rotary damper

Abstract

To provide a rotary damper easy in change of specifications, and improved in economical efficiency as a conventional rotary damper can be continuously used.SOLUTION: A rotary damper 100 includes a housing 101 and a rotating characteristic regulation unit 140. The housing 101 is provided with an inner chamber 103 for housing a movable vane 132 of a rotor 130 and a fluid 170, inside. A housing main body 102 is provided with first external communication passages 110-113 and second external communication passages 114-116 for communicating the inner chamber 103 and an outer surface of the housing main body 102. The rotating characteristic regulation unit 140 is provided with rotating characteristic regulators 160-163 for regulating rotating characteristic of the rotor 130, and first regulator communication passages 150-153 and second regulator communication passages 154-156 connected to the rotating characteristic regulators 160-163 and an outer surface of the unit main body 141, in the unit main body 141.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotary damper used as a kinetic energy damping device in a rotation mechanism of a four-wheeled or two-wheeled self-propelled vehicle or industrial machinery and equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, rotary dampers have been used as a kinetic energy damping device in the rotation mechanism of four-wheeled or two-wheeled self-propelled vehicles or industrial machinery and equipment. For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a rotary damper in which the interior of a housing is divided into four working chambers by two partition walls provided inside the housing and two feather-shaped vanes provided on a shaft that rotates inside the housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-82593 Summary of the Invention

[0004] However, with the rotary damper disclosed in Patent Document 1, if it is desired to change the specifications of the rotational characteristics of the rotary damper, such as the damping characteristics, the compensation characteristics for temperature changes, or the pressure resistance characteristics, a new rotary damper with the desired specifications must be prepared, which makes it difficult to change the specifications of the rotary damper and also makes it uneconomical because the previous rotary damper cannot be used.

[0005] The present invention has been made to address the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a rotary damper whose specifications can be easily changed and which is also economical because it allows the use of conventional rotary dampers to continue.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention is characterized by a housing having a cylindrical inner chamber for fluid-tightly accommodating a fluid and having fixed vanes formed as walls along the radial direction within the inner chamber to prevent the fluid from flowing in the circumferential direction; a rotor having movable vanes on the outer periphery of a shaft that partition the inner chamber and rotate while pushing the fluid toward the fixed vanes; at least two compartments formed by the fixed vanes and movable vanes within the inner chamber and whose volumes increase or decrease depending on the direction of rotation of the movable vanes; a rotation characteristic regulator that regulates the rotation characteristics of the rotor using a fluid; and a rotation characteristic regulator and a fluid control valve provided outside the housing that regulates the rotation characteristic regulator and the fluid relative to the rotation characteristic regulator. and a rotation characteristic defining unit each having a first regulator communicating passage through which a fluid flows, the housing having a first external communicating passage extending from at least one of the at least two individual chambers and opening to the outer surface of the housing to allow the fluid to flow, the rotation characteristic defining unit having the first regulator communicating passage detachably connected to the first external communicating passage, and having a plurality of types of rotation characteristic definers that change different types of rotation characteristics from each other, and a plurality of first regulator communicating passages corresponding to each of these plurality of types of rotation characteristic definers, the housing having a first external communicating passage formed for each of the plurality of first regulator communicating passages.

[0007] In addition, rotary dampers areThe rotor comprises a housing having a cylindrical inner chamber for fluid-tightly accommodating a fluid and having fixed vanes formed in the inner chamber as walls along the radial direction to prevent the fluid from flowing in the circumferential direction; a rotor having movable vanes on the outer periphery of a shaft that partition the inner chamber and rotate while pushing the fluid toward the fixed vanes; at least two compartments formed by the fixed vanes and movable vanes in the inner chamber and whose volumes increase or decrease depending on the rotation direction of the movable vanes; a rotation characteristic regulator that regulates the rotation characteristics of the rotor using a fluid; and a rotation characteristic regulator and a rotor provided outside the housing. and a rotation characteristic defining unit having a first regulator communicating passage for passing a fluid to the rotation characteristic defining device, the housing having a first external communicating passage extending from at least one of the at least two individual chambers and opening on the outer surface of the housing for passing a fluid, the rotation characteristic defining unit having a first regulator communicating passage detachably connected to the first external communicating passage and a regulator accommodating portion for accommodating the rotation characteristic defining device exposed on the outer surface of the rotation characteristic defining unit and opening with a size that allows the rotation characteristic defining device to be taken in and out. You can also do this.

[0008] In addition, rotary dampers areThe rotor has a housing having a cylindrical inner chamber for fluid-tightly accommodating a fluid and fixed vanes formed in the inner chamber as walls along the radial direction to prevent the fluid from flowing in the circumferential direction; a rotor having movable vanes on the outer periphery of a shaft that partition the inner chamber and rotate while pushing the fluid toward the fixed vanes; at least two compartments formed by the fixed vanes and movable vanes in the inner chamber and whose volume increases or decreases depending on the rotation direction of the movable vanes; a rotation characteristic regulator that regulates the rotation characteristics of the rotor using a fluid; and a rotation characteristic regulator and a flow control valve provided outside the housing. and a rotation characteristic defining unit each having a first regulator communicating passage through which a moving body flows, the housing having a first external communicating passage extending from at least one of the at least two individual chambers and opening on the outer surface of the housing to allow a fluid to flow, the rotation characteristic defining unit having a first regulator communicating passage detachably connected to the first external communicating passage, and having a plurality of rotation characteristic defining units and a plurality of first regulator communicating passages corresponding to each of the plurality of rotation characteristic defining units, the housing having a first external communicating passage formed therein that directly connects to the inner chamber for each of the plurality of first regulator communicating passages. You can also .

[0009] According to the features of the present invention, the rotary damper has a rotation characteristic defining unit including a rotation characteristic definer, and the first definer communicating passage is detachably connected to the first external communicating passage that connects to the inner chamber of the housing. Therefore, by replacing the rotation characteristic defining unit with a desired rotation characteristic definer, the specifications of the rotation characteristic can be easily changed. This allows the use of existing rotary damper components, such as the housing, and is therefore economical. Furthermore, the rotary damper according to the present invention also facilitates the installation of rotation characteristic definers of sizes that cannot be accommodated within the housing. Here, rotor rotation characteristics include the direction of rotation of the rotor, torque damping characteristics, compensation characteristics for volume changes due to temperature changes in the fluid, and characteristics that allow or disallow rotor rotation itself. Therefore, the rotation characteristic definer can be various valves, such as a one-way valve, a throttle valve, a relief valve, or a linear solenoid valve, or an accumulator.

[0010] Another feature of the present invention is that, in the rotary damper, the rotational characteristic defining unit is detachable from the housing. According to this feature of the present invention, since the rotational characteristic defining unit is detachable from the housing, the rotational characteristics of the rotor can be easily changed and conventional rotary damper components such as the housing can continue to be used, resulting in improved economy.

[0011] Another feature of the present invention is that, in the rotary damper, the housing has a housing-side connecting portion formed as a flat surface on part of its outer surface, and a first external connecting passage opens into the housing-side connecting portion, and the rotational characteristic defining unit has a unit-side connecting portion formed as a flat surface on part of its outer surface and arranged opposite the housing-side connecting portion, and a first definer connecting passage opens into the unit-side connecting portion.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention thus configured, the rotary damper comprises a housing and Rotation characteristic regulation unit Since the housing side connecting portion and the unit side connecting portion, which are the connecting surfaces of each other, are formed as flat surfaces, it is easy to manufacture each connecting portion liquid-tight and to maintain and maintain the liquid-tightness of the connecting portion.

[0013] Another feature of the present invention resides in that, in the rotary damper, the rotation characteristic defining unit is provided at a position physically separated from the housing.

[0014] According to another feature of the present invention configured in this manner, the rotary damper has a rotational characteristic determining unit located at a position physically separated from the housing, which allows the housing to be installed in a narrow space or in a location where the housing or rotational characteristic determining unit can be easily maintained, thereby increasing the variety of rotary damper installation options.

[0015] Another feature of the present invention is that, in the rotary damper, the housing has a second external communication passage extending from the other of the at least two individual chambers and opening to the outer surface of the housing to allow the fluid to flow, and the rotational characteristic defining unit has a second regulator communication passage that allows the fluid to flow to the rotational characteristic definer, and the second regulator communication passage is detachably connected to the second external communication passage.

[0016] According to another feature of the present invention configured in this manner, the rotary damper has a housing which has a second external communication passage extending from the other of the at least two individual chambers, and the rotational characteristic defining unit has a second regulator communication passage, so that the rotational characteristics can be changed using a fluid circulating between the two individual chambers, thereby increasing the variety of changes in the rotational characteristics.

[0017] Also, In these cases In the rotary damper, the rotation characteristic defining unit has a plurality of rotation characteristic definers and a plurality of first definer communication passages corresponding to the plurality of rotation characteristic definers, and the housing has a first external communication passage formed for each of the plurality of first definer communication passages. You can also .

[0018] According to thisIn the rotary damper, the rotational characteristic defining unit has a plurality of rotational characteristic definers and a plurality of first definer communicating passages, and the housing has a first external communicating passage formed for each of the plurality of first definer communicating passages, so that a wide variety of rotational characteristic specifications can be created. In this case, the plurality of rotational characteristic definers may change the same type of rotational characteristic or different types of rotational characteristics.

[0019] Also, In these cases In the rotary damper, the rotation characteristic defining unit has the plurality of types of rotation characteristic defining devices arranged along the axial direction of the inner chamber. It is also possible to .

[0020] According to this In the rotary damper, multiple types of rotational characteristic regulators in the rotational characteristic regulation unit are arranged along the axial direction of the inner chamber, so that the multiple rotational characteristic regulators can be efficiently arranged to prevent the configuration from becoming larger. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic overall configuration of a rotary damper according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a rotation characteristic defining unit disassembled from a housing of the rotary damper shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the outline of the external configuration of the rotary damper shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the outline of the external configuration of the rotary damper shown in FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the internal structure of the rotary damper as seen from line 5-5 in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the internal structure of the rotary damper as seen from line 6-6 in FIG. 3. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the internal structure of the rotary damper as seen from line 7-7 in FIG. 3. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the internal structure of the rotary damper as seen from line 8-8 in FIG. 3. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the internal structure of the rotary damper as seen from line 9-9 in FIG. 4. [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the internal structure of the rotary damper as seen from line 10-10 in FIG. [Figure 11] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the rotary damper shown in FIG. 1 is connected to a torsion spring unit. [Figure 12] 9(A) to 9(D) are cross-sectional views respectively showing the operating states of the rotor of the rotary damper shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 rotating clockwise in the drawing. [Figure 13] 9(A) to 9(D) are cross-sectional views respectively showing the operating states of the rotor of the rotary damper shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 rotating counterclockwise in the drawing. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a schematic overall configuration of a rotary damper according to a modified example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] An embodiment of a rotary damper according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic view of the overall configuration of a rotary damper 100. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a rotational characteristic defining unit 140 disassembled from a housing 101 of the rotary damper 100 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side view showing a schematic view of the external configuration of the rotary damper 100 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a rear view showing a schematic view of the external configuration of the rotary damper 100 shown in Fig. 1.

[0023] In addition, the drawings referred to in this specification may exaggerate some of the components to make it easier to understand the present invention. Therefore, the dimensions and ratios of the components may differ. This rotary damper 100 is a damping device that generates a damping force only in one of two rotation directions, clockwise and counterclockwise, of the shaft 131, and can function as a door closer by being attached to the hinge side of a door (not shown), for example.

[0024] (Configuration of rotary damper 100) The rotary damper 100 includes a housing 101. The housing 101 is a component that rotatably holds the rotor 130 and constitutes the enclosure of the rotary damper 100, and is made of aluminum, iron, zinc, or various resin materials such as polyamide resin. Specifically, the housing 101 is mainly made up of one housing main body 102 and two lids 126 and 127.

[0025] The housing body 102 is a cylindrical component that houses the movable vanes 132 of the rotor 130 and the fluid 170, which will be described later, and to which the rotational characteristic defining unit 140 is attached. More specifically, the housing body 102 has an inner chamber 103 and a fixed vane 104 formed therein, and a housing-side connecting portion 120 and a fixed portion 125 formed thereon.

[0026] 5 to 9, the inner chamber 103 is a space that liquid-tightly accommodates the fluid 170 together with the movable vanes 132 of the rotor 130, and is configured as a substantially cylindrical space that axially penetrates the housing main body 102. In this inner chamber 103, the fixed vane 104 is formed, and four first external communication passages 110, 111, 112, 113 and three second external communication passages 114, 115, 116 open, respectively.

[0027] Fixed vane 104 is a wall-like portion that, together with rotor 130, divides inner chamber 103 to form compartments R1 and R2, and is formed so as to protrude inward in a convex shape from the inner wall surface of inner chamber 103 along the axial direction of housing body 102. In other words, fixed vane 104 is formed integrally with housing body 102. This fixed vane 104 has three outer edge portions that face two cover bodies 126, 127 and shaft body 131 of rotor 130, each of which is formed in a concave groove shape, and a seal body 105 is fitted into each of these grooves.

[0028] Seal body 105 is a component for ensuring liquid-tightness between compartments R1 and R2 formed within inner chamber 103, and is made of an elastic material such as various rubber materials, including nitrile rubber, hydrogenated nitrile rubber, and fluororubber, formed into a C-shape in side view. Seal body 105 is attached to protrude from the outer edge of fixed vane 104 so as to slidably fit closely to the inner surfaces of lid bodies 126 and 127 and the outer peripheral surface of shaft body 131 of rotor 130.

[0029] The four first external-communication passages 110, 111, 112, and 113 are passages for communicating between private chamber R1, which is one of private chambers R1 and R2 constituting the internal chamber 103, and the outer surface of the housing main body 102 facing the outside, thereby allowing the fluid 170 to flow. That is, one end of each of the first external-communication passages 110, 111, 112, and 113 opens to the inner circumferential surface of the internal chamber 103 in private chamber R1, and the other end opens to the housing-side coupling portion 120. In this case, the four first external-communication passages 110, 111, 112, and 113 are formed side by side along the axial direction of the internal chamber 103.

[0030] Here, the first external communication path 110 is a path for circulating the fluid 170 between the rotation characteristic regulator 160. The first external communication path 111 is a path for circulating the fluid 170 between the rotation characteristic regulator 161. The first external communication path 112 is a path for circulating the fluid 170 between the rotation characteristic regulator 162. The first external communication path 113 is a path for circulating the fluid 170 between the rotation characteristic regulator 163.

[0031] The three second external communication passages 114, 115, 116 are passages for communicating between private chamber R2, which is the other of private chambers R1 and R2 constituting the internal chamber 103, and the outer surface of the housing main body 102 facing the outside, to allow the fluid 170 to flow. That is, one end of each of the second external communication passages 114, 115, 116 opens to the inner circumferential surface of the internal chamber 103 in private chamber R2, and the other end opens to the housing-side connecting portion 120. In this case, the three second external communication passages 114, 115, 116 are formed side by side along the axial direction of the internal chamber 103.

[0032] Here, the second external communication path 114 is a path for circulating the fluid 170 between the rotation characteristic regulator 160. The second external communication path 115 is a path for circulating the fluid 170 between the rotation characteristic regulator 161. The second external communication path 116 is a path for circulating the fluid 170 between the rotation characteristic regulator 163.

[0033] The housing-side connecting portion 120 is a portion to which the rotation characteristic defining unit 140 is detachably attached, and is formed as a flat surface on the outer peripheral surface of the housing main body 102. In this embodiment, the housing-side connecting portion 120 is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view extending along the axial direction of the housing 101. The other ends of the first external communication passages 110, 111, 112, 113 and the second external communication passages 114, 115, 116 each open into this housing-side connecting portion 120.

[0034] In this case, a ring-shaped recess 121 is formed on the outside of each opening of the first external communication passages 110, 111, 112, 113 and the second external communication passages 114, 115, 116 in the housing-side connecting part 120, and a seal 122 such as an O-ring is fitted into each of these ring-shaped recesses 121. Note that the seal 122 is not shown in FIG.

[0035] Furthermore, three mounting holes 123 are formed in each of the housing side connecting parts 120. These mounting holes 123 are used to attach the rotation characteristic defining units 140, and are configured as bottomed cylindrical holes with female threads into which the bolts 124 are threadably fitted. These mounting holes 123 are formed in a row along the axial direction of the housing main body 102.

[0036] The fixing portions 125 are portions for attaching the rotary damper 100 to an object (not shown) to which the rotary damper 100 is to be attached, and are configured with four cylindrical bodies that protrude downward in the figure on the outer peripheral surface of the housing main body 102 on the side opposite (lower in the figure) from the housing-side connecting portion 120. In this case, the inner peripheral surface of each fixing portion 125 is formed with a female thread into which a bolt (not shown) used for attaching the rotary damper 100 to the object to be attached is threadedly fitted.

[0037] The two lids 126, 127 are components that close the openings at both ends of the housing body 102 and support the rotor 130, and the outer peripheries of the cylindrical rotor support portions 126a, 127a are formed into flat ring shapes with flange-like projections. The rotor support portions 126a, 127a support both ends of the shaft 131 of the rotor 130 in a freely rotatable state, and liquid-tightly support the shaft 131 of the rotor 130 via a sealing material such as packing on the inner periphery. These lids 126, 127 are attached to both ends of the housing body 102 with bolts.

[0038] The rotor 130 is disposed within the inner chamber 103 of the housing 101 and divides the inner chamber 103 into two spaces, individual chambers R1 and R2, and is a component that rotates within the inner chamber 103 to increase or decrease the volume of each of the individual chambers R1 and R2, and is primarily composed of a shaft 131 and a movable vane 132.

[0039] The shaft 131 is a cylindrical portion that supports the movable vanes 132 and is made of aluminum, iron, zinc, or various resin materials such as polyamide resin. Both ends of the shaft 131 are slidably supported by the rotor support portions 126a and 127a, respectively.

[0040] The movable vanes 132 are components for dividing the interior of the inner chamber 103 into a plurality of spaces and for increasing or decreasing the volume of each of these spaces in a liquid-tight manner, and are each formed of a plate-like body extending in the radial direction of the shaft body 131 (inner chamber 103). The movable vanes 132 have three outer edge portions that face the two cover bodies 126, 127 and the inner circumferential surface of the inner chamber 103, each formed in a concave groove shape, and a seal body 133 similar to the seal body 105 is fitted into each of these grooves.

[0041] As a result, the movable vane 132 cooperates with the fixed vane 104 to form two spaces, private chamber R1 and private chamber R2, in a liquid-tight manner within the inner chamber 103. That is, in the inner chamber 103, the private chamber R1 and private chamber R2 are formed adjacent to each other along the circumferential direction via the movable vane 132 and the fixed vane 104, respectively.

[0042] The rotational characteristic defining unit 140 is a device for defining the rotational characteristic of the rotor 130, and is mainly configured to include a unit main body 141 and rotational characteristic definers 160, 161, 162, and 163. The unit main body 141 is a component that holds the rotational characteristic definers 160, 161, 162, and 163, and on which the unit side connecting portion 142 is formed, and is configured by forming an aluminum material, iron material, zinc material, or various resin materials such as polyamide resin into a block shape. In this embodiment, the unit main body 141 is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view extending along the axial direction of the housing 101.

[0043] This unit main body 141 has a unit side connecting portion 142 formed on the outside, and three mounting holes 143, four regulator accommodating portions 145, 146, 147, 148, four first regulator communicating passages 150, 151, 152, 153, and three second regulator communicating passages 154, 155, 156 formed inside.

[0044] The unit-side coupling part 142 is a part that is detachably attached to the housing-side coupling part 120, and is formed as a flat surface on the outer peripheral surface of the unit body 141. In this embodiment, the unit-side coupling part 142 is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view extending along the longitudinal direction of the unit body 141. The other ends of the four first regulator-communicating passages 150, 151, 152, and 153 and the three second regulator-communicating passages 154, 155, and 156 each open into the unit-side coupling part 142. Furthermore, three mounting holes 143 open into the unit-side coupling part 142.

[0045] The three mounting holes 143 are used when mounting the rotation characteristic defining unit 140 to the housing side connecting portion 120 of the housing 101. Mounting hole 123 These mounting holes 143 are formed in a line along the longitudinal direction of the unit body 141.

[0046] 10, the four regulator accommodating sections 145, 146, 147, and 148 are sections that detachably hold the four rotation characteristic regulators 160, 161, 162, and 163, respectively, and are formed in the shape of horizontal holes that open on the side surface of the unit main body 141. These regulator accommodating sections 145, 146, 147, and 148 are formed side by side along the longitudinal direction of the unit main body 141.

[0047] The four first regulator communicating passages 150, 151, 152, and 153 are passages for communicating between the rotation characteristic regulators 160, 161, 162, and 163 held in the regulator accommodating portions 145, 146, 147, and 148, respectively, and the outer surface facing the outside of the unit main body 141, thereby allowing the fluid 170 to flow. That is, one end of each of the first regulator communicating passages 150, 151, 152, and 153 opens to the regulator accommodating portions 145, 146, 147, and 148, respectively, and the other end opens to the unit side connecting portion 142. In this case, the four first regulator communicating passages 150, 151, 152, and 153 are formed side by side along the longitudinal direction of the unit main body 141.

[0048] Here, the first regulator communicating path 150 is a path connected to the first external communicating path 110 and for circulating the fluid 170 between it and the rotation characteristic regulator 160. The first regulator communicating path 151 is a path connected to the first external communicating path 111 and for circulating the fluid 170 between it and the rotation characteristic regulator 161. The first regulator communicating path 152 is a path connected to the first external communicating path 112 and for circulating the fluid 170 between it and the rotation characteristic regulator 162. The first regulator communicating path 153 is a path connected to the first external communicating path 113 and for circulating the fluid 170 between it and the rotation characteristic regulator 163.

[0049] The three second regulator communicating passages 154, 155, 156 are passages for communicating between the rotation characteristic regulators 160, 161, 163, which are respectively held in the regulator accommodating portions 145, 146, 148 separately from the three first regulator communicating passages 150, 151, 153, and the outer surface facing the outside of the unit main body 141, thereby allowing the fluid 170 to flow. That is, one end of each of the second regulator communicating passages 154, 155, 156 opens to the regulator accommodating portions 145, 146, 148, respectively, and the other end opens to the unit side connecting portion 142. In this case, the three second regulator communicating passages 154, 155, 156 are formed side by side along the longitudinal direction of the unit main body 141.

[0050] Here, the second regulator communicating path 154 is a path connected to the second external communicating path 114 and for circulating the fluid 170 between the rotation characteristic regulator 160. The second regulator communicating path 155 is a path connected to the second external communicating path 115 and for circulating the fluid 170 between the rotation characteristic regulator 161. The second regulator communicating path 156 is a path connected to the second external communicating path 116 and for circulating the fluid 170 between the rotation characteristic regulator 163.

[0051] The rotation characteristic regulators 160, 161, 162, and 163 are devices that regulate the rotation characteristic of the rotor 130 using a fluid 170, and are housed in the regulator accommodating portions 145, 146, 147, and 148, respectively. Specifically, the rotation characteristic regulator 160 is configured as a one-way valve that allows the fluid 170 to flow only from one side to the other. In this embodiment, the rotation characteristic regulator 160 is housed in the regulator accommodating portion 145 and allows the fluid 170 to flow only from the first regulator communicating passage 150 side to the second regulator communicating passage 154 side.

[0052] The rotation characteristic regulator 161 is configured as a relief valve for releasing the pressure in the private chamber R2 to the private chamber R1 when the pressure in the private chamber R2 in the inner chamber 103 exceeds a predetermined value, thereby maintaining the pressure in the private chamber R2 at or below the predetermined value. In this embodiment, the rotation characteristic regulator 161 is housed in the regulator housing portion 146 and regulates the maximum pressure in the private chamber R2 via the second regulator communicating passage 155 and the first regulator communicating passage 151, respectively.

[0053] The rotation characteristic regulator 162 is configured as an accumulator that compensates for volume changes caused by expansion or contraction due to temperature changes of the fluid 170 in the inner chamber 103. In this embodiment, the rotation characteristic regulator 162 is housed in the regulator housing portion 147 and communicates with the private chamber R1 via the first regulator communication passage 152 to compensate for pressure changes of the fluid 170 in the inner chamber 103.

[0054] The rotation characteristic regulator 163 is configured with a linear solenoid valve that can variably control the flow rate of the fluid 170. In this embodiment, the rotation characteristic regulator 163 is housed in the regulator housing portion 148 and variably controls the flow rate of the fluid 170 between the first regulator communicating passage 153 and the second regulator communicating passage 156. In this case, the operation of the linear solenoid valve that constitutes the rotation characteristic regulator 163 is controlled by a control device that is provided on the object to which the rotary damper 100 is attached.

[0055] The fluid 170 is a substance that provides resistance to the movable vane 132 rotating in the inner chamber 103, thereby causing the rotary damper 100 to perform a damping function, and is filled in the inner chamber 103. The fluid 170 is composed of a liquid, gel, or semi-solid substance having a flowability and viscosity according to the specifications of the rotary damper 100. In this case, the viscosity of the fluid 170 is selected appropriately according to the specifications of the rotary damper 100. In this embodiment, the fluid 170 is composed of an oil, such as mineral oil or silicone oil. Note that the fluid 170 is indicated by hatching within a dashed circle only in FIGS. 5 and 9.

[0056] (Operation of rotary damper 100) Next, we will explain the operation of the rotary damper 100 configured as described above. The rotary damper 100 is attached to the hinge side of a door (not shown) to generate a damping force when the flat door is closed.

[0057] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 11, the rotary damper 100 has a torsion spring unit 180 connected to one end (the lower side in the figure) of the shaft body 131 of the rotor 130. The torsion spring unit 180 is a device for generating a rotational force for closing a door, and is configured to include a coil spring-like torsion spring 182 that generates torsional torque inside a bottomed cylindrical housing 181. The rotary damper 100 functions as a door closer when the other end (the upper side in the figure) of the shaft body 131 of the rotor 130 is attached to a hinge side portion of a door (not shown). The rotary damper 100 is also connected to an automatic door unit (not shown).

[0058] The automatic door unit is a mechanical device that applies force to the door when it detects a person entering or leaving the room, opens the door, and then releases the force applied to the door. This automatic door unit is electrically connected to the rotation characteristic regulator 163 (linear solenoid valve) in the rotary damper 100, and controls the operation of the rotation characteristic regulator 163.

[0059] 12(A) to 12(D), when the door is opened, the rotor 130 of the rotary damper 100 rotates clockwise (see the thick dashed arrow). That is, in the rotary damper 100, the movable vane 132 rotates clockwise toward the left side surface of the fixed vane 104.

[0060] In this case, the compartment R1 is in a state of "outflow permitted" relative to the compartment R2 by the rotation characteristic regulator 160 (one-way valve), and is in a state of "outflow permitted without throttling" by the rotation characteristic regulator 163 (linear solenoid valve). Therefore, as the volume of the compartment R1 decreases due to the clockwise rotation of the movable vane 132, the fluid 170 in the compartment R1 flows through the first external communication passage 110, the first regulator communication passage 150, the rotation characteristic regulator 160, the second regulator communication passage 154, and the second external communication passage 114, and then flows into the compartment R2 (see the dashed arrows).

[0061] At the same time, the fluid 170 in the compartment R1 flows through the first external communication passage 113, the first regulator communication passage 153, the rotation characteristic regulator 163, the second regulator communication passage 156, and the second external communication passage 116, respectively, as the volume of the compartment R1 decreases due to the clockwise rotation of the movable vane 132, and then flows into the compartment R2 (see the dashed arrows). Rotary Damper 100 No damping force is generated.

[0062] 13(A) to 13(D), when the door is closed (when the force applied to the door is released), the rotor 130 of the rotary damper 100 rotates counterclockwise (see the thick dashed arrow). That is, in the rotary damper 100, the movable vane 132 rotates counterclockwise (see the dashed arrow) toward the right side surface of the fixed vane 104.

[0063] In this case, the compartment R2 is in a state of "no outflow" with respect to the compartment R1 by the rotation characteristic regulator 160 (one-way valve) and in a state of "outflow is permitted with throttling" by the rotation characteristic regulator 163 (linear solenoid valve). Private room R2As the volume of the fluid 170 decreases, the fluid flows through the second external communication passage 116, the second regulator communication passage 156, the rotation characteristic regulator 163, the first regulator communication passage 153, and the first external communication passage 113, and then flows into the private chamber R1. In this case, in the rotary damper 100, the flow of the fluid 170 that has flowed out of the private chamber R2 is hindered by the rotation characteristic regulator 163, so that the pressure in the private chamber R2 increases and rotational resistance is generated in the rotor 130 as a damping force.

[0064] When the rotation speed of the rotor 130 increases during such a rotational movement of the rotor 130, and the pressure in the individual chamber R2 in the inner chamber 103 rises, the rotation characteristic regulator 161 (relief valve) operates.

[0065] Specifically, when the pressure in the private chamber R2 rises during the rotational movement of the rotor 130, the rotational characteristic regulator 161 (relief valve) opens the valve, and the pressure in the private chamber R2 is released to the private chamber R1 via the second external communication passage 115, the second regulator communication passage 155, the rotational characteristic regulator 161, the first regulator communication passage 151 and the first external communication passage 111.

[0066] In addition, when the volume of the rotational characteristic regulator 162 (accumulator) increases or decreases due to a change in temperature of the fluid 170, the fluid 170 in the private chamber R1 flows into or out of the cylinder that constitutes the rotational characteristic regulator 162 via the first external communication passage 112 and the first regulator communication passage 152, thereby absorbing the increase or decrease.

[0067] Furthermore, a user of the rotary damper 100 can instruct an automatic door unit connected to the rotation characteristic regulator 163 (linear solenoid valve) of the rotary damper 100 to change the flow rate (valve opening) of the fluid 170 in the rotation characteristic regulator 163 (linear solenoid valve). This allows the user to change the damping force of the rotary damper 100.

[0068] Next, a user of this rotary damper 100 can perform maintenance or change the specifications of the rotary damper 100 by removing the rotational characteristic defining unit 140 from the housing 101. Specifically, the user can remove the rotational characteristic defining unit 140 from the housing main body 102 by loosening the bolts 124. This allows the user to perform maintenance on the housing 101 and the rotational characteristic defining unit 140. Furthermore, when changing the specifications of the rotary damper 100, the user prepares a rotational characteristic defining unit 140 that includes at least one rotational characteristic defining device with different specifications for at least one of the rotational characteristic defining devices 160, 161, 162, and 163.

[0069] Then, the user attaches the rotational characteristic defining unit 140 for which maintenance has been completed, a new rotational characteristic defining unit 140 of the same specifications, or a rotational characteristic defining unit 140 of different specifications to the housing main body 102 by tightening the bolts 124. In this way, the rotary damper 100 can be subjected to maintenance or a change in specifications.

[0070] As can be seen from the explanation of the operating method above, according to the embodiment, in the rotary damper 100, the first regulator communication passages 150, 151, 152, 153 and the second regulator communication passages 154, 155, 156 in the rotational characteristic defining unit 140, each of which has a rotational characteristic definer 160, 161, 162, 163, are detachably connected to the first external communication passages 110, 111, 112, 113 and the second external communication passages 114, 115, 116 that lead to the inner chamber 103 in the housing 101. Therefore, by replacing the rotational characteristic defining unit 140 with one having a desired rotational characteristic definer, the specifications of the rotational characteristics can be easily changed, and the use of parts of the previous rotary damper 100, such as the housing 101, can be continued, resulting in good economy. Furthermore, the rotary damper 100 can also facilitate the provision of rotation characteristic regulators 160, 161, 162, and 163 that are too large to be provided within the housing 101.

[0071] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. In the description of each modification, the same parts as those in the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0072] For example, in the above embodiment, the rotational characteristic defining unit 140 is configured to include four rotational characteristic defining devices 160, 161, 162, and 163. However, the rotational characteristic defining unit 140 may be selected so as to realize the required characteristics according to the specifications of the object to which the rotary damper 100 is attached.

[0073] That is, the rotational characteristic defining unit 140 is only required to include at least one rotational characteristic definer that defines the rotation of the rotor 130. Therefore, for example, the rotational characteristic defining unit 140 can be configured without the rotational characteristic definer 162 (accumulator) when temperature compensation of the fluid 170 is not required. Also, when strict control of the damping force is not required, the rotational characteristic defining unit 140 can use various types of throttle valves, such as an orifice or a stacked valve, instead of the linear solenoid valve.

[0074] Furthermore, when the rotary damper 100 is provided with only a rotation characteristic regulator that does not need to communicate with both the private chamber R1 and the private chamber R2 at the same time, such as when the rotary damper 100 is provided with only the rotation characteristic regulator 162 (accumulator), the second external communication passages 114, 115, 116 and the second regulator communication passages 154, 155, 156 are not necessary. In this case, the rotary damper 100 needs to be provided with a throttle valve such as an orifice or a stacked valve in the fixed vane 104 and / or the movable vane 132 to ensure the flow of the fluid 170 between the private chamber R1 and the private chamber R2.

[0075] Furthermore, the rotation characteristic specifier may be housed and held inside the unit body 141 without protruding outside, like the rotation characteristic specifiers 160 and 161, or may be held in a state where a portion of it protrudes from the outer surface of the unit body 141, like the rotation characteristic specifiers 162 and 163.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the first external communication paths 110-113, the second external communication paths 114-116, the first regulator communication paths 150-153, and the second regulator communication paths 154-156 are provided for each of the rotation characteristic regulators 160-163. However, the first external communication paths 110-113, the second external communication paths 114-116, the first regulator communication paths 150-153, and the second regulator communication paths 154-156 can also be shared by a single rotation characteristic regulator. For example, the rotation characteristic regulator 162 (accumulator) can omit the first external communication passage 112 and the first regulator communication passage 152, and instead share a passage branching off from at least one of the first regulator communication passages 150, 151, 153 with at least one of the first regulator communication passages 150, 151, 153.

[0077] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the rotation characteristic specifiers 160, 161, 162, and 163 may specify the rotation direction of the rotor 130 during rotation, the torque attenuation characteristics, the compensation characteristics for volume change due to temperature change of the fluid 170, or the characteristics for allowing or disallowing rotation of the rotor 130 itself. In this case, the rotation characteristic specifier 163 in the above embodiment can selectively control the state of allowing the flow of the fluid 170 and the state of disallowing the flow of the fluid 170 by completely opening or closing the valve. However, it goes without saying that the rotation characteristic specifier may specify a characteristic other than the rotation direction of the rotor 130 during rotation, the torque attenuation characteristics, the compensation characteristics for volume change due to temperature change of the fluid 170, or the characteristics for allowing or disallowing rotation of the rotor 130 itself.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the rotation characteristic specifiers 160, 161, 162, and 163 are arranged side by side in the axial direction of the inner chamber 103 in the housing 101 in the unit main body 141. However, the rotation characteristic specifiers 160, 161, 162, and 163 may also be arranged side by side in a direction other than the axial direction of the inner chamber 103 in the housing 101 in the unit main body 141, for example, in a direction perpendicular to the coaxial direction.

[0079] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the rotary damper 100 is configured by directly attaching the rotational characteristic defining unit 140 to the housing 101. However, as shown in Fig. 14, the rotary damper 100 may also be configured such that the rotational characteristic defining unit 140 is provided at a position physically separated from the housing 101 and connected to the housing 101. In this case, the rotary damper 100 detachably connects the first external communication passages 110-113 and the second external communication passages 114-116 on the housing 101 side to the first regulator communicating passages 150-153 and the second regulator communicating passages 154-156 on the rotational characteristic defining unit 140 side via first side piping 190, 191, 192, 193 and second side piping 194, 195, 196 formed in a tubular shape.

[0080] In this case, the first side pipes 190, 191, 192, 193 and the second side pipes 194, 195, 196 may be made of a rigid body made of a metal material or a resin material that is rigid and does not bend freely, or may be made of a flexible tube made of a resin material that is flexible and bends freely. This allows the rotary damper 100 to be installed in a narrow space in the housing 101 or in a location where the housing 101 or the rotation characteristic defining unit 140 can be easily maintained, thereby increasing the variety of installation options for the rotary damper 100.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the housing side connecting portion 120 and the unit side connecting portion 142 are each formed to have a flat surface. However, the housing side connecting portion 120 and the unit side connecting portion 142 can also be formed to have a shape other than a flat surface, for example, a convex shape and a concave shape that fit together.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the rotary damper 100 has the inner chamber 103 divided into two compartments, compartment R1 and compartment R2. However, the rotary damper 100 may have the inner chamber 103 divided into at least two or more compartments, and may have three or more compartments. That is, the rotary damper 100 can have three or more compartments in the inner chamber 103 by forming two or more movable vanes 132 and two or more fixed vanes 104.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the rotary damper 100 is described as being used as a door closer attached to the hinge portion of a door. However, the rotary damper 100 may be used in a location other than a door closer. Also For example, the rotary damper 100 can be attached to the base end of a swing arm that supports the rear wheel of a two-wheeled self-propelled vehicle (motorcycle) so that the rear wheel can move up and down, and can also be used as a damping device that damps kinetic energy when the rear wheel moves up and down.

[0084] In addition, the rotary damper 100 can be attached and used in a location other than a swing arm in a two-wheeled self-propelled vehicle (for example, a seat opening / closing mechanism), in a vehicle other than a two-wheeled self-propelled vehicle (a suspension mechanism, a seat mechanism, or an opening / closing door in a four-wheeled self-propelled vehicle), or in a mechanical device, electrical device, appliance, or furniture other than a self-propelled vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] R1, R2...private rooms, 100... rotary damper, 101... housing, 102... housing body, 103... inner chamber, 104... fixed vane, 105... seal body, 110, 111, 112, 113...first external communication passage, 114, 115, 116...second external communication passage, 120... Housing side connecting portion, 121... Ring-shaped recess, 122... Sealing material, 123... Mounting hole, 124... Bolt, 125... Fixing portion, 126, 127... Cover body, 126a, 127a... Rotor support portion, 130... rotor, 131... shaft body, 132... movable vane, 133... seal body, 140... Rotation characteristic regulation unit, 141... Unit main body, 142... Unit side connection part, 143... Mounting hole, 145, 146, 147, 148... Regulator accommodating part, 150, 151, 152, 153...first regulator communication passage, 154, 155, 156...second regulator communication passage, 160, 161, 162, 163...Rotation characteristic regulator, 170...fluid, 180...torsion spring unit, 181...housing, 182...torsion spring, 190,191,192,193...1st side piping, 194,195,196...2nd side piping.

Claims

1. a housing having a cylindrical inner chamber for fluid-tightly accommodating a fluid, and having a fixed vane formed in the inner chamber as a wall extending in a radial direction to prevent the fluid from flowing in a circumferential direction; a rotor having movable vanes on an outer periphery of a shaft, which partition the interior of the inner chamber and rotate while pushing the fluid toward the fixed vanes; at least two individual chambers formed by the fixed vanes and the movable vanes within the inner chamber, the volumes of which increase or decrease depending on the rotation direction of the movable vanes; a rotation characteristic regulator that regulates the rotation characteristic of the rotor using the fluid; a rotation characteristic defining unit provided outside the housing and having the rotation characteristic defining device and a first defining device communication passage for circulating the fluid to the rotation characteristic defining device, The housing includes: a first external communication passage extending from at least one of the at least two compartments and opening at an outer surface of the housing to allow the fluid to flow therethrough; The rotation characteristic defining unit is the first regulator communication passage is detachably connected to the first external communication passage, and the device has a plurality of types of rotation characteristic regulators that change different types of rotation characteristics, and a plurality of the first regulator communication passages corresponding to the plurality of types of rotation characteristic regulators, The housing includes: a first external communication passage formed for each of the plurality of first regulator communication passages;

2. In the rotary damper described in claim 1, The rotation characteristic defining unit is A rotary damper that is detachable from the housing.

3. In the rotary damper described in claim 2, The housing includes: a housing-side connecting portion formed in a flat surface on a part of the outer surface, and the first external communication passage opens into the housing-side connecting portion; The rotation characteristic defining unit is a unit-side connecting portion formed as a flat surface on a portion of an outer surface thereof and arranged opposite the housing-side connecting portion, and the first regulator communication passage opens into the unit-side connecting portion.

4. In the rotary damper described in claim 1, The rotation characteristic defining unit is A rotary damper characterized in that it is provided at a position physically separated from the housing.

5. 5. The rotary damper according to claim 1, wherein: The housing includes: a second external communication passage extending from the other of the at least two compartments and opening to an outer surface of the housing to allow the fluid to flow therethrough; The rotation characteristic defining unit is A rotary damper characterized in that it has a second regulator communication passage through which the fluid flows to the rotation characteristic regulator, and the second regulator communication passage is detachably connected to the second external communication passage.

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