state. Since the opening / closing part 31 in the open state does not cover the bolt 32, the fixing of the lid 22 by the bolt 32 can be released.
[0022] The locking structure 30 of the present embodiment does not directly lock the lid 22, but rather prevents access to the bolt 32 required to open the lid 22. Therefore, the force of the opening and closing operation of the lid 22 does not act directly on the locking structure 30, so that the locking structure 30 is less likely to be damaged.
[0023] The locking unit 40 locks the opening / closing unit 31 so that it cannot be switched from a closed state to an open state. When the locking unit 40 locks the opening / closing unit 31, the bolt 32 cannot be loosened, and therefore the lid 22 cannot be removed from the container 21. The locking unit 40 includes a main body 41, an insertion pin (insertion piece) 42, a gripping unit 43, and a processing unit 44.
[0024] The main body 41 is attached to the upper extension portion 22a (i.e., the lid 22 side). The insertion pin 42 is attached to the opening / closing part 31. As described above, the opening / closing part 31 is attached to the lower extension portion 21a (i.e., the container 21 side) via the rotating shaft 34. The main body 41 has an insertion hole into which the insertion pin 42 can be inserted. By inserting the insertion pin 42 into the insertion hole of the main body 41, a locking mechanism is activated and the insertion pin 42 cannot be removed from the main body 41. This makes it impossible to switch the opening / closing part 31 from a closed state to an open state. The insertion pin 42 is not limited to being pin-shaped and may have another shape, such as a plate shape.
[0025] To release the lock by the lock unit 40, an unlocking condition must be satisfied. The unlocking condition in this embodiment is that the blades 25 are not driven by the electric motor 11. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIG. 6. The control unit 15 determines whether the blades 25 are driven by the electric motor 11 (S101). Because the control unit 15 controls the electric motor 11, the control unit 15 can make this determination based on the control of the electric motor 11.
[0026] When the blade 25 is driven by the electric motor 11, the control unit 15 prohibits the lock unit 40 from releasing the lock (S102). When the blade 25 is not driven by the electric motor 11, the control unit 15 permits the lock unit 40 to release the lock (S103). Specifically, the main body 41 is provided with a processing unit 44. The processing unit 44 is connected to the control unit 15 by a signal line or the like, and the processing unit 44 and the control unit 15 can communicate with each other. When the blade 25 is driven, the control unit 15 transmits an unlocking prohibition signal to the processing unit 44, and when the blade 25 is not driven, the control unit 15 transmits an unlocking permission signal to the processing unit 44. While the processing unit 44 receives the unlocking prohibition signal, the processing unit 44 continues to lock the insertion pin 42 so that it does not come out of the main body 41. While the processing unit 44 receives the unlocking permission signal, the processing unit 44 allows the insertion pin 42 to be removed from the main body 41, for example, in response to an operation from an operator.
[0027] Furthermore, the processing unit 44 transmits the lock state of the lock unit 40 to the control unit 15. The control unit 15 determines whether the lock unit 40 is locked or not based on the signal received from the lock unit 40 (S201 in FIG. 7).
[0028] When the lock unit 40 is locked (the main body 41 holds the insertion pin 42 so that it does not come out), the control unit 15 permits the driving of the blades 25 (S202). When the driving of the blades 25 is permitted, the control unit 15 operates the electric motor 11 to drive the blades 25 in accordance with an instruction from the operator.
[0029] When the lock unit 40 is not locked (when the insertion pin 42 is removed from the main body 41, or when release of the lock by the lock unit 40 is permitted), the control unit 15 prohibits the driving of the blades 25 (S203). When the driving of the blades 25 is prohibited, the control unit 15 does not operate the electric motor 11 even if instructed by the operator.
[0030] Next, a process for removing the lid 22 for maintenance or the like will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0031] First, the operator stops the operation of the agitator 1. This stops the driving of the blades 25, allowing the locking unit 40 to be released from the lock. Next, the operator pulls the gripping unit 43 to remove the insertion pin 42 from the main body 41 (FIG. 3).
[0032] Next, the worker switches the opening / closing portion 31 from the closed state to the open state (FIG. 4), which allows access to the bolt 32.
[0033] Next, the worker loosens the bolt 32 and removes it from the upper extension portion 22a. Here, the receiving portion 33 can be rotated up and down around the rotation shaft 34 as the center of rotation, similar to the opening and closing portion 31. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, a part of the insertion portion 22b in the radial direction is opened. Therefore, by loosening the bolt 32, the bolt 32 can be retracted without being removed from the receiving portion 33 (FIG. 5). Note that the bolt 32 may be provided with a member that prevents the bolt 32 from being completely removed from the receiving portion 33.
[0034] The worker also loosens the bolts 32 in the locations where the locking structures 30 are not provided, and removes the bolts 32 from the upper extensions 22a. As a result, the fixation of the lid 22 is released, so that the lid 22 can be removed from the container 21 to open the container 21.
[0035] Furthermore, even after the driving of the electric motor 11 is stopped, the blades 25 continue to rotate due to inertia. In this regard, in this embodiment, the locking structure 30 can be unlocked only after the driving of the electric motor 11 is stopped. Therefore, after the driving of the electric motor 11 is stopped, it is necessary to loosen the bolts 32 and remove them from the upper extension 22a. Therefore, when an operator opens the lid 22, it is considered that the rotation of the blades 25 due to inertia has stopped or has significantly decelerated. Therefore, a high level of safety can be achieved.
[0036] The procedure for closing the lid 22 is opposite to that for removing it. That is, first, the bolt 32 is fastened to the upper extension 22a, and then the opening / closing part 31 is returned to the closed state and the grip part 43 is pressed. By pressing the grip part 43, the insertion pin 42 is inserted into the main body 41, and the operation of the agitator 1 can be started.
[0037] As described above, the locking structure 30 of this embodiment locks the lid 22 to the container 21 incorporating the blades 25 driven by the electric motor 11. The locking structure 30 includes the bolt 32, the opening / closing unit 31, and the locking unit 40. The bolt 32 is capable of fixing the lid 22 to the container 21 and releasing the fixing. The opening / closing unit 31 is capable of switching between a closed state in which the bolt 32 is covered at least partially to prevent the fixing by the bolt 32 from being released, and an open state in which the fixing by the bolt 32 can be released. When the opening / closing unit 31 is in the closed state, the locking unit 40 locks the opening / closing unit 31 so that it does not switch to the open state, and detects and outputs the locked state.
[0038] As a result, the locking portion 40 locks the opening / closing portion 31 instead of the bolt 32, so that force related to opening and closing the lid 22 is less likely to be applied to the locking portion 40. Therefore, the locking portion 40 is less likely to be damaged.
[0039] The lock structure 30 of this embodiment includes a control unit 15. The lock unit 40 transmits the locked state of the opening / closing unit 31 to the control unit 15. When the control unit 15 receives from the lock unit 40 that the opening / closing unit 31 has been unlocked, it stops the operation of the blades 25 by the electric motor 11.
[0040] This makes it possible to prevent the blades 25 from being driven in a state in which the lid 22 can be opened.
[0041] The lock structure 30 of the present embodiment includes a control unit 15. The control unit 15 maintains the lock unit 40 locked while the electric motor 11 is operating the blades 25. The control unit 15 unlocks the lock unit 40 after the electric motor 11 stops operating the blades 25.
[0042] This makes it possible to prevent the lid 22 from being opened when the blades 25 are being driven.
[0043] In the lock structure 30 of this embodiment, the lock portion 40 is Body 41 and an insertion pin 42. The insertion pin 42 is Body 41 The card is inserted and locked. Body 41 is provided on the lid 22 and an insertion pin 42 is provided on the container 21.
[0044] This allows the insertion pin 42, which requires a sliding structure and tends to be large, to be provided on the container 21 side.
[0045] In the lock structure 30 of this embodiment, the opening / closing part 31 is rotatably attached to the side surface of the container 21, and by rotating the opening / closing part 31, the state is switched between an open state and a closed state.
[0046] This allows the state of the opening / closing portion 31 to be easily switched.
[0047] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the above configuration can be modified, for example, as follows.
[0048] In the above embodiment, the opening / closing unit 31 is switched between the open state and the closed state by rotating it, but the opening / closing unit 31 may be configured to be switched between the open state and the closed state by sliding it. Also, the opening / closing unit 31 may be configured to be switched between the open state and the closed state by attaching and detaching it.
[0049] In the above embodiment, the main body 41 is provided on the lid 22 side, and the insertion pin 42 is provided on the container 21 side. Alternatively, the main body 41 may be provided on the container 21 side, and the insertion pin 42 may be provided on the lid 22 side.
[0050] In the above embodiment, the lid 22 is fixed to the container 21 using the bolts 32. Alternatively, the lid 22 may be fixed to the container 21 by a clamping mechanism. The clamping mechanism is a mechanism that clamps, holds, and fixes the lid 22 with a clamp member attached to the container 21, and can release the fixation by operating a clamp lever.
[0051] The flowcharts shown in the above embodiment are merely examples, and some processes may be omitted, some processes may be changed, or new processes may be added. For example, in the flowchart of FIG. 6, in addition to the driving of the blades 25, an additional unlocking condition may be set.
[0052] In the above embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to the agitator 1 has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to other devices incorporating a movable part (such as a crusher, a cutter, or a shredder). The operation of the movable part is not limited to a rotational drive, and may be a linear drive (reciprocating drive). [Explanation of symbols]
[0053] 1 Stirring device 11 Electric motor (drive unit) 15 Control section 21 Container 22 Lid 25 Blade (moving part) 30 Locking Structure 31 Opening and closing section 32 Bolt (fixed part) 33 Receiving part 34 Rotational Axis 40 Rock Section 42 Insert pin (insertion piece)
Claims
1. A locking structure for locking a lid to a container having a built-in movable part driven by a driving device, A fixing part capable of fixing the lid to the container and releasing the fixing; an opening / closing unit that can switch between a closed state in which the fixing unit prevents the fixing unit from being released by covering at least a part of the fixing unit, and an open state in which the fixing unit can be released; a lock unit that, when the opening / closing unit is in the closed state, locks the opening / closing unit so that the opening / closing unit does not switch to the open state and detects and outputs a locked state; A lock structure comprising:
2. 2. The locking structure according to claim 1, A control unit is provided, the lock unit transmits the locked state of the opening / closing unit to the control unit, A locking structure characterized in that, when the control unit receives a notification from the lock unit that the opening / closing unit has been unlocked, the control unit stops operation of the movable unit by the drive device.
3. 2. The locking structure according to claim 1, A control unit is provided, the control unit maintains the lock unit in the locked state while the drive device is operating the movable unit, The control unit unlocks the locking unit after the drive device stops the operation of the movable unit.
4. A locking structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The lock portion is The main body, an insert piece that is inserted into the body and locked; Equipped with A locking structure, characterized in that the body is provided on the lid and the insert is provided on the container.
5. A locking structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A locking structure characterized in that the fixing portion is a bolt.
6. A locking structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The opening / closing part is rotatably attached to a side surface of the container, and the locking structure is characterized in that the open state and the closed state are switched by rotating the opening / closing part.
Citation Information
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