Electric lock device

Abstract

To reduce possibility of an erroneous operation and to improve operability in an auto lock temporary halting control for an electronic lock device.SOLUTION: An electronic lock device 1 has a control unit 13 which changes its control from auto lock control to auto lock temporary halting control if, based on an input from a potention sensor 15, it is detected that within a set time Tset_a, an operation knob 7 is brought from its locked position to its unlocked position and then to its locked position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric lock device. [Background technology]

[0002] Retrofit electronic locking devices installed on existing building doors implement auto-lock control to prevent people from forgetting to lock the door. In other words, the electronic locking device automatically locks when a certain amount of time has passed since the door was locked and unlocked, or when the door is switched from an open state to a closed state. However, when people go out for a short time to do everyday tasks such as taking out the trash, they often do not bring a key (not limited to cylinder locks, but also includes mobile devices and smartphones) and instead manually unlock the electronic locking device by operating the thumb turn on the inside of the room, open the door, and go outside. In such cases, if they close the door, the auto-lock control will lock them, locking them out.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic lock device that can suspend auto-lock control when necessary, such as when going out for a short time. Specifically, to suspend auto-lock control, it is necessary to operate the operating knob to the unlock position multiple times within a certain period of time.

[0004] The auto-lock pause control in the electronic lock device of Patent Document 1 has the following problems. First, in this electronic lock device, the operation knob must be operated to the unlock position multiple times to perform the auto-lock pause control. However, if the operation knob is operated to the locked position after the auto-lock pause control, the device switches to the auto-lock pause control. Therefore, even if the operation knob is operated between the locked and unlocked positions multiple times to perform the auto-lock pause control, if the operation knob is accidentally finally set to the locked position, the device will not switch to the auto-lock pause control. In other words, there is a possibility that the switch to the auto-lock pause control will not be performed due to an erroneous operation contrary to the user's original intention. Second, in order to perform the auto-lock pause control by operating the operation knob to the unlock position multiple times within a certain period of time, the user must remember how many times the knob has been operated. This requires complicated operations. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 003487 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention aims to reduce the possibility of erroneous operation and improve operability in the auto-lock temporary suspension control of an electronic lock device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention is a door locking device comprising: a main body attached to a door having a locking / unlocking unit for switching between locking and unlocking; a connecting unit mechanically connected to the locking / unlocking unit; a locking position that causes the locking / unlocking unit to lock the door via the connecting unit; and an unlocking position that causes the locking / unlocking unit to unlock the door via the connecting unit. a neutral position between the locked position and the unlocked position; a manual operation unit that can be manually operated to the locked position and the unlocked position; , and neutral position a drive unit that drives the connecting unit to cause the locking / unlocking unit to lock and unlock the door; and a control unit that is capable of executing an auto-lock control that drives the connecting unit by the drive unit to cause the locking / unlocking unit to lock the door when a predetermined time continues after the position detection unit detects that the locking / unlocking unit has changed from the locked position to the unlocked position, and an auto-lock temporary stop control that temporarily stops the auto-lock control, and the control unit controls the manual operation unit to move from the locked position to the unlocked position based on an input from the position detection unit. The neutral position is maintained for a sixth set time or longer. When detecting that the automatic lock has been stopped, the electronic lock device switches from the automatic lock control to the automatic lock temporary stop control.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is a device comprising: a main body attached to a door and having a locking / unlocking unit for switching between locking and unlocking; a connecting unit mechanically connected to the locking / unlocking unit; a manual operation unit provided on the main body, operating integrally with the connecting unit, and manually operable to a locked position where the locking / unlocking unit locks the door via the connecting unit, an unlocked position where the locking / unlocking unit unlocks the door via the connecting unit, and a neutral position between the locked position and the unlocked position; and a control unit for determining whether the manual operation unit is positioned in the locked position, the unlocked position, or the neutral position. a drive unit that drives the connecting unit to cause the locking / unlocking unit to lock and unlock the door; and a control unit that is capable of executing an auto-lock control that drives the connecting unit to cause the locking / unlocking unit to lock the door when a predetermined time continues after the position detection unit detects that the locking / unlocking unit has changed from the locked position to the unlocked position, and an auto-lock temporary stop control that temporarily stops the auto-lock control, and the control unit controls the manual operation unit to change from the locked position to the unlocked position based on an input from the position detection unit. The lock lever is operated to the neutral position, and is maintained in the neutral position for a sixth set time or more, and then is moved to the unlocked position. When the operation is detected, the electronic lock device switches from the auto-lock control to the auto-lock temporary stop control. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the electronic lock device of the present invention, the possibility of erroneous operation can be reduced and operability can be improved with respect to the auto-lock temporary suspension control. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an electronic lock device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the electronic lock device of FIG. 1 attached to a door. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a right side view showing the electronic lock device of FIG. 1 attached to a door. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram of an electronic lock device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 5A and 5B are conceptual diagrams for explaining the relationship between the unlocked position, the locked position, and the neutral position of the operation knob. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the operation of the operation knob for the auto-lock temporary suspension control in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7A] 4 is a flowchart for explaining control related to the autolock temporary suspension control of the electronic lock device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7B] 4 is a flowchart for explaining control related to the autolock temporary suspension control of the electronic lock device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 3 is a time chart showing an example of an operation related to the autolock temporary stop control of the electronic lock device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 5 is a time chart showing another example of the operation related to the autolock temporary stop control of the electronic lock device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the operation of the operation knob for the auto-lock temporary suspension control in the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11A] 10 is a flowchart for explaining control related to the autolock temporary suspension control of an electronic lock device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11B] 10 is a flowchart for explaining control related to the autolock temporary suspension control of an electronic lock device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the operation of the operating knob for temporarily stopping the autolocking of the electronic lock device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart for explaining control related to the autolock temporary suspension control of an electronic lock device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 10 is a time chart showing an example of an operation related to the autolock temporary stop control of the electronic lock device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the operation of the operating knob for temporarily stopping the autolocking of the electronic lock device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16]10 is a flowchart for explaining control related to the autolock temporary suspension control of an electronic lock device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] 10 is a time chart showing an example of an operation related to the autolock temporary stop control of an electronic lock device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18A] FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the operation of the operating knob for temporarily stopping the autolocking of the electronic lock device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18B] 10 is a flowchart for explaining control related to the autolock temporary suspension control of an electronic lock device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] 13 is a time chart showing an example of an operation related to the autolock temporary stop control of an electronic lock device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20A] FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the operation of the operating knob for temporarily stopping the autolocking of the electronic lock device according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20B] 13 is a flowchart for explaining control related to the autolock temporary suspension control of an electronic lock device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] 13 is a time chart showing an example of an operation related to the autolock temporary stop control of an electronic lock device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22A] FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the operation of the operating knob for temporarily stopping the autolocking of the electronic lock device according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22B] 13 is a flowchart for explaining control related to the autolock temporary suspension control of an electronic lock device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] (First embodiment) 1 shows an electronic lock device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the electronic lock device 1 is attached to a door 2 for use.

[0023] 2 and 3, the door 2 is provided with a latch 2a and a deadbolt 2b that can be housed in housing portions 3a and 3b of the door frame 3.

[0024] The latch 2a is operated by door handles 2c and 2d provided on the interior and exterior sides, respectively, of the door 2. When the door handles 2c and 2d shown in Figures 2 and 3 are not operated, the latch 2a is stored in a storage portion 3a of the door 2, and when the door handles 2c and 2d are rotated from the positions shown in Figures 2 and 3, the latch 2a becomes retractable within the door 2 and comes out of the storage portion 3a in response to the opening operation of the door 2.

[0025] The deadbolt 2b is operated by a thumb turn 2e (locking / unlocking unit) on the indoor side and a cylinder 2f on the outdoor side. The cylinder 2f is operated with a key (not shown). The cylinder 2f may be a lock other than a so-called tumbler lock that can be operated with a conventional mechanical metal key. Instead of a metal key, a magnetic or electrical locking device that can be operated by, for example, entering a PIN number using a mobile device, smartphone, card key, or numeric keypad may be used. A button, switch, lever, etc. may be used instead of the thumb turn 2e.

[0026] When the thumb turn 2e is in the rotation angle position shown in Figures 2 and 3, the deadbolt 2b is housed in the housing 3b, and the door 2 remains closed (locked) even when the door handles 2c and 2d are operated. On the other hand, when the thumb turn 2e is operated and rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise from the rotation angle position shown in Figures 2 and 3, the deadbolt 2b is retracted into the door 2 and released from the housing 3b, and the door 2 can be opened from the closed state by operating the door handles 2c and 2d (unlocked). In other words, the door 2 can be locked or unlocked by rotating the thumb turn 2e. Similarly, the door 2 can be locked or unlocked by rotating the cylinder 2f with the cylinder lock.

[0027] 1 to 3, the electronic lock device 1 includes a casing 5 (main body) attached to the interior side of the door 2. The casing 5 includes a base portion 5a, the base end of which is fixed to the door 2 by adhesive, screwing, or other means so as to protrude from the door 2, and an operating portion 5b, which is provided at the tip of the base portion 5a, is positioned at a distance from the door 2, and extends along the door 2.

[0028] The electronic lock device 1 includes a thumb turn holder 6 (connecting portion) that extends from the operating portion 5b of the casing 5 toward the door 2 and is mechanically connected to the thumb turn 2e. Instead of the thumb turn holder 6, a holder that is connected to the rotation axis of the thumb turn 2e and becomes accessible when the thumb turn 2e is removed from the door 2 may be used.

[0029] A rotary operation knob 7 is provided on the operation section 5b of the casing 5. Referring also to Figure 4, a motor 11 and a gear train 12 are housed inside the casing 5. The combination of the operation knob 7 and the gear train 12 constitutes the manual operation section of the present invention, and the combination of the motor 11 and the gear train 12 constitutes the drive section.

[0030] The operating knob 7 rotates integrally with the thumb-turn holder 6 via a gear train 12. Referring to FIG. 5, the operating knob 7 can be manually rotated by the user to set it to an "unlocked position," a "locked position," or a "neutral position." When the operating knob 7 is rotated to the "unlocked position," the thumb-turn holder 6 and, therefore, the thumb-turn 2e rotate integrally, causing the deadbolt 2b to move out of the housing 3b and unlocking the door 2. When the operating knob 7 is rotated to the "locked position," the thumb-turn holder 6 and, therefore, the thumb-turn holder 6 rotate integrally, causing the deadbolt 2b to move into the housing 3b and locking the door 2. While rotating between the "unlocked position" and the "locked position," the operating knob 7 passes through the "neutral position." In this way, the operating knob 7 manually controls the thumb-turn 2e to lock or unlock the door 2 via the thumb-turn holder 6.

[0031] The rotation of the motor 11 is transmitted to the thumb turn holder 6 via a gear train 12. In other words, the motor 11 drives the thumb turn holder 6 to rotate via the gear train 12, causing the thumb turn 2e to lock and unlock the door 2.

[0032] The rotation of the motor 11 is transmitted to the operation knob 7 via a gear train 12. When the motor 11 rotates in the direction that the operation knob 7 rotates to the "unlock position," the thumb turn holder 6, and therefore the thumb turn 2e, rotates, causing the deadbolt 2b to move out of the storage section 3b and unlocking the door 2. When the motor 11 rotates in the direction that the operation knob 7 rotates to the "lock position," the thumb turn holder 6, and therefore the thumb turn, rotates, causing the deadbolt 2b to be stored in the storage section 3b and locking the door 2.

[0033] The gear train 12 is equipped with a clutch mechanism (not shown) that transmits the rotation of the motor 11 to the operation knob 7 but does not transmit the manual rotation of the operation knob 7 to the motor 11.

[0034] 4, the casing 5 contains a control unit 13 and three types of switches, namely, a manual rotation switch 14, a potentiometer sensor 15 (position detector), and a magnetic sensor 16. An LED light 17 (visual indicator) is provided on the operation unit 5b of the casing 5, and the casing 5 also contains a buzzer 18 (sound indicator).

[0035] The control unit 13 controls the motor 11, the LED light 17, and the buzzer 18 based on inputs from the manual rotation switch 14, the potentiometer sensor 15, and the magnetic sensor 16. The control unit 13 includes a calculation unit 21, an input / output unit 22, a memory unit 23, and a timer 24. The calculation unit 21 performs calculations based on inputs from the manual rotation switch 14, the potentiometer sensor 15, and the magnetic sensor 16 input via the input / output unit 22 while referring to the memory unit 23 and the timer 24, and outputs commands to the motor 11, the LED light 17, and the buzzer 18 via the input / output unit 22. In particular, the control unit 13 outputs commands to the motor 11 to rotate in a direction and for a time such that the operation knob 7 is in the "unlock position" or the "lock position." The control unit 13 is constructed of hardware such as a CPU, RAM, and ROM, and software implemented therein.

[0036] The manual rotation switch 14 detects manual rotation of the operation knob 7. When this detection signal is input, the control unit 13 starts up for the auto-lock temporary suspension control, which will be described later, during manual operation.

[0037] The potentiometer sensor 15 detects the rotation angle position of the operation knob 7. The control unit 13 detects the rotation angle position based on the analog voltage signal input from the potentiometer sensor 15 and determines whether the operation knob 7 is in the "unlocked position," "locked position," or "neutral position." In other words, the potentiometer sensor 15 detects whether the operation knob 7 is in the "unlocked position," "locked position," or "neutral position."

[0038] The magnetic sensor 16 detects the magnetic force from a magnet installed in the door frame 3 of the door 2. Based on the input from the magnetic sensor 16, which changes depending on whether the door 2 is open or closed, the control unit 13 determines whether the door 2 is closed or not.

[0039] The control unit 13 can execute autolock control. In the autolock control, the control unit 13 detects that the door 2 has transitioned from an open state to a closed state based on input from the magnetic sensor 16 and that the closed state of the door 2 has continued for a predetermined time, and also detects from the input from the potentiometer 15 that the operation knob 7 is in the "unlocked position" (the door 2 is unlocked), or detects from the input from the potentiometer 15 that the operation knob 7 has shifted from the "locked position" to the "unlocked position" but the input from the magnetic sensor 16 has not shifted the door closed state and continued for a predetermined time. This causes the thumb turn 2e to rotate via the thumb turn holder 6, causing the deadbolt 2b to protrude from the door 2 and be accommodated in the accommodation portion 3b, thereby locking the door 2.

[0040] Furthermore, the control unit 13 can execute auto-lock temporary stop control, which temporarily stops the auto-lock control. In the auto-lock temporary stop control, the control unit 13 does not execute locking by the motor 11 even if the door 2 remains closed for a predetermined time.

[0041] Switching from auto-lock control to auto-lock pause control is executed when the user performs a predetermined operation on the operation knob 7. Figure 6 shows an overview of the operation of the operation knob 7 for switching from auto-lock control to auto-lock pause control in this embodiment. In other words, when the operation knob 7 is operated from the "locked position" to the "unlocked position" within a set time Tset_a (first set time) and then operated back to the "locked position," the control switches from auto-lock control to auto-lock pause control.

[0042] 7A and 7B, the control relating to the autolock temporary suspension control executed by the control unit 13 in this embodiment will be described.

[0043] In step S1, the operation knob 7 is in the "locked position," and in step S2, the operation knob 7 is operated to determine whether the manual rotation switch 14 is turned on (or whether it is removed from the "locked position"). When the manual rotation switch 14 is turned on (or it is detected that it has been removed from the "locked position"), the timer 24 is started in step S3. If it is detected in step S5 that the operation knob 7 has reached the "unlocked position" before the time measured by the timer 24 reaches the set time Tset_a, the timer continues to run. If it is not detected that the operation knob 7 has reached the "unlocked position" before the time measured by the timer 24 reaches the set time Tset_a, the process returns to step S1. Furthermore, if it is not detected in steps S6 and S7 that the operation knob 7 has returned to the "locked position" before the time measured by the timer 24 reaches the set time Tset_a, the process returns to step S1. On the other hand, if it is detected in steps S6 and S7 that the operating knob 7 has returned to the "locked position" within the set time Tset_a, the auto-lock control is switched to the auto-lock pause control in step S8. At the time of this switch, the user is notified of the switch by at least one of an audible signal from the buzzer 18 and a visual indication from the LED light 17. In addition, in steps S9 and S10, the timer 24 is cleared and then started again.

[0044] Next, in step S11, if the time measured by the timer 24 is less than the set time Tset_b (third set time), the process proceeds to step S12. If it is detected in step S12 that the operation knob 7 is in the "unlock position," that is, if the user has operated the operation knob 7 from the "lock position" to the "unlock position," the process proceeds to step S14, where the auto-lock temporary suspension control is maintained, and the timer 24 is cleared in step S15. If it is not detected in step S12 that the operation knob 7 is in the "unlock position," the process returns to step S11.

[0045] On the other hand, in step S11, if the time measured by the timer 24 is equal to or greater than the set time Tset_b (third set time), the process proceeds to step S13. In step S13, the motor 11 is actuated. The motor 11 rotates the operation knob 11 so that the "locked position" changes to the "unlocked position," causing the thumb turn 2e to unlock the door 2 via the thumb turn holder 6. The process then proceeds to steps S14 and S15.

[0046] The control in steps S11 to S15 is essentially as follows: First, when the set time Tset_b (third set time) has elapsed since the switch from autolock control to autolock pause control, the motor 11 drives the thumb turn holder 6 to cause the thumb turn 2e to unlock the door 2, and the operation knob 7 is set to the "unlock position," continuing the autolock pause control. On the other hand, even if it is detected based on the input from the potentiometer sensor 15 that the operation knob 7 has been operated from the "lock position" to the "unlock position" before the set time Tset_b (third set time) has elapsed since the switch from autolock control to autolock pause control, the autolock pause control continues.

[0047] Next, if it is detected in step S16 that the operation knob 7 is in the "locked position," i.e., if it is detected that the user has operated the operation knob 7 from the "unlocked position" to the "locked position," the timer 24 is started in step S17. As in steps S18 and S19, if it is detected that the operation knob 7 is not in the "locked position," i.e., that the user has operated the operation knob 7 from the "locked position," before the time measured by the timer 24 reaches the set time Tset_c (fourth set time), the process returns to step S16. On the other hand, if the time measured by the timer 24 exceeds the set time Tset_c (fourth set time), the process switches from auto-lock pause control to auto-lock control in step S20. At the time of this switch, the user is notified of the switch by at least one of an audible signal from the activation of the buzzer 18 and a visual indication from the activation of the LED light 17. Thereafter, the timer 24 is cleared in step S19, and the process returns to step S1.

[0048] The control in steps S16 to S20 is essentially as follows: When the autolock temporary stop control is being executed, and it is detected based on the input from the potentiometer sensor 15 that the operating knob 7 is in the "locked position" for a set time Tset_c (fourth set time) or longer, the autolock temporary stop control is switched to the autolock control.

[0049] FIG. 8 shows an example of an operation related to the auto-lock temporary suspension control of the electronic lock device 1 according to this embodiment.

[0050] From time t0 until just before time t1, the operation knob 7 is in the "locked position," but at time t1 the user operates the operation knob 7 from the "locked position" to the "unlocked position," and then at time t2 it is operated from the "unlocked position" back to the "locked position." If the time from time t2 (operation to the "unlocked position") to time t2 (operation to the "locked position") is within set time Tset_a (first set time), then at time t2 the auto-lock control is switched to auto-lock pause control. At time t3, when set time Tset_b (third set time) has elapsed since time t2, the motor 11 rotates the operation knob 7 and thumb turn 2e from the "locked position" to the "unlocked position."

[0051] Thereafter, when the user operates the operating knob 7 from the "unlock position" to the "lock position" at time t4, the auto-lock pause control is switched to the auto-lock control at time t5 when the set time Tsee_c (fourth set time) is reached.

[0052] FIG. 9 shows another example of the operation related to the autolock temporary stop control of the electronic lock device 1 according to this embodiment.

[0053] In this example, the user operates the operation knob 7 to switch from auto-lock control to auto-lock pause control at time t2, and then at time t3 within the set time Tset_b (third set time), the user operates the operation knob 7 from the "locked position" to the "unlocked position," but the auto-lock pause control is maintained. The rest of the example in Figure 9 (times t0 to t2, t4 to t5) is the same as the example in Figure 8 described above.

[0054] According to the electronic lock device 1 of this embodiment, the auto-lock control can be switched to the auto-lock pause control by operating the operation knob 7 from the "locked position" to the "unlocked position" within a certain time (within the set time Tset_a) and then operating it back to the "locked position." The auto-lock pause control can be switched to simply by returning the operation knob 7, which was changed from the "locked position" to the "unlocked position" within the certain time (within the set time Tset_a) to the original "locked position," which was the position at the start of the operation to switch to the auto-lock pause control. This prevents the user from further operating the operation knob 7 against his or her intention, thereby preventing the switch to the auto-lock pause control. In other words, the possibility of the user accidentally operating the operation knob 7 against his or her intention can be reduced.

[0055] Since it is possible to switch from auto-lock control to auto-lock pause control by simply operating the operation knob 7 twice, the user does not need to remember the number of times to operate the operation knob 7 three or more times. In this respect, the operability of the operation knob 7 required to switch to auto-lock pause control can be improved.

[0056] The second to fifth embodiments of the present invention will be described below. These embodiments differ only in the control executed by the control unit 13. Therefore, the configuration of the electronic lock device 1 of these embodiments is the same as that of the first embodiment described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements as those of the first embodiment.

[0057] (Second embodiment) 10 shows an overview of the operation of the operation knob 7 for switching from auto-lock control to auto-lock pause control in the second embodiment. That is, when the operation knob 7 is operated from the "locked position" to the "neutral position" within the set time Tset_a (second set time) and then operated back to the "locked position," the control switches from auto-lock control to auto-lock pause control.

[0058] The control related to the auto-lock temporary suspension control executed by the control unit 13 in this embodiment shown in Figures 11A and 11B is the same as that in the first embodiment (Figures 7A and 7B), except that it is determined in step S5 whether the operating knob 7 is in the "neutral position."

[0059] According to the electronic lock device 1 of this embodiment, the operation knob 7 is operated in step S2, and it is determined whether the manual rotation switch 14 is turned on (or whether it has been moved out of the "locked position"). Then, when the manual rotation switch 14 is turned on (or it is detected that it has been moved out of the "locked position"), the timer 24 is started in step S3. If it is detected in step S5 that the operation knob 7 has been moved to the "neutral position" before the time measured by the timer 24 reaches the set time Tset_a, the timer continues to run. If it is not detected that the operation knob 7 has been moved to the "neutral position" and then moved from the "neutral position" to the "locked position" before the time measured by the timer 24 reaches the set time Tset_a, the process returns to step S1. In other words, the auto-lock temporary suspension control can be switched on simply by returning the operation knob 7, which has been moved from the "locked position" to the "neutral position" within a certain period of time (within the set time Tset_a), to the original "locked position." This reduces the possibility that the user will erroneously operate the operation knob 7 against his or her original intention.

[0060] Furthermore, since the auto-lock control can be switched to the auto-lock pause control simply by operating the operation knob 7 twice, the operability of the operation knob 7 required to switch to the auto-lock pause control can be improved.

[0061] (Third embodiment) 12 shows an overview of the operation of the operation knob 7 for switching from autolock control to autolock pause control in the third embodiment. That is, when the operation knob 7 is operated from the "unlock position" to the "neutral position" and is maintained in the "neutral position" for a set time Tset_d (fifth set time), the control switches from autolock control to autolock pause control.

[0062] With reference to FIG. 13, control relating to the autolock temporary suspension control executed by the control unit 13 in this embodiment will be described.

[0063] If it is detected in step S21 that the operation knob 7 is in the "unlocked position" and in step S22 that the operation knob 7 is in the "neutral position," i.e., if the user operates the operation knob 7 from the "unlocked position" to the "neutral position," the timer 24 starts in step S23. Then, if it is detected in steps S24 and S25 that the operation knob 7 has been operated to a position other than the "neutral position" (the "unlocked position" or the "locked position") before the time measured by the timer 24 reaches the set time Tset_d (fifth set time), i.e., if the user operates the operation knob 7 to a position other than the "neutral position," the process returns to step S21. On the other hand, if it is detected in steps S24 and S25 that the time measured by the timer 24 is equal to or greater than the set time Tset_d (fifth set time), i.e., if it is detected that the operation knob 7 has been maintained in the "neutral position" for equal to or greater than the set time Tset_d (fifth set time), the auto-lock control is switched to the auto-lock temporary suspension control in step S26. At the time of this switching, the user is notified of the switching by at least one of an audible signal from the buzzer 18 and a visual indication from the LED light 17. Also, in step S27, the timer 24 is cleared.

[0064] Next, in step S28, if the position of the operation knob 7 is the "unlock position," that is, if it is detected that the operation knob 7 has been operated to the "unlock position" by the user, then in step S29 the auto-lock pause control is maintained and the process returns to step S28. On the other hand, if the position of the operation knob 7 is the "lock position," that is, if it is detected that the operation knob 7 has been operated to the "lock position" by the user, then in step S30 the auto-lock pause control is switched to the auto-lock control and the process returns to step S21. At the time of the switch, the user is notified of the switch by at least one of an audible signal by activating the buzzer 18 and a visual indication by activating the LED light 17.

[0065] The control of steps S28 to S30 may be replaced by the control of steps S14 to S18 in the first embodiment (FIG. 7B). This also applies to the fourth embodiment described below. Furthermore, the control of steps S28 to S30 in this embodiment may be replaced by the control of steps S14 to S18 in the first and second embodiments.

[0066] FIG. 14 shows an example of an operation related to the auto-lock temporary stop control of the electronic lock device 1 according to this embodiment.

[0067] From time t0 until time t1, the operation knob 7 is in the "unlocked position," but at time t1, the user operates the operation knob 7 from the "unlocked position" to the "neutral position." At time t2, when the set time Tset_d (fifth set time) has elapsed since the operation knob 7 reached the "neutral position," the auto-lock control is switched to the auto-lock pause control. After that, even if the user operates the operation knob 7 from the "neutral position" to the "released position" at time t3, the auto-lock pause control continues. When the user operates the operation knob 7 from the "released position" to the "locked position" at time t3, the auto-lock pause control is switched to the auto-lock control.

[0068] According to the electronic locking device 1 of this embodiment, the auto-lock control can be switched to the auto-lock pause control by operating the operation knob 7 from the "unlock position" to the "neutral position" and holding it there for a certain period of time (set time Tset_d). This prevents the user from further operating the operation knob 7 against his or her intention, thereby preventing the switch to the auto-lock pause control. In other words, this reduces the possibility that the user will erroneously operate the manual operation unit against his or her intention.

[0069] Since it is possible to switch from auto-lock control to auto-lock pause control by simply operating the operation knob 7 once, the user does not need to remember the number of times to operate the operation knob 7. In this respect, the operability of the operation knob 7 required to switch to auto-lock pause control can be improved.

[0070] (Fourth embodiment) 15 shows an overview of the operation of the operation knob 7 for switching from autolock control to autolock pause control in the fourth embodiment. That is, when the operation knob 7 is operated from the "locked position" to the "neutral position" and is maintained in the "neutral position" for a set time Tset_d (sixth set time), the control switches from autolock control to autolock pause control.

[0071] The control related to the auto-lock temporary suspension control executed by the control unit 13 in this embodiment shown in FIG. 16 is the same as that in the third embodiment (FIG. 13), except that it is determined in step S21 whether the operating knob 7 is in the "locked position."

[0072] According to the electronic locking device 1 of this embodiment, by operating the operation knob 7 from the "locked position" to the "neutral position" and holding it there for a certain period of time (set time Tset_d), it is possible to switch from auto-lock control to auto-lock pause control, thereby reducing the possibility that the user will erroneously operate the operation knob 7 contrary to the original intention.

[0073] Since the auto-lock control can be switched to the auto-lock pause control by simply operating the operation knob 7 once, the operability of the operation knob 7 required to switch to the auto-lock pause control can be improved.

[0074] (Fifth embodiment) 17 shows an overview of the operation of the operation knob 7 for switching from auto-lock control to auto-lock pause control in the fifth embodiment. That is, when the operation knob 7 is operated from the "locked position" to the "neutral position," is maintained in the "neutral position" for a set time Tset_e (sixth set time), for example, 1 second, and then is operated from the "neutral position" to the "unlocked position" within a set time Tset_f (seventh set time), for example, 10 seconds, the control switches from auto-lock control to auto-lock pause control.

[0075] 18A and 18B, the control relating to the autolock temporary suspension control executed by the control unit 13 in this embodiment will be described.

[0076] If it is detected in step S41 that the operation knob 7 is in the "locked position" and in step S42 that the operation knob 7 is in the "neutral position," that is, if the user operates the operation knob 7 from the "locked position" to the "neutral position," the timer 24 starts in step S43 and the LED light 17 turns on to notify the user that an unstable state has occurred (the LED light 17 goes out after, for example, one second has elapsed, at which point the buzzer 18 is activated). The timer 24 continues counting time.

[0077] Next, in steps S44 and S45, if it is detected that the operation knob 7 has been operated to a position other than the "neutral position" (the "unlocked position" or the "locked position") before the time measured by the timer 24 reaches the set time Tset_e (sixth set time), that is, if the user operates the operation knob 7 to a position other than the "neutral position," the process returns to step S41. On the other hand, in steps S44 and S45, if the time measured by the timer 24 exceeds the set time Tset_e (sixth set time), that is, if it is detected that the operation knob 7 has been maintained in the "neutral position" for the set time Tset_e (sixth set time) or longer, the process proceeds to step S46. In step S46, the timer 24 is cleared and the time measurement is stopped. In addition, in step S47, the LED light 17 is turned off and the buzzer 18 is activated for, for example, one second to prompt the user to operate the operation knob 7 from the "neutral position" to the "unlocked position." Furthermore, in step S48, the timer 24 is started to measure time.

[0078] In steps S49 and S50, if the operation knob 7 is not operated from the "neutral position" to the "release position" within the set time Tset_f (seventh set time) measured by the timer 24, the process returns to step S41. On the other hand, in steps S49 and S50, if the operation knob 7 is operated from the "neutral position" to the "release position" within the set time Tset_f (seventh set time) measured by the timer 24, the process proceeds to steps S51 and S52. In step S52, the auto-lock pause control is switched to the auto-lock control, and in step S51, the LED light 17 is turned on and the buzzer 18 is activated for a predetermined time (e.g., 0.5 seconds) to notify the user that the auto-lock pause has started.

[0079] The control of steps S51 to S54 is the same as the control of steps S27 to S30 in the third embodiment (FIG. 13). Moreover, instead of the control of steps S50 to S54, the control of steps S14 to S18 in the first embodiment (FIG. 7B) may be adopted. Moreover, the timer 24 may measure the set time Tset_f (seventh set time) without stopping the measurement when the set time Tset_e (sixth set time) or more is reached.

[0080] (Sixth embodiment) 19 shows an overview of the operation of the operation knob 7 for switching from auto-lock control to auto-lock pause control in the sixth embodiment. That is, when the operation knob 7 is operated from the "locked position" to the "neutral position" and is maintained in the "neutral position" for a set time Tset_e (sixth set time), which is, for example, one second, the control switches from auto-lock control to auto-lock pause control.

[0081] 20A and 20B, the control relating to the autolock temporary suspension control executed by the control unit 13 in this embodiment will be described.

[0082] If it is detected in step S61 that the operation knob 7 is in the "locked position" and in step S62 that the operation knob 7 is in the "neutral position," that is, if the user operates the operation knob 7 from the "locked position" to the "neutral position," the timer 24 starts in step S63 and the LED light 17 turns on to notify the user that an unstable state has occurred (the LED light 17 goes out after, for example, one second has elapsed, at which point the buzzer 18 is activated). The timer 24 continues counting time.

[0083] Next, in steps S64 and S65, if it is detected that the operation knob 7 has been operated to a position other than the "neutral position" (the "unlocked position" or the "locked position") before the time measured by the timer 24 reaches the set time Tset_e (sixth set time), that is, if the user operates the operation knob 7 to a position other than the "neutral position," the process returns to step S61. On the other hand, in steps S64 and S65, if the time measured by the timer 24 is equal to or greater than the set time Tset_e (sixth set time), that is, if it is detected that the operation knob 7 has been maintained in the "neutral position" for the set time Tset_e (sixth set time) or longer, the process proceeds to step S66. In step S66, the timer 24 is cleared and the time measurement is stopped. In step S67, the LED light 17 is turned off, and the buzzer 18 is activated for, for example, one second. Furthermore, in step S68, the auto-lock control is switched to the auto-lock pause control.

[0084] Next, in step S69, if the position of the operation knob 7 is the "unlock position," that is, if it is detected that the operation knob 7 has been operated to the "unlock position" by the user, then in step S70 the auto-lock pause control is maintained and the process returns to step S69. On the other hand, if the position of the operation knob 7 is the "lock position," that is, if it is detected that the operation knob 7 has been operated to the "lock position" by the user, then in step S71 the auto-lock pause control is switched to the auto-lock control and the process returns to step S61. At the time of the switch, the user is notified of the switch by at least one of an audible signal by activating the buzzer 18 and a visual indication by activating the LED light 17.

[0085] Seventh embodiment FIG. 21 shows an overview of the operation of the operation knob 7 for switching from auto-lock control to auto-lock pause control in the seventh embodiment. That is, when the operation knob 7 is operated from the "locked position" to the "neutral position," maintained in the "neutral position" for a set time Tset_e (sixth set time), for example, one second, and then operated from the "neutral position" to the "unlocked position," the control switches from auto-lock control to auto-lock pause control. In the fifth embodiment, the condition for switching to auto-lock pause control was that the operation knob 7 was maintained in the "neutral position" for the set time Tset_e, and then operated from the "neutral position" to the "unlocked position" within the set time Tset_f (seventh set time) (see FIGS. 17 and 18A and 18B). In contrast, in this embodiment, when the operation knob 7 is maintained in the "neutral position" for the set time Tset_e, there is no time limit, and the control switches to auto-lock pause control when the operation knob 7 is operated from the "neutral position" to the "unlocked position."

[0086] 22A and 22B, in this embodiment, the auto-lock temporary suspension control (steps S141 to S156) is the same as the control in the fifth embodiment (steps S41 to S56 in FIGS. 18A and 18B) except for the processing related to the condition that the operation in step S150 is within the set time Tset_f (seventh set time), that is, steps S48 and S49 in FIG. 18A and step S53 in FIG. 18B are not included.

[0087] The operating position of the operation knob 7 may be detected by either the manual rotation switch 14 or the potentiometer sensor 15, and the timing for starting the timer can be set appropriately. That is, it is sufficient that the operation knob 7 in each embodiment is operated within a predetermined time. Furthermore, the operation knob 7 does not have to be of the rotary type, but may be of the push type or lever type, and the casing 5 may be provided with a display unit that displays the operating position of the operation knob 7.

[0088] In an embodiment in which the operating knob 7 is operated to the "neutral position," if the operating knob 7 continues to be held in the neutral position, a warning may be issued by at least one of an audible sound by activating the buzzer 18 and a visual display by activating the LED light 17 to call attention. Also, the operating knob 7 may be forcibly rotated from the "neutral position" to the "unlock position" or "lock position" by the motor 11. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1. Electronic locking device 2-door 3 Door frame 3a,3b Storage section 2a Latch 2b Deadbolt 2c, 2d door handles 2e Thumb turn 2F Cylinder 5 Casing 5a Base 5b Operation section 6 Thumb turn holder 7 Operation knob 11 Motor 12 gear train 13 Control Unit 14 Manual Rotation Switch 15 Potentiometer 16 Magnetic Sensor 17 LED lights 18 Buzzer 21 Arithmetic section 22 Input / output section 23 Memory section 24 Timer

Claims

1. a main body attached to a door having a locking / unlocking unit for switching between locking and unlocking; A connecting portion mechanically connected to the locking / unlocking portion; a manual operation unit that is provided on the main body, operates integrally with the connecting unit, and is manually operable to a locking position that causes the locking / unlocking unit to lock the door via the connecting unit, an unlocking position that causes the locking / unlocking unit to unlock the door via the connecting unit, and a neutral position between the locking position and the unlocking position; a position detection unit that detects whether the manual operation unit is located at the locked position, the unlocked position, or a neutral position; a drive unit that drives the connecting unit to cause the locking / unlocking unit to lock and unlock the door; a control unit that can execute an auto-lock control for causing the locking / unlocking unit to lock the door by driving the connecting unit using the driving unit when a predetermined time has passed since the position detection unit detected that the locking / unlocking unit has changed from the locked position to the unlocked position, and an auto-lock temporary stop control for temporarily stopping the auto-lock control, The control unit of the electronic lock device switches from the auto-lock control to the auto-lock pause control when it detects, based on input from the position detection unit, that the manual operation unit has been operated from the locked position to the neutral position and maintained in the neutral position for more than a sixth set time.

2. a main body attached to a door having a locking / unlocking unit for switching between locking and unlocking; A connecting portion mechanically connected to the locking / unlocking portion; a manual operation unit that is provided on the main body, operates integrally with the connecting unit, and is manually operable to a locking position that causes the locking / unlocking unit to lock the door via the connecting unit, an unlocking position that causes the locking / unlocking unit to unlock the door via the connecting unit, and a neutral position between the locking position and the unlocking position; a position detection unit that detects whether the manual operation unit is located at the locked position, the unlocked position, or a neutral position; a drive unit that drives the connecting unit to cause the locking / unlocking unit to lock and unlock the door; a control unit that can execute an auto-lock control for causing the locking / unlocking unit to lock the door by driving the connecting unit using the driving unit when a predetermined time has passed since the position detection unit detected that the locking / unlocking unit has changed from the locked position to the unlocked position, and an auto-lock temporary stop control for temporarily stopping the auto-lock control, The control unit, based on input from the position detection unit, switches from the auto-lock control to the auto-lock pause control when it detects that the manual operation unit has been operated from the locked position to the neutral position, maintained in the neutral position for more than a sixth set time, and then operated to the unlocked position.

3. further comprising a notification unit that notifies the user of the change by at least one of sound and visual display; The electronic lock device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit drives the notification unit when switching from the auto-lock control to the auto-lock temporary suspension control.

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