Emergency unlocking device

Abstract

To provide an emergency unlocking device which is convenient in that a plate-like operation tool such as a coin can be used to carry out emergency unlocking, while making it difficult for a child to carry out emergency unlocking.SOLUTION: The unlocking device comprises: an operated part 3 to be unlocked in an emergency manner; and an outdoor case 5 that stores an unlocking mechanism 4 actuated by an operating force, equipped with a main body 7 that holds the unlocking mechanism 4 and a cover 8 fitted to the main body 7. The main body 7 is provided with an open long hole part 19 that is opened on parts other than the top face and the front face parts out of the six (top, bottom, left, right, front, back) faces of the outdoor case 5. A locking mechanism 9 that inhibits opening of the cover 8 and the operated part 3 are stored in the outdoor case 5. When the locking mechanism 9 is in a cover opening inhibition state, the operated part 3 is covered by the cover 8 such that a plate-like operation tool C and a person's finger cannot come into contact. When the plate-like operation tool C is inserted from the long hole part 19, the locking mechanism 9 releases an opening inhibition of the cover 8, the cover 8 is opened, and the emergency unlocking operation can be carried out by at least either of the plate-like operation tool C and the person's finger.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an emergency unlocking device for unlocking a door installed at an entrance to a toilet, work booth, etc. from outside the room in an emergency. [Background technology]

[0002] Doors installed at entrances to rooms such as restrooms are usually locked and unlocked using a locking mechanism that can be operated from inside the room. An emergency unlocking device is installed on the outside of the room in preparation for unlocking the locking mechanism from outside in the event of a sudden illness or other problem involving a user inside the room.

[0003] Conventionally, there has been an emergency unlocking device that has an operated part that is operated for emergency unlocking using a specified operating tool, and an outdoor case that houses an unlocking mechanism that is activated by the force transmitted from this operated part (Patent Document 1).

[0004] In the emergency unlocking device of Patent Document 1, the front of the operated part is always exposed to the outside of the outdoor case. The outdoor case has a plate-shaped main body fastened to the exterior wall of a toilet or the like, and a cup-shaped cover that fits over the main body. The four side walls of the outdoor case (top, bottom, left, right) are made up of covers. The operated part penetrates a hole opening in the front of the cover in the front-to-back direction and is arranged to be rotatable around a front-to-back axis. An operating groove extending perpendicular to the axis is provided on the front of the operated part. The operated part is rotated by an emergency unlocking operation in which an operating tool is inserted into the operating groove and torque is applied. The operating tool can be either a simple key-shaped operating tool with two faces that engage with both side surfaces of the operating groove, or a flat operating tool such as a coin or medal. The outdoor case houses an unlocking mechanism that is activated by force (torque) transmitted from the operated part. The unlocking mechanism transmits the transmitted force to the locking mechanism, and the locking mechanism performs an unlocking operation using the transmitted force as a driving force. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-206877 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the emergency unlocking device of Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in that even children can easily use a coin to operate the operated part for emergency unlocking, making it prone to tampering by children when installed in toilets of elementary schools, etc.

[0007] On the other hand, if emergency unlocking using a flat operating tool such as a coin is not possible in order to prevent children from playing with the device, there is a concern that in an emergency, teachers and staff will have to spend time going to a storage location such as a staff room to retrieve a special key-shaped operating tool, which will delay the time it takes to rescue them.

[0008] In view of the above background, the problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide an emergency unlocking device that is convenient in that it can be unlocked in an emergency using a flat operating tool such as a coin, while making it difficult for children to misuse the emergency unlocking operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an emergency unlocking device having an operated part that is operated for emergency unlocking, and an outdoor case that houses an unlocking mechanism that is actuated by an operating force transmitted from the operated part. The outdoor case has a main body that holds the unlocking mechanism, and a cover that fits onto the main body. The main body is provided with elongated holes that open onto both the top and bottom surfaces, both left and right side surfaces, and both front and back surfaces of the outdoor case, except for the top and front surfaces. A locking mechanism that prevents the cover from being opened relative to the main body and the operated part are housed in the outdoor case, and the locking mechanism is The cover is configured so that the prevention of opening is released when a flat operating tool is inserted through the long hole portion, and when the locking mechanism is in a state where it is preventing the cover from being opened, the operated part is covered and protected by the cover so that the flat operating tool and human fingers cannot come into contact with the operated part, and when the opening prevention by the locking mechanism is released and the cover is opened, the operated part is exposed to the outside of the main body so that an emergency unlocking operation can be performed using at least one of the flat operating tool and a human finger.

[0010] According to the above configuration, under normal circumstances, the main body and the cover are fitted together, and the locking mechanism housed in the outdoor case prevents the cover from opening, and the outdoor case is in a protected state where the operated part housed in the outdoor case cannot be touched by a flat operating tool or a human finger, so children cannot perform emergency unlocking operations using coins or fingers.In an emergency, by inserting a flat operating tool such as a coin into the elongated hole in the outdoor case, the cover opening prevention prevention by the locking mechanism is released, the cover is opened, and the operated part is exposed to the outside of the main body, and emergency unlocking can be performed using at least one of the flat operating tool and a human finger, so that the convenience of emergency unlocking can be realized with just a flat operating tool such as a coin.

[0011] Furthermore, to allow even younger children to operate the lock from the indoor side, the indoor locking mechanism and the outdoor case are mounted at a low position, but the opening of the slot in the main body is located on the exterior of the outdoor case in a location other than the top or front, making the opening difficult to see when viewed from the front or above, which are the most common directions from which older children, who tend to be prone to mischief, view the outdoor case. This makes it less likely that a child will be curious about the slot and insert a coin into it, causing the locking mechanism to release the cover's opening prevention, leading to mischief. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] In this way, by adopting the above configuration, this invention can provide an emergency unlocking device that has the convenience of being able to perform emergency unlocking with a flat operating tool such as a coin, while making it difficult for children to mischievously operate the emergency unlocking device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1A is a front view of an emergency unlocking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1B is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the overall structure of the emergency unlocking device, and FIG. 1C is a right side view of the emergency unlocking device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the emergency unlocking device of FIG. 1 combined with the lock mechanism from the front side; [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the state of FIG. 2 from the rear side. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the cover opening prevention state of the locking mechanism of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the engagement between the first and second locking portions of the locking mechanism is released from the state shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the movable member of the cover of FIG. 1 from the front right side; [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the third engaging portion of the locking mechanism is engaged with the flat-plate-shaped operating tool, following the state shown in FIG. 5; [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which the first braking surface and the second braking surface temporarily hold the cover position. [Figure 9]1A is a perspective view showing a first locking portion and a second locking portion according to a second embodiment of the present invention from an oblique rear view, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the first locking portion and the second locking portion from an oblique front view. [Figure 10] 1A is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the cover is prevented from being opened by a locking mechanism according to a second embodiment; FIG. 1B is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the cover is released from the prevention of opening by the locking mechanism; and FIG. 1C is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the first braking surface and the second braking surface temporarily hold the cover position following the state shown in FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a modified example of the cover according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing another modified example of the cover according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] An emergency unlocking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, FIGS. 1 to 8. FIG.

[0015] The emergency unlocking device 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3 is used to unlock from outside a locking mechanism 2 that is operated from inside the room, and has an operated part 3 that is operated for emergency unlocking, and an outdoor case 5 that houses an unlocking mechanism 4 that is activated by the operating force transmitted from the operated part 3.

[0016] The outdoor case 5 is disposed on the outdoor side of a door (not shown) or a door frame (not shown) that closes with the door. The outdoor case 5 is fastened at its fastening surface 6 to the door or the door frame.

[0017] The outdoor case 5 includes a main body 7 that holds the operated part 3 and the unlocking mechanism 4, and a cover 8 that fits onto the main body 7.

[0018] Here, the concept of up and down in the emergency unlocking device 1 refers to the vertical direction above and below the horizontal when in the fastened state described above, the concept of left and right refers to the horizontal direction to the left and right, and the concept of front and back (front and back) refers to the direction perpendicular to the up and down and left and right directions, with the side where the cover 8 is exposed outside the outdoor case 5 (away from the fastening surface 6) being the front, and the opposite direction being the rear.

[0019] The outdoor case 5 further accommodates a locking mechanism 9 that prevents the cover 8 from being opened from the main body 7, the operated unit 3, and a display mechanism 10.

[0020] The display mechanism 10 is for indicating the locked or unlocked state to those outside the room through a display window 11 provided in the exterior case 5, and may be omitted.

[0021] The main body 7 has a base member 12 and a presser plate 13 attached to the front of the base member 12. The aforementioned fastening surface 6 is formed on the back of the base member 12. The presser plate 13 is used to hold the operated part 3, the unlocking mechanism 4, etc., in place on the main body 7 by sandwiching them between the base member 12 and the presser plate 13.

[0022] The operated part 3 is composed of a member arranged to be rotatable about an axis in the front-rear direction. The front surface of the operated part 3 is provided with a shallow groove 14 and a deep groove 14a extending perpendicular to the aforementioned axis. The shallow groove 14 and the deep groove 14a extend perpendicular to each other. The shallow groove 14 has a depth of, for example, 2 mm, a width in front view of the shallow groove 14 of 1.6 mm to 2.0 mm, for example, 2.0 mm, and a length equal to the diameter of the gripping surface 15. The deep groove 14a has a depth of, for example, 9 mm, a width in front view of the deep groove 14a of 1.6 mm to 2.0 mm, for example, 1.6 mm, and a total length of 2.9 mm to 3.3 mm, for example, 3.0 mm, forming an oval shape. The operated part 3 also has a gripping surface 15 protruding forward. The operated part 3 can be torqued about its axis by either of two emergency unlocking operations. The first mode is an emergency unlocking operation in which a predetermined operating tool is inserted into shallow groove 14 or deep groove 14a to apply torque around the axis to shallow groove 14 or deep groove 14a. The second mode is an emergency unlocking operation in which gripping surface 15 is pinched with a person's fingers to apply torque around the axis to gripping surface 15.

[0023] A predetermined flat-plate-shaped operating tool C can be used as the predetermined operating tool for applying torque to the shallow groove 14. As the predetermined flat-plate-shaped operating tool C, a circular plate having a diameter of 20 mm to 26.5 mm and a thickness of 1.5 mm to 1.8 mm can be used. All of the 1 to 500 yen coins currently in circulation fall under the flat-plate-shaped operating tool C.

[0024] The unlocking mechanism 4 transmits the force transmitted from the operated part 3 to the locking mechanism 2. The locking mechanism 2 performs an unlocking operation using the force transmitted from the unlocking mechanism 4 as a driving force. The unlocking mechanism 4 is linked to the locking / unlocking switching operation of the locking mechanism 2.

[0025] Although a slide latch lock is exemplified as the lock mechanism 2, other types of locks such as a latch lock can also be used.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1 , the base member 12 has outer walls 16 located on both the top and bottom surfaces and the left and right sides of the outdoor case 5. The inner periphery of the outer wall 16 has stepped portions 17 that support the cover 8 from the rear and from the top, bottom, left, and right. The entire periphery of the outer wall 16 is provided with ridges 18 that protrude high forward from the stepped portions 17. The ridges 18 form the front peripheral edge of the outdoor case 5. The outer periphery of the outer wall 16 extends outward from the outdoor case 5 to the extent that it approaches the ridges 18 forward.

[0027] Of the exterior walls 16, a side wall 16a located on one of the left and right sides of the outdoor case 5 has an elongated hole 19. The elongated hole 19 penetrates the side wall 16a in the left-right direction and opens to one of the left and right faces of the outdoor case 5. The elongated hole 19 is a rectangular hole. The longitudinal direction of the elongated hole 19 is set in the up-down direction, and the lateral direction of the elongated hole 19 is set in the front-to-rear direction.

[0028] In order to ensure an appropriate operating stroke in the left-right direction for inserting a flat operating device C for a 1 to 500 yen coin left-right through the long hole portion 19 to release the locking mechanism 9 from preventing the cover 8 from being opened, and to make the long hole portion 19 as inconspicuous as possible in the appearance of the outdoor case 5, it is preferable that the longitudinal hole diameter L1 of the long hole portion 19 be set to 22 mm or more and 24 mm or less, for example 22 mm, and the lateral hole diameter L2 of the long hole portion 19 be set to 1.8 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less, for example 2.0 mm.

[0029] The side wall 16a includes a shielding wall portion 20 extending to either the left or right of the elongated hole portion 19 between the front surface of the outdoor case 5 and the elongated hole portion 19. The shielding wall portion 20 extends over the entire length of the side wall 16a in the vertical direction.

[0030] Of the exterior walls 16, the side walls located on the other of the left and right sides of the outdoor case 5 are provided with protruding wall portions 21 that protrude to the left or right on the back side of the stepped portion 17. The protruding wall portions 21 are portions for hooking the other of the left and right sides of the cover 8.

[0031] The cover 8 has a cover member 22 which is a component of the front of the outdoor case 5, a movable member 23 attached to the back of the cover member 22, and an elastic member 24 interposed between the cover member 22 and the movable member 23.

[0032] The cover member 22 has an edge portion 25 located inside the outer wall 16 of the main body 7, a claw portion 26 that hooks onto the protruding wall portion 21 of the main body 7, and a hole portion 27 that opens on the front surface of the cover member 22.

[0033] The cover 8 is inserted at an angle into the inside of the outer wall 16 of the main body 7 so that the claw portion 26 of the cover 8 is hooked onto the protruding wall portion 21 of the main body 7, and the cover 8 is then tilted down using the hooked portion as a fulcrum, whereby the edge portion 25 of the cover 8 comes into contact with the front surface of the stepped portion 17 of the outer wall 16 and is fitted inside the protruding strip 18, thereby reaching the closed position in which the cover 8 is fitted inside the outer wall 16 of the main body 7.

[0034] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, when the cover 8 is in the closed position, the locking mechanism 9 described below prevents the cover 8 from opening relative to the main body 7, using the hooking portion between the claw portion 26 of the cover 8 and the protruding wall portion 21 of the main body 7 as a fulcrum, and as shown in Figure 5, the prevention of the cover 8 from opening is released when a flat operating tool C is inserted through the long hole portion 19.

[0035] 1 and 4, when the locking mechanism 9 is in a state where it prevents the cover 8 from being opened, the operated part 3 is in a protected state, covered by the cover 8, so that the flat operating tool C cannot come into contact with the shallow groove 14 of the operated part 3 and a person's finger (not shown) cannot come into contact with the gripping surface 15 of the operated part 3. When the opening prevention by the locking mechanism 9 is released and the cover 8 is opened, the shallow groove 14 and gripping surface 15 of the operated part 3 are exposed to the outside of the main body 7 so that an emergency unlocking operation can be performed using at least one of the flat operating tool C and a person's finger.

[0036] 1, 2, and 4, the ribs 18 of the main body 7 are positioned along their entire periphery forward of the edge 25 of the cover 8 in the closed position. Therefore, the ribs 18 shield the edge 25 of the cover 8 along the entire periphery on both the top and bottom surfaces and the left and right sides of the outdoor case 5. Therefore, there are no seams between the main body 7 and the cover 8 in the closed position on all four sides of the outdoor case 5, that is, on both the top and bottom surfaces and the left and right sides.

[0037] 1, hole 27 of cover 8 is provided so as to expose the front surface of operated part 3 to the outside of outdoor case 5 to an extent that flat operating tool C cannot be inserted into shallow groove 14 of operated part 3 through hole 27 when cover 8 is in the closed position. This exposed range includes a part of the groove consisting of shallow groove 14 and deep groove 14a in a front view.

[0038] Furthermore, hole 27 is preferably located so as to expose the entire length of deep groove 14a and has a hole diameter of 3.5 mm or more and 4.5 mm or less. This is because, even in the protected state described above, an emergency unlocking operation can be performed on operated part 3 by using a dedicated key (not shown) as a predetermined operating tool that can be inserted into deep groove 14a through hole 27 and that can apply torque to the center of deep groove 14a.

[0039] 4 and 6, the locking mechanism 9 is made up of a movable member 23 of the cover 8, a side wall 16a of the main body 7, and an elastic member 24. The locking mechanism 9 has a first locking portion 28 provided on the movable member 23, a second locking portion 29 provided on the side wall 16a, and a third locking portion 30 provided on the movable member 23.

[0040] The movable member 23 is disposed so as to be swingable about a shaft 32 held by a rear bearing portion 31 of the cover member 22. The shaft 32 is held so as to face in the vertical direction. The movable member 23 has an arm-shaped first locking portion 28 located on one side of the shaft 32, to the left or right, and rearward of the shaft 32, a biasing arm portion 33 located on the other side of the shaft 32, and a stopper arm portion 34 located on one side of the shaft 32, to the right or left, and forward of the first locking portion 28.

[0041] The second locking portion 29 is provided as a protrusion with a wedge shape in cross section that protrudes to the left or right at a position rearward of the elongated hole portion 19. The first locking portion 28 includes an opening 28a for engaging with the second locking portion 29. The third locking portion 30 is provided as a groove extending in the up-down direction on the side surface of the first locking portion 28 that faces the side wall 16a in the left-right direction. The cross section of the third locking portion 30 is V-shaped with the groove width narrowing toward the left or right.

[0042] The elastic member 24 is interposed between the biasing arm portion 33 and the rear surface of the cover member 22 .

[0043] The movable member 23 is tilted in a first direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 1(b)) around the shaft 32 by the biasing force of the elastic member 24 acting on the biasing arm portion 33, and is tilted in a second direction (clockwise in FIG. 1(b)) around the shaft 32 by being pushed to the left or right by the flat operating tool C inserted laterally through the elongated hole portion 19. When the cover 8 is completely separated from the main body 7, the tilting of the movable member 23 in the first direction is restricted by the stopper arm portion 34 butting against the back surface of the cover member 22. The tilting of the movable member 23 in the second direction is restricted by the butting of the vicinity of the tip of the first locking portion 28 against a tilt restricting portion 35 of the main body 7, as shown in FIG. 7. The tilt restricting portion 35 is composed of a wall portion protruding forward from the front surface of the base member 12.

[0044] 1, in the process of fitting cover 8 to main body 7, movable member 23 is initially in a position tilted to its limit in the first direction. During this fitting process, the tapered tip surface of first locking portion 28 of movable member 23 comes into contact with the tapered front surface of second locking portion 29. A reaction force generated at this contact point has a component in either the left or right direction acting on first locking portion 28, causing movable member 23 to tilt in the second direction (i.e., away from side wall 16a) against elastic member 24. As the fitting progresses, the movable member 23 tilts in the second direction, and eventually, when the second locking portion 29 faces the opening 28a of the first locking portion 28 in the left-right direction, the movable member 23 is tilted in the first direction (i.e., toward the side wall 16a) by the biasing force of the elastic member 24. When the cover 8 reaches the closed position, the back surface of the second locking portion 29 engages with the rear edge of the opening 28a of the first locking portion 28 in the front-rear direction. This engagement prevents the cover 8 from opening relative to the main body 7, and this state is maintained by the biasing force of the elastic member 24. Therefore, even if a child tries to open the cover 8, the protective state described above as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 is maintained.

[0045] In this protected state, when the flat-shaped operating tool C is inserted into the elongated hole 19 to the left or right, the flat-shaped operating tool C pushes the movable member 23 toward the left or right, near the first locking portion 28. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5 , the movable member 23 tilts in the second direction. As the insertion of the flat-shaped operating tool C progresses, the movable member 23 tilts in the second direction, and eventually the first locking portion 28 escapes from the second locking portion 29, disengaging the first locking portion 28 from the second locking portion 29. Around this time, the kick-out portion 38 formed by protruding from one of the left and right sides of the movable member 23 abuts against the stepped receiving portion 39 provided on the front side of the side wall 16a. Using this contact point as a fulcrum, the cover 8 begins to move forward. Thus, the cover 8 is released from the opening prevention and is kicked forward relative to the main body 7, beginning to open. As the cover 8 opens forward, the kick-out portion 38 moves away from the receiving portion 39. At this time, the flat operating tool C is further inserted while sliding against the sliding portion 36a (see FIG. 6 ) with a smooth surface that is provided on the movable member 23 between the kick-out portion 38 and the third locking portion 30. The forward component of the reaction force generated at this sliding portion acts on the movable member 23, further kicking the cover 8 forward relative to the main body 7. As shown in FIG. 7 , the flat operating tool C, which is still being inserted, slides into the third locking portion 30 during the opening of the cover 8, which has been kicked out to a state where the first locking portion 28 and the second locking portion 29 cannot re-engage. As a result, the third locking portion 30 engages with the back surface of the flat operating tool C so as to catch on the front. This engagement prevents further opening of the cover 8.

[0046] Here, if an attempt is made to forcibly insert the flat operating tool C after the third locking portion 30 has engaged with the flat operating tool C, there is a concern that an overload may be applied to the claw portion 26 of the cover 8. If the minimum value L3min of the operating stroke of the locking mechanism 9 required to engage the third locking portion 30 of the locking mechanism 9 with the flat operating tool C (i.e., the protrusion length L3 of the flat operating tool C to the left or right from the elongated hole portion 19: see FIG. 7 ) and the maximum value L3max ​​of the operating stroke required to prevent an overload from being applied to the claw portion 26 of the cover 8 are set relative to the longitudinal length L1 of the elongated hole portion 19 (see FIG. 1(c)) so as to satisfy the following mathematical formula 1, it is possible to achieve both ease of insertion of the flat operating tool C and prevention of forcible insertion of a flat operating tool C with a relatively large diameter. Here, R is the radius of the flat operating tool C.

[0047]

number

[0048] For example, when a 500 yen coin is used as the flat operating device C, the longitudinal length L1 (22 to 24 mm) of the elongated hole 19 is shorter than the diameter of the 500 yen coin (2R = 26.5 mm in Equation 1), and therefore even if an attempt is made to forcibly insert the 500 yen coin after the third locking portion 30 and the 500 yen coin have engaged, the insertion of the 500 yen coin is restricted by the left-right engagement of the periphery of the 500 yen coin with the elongated hole 19. Here, if the minimum operating stroke L3min of the locking mechanism 9 required to engage the third locking portion 30 of the locking mechanism 9 with the flat operating device C is designed to be 5 mm, and the maximum operating stroke L3max ​​for preventing an overload from being applied to the claws 26 of the cover 8 is designed to be 8 mm, there is no concern that the claws 26 will be damaged.

[0049] However, in the above-described design state, when a small-diameter coin such as a 1-yen coin (diameter 20 mm) is used as the flat operating device C, the diameter of these 1-yen coins is shorter than the longitudinal length L1 of the elongated hole portion 19, so Equation 1 does not hold, and the 1-yen coin can still be forcibly inserted after it has engaged with the third locking portion 30. Even if this forcible insertion is attempted, once the first locking portion 28 abuts against the tilting restriction portion 35 of the main body 7, the 1-yen coin cannot be inserted any further, and damage to the claw portion 26 of the cover 8 is prevented.

[0050] In addition, in order to enable the operation of pinching a small diameter coin such as a 1 yen coin with the fingers and inserting it into the long hole portion 19 until the third locking portion 30 engages with the 1 yen coin, it is preferable that the shortest left-right distance D between the outer periphery of the outer wall 16 and one of the left and right ends of the 1 yen coin be 10 mm or more when the first locking portion 28 and the tilting control portion 35 are in a butted state.

[0051] As the flat operating tool C engaged with the third locking portion 30 is pulled out to the left or right from the elongated hole portion 19, the movable member 23 is tilted in the first direction by the biasing force of the elastic member 24. Eventually, as shown in FIG. 8 , the first braking surface 36 on the movable member 23 comes into contact with the second braking surface 37 on the side wall 16 a of the main body 7, and the engagement between the third locking portion 30 and the flat operating tool C is released. At this point, a frictional force that resists the opening of the cover 8 is generated at the contact point between the first braking surface 36 and the second braking surface 37, which are pressed against each other by the biasing force of the elastic member 24. This frictional force temporarily maintains the position of the cover 8 relative to the main body 7. This prevents the cover 8 from flying out of the main body 7 due to the biasing force of the elastic member 24 and falling.

[0052] As shown in Figures 1 and 4 to 8, as described above, this emergency unlocking device 1 has an operated part 3 that is operated for emergency unlocking, and an outdoor case 5 that houses an unlocking mechanism 4 that is activated by an operating force transmitted from the operated part 3, and the outdoor case 5 is equipped with a main body 7 that holds the unlocking mechanism 4, and a cover 8 that fits onto the main body 7, and the main body 7 is provided with elongated hole parts 19 that open to parts other than the top and front of both the top and bottom surfaces, both left and right side surfaces, and both front and back surfaces of the outdoor case 5, and a locking mechanism 9 that prevents the cover 8 from being opened relative to the main body 7 and the operated part 3 are housed in the outdoor case 5, and the locking mechanism 9 is The locking mechanism 9 is configured to release the cover 8 from being prevented from being opened by inserting a flat operating tool C through the long hole portion 19, and when the locking mechanism 9 is preventing the cover 8 from being opened, the operated part 3 is in a protected state covered by the cover 8 so that the flat operating tool C and human fingers cannot come into contact with the operated part 3, and when the opening prevention by the locking mechanism 9 is released and the cover 8 is opened, the operated part 3 is exposed to the outside of the main body 7 so that an emergency unlocking operation can be performed using at least one of the flat operating tool C and a human finger.

[0053] As a result, under normal circumstances, this emergency unlocking device 1 is in a protected state in which the main body 7 and cover 8 are engaged, and the locking mechanism 9 housed in the outdoor case 5 prevents the cover 8 from opening, and the operated part 3 housed in the outdoor case 5 cannot be touched by the flat operating tool C or a person's finger.As a result, children cannot perform the emergency unlocking operation using a coin or a finger.However, in an emergency, by inserting a flat operating tool C such as a coin into the long hole portion 19 of the outdoor case 5, the locking mechanism 9 that prevents the cover 8 from being opened can be released, the cover 8 can be opened, and the operated part 3 can be exposed outside the main body 7, and the emergency unlocking operation can be performed using at least one of the flat operating tool C and a person's finger.

[0054] Furthermore, when the indoor locking mechanism 2 and the outdoor case 5 are installed in a low position, the opening of the elongated hole 19 of the main body 7 is located on the exterior of the outdoor case 5 other than the top and front, so the opening of the elongated hole 19 is difficult to see when viewing the outdoor case 5 from the front or above, which are the most common directions from which older children who are prone to mischief tend to view the outdoor case 5. This makes it less likely that a child will become curious about the elongated hole 19 and insert a coin into it, causing the locking mechanism 9 to release the prevention of the cover 8 from opening, leading to mischief.

[0055] In this way, this emergency unlocking device 1 has the convenience of being able to perform emergency unlocking with just a flat operating tool C such as a coin, while also being difficult for children to mischievously perform emergency unlocking operations.

[0056] In particular, in this emergency unlocking device 1, the elongated hole 19 is open only on one of the left and right sides of the outdoor case 5, so even when the device is attached to a door or door frame in an opposite direction, the opening of the elongated hole 19 will not be on the top surface of the outdoor case 5. If the elongated hole were open on the bottom surface of the outdoor case 5, then when the outdoor case 5 was rotated 180° around the axis in the front-to-rear direction and attached to a door or the like in an opposite direction by switching the left and right sides, what was originally the bottom surface of the outdoor case 5 would become the top surface of the outdoor case 5 when it was attached in an opposite direction, and the elongated hole would then be open on this top surface, which is not preferable.

[0057] Furthermore, in this emergency unlocking device 1, although the long hole portion 19 opens only on one of the left and right sides of the outdoor case 5, a shielding wall portion 20 is provided on the main body 7 between the front of the outdoor case 5 and the long hole portion 19, extending further to the left or right than the long hole portion 19.As a result, the opening of the long hole portion 19 is made even less visible by the presence of the shielding wall portion 20, making it even more difficult for children to notice the long hole portion 19.

[0058] Furthermore, in this emergency unlocking device 1, the main body 7 has outer walls 16 located on the top and both left and right sides of the outdoor case 5, the cover 8 has an edge 25 that fits inside the outer wall 16, and the outer wall 16 has protrusions 18 that shield the ridge E (see Figures 8 and 4) where the edge 25 of the cover 8 intersects with the back portion 22b on the top and both left and right sides of the outdoor case 5.As a result, the gap between the ridge E of the cover 8 and the outer wall 16 of the main body 7 on the top and both left and right sides of the outdoor case 5, which are likely to be seen by older children, is shielded by the protrusions 18 of the outer wall 16 and cannot be seen.As a result, it becomes more difficult for older children to notice the gap between the ridge E of the cover 8 and the main body 7, and it becomes more difficult for children to be given the opportunity to try to remove the cover 8.

[0059] Furthermore, in this emergency unlocking device 1, the protrusions 18 of the outer wall 16 are located on both the top and bottom surfaces and both the left and right sides of the outdoor case 5, the edge 25 of the cover 8 fits into the inside of the outer wall 16 around the entire periphery of the cover 8, and the ridge E of the cover 8 is shielded by the protrusions 18 around the entire periphery.As a result, from the outside of the outdoor case 5, there is no visible gap between the ridge E of the cover 8 and the main body 7 around the edge 25, which has the effect of making children believe that the cover 8 cannot be removed from the main body 7, and this prevents children from trying to remove the cover 8 by tampering.

[0060] In addition, this emergency unlocking device 1 has a locking mechanism 9 which has a first locking portion 28 provided on the cover 8 and a second locking portion 29 provided on the main body 7, and the first locking portion 28 and the second locking portion 29 engage with each other to lock the cover 8 in a closed position fitted to the main body 7, and the first locking portion 28 is displaced by inserting a flat operating tool C through the long hole portion 19, thereby disengaging the first locking portion 28 and the second locking portion 29. The locking mechanism 9 further has a third locking portion 30 which engages with the flat operating tool C inserted through the long hole portion 19 while the cover 8 is being opened with the first locking portion 28 and the second locking portion 29 disengaged, and this engagement prevents the cover 8 from being opened further.As a result, even if a child inserts a coin into the long hole portion 19 to disengage the first locking portion 28 and the second locking portion 29, the cover 8 can be prevented from being opened again.

[0061] In particular, this emergency unlocking device 1 has an engagement type in which the edge 25 of the cover 8 is fitted all the way around inside the outer wall 16 of the main body 7, and the locking mechanism 9 is configured to kick the cover 8 out of the main body 7 as the disengagement between the first locking portion 28 and the second locking portion 29 progresses, making it easy to open the cover 8 in an emergency, while the engagement between the third locking portion 30 and the flat operating device C prevents further opening of the cover 8, reliably preventing the cover 8 from bouncing off until the flat operating device C is removed from the third locking portion 30, thereby preventing damage or loss of the cover 8 due to it falling.

[0062] In addition, in this emergency unlocking device 1, the first locking portion 28 is provided on a movable member 23 that swings around an axis 32, and the locking mechanism 9 has an elastic member 24 that urges the movable member 23 in a direction that engages the first locking portion 28 and the second locking portion 29, and when the movable member 23 is pushed by a flat-plate-shaped operating tool C inserted from the elongated hole portion 19, it is tilted against the elastic member 24 in a direction that releases the engagement between the first locking portion 28 and the second locking portion 29, a first braking surface 36 is provided on the movable member 23, and a second braking surface 37 is provided on the main body 7 having the second locking portion 29, and when the flat-plate-shaped operating tool C is inserted from the elongated hole portion 19, As the coin is withdrawn, the first braking surface 36 of the movable member 23, which is tilted by the biasing force of the elastic member 24, comes into contact with the second braking surface 37, and the position of the cover 8 relative to the main body 7 is temporarily maintained by the frictional force at this contact point.Therefore, when a child inserts a coin into the long hole portion 19 and releases the engagement between the first locking portion 28 and the second locking portion 29, the child will lose interest because the engagement between the third locking portion 30 and the coin prevents the cover 8 from opening, and even if the coin is removed from the long hole portion 19, the position of the cover 8 will not change due to the contact between the first braking surface 36 and the second braking surface 37, preventing the child's attention from being drawn to the cover 8 or the long hole portion 19 again.

[0063] In addition, this emergency unlocking device 1 has a hole 27 in the cover 8 that opens to the front of the outdoor case 5, and shallow groove 14 and deep groove 14a are provided on the front of the operated part 3, and hole 27 in the cover 8 is arranged so that the groove is exposed to the outside of the outdoor case 5 to an extent that it is not possible to insert a flat operating tool C from hole 27 into the groove.As a result, unless there is a special key-type operating tool that can be inserted into the exposed part of the groove from hole 27 in the cover 8, children will be led to believe that emergency unlocking cannot be performed from outside the outdoor case 5 and will not attempt to open the cover 8.

[0064] In the first embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the first locking portion 28 on the cover 8 side is provided on the movable member 23, but it is also possible to change the second locking portion on the main body side to the movable member. As an example, a second embodiment is shown in Figures 9 and 10. Below, only the differences from the first embodiment will be described.

[0065] The first locking portion 41 on the cover 40 side is provided on a cantilever-shaped wall portion that protrudes rearward from the back surface of the cover 40, and is stepped and recessed to one side or the other on the left or right side of this cantilever-shaped wall portion.

[0066] The second locking portion 43 on the main body 42 side is made up of a hook portion provided on a movable member 45 that swings around a shaft 44 held by the main body 42, and has the tip of the hook on one of the left and right sides.

[0067] The elastic member 46 is interposed between the front surface of the main body 42 and the rear surface of the movable member 45 .

[0068] The third locking portion 47 is made up of a hook portion that extends further rearward from the cantilever-shaped wall portion that constitutes the first locking portion 41, and has a tip end of the hook on one of the left and right sides.

[0069] A first braking surface 48 and a first inclined surface 49 are provided on one of the left and right side surfaces of the movable member 45. A second inclined surface 50 is provided on one of the left and right side surfaces of the third locking portion 47, and a second braking surface 51 is provided on the other left and right side surface of the third locking portion 47.

[0070] During the process of fitting the cover 40 to the main body 42, the third locking portion 47 comes into contact with the tapered front surface of the second locking portion 43. The left or right component of the reaction force generated at this contact portion acts on the second locking portion 43, causing the movable member 45 to tilt in the first direction (counterclockwise around the axis 44 in FIG. 10 ) against the elastic member 46. As the fitting process progresses, the movable member 45 continues to tilt in the first direction. Eventually, the first braking surface 48 of the second locking portion 43 and the stepped portion of the first locking portion 41 come into sliding contact while facing each other in the left-right direction. The biasing force of the elastic member 46 causes the movable member 45 to tilt in the second direction (clockwise around the axis 44 in FIG. 10 ). When the cover 40 reaches the closed position, the second locking portion 43 engages with the stepped portion of the first locking portion 41 in the front-to-rear direction. This engagement prevents the cover 40 from being opened from the main body 42.

[0071] When opening the cover 40, as shown in FIGS. 10( a) and 10(b), a flat operating tool C inserted through the elongated hole 52 pushes the first inclined surface 49 to the left or right, tilting the movable member 45 against the elastic member 46 and disengaging the first locking portion 41 from the second locking portion 43. After this disengagement, the second inclined surface 50 is also pushed to the left or right by the flat operating tool C that is still inserted. The forward component of the reaction force generated at the contact point between the flat operating tool C and the second inclined surface 50 acts on the first locking portion 41, kicking the cover 40 forward relative to the main body 42 and beginning to open. As the flat operating tool C continues to be inserted, the third locking portion 47 engages with the back surface of the flat operating tool C so as to catch on the front side. This engagement prevents further opening of the cover 40.

[0072] As the flat operating tool C engaged with the third locking portion 47 is pulled out to the left or right from the long hole portion 52, the movable member 45 is tilted in the second direction by the biasing force of the elastic member 46, and eventually the first braking surface 48 provided on the movable member 45 comes into contact with the second braking surface 51 provided on the cover 40. When the engagement between the third locking portion 47 and the flat operating tool C is released, a frictional force that resists the opening of the cover 40 is generated at the contact point between the first braking surface 48 and the second braking surface 51, which are pressed against each other by the biasing force of the elastic member 46, and this frictional force temporarily maintains the position of the cover 40 relative to the main body 42 (see Figure 10(c)).

[0073] Thus, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the second locking portion 43 is provided on a movable member 45 that swings around an axis 44, and the second braking surface 51 is provided on the cover 40 having the first locking portion 41. However, like the first embodiment, even if a child inserts a coin into the long hole portion 52, the engagement between the third locking portion 47 and the coin prevents the cover 40 from opening, causing the child to lose interest, and even if the coin is removed from the long hole portion 52, the child's attention will not be drawn back to the cover 40 or the long hole portion 52.

[0074] In the above-described embodiments, examples have been shown in which not only the edge of the cover but also the entire front surface of the cover is positioned on the same plane as the tips of the ridges on the main body, but in order to make it difficult to see the fit between the cover and the main body from the outside of the outdoor case, it is not necessary for the entire cover 8 to be completely shielded from both the top and bottom and both the left and right sides of the outdoor case 5, as in the example in Fig. 1. For example, as in the modified example shown in Fig. 11, when the cover 60 is in the closed position in which it fits into the main body 61, the edge 62 of the cover 60 and the tips of the ridges 63 of the main body 61 are positioned on the same plane, or the ridges 63 are positioned forward of the edge 62, but even if there is a portion of the other front portion (central portion) of the cover 60 that is raised and positioned forward of the edge 62, it will still be difficult to see the fit between the cover 60 and the main body 61.

[0075] Furthermore, to make a child believe that the cover cannot be removed from the main body, it is sufficient to shield the gap between the ridge of the cover and the main body along the entire periphery, and it is not necessary to completely shield the edge 25 of the cover 8 on both the top and bottom surfaces and both the left and right sides of the outdoor case 5 with the ridges 18 as in the example in Figure 1. For example, as in another modified example shown in Figure 12, the ridge E where the back surface 60b of the cover 60 intersects with the edge 62 is shielded along the entire periphery by the ridges 63 on both the top and bottom surfaces and both the left and right sides of the outdoor case, but the front side of the edge 62 of the cover 60 may be located forward of the tip of the ridge 63.

[0076] In addition, in each of the above-described embodiments, a coin is used as an example of a flat operating tool, but a metal ruler or the like may also be used, as long as it is a flat object that has the dimensions and strength to be inserted into the elongated hole to release the locking mechanism.

[0077] The presently disclosed embodiments should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is therefore defined by the claims and the appended claims. The meaning of the term "scope" and "equivalents" and all modifications within the scope are intended to be included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1 Emergency unlocking device 3 Operated part 4 Unlocking mechanism 5 Outdoor case 7,42,61 Main unit 8,40,60 cover 9 Locking mechanism 14 Shallow Groove 14a deep groove 16 Exterior Wall 18,63 protrusion 19,52 Long hole part 23,45 Movable parts 24,46 Elastic member 25,62 Edge 27 Hole 28,41 First locking part 29,43 Second locking part 30,47 Third locking part 36,48 First braking surface 37,51 Second braking surface

Claims

1. An emergency unlocking device having an operated part that is operated for emergency unlocking and an outdoor case that houses an unlocking mechanism that is activated by the operating force transmitted from the operated part, The outdoor case includes a main body that holds the unlocking mechanism and a cover that fits onto the main body. The main body is provided with elongated holes that open to portions of the upper and lower surfaces, left and right side surfaces, and front and back surfaces of the outdoor case other than the upper surface and the front surface, a locking mechanism that prevents the cover from being opened from the main body and the operated unit are housed in the outdoor case; the locking mechanism is provided to release the cover from being prevented from being opened by inserting a flat-plate-shaped operating tool into the elongated hole portion, An emergency unlocking device characterized in that when the locking mechanism is in a state where it prevents the cover from being opened, the operated part is covered by the cover and protected so that the flat operating tool and a person's finger cannot come into contact with the operated part, and when the opening prevention by the locking mechanism is released and the cover is opened, the operated part is exposed outside the main body so that emergency unlocking operation can be performed using at least one of the flat operating tool and a person's finger.

2. The emergency unlocking device described in claim 1, wherein the main body has an outer wall located on the top surface and both left and right sides of the outdoor case, the cover has an edge that fits into the inside of the outer wall, and the outer wall has a protrusion that shields the ridge where the edge of the cover and the back surface intersect on the top surface and both left and right sides of the outdoor case.

3. the locking mechanism has a first locking portion provided on the cover and a second locking portion provided on the main body, and is configured so that engagement between the first locking portion and the second locking portion locks the cover in a closed position fitted to the main body, and insertion of the flat-plate-shaped operating tool through the elongated hole portion displaces the first locking portion or the second locking portion, thereby releasing the engagement between the first locking portion and the second locking portion; The emergency unlocking device described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the locking mechanism further has a third locking portion that engages with a flat operating tool inserted through the long hole portion during the process of opening the cover when the first locking portion and the second locking portion are disengaged, and this engagement prevents further opening of the cover.

4. one of the first locking portion and the second locking portion is provided on a movable member that swings around an axis, the locking mechanism has an elastic member that biases the movable member in a direction that engages the first locking portion with the second locking portion, the movable member is tilted against the elastic member in a direction to release the engagement between the first locking portion and the second locking portion by being pushed by a flat-plate-shaped operating tool inserted into the elongated hole portion, An emergency unlocking device as described in claim 3, wherein a first braking surface is provided on the movable member, and a second braking surface is provided on the main body or the cover having the other of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion, and the first braking surface of the movable member, which is tilted by the spring force of the elastic member as the flat operating device is removed from the long hole portion, comes into contact with the second braking surface, and the position of the cover relative to the main body is temporarily maintained by the frictional force at this contact portion.

5. a hole that opens to a front surface of the outdoor case is provided in the cover; A groove is provided on the front surface of the operated portion, An emergency unlocking device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the hole portion of the cover is arranged to expose the groove to the outside of the outdoor case to an extent that the flat operating tool cannot be inserted into the groove from the hole portion.

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