Push-button tablets

Abstract

To provide a push-button lock that can be restrained from malfunctioning even if the setting change switch is forcefully operated while the lock is in its locked state.SOLUTION: A push-button lock includes: a plurality of push-buttons; a plurality of operating rods; a guide plate displaceable between an initial reference position and a release position; a plurality of replacement parts selectively and removably attached to a first holding position and a second holding position of each operating rod; an actuator operated by a user; a setting change switch having a push-in part that is integrated with the actuator and pushes the guide plate in the process of changing the actuator from an initial position to a setting position; and regulatory means that restricts the push-in of the guide plate by the push-in portion by engaging with an engaged portion of the setting change switch when the lock is in its locked state, and disengages with an engaged portion when the lock is in its unlocked state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a push-button lock.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, among lock devices for locking objects to be locked such as doors, a push-button lock with an unlocking code (unlocking number, password) input type using a push button is widely known. In relation to this, there is known one provided with an unlocking code setting mechanism capable of arbitrarily setting an unlocking code (for example, see Patent Document 1, etc.).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the push-button lock described in Patent Document 1, the unlocking code can be set and changed only when the push button is in the unlocked state that matches the unlocking code. However, in the push-button lock described in Patent Document 1, there is a risk that the push-button lock may malfunction if the setting change switch is forcibly operated while the lock is locked.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a push-button lock capable of suppressing malfunction even if the setting change switch is forcibly operated while the lock is locked.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following means. That is, the push-button tablet according to the present invention includes a housing, a plurality of push buttons detachably attached to the housing, a plurality of operating rods slidable in the protruding and retracting direction of the push buttons and provided in the housing corresponding to each of the push buttons, and when the corresponding push button is pushed, the operating rods are pushed into the housing, a guide plate slidable in a direction perpendicular to the pushing direction of the operating rods in the housing and displaceable between a predetermined initial reference position and a predetermined detachment position, and a plurality of replaceable members selectively and detachably attached to a first holding position and a second holding position of each operating rod, the plurality of replaceable members being respectively accommodated in accommodation holes formed in the guide plate, and when the guide plate is switched from the initial reference position to the detachment position, each replaceable member detaches from each operating rod, and when the guide plate is switched from the detachment position to the initial reference position, each replaceable member is selectively attached to either the first holding position or the second holding position with respect to each operating rod, so that the unlocking code of the push button is configured to be set to an arbitrary code. There is a setting change switch operated when changing the setting of the unlocking code, including an operation part operated by a user, and a pushing part provided integrally with the operation part, and when the operation part is changed from a predetermined initial position to a predetermined setting position, the pushing part pushes the guide plate to slide the guide plate from the initial reference position to the detachment position. The setting change switch has, and is housed in the housing, and when the push button is in a locked state where it does not match the unlocking code, it engages with an engaged part of the setting change switch to limit the pushing of the guide plate by the pushing part, and when the push button is in an unlocked state where it matches the unlocking code, the engagement with the above-mentioned engaged part is released, and further includes a restricting means.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a push-button lock that can suppress failure even if the setting change switch is forcibly operated while in the locked state.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out this invention will be exemplarily and detailedly described with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the technical scope of the invention only to these unless otherwise specifically described.

[0010] <Overall Configuration> FIG. 1 is a front view (front elevation) of a mechanical push-button lock (hereinafter simply referred to as a "button lock") 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a rear view (rear elevation) of the button lock 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the button lock 100. The button lock 100 has an upper case 2, a lower case 3, etc. as a housing for accommodating and protecting various components constituting the button lock 100. The upper case 2 and the lower case 3 are fitted to each other with various components shown in FIG. 3 arranged inside to form the housing. Needless to say, various changes can be made to the structure, shape, etc. of the housing. Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a front panel 21 is attached to the outer surface of the upper case 2, and a rear panel 30 is attached to the outer surface of the lower case 3.

[0011] The front panel 21 mounted on the upper case 2 covers the front side of the upper case 2. In the present embodiment, the vertical and horizontal directions of the button lock 100 are defined as shown in FIG. 1. Also, the direction orthogonal to the vertical and horizontal directions is defined as the front-rear direction, with the front panel 21 side being the front and the lower case 3 side being the rear. However, the vertical, horizontal, and front-rear directions of the button lock 100 do not specify the positional relationship with respect to an external reference, but only specify the relative positional relationship between the respective parts of the button lock 100.

[0012] On the front panel 21 of the button lock 100, a plurality of push buttons 22, a clear button 23, an operation knob 4, a display window 24, etc. are provided. Also, in the vicinity of each push button 22 on the front panel 21, a symbol (including numbers, symbols, characters, etc.) corresponding to the push button 22 is printed, engraved, etc. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the button lock 100 has 11 push buttons 22, and 0 to 9 and the * mark are printed next to the corresponding push buttons 22. However, the number of push buttons 22 provided in the button lock 100 and the types of symbols printed on the front panel 21 can be changed according to the specifications of the button lock 100. Note that the front panel 21 is provided with a button opening 211 having a shape and size suitable for allowing the push buttons 22, the clear button 23, etc. to protrude and retract, and the push buttons 22, etc. can protrude and retract through this button opening 211. The clear button 23 is a button for clearing all the push buttons 22 at once.

[0013] The push button 22 can move forward and backward (protrude and retract) freely between the inside and outside of the housing through a button opening 211 formed in the front panel 21. As will be described later, the button lock 100 can be unlocked by performing a pushing operation on the push button 22 in accordance with an unlocking code (so-called password). When the push button 22 of the button lock 100 is in an unlocked state that matches the unlocking code, the user (operator) can rotate the operation knob 4 to perform an opening / closing operation on the stopper 10 of the button lock 100. The stopper 10 is attached to the housing and can be engaged with and disengaged from the mating member of the object to be locked. The operation knob 4 is connected to the stopper 10 and the posture of the stopper 10 can be changed by rotating the operation knob 4. The user can perform a switching operation to switch the locking and disengaging states of the stopper 10 with respect to the mating member of the object to be locked by aligning the mark 41 of the operation knob 4 with either the OPEN position or the LOCK position (see FIG. 1).

[0014] For example, in the state shown in FIG. 1, since the mark 41 of the operation knob 4 is aligned with the OPEN position, the stopper 10 is disengaged from the mating member of the object to be locked in this state. On the other hand, when the user rotates the operation knob 4 to align the mark 41 with the LOCK position, the posture of the stopper 10 is changed from the disengaged position shown by the solid line to the locked position shown by the broken line in FIG. 1, and the stopper 10 is locked to the mating member of the object to be locked. Also, when the button lock 100 is in a locked state, the rotation operation of the operation knob 4 is restricted.

[0015] During normal use, the locking and unlocking operations of the button lock 100 (hereinafter also collectively referred to as "locking and unlocking operations") are performed by the user pressing the push button 22 in accordance with the unlocking code. For example, when the unlocking code is "1246", only the push buttons 22 corresponding to "1", "2", "4", and "6" among the codes displayed on the front panel 21 that match the unlocking code are pressed, and when the other push buttons 22 are not pressed, the button lock 100 is unlocked. In this case, as described above, an opening and closing operation can be performed by rotating the operation knob 4. Although details will be described later, the button lock 100 can regulate the operation of the operation knob 4, and has a regulating means that releases the regulation of the operation of the operation knob when only the operation rod corresponding to the unlocking code is in the pushed-in position along with the pressing operation of the push button 22. Here, the opening and closing operation of the operation knob 4 refers to an operation of switching the position of the operation knob 4 from the OPEN position to the LOCK position, or from the LOCK position to the OPEN position. Hereinafter, the former operation is referred to as a "closing operation", and the latter operation is referred to as an "opening operation". In the drawings of this specification, for the sake of convenience, there may be cases where only some of a plurality of identical members are labeled with reference numerals, and the reference numerals for the remaining identical members are omitted in the drawing.

[0016] Also, as shown in FIG. 2, a setting change switch 11 is provided on the back side of the button lock 100. The setting change switch 11 is a switch used when changing the setting of the unlocking code of the button lock 100. The button lock 100 can arbitrarily set the unlocking code of the button lock 100 using this setting change switch 11. During normal use of the button lock 100, the setting change switch 11 is adjusted to a fixed position. Details of the method for setting the unlocking code in the button lock 100 will be described later.

[0017] <Cylinder lock mechanism> When the user forgets the unlocking code, the button lock 100 is provided with a cylinder lock mechanism (hereinafter referred to as "cylinder") 5 for forcibly unlocking the button lock 100 (see Fig. 4). The cylinder 5 is interposed between the operation knob 4 and the stopper 10, and by using a predetermined unlocking key, it can forcibly release the restriction on the operation of the operation knob 4 restricted by the restriction means described later.

[0018] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the button lock 100 passing through a longitudinal section along the axial direction of the cylinder 5. The cylinder 5 is a lock mechanism having a keyhole 51 formed along its axial direction, and is rotatably held inside the outer cylinder 6. The outer cylinder 6 is disposed inside a cylindrical sleeve portion 27 formed as a part of the upper case 2. A drive shaft 12 is connected to the rear end portion of the cylinder 5, and the stopper 10 is attached to the cylinder 5 via this drive shaft 12. In other words, the stopper 10 is fixed integrally with the cylinder 5 via the drive shaft 12. Further, as shown in Fig. 1, the front end sides of the cylinder 5 and the outer cylinder 6 are covered by the operation knob 4. The outer cylinder 6 is rotatably attached to the cylindrical sleeve portion 27 of the upper case 2. Also, on the inner peripheral side of the outer cylinder 6 the cylinder 5 is rotatably and slidably mounted. However, normally, the cylinder 5 is locked to the outer cylinder 6, and relative rotation and sliding of the cylinder 5 with respect to the outer cylinder 6 are restricted (prohibited) except when an emergency unlocking key or a cylinder replacement key is inserted into the keyhole 51 of the cylinder 5. Each configuration such as the cylinder 5, the outer cylinder 6, the emergency unlocking key, and the cylinder replacement key according to the present embodiment is common to the structure of the push button lock disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-129679, which is a prior application by the present applicant, and detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0019] <Button lock mechanism> Next, the button lock mechanism in the button lock 100 will be described in detail. As is clear from the exploded view of FIG. 3, various plates such as a guide plate 7, a middle plate 8, and a rod return plate 9 are accommodated inside the housing of the button lock 100. As shown in FIG. 3, the guide plate 7, the middle plate 8, and the rod return plate 9 are arranged in this order from the upper case 2 side. FIG. 5 shows the structure of a longitudinal section of the button lock 100 along the axial direction in the cylinder 5. The middle plate 8 is a plate member fixed to the lower case 3, and divides the inside of the housing into two spaces. Hereinafter, among the inside of the housing, the space in front of the middle plate 8, that is, the accommodation space defined by the middle plate 8 and the upper case 2 is referred to as the first accommodation portion. Also, among the inside of the housing, the space behind the middle plate 8, that is, the accommodation space defined by the middle plate 8 and the lower case 3 is referred to as the second accommodation portion. Inside the housing, the guide plate 7 is accommodated in the first accommodation portion, and the rod return plate 9 is accommodated in the second accommodation portion.

[0020] [Operating rod] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the internal structure of the button lock 100. Specifically, it shows a state of looking into the inside of the housing from the inner surface (back surface) side of the upper case 2. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the upper case 2 is provided with a plurality of rod insertion holes 31 which are through holes, and a part of the operating rod 32 can be inserted into the rod insertion hole 31. As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of operating rods 32 are extended along the front-rear direction of the button lock 100 inside the housing of the button lock 100. Each operating rod 32 is inserted into each rod insertion hole 31 provided in the upper case 2, and is arranged in a state where the head side protrudes into the space between the upper case 2 and the front panel 21.

[0021] FIG. 7 is a view showing the operation rod 32 of the button tablet 100. The operation rod 32 has a body main portion 321, a neck portion 322, and a head portion 323 from one end side in the longitudinal direction. The body main portion 321 of the operation rod 32 has a substantially quadrangular prism shape. On the other hand, the neck portion 322 and the head portion 323 have a substantially cylindrical shape, and their cross sections are smaller than that of the body main portion 321. The operation rod 32 can be inserted through the rod insertion hole 31 of the upper case 2 with the neck portion 322 and the head portion 323, but the body main portion 321 cannot be inserted. Further, a constricted portion having a constricted shape is formed at the boundary portion between the neck portion 322 and the head portion 323 of the operation rod 32.

[0022] The operation rod 32 has the rod spring 324 for holding the rod interposed between the front wall 2a of the upper case 2 (see FIGS. 5 and 6, etc.) and the constricted portion of the operation rod 32 with the head portion 323 inserted through the rod insertion hole 31 from the inner surface side of the upper case 2. The rod spring 324 applies an elastic force to the upper case 2 in the direction of pulling out the operation rod 32. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the push button 22 is positioned on the head portion 323 of each operation rod 32. Further, a groove portion 325 is provided at the rear end of the body main portion 321 of the operation rod 32. The groove bottom of the groove portion 325 is formed as an inclined surface 325a inclined with respect to the axial direction of the operation rod 32, and can be engaged with the inclined protrusion 94 of the rod return plate 9 described later.

[0023] Also, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of pairs of recesses are provided in the body main body 321 of the operation rod 32. Reference numerals 321a, 321a denote the first pair of recesses, and reference numerals 321b, 321b denote the second pair of recesses. The first pair of recesses 321a, 321a and the second pair of recesses 321b, 321b are formed at the corner portion that forms the boundary between the bottom surface and the side surface of the body main body 321. In the axial direction (longitudinal direction) of the body main body 321, the second pair of recesses 321b, 321b are formed more inward than the first pair of recesses 321a, 321a. Also, the shapes and sizes of the first pair of recesses 321a, 321a and the second pair of recesses 321b, 321b are the same. The first pair of recesses 321a, 321a and the second pair of recesses 321b, 321b can be engaged with the claw portions 91 of the rod return plate 9 described later. The claw portions 91 of the rod return plate 9 can be selectively engaged with the first pair of recesses 321a, 321a and the second pair of recesses 321b, 321b.

[0024] Furthermore, a third pair of recesses 321c, 321c and a fourth pair of recesses 321d, 321d are provided in the body main body 321 of the operation rod 32. The third pair of recesses 321c, 321c and the fourth pair of recesses 321d, 321d are also formed at the corner portion that forms the boundary between the bottom surface and the side surface of the body main body 321, similar to the first pair of recesses 321a, 321a and the second pair of recesses 321b, 321b. In the axial direction of the body main body 321 in the operation rod 32, the third pair of recesses 321c, 321c are arranged on the front end side of the second pair of recesses 321b, 321b, and the fourth pair of recesses 321d, 321d are arranged further on the front end side of the third pair of recesses 321c, 321c. The shapes and sizes of the third pair of recesses 321c, 321c and the fourth pair of recesses 321d, 321d are the same.

[0025] Furthermore, on the body main part 321 of the operation rod 32, a first pair of convex parts 321e, 321e, a second pair of convex parts 321f, 321f, and a third pair of convex parts 321g, 321g are provided. The first pair of convex parts 321e, 321e, the second pair of convex parts 321f, 321f, and the third pair of convex parts 321g, 321g are formed at the corner part that forms the boundary between the upper surface and the side surface of the body main part 321, and are arranged in this order from the rear end side of the body main part 321. The shapes and sizes of the first pair of convex parts 321e, 321e, the second pair of convex parts 321f, 321f, and the third pair of convex parts 321g, 321g are the same.

[0026] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the relative relationship between the operation rod 32 of the button lock 100 and the push button 22. The push button 22 has a button part 221 with a smaller cross-sectional area than the button opening 211 formed in the front panel 21, and a base part 222 with a larger cross-sectional area than the button opening 211. The base part 222 of the push button 22 is arranged on the back side of the front panel 21, preventing the push button 22 from falling out from the button opening 211 of the front panel 21. Also, a button spring 223 is attached to the back side of the base part 222 of the push button 22. This button spring 223 is sandwiched in a compressed state between the base part 222 of the push button 22 and the upper case 2, and presses the push button 22 in the direction of protruding forward from the front panel 21. In FIG. 8, the illustration of the rod spring 324 is omitted.

[0027] As described above, the push button 22 in the button tablet 100 is constantly pressed in the direction of being pushed out from the button opening 211 by the button spring 223. Also, the operation rod 32 is constantly pressed in the direction of being pushed out from the rod insertion hole 31 by the rod spring 324. When the user presses the push button 22 against the biasing force of the button spring 223, as a result, the base portion 222 of the push button 22 pushes the head portion 323 of the operation rod 32 toward the inside of the housing, and thus the operation rod 32 also displaces in the axial direction in conjunction with the pressing operation of the push button 22. Then, when the user's finger is released from the push button 22, the push button 22 is returned to the initial position shown in FIG. 8 by the elastic force of the button spring 223. Note that the initial position of the push button 22 means the position where the push button 22 is not buried in the housing as shown in FIG. 8.

[0028] Next, the movable block 33 that is detachably attached to the operation rod 32 will be described. The third recess pairs 321c, 321c, the fourth recess pairs 321d, 321d, the first protrusion pairs 321e, 321e, the second protrusion pairs 321f, 321f, and the third protrusion pairs 321g, 321g in the operation rod 32 are used when the movable block 33 (movable body) shown in FIG. 3 is attached by fitting.

[0029] FIG. 9 is a view showing a state in which the movable block 33 is attached to the operation rod 32. In FIG. 9, the illustration of the push button 22 is omitted. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the movable block 33. The button tablet 100 is configured such that one movable block 33 is detachably attached to each operation rod 32. As shown in FIG. 10, the movable block 33 is a member having a substantially U-shaped configuration, and includes a bottom wall portion 331 and a pair of side wall portions 332 standing from both ends of the bottom wall portion 331.

[0030] Inside the upper end of the side wall portion 332 in the movable block 33, block-side first recess pairs 333a, 333a and block-side second recess pairs 333b, 333b are provided at a predetermined interval. Also, at a substantially intermediate position between the block-side first recess pairs 333a, 333a and the block-side second recess pairs 333b, 333b, and inside the lower end of the bottom wall portion 331, block-side convex pairs 333c, 333c are provided. The block-side first recess pairs 333a, 333a of the movable block 33 can selectively receive the first convex pairs 321e, 321e or the second convex pairs 321f, 321f in the operating rod 32, and the block-side second recess pairs 333b, 333b can selectively receive the second convex pairs 321f, 321f or the third convex pairs 321g, 321g in the operating rod 32. Further, the block-side convex pairs 333c, 333c of the movable block 33 can be selectively fitted to the third recess pairs 321c, 321c or the fourth recess pairs 321d, 321d in the operating rod 32.

[0031] In the example shown in FIG. 9, the block-side first recess pairs 333a, 333a, the block-side second recess pairs 333b, 333b, and the block-side protrusion pairs 333c, 333c in the movable block 33 respectively engage with the first protrusion pairs 321e, 321e, the second protrusion pairs 321f, 321f, and the third recess pairs 321c, 321c in the operating rod 32, so that the movable block 33 is held at the first holding position of the operating rod 32. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, the operating rod 32 can hold the movable block 33 at a second holding position on the front end side (the head 323 side) compared to the first holding position. Here, it can be said that the second holding position of the operating rod 32 is a position relatively closer to the push button 22 compared to the first holding position. When the movable block 33 is held at the second holding position of the operating rod 32, the block-side first recess pairs 333a, 333a and the block-side second recess pairs 333b, 333b respectively receive the second protrusion pairs 321f, 321f and the third protrusion pairs 321g, 321g in the operating rod 32, and the block-side protrusion pairs 333c, 333c are fitted into the fourth recess pairs 321d, 321d in the operating rod 32. As described above, the movable block 33 can selectively switch the position held with respect to the operating rod 32 between the first holding position and the second holding position. Further, a recess 334 having a substantially quadrangular pyramid shape is provided on the outer surface of the bottom wall portion 331 of the movable block 33.

[0032] [Middle Plate] FIGS. 12 to 14 are views for explaining the middle plate 8. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the front side of the middle plate 8. FIG. 13 is a front view of the middle plate 8. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the rear side of the middle plate 8. The front surface 8A of the middle plate 8 is the surface facing the first housing portion side in the housing and is disposed to face the upper case 2 side. Further, the rear surface 8B of the middle plate 8 is the surface facing the second housing portion side in the housing , are arranged to face the lower case 3 side. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the relationship between the middle plate 8 and the operating rod 32. The middle plate 8 is a plate member having a substantially rectangular planar shape fixed to the upper case 2. Also, the middle plate 8 is a fixed part whose position is fixed within the housing. The middle plate 8 is provided with as many block accommodation recesses 81 as the number of operating rods 32 capable of accommodating the movable block 33. The block accommodation recess 81 opens facing the first accommodation part side within the housing. The block accommodation recess 81 has a cross section slightly larger than that of the movable block 33. Also, reference numeral 81b denotes the bottom wall of the block accommodation recess 81. Further, the bottom wall 81b of the block accommodation recess 81 supports the movable block 33 accommodated in the block accommodation recess 81. Also, a rod insertion hole 81a is formed in the bottom wall 81b of the block accommodation recess 81, and the body main body 321 of each operating rod 32 can be inserted through the rod insertion hole 81a.

[0033] The opening cross-sectional area of the rod insertion hole 81a in the middle plate 8 is smaller than the cross section of the movable block 33 and slightly larger than the cross section of the body main body 321 of the operating rod 32. The operating rod 32 has its head 323 and neck 322 inserted through the rod insertion hole 31 of the upper case 2, and its body main body 321 inserted through the rod insertion hole 81a of the middle plate 8. As a result, the operating rod 32 is not tilted obliquely within the first accommodation part of the housing and is held in a normal posture as shown in FIG. 15.

[0034] [Guide Plate / Slide Rod / Rod Return Plate] FIG. 16 is a view showing the rear surface 7A of the guide plate 7, that is, the surface facing the middle plate 8. The guide plate 7 is disposed in the first accommodating portion in the housing, that is, between the upper case 2 and the middle plate 8. As is also apparent from FIGS. 3 and 15, the guide plate 7 is disposed to face the middle plate 8. Then, the rear surface of the guide plate 7 is in sliding contact with the front surface 8A of the middle plate 8 and is slidable within a predetermined range in the vertical direction in the housing, and is displaceable to an initial reference position and a detachment position, which will be described later. Further, the guide plate 7 is slidably accommodated in the vertical direction inside the first accommodating portion of the housing.

[0035] The guide plate 7 has a plurality of through holes 71 with a shape connecting a quadrilateral and an ellipse. The through holes 71 in the guide plate 7 are provided at positions corresponding to the push buttons 22 of the button lock 100 in the number corresponding to the push buttons 22. Here, among the through holes 71, the portion having a substantially quadrilateral shape is referred to as a "block accommodation hole portion 71a". As described above, the guide plate 7 is slidable in the vertical direction within the housing (the first accommodation portion), that is, in a direction orthogonal to the sliding direction of the operating rod 32. The position of the guide plate 7 in which each of the block accommodation hole portions 71a of the guide plate 7 coincides with the block accommodation recess 81 of the middle plate 8, that is, the position where the corresponding block accommodation hole portion 71a and the block accommodation recess 81 overlap in the front-rear direction, is defined as the "initial reference position (normal position)". In the present embodiment, a plurality of block accommodation recesses 201 are also provided on the inner surface side of the upper case 2 at positions corresponding to the respective block accommodation recesses 81 in the middle plate 8. The block accommodation recesses 201 of the upper case 2 are shown in FIG. 5. In a state where the guide plate 7 is disposed at the initial reference position (normal position), the block accommodation recesses 201 are positioned on the front side of each block accommodation hole portion 71a of the guide plate 7, and the block accommodation recesses 81 are positioned on the rear side of each block accommodation hole portion 71a. The movable blocks 33 attached to the operating rod 32 can be accommodated in the block accommodation recesses 201 of the upper case 2, the block accommodation hole portions 71a of the guide plate 7, and the respective block accommodation recesses 81 in the middle plate 8. When the guide plate 7 is at the initial reference position described above, the movable blocks 33 are maintained in a state of being attached to the operating rod 32. On the other hand, when the guide plate 7 is displaced from the initial reference position to the lower detachment position When it is displaced to, each movable block 33 accommodated in each block accommodation hole portion 71a is configured to be detached from each operating rod 32 as the movable blocks 33 are interlocked with the guide plate 7.

[0036] Furthermore, on the lower short side of the guide plate 7, a pin-shaped spring holder 72 protrudes downward, and a guide spring 73 is attached to the spring holder 72. The guide spring 73 attached to the spring holder 72 is sandwiched between the lower short side of the guide plate 7 and the inner wall surface of the upper case 2 and is held in a compressed state. As a result, a biasing force acts on the guide plate 7 in the direction in which the guide spring 73 tends to extend. Also, at the lower corner of the guide plate 7, a corner hole 74, which is a substantially rectangular through-hole, is provided. The fan-shaped pushing portion 111 of the setting change switch 11 is inserted into the corner hole 74 (see FIGS. 3, 16, etc.).

[0037] As shown in FIG. 16, on the rear surface 7A of the guide plate 7, a housing recess 75 capable of housing the slide rod 40 is formed. The housing recess 75 houses the slide rod 40 slidably in its axial direction. More specifically, the relative sliding direction of the slide rod 40 with respect to the guide plate 7 coincides with the sliding direction of the guide plate 7 in the first housing portion of the housing. That is, by moving the slide rod 40 along the housing recess 75 of the guide plate 7, the slide rod 40 slides vertically within the first housing portion of the housing. The slide rod 40 is housed in the housing recess 75 slidably within a predetermined range with respect to the guide plate 7. Also, FIG. 16 shows the guide plate 7 with the slide rod 40 housed in the housing recess 75.

[0038] Figure 17 is a diagram for explaining the detailed structure of the slide rod 40 and the rod return plate 9. As shown in Figure 17, the slide rod 40 has a shaft main body portion 41 and a plurality of arm portions 42 protruding from the side of the shaft main body portion 41. The arm portions 42 of the slide rod 40 are provided corresponding to the push button 22. Further, a protrusion portion 43 having a substantially triangular shape in side view is formed at the tip of each arm portion 42. The protrusion portion 43 of the arm portion 42 can engage with a recess portion 334 having a substantially pyramidal shape formed in the movable block 33. The engagement and disengagement between the protrusion portion 43 in the slide rod 40 and the recess portion 334 in the movable block 33 will be described later.

[0039] Near the lower end of the shaft main body portion 41 of the slide rod 40, a rectangular rod through hole 44 is formed. The opening width of the rod through hole 44 in the axial direction of the shaft main body portion 41 is larger than the width of the rising portion 92 of the rod return plate 9. Thereby, with the rising portion 92 of the rod return plate 9 inserted into the rod through hole 44, the rising portion 92 can be slid within a predetermined range. As shown in Figures 3, 16, etc., a through hole 76 equivalent to the rod through hole 44 of the slide rod 40 is also formed on the guide plate 7 side. The through hole 76 provided in the guide plate 7 is arranged so that the planar position coincides with the rod through hole 44 of the slide rod 40 in a state where the slide rod 40 is accommodated in the accommodation recess 75. The details of the rising portion 92 of the rod return plate 9 will be described later.

[0040] Furthermore, at the lower end of the shaft main body portion 41 of the slide rod 40, a rod-shaped arm control portion 45 protrudes downward. A flange portion 451 is formed in the middle of the arm control portion 45, and by this flange portion 451, the arm control portion 45 is divided into a first region portion 452 on the tip side and a second region portion 453 on the base end side. The arm control portion 45 of the slide rod 40 can control (change) the posture of the arm 36 shown in Figure 6. Here, referring to Figure 6 to explain the arm 36, the arm 36 has a cylindrical bearing portion 361 and, It has a connecting portion 362 and a rotation stopper 363 protruding from the bearing portion 361.

[0041] The bearing portion 361 is rotatably supported by a rotating shaft 37 protruding from the back surface of the upper case 2. Further, the connecting portion 362 and the rotation stopper 363 of the arm 36 protrude from the bearing portion 361 in opposite directions to each other. A connecting claw having a substantially U shape is formed at the end of the connecting portion 362, and by connecting the flange portion 451 of the arm control portion 45 to this connecting claw, the arm control portion 45 and the arm 36 are connected. As a result, when the slide rod 40 held (accommodated) by the guide plate 7 slides in the vertical direction within the housing, the posture of the arm 36 can be changed in conjunction with this. Details regarding the operating state of the arm 36 will be described later.

[0042] Also, as shown in FIG. 6, a spring 454 is mounted in a contracted state on the second region portion 453 of the arm control portion 45. The spring 454 is sandwiched between the connecting portion 362 of the arm 36 and the lower end portion of the shaft main body portion 41, and constantly biases the slide rod 40 upward. The rotation stopper 363 of the arm 36 can engage with a fan-shaped outer peripheral protrusion piece 66 provided on the outer peripheral portion of the outer cylinder 6 according to its posture. Although details will be described later, when the outer peripheral protrusion piece 66 of the outer cylinder 6 is locked by the rotation stopper 363, the rotation operation of the outer cylinder 6 in the direction corresponding to the opening operation of the operation knob 4 is restricted (limited). On the other hand, when the outer peripheral protrusion piece 66 of the outer cylinder 6 is not locked by the rotation stopper 363, the rotation operation of the outer cylinder 6 in the direction corresponding to the opening operation of the operation knob 4 is not restricted.

[0043] [Swing plate / Retainer] Next, the retainer 16 and the swing plate 17 provided in the button lock 100 will be described. The retainer 16 and the swing plate 17 are members housed in the lower region of the housing. The combination of the retainer 16 and the swing plate 17 corresponds to a restricting means.

[0044] FIG. 18 is a perspective view for explaining the retainer 16 and the swing plate 17. In the upper (a), a state in which the retainer 16 and the swing plate 17 are combined is shown, and in the lower (b), the retainer 16 and the swing plate 17 in the state before combination are shown. The retainer 16 includes a columnar shaft portion 161 and an arm portion 162 formed integrally with the shaft portion. FIG. 19 is a view showing a fixing structure of the shaft portion 161 of the retainer 16 with respect to the housing of the button lock 100. FIG. 20 is a view showing a state in which the retainer 16 and the swing plate 17 assembled to each other are incorporated into the housing. As shown in FIG. 6, in the present embodiment, the retainer 16 and the swing plate 17 are arranged in the lower region A1 of the button lock 100 in a combined state. The swing plate 17 and the retainer 16 change their postures (positions) in conjunction with the relative sliding movement of the slide rod 40. Although details will be described later, when the slide rod 40 is pushed downward from the initial reference position, the swing plate 17 is switched from the first posture to the second posture, and in conjunction therewith, the retainer 16 is switched from the retracted posture to the engaged posture. FIGS. 21 and 22 are views showing the first posture and the retracted posture of the swing plate 17 and the retainer 16. FIGS. 23 and 24 are views showing the second posture and the engaged posture of the swing plate 17 and the retainer 16.

[0045] One end 161A side of the shaft portion 161 of the retainer 16 is rotatably supported with respect to a first recess 25 formed in the inner wall surface of the upper case 2, and the other end 161B side is rotatably supported with respect to a second recess 30A formed in the inner wall surface of the rear panel 30. As described above, the retainer 16 is pivotally supported by the first recess 25 and the second recess 30A with the shaft portion 161 disposed along the front-rear direction of the button lock 100, so that the retainer 16 is rotatable with respect to the housing about the central axis of the shaft portion 1 61.

[0046] The arm portion 162 of the retainer 16 has a substantially S-shaped configuration, and a rotation restricting stopper 163 is formed at its tip end portion. In the example shown in FIG. 18, the arm portion 162 of the retainer 16 is joined to a portion closer to the second end portion 161B of the shaft portion 161. Further, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, in the shaft portion 161 of the retainer 16, in the region located between the first end portion 161A and the arm portion 162, there is formed an attachment portion 164 to which the cylindrical mounting sleeve 171 of the swing plate 17 is loosely fitted so that the swing plate 17 can be swingably attached. In FIG. 19, the attachment portion 164 of the shaft portion 161 has an outer peripheral surface having a diameter slightly larger than those of the first end portion 161A and the second end portion 161B, but the present invention is not limited to this aspect.

[0047] Further, the reference numeral 162A shown in FIG. 18 is the front surface of the arm portion 162 of the retainer 16. The front surface 162A of the arm portion 162 is the surface that faces the inner surface side of the upper case 2 within the housing. A cylindrical protrusion 165 projects from the front surface 162A of the arm portion 162.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 18, the swing plate 17 has a cylindrical mounting sleeve 171 and a plate-like plate portion 172 provided integrally with the mounting sleeve 171. Reference numeral 172A denotes the pressed surface of the plate portion 172. The pressed surface 172A of the plate portion 172 is a surface that is pressed by a first region portion 452 located on the tip side of the arm control portion 45 when the slide rod 40 slides downward from the initial reference position as will be described later. Further, rib-shaped protrusions 173 project on the side of the pressed surface 172A of the plate portion 172 in the swing plate 17. The protrusions 173 in the swing plate 17 can be engaged with protrusions 165 provided on the side of the arm portion 162 of the retainer 16 as will be described later. The inner diameter of the mounting sleeve 171 of the swing plate 17 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the mounting portion 164 on the shaft portion 161 of the retainer 16. Both ends of the shaft portion 161 of the retainer 16 are fixed by bearings to the first recess 25 and the second recess 30A, respectively, with the mounting portion 164 inserted into the mounting sleeve 171 of the swing plate 17. Thereby, the swing plate 17 and the retainer 16 can be mounted in the housing in a combined state.

[0049] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 18(a), a torsion spring TS is incorporated between the mounting sleeve 171 in the swing plate 17 in the combined state and the shaft portion 161 in the retainer 16, and the torsion spring TS biases the swing plate 17 and the retainer 16 so that the protrusion 173 provided on the plate portion 172 abuts against the protrusion 165 provided on the retainer 16. Further, a protrusion 174 is provided on the back surface 172B located on the opposite side of the pressed surface 172A in the plate portion 172, and one end side of a coil spring 175 is attached to this protrusion 174. For example, the protrusion 174 may be a protrusion having a hemispherical shape, and the diameter of the protrusion 174 may be set to a dimension slightly smaller than the diameter of the coil spring 175. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the coil spring 175 attached to the protrusion 174 from being displaced or coming off the protrusion 174. Further, as shown in Figs. 21 to 24, the coil spring 175 in the swing plate 17 is arranged such that the other end side thereof abuts against a reaction force portion 310 provided on the inner wall surface of the lower case 3. Thereby, the plate portion 172 of the swing plate 17 is always biased upward by the elastic force of the coil spring 175. As a result, the pressed surface 172A in the plate portion 172 is maintained in a state of being pressed against the first region portion 452 in the arm control portion 45 of the slide rod 40.

[0050] Next, the details of the rod return plate 9 will be described with reference to Figs. 3, 17, etc. The rod return plate 9 is vertically slidably accommodated in the second accommodating portion of the housing. The sliding direction of the rod return plate 9 is a direction orthogonal to the sliding direction of the operating rod 32 and coincides with the sliding direction of the guide plate 7. The rod return plate 9 corresponds to the plate member in the present invention.

[0051] The rod return plate 9 has a plate main body portion 93 in a substantially rectangular plate shape and a rising portion 92 standing upright from the plate main body portion 93. The rising portion 92 is provided at a portion near the lower end and at the center in the width direction of the plate main body portion 93, and extends along the long side direction of the plate main body portion 93. Further, as shown in FIG. 17, the tip of the rising portion 92 is where the clear button 23 is mounted. The clear button 23 has an operation portion 231 for the user to grip and a base portion 232 fixed to the tip of the rising portion 92 of the rod return plate 9. By attaching the clear button 23 to the rising portion 92 of the rod return plate 9, when the clear button 23 is slid by the user, the rod return plate 9 slides in conjunction with this operation.

[0052] Also, a plurality of claw portions 91 and a plurality of inclined protrusions 94 project from the surface of the plate main body portion 93 of the rod return plate 9. The claw portions 91 and the inclined protrusions 94 on the plate main body portion 93 are arranged close to each other so as to correspond to the respective push buttons 22. Here, the claw portion 91 of the rod return plate 9 is selectively fitted into either the first recess pair 321a, 321a or the second recess pair 321b, 321b in the body portion 321 of the operating rod 32. When the claw portion 91 of the rod return plate 9 is fitted into either the first recess pair 321a, 321a or the second recess pair 321b, 321b, the operating rod 32 is held by the rod return plate 9. Then, by switching the mating portion into which the claw portion 91 is fitted between the first recess pair 321a, 321a and the second recess pair 321b, 321b, the holding state of the operating rod 32 by the rod return plate 9 is changed.

[0053] Note that the rod return plate 9 is held slidably in the vertical direction within the housing. When it is in the "initial reference position", the claw portions 91 are respectively located behind the corresponding operating rods 32 and are arranged at positions where they can be fitted into either the first recess pairs 321a, 321a or the second recess pairs 321b, 321b. FIG. 25 is a diagram showing the guide plate 7 and the rod return plate 9 arranged in the initial reference position. FIG. 26 is a diagram showing the lower region of the front surface of the rod return plate 9. On the lower short side of the plate main body portion 93, holding pins 98 for holding the rod return plate spring 97 project downward. The rod return plate spring 97 is interposed between a projecting piece 300 projecting from the inner surface of the lower case 3 and the plate main body portion 93. The rod return plate 9 is constantly pressed upward by the biasing force of the rod return plate spring 97.

[0054] Also, the rod return plate 9 has a side arm 95 that projects laterally from the middle portion of the long side of the plate main body portion 93 (see FIG. 17). This side arm 95 is fitted into a substantially U-shaped engaging recess in the hook base 38. This hook base 38 is a member connected to the hooked arm 39 shown in FIG. 27. As shown in FIG. 27, the lower case 3 is provided with a substantially rectangular opening window 301. The opening window 301 is a vertically long opening in the vertical direction of the button lock 100.

[0055] The hook base 38 has a base portion 381 arranged on the back side of the lower case 3, i.e., the inner side of the housing, a slide portion 382 provided on the base portion 381 and insertable into the opening window 301, and a shaft portion 383 projecting from the slide portion 382 and exposed to the outside of the housing. The base portion 381 has a projection area larger than that of the opening window 301 and cannot pass through the opening window 301. On the other hand, the slide portion 382 is the opening window 30 It is inserted into 1 and can slide within a predetermined range along the long side direction of the opening window 301, that is, the vertical direction of the button lock 100. The shaft portion 383 protruding from the slide portion 382 is accommodated in the space formed between the lower case 3 and the rear panel 30. As shown in FIG. 27, it pivotally supports the connecting portion 391 of the hook arm 39 with a hook so as to be relatively rotatable, and is connected to the connecting portion 391 by a screw or the like. Further, the hook arm 39 with a hook is constantly biased upward by the rod return plate spring 97. Further, a hook 393 is formed on the tip side of the hook arm 39 with a hook. The reference numeral 121 shown in FIG. 27 is an engaging portion formed on the drive shaft 12. The engaging portion 121 of the drive shaft 12 can engage with the hook 393 of the hook arm 39 with a hook.

[0056] <Operation during unlocking and locking> [Operation during unlocking] Next, the operation details during unlocking and locking of the button lock 100 will be described in detail. First, the operation when unlocking the locked button lock 100 will be described. In the state where the button lock 100 is locked, the operation knob 4 is set to the LOCK position. Also, as will be described later, when the button lock 100 is locked, all the operation rods 32 are automatically cleared and returned to the cleared position where they are not pushed (see FIG. 15). The operation rod 32 returned to the cleared position is in a state where the claw portion 91 of the rod return plate 9 is fitted into the first recess pairs 321a, 321a (hereinafter referred to as the "rod first holding state") as shown in FIG. 28.

[0057] From this state, when unlocking the button lock 100, the user performs a pressing operation on the push button 22 in accordance with the set unlocking code. When the push button 22 of the button lock 100 is pressed, the operating rod 32 incorporated in the pressed push button 22 slides axially from the clear position and is pushed into the housing. Hereinafter, the position of the operating rod 32 at this time is referred to as the "pushed-in position". As shown in FIG. 29, the operating rod 32 displaced from the clear position to the pushed-in position is in a state where the claw portions 91 of the rod return plate 9 are fitted into the second recess pairs 321b, 321b (hereinafter referred to as the "rod second holding state"). The claw portions 91 of the rod return plate 9 correspond to holding means for holding the operating rod 32 at the pushed-in position when the operating rod 32 is displaced from the clear position to the pushed-in position. Further, the claw portions 91 of the rod return plate 9 can also be said to be engaging portions that engage with the second recess pairs 321b, 321b as engaged portions formed on the operating rod 32 when the operating rod 32 is displaced to the pushed-in position.

[0058] The operating rod 32 is displaced from the clear position to the pushed-in position by being pushed into the housing when the corresponding push button 22 is pushed. Thus, by the pressing operation of the push button 22, only the operating rod 32 corresponding to the pushed push button 22 is in the rod second holding state (see FIG. 29), and the operating rod 32 corresponding to the non-pushed push button 22 is maintained in the rod first holding state (see FIG. 28). Note that when unlocking the button lock 100, since the pushed push button 22 by the user is always pushed up by the button spring 223, when the user's finger leaves, it shifts from the state of being buried in the button opening 211 to the state of protruding outside.

[0059] The button tablet 100 has a structure in which the unlocking code can be arbitrarily set. The method for setting the unlocking code will be described later. The button tablet 100 has an operating rod (hereinafter, also simply referred to as the "operating rod corresponding to the unlocking code") 32 attached to the push button 22 corresponding to the unlocking code and an operating rod attached to the push button 22 not corresponding to the unlocking code (hereinafter, also simply referred to as the "operating rod not corresponding to the unlocking code") 32. The engagement position (holding position) of the movable block 33 with respect to the operating rod 32 is different. Specifically, the movable block 33 is held at the first holding position (see FIG. 9) by the operating rod 32 not corresponding to the unlocking code, and the movable block 33 is held at the second holding position (see FIG. 11) by the operating rod 32 corresponding to the unlocking code. The operation for changing the holding position of the movable block 33 with respect to the operating rod 32 according to whether it corresponds to the unlocking code will be described later. The movable block 33 is held, and the movable block 33 is held at the second holding position (see FIG. 11) by the operating rod 32 corresponding to the unlocking code. The operation for changing the holding position of the movable block 33 with respect to the operating rod 32 according to whether it corresponds to the unlocking code will be described later.

[0060] As described above, the movable block 33 is provided with a recess 334, and the recess 334 has a shape complementary to the protrusion 43 of the slide rod 40. Regarding the relationship between the mounting position of the movable block 33 on the operating rod 32 and the holding state of the operating rod 32 by the claw portion 91 of the rod return plate 9, first, when the operating rod 32 is in the first rod holding state and the movable block 33 is mounted at the first holding position, the positions of the recess 334 of the movable block 33 and the protrusion 43 of the slide rod 40 coincide, and the protrusion 43 can be fitted into the recess 334. The recess 334 of the movable block 33 corresponds to the fitted portion in the present invention. Also, the protrusion 43 of the slide rod 40 that can be fitted into the recess 334 of the movable block 33 corresponds to the fitting portion in the present invention.

[0061] In the example shown in FIG. 25, among the operating rods 32 indicated by reference signs A to E, the operating rods 32 indicated by B and E, in which the movable block 33 is held at the second holding position, and the operating rods 32 indicated by A, C, and D, in which the movable block 33 is held at the first holding position. In the example of this figure, among the operating rods 32 indicated by A to E, the operating rods 32 indicated by B and E, in which the movable block 33 is held at the second holding position, correspond to the operating rods 32 for the unlocking code, but neither of the operating rods 32 indicated by B and E is pushed. Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 25, the push button 22 of the button lock 100 is not aligned with the unlocking code.

[0062] Further, the displacement deviation amount of the movable block with respect to the operating rod 32 when changing from the first holding position to the second holding position is adjusted to match the relative movement amount of the operating rod 32 when changing the operating rod 32 from the rod first holding state to the rod second holding state. Therefore, although not shown, when the operating rod 32 is in the rod second holding state, by mounting the movable block 33 at the second holding position instead of the first holding position, the positions of the concave portion 334 of the movable block 33 and the protruding portion 43 of the slide rod 40 are aligned, and the protruding portion 43 can be just fitted into the concave portion.

[0063] As described above, when the operating rod 32 corresponding to the unlocking code, that is, the operating rod 32 that holds the movable block 33 at the second holding position (B and E in the example of FIG. 25) is in the pushed-in position, the protruding portion 43 of the slide rod 40 can be fitted into the concave portion 334 of the movable block 33, but when in the clear position, as shown in FIG. 30, the positions of the concave portion 334 and the protruding portion 43 of the movable block 33 are displaced in the front-rear direction, and the protruding portion 43 cannot be fitted into the concave portion 334. FIG. 30 is a diagram showing the relative relationship between the concave portion 334 and the protruding portion 43 when the operating rod 32 with the movable block 33 mounted at the second holding position is in the first holding state. In this case, as a result of the top of the protruding portion 43 on the slide rod 40 interfering with the edge of the concave portion 334 on the movable block 33, the protruding portion 43 is pushed downward by the depth of the concave portion 334.

[0064] Incidentally, when the operation rod 32 corresponding to the unlocking code is in the pushed-in position as described above, the movable block 33 mounted in the second holding position is accommodated only in the block accommodation hole portion 71a of the guide plate 7. On the other hand, when the operation rod 32 corresponding to the unlocking code is in the clear position, the movable block 33 mounted in the second holding position is accommodated across both the block accommodation recess 201 in the upper case 2 and the block accommodation hole portion 71a in the guide plate 7.

[0065] On the other hand, when the operation rod 32 that does not correspond to the unlocking code, that is, the operation rod 32 (A, C, D in the example of FIG. 25) that holds the movable block 33 in the first holding position, is in the clear position the protrusion 43 of the slide rod 40 can be fitted into the recess 334 of the movable block 33. However, when in the pushed-in position, the positions of the recess 334 of the movable block 33 and the protrusion 43 are displaced in the front-rear direction, and the protrusion 43 cannot be fitted into the recess 334. Incidentally, when the operation rod 32 that does not correspond to the unlocking code is in the clear position, the movable block 33 mounted in the first holding position is accommodated only in the block accommodation hole portion 71a of the guide plate 7. On the other hand, when the operation rod 32 that does not correspond to the unlocking code is in the pushed-in position, the movable block 33 mounted in the first holding position is accommodated across both the block accommodation hole portion 71a in the guide plate 7 and the block accommodation recess 81 in the middle plate 8.

[0066] Here, when the movable block 33 attached to any of the operation rods 32 straddles the block accommodation recess 201 in the upper case 2 and the block accommodation hole 71a in the guide plate 7, or straddles the block accommodation hole 71a in the guide plate 7 and the block accommodation recess 81 in the middle plate 8, it can be said that at least one of the movable blocks 33 is locked to the immovable part (the block accommodation recess 201 in the upper case 2, the block accommodation recess 81 in the middle plate 8) in the housing. In this case, the guide plate 7 is fixed to the middle plate 8. That is, the guide plate 7 is fixed to the initial reference position (normal position), and the slide movement from the initial reference position (normal position) to the detachment position is restricted. In other words, the fixing of the guide plate 7 to the middle plate 8 is released only when all the movable blocks 33 attached to the operation rods 32 are stored only in the block accommodation hole 71a in the guide plate 7, and in this state, the downward slide movement of the guide plate 7 from the initial reference position (normal position) is allowed.

[0067] Further, in the slide rod 40 in the present embodiment, since each arm portion 42 having the protrusion 43 at the tip is integrated via the shaft main body portion 41, if the relative position of even one of the protrusions 43 in the slide rod 40 with respect to the recess 334 of the movable block 33 is displaced, the slide rod 40 will slide downward from the initial reference position. At this time, since the guide plate 7 is fixed to the initial reference position, the slide rod 40 will slide downward along the accommodation recess 75 of the guide plate 7.

[0068] As described above, when the push buttons 22 of the button lock 100 are not aligned with the unlocking code, for at least any one of the operation rods 32, the positions of the recess 334 of the movable block 33 and the protrusion 43 of the slide rod 40 do not match, and the slide rod 40 is in a state of being pushed downward from the initial reference position. Then, as shown in FIG. 31, the arm control portion 45 of the slide rod 40 pushes down the connecting portion 362 of the arm 36. Since the arm 36 is pivotally supported by the rotation shaft 37 of the upper case 2, the rotation stopper 363 of the arm 36 is pushed up, contrary to the connecting portion 362 being pushed down by the arm control portion 45. As a result, the rotation stopper 363 of the arm 36 is engaged with the outer peripheral protrusion piece 66 of the outer cylinder 6, and the rotation of the outer cylinder 6 in the opening direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 31) is restricted. As a result, when the push buttons 22 of the button lock 100 are not aligned with the unlocking code, that is, when the push buttons 22 are not pushed in accordance with the unlocking code, the rotation stopper 363 of the arm 36 is engaged with the outer peripheral protrusion piece 66 of the outer cylinder 6, whereby the opening operation of the operation knob 4 can be restricted.

[0069] Incidentally, when all of the push buttons 22 corresponding to the unlocking code are pushed and none of the push buttons 22 not corresponding to the unlocking code are pushed, the push buttons 22 of the button lock 100 are in a state of being aligned with the unlocking code. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 32, assuming that the operation rods 32 indicated by B and E are the operation rods corresponding to the unlocking code and the other operation rods 32 are the operation rods not corresponding to the unlocking code, in the illustrated state, all of the operation rods corresponding to the unlocking code are pushed, and none of the operation rods not corresponding to the unlocking code are pushed. It is in the unlocked state. That is, in the state shown in FIG. 32, the push button 22 of the button lock 100 is aligned with the unlocking code. In this state, for all the operating rods 32, the relative positions of the recess 334 of the movable block 33 and the protrusion 43 of the slide rod 40 coincide, and the slide rod 40 is not pushed down due to interference with the movable block 33. Therefore, the slide rod 40 is biased upward by the spring 454 attached to the second region portion 453 of the arm control unit 45 and positioned at the initial reference position. In this state, as shown in FIG. 6, the outer peripheral protrusion piece 66 of the outer cylinder 6 is not locked to the rotation stopper 363. That is, the button lock 100 is in a state of being unlocked internally, and the operation knob 4 connected to the outer cylinder 6 and the cylinder 5 can be opened. When the operation knob 4 is opened from this state, the stopper 10 is switched from the locking position to the releasing position, and as a result, the stopper 10 is detached from the mating member of the object to be locked. Thereby, the button lock 100 can be unlocked externally as well.

[0070] As described above, the operation restriction of the operation knob 4 is released only when only the operating rod 32 corresponding to the unlocking code of the button lock 100 is in the pushed-in position. And when the push button 22 of the button lock 100 is aligned with the unlocking code, that is, when all the operating rods 32 with the movable block 33 mounted at the first holding position are at the clearance position, and all the operating rods 32 with the movable block 33 mounted at the second holding position are at the pushed-in position, the operation restriction of the operation knob 4 is released.

[0071] [Operation during locking] Next, the operation when locking the button lock 100 will be described. The button lock 100 has a structure that is automatically locked by performing a closing operation of aligning the operation knob 4 of the button lock 100 in the unlocked state, that is, the state where the push button 22 is aligned with the unlocking code, from the OPEN position to the LOCK position.

[0072] When the user performs a closing operation on the operating knob 4 with respect to the button tablet 100 in the unlocked state, the cylinder 5, the outer cylinder 6, and the drive shaft 12 rotate in the closing direction integrally with the operating knob 4. Here, referring to FIG. 27, when the closing operation of the operating knob 4 is performed, the drive shaft 12 rotates counterclockwise in the figure in conjunction with the operating knob 4. At this time, the engaging portion 121 provided on the drive shaft 12 also rotates counterclockwise in the figure, and it becomes possible to lock the hook 393 of the hooked arm 39. When the drive shaft 12 rotates in the clockwise direction (hereinafter referred to as the "opening direction") in FIG. 27 along with the opening operation of the operating knob 4, the relative relationship between the two members is defined so that the hook 393 of the hooked arm 39 is not locked by the engaging portion 121 of the drive shaft 12.

[0073] Then, as described above, when the engaging portion 121 of the drive shaft 12 rotates in the closing direction along with the closing operation of the operating knob 4, as shown in FIG. 27, the hook 393 of the hooked arm 39 is locked by the engaging portion 121 of the drive shaft 12. Therefore, the hooked arm 39 is pulled downward against the rod return plate spring 97. When the hooked arm 39 slides downward in this way, the hook base 38 connected to the hooked arm 39 across the lower case 3 also slides downward in conjunction. At this time, as shown in FIG. 17, since the engaging recess of the hook base 38 is fitted to the side arm 95 of the rod return plate 9, the rod return plate 9 also slides downward from the initial reference position in conjunction with the hook base 38. A clear button 23 is attached to the rising portion 92 of the rod return plate 9. Therefore, when the outer cylinder 6 rotates in the closing direction, the clear button 23 also slides in conjunction.

[0074] As described above, when the rod return plate 9 slides downward from the initial reference position in conjunction with the rotation of the operating knob 4 (drive shaft 12) in the closing direction, the first The fitting state of the claw portion 91 of the rod return plate 9 fitted to the recessed portions 321a, 321a or the second recessed portions 321b, 321b is released. Then, since the operating rod 32 is pulled forward by the biasing force of the aforementioned rod spring 324 (see FIG. 7), the operating rod 32 that has been pushed is returned to a predetermined clear position. Until the holding of the operating rod 32 by the claw portion 91 of the rod return plate 9 is released, only the operating rod 32 corresponding to the unlocking code is pushed in, so here only the operating rod 32 corresponding to the unlocking code is returned to the clear position (the operating rods 32 not corresponding to the unlocking code are originally in the clear position).

[0075] As described above, the button lock 100 includes a clearing means for displacing the operating rod 32 to the clear position. This clearing means includes a rod spring 324 as a biasing member that biases the operating rod 32 in a direction to return it from the pushed-in position to the clear position, and a sliding means that releases the fitting between the recess 334 of the movable block 33 and the protrusion 43 of the slide rod 40 by sliding the rod return plate 9. The sliding means includes an engaging portion 67 of the outer cylinder 6, a hook 393 of the hook arm 39 with a hook, a hook base 38, etc., which cooperate to slide the rod return plate 9 downward during the closing operation of the operation knob 4 in a state where the posture of the stopper 10 is in the detached posture.

[0076] Here, the rod return plate 9 has an inclined protrusion 94 protruding from the plate main body portion 93. Therefore, when the rod return plate 9 slides downward with the closing operation of the operation knob 4, the inclined surface of the inclined protrusion 94 collides with the inclined surface 325a of the groove portion 325 (see FIG. 7) provided at the end of the operating rod 32. That is, the inclined protrusion 94 of the rod return plate 9 pushes up the operating rod 32 from the pushed-in position toward the clear position, so that the fitting state of the claw portion 91 with respect to the operating rod 32 can be reliably released. Therefore, the operating rod 32 corresponding to the unlocking code can be reliably cleared.

[0077] In this way, when the operating rod 32 corresponding to the unlocking code is returned to the clear position, the push button 22 of the button lock 100 shifts to a state where it does not align with the unlocking code. That is, since all the operating rods 32 are in the first holding state, with respect to the operating rod 32 corresponding to the unlocking code, the position of the recess 334 of the movable block 33 and the position of the protrusion 43 of the slide rod 40 are displaced from each other, and the slide rod 40 slides downward from the initial reference position. As a result, as described with reference to FIG. 31, the attitude of the arm 36 is changed by the arm control unit 45 in the slide rod 40, and the rotation stopper 363 is pushed up and locked to the outer peripheral projection piece 66 of the outer cylinder 6. As a result, the rotation of the outer cylinder 6 in the opening direction is restricted, and the opening operation of the operation knob 4 is limited.

[0078] Thereafter, in the process of rotating the operation knob 4 to the LOCK position, as shown in FIG. 33, the hook 393 of the hooked arm 39 disengages from the engaging portion 121 of the drive shaft 12, thereby releasing the locked state between the two. As a result, the hooked arm 39 is pushed up by the biasing force of the rod return plate spring 97, and the hooked base 38, the rod return plate 9, and the clear button 23 are integrally pushed up to their original normal positions. After the position of the operation knob 4 reaches the LOCK position, the rotation of the operation knob 4 in the opening direction becomes impossible, and the internal mechanical locking of the button lock 100 is completed. Further, since the operation knob 4, the cylinder 5, and the stopper 10 are integrated, by rotating the operation knob 4 to the LOCK position by a closing operation, the stopper 10 rotates to the locking position. As a result, the stopper 10 is locked to the mating member of the object to be locked, and the locking of the button lock 100 is externally completed.

[0079] [Setting of Unlocking Code] Next, a method for setting the unlocking code in the button lock 100 will be described. As described above, The button tablet 100 can arbitrarily set the unlocking code. The setting change of the unlocking code is performed when the button tablet 100 is in the unlocked state. More specifically, the setting change of the unlocking code is performed by operating the setting change switch 11 as described later. Normally, the setting change switch 11 is positioned at the fixed position 302 printed on the rear panel 30. And the setting change switch 11 can be switched by the user to the reset position 303 and the setting position 304 in addition to the fixed position 302 (see Fig. 2). The setting change switch 11 corresponds to the operation switch section in the present invention.

[0080] The setting change switch 11 can be switched from the fixed position 302 (initial position) to the reset position 303 or the setting position 304 only when the button tablet 100 is internally unlocked. That is, when the button tablet 100 is internally locked, the setting change switch 11 is structured such that the switching operation from the fixed position 302 to the reset position 303 or the setting position 304 is restricted, and the unlocking code setting change operation is possible only when the button tablet 100 is unlocked. Such a function is realized by the cooperation of the swing plate 17, the retainer 16, etc. as described later.

[0081] When setting the unlocking code, with the button tablet 100 in an internally unlocked state, that is, when the push button 22 aligns with the unlocking code, rotate the setting change switch 11 on the back of the button tablet 100 from the fixed position 302 printed on the rear panel 30 to the reset position 303. As shown in Fig. 3, Fig. 20, etc., the setting change switch 11 has a disc-shaped operation part 112 and a shaft part 113 connected to this operation part 112. The operation part 112 is exposed to the outside through the opening of the rear panel 30 as shown in Fig. 2. The operation part 112 is the part operated by the user, and groove parts for operation are formed on its surface. The user can switch the setting change switch 11 to any of the fixed position 302, the reset position 303, and the setting position 304 shown in Fig. 2 by fitting a coin or the like into the groove part of the operation part 112 and rotating it.

[0082] Also, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 20, etc., in the shaft portion 113 of the setting change switch 11, near the base end portion connected to the operation portion 112, a semi-circular plate portion 114 having a substantially semi-circular shape is provided, and a rod-shaped pin 115 protrudes from the back surface of this semi-circular plate portion 114. Further, in the region of the shaft portion 113 on the tip side of the semi-circular plate portion 114, a pushing-in portion 111 having a sector-shaped (substantially one-fourth of a circle) cross-section is formed. Also, the tip side of the shaft portion 113 is rotatably attached to the upper case 2 around the central axis of the shaft portion 113. Further, as shown in FIG. 26, in the plate main body portion 93 of the rod return plate 9, a notch recess 96 is formed to avoid interference between the shaft portion 113 (pushing-in portion 111) of the setting change switch 11 and the plate main body portion 93. Each part of the setting change switch 11 is also shown in FIGS. 20, 21, 23, etc.

[0083] FIGS. 34 and 35 are diagrams showing the relative relationship between the rod return plate 9 and the pushing-in portion 111 of the setting change switch 11. Both figures show the back surface of the rod return plate 9, that is, the surface on which the above-described claw portion 91 does not project. As shown in FIGS. 34, 35, etc., at the lower corner portion of the plate main body portion 93, a pin receiving portion 97 is formed to receive and lock the pin 115 protruding from the semi-circular plate portion 114 when the operation portion 112 of the setting change switch 11 is rotated counterclockwise. Also, as shown in FIG. 16, the pushing-in portion 111 of the setting change switch 11 is inserted into the corner hole portion 74 of the guide plate 7. FIG. 16 shows the relative relationship between the pushing-in portion 111 and the corner hole portion 74 in a state where the setting change switch 11 is adjusted to the fixed position 302. Also, FIG. 34 shows the relative relationship between the pin 115 and the pin receiving portion 97 in a state where the setting change switch 11 is adjusted to the fixed position 302.

[0084] As described above, the position of the setting change switch 11 is changed by the user from the fixed position 302 to the reset position 303. At this time, first, in the process of the position of the setting change switch 11 reaching the setting position 304 from the fixed position 302, the pushing portion 111 of the setting change switch 11 presses the edge of the corner hole portion 74 of the guide plate 7 with its side surface 111A (see FIG. 16). As a result, the guide plate 7 slides downward from the initial reference position. When the button lock 100 is in the unlocked state, for all the operation rods 32 as described above, the movable block 33 is stored only in the block accommodation hole portion 71a in the guide plate 7, and the downward slide of the guide plate 7 from the initial reference position is allowed.

[0085] Further, since the slide rod 40 is stored in the accommodation recess 75 of the guide plate 7, the slide rod 40 also slides downward from the initial reference position in conjunction with the guide plate 7. That is, in the process of the position of the setting change switch 11 reaching the setting position 304 from the fixed position 302, the guide plate 7 and the slide rod 40 in the housing move integrally and slide downward from the initial reference position. Even in the state where it is switched from the fixed position 302 to the setting position 304, the rod return plate 9 is held at the initial reference position.

[0086] As described above, when the guide plate 7 slides from the initial reference position to the lower detachment position, the attachment state of the movable block 33 attached to the operating rod 32 is released, and the movable block 33 detaches from the operating rod 32. In this way, among the guide plates 7 that slide within the housing, the position at which the movable block 33 housed in the block housing hole portion 71a detaches from the operating rod 32 is referred to as the "detachment position". Then, as shown in FIGS. 36 and 37, the fitting of the movable block 33 to the operating rod 32 is released, and the unlocking code of the button lock 100 can be set. In the present embodiment, the pushing portion 111 of the setting change switch 11 slides the guide plate 7 as the first plate member, so that the movable block 33 is maintained in the state of being attached to the operating rod 32 between the initial reference position (initial position) and the detachment position where the movable block 33 is maintained in the state of detaching from the operating rod 32. It corresponds to a switching means for switching the attachment / detachment state of the movable block 33 with respect to the operating rod 32. Then, when the setting change switch 11 (operation switch portion) is operated to the fixed position 302 as the initial position (normal position), the guide plate 7 is held at the initial reference position, and when the setting change switch 11 is switched from the fixed position 302 to the setting position 304, the guide plate 7 is slid from the initial reference position to the detachment position.

[0087] Incidentally, at present, since the button lock 100 is in the unlocked state, the operating rod 32 corresponding to the unlock code is in the rod second holding state, and the operating rod 32 not corresponding to the unlock code is in the first holding state. That is, when setting the unlock code, since the button lock 100 is in the unlocked state, the operating rods 32 in the rod first holding state and the rod second holding state are mixed. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the position of the setting change switch 11 is further changed from the setting position 304 to the reset position 303. In the process of changing the position of the setting change switch 11 from the setting position 304 to the reset position 303, as shown in FIG. 35, the pin 115 provided on the semicircular plate portion 114 of the setting change switch 11 engages with the pin receiving portion 97 of the rod return plate 9, and as a result, the rod return plate 9 is slid downward from the initial reference position. When the rod return plate 9 slides downward from the initial reference position, the claw portion 91 as the engaging portion disengages from the first recess pair 321a, 321a or the second recess pair 321b, 321b of the operating rod 3 as the engaged portion, and both engagements are released.

[0088] Furthermore, since the rod return plate 9 is provided with the inclined protrusion 94, the inclined protrusion 94 of the rod return plate 9 collides with the inclined surface 325a of the operating rod 32 in the second holding state, thereby pushing up the operating rod 32 in the second holding state. As a result, all of the operating rods 32 are surely cleared to the clear position (the operating rod 32 in the first holding state is originally held in the clear position).

[0089] As an operation procedure of the setting change switch 11, next, an operation of rotating the setting change switch 11 in the reverse direction and returning it from the reset position 303 to the setting position 304 is performed. By this operation, the relationship between the pin 115 in the setting change switch 11 and the pin receiving portion 97 of the rod return plate 9 returns from the relationship shown in FIG. 35 to the relationship shown in FIG. 34. That is, the engagement state between the pin 115 in the setting change switch 11 and the pin receiving portion 97 in the rod return plate 9 is released. As a result, since the rod return plate 9 is no longer pressed downward by the pin 115 of the setting change switch 11, the rod return plate 9 is pushed upward to the initial reference position by the biasing force of the rod return plate spring 97. That is, in the housing, the rod return plate 9 slides upward and is returned to the original position (initial reference position).

[0090] As a result, in all the operating rods 32, the claw portions 91 of the rod return plate 9 are in the rod first holding state fitted into the first recess pairs 321a, 321a of the operating rods 32 (see FIG. 28). At this time, the guide plate 7 and the slide rod 40 held thereon are still held in the state of sliding downward, and the movable block 33 is in a state of being separated from the operating rod 32.

[0091] From this state, the user performs an operation of pushing in the push button 22 corresponding to the new unlocking code to be set. Then, only the operating rod 32 corresponding to the new unlocking code shifts from the rod first holding state to the rod second holding state. That is, only the operating rod 32 corresponding to the new unlocking code is changed to the rod second holding state as shown in FIG. 29 by the claw portions 91 of the rod return plate 9 being fitted into the second recess pairs 321b, 321b of the body main body 321. On the other hand, the other operating rods 32 are held in the rod first holding state (see FIG. 28).

[0092] Here, the movable block 33 is held in a detached state with respect to each operation rod 32. From this state, the user rotates the setting change switch 11 from the setting position 304 to the fixed position 302. Then, the pressing state by the pushing portion 111 of the setting change switch 11 that had been pressing the edge of the square hole portion 74 until then is released. As a result, by the biasing force of the guide spring 73, the guide plate 7 and the slide rod 40 are pushed up integrally and return to the initial reference position. At this time, since the movable block 33 is accommodated in the block accommodation hole portion 71a of the guide plate 7, when the guide plate 7 slides back to the original initial reference position, the movable block 33 is attached to the operation rod 32. At this time, each movable block 33 is selectively attached to either the first holding position or the second holding position with respect to each operation rod 32 as described above. Further, when the setting change switch 11 is rotated from the setting position 304 to the fixed position 302, the slide rod 40 also slides to the original initial reference position. Therefore, the protrusion 43 of the slide rod 40 is fitted into the recess 334 of the movable block 33 attached to the first holding position or the second holding position of each operation rod 32.

[0093] For example, when changing the setting of the unlocking code, when the setting change switch 11 is set to the setting position 304 and the user presses the push buttons 22 corresponding to "2", "5", "7", and "8", the operation rods 32 corresponding to these become the rod second holding state in relation to the claw portion 91 of the rod return plate 9, and the other operation rods 32 become the lock first holding state. Then, when the setting change switch 11 is set to the fixed position 302 from this state, the movable block 33 is attached to the second holding position with respect to the operation rods 32 corresponding to "2", "5", "7", and "8" in the rod second holding state, and the movable block 33 is attached to the first holding position with respect to the other operation rods 32.

[0094] As described above, by changing the mounting position of the movable block 33 with respect to the operating rod 32 based on the newly selected unlocking code by the user, the setting change of the unlocking code is completed. As described above, according to the button lock 100 according to the present embodiment, the unlocking code can be set to any code. When the setting of the unlocking code is completed, since the button lock 100 is in the unlocked state, as described above, by performing a closing operation of moving the operation knob 4 from the OPEN position to the LOCK position, the button lock 100 can be automatically locked.

[0095] In addition, in the method for setting the unlocking code in the button lock 100 described above, rotating the setting change switch 11 from the fixed position 302 to the reset position 303 once is because when changing the setting of the unlocking code, the button lock 100 is in the unlocked state, and when unlocking the button lock 100, at least one operating rod 32 is pushed in. Thus, since at least one operating rod 32 is in the second rod holding state, in the present embodiment, after clearing all the operating rods 32 to the clear position at once, an operation of setting the setting change switch 11 to the set position and pressing the push button 22 is performed. Thereby, when changing the setting of the unlocking code related to the button lock 100, the unlocking code can be surely changed to a desired setting.

[0096] As described above, the user of the button lock 100 according to the present embodiment can arbitrarily set the unlocking code. In particular, it is excellent in that the setting change work can be performed by pressing the push button 22 from the front side of the button lock 100.

[0097] That is, in a conventional button lock, an operation switch corresponding to each push button is provided on the back side where the push button is not provided, and by switching and operating this operation switch, a structure for changing the setting of the unlocking code is adopted. In such a mechanism for changing the setting of the unlocking code according to the conventional method, for example, when the button lock is applied to pulling out the button lock, etc., when the button lock is installed in a place where the back side is difficult to visually recognize, there is a problem that it is difficult to perform the operation of changing the setting of the unlocking code. Thus, in the conventional button lock, depending on the installation conditions of the button lock, the operation switch for changing the setting of the unlocking code has to be operated in a state where it is difficult to visually recognize, which may lead to a setting error (error) in which a new unlocking code is not set as intended by the user.

[0098] On the other hand, according to the button lock 100 according to the present embodiment, since the unlocking code can be set by pushing the push button 22 from the front side of the button lock 100, it is possible to improve the workability of the operation of changing the setting of the unlocking code as compared with the conventional case, and it is possible to more surely change the new unlocking code to the code intended by the user. That is, it is possible to preferably suppress the occurrence of setting errors in the unlocking code. In the button lock 100 of the present embodiment, although the setting change switch 11 itself is provided on the lower case 3 side, the operation of this setting change switch 11 only needs to be operated at the start and end of the operation of setting the unlocking code, so the workability of the operation of changing the setting of the unlocking code does not decrease. And since the operation of setting the unlocking code itself is performed by pushing the push button 22 provided on the front side of the button lock 100, there is no occurrence of setting errors in the unlocking code.

[0099] Here, a structure will be described that enables an operation to change the setting of the unlocking code only when the button lock 100 is unlocked internally. As described above, when the button lock 100 is in the locked state, the movable block 33 attached to at least a part of the operation rod 32 is not only accommodated in the block accommodation hole 71a in the guide plate 7, but also straddles the block accommodation recess 201 in the upper case 2 or the block accommodation recess 81 in the middle plate 8, and this serves as a wedge so that the guide plate 7 cannot slide downward from the initial reference position. Therefore, when the button lock 100 is in the locked state even if an attempt is made to switch the setting change switch 11 from the fixed position 302 to another position, basically, the downward slide (to the release position) of the guide plate 7 is restricted, so that the movable block 33 cannot be detached from each operation rod 32.

[0100] However, when the user forcibly operates the operation portion 112 of the setting change switch 11 while the button lock 100 is locked internally, and tries to forcibly rotate the operation portion 112 from the fixed position 302 toward the setting position 304 side, if the button lock 100 does not have the swing plate 17 and the retainer 16, the pushing portion 111 of the setting change switch 11 interferes with the edge of the square hole portion 74 in the guide plate 7 in a state where it is fixed to the initial reference position, and excessive external forces, loads, etc. act on both, and there is a concern that deformation, breakage, etc. may occur due to this. Also, in a state where the button lock 100 is locked, as described above, at least a part of the movable block 33 is arranged in a state straddling the block accommodation hole portion 71a in the guide plate 7 and the block accommodation recess 201 in the upper case 2, or the block accommodation hole portion 71a in the guide plate 7 and the block accommodation recess 81 in the middle plate 8. Therefore, if an attempt is made to forcibly push down the guide plate 7 from the initial reference position to the detachment position, large external forces and loads act on the movable block 33 and the wall surfaces forming the respective block accommodation hole portions, leading to deformation and breakage of these. Also, even if the deformation and breakage of the above-described respective components do not occur, there is a possibility that rattling may occur in the respective components, the components may mesh with each other, they may not operate normally, and the button lock 100 may malfunction.

[0101] Therefore, the button lock 100 in the present embodiment is equipped with the swing plate 17 and the retainer 16 as countermeasures against the above-described malfunctions. Hereinafter, the functions of the swing plate 17 and the retainer 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 to 24. FIGS. 21 and 23 show a state where the operation portion 112 of the setting change switch 11 is positioned at the fixed position 302. Also, when the operation portion 112 of the setting change switch 11 is operated from the fixed position 302 toward the setting position 304 side, in the examples of FIGS. 21 and 23, the operation portion 112 is rotated counterclockwise.

[0102] As shown in FIGS. 21 to 24, the plate portion 172 of the swing plate 17 is arranged such that its pressed surface 172A can contact the first region portion 452 located on the tip side of the arm control portion 45 in the slide rod 40. And in the state where the slide rod 40 is arranged at the initial reference position (that is, the state where the button lock 100 is unlocked), the plate portion 172 in the swing plate 17 is not pushed down by the arm control portion 45 and takes the first posture as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22. In this state, it is biased upward by the elastic force of the coil spring 175 provided on the back surface 172B side of the plate portion 172 of the swing plate 17. Thereby, the swing plate 17 is in a state of rotating upward (clockwise in FIG. 22) about the shaft portion 161 (attachment portion 164) of the retainer 16 on which the mounting sleeve 171 is mounted as the central axis.

[0103] On the other hand, when the button lock 100 is switched to the locked state, since the slide rod 40 moves downward from the initial reference position, accordingly, the pressed surface 172A of the plate portion 172 in the swing plate 17 interferes with the tip (first region portion 452) of the arm control portion 45. That is, the arm control portion 45 in the slide rod 40 forcibly pushes down the plate portion 172 against the biasing force of the coil spring 175. As a result, the posture of the plate portion 172 of the swing plate 17 is changed from the first posture shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 to the second posture shown in FIGS. 23 and 24.

[0104] Here, since a torsion spring TS is incorporated between the swing plate 17 and the retainer 16, the protrusion 173 on the swing plate 17 side and the protrusion 165 on the retainer 16 side are always kept in contact. Therefore, the retainer 16 that is rotatably installed about the shaft portion 161 can change its posture in conjunction with the swing plate 17 while maintaining a certain relative positional relationship between the arm portion 162 and the plate portion 172 by keeping the protrusion 165 of the arm portion 162 and the protrusion 173 of the plate portion 172 in contact.

[0105] The retainer 16 is switched between a retracted position shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 and an engaged position shown in FIGS. 23 and 24 in conjunction with the posture of the swing plate 17 (plate portion 172). Specifically, the retainer 16 is maintained in the retracted position when the swing plate 17 (plate portion 172) is in the first posture, and when the swing plate 17 (plate portion 172) is switched from the first posture to the second posture, it is switched from the retracted position to the engaged position in conjunction therewith.

[0106] Reference numeral 305 shown in FIG. 21 is a stopper storage portion formed by cutting out a part of the lower case 3. Further, reference numeral 114A is an engaged portion formed on the semi-circular plate portion 114 of the setting change switch 11. As shown in FIG. 21, in the retainer 16 in the retracted position, the rotation restricting stopper 163 of the arm portion 162 is stored in the stopper storage portion 305, and in this state, the rotation restricting stopper 163 has retracted from the engaged portion 114A of the semi-circular plate portion 114 in the setting change switch 11. Thus, when the retainer 16 is in the retracted position, the engaged portion 114A of the semi-circular plate portion 114 in the setting change switch 11 is not locked by the rotation restricting stopper 163 of the arm portion 162, and the operation portion 112 of the setting change switch 11 can be freely rotated from the fixed position 302 toward the setting position 304 side.

[0107] On the other hand, when the button tablet 100 is switched to the locked state, as described above, the swing plate 17 (plate portion 172) switches from the first posture to the second posture, and in conjunction with this, the posture of the retainer 16 switches to the engaged posture shown in FIGS. 23 and 24. As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, when the swing plate 17 (plate portion 172) switches to the second posture, due to the action of the torsion spring TS, the retainer 16 rotates about the shaft portion 161, and the arm portion 162 approaches the semi-circular plate portion 114 side of the setting change switch 11. As a result, the rotation restricting stopper 163 of the retainer 16 stored in the stopper storage portion 305 is positioned below the engaged portion 114A of the semi-circular plate portion 114 of the setting change switch 11, as shown in FIG. 23. In the example shown in FIG. 23, the end surface (locking surface) of the rotation restricting stopper 163 of the retainer 16 is disposed opposite to the engaged portion 114A with a slight gap therebetween. As a result, even when attempting to rotate the operation portion 112 of the setting change switch 11 from the fixed position 302 toward the setting position 304 side (counterclockwise in the example of FIG. 23) while the retainer 16 is in the engaged posture, the engaged portion 114A of 114 engages with the rotation restricting stopper 163, and the rotation of the operation portion 112 of the setting change switch 11 is restricted.

[0108] As described above, when the button tablet 100 is locked internally, the swing plate 17 and the retainer 16 cooperate with each other, and the engaging portion 114A of the semi-circular plate portion 114 of the setting change switch 11 is directly locked by the rotation restricting stopper 163 on the arm portion 162 of the retainer 16, thereby restricting the setting change switch 11 from rotating from the fixed position 302 toward the setting position 304. Therefore, even if the user tries to forcibly rotate the operation portion 112 of the setting change switch 11 from the fixed position 302 toward the setting position 304 while the button tablet 100 is locked, it is possible to prevent the pushing portion 111 of the setting change switch 11 from interfering with the edge portion of the angular hole portion 74 in the guide plate 7. That is, it is possible to prevent the pushing portion 111 of the setting change switch 11 from pushing in the edge portion of the angular hole portion 74 in the guide plate 7. As a result, no large external force is applied to various components such as the guide plate 7, the middle plate 8, and the movable block 33 of the button tablet 100, and deformation and breakage thereof can be suppressed, thereby suppressing the failure of the button tablet 100.

[0109] Note that the push-button tablet according to the present embodiment can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the present invention. In addition, the combination of the retainer 16 and the swing plate 17 described in the present embodiment can be applied to various push-button tablets, and for example, it can also be preferably applied to an automatically locking type push-button tablet as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-82078 filed by the present applicant.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0110] 2 ··· Upper case 3 ··· Lower case 4 ··· Operation knob 7 ··· Guide plate 8 ··· Middle plate 9 ··· Rod return plate 10 ··· Stopper 11 ··· Setting change switch 16 ··· Retainer 17... Swing plate 22... Push button 32... Operating rod 33... Movable block 40... Slide rod 100... Button lock

Claims

1. A housing, a plurality of push buttons movably attached to the housing, a plurality of operating rods slidable in the extending and retracting direction of the push buttons and provided in the housing corresponding to each of the push buttons, and being pushed into the housing when the corresponding push button is pushed, a guide plate slidably provided in the housing in a direction perpendicular to the pushing direction of the operating rod and displaceable between a predetermined initial reference position and a predetermined release position, a plurality of replaceable members selectively and detachably attached to the first holding position and the second holding position of each operating rod, and a plurality of replaceable members each received in a receiving hole formed in the guide plate, comprising: when the guide plate is switched from the initial reference position to the release position, each replaceable member is detached from each operating rod, and when the guide plate is switched from the release position to the initial reference position, each replaceable member is selectively attached to either the first holding position or the second holding position with respect to each operating rod, so that the unlocking code of the push button is configured to be set to an arbitrary code, a setting change switch operated when setting and changing the unlocking code, the setting change switch having an operating portion operated by a user, and a pushing portion integrally provided with the operating portion and pushing the guide plate to slide the guide plate from the initial reference position to the release position by pushing the guide plate in the process of changing the operating portion from a predetermined initial position to a predetermined setting position, a restricting means housed in the housing and restricting the pushing of the guide plate by the pushing portion by engaging with an engaged portion of the setting change switch when the push button is in a locked state where the push button does not match the unlocking code, and the engagement with the engaged portion being released when the push button is in an unlocked state where the push button matches the unlocking code, further comprising: a push button lock.

2. When in the locked state, the sliding of the guide plate from the initial reference position to the release position is restricted by at least a part of the replaceable members being locked to a fixed portion in the housing. The push button lock according to claim 1. ​

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