Closed door opening and closing structure

Abstract

In a sealed door opening / closing structure that obtains sealing performance by interposing a seal member between a housing and a door, even if it is a hinge mechanism with a fixed single axis, the door compresses the seal member evenly to obtain a good sealed state. 【Solution means】The sealed door opening / closing structure seals a door via a seal member with respect to an opening of a housing, and includes a hinge mechanism that opens and closes the door with a single hinge shaft fixed to the housing. The hinge mechanism includes a pivot member pivotally supported by the hinge shaft, a door-side member connected to the pivot member in a retaining state and moving integrally with the door, and a biasing body built in between the retaining portion of the pivot member and the door-side member, and biasing the door-side member toward the hinge shaft against the reaction force of the seal member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure for opening and closing a sealed door.

Background Art

[0002] In a chamber that requires airtightness (including a space, room, container, tank, etc.), a sealed door opening and closing structure is adopted in which a sealing member (including packing and gasket) such as an O-ring is provided between the housing around the opening and the door that closes the opening. Such a sealed door opening and closing structure generally uses a hinge mechanism, and the door pivoting around the hinge axis presses the sealing member to seal the inside of the chamber.

[0003] Conventionally, in the above-described sealed door opening and closing structure, in order to obtain a good sealed state, a structure adopting a biaxial hinge mechanism is known. As an example, a fixed hinge body fixed to the housing is pivotally attached to a connecting hinge body by a first shaft member, and a movable hinge body fixed to the door is pivotally attached to the connecting hinge body by a second shaft member. The contact portion of the movable hinge body and the contact portion of the connecting hinge body come into contact with each other to stop the one-way rotation at a predetermined angle. Thereby, the relative rotation between the movable hinge body and the connecting hinge body is controlled so as not to occur (see Patent Document 1 below).

[0004] Also conventionally, in a hinge mechanism with a single hinge axis, it has been studied to enhance the airtightness of the door by displacing the hinge axis with respect to the shaft hole. As an example, in a hinge mechanism that pivotally supports a door between a housing and a door, it includes a hinge shaft that fits into a shaft hole provided in the door and a long-hole-shaped shaft hole provided in the housing that holds the hinge shaft, and the hinge shaft is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the cross section of the long-hole-shaped shaft hole (see Patent Document 2 below).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] For a sealed door opening and closing structure used in a chamber that requires airtightness, in order to ensure good airtightness of the chamber when the door is closed, first, it is necessary that the seal member be evenly compressed by the door. However, in a fixed single-axis hinge mechanism, when the door contacts the seal member at the end stage of the door closing operation, the contact with the seal member starts from the vicinity of the hinge axis, and the door does not contact the seal member evenly over the entire circumference. As a result, when the door is closed, the seal member on the side close to the hinge axis is pre-compressed first, and the seal member adjacent thereto bulges or twists, resulting in an incomplete closed state of the door and the inability to ensure airtightness in some cases.

[0007] Also, when repeatedly opening and closing the door in a sealed door opening and closing structure equipped with a fixed single-axis hinge mechanism, the seal member is unevenly compressed each time it is opened and closed, resulting in mechanical or stress damage, making it difficult to maintain the durability of the seal member. Furthermore, when the seal member is damaged as described above, dust may be generated due to friction or the like, and there is a concern that the dust may enter the chamber and adversely affect the contents, equipment, and devices in the chamber.

[0008] On the other hand, when adopting a biaxial hinge mechanism as in the above-described prior art, the relative rotation angle is fixed so that the movable hinge body and the connecting hinge body do not cause unnecessary relative rotation. Therefore, there is a drawback that the applicable housing structure, dimensions, etc. are limited. As a result, there has been a problem that complicated individual countermeasures are required for each device, such as designing a hinge mechanism for each device or processing the bearing hole of the pivot into an elliptical hole.

[0009] Also, as in the above-described prior art, in a hinge mechanism with a single hinge axis, when the hinge axis is displaced with respect to the shaft hole, the position of the hinge axis is displaced with respect to the long-hole-shaped shaft hole. According to this, since the hinge axis cannot be completely fixed, it is difficult to stably open and close the door, and there is a problem that the mechanism stability and durability when repeatedly opening and closing the door cannot be ensured.

[0010] The present invention has been proposed to address such problems. That is, in a sealed door opening and closing structure in which a seal member is interposed between a housing and a door to obtain airtightness, even in a hinge mechanism with a fixed single axis, the door evenly compresses the seal member to obtain a good airtight state, enhancing the durability of the seal member and suppressing the generation of dust due to friction, etc., eliminating the limitations on the structure and dimensions of the applicable housing and omitting the complicated individual handling for each device, and ensuring the mechanism stability and durability when repeatedly opening and closing the door. Among these, one of them is the problem of the present invention.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0011] To solve such problems, the present invention comprises the following configuration. A sealed door opening and closing structure for sealing a door via a seal member with respect to an opening of a housing, comprising a hinge mechanism for opening and closing the door with a single hinge axis fixed to the housing, the hinge mechanism including a pivot member pivotally supported by the hinge axis, a door-side member connected to the pivot member in a non-removable state and moving integrally with the door, and a biasing body built in between the non-removable portion of the pivot member and the door-side member and biasing the door-side member toward the hinge axis against the reaction force of the seal member.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals in different drawings indicate parts having the same function, and duplicate explanations of the common reference numerals in each drawing are appropriately omitted.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the sealed door opening / closing structure 1 is a structure for opening and closing the door 200 with respect to the opening 101 of the housing 100 via the seal member 102. Here, the housing 100 is a part (wall material) of a chamber (including a space, room, container, tank, etc.), and is a member that forms the opening 101 with respect to the chamber.

[0015] The seal member 102 is provided on the entire outer circumference of the opening 101, and may be fixed to the housing 100 side or may be fixed to the door 200 side. The surface of the door 200 where the seal member 102 is provided is defined as the sealed surface, and the surface of the housing 100 side facing this sealed surface is defined as the opposing surface. An example of the seal member 102 is an O-ring formed of an elastic body such as rubber.

[0016] On the door 200, an opening / closing handle 201 and a lock handle 202 are provided as necessary. The opening / closing handle 201 is a component that an operator holds by hand to open and close the door 200. By pushing the opening / closing handle 201, the door 200 performs a closing operation, and by pulling the opening / closing handle 201, the door 200 performs an opening operation. The lock handle 202 is for operating a lock mechanism (not shown) by the operator's operation to maintain the sealed state of the door 200.

[0017] The sealed door opening / closing structure 1 includes a hinge mechanism 10 having a single hinge shaft 2 fixed to the housing 100 side, and the door 200 opens and closes with respect to the housing 100 by this hinge mechanism 10. The hinge shaft 2 only needs to be fixed to the housing 100 side, and its fixing means may have any structure. For example, the hinge shaft 2 may be provided integrally with a part of the housing. In the illustrated example, the hinge shaft 2 is fixed to the housing 100 by a hinge shaft fixing member 3.

[0018] The hinge shaft 2 is a single shaft fixed to the housing 100, but the number of hinge mechanisms 10 installed corresponding to this may be one or more. In the illustrated example, a single hinge shaft 2 is provided for the door 200, and two hinge mechanisms 10 are provided corresponding to this.

[0019] The configuration of the hinge mechanism 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. First, on the hinge shaft fixing member 3 for fixing the hinge shaft 2 to the housing 100 side, a stopper member 3A made of resin or the like is fixed by a fixing pin 3P as necessary. The stopper member 3A prevents the door 200 from colliding with the housing 100 when the door 200 is opened. The hinge shaft fixing member 3 is fixed to the housing 100 by a fixing pin 3Q.

[0020] The hinge shaft fixing member 3 is provided with a restraining portion 3B that restrains the mounting position of the hinge mechanism 10 to a predetermined position of the hinge shaft 2. In the restraining portion 3B, the hinge shaft fixing member 3 is fixed to the predetermined position of the hinge shaft 2 by a restraining pin 3C. The restraining portions 3B are arranged in a bifurcated shape, and a pivot member 11 of the hinge mechanism 10, which will be described later, is arranged between the pair of restraining portions 3B, thereby setting the position of the hinge mechanism 10 with respect to the hinge shaft 2.

[0021] The hinge mechanism 10 includes a pivot member 11 pivotally supported by the hinge shaft 2, a door side member 12 that moves integrally with the door 200, and a biasing body 13 built into the hinge mechanism 10, and pivots the door 200 with respect to a single hinge shaft 2 fixed to the housing 100 side for opening and closing operations.

[0022] The pivot member 11 has a pivot portion 11A pivotally supported by the hinge shaft 2, a shaft portion 11B to which the door side member 12 is connected, and a retaining portion 11C. The retaining portion 11C includes an adjusting member 11D that externally adjusts the biasing force of the biasing body 13, which will be described later, and is attached to the tip of the shaft portion 11B by this adjusting member 11D. The shaft portion 11B extends in a direction orthogonal to the hinge shaft 2 with respect to the pivot portion 11A.

[0023] The door side member 12 is connected to the pivot member 11 in a non-removable state and moves integrally with the door 200. In the illustrated example, the door side member 12 is fixed to the door 200 by fixing screws 14, but as another example, it may be integrated with the door 200. The illustrated door side member 12 has an integral structure of a fixing portion 12A to the door 200 and a connecting portion 12B to the pivot member 11, and the fixing portion 12A is fixed to the door 200 by fixing screws 14.

[0024] The connecting portion 12B of the door-side member 12 has a bush portion 12C through which the shaft portion 11B of the pivot support member 11 is inserted. By inserting the shaft portion 11B into the bush portion 12C, the door-side member 12 is connected to the pivot support member 11 so as to be movable along the extending direction of the shaft portion 11B. At this time, the movement of the door-side member 12 is limited to the extending direction of the shaft portion 11B. And by attaching a retaining portion 11C to the tip of the shaft portion 11B passing through the bush portion 12C, the door-side member 12 is in a retaining state with respect to the pivot support member 11.

[0025] A plurality of spaces 12D for accommodating the biasing member 13 are formed around the bush portion 12C in the connecting portion 12B of the door-side member 12. One end side of the biasing member 13 is accommodated in the space 12D of the connecting portion 12B of the door-side member 12, and the other end side is accommodated in the recess of the retaining portion 11C of the pivot support member 11, so that it is built into the hinge mechanism 10. By dispersedly arranging the biasing member 13 around the bush portion 12C, the biasing force of the biasing member 13 can act on the door-side member 12 evenly, and the movement of the door-side member 12 with respect to the shaft portion 11B becomes smooth.

[0026] The shaft portion 11B of the pivot support member 11 is inserted through the bush portion 12C of the door-side member 12 via a drive bush 15. As a result, the door-side member 12 is movable along the extending direction of the shaft portion 11B. Also, the length of the shaft portion 11B of the pivot support member 11 is set so that a gap is formed through which the door-side member 12 can move in a state where the connecting portion 12B of the door-side member 12 is inserted into the shaft portion 11B.

[0027] As an example, the biasing member 13 is a spring (compression spring) that generates a repulsive force against compression. Also, as a substitute for the spring, an elastic body such as rubber that generates a repulsive force against compression can be used. By accommodating the biasing member 13 in the aforementioned space 12D and building it between the connecting portion 12B of the door-side member 12 and the retaining portion 11C of the pivot support member 11, the repulsive force of the biasing member 13 acts along the shaft portion 11B.

[0028] As a result, the biasing member 13 biases the door-side member 12 toward the hinge shaft 2 against the reaction force of the sealing member 102. Since the biasing force of the biasing member 13 is generated when the biasing member 13 is compressed, in a state where the biasing force of the biasing member 13 is generated against the reaction force of the sealing member 102, the door-side member 12 moves in a direction away from the hinge shaft 2 due to the compression of the biasing member 13. The biasing force of the biasing member 13 can be adjusted by moving the retaining portion 11C closer to or farther from the connecting portion 12B of the door-side member 12 by the screwing amount of the adjusting member 11D.

[0029] According to such a sealed door opening and closing structure 1, from a state where the opening 101 of the housing 100 is open, a closing operation is performed in which the door 200 is pivoted with respect to the hinge shaft 2. When a reaction force is generated in the sealing member 102 between the opposing surface of the housing 100 and the sealing surface of the door 200, the biasing force of the biasing member 13 is generated against this reaction force, and thus the biasing member 13 is compressed. As a result, the door-side member 12 moves in a direction away from the hinge shaft 2, and the door 200 moves so that the opposing surface of the housing 100 and the sealing surface of the door 200 are parallel. Thereby, the entire sealing member 102 is evenly compressed between the opposing surface of the housing 100 and the sealing surface of the door 200.

[0030] Note that in order to generate the biasing force of the biasing member 13 against the reaction force of the sealing member 102 and make the opposing surface of the housing 100 and the sealing surface of the door 200 parallel, the biasing force of the biasing member 13 is appropriately set. The biasing member 13 accommodated in the space 12D is replaceable, and an appropriate setting can be achieved by changing the biasing force of the biasing member 13 (when the biasing member 13 is a spring, the material and strength of the spring) according to the weight of the door 200 and the properties of the sealing member 102.

[0031] In FIG. 6, a mechanism by which an equal load is applied to the sealing member 102 by the sealed door opening and closing structure 1 will be described.

[0032] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the sealed door opening / closing structure 1 (a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the hinge shaft 2), showing a state in which a reaction force is generated in the seal member 102 by ensuring a positional relationship in which the opposing surface of the housing 100 and the sealing surface of the door 200 are parallel. The arrow Fa in the figure is the reaction force generated in the seal member 102 located on the side close to the hinge shaft 2 (the PA fulcrum shown in the figure), and the arrow Fb in the figure is the reaction force generated in the seal member 102 located on the side far from the hinge shaft 2 (the PB fulcrum shown in the figure). Note that the seal member 102 is annularly arranged over the entire outer circumference of the opening 101.

[0033] Here, the arrow F1 in the figure indicates the closing force when the operator pushes the opening / closing handle 201 to close the door 200, the arrow F2 in the figure indicates the sum of the biasing forces (spring reaction forces) of the biasing bodies 13, and the arrow F3 in the figure indicates the frictional force generated around the hinge shaft 2 due to the opening and closing of the door 200. At this time, until the opposing surface of the housing 100 and the sealing surface of the door 200 come into contact with the seal member 102, naturally Fa = Fb = 0, and also, when the reaction forces (Fa, Fb) of the seal member 102 do not occur, the biasing force F2 of the biasing body 13 does not occur either, so F2 = 0. Therefore, in that state, from the balance of forces, F1 = F3 (Fa = Fb = F2 = 0).

[0034] Then, when the opposing surface of the housing 100 and the sealing surface of the door 200 come into contact with the seal member 102, the reaction forces Fa and Fb of the seal member 102 are generated, and in response to this, the biasing force F2 of the biasing body 13 is generated. At this time, in a state where a reaction force is generated in the seal member 102 by ensuring a positional relationship in which the opposing surface of the housing 100 and the sealing surface of the door 200 are parallel, the following equation (1) holds. F1 + F2 = F3 + Fa + Fb (1)

[0035] Then, in the process of closing the door 200, (F1 + F2) changes from F3 to (F3 + Fa + Fb). Here, if the biasing force of the biasing member 13 is set to F2 = (F3 + Fa + Fb) / 2, the clamping force becomes variable in the range of F1 = (F3 + Fa + Fb) / 2 to F3. Immediately after the opposing surface of the housing 100 and the sealing surface of the door 200 come into contact with the sealing member 102, F1 = F2 = (F3 + Fa + Fb) / 2, and the above formula (1) holds. That is, by setting the biasing force F2 of the biasing member 13, a state can be obtained in which the opposing surface of the housing 100 and the sealing surface of the door 200 are in a parallel positional relationship and a reaction force is generated on the sealing member 102. When the reaction force of the sealing member 102 is generated, an equal load is applied to the sealing member 102.

[0036] In addition, when setting the biasing force of the biasing member 13 to F2 = (F3 + Fa + Fb) / 2, the frictional force can be obtained by F3 = k·M (M: the self-weight of the door, k: the friction coefficient). Also, the reaction forces Fa and Fb of the sealing member 102 can be obtained in advance according to the properties and characteristics of the sealing member 102 (specifically, the cross-sectional shape, material, etc.).

[0037] Figures 7 and 8 show other embodiments of the sealed door opening / closing structure 1. In the example shown in Figure 7, the biasing member 13 incorporated in the hinge mechanism 10 is constituted by a permanent magnet 13M. In this example, a pair of permanent magnets 13M are arranged in the space 12D provided at the connecting portion 12B of the door side member 12 and the recess of the retaining portion 11C of the pivot member 11 such that the magnetic poles repel each other, and the door side member 12 is biased toward the hinge shaft 2 side by the magnetic repulsive force of the permanent magnets 13M. According to this, by adjusting the distance between the pair of permanent magnets 13M from the outside by the adjusting member 11D, the magnetic repulsive force (biasing force) can be adjusted.

[0038] In the example shown in FIG. 8, the biasing member 13 incorporated in the hinge mechanism 10 is configured by an electromagnet that generates a magnetic repulsive force. This electromagnet is composed of, for example, an energizing wire 13X through which an electric current flows and a core 13Y made of a magnetic material, and the energizing wire 13X is wound around the core 13Y in a coil shape. Here too, a pair of electromagnets are arranged in the space 12D provided in the connecting portion 12B of the door side member 12 and the recess of the retaining portion 11C of the pivot support member 11 such that the magnetic poles repel each other, and an air gap is provided between the pair of electromagnets.

[0039] The biasing force of this electromagnet as the biasing member 13 can be variably controlled from the outside by the control unit 203. The control unit 203 variably controls the biasing force by adjusting the magnitude of the current flowing through the energizing wire 13X of the electromagnet. By flowing currents of the same magnitude in opposite directions through the electromagnets arranged to face each other via the air gap, a magnetic repulsive force corresponding to the magnitude of the current can be obtained. According to this, there is no need to preset the biasing force of the biasing member 13, and even when the weight of the door 200 or the material of the seal member 102 changes, etc., after generally attaching the hinge mechanism 10, by variably controlling the biasing force, an equal load can be applied to the seal member 102.

[0040] FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the sealed door opening / closing structure 1, where an opening / closing assist function unit is added to the above-described embodiment. The opening / closing assist function unit is provided on one or both of the periphery of the door 200 and the periphery of the opening 101 of the housing 100, and electromagnetically assists the opening and closing of the door 200.

[0041] In the illustrated example, an electromagnetic generator 204 is installed on the door 200 side, and an electromagnetic generator 205 is installed on the housing 100 side. According to this, when the door 200 is closed, by detecting the pushing operation of the opening / closing handle 201, a magnetic attractive force is generated between the electromagnetic generators 204 and 205 to assist the closing operation. Also, when the door 200 is opened, by detecting the pulling operation of the opening / closing handle 201, a magnetic repulsive force is generated between the electromagnetic generators 204 and 205 to assist the opening operation. By adding such an opening / closing assist function unit, the door 200 can be closed with a certain closing force F1, and the door 200 closed in a sealed state can be opened with a small force.

[0042] As described above, according to the sealed door opening / closing structure 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is an opening / closing structure of the door 200 that obtains sealing performance by interposing a seal member 102 between the housing 100 and the door 200. The hinge mechanism 10 has a fixed single hinge shaft 2. However, the door 200 can uniformly compress the seal member 102 to obtain a good sealed state. Thereby, the durability of the seal member 102 can be enhanced, and the generation of dust due to friction or the like can be suppressed.

[0043] Also, by appropriately designing the biasing force of the biasing body 13 built into the hinge mechanism 10 according to the reaction force of the seal member 102 or the like, the restrictions on the structure and dimensions of the applicable housing 100 can be eliminated, and the complicated individual correspondence for each device can be omitted, and a good sealed state can be obtained as described above. Furthermore, since the hinge shaft 2 of the hinge mechanism 10 is a single shaft fixed to the housing 100 side, the instability of the position of the hinge shaft 2 being displaced during the opening and closing of the door 200 is eliminated, and the mechanism stability and durability when repeatedly opening and closing the door 200 can be ensured.

[0044] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and even if there are design changes or the like within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention, they are included in the present invention. Also, as long as there are no particular contradictions or problems in the purpose and configuration of the above-described embodiments, the techniques of each other can be diverted and combined.

Description of Symbols

[0045] 1: Sealed door opening and closing structure 2: Hinge shaft 3: Hinge shaft fixing member 3A: Stopper member 3P, 3Q: Fixing pins 3B: Restraining part 3C: Restraining pin 10: Hinge mechanism 11: Pivot support member 11A: Pivot support 11B: Shaft part 11C: Anti - detachment part 11D: Adjusting member 12: Door - side member 12A: Fixed part 12B: Connecting part 12C: Bush part 12D: Space 13: Biasing body 13M: Permanent magnet 13X: Current - carrying wire 13Y: Core 14: Fixing screw 15: Drive bush 100: Housing 101: Opening 102: Sealing member 103: Surface pressure sensor 200: Door 201: Opening and closing handle 202: Lock handle 203: Control unit 204, 205: Electromagnetic force generators

Claims

1. A sealed door opening and closing structure that seals a door against an opening of a housing via a seal member, a hinge mechanism that has a single hinge shaft fixed to the housing and opens and closes the door, The hinge mechanism includes: a pivot member pivotally supported on the hinge shaft; A door side member that is connected to the pivot member in a non-detachable state and moves integrally with the door; a biasing body that is built in between the retaining portion of the pivot member and the door side member and biases the door side member toward the hinge shaft against the reaction force of the seal member; Airtight door opening and closing structure.

2. The retaining portion includes an adjustment member that externally adjusts the biasing force of the biasing body. The structure for opening and closing a hermetic door according to claim 1.

3. The pivot member includes a shaft portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the hinge shaft, The door side member has a bush portion through which the shaft portion is inserted, and is connected to the pivot member so as to be movable along an extension direction of the shaft portion, The retaining portion is attached to a tip of the shaft portion that passes through the bush portion. The structure for opening and closing a sealed door according to claim 1.

4. The door side member has a fixed portion to the door and a connecting portion to the pivot member having the bush portion, the connecting portion being an integral structure. A plurality of spaces for accommodating the biasing body are formed around the bush portion in the connecting portion. The structure for opening and closing a hermetic door according to claim 3.

5. a reaction force is generated in the sealing member by ensuring that the opposing surface of the housing and the sealing surface of the door are in a parallel positional relationship; The structure for opening and closing a sealed door according to claim 1.

6. When a reaction force of the seal member is generated, the biasing force of the biasing body is set so that an even load is applied to the seal member. The structure for opening and closing a hermetic door according to claim 5.

7. The biasing body biases the door side member by magnetic repulsion force. The structure for opening and closing a sealed door according to claim 1.

8. The magnetic repulsive force can be variably controlled from the outside. The structure for opening and closing a hermetic door according to claim 7.

9. An opening / closing assist function unit that electromagnetically assists the opening and closing of the door is provided around one or both of the periphery of the door and the periphery of the opening of the housing. The structure for opening and closing a sealed door according to claim 1.

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