Positioning device

Abstract

A positioning device comprising: a main body disposed facing the surface of a cover member; a plurality of slide members provided in the main body so as to be movable in mutually different directions along the radial directions of the cover member; a plurality of claws capable of pinching the outer peripheral surface of an analog meter, each claw being provided at the respective tip of the plurality of slide members; a synchronous drive section that moves the plurality of slide members in the radial direction in synchronization so that the distances of the plurality of claws from the center of the main body are always equal to each other; a sensor holding section that is provided at the center of the surface of the main body facing the surface of the cover member and capable of holding a sensor unit; and a pushing member that pushes out the sensor unit held by the sensor holding section toward the center of the surface of the cover member facing the sensor unit.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a positioning device. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 discloses a positioning device that has a configuration in which a pair of clamping members clamp the outer surface of the outer frame of the cover member of an analog meter, making it possible to position a magnetic sensor at the center of a meter for multiple types of meters with different outer diameters. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-196250 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires the worker to remove the cover member from the analog meter in order to attach the magnetic sensor to the cover member, which is time-consuming. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A positioning device according to one embodiment is a positioning device that positions a sensor unit relative to the center of the surface of a substantially circular, transparent cover member that covers the display surface of an analog meter, and includes: a main body that is arranged opposite the surface of the cover member when positioning the sensor unit; a plurality of slide members that are arranged on the main body so as to be movable in different directions along the radial direction of the cover member; a plurality of claw portions that are arranged at the tip of each of the plurality of slide members and are capable of clamping the outer peripheral surface of the analog meter; a synchronous drive unit that moves the plurality of slide members in the radial direction in synchronization so that the distances from the center of the main body to the plurality of claw portions are always equal; a sensor holding portion that is arranged at the center of the surface of the main body that faces the surface of the cover member and is capable of holding a sensor unit; and a push-out member that pushes the sensor unit held by the sensor holding portion toward the center of the surface of the cover member that faces the sensor unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the positioning device of one embodiment, it is possible to easily position the sensor unit at the center of the cover member of a plurality of types of analog meters having different outer diameters. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a positioning device according to an embodiment, seen from above; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an external appearance of a positioning device according to an embodiment, seen from below; [Figure 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a positioning device according to an embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a positioning device according to an embodiment; [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a positioning device according to an embodiment, viewed from below; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a synchronous drive unit included in a positioning device according to an embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which an analog meter is clamped by a positioning device according to an embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an example of installation of a sensor unit in an analog meter according to an embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of installation of a sensor unit in an analog meter according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] (Configuration of positioning device 100) FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a positioning device 100 according to an embodiment, as seen from above. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a positioning device 100 according to an embodiment, as seen from below. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a positioning device 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a positioning device 100 according to an embodiment, as seen from above. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a positioning device 100 according to an embodiment, as seen from below.

[0010] In the following description, for convenience, the direction perpendicular to the surface 210A of the cover glass 210 of the analog meter 200 is referred to as the up-down direction (Z-axis direction). The surface 210A side of the cover glass 210 is referred to as the upper side (Z-axis positive side), and the back side of the cover glass 210 is referred to as the lower side (Z-axis negative side). Directions parallel to the surface 210A of the cover glass 210 and perpendicular to each other are referred to as the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0011] The positioning device 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a device for positioning a sensor unit 300 with respect to the center of a surface 210A of a substantially circular and transparent cover glass 210 (an example of a “cover member”) that covers the display surface of an analog meter 200.

[0012] 1, the positioning device 100 includes a main body 110, three slide members 120, three claws 130, a synchronous drive unit 140, a sensor holding unit 150, and a push-out member 160. All of these components included in the positioning device 100 are formed using any relatively hard material (for example, a resin material or a metal material).

[0013] <Main body 110> The main body 110 is a member that is disposed so that the bottom surface of the main body 110 faces the surface of the cover glass 210 when positioning the sensor unit 300. The main body 110 also holds each of the components of the positioning device 100 (the three slide members 120, the synchronous drive unit 140, and the push-out member 160).

[0014] Specifically, the main body 110 has a base 111 and an outer circumferential portion 112. The base 111 is a generally cylindrical portion having its center on the central axis X and extending in the up-down direction (X-axis direction) along the central axis X. The outer circumferential portion 112 is connected to the lower end of the outer circumferential surface of the base 111, and is an annular portion surrounding the base 111, and has a horizontal (i.e., parallel to the XY plane) flat plate shape.

[0015] The main body 110 also has six guide portions 113 provided at equal angular intervals (i.e., 60° intervals). Each guide portion 113 is provided from an opening 111A formed in the outer peripheral wall of the base 111 along the radial direction of the main body 110 on the outer peripheral portion 112.

[0016] 4, each guide portion 113 has a pair of wall portions 113A that are erected vertically on the outer circumferential portion 112. Each guide portion 113 guides the sliding movement of the sliding member 120 in the radial direction by disposing the sliding member 120 between the pair of wall portions 113A.

[0017] 4, each of the pair of wall portions 113A has a support groove 113B that extends in the radial direction of the main body portion 110 (i.e., the sliding direction of the slide member 120) and supports the edge portion in the width direction of the slide member 120. The support groove 113B can guide the slide member 120 to slide in the radial direction of the main body portion 110, and can also maintain the horizontal position of the slide member 120.

[0018] <Slide member 120> Each of the three slide members 120 is a long plate-shaped member that extends linearly in the radial direction of the main body 110. Each of the three slide members 120 is provided slidably along the radial direction of the main body 110.

[0019] Specifically, each of the three slide members 120 is positioned between a pair of wall portions 113A of the guide portion 113 of the main body portion 110, and is supported by the pair of wall portions 113A so as to be slidable along the radial direction of the main body portion 110.

[0020] The three slide members 120 are arranged at equal angular intervals (i.e., 120° intervals) relative to the main body portion 110, i.e., each of the three slide members 120 is arranged on the main body portion 110 so as to be slidable in each of three mutually different radial directions.

[0021] Furthermore, the rear end portion of each of the three slide members 120 extends in a radial direction opposite to the radial direction in which the tip end portion of the slide member 120 extends (i.e., a radial direction that differs by 180°). That is, each of the three slide members 120 is provided straddling a set of guide parts 113 that are linear (i.e., have radial directions that differ by 180°) so as to intersect with the central axis X.

[0022] The three slide members 120 are arranged to intersect with each other at positions that overlap the center of the main body 110 in a plan view (i.e., on the central axis X), and are arranged to overlap with each other in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), so that the sliding movements of the three slide members 120 do not interfere with each other.

[0023] <Claw part 130> Each of the three claws 130 is provided at a tip end of each of the three slide members 120 so as to hang down from the tip end. This allows each of the three claws 130 to move in the radial direction of the main body 110 together with the slide member 120. Each of the three claws 130 can clamp the outer peripheral surface of the analog meter 200 by having the surface facing the central axis X abut against the outer peripheral surface of the analog meter 200 (outer peripheral surface 212A of the outer frame 212 of the cover crystal 210).

[0024] <Synchronous driving unit 140> The synchronous drive unit 140 is provided inside the base 111 of the main body 110. The synchronous drive unit 140 synchronously moves the three slide members 120 in the radial direction of the main body 110 so that the distances of the three claws 130 from the center of the main body 110 (i.e., the distances from the central axis X) are always equal to one another (i.e., so that the three claws 130 are always positioned on the same circumference). The detailed configuration and operation of the synchronous drive unit 140 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.

[0025] <Sensor holding portion 150> The sensor holding portion 150 is provided at the center (i.e., on the rotation axis X) of the bottom surface 114 of the main body portion 110 (i.e., the surface facing the surface 210A of the cover glass 210 of the analog meter 200), and is capable of holding the sensor unit 300. Specifically, the sensor holding portion 150 has a shape that is recessed upward (in the positive direction of the Z axis) from the bottom surface 114 of the main body portion 110 in substantially the same shape as the outer shape of the sensor unit 300.

[0026] By fitting sensor holding portion 150, sensor holding portion 150 can hold sensor unit 300 with the center of main body portion 110 (that is, central axis X) and the center of sensor unit 300 aligned.

[0027] A plurality of claws 151 having a snap-fit ​​structure are provided inside the sensor holding portion 150. In the present embodiment, as an example, two pairs of claws 151 facing each other are provided. When the sensor unit 300 is completely pushed into the sensor holding portion 150, the plurality of claws 151 engage with the bottom surface of the sensor unit 300, thereby preventing the sensor unit 300 from falling out of the sensor holding portion 150.

[0028] Each of the plurality of claws 151 is elastically deformable so that the distance between a pair of opposing claws 151 increases when the sensor unit 300 is pushed into the sensor holding part 150 from below. This allows each of the plurality of claws 151 to easily and reliably hold the sensor unit 300.

[0029] Furthermore, each of the plurality of claws 151 is elastically deformable so that the distance between a pair of opposing claws 151 increases even when the sensor unit 300 is pressed downward by the push-out member 160. This allows each of the plurality of claws 151 to release its engagement with the sensor unit 300, facilitating the extrusion of the sensor unit 300 from the sensor holding portion 150. For example, double-sided tape is attached to the bottom surface of the sensor unit 300 that faces the surface 210A of the cover glass 210, and when the sensor unit 300 is extruded from the sensor holding portion 150 by the push-out member 160, the sensor unit 300 is attached and fixed to the surface 210A of the cover glass 210 by the double-sided tape.

[0030] In addition, a groove 116 is formed on the bottom surface 114 of the main body 110, extending linearly in the radial direction from the sensor holding portion 150 to the outer periphery of the main body 110. As a result, in the positioning device 100 according to an embodiment, by fitting the cable 303 of the sensor unit 300 into the groove 116, the cable 303 can be drawn out of the main body 110 without protruding downward from the bottom surface 114 of the main body 110. Therefore, the positioning device 100 according to an embodiment can prevent the cable 303 from interfering with the positioning of the bottom surface 114 of the main body 110 when the bottom surface 114 of the main body 110 is positioned parallel to the surface 210A of the cover glass 210.

[0031] <Extrusion member 160> The push-out member 160 is a rod-shaped member that extends in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) along the rotation axis X at the center of the main body 110 (i.e., on the rotation axis X). The push-out member 160 is provided so as to penetrate the operation knob 144, the drive gear 141, and the three slide members 120, and is movable in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). A lower end 160B of the push-out member 160 penetrates the ceiling surface of the sensor holding part 150 and is exposed inside the sensor holding part 150.

[0032] As a result, when the upper end 160A of the pushing member 160 is pushed downward by the operator, the pushing member 160 moves downward, and the lower end 160B of the pushing member 160 can push the sensor unit 300 held by the sensor holding portion 150 toward the center of the surface 210A of the cover glass 210, which faces the sensor unit 300.

[0033] (Detailed Configuration and Operation of Synchronous Driving Unit 140) 6 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the synchronous drive unit 140 included in the positioning device 100 according to one embodiment. In addition to the synchronous drive unit 140, the main body 110 and the three slide members 120 are also shown in FIG.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 6, each slide member 120 has a rack gear 121 formed on the edge of the slide member 120 along the movement direction of the slide member 120 (that is, the radial direction of the main body 110).

[0035] As shown in FIG. 6, the synchronous drive unit 140 includes a drive gear 141, three driven gears 142 provided for each slide member 120, three pinion gears 143 provided for each slide member 120, and an operation knob 144.

[0036] The drive gear 141 is provided at the center of the main body 110 (that is, on the central axis X) so as to be rotatable around the central axis X.

[0037] Each of the three driven gears 142 is provided around the driving gear 141 and meshes with the driving gear 141 .

[0038] Each of the three pinion gears 143 is provided below (on the negative side of the Z axis) each of the three driven gears 142, and rotates integrally with each of the three driven gears 142. Each of the three pinion gears 143 is also engaged with a rack gear 121 of the slide member 120.

[0039] The operation knob 144 is a member that is rotated by an operator. The operation knob 144 is fixedly attached to the upper surface of the drive gear 141 and has a generally cylindrical shape. However, the outer circumferential surface of the operation knob 144 is provided with irregularities to make it easier for the operator to grip.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 6, on the rotation axis X, a rod-shaped push-out member 160 extending in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) along the rotation axis X is provided so as to penetrate the operation knob 144, the drive gear 141, and the three slide members 120.

[0041] In the synchronous drive unit 140 configured as described above, when the operator rotates the operation knob 144 counterclockwise as viewed from above (the positive direction of the Z axis), the drive gear 141 rotates counterclockwise together with the operation knob 144. This causes each of the three driven gears 142 and each of the three pinion gears 143 to rotate clockwise. As a result, the three slide members 120 move synchronously with each other toward the outside in the radial direction of the main body 110. In other words, the three claw portions 130 move synchronously with each other toward the outside in the radial direction of the main body 110. Therefore, the three claw portions 130 gradually increase the radius of an imaginary circle centered on the rotation axis X while remaining positioned on the same circumference of the imaginary circle.

[0042] Conversely, in the synchronous drive unit 140 configured as described above, when the operator rotates the operation knob 144 clockwise as viewed from above (the positive direction of the Z axis), the drive gear 141 rotates clockwise together with the operation knob 144. This causes each of the three driven gears 142 and each of the three pinion gears 143 to rotate counterclockwise. As a result, the three slide members 120 move inward in the radial direction of the main body 110 in synchronization with one another. That is, the three claw portions 130 move inward in the radial direction of the main body 110 in synchronization with one another. Therefore, the three claw portions 130 gradually reduce the radius of an imaginary circle centered on the rotation axis X while remaining positioned on the same circumference of the imaginary circle.

[0043] 6, each slide member 120 has a slit portion 122 formed linearly with a certain length along the sliding direction of the slide member 120. A push-out member 160 is inserted inside the slit portion 122, passing through the operation knob 144 and the drive gear 141 on the rotation axis X. This allows each slide member 120 to slide in the radial direction from the push-out member 160 (rotation axis X) as a starting point without interfering with the up-and-down movement of the push-out member 160. Furthermore, a cylindrical pin 115 is disposed inside the slit portion 122 and protrudes upward from the bottom surface of the guide portion 113 of the main body 110. As the slide member 120 slides, the pin 115 slides inside the slit portion 122. When the movement of the slide member 120 reaches a predetermined maximum amount, the pin 115 abuts against the rear end of the slit portion 122, thereby restricting further movement of the slide member 120 and preventing the slide member 120 from falling off the guide portion 113.

[0044] (Method for positioning the sensor unit 300) Next, a method for positioning the sensor unit 300 using the positioning device 100 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the clamping state of the analog meter 200 by the positioning device 100 according to one embodiment. Note that in Fig. 7, in order to make it easier to understand the clamping state of the analog meter 200, some of the components provided in the positioning device 100 are not shown.

[0045] (1) First, the operator fits the sensor unit 300 into the sensor holding portion 150 formed on the bottom surface 114 of the main body 110 of the positioning device 100. At this time, the sensor unit 300 is held by a plurality of claws 151 of the sensor holding portion 150 so that it does not easily fall out of the sensor holding portion 150. Then, the operator fits the cable 303 of the sensor unit 300 into the groove 116 formed on the bottom surface 114 of the main body 110. Furthermore, the operator peels off the release paper from the double-sided tape attached to the bottom surface of the sensor case 301 of the sensor unit 300 held in the sensor holding portion 150.

[0046] (2) Next, the operator rotates the operating knob 144 counterclockwise when viewed from above (positive direction of the Z axis), causing the three slide members 120 to move radially outward in unison, thereby causing the three claw portions 130 to move radially outward in unison, and forming a space inside the three claw portions 130 in which the outer periphery of the analog meter 200 (the outer periphery surface 212A of the outer frame 212 of the cover glass 210) can be placed.

[0047] (3) Next, the operator places the bottom surface 114 of the main body 110 of the positioning device 100 parallel to and facing the surface 210A of the cover glass 210 of the analog meter 200, and places the outer periphery of the analog meter 200 (the outer periphery 212A of the outer frame 212 of the cover glass 210) within the space formed inside the three claw portions 130.

[0048] (4) Next, the operator rotates the operation knob 144 clockwise when viewed from above (positive direction of the Z axis), synchronously moving the three slide members 120 radially inward, thereby synchronously moving the three claws 130 radially inward, and as shown in Fig. 7, each of the three claws 130 grips the outer periphery of the analog meter 200 (the outer periphery 212A of the outer frame 212 of the cover crystal 210). As a result, the center of the main body 110 (i.e., the central axis X) coincides with the center of the surface 210A of the cover crystal 210. At the same time, the center of the sensor unit 300 held by the sensor holding unit 150 coincides with the center of the surface 210A of the cover crystal 210.

[0049] (5) Next, the operator pushes downward the push-out member 160 of the positioning device 100, thereby pushing the sensor unit 300 downward from the sensor holding part 150. As a result, the sensor unit 300 is pressed against the surface 210A of the cover glass 210 with the center of the sensor unit 300 and the center of the surface 210A of the cover glass 210 aligned, and is fixed to the surface 210A of the cover glass 210 by the adhesive force of the double-sided tape.

[0050] (6) Then, the operator rotates the operating knob 144 counterclockwise when viewed from above (positive direction of the Z axis), and moves the three slide members 120 radially outward in unison, thereby moving the three claw portions 130 radially outward in unison, thereby releasing each of the three claw portions 130 from clamping the outer periphery of the analog meter 200 (the outer periphery 212A of the outer frame 212 of the cover glass 210), and removes the positioning device 100 from the analog meter 200.

[0051] The above steps complete the positioning of the sensor unit 300, and as a result of this positioning, the sensor unit 300 is fixed to the surface 210A of the cover glass 210 of the analog meter 200 with the center of the surface 210A of the cover glass 210 aligned with the center of the sensor unit 300.

[0052] At this time, the operator can fix the sensor unit 300 to the surface 210A of the cover glass 210 of the analog meter 200 with the center of the surface 210A of the cover glass 210 aligned with the center of the sensor case 301 by simply performing simple operations such as rotating the operating knob 144 and pushing in the push-out member 160.

[0053] (Installation example of sensor unit 300) Fig. 8 is an external perspective view showing an example of installation of the sensor unit 300 according to one embodiment in the analog meter 200. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of installation of the sensor unit 300 according to one embodiment in the analog meter 200.

[0054] The analog meter 200 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is, for example, a water meter, a power meter, or a gas meter. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the analog meter 200 includes a case 201, a display surface 202, a pointer 203, a magnet 204, a cover glass 210, and an outer frame 212. The case 201 is a cylindrical member with a closed bottom that forms the outer shape of the analog meter 200. The display surface 202 is a horizontal surface provided inside the case 201 and facing the space above the analog meter 200. The display surface 202 has a circular shape in a plan view. Scales that indicate various measured values ​​in stages are printed continuously along the circumferential direction on the display surface 202. The pointer 203 has a rotation axis 203A and rotates around the rotation axis 203A to indicate the scales printed on the display surface 202 in accordance with the various measured values. The magnet 204 has a disk shape and is attached to the rotation center of the pointer 203. In a plan view, the magnet 204 is magnetized with a north pole and a south pole, with a boundary line passing through the center of the magnet 204 as the boundary. The cover crystal 210 is an example of a "substantially circular and transparent cover member" and is a transparent, disk-shaped glass member that covers the display surface 202. The "substantially circular and transparent cover member" is not limited to being made of glass, and may be made of resin. The outer frame 212 is a circular frame-shaped member that is fitted and attached to the edge of the opening on the upper side (positive side of the Z axis) of the case 201. The outer frame 212 holds the outer peripheral edge of the cover crystal 210 that is placed inside it.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the sensor unit 300 is attached to the center of the surface 210A of the cover crystal 210 of the analog meter 200 (i.e., the rotation center of the pointer 203) by using the positioning device 100. The internal configuration of the sensor unit 300 is shown in FIG. 9 . The sensor unit 300 is provided at the center of the interior of the sensor case 301, with the magnetic sensor 302 facing the analog meter 200 (the negative side of the Z axis). By attaching the sensor unit 300 to the center of the surface 210A of the cover crystal 210, the magnetic sensor 302 faces the magnet 204 attached to the rotation center of the pointer 203 of the analog meter 200. This allows the magnetic sensor 302 to magnetically detect the rotation angle of the pointer 203. The sensor unit 300 then transmits a rotation angle detection signal indicating the rotation angle detected by the magnetic sensor 302 to the outside via a cable 303. For example, the sensor unit 300 continuously detects the rotation angle of the pointer 203 at predetermined time intervals (for example, every n seconds) and continuously transmits a rotation angle detection signal to the outside at predetermined time intervals (for example, every n seconds).

[0056] For example, the sensor unit 300 transmits a rotation angle detection signal to a wireless communication device (not shown). The wireless communication device transmits the received rotation angle detection signal to a rotation angle transmitter (not shown). The rotation angle transmitter performs predetermined processing (e.g., monitor display, abnormality detection, recording, data transmission to another device, etc.) using the rotation angle of the pointer 203 indicated by the received rotation angle detection signal. For example, the rotation angle transmitter transmits a rotation angle detection signal indicating the detected rotation angle to a gateway or a cloud via wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth (registered trademark) wireless communication, Sigfox (registered trademark) wireless communication).

[0057] As described above, the positioning device 100 according to one embodiment is a positioning device 100 that positions a sensor unit with respect to the center of the surface 210A of the substantially circular and transparent cover glass 210 that covers the display surface of the analog meter 200, and when positioning the sensor unit 300, the positioning device 100 includes a main body 110 that is arranged opposite the surface 210A of the cover glass 210, a plurality of slide members 120 that are provided in the main body 110 so as to be movable in mutually different directions along the radial direction of the cover glass 210, and slide members 120 that are provided at the tip end of each of the plurality of slide members 120 and that are arranged to move in mutually different directions along the radial direction of the cover glass 210. the sensor unit 300 is provided at the center of the surface of the cover glass 210 of the main body 110 facing the surface 210A of the cover glass 210, and is capable of holding the sensor unit 300; and a push-out member 160 that pushes the sensor unit 300 held by the sensor holding part 150 toward the center of the surface 210A of the cover glass 210 facing the sensor unit 300.

[0058] As a result, the positioning device 100 of one embodiment can position the sensor unit 300 at the center of the surface 210A of the cover glass 210 of the analog meter 200, simply by moving the multiple slide members 120 in a synchronous radial direction and clamping the outer surface of the analog meter 200 with the multiple claw portions 130, without removing the cover glass 210 from the analog meter 200, for any of multiple types of analog meters 200 with different outer diameters.

[0059] Furthermore, the positioning device 100 of one embodiment can use the push-out member 160 to push the sensor unit 300 out of the sensor holding portion 150, thereby positioning the sensor unit 300 at the center of the surface 210A of the cover glass 210, and then fix the sensor unit 300 to the surface 210A of the cover glass 210 using double-sided tape or the like.

[0060] Therefore, with the positioning device 100 according to one embodiment, the sensor unit 300 can be easily positioned at the center of the cover glass 210 of a plurality of types of analog meters 200 having different outer diameters.

[0061] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims.

[0062] For example, in the positioning device 100 according to one embodiment, a coil spring may be provided for each of the plurality of slide members 120, biasing the slide members 120 inward in the radial direction. As a result, the positioning device 100 according to one embodiment can automatically move the plurality of claws 130 inward in the radial direction by the biasing force of the coil spring, and can clamp the outer periphery of the analog meter 200 with the plurality of claws 130, even without the operator rotating the operation knob 144.

[0063] In this specification, the term "substantially circular" in "substantially circular and transparent cover member" does not necessarily mean a perfect circle, but also includes cases where a portion of the circle has a protrusion, an unevenness, a notch, etc. In short, the "cover member" may have any shape that allows the "sensor unit" to be positioned at the center by the "positioning device."

[0064] This international application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-012087, filed on January 30, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 100 Positioning device 110 Main body 111 Base 112 Outer periphery 113 Guide part 113A Wall section 114 bottom 115 pins 116 Groove 120 Slide member 121 Rack gear 122 Slit section 130 Claw 140 Synchronous drive unit 141 Drive gear 142 Driven gear 143 Pinion gear 144 Control knob 150 Sensor holder 151 Claw 160 Extrusion member 160A upper end 160B Lower end 200 Analog Meter 201 cases 202 Display surface 203 Guidelines 203A Rotating shaft 204 Magnet 210 Cover glass (cover material) 210A surface 212 Outer Frame 212A Outer surface 300 Sensor Unit 301 Sensor Case 302 Magnetic Sensor 303 Cable X center axis

Claims

1. A positioning device that positions a sensor unit relative to the center of a surface of a substantially circular and transparent cover member that covers a display surface of an analog meter, a main body portion disposed opposite the surface of the cover member when the sensor unit is positioned; a plurality of slide members provided in the main body portion so as to be movable in different directions along a radial direction of the cover member; a plurality of claws provided at the tip end of each of the plurality of slide members and capable of clamping an outer peripheral surface of the analog meter; a synchronous drive unit that synchronously moves the plurality of slide members in the radial direction so that the distances from the center of the main body to the plurality of claw portions are always equal to each other; a sensor holder provided at the center of a surface of the main body facing the surface of the cover member, the sensor holder being capable of holding the sensor unit; a push-out member that pushes out the sensor unit held by the sensor holding portion toward the center of the surface of the cover member that faces the sensor unit; A positioning device comprising:

2. The plurality of slide members include: Each of the slide members has a rack gear formed along the moving direction of the slide member, The synchronous drive unit a drive gear rotatably provided at the center of the main body; a plurality of driven gears provided for each of the slide members around the drive gear, which rotate following the rotation of the drive gear and directly or indirectly drive the rack gear of the slide member, thereby moving the slide member in the radial direction; 2. The positioning device according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The synchronous drive unit The drive gear is driven by an operation knob that is rotated by an operator.

3. The positioning device according to claim 2.

4. The plurality of slide members are provided so as to intersect with each other at positions that overlap the center of the main body portion in a plan view.

2. The positioning device according to claim 1.

5. The plurality of slide members are provided at different positions in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the cover member.

5. The positioning device according to claim 4.

6. The plurality of slide members include: Each of the slide members has a slit portion formed linearly with a certain length along the moving direction of the slide member, and the push-out member is inserted into the slit portion.

6. The positioning device according to claim 5.

7. The plurality of slide members include: A pin provided on the main body is disposed in each of the slits, and when the pin moves to the maximum extent in the radial direction, the pin abuts against the end of the slit, thereby preventing the pin from coming off the main body.

7. The positioning device according to claim 6.

8. The main body portion is a base portion provided at the center of the main body portion in a plan view; a guide portion extending from the base in the radial direction and guiding the movement of the slide member in the radial direction; 2. The positioning device according to claim 1, further comprising:

9. The guide portion is The sliding member has a pair of walls extending from the base in the radial direction, and the sliding member is disposed between the pair of walls to guide the sliding member in the radial direction.

9. The positioning device according to claim 8.

10. Each of the pair of wall portions is a support groove extending in the radial direction and supporting an edge portion of the slide member in the width direction; 10. The positioning device according to claim 9.

11. The sensor holding portion The sensor unit is held by a plurality of claws that form a snap-fit ​​structure.

2. The positioning device according to claim 1.

12. The main body portion is The surface of the main body portion facing the surface of the cover member has a groove portion into which a cable of the sensor unit held by the sensor holding portion is fitted, thereby allowing the cable to be drawn outward to the main body portion.

2. The positioning device according to claim 1.

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