Electronic lock mounting structure

Abstract

To provide an electronic lock mounting structure capable of removing an electronic lock from a door without damaging the door surface.SOLUTION: A disclosed electronic lock mounting structure FS is placed between an electronic lock 100 and a door 20 for attaching the electronic lock 100 to the door 20. The electronic lock mounting structure FS includes an attachment 110 and a pedestal 120. The electronic lock mounting structure FS includes an engagement mechanism 121 configured to engage with a thumb-turn mounting hole TH formed in the door 20. The engagement mechanism 121 may include three prongs formed to engage the thumb-turn mounting hole TH.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic lock mounting structure. [Background technology]

[0002] A retrofit type electronic lock is known that has a clamping mechanism that can clamp the thumb turn knob, and operates the thumb turn by rotating the clamping mechanism with a motor while the knob is clamped (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6060471 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] This electronic lock is fixed to the door with strong double-sided tape. Therefore, when the electronic lock is removed from the door, the double-sided tape remains attached to the door surface. In this case, workers may damage the door when peeling off the double-sided tape that remains attached to the door surface.

[0005] It is therefore desirable to provide an electronic lock mounting structure that allows the electronic lock to be removed from the door without damaging the surface of the door. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An electronic lock mounting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is an electronic lock mounting structure that is placed between an electronic lock and a door in order to mount the electronic lock to the door, and is equipped with an engagement mechanism configured to engage with a thumb turn mounting hole provided in the door. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The electronic lock mounting structure described above allows the electronic lock to be removed from the door without damaging the surface of the door. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a convex portion of the base and a concave portion of the attachment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a base. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a ratchet mechanism. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of the configuration of a claw portion. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of the base. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The following is a description of an electronic lock unit 10 including an electronic lock mounting structure FS according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following, to facilitate understanding of the description, the same components in each drawing are assigned the same reference numerals as much as possible, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the electronic lock unit 10 as seen from the front. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electronic lock unit 10 as seen from the rear. The electronic lock unit 10 is composed of an electronic lock 100, an attachment 110, and a base 120. In this embodiment, the attachment 110 and the base 120 form an electronic lock mounting structure FS for mounting the electronic lock 100 to the door 20. However, the attachment 110 may be omitted. In this case, the electronic lock 100 may be fixed directly to the base 120 with double-sided tape or the like. Furthermore, the attachment 110 may be integrated into the electronic lock 100 or the base 120.

[0011] Specifically, Fig. 1(A) shows the electronic lock unit 10 attached to the interior surface 20A of the door 20. Fig. 1(B) shows the state of the electronic lock unit 10 when the electronic lock 100 and attachment 110 have been removed together from the base 120 attached to the surface 20A of the door 20. Fig. 1(C) shows the state of the electronic lock unit 10 when the base 120 and thumbturn device 130 have been removed separately from the surface 20A of the door 20. Fig. 2 shows the state of the electronic lock unit 10 removed from the door 20. Fig. 2 also shows the state of the electronic lock unit 10 when the base 120 has been removed from the attachment 110 attached to the electronic lock 100. Fig. 2 also shows the cylinder mounting hole CH provided on the exterior surface 20C of the door 20.

[0012] In each of Figures 1 and 2, X1 represents one direction of the X axis that constitutes a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, and X2 represents the other direction of the X axis. Furthermore, Y1 represents one direction of the Y axis that constitutes the three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, and Y2 represents the other direction. Similarly, Z1 represents one direction of the Z axis that constitutes the three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, and Z2 represents the other direction of the Z axis. In this embodiment, the X1 side of the electronic lock unit 10 corresponds to the front side (front face side) of the electronic lock unit 10, and the X2 side of the electronic lock unit 10 corresponds to the rear side (rear face side) of the electronic lock unit 10. Furthermore, the Y1 side of the electronic lock unit 10 corresponds to the left side of the electronic lock unit 10, and the Y2 side of the electronic lock unit 10 corresponds to the right side of the electronic lock unit 10. Furthermore, the Z1 side of the electronic lock unit 10 corresponds to the upper side of the electronic lock unit 10, and the Z2 side of the electronic lock unit 10 corresponds to the lower side of the electronic lock unit 10. The same applies to other components in the other figures.

[0013] The electronic lock unit 10 is designed to rotate a thumb turn device 130 provided on the door 20 by remote control via wireless communication (e.g., wireless communication via Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark)) between various wireless devices (e.g., a smartphone or remote control) and the electronic lock unit 10, thereby enabling the door 20 to be locked and unlocked using the thumb turn device 130.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1(B) and 1(C), the thumbturn device 130 has a base 131 and a knob 132. The base 131 is fixed to the door 20 through a thumbturn mounting hole TH provided on the surface 20A on the indoor side of the door 20, protruding from the surface 20A toward the indoor side. Figure 1(C) shows the state in which the thumbturn mounting hole TH provided on the surface 20A of the door 20 is exposed. The knob 132 is configured to be rotatable relative to the base 131 around an axis AX1 extending in a direction perpendicular to the surface 20A of the door 20.

[0015] The deadbolt DB disposed on the side end surface 20B of the door 20 is configured to protrude or retract from the side end surface 20B in response to the rotation of the knob 132. The locked state of the door 20 is achieved by the deadbolt DB protruding from the side end surface 20B, and the unlocked state of the door 20 is achieved by the deadbolt DB retracting from the side end surface 20B. FIG. 1(A) shows the state when the deadbolt DB protrudes from the side end surface 20B, i.e., the state when the door 20 is locked. In this way, the door 20 is configured to switch between a locked state and an unlocked state in response to the rotation of the knob 132.

[0016] The electronic lock 100 is configured to operate in response to remote control using various wireless devices. Specifically, the electronic lock 100 has a clamping mechanism SM (see FIG. 2) that clamps the knob 132 of the thumbturn device 130, and an electric motor (not shown) for rotating the clamping mechanism (knob 132) around an axis AX1. The electronic lock 100 is attached to the door 20 via an attachment 110 and a base 120. Specifically, the electronic lock 100 is attached to the attachment 110 by any means such as double-sided tape, screws, snap fitting, or slide fitting. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the electronic lock 100 is detachably attached to the attachment 110 by slide fitting.

[0017] The attachment 110 is a member for attaching the electronic lock 100 to the base 120. In this embodiment, the attachment 110 is made of resin. The attachment 110 is attached to the base 120 by any means, such as double-sided tape, screws, snap fitting, or slide fitting. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the attachment 110 is detachably attached to the base 120 by slide fitting. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1(B) and 1(C), the base 120 has a protrusion 120V formed to protrude forward (in the X1 direction) from the front surface (the surface on the X1 side). As shown in FIG. 2, the attachment 110 has a recess 110C formed to recess forward (in the X1 direction) on the rear surface (the surface on the X2 side). The protrusion 120V of the base 120 and the recess 110C of the attachment 110 are configured to engage with each other by slide fitting.

[0018] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the protrusion 120V of the base 120 and the recess 110C of the attachment 110. Specifically, Fig. 3(A) shows a cross-section of the attachment 110 in a plane parallel to the XY plane and including the dashed-dotted line L1 in Fig. 2. Fig. 3(B) shows a cross-section of the base 120 in a plane parallel to the XY plane and including the dashed-dotted line L2 in Fig. 1(C). Fig. 3(C) shows a cross-section of the attachment 110 and the base 120 when the recess 110C of the attachment 110 and the protrusion 120V of the base 120 are engaged with each other.

[0019] In the example shown in FIG. 3, the protrusion 120V of the base 120 has a dovetail-shaped cross section. The recess 110C of the attachment 110 is configured to have a shape that matches the shape of the protrusion 120V having the dovetail-shaped cross section. Furthermore, the lower end (the end on the Z2 side) of the recess 110C of the attachment 110 is open so as to be able to receive the protrusion 120V of the base 120, as shown in FIG. 2. Meanwhile, the upper end (the end on the Z1 side) of the recess 110C of the attachment 110 is configured to have an upper wall that comes into contact with the upper end of the protrusion 120V of the base 120. With this configuration, the worker can attach the attachment 110 to the base 120 by positioning the attachment 110 above the base 120 as shown in FIG. 1(B), and then sliding the attachment 110 downward with the rear surface of the attachment 110 in contact with the front surface of the base 120.

[0020] Next, a configuration example of the base 120 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the base 120. Specifically, Fig. 4(A) is an exploded perspective view of the base 120, and Fig. 4(B) is a rear view of the base 120.

[0021] The base 120 is made up of an engagement mechanism 121 , a main body member 122 , a base plate 123 , a ratchet gear 124 , a ratchet pawl 125 , a ratchet spring 126 , a screw 127 , and a caulking pin 128 .

[0022] The engagement mechanism 121 is configured to allow the base 120 to be attached to the door 20 and to allow the base 120 to be removed from the door 20 without damaging either the indoor surface 20A or the outdoor surface 20C of the door 20. Therefore, in this embodiment, the engagement mechanism 121 is configured to allow the base 120 to be attached to the thumbturn mounting hole TH of the door 20. Specifically, the engagement mechanism 121 is configured to come into contact with at least a portion of the inner circumferential surface of the thumbturn mounting hole TH and to apply a force in a direction that widens the thumbturn mounting hole TH at at least two locations on the inner circumferential surface of the thumbturn mounting hole TH. The base 120 is attached to the thumbturn mounting hole TH by the engagement mechanism 121 before the thumbturn device 130 is attached to the door 20.

[0023] In the example shown in FIG. 4, the engagement mechanism 121 is configured to apply a force in a direction that widens the thumb turn attachment hole TH at three locations on the inner circumferential surface of the thumb turn attachment hole TH. Specifically, the engagement mechanism 121 includes a central engagement member 121C, a left engagement member 121L, and a right engagement member 121R. The central engagement member 121C, the left engagement member 121L, and the right engagement member 121R are all plate-shaped members formed of a metal such as stainless steel. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the engagement mechanism 121 is configured to have three engagement members, but it may also be configured to have one engagement member, two engagement members, or four or more engagement members.

[0024] The main body member 122 is a member that constitutes the main body of the base 120. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the main body member 122 is formed by injection molding of resin. A through-hole 122A for receiving the thumb turn device 130 is formed in the lower part of the main body member 122. In addition, a recess 122G for accommodating a portion of the engaging member is formed in the rear surface (the surface on the X2 side) of the main body member 122. Specifically, the recess 122G includes a central recess 122GC for accommodating a portion of the central engaging member 121C, a left recess 122GL for accommodating a portion of the left engaging member 121L, and a right recess 122GR for accommodating a portion of the right engaging member 121R. Note that each of the central engaging member 121C, the left engaging member 121L, and the right engaging member 121R is configured so that a portion protrudes into the through-hole 122A, and the remaining portion is accommodated in the recess 122G.

[0025] The base plate 123 is a member that constitutes the rear surface of the base 120. The base plate 123 is attached to the rear surface of the main body member 122 so as to cover at least a portion of each of the central engagement member 121C, the ratchet gear 124, the ratchet pawl 125, and the ratchet spring 126, which are attached to the rear surface of the main body member 122. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the base plate 123 is a plate-like member made of metal such as a highly corrosion-resistant plated steel plate. A through hole 123A is formed in the lower part of the base plate 123 so as to correspond to the through hole 122A formed in the main body member 122.

[0026] 4, the central engaging member 121C is disposed on the front side (X1 side) of the base plate 123. That is, the central engaging member 121C is disposed between the rear surface of the main body member 122 and the front surface of the base plate 123. On the other hand, the left engaging member 121L and the right engaging member 121R are disposed on the rear side (X2 side) of the base plate 123. That is, the left engaging member 121L and the right engaging member 121R are attached to the rear surface of the base plate 123. Therefore, the base plate 123 has recesses 123G that receive the left engaging member 121L and the right engaging member 121R, respectively. The recesses 123G are formed by press working so as to be recessed forward (in the X1 direction). Specifically, the base plate 123 has a left recess 123GL that receives a portion of the left engaging member 121L and a right recess 123GR that receives a portion of the right engaging member 121R. The left recess 123GL, together with a portion of the left engagement member 121L, is accommodated in the left recess 122GL formed in the main body member 122, and the right recess 123GR, together with a portion of the right engagement member 121R, is accommodated in the right recess 122GR formed in the main body member 122.

[0027] The ratchet gear 124 is a component of the movement mechanism TM and also a component of the ratchet mechanism LM1. The movement mechanism TM is a mechanism for moving the engaging member in the radial direction of the thumb turn mounting hole TH. The ratchet mechanism LM1 is an example of a movement limiting mechanism LM for limiting the movement direction of the engaging member by the movement mechanism TM to one direction. The ratchet pawl 125 and the ratchet spring 126 are both components that make up the ratchet mechanism LM1.

[0028] 4, the ratchet gear 124, ratchet pawl 125, and ratchet spring 126 are all made of metal such as stainless steel. The ratchet gear 124 and ratchet pawl 125 are housed in a recess 122C formed in the rear surface of the main body member 122. The ratchet spring 126 is housed in a groove 122T formed in the rear surface of the main body member 122.

[0029] The screws 127 are an example of a fixing member for fixing the base plate 123 to the main body member 122. This fixing member may be formed of a mechanical element other than the screws 127. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the base plate 123 is fastened to the rear surface of the main body member 122 by six screws 127.

[0030] The crimping pin 128 is an example of a fixing member for fixing the left engaging member 121L and the right engaging member 121R to the base plate 123. This fixing member may be configured with a mechanical element other than the crimping pin 128. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the crimping pin 128 is a member made of a metal such as brass, and includes a left crimping pin 128L for fixing the left engaging member 121L to the base plate 123 and a right crimping pin 128R for fixing the right engaging member 121R to the base plate 123.

[0031] Specifically, the left engaging member 121L is fixed to the base plate 123 by crimping both ends of a left crimping pin 128L inserted into a left through-hole 123HL formed in the base plate 123 and a left through-hole 121HL formed in the left engaging member 121L. Similarly, the right engaging member 121R is fixed to the base plate 123 by crimping both ends of a right crimping pin 128R inserted into a right through-hole 123HR formed in the base plate 123 and a right through-hole 121HR formed in the right engaging member 121R.

[0032] In the example shown in Figure 4, the left engagement member 121L is mounted so as to be rotatable relative to the base plate 123 around the axis AX2 of the left crimping pin 128L, and the right engagement member 121R is mounted so as to be rotatable relative to the base plate 123 around the axis AX3 of the right crimping pin 128R.

[0033] FIG. 4(B) uses dotted lines to show the state of the left engagement member 121L when it rotates around the axis AX2, and the state of the right engagement member 121R when it rotates around the axis AX3. Specifically, the dotted arrow AR1 indicates the rotation direction of the left engagement member 121L, and the dotted lines GP1 and GP2 indicate the position of the left engagement member 121L after rotation. The dotted arrow AR2 indicates the rotation direction of the right engagement member 121R, and the dotted lines GP3 and GP4 indicate the position of the right engagement member 121R after rotation. Note that the base plate 123 is omitted from FIG. 4(B) for clarity.

[0034] Next, the moving mechanism TM and the ratchet mechanism LM1 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the ratchet mechanism LM1. Specifically, Fig. 5(A) is an enlarged view of the area R1 surrounded by the dashed line in Fig. 4(B). Fig. 5(B) is a perspective view of the ratchet gear 124. For clarity, Fig. 5(A) shows the ratchet spring 126 only diagrammatically.

[0035] The moving mechanism TM is a mechanism for moving the engaging members that make up the engaging mechanism 121 in the base 120 attached to the thumbturn mounting hole TH in the radial direction of the thumbturn mounting hole TH. In this embodiment, the moving mechanism TM is a rack-and-pinion mechanism TM1 for moving the central engaging member 121C in the up-and-down direction (Z-axis direction), which is one of the radial directions of the thumbturn mounting hole TH.

[0036] Specifically, the rack and pinion mechanism TM1 is made up of a rack portion RK formed on the central engagement member 121C and a ratchet gear 124.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 5(B), the ratchet gear 124 has a gear portion 124G and a cylindrical portion 124C. The cylindrical portion 124C of the ratchet gear 124 is fitted into a through-hole 122H1 (see Fig. 4(A)) formed in the main body member 122 so as to be rotatable around the axis AX4 relative to the main body member 122. The gear portion 124G is configured to mesh with the rack portion RK of the central engagement member 121C with the cylindrical portion 124C fitted into the through-hole 122H1.

[0038] Furthermore, a hole 124R corresponding to the tip shape of a tool for rotating the ratchet gear 124 is formed on the front end surface (X1 side) of the cylindrical portion 124C. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the hole 124R is a cross recess corresponding to the tip shape of a Phillips head screwdriver, which is an example of a tool for rotating the ratchet gear 124. Note that the hole 124R may be formed to correspond to the tip shape of another tool, such as a flat-head screwdriver or a hex wrench. Alternatively, the cylindrical portion 124C may be configured to have a knob on its front end surface so that it can be operated by the operator's hand.

[0039] The ratchet mechanism LM1 is an example of a movement limiting mechanism LM for limiting the movement direction of the engaging member by the movement mechanism TM to one direction. In this embodiment, the ratchet mechanism LM1 is configured to limit the downward movement (Z2 direction) of the central engaging member 121C while allowing the upward movement (Z1 direction) of the central engaging member 121C.

[0040] Specifically, the ratchet mechanism LM1 is mainly composed of a ratchet gear 124, a ratchet pawl 125, and a ratchet spring 126. The ratchet gear 124 and the ratchet pawl 125 are housed in a recess 122C formed in the rear surface of the main body member 122.

[0041] Ratchet gear 124 is received within recess 122C for rotation about axis AX4.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 5A, the ratchet pawl 125 is configured to be rotatable around the axis AX5 of the pin 125P within the recess 122C. The pin 125P is configured to be inserted through a through-hole 125H1 formed in the center of the ratchet pawl 125 and through a through-hole 122H2 (see FIG. 4A) formed in the main body member 122. In this embodiment, the ratchet pawl 125 is fixed to the pin 125P and configured to rotate together with the pin 125P around the axis AX5. The ratchet pawl 125 and the pin 125P may be coupled by, for example, an interference fit. The front end of the pin 125P may be configured to protrude forward from the front surface of the main body member 122 so that it can be manually rotated by an operator. Alternatively, a hole corresponding to the shape of the tip of a tool for rotating the pin 125P may be formed in the front end surface of the pin 125P.

[0043] 5(A) shows the ratchet pawl 125 rotating about the axis AX5 when the ratchet gear 124 rotates in the direction shown by the arrow AR11. Also, the figure 125A shows that the engagement between the tip 125E of the ratchet pawl 125 and the ratchet gear 124 is released when the ratchet gear 124 rotates in the direction shown by the arrow AR11.

[0044] 5(A), the ratchet spring 126 is housed in a groove 122T formed in the rear surface of the main body member 122. The ratchet spring 126 has a lower end CT1 fixed to a through hole 125H2 formed in the ratchet pawl 125, and an upper end CT2 fixed to the upper end of the groove 122T. The through hole 125H2 is formed between the through hole 125H1 and the tip end 125E.

[0045] With this configuration, ratchet spring 126 generates a force that attracts tip 125E of ratchet pawl 125 upward (in the Z1 direction) as shown by arrow AR10 in Fig. 5(A). Then, ratchet spring 126 generates a torque that rotates ratchet pawl 125 counterclockwise around axis AX5 of pin 125P in rear view as shown in Fig. 5(A).

[0046] When an operator uses a Phillips screwdriver to rotate the ratchet gear 124 in the direction indicated by the arrow AR11 in Figures 5(A) and 5(B), the tip 125E of the ratchet pawl 125 is pressed by the second tooth TE2 of the ratchet gear 124, causing the ratchet pawl 125 to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow AR12 in Figure 5(A).

[0047] At this time, when the second tooth TE2 of the ratchet gear 124 and the tip 125E of the ratchet pawl 125 are released from engagement, the tip 125E of the ratchet pawl 125 is pulled upward by the ratchet spring 126 and engages with the third tooth TE3 of the ratchet gear 124. When the operator further rotates the ratchet gear 124 in the direction indicated by the arrow AR11, the tip 125E of the ratchet pawl 125 is pushed by the third tooth TE3 of the ratchet gear 124, causing the ratchet pawl 125 to further rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow AR11. The subsequent movement of the ratchet gear 124 and the ratchet pawl 125 is the same as that described above.

[0048] When the ratchet gear 124 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow AR11, the central engagement member 121C moves upward (in the Z1 direction) as indicated by the arrow AR13.

[0049] 5(A) and 5(B), an operator cannot rotate the ratchet gear 124 in the direction indicated by the arrow AR14. Specifically, the operator cannot rotate the ratchet gear 124 in the direction indicated by the arrow AR14 unless the operator releases the engagement between the tip 125E of the ratchet pawl 125 and the first tooth TE1 of the ratchet gear 124 by the ratchet mechanism LM1.

[0050] When an operator attempts to rotate the ratchet gear 124 in the direction indicated by arrow AR14 using a Phillips screwdriver, the leading end 125E of the ratchet pawl 125 is pressed against the first tooth TE1 of the ratchet gear 124. However, the rear end 125R of the ratchet pawl 125 is already pressed against the wall surface of the recess 122C, so the ratchet pawl 125 cannot rotate clockwise in rear view. Therefore, the central engagement member 121C cannot move downward (in the Z2 direction), which is the direction indicated by arrow AR15.

[0051] 5(A), the ratchet mechanism LM1 is configured to allow counterclockwise rotation of the ratchet gear 124 around the axis AX4 and to restrict clockwise rotation of the ratchet gear 124 around the axis AX4. In other words, the ratchet mechanism LM1 is configured to allow upward movement of the central engagement member 121C and to restrict downward movement of the central engagement member 121C.

[0052] If the operator wishes to move the central engagement member 121C downward, i.e., to rotate the ratchet gear 124 clockwise around the axis AX4, the operator simply releases the engagement between the tip 125E of the ratchet pawl 125 and the first tooth TE1 of the ratchet gear 124 by the ratchet mechanism LM1.

[0053] Specifically, the operator manually rotates pin 125P, which is configured to rotate together with ratchet pawl 125, to rotate ratchet pawl 125 in the direction indicated by arrow AR12, thereby disengaging tip end 125E from first tooth TE1. Then, with tip end 125E and first tooth TE1 in the disengaged state, the operator can move central engagement member 121C downward as indicated by arrow AR15 by rotating ratchet gear 124 in the direction indicated by arrow AR14 using a Phillips head screwdriver.

[0054] 4(B), the dotted arrow AR3 indicates the direction of movement of the central engaging member 121C, the dotted figure GP5 indicates the position of the central engaging member 121C after it has moved in the Z2 direction (downward), and the dotted figure GP6 indicates the position of the central engaging member 121C after it has moved in the Z1 direction (upward). The operator can move the central engaging member 121C up and down by rotating the ratchet gear 124 as described above.

[0055] Next, the engagement mechanism 121 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the engagement mechanism 121 in the base 120 when fixed to the thumb-turn mounting hole TH. Specifically, Fig. 6(A) is a front view of the engagement mechanism 121 in the base 120 when fixed to the thumb-turn mounting hole TH. Fig. 6(B) is a cross-sectional view of the central engagement member 121C and the door 20 in a plane parallel to the XZ plane including the dashed-dotted line L3 in Fig. 6(A). Note that the following description relates to the central engagement member 121C, but is similarly applicable to each of the left engagement member 121L and the right engagement member 121R.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 6(B), the central engaging member 121C, which is a plate-shaped member made of a metal such as stainless steel, is configured to have a base portion BS and claw portions CL. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the claw portions CL are formed by bending, and are configured so that the angle θ formed between the base portion BS and the claw portions CL is an acute angle of less than 90 degrees.

[0057] With this configuration, central engaging member 121C is positioned so that the rear surface (X2 side surface) of base portion BS comes into contact with interior surface 20A of door 20, and the top surface (Z1 side surface) of claw portion CL comes into contact with rear (X2 side) edge CP of the inner circumferential surface of thumbturn mounting hole TH. Therefore, even if a force trying to pull base 120 forward (X1 direction) acts on base 120, claw portion CL gets caught on rear (X2 side) edge CP of the inner circumferential surface of thumbturn mounting hole TH, and base 120 will not be pulled away from door 20.

[0058] Furthermore, this configuration allows the upper surface of the claw portion CL to contact the rear edge CP of the inner circumferential surface of the thumb turn mounting hole TH, regardless of the length LT of the thumb turn mounting hole TH. Therefore, this configuration has the advantage that the engagement mechanism 121 can be applied to thumb turn mounting holes TH with various lengths LT. However, the angle θ formed between the base portion BS and the claw portion CL is not limited to an acute angle and may be 90 degrees or greater. Furthermore, the claw portion CL may be formed to bend two or more times or to extend in a curved line.

[0059] Next, another configuration example of the base 120 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a base 120A, which is another configuration example of the base 120. Specifically, Fig. 7(A) is an exploded perspective view of the base 120A and corresponds to Fig. 4(A). Fig. 7(B) is a rear view of the base 120A and corresponds to Fig. 4(B).

[0060] The base 120A shown in FIG. 7 differs from the base 120 shown in FIG. 4 in that it has a feed screw mechanism TM2 as the movement mechanism TM. The base 120 shown in FIG. 4 has a rack-and-pinion mechanism TM1 as the movement mechanism TM. The base 120A shown in FIG. 7 also differs from the base 120 shown in FIG. 4 in that it does not have a movement limiting mechanism LM. The base 120 shown in FIG. 4 has a ratchet mechanism LM1 as the movement limiting mechanism LM. In other respects, the base 120A shown in FIG. 7 and the base 120 shown in FIG. 4 are common to each other. Therefore, in the following, a description of the common parts will be omitted, and the differences will be described in detail.

[0061] The feed screw mechanism TM2 as the movement mechanism TM is mainly composed of a slider 151 and a screw 152.

[0062] The slider 151 is configured to be supported by the main body member 122 so as to be movable in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) but not rotatable about its vertical axis. The slider 151 may be made of metal or resin. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the slider 151 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and is housed in a rectangular groove 122S formed on the rear surface (the surface on the X2 side) of the main body member 122. The rectangular groove 122S is formed so that the slider 151 is slidable in the vertical direction but not rotatable about its vertical axis. Specifically, the rectangular groove 122S is configured so that its vertical length is significantly greater than the vertical length of the slider 151. Furthermore, the rectangular groove 122S is configured so that its horizontal length (width) is substantially the same as the horizontal length (width) of the slider 151 (strictly speaking, the width of the rectangular groove 122S is slightly greater than the width of the slider 151).

[0063] 7, the slider 151 has two protrusions 151T (an upper protrusion 151T1 and a lower protrusion 151T2) that protrude rearward from the rear surface. The two protrusions 151T are configured to be inserted into two through-holes 121H (an upper through-hole 121H1 and a lower through-hole 121H2) formed in the upper end of the central engagement member 121C.

[0064] The slider 151 is fixed to the central engaging member 121C by crimping the tips of two protrusions 151T that are inserted into two through holes 121H formed in the upper end of the central engaging member 121C. However, the slider 151 may also be fixed to the central engaging member 121C by other means such as adhesive or screws.

[0065] The screw 152 is configured to engage with the slider 151. In the example shown in Fig. 7, the screw 152 is configured to engage with a female screw hole 151H formed in the slider 151. Specifically, the screw 152 is configured to be inserted into a through hole 122H formed in the main body member 122, with the tip extending into the square groove 122S. The screw 152 is then screwed into the female screw hole 151H of the slider 151 housed in the square groove 122S.

[0066] 7, the screw 152 is a metric screw with a cross recess formed in the screw head. An operator can move the slider 151 up and down within the square groove 122S by using a Phillips head screwdriver to rotate the screw 152 screwed into the female screw hole 151H of the slider 151. This is because the slider 151 is housed within the square groove 122S, and its rotation around the vertical axis is restricted.

[0067] Specifically, the operator can move the slider 151 in the direction indicated by the arrow AR22 (Z1 direction) by rotating the screw 152 in the direction indicated by the arrow AR21 (clockwise direction when viewed from above). Conversely, the operator can move the slider 151 in the direction indicated by the arrow AR24 (Z2 direction) by rotating the screw 152 in the direction indicated by the arrow AR23 (counterclockwise direction when viewed from above).

[0068] In FIG. 7(B), the dotted arrow AR31 indicates the direction of movement of the central engagement member 121C, the dotted line GP31 indicates the position of the central engagement member 121C after it has moved in the Z2 direction (downward), and the dotted line GP32 indicates the position of the central engagement member 121C after it has moved in the Z1 direction (upward). The operator can move the central engagement member 121C up and down by rotating the screw 152 as described above. Note that the base plate 123 is not shown in FIG. 7(B) for clarity.

[0069] With the above-described configuration, the base 120A shown in Fig. 7 provides the same effect as the base 120 shown in Fig. 4. Specifically, the base 120A constituting the electronic lock mounting structure FS provides the unique effect of making it possible to remove the electronic lock 100 from the door 20 without damaging the interior surface 20A of the door 20. This is because there is no need to place strong double-sided tape between the interior surface 20A of the door 20 and the base 120A.

[0070] 7 has the additional effect of reducing the number of parts compared to the base 120 shown in Fig. 4. Furthermore, the base 120A has the additional effect of facilitating the up and down movement of the central engagement member 121C compared to the base 120 having the ratchet mechanism LM1 as the movement limiting mechanism LM. When the base 120A is used, the operator can omit the task of manually operating the ratchet pawl 125 to release the movement restriction imposed by the ratchet mechanism LM1, and can move the slider 151 (central engagement member 121C) up and down simply by turning the screw 152 in one direction or the other.

[0071] As described above, the electronic lock mounting structure FS according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured to be placed between the electronic lock 100 and the door 20 in order to mount the electronic lock 100 to the door 20, as shown in Fig. 1. The electronic lock mounting structure FS also includes an engagement mechanism 121 configured to engage with a thumb turn mounting hole TH provided in the door 20, as shown in Fig. 2.

[0072] With this configuration, the electronic lock mounting structure FS has the unique effect of making it possible to remove the electronic lock 100 from the door 20 without damaging the interior surface 20A of the door 20. This is because there is no need to place strong double-sided tape between the interior surface 20A of the door 20 and the electronic lock mounting structure FS.

[0073] The engagement mechanism 121 may include a plurality of claw portions CL formed to engage with the thumb turn mounting hole TH, and a moving mechanism TM configured to move at least one of the plurality of claw portions radially of the thumb turn mounting hole TH.

[0074] Specifically, as shown in Figures 4(A) and 6(B), the engagement mechanism 121 may include three claw portions CL (claw portion CL of the central engagement member 121C, claw portion CL of the left engagement member 121L, and claw portion CL of the right engagement member 121R), and a moving mechanism TM configured to move the claw portion CL of the central engagement member 121C in the Z-axis direction, which is one of the radial directions of the thumb turn mounting hole TH.

[0075] More specifically, the moving mechanism TM may be a rack-and-pinion mechanism TM1 as shown in Fig. 4(A). In this case, the engaging mechanism 121 may include a ratchet mechanism LM1 (see Fig. 4(B)) that limits the direction of movement of the claw portion CL of the central engaging member 121C by the rack-and-pinion mechanism TM1. Alternatively, the moving mechanism TM may be a feed screw mechanism TM2 as shown in Fig. 7.

[0076] These configurations have the effect of increasing the mounting strength of the electronic lock unit 10 (base 120) to the door 20 compared to when the electronic lock unit 10 is attached to the door 20 with double-sided tape. Additionally, these configurations have the effect of making it possible to mount the base 120 to thumb turn mounting holes TH with various diameters.

[0077] In order to achieve the same effect, the claw portion CL of the left engaging member 121L and the claw portion CL of the right engaging member 121R may be attached to the base 120 so as to be able to swing, as shown in FIG. 4(B).

[0078] The three claw portions CL may be arranged at approximately equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the thumbturn mounting hole TH. Specifically, the claw portions CL of the center engaging member 121C, the left engaging member 121L, and the right engaging member 121R may be arranged at approximately 120-degree intervals along the circumferential direction of the substantially circular thumbturn mounting hole TH, as shown in FIG. 6(A). This is because the attachment strength of the electronic lock unit 10 (base 120) to the door 20 is increased by ensuring that the contact points (three contact points) between the thumbturn mounting hole TH and the engaging mechanism 121 are balanced around the center point of the thumbturn mounting hole TH. Therefore, if the engaging mechanism 121 has two claw portions, the two claw portions are preferably arranged at approximately 180-degree intervals along the circumferential direction of the thumbturn mounting hole TH. Alternatively, if the engaging mechanism 121 has four claw portions, the four claw portions are preferably arranged at approximately 90-degree intervals along the circumferential direction of the thumbturn mounting hole TH.

[0079] At least one of the plurality of claws CL may be configured to engage with the rear edge CP of the inner circumferential surface of the thumb-turn mounting hole TH. For example, each of the three claws CL (claws CL of the central engaging member 121C, claws CL of the left engaging member 121L, and claws CL of the right engaging member 121R) may be configured so that the claws CL are bent relative to the base BS so that the angle θ formed between the claws CL and the base BS is an acute angle, as shown in FIG. 6(B), and so as to come into contact with the rear edge CP of the inner circumferential surface of the thumb-turn mounting hole TH.

[0080] This configuration has the effect of increasing the mounting strength of the electronic lock unit 10 (base 120) to the door 20 compared to when the claw portion CL is configured to bend perpendicular to the base portion BS and contacts the inner surface of the thumb turn mounting hole TH.

[0081] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications or substitutions may be applied to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the features described with reference to the above-described embodiments may be combined as appropriate unless technically inconsistent.

[0082] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the left engaging member 121L and the right engaging member 121R are swingably attached to the base plate 123, but they may also be swingably attached to the main body member 122, or may be swingably sandwiched between the main body member 122 and the base plate 123. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 10 Electronic lock unit 20 Door 20A Surface 20B Side end face 20C Surface 100 Electronic lock 110 Attachment 110C Recess 120, 120A Base 120V Convex portion 121 Engagement mechanism 121C Central engagement member 121HL Left through-hole 121HR Right through-hole 121L Left engagement member 121R Right engagement member 122 Main body member 122A Through-hole 122C Recess 122H1, 122H2 Through-hole 122T Groove 122G Recess 122GC Central recess 122GL Left recess 122GR···Right recess 123···Base plate 123A···Through hole 123G···Recess 123GL···Left recess 123GR···Right recess 123HL···Left through hole 123HR···Right through hole 124···Ratchet gear 124C···Cylindrical portion 124G···Gear portion 124R···Hole 125···Ratchet pawl 125E···Tip portion 125H1, 125H2···Through holes 125P···Pin 125R···Rear end portion 126···Ratchet spring 127···Screw 128···Caulking pin 128L···Left caulking pin 128R···Right caulking pin 130···Thumb turn device 131···Base 132···Knob AX1 to AX5···Shaft CH···Cylinder mounting hole CT1···Lower end CT2···Upper end DB···Deadbolt FS···Electronic lock mounting structure LM···Travel limiting mechanism LM1···Ratchet mechanism RK···Rack section TE1···1st tooth TE2···2nd tooth TE3···3rd tooth TH···Thumb turn mounting hole TM···Travel mechanism TM1···Rack and pinion mechanism TM2···Feed screw mechanism

Claims

1. An electronic lock mounting structure that is disposed between the electronic lock and the door in order to mount the electronic lock on the door, a base having an engagement mechanism configured to engage with a thumb turn mounting hole provided in the door; the engagement mechanism includes a plurality of claw portions attached to the base so as to engage with the thumb turn attachment hole, and a movement mechanism configured to move at least one of the plurality of claw portions in a radial direction of the thumb turn attachment hole, At least two of the plurality of claw portions are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the thumb turn mounting hole. Electronic lock mounting structure.

2. At least two of the plurality of claw portions are attached to the base so as to be able to swing. The electronic lock mounting structure according to claim 1.

3. a movement limiting mechanism that limits the movement direction of the claw portion by the movement mechanism; 3. The electronic lock mounting structure according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The moving mechanism is a rack and pinion mechanism or a lead screw mechanism.

3. The electronic lock mounting structure according to claim 1 or 2.

5. At least one of the plurality of claw portions is configured to engage with a rear edge of the thumb turn attachment hole.

5. An electronic lock mounting structure according to claim 2.

6. An electronic lock mounting structure disposed between an electronic lock and a door in order to mount the electronic lock on the door, An engagement mechanism configured to engage with a thumb turn mounting hole provided on the door, The engagement mechanism includes a plurality of claw portions formed to engage with the thumb turn attachment hole, and a movement mechanism configured to move at least one of the plurality of claw portions in a radial direction of the thumb turn attachment hole, The moving mechanism is a rack and pinion mechanism or a lead screw mechanism. Electronic lock mounting structure.

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