Clamping mechanism and electronic lock

Abstract

To easily align the center axis of rotation of a connecting member of an electronic lock with the center axis of rotation of a knob part of a thumb-turn device.SOLUTION: A holding mechanism, which is for rotatably holding a knob part of a thumb-turn device, can hold the knob part so that the center position in the longitudinal direction of the knob part and the center position in the lateral direction of the knob part are aligned with the center axis of rotation of a rotating operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a clamping mechanism and an electronic lock. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 discloses a lock opening / closing device (a so-called electronic lock) that has a clamping mechanism that can clamp the thumb turn knob, and by rotating the clamping mechanism with a motor, the thumb turn knob is rotated to lock or unlock the door. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

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

[0004] However, the clamping mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 clamps the thumbturn knob in the thickness direction, which can cause the thumbturn knob to become misaligned in the width direction. Therefore, the clamping mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not easily align the rotation center axis of the connecting member of the electronic lock with the rotation center axis of the knob of the thumbturn device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The clamping mechanism in one embodiment is a clamping mechanism that clamps the knob portion of a thumb turn device so that it can be rotated, and can clamp the knob portion so that the center position of the knob portion in the longitudinal direction and the center position of the knob portion in the lateral direction are aligned with the rotation center axis of the rotation operation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one embodiment, the rotational center axis of the connecting member of the electronic lock can be easily aligned with the rotational center axis of the knob portion of the thumbturn device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of an electronic lock according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a connecting member according to an embodiment, as viewed from the front side (positive side of the Y axis); [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a connecting member according to an embodiment, as viewed from the rear side (Y-axis negative side); [Figure 4] 1 is a plan view of a connecting member according to one embodiment, viewed from the rear side (Y-axis negative side); [Figure 5] 1 is a diagram illustrating an open and closed state of a clamping mechanism according to an embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an installation procedure for an electronic lock according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a connecting member according to an embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a first interlocking mechanism included in a connecting member according to one embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a second interlocking mechanism included in the connecting member according to one embodiment; [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of attaching an adapter included in a connecting member according to an embodiment; [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of attaching an adapter included in a connecting member according to an embodiment; [Figure 12] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a connecting member according to an embodiment taken along an XY plane; [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an external perspective view showing a modified example of a connecting member according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is an external perspective view showing a modified example of a connecting member according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment described below, the direction corresponding to the up-down direction of the surface 20A of the door 20 is defined as the Z-axis direction. The direction corresponding to the left-right direction of the surface 20A of the door 20 is defined as the X-axis direction. The direction perpendicular to the surface 20A of the door 20 (front-rear direction) is defined as the Y-axis direction. The positive Z-axis direction is defined as the upward direction, the positive X-axis direction is defined as the rightward direction, and the positive Y-axis direction is defined as the forward direction.

[0009] (Overview of Electronic Lock 100) Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an electronic lock 100 according to one embodiment. The electronic lock 100 shown in Fig. 1 is attached to the interior surface 20A of a door 20 equipped with a thumb-turn device 30, and is a device for rotating a knob portion 32 of the thumb-turn device 30.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic lock 100 has a housing 101, a connecting member 200, and a knob 103.

[0011] The housing 101 is a box-shaped resin member that forms the outer shape of the electronic lock 100. The housing 101 houses and holds various components of the electronic lock 100. A cutout portion 101A having a shape cut out into a roughly rectangular parallelepiped is formed on the lower side (negative side of the Z axis) and on the back 101B side (negative side of the Y axis) of the housing 101.

[0012] The connecting member 200 is provided on a rotation center axis AX1 extending in the front-to-rear direction (Y-axis direction), protruding from a lower portion of the housing 101 (a portion forward of the cutout portion 101A (positive side of the Y-axis)) into the cutout portion 101A. The connecting member 200 is connected to an output shaft 104 (see FIG. 12) provided on the rotation center axis AX1 in the electronic lock 100, and can be rotated around the rotation center axis AX1 by being driven by a motor (not shown) provided inside the housing 101. The connecting member 200 has a clamping mechanism 210 on its back side (negative side of the Y-axis) facing the thumb turn device 30, which can clamp the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30.

[0013] Knob 103 is a generally disk-shaped member that is provided on rotation center axis AX1 and exposed from the surface (the surface on the Y-axis positive side) of the lower part of housing 101. Knob 103 is connected to connecting member 200, and can rotate integrally with connecting member 200 around rotation center axis AX1. Knob 103 can be rotated by an operator.

[0014] The electronic lock 100 configured in this manner is attached to the interior surface 20A of the door 20 so that the back surface 101B of the housing 101 is in close contact with the interior surface 20A of the door 20 and the rotation center axis AX1 of the connecting member 200 coincides with the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30.

[0015] At this time, the electronic lock 100 clamps the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30 using the clamping mechanism 210 possessed by the connecting member 200, thereby easily aligning the rotation center axis AX1 of the connecting member 200 with the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30.

[0016] Furthermore, the rear surface 101B of the housing 101 of the electronic lock 100 is fixed to the surface 20A on the interior side of the door 20 by any fixing means (for example, double-sided tape, etc.).

[0017] As a result, the electronic lock 100 can be remotely controlled via wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), etc.) from various wireless devices (e.g., smartphones, remote controls, etc.) by rotating the connecting member 200 to operate the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30, thereby locking and unlocking the door 20.

[0018] (Detailed configuration of the connecting member 200) Fig. 2 is an external perspective view of a connecting member 200 according to an embodiment, as viewed from the front side (positive side of the Y axis). Fig. 3 is an external perspective view of a connecting member 200 according to an embodiment, as viewed from the back side (negative side of the Y axis). Fig. 4 is a plan view of a connecting member 200 according to an embodiment, as viewed from the back side (negative side of the Y axis).

[0019] 2, connecting member 200 according to one embodiment has, at a central position (i.e., on rotation central axis AX1) on the rear side (negative side of the Y axis), a connecting portion 201 which is a through-hole that penetrates a second plate 222 (described later) in the front-to-rear direction (Y-axis direction). Connecting member 200 is rotatable around rotation central axis AX1 together with output shaft 104 when tip end 104A (see FIG. 12) of output shaft 104 is inserted into connecting portion 201 and tip end 104A is screwed and fixed by a fixing screw 202 that penetrates tip end 104A in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction).

[0020] 3 and 4, a connecting member 200 according to one embodiment has a clamping mechanism 210 on the rear side (negative side of the Y axis) of a main body 200A. The clamping mechanism 210 is capable of clamping the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30.

[0021] The clamping mechanism 210 has a pair of first clamping members 211 and a pair of second clamping members 212 .

[0022] The pair of first clamping members 211 are provided to protrude rearward (in the negative Y-axis direction) from the rear surface (surface on the negative Y-axis side) of the case 230 of the main body 200A. The pair of first clamping members 211 are provided side by side in the left-right direction (in the X-axis direction). The pair of first clamping members 211 face each other with the rotation center axis AX1 therebetween. As shown in FIG. 4, each of the pair of first clamping members 211 has a rectangular shape in a plan view. The pair of first clamping members 211 are movable in conjunction with each other in the left-right direction (in the X-axis direction). That is, the pair of first clamping members 211 are movable in conjunction with each other toward the rotation center axis AX1. As a result, the distance between the pair of first clamping members 211 is variable, and by changing the distance between them according to the left-right width (width in the X-axis direction) of the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30, both sides in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) of the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30 can be clamped by the planar clamping surfaces 211A of each of the pair of first clamping members 211. Note that, by the pair of first clamping members 211 moving in conjunction with each other, the rotation center axis AX1 is always located at the midpoint between the pair of first clamping members 211. As a result, the clamping mechanism 210 of this embodiment moves the pair of first clamping members 211 toward the rotation center axis AX1 and clamps the knob portion 32 between the pair of first clamping members 211, thereby making it possible to align the left-right (X-axis) position of the rotation center axis AX1 of the connecting member 200 with the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 regardless of the left-right width (width in the X-axis direction) of the knob portion 32.

[0023] The pair of second clamping members 212 are provided to protrude rearward (in the negative Y-axis direction) from the rear surface (surface on the negative Y-axis side) of the case 230 of the main body 200A. The pair of second clamping members 212 are provided side by side in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). The pair of second clamping members 212 face each other with the rotation center axis AX1 therebetween. As shown in FIG. 4, each of the pair of second clamping members 212 has a crescent shape in a plan view. The pair of second clamping members 212 are movable in conjunction with each other in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). That is, the pair of second clamping members 212 are movable in conjunction with each other toward the rotation center axis AX1. As a result, the distance between the pair of second clamping members 212 is variable, and by changing the distance between them in accordance with the vertical width (width in the Z-axis direction) of the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30, it is possible to clamp both sides in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) of the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30 with the planar clamping surfaces 212A of each of the pair of second clamping members 212. Note that, by the pair of second clamping members 212 moving in conjunction with each other, the rotation center axis AX1 is always located at the midpoint between the pair of second clamping members 212. As a result, the clamping mechanism 210 of this embodiment moves the pair of second clamping members 212 toward the rotation center axis AX1 and clamps the knob portion 32 between the pair of second clamping members 212, thereby aligning the vertical (Z-axis) position of the rotation center axis AX1 of the connecting member 200 with the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 regardless of the vertical width (width in the Z-axis direction) of the knob portion 32.

[0024] (Open / closed state of clamping mechanism 210) 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the open and closed states of the clamping mechanism 210 according to one embodiment. Fig. 5A shows a state in which the pair of first clamping members 211 and the pair of second clamping members 212 are fully open in the clamping mechanism 210. Fig. 5B shows a state in which the pair of first clamping members 211 and the pair of second clamping members 212 are fully closed in the clamping mechanism 210.

[0025] When the pair of first clamping members 211 is pressed by an operator toward the rotation center axis AX1 from the fully open state shown in FIG. 5(a) to the fully closed state shown in FIG. 5(b), they can move in a direction approaching the rotation center axis AX1 (in the X-axis direction) in conjunction with each other in stages according to the resolution of the ratchet mechanism. At this time, because the pair of first clamping members 211 move in conjunction with each other, the rotation center axis AX1 is always located at a midpoint between the pair of first clamping members 211. Therefore, when the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30 is clamped between the pair of first clamping members 211 as the pair of first clamping members 211 move in the closing direction, the position of the rotation center axis AX1 in the left-right direction (in the X-axis direction) coincides with the position of the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 in the left-right direction (in the X-axis direction). Therefore, the clamping mechanism 210 of this embodiment can easily align the rotation center axis AX1 of the connecting member 200 with the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 regardless of the size of the knob portion 32.

[0026] Furthermore, since the pair of first clamping members 211 are biased in the return direction (away from the rotation center axis AX1) by the first coil spring 253 (see Figure 8), when the operator operates the first release lever 263 (see Figure 8) to unlock the first ratchet mechanism 260 (see Figure 8), the biasing force from the first coil spring 253 allows them to return to the fully open state shown in Figure 5(a).

[0027] Furthermore, when the pair of second clamping members 212 is pressed by an operator toward the rotation center axis AX1 from the fully open state shown in FIG. 5(a) to the fully closed state shown in FIG. 5(b), they can move in a direction approaching the rotation center axis AX1 (in the Y-axis direction) in conjunction with each other in stages according to the resolution of the ratchet mechanism. At this time, because the pair of second clamping members 212 move in conjunction with each other, the rotation center axis AX1 is always located at a midpoint between the pair of second clamping members 212. Therefore, when the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30 is clamped between the pair of second clamping members 212 as the pair of second clamping members 212 move in the closing direction, the position of the rotation center axis AX1 in the up-down direction (in the Z-axis direction) coincides with the position of the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 in the up-down direction (in the Z-axis direction). Therefore, the clamping mechanism 210 of this embodiment can easily align the rotation center axis AX1 of the connecting member 200 with the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 regardless of the size of the knob portion 32.

[0028] Furthermore, since the pair of second clamping members 212 are biased in the return direction by the second coil spring 273 (see Figure 9), when the operator operates the second release lever 283 (see Figure 9) to unlock the second ratchet mechanism 280 (see Figure 9), the biasing force from the second coil spring 273 allows them to return to the fully open state shown in Figure 5(a).

[0029] (Installation procedure for Electronic Lock 100) FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the procedure for attaching the electronic lock 100 according to one embodiment.

[0030] First, as shown in Fig. 6(a), the installer rotates the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30 so that the longitudinal direction of the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30 is oriented in the left-right direction (X-axis direction). The installer also operates the first release lever 263 and the second release lever 283 of the connecting member 200 to place the connecting member 200 in the fully open state shown in Fig. 5(a).

[0031] Then, the installer places the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30 between the pair of first clamping members 211 and between the pair of second clamping members 212 of the connecting member 200, as shown in FIG. 6(a).

[0032] Next, the installer manually pushes in the pair of first clamping members 211 and moves them toward each other, thereby clamping both sides of the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30 in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) with the pair of first clamping members 211.

[0033] The installer also manually pushes in the pair of second clamping members 212 and moves them toward each other, causing the pair of second clamping members 212 to clamp both sides of the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30 in the short direction (Z-axis direction). As a result, the clamping mechanism 210 grips the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30.

[0034] As a result, as shown in Figure 6(b), the connecting member 200 is attached to the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30 with the rotation center axis AX1 of the connecting member 200 aligned with the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30.

[0035] 6(c), the installer fits the output shaft 104 into the connecting portion 201 of the connecting member 200, and presses and adheres the back surface 101B of the housing 101 against the interior surface 20A of the door 20. Furthermore, the output shaft 104 fitted into the connecting portion 201 is fixed to the connecting member 200 with a fixing screw 202.

[0036] This completes the installation of the electronic lock 100. Thereafter, the electronic lock 100 can rotate the knob portion 32 of the thumb-turn device 30 with the rotation center axis AX1 of the electronic lock 100 and the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 of the thumb-turn device 30 aligned.

[0037] (Configuration of eccentric mechanism 220) Fig. 7 is a partially exploded perspective view of a connecting member 200 according to one embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7, the connecting member 200 according to one embodiment has a main body 200A and an eccentric mechanism 220 provided on the front side (positive side of the Y axis) of the main body 200A. The eccentric mechanism 220 is configured to have a first plate 221 and a second plate 222.

[0038] The first plate 221 is a disk-shaped member centered on the rotation central axis AX1 and having a diameter substantially equal to that of the main body unit 200A. The first plate 221 is provided overlapping the front side (positive side of the Y axis) of the main body unit 200A. The first plate 221 has a pair of left and right through-holes 221A, and is attached to the front side (positive side of the Y axis) of the main body unit 200A so as to be movable in the left-right direction (X axis direction) by two guide screws 223 that pass through the pair of through-holes 221A.

[0039] The pair of through holes 221A have an elongated hole shape with the left-right direction (X-axis direction) as the longitudinal direction. As a result, the guide screws 223 of the first plate 221 move in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) within the pair of through holes 221A, so that the movement of the first plate 221 in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) is guided, and the center position of the first plate 221 can be shifted in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) from the center of the main body part 200A.

[0040] The second plate 222 is a disk-shaped member centered on the central axis of rotation AX1 and having a diameter substantially equal to that of the main body 200A. The second plate 222 is provided overlapping the front side (positive side of the Y axis) of the first plate 221. The second plate 222 has a pair of upper and lower through holes 222A, and is attached to the front side (surface on the positive side of the Y axis) of the first plate 221 so as to be movable in the up and down direction (Z axis direction) by two guide screws 224 that pass through the pair of through holes 222A.

[0041] The pair of through holes 222A have an elongated hole shape with the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) as the longitudinal direction. As a result, the movement of the second plate 222 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) is guided by the guide screws 224 moving in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) within the pair of through holes 222A, and the center position of the second plate 222 can be shifted in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) from the center of the main body part 200A.

[0042] The eccentric mechanism 220 configured as described above can shift the center position of the connecting portion 201 (i.e., the center position of the output shaft 104, the rotation center axis AX1) in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) and the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) relative to the center position of the main body portion 200A by using the first plate 221 and the second plate 222.

[0043] As a result, in one embodiment of the connecting member 200, even if a positional misalignment (due to the resolution of the ratchet mechanism) occurs between the center position of the main body portion 200A and the rotational center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30 when the main body portion 200A is attached to the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30, the center position of the connecting portion 201 (i.e., the center position of the output shaft 104, the rotational center axis AX1) can be aligned with the rotational center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 by adjusting the positions of the first plate 221 and the second plate 222.

[0044] (Configuration of the first interlocking mechanism 250) Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a first interlocking mechanism 250 included in a connecting member 200 according to one embodiment. Fig. 8 shows a main body 200A included in the connecting member 200 from the front side (positive side of the Y axis) of a case 230 included in the main body 200A. However, Fig. 8 does not illustrate a cover 231 (see Fig. 7) attached to the front portion of the case 230.

[0045] 8, a connecting member 200 according to one embodiment includes a first interlocking mechanism 250 inside a case 230. The first interlocking mechanism 250 has a pair of first rack gears 251 provided on the pair of first clamping members 211, and a first pinion gear 252 provided between the pair of first rack gears 251.

[0046] The first pinion gear 252 is provided at the center inside the case 230 (that is, on the rotational center axis AX1).

[0047] Each of the pair of first rack gears 251 is configured to have a plurality of gear teeth arranged linearly in the left-right direction (X-axis direction).

[0048] One first rack gear 251 provided on one first clamping member 211 is disposed above the first pinion gear 252 (on the positive side of the Z axis) and meshes with the first pinion gear 252.

[0049] The other first rack gear 251 provided on the other first clamping member 211 is disposed below the first pinion gear 252 (negative side of the Z axis) and meshes with the first pinion gear 252.

[0050] By having the above-described configuration, the first interlocking mechanism 250 can move the pair of first clamping members 211 in conjunction with each other, in a direction in which they approach each other in the left-right direction (X-axis direction), and in a direction in which they move away from each other in the left-right direction (X-axis direction), centered on the rotation center axis AX1.

[0051] 8, the first interlocking mechanism 250 includes a first coil spring 253. The first coil spring 253 biases one of the first clamping members 211 in the opening direction (positive direction of the X-axis).

[0052] 8, the connecting member 200 according to one embodiment includes a first ratchet mechanism 260 inside the case 230. The first ratchet mechanism 260 includes a first ratchet gear 261, a first ratchet pawl 262, a first release lever 263, and a torsion spring 264.

[0053] The first ratchet gear 261 has a plurality of gear teeth arranged on the same circumference, and rotates integrally with a pinion gear (not shown) that is provided coaxially with the first ratchet gear 261. This pinion gear meshes with a third rack gear 254 provided on the other first clamping member 211, causing the first ratchet gear 261 to rotate in conjunction with the movement of the other first clamping member 211.

[0054] The first ratchet pawl 262 is biased toward the first ratchet gear 261 by a torsion spring 264, and by engaging with the gear teeth of the first ratchet gear 261, it locks the rotation of the first ratchet gear 261, thereby preventing the pair of first clamping members 211 that are linked to the first ratchet gear 261 from moving in the opening direction.

[0055] The connecting member 200 of one embodiment is equipped with a first ratchet mechanism 260, which allows the movement of the pair of first clamping members 211 in the closing direction to be locked each time the pair of first clamping members 211 is moved a predetermined amount in the closing direction (i.e., for each gear tooth of the first ratchet gear 261).

[0056] The first release lever 263 is formed integrally with the first ratchet pawl 262, and as shown in Fig. 2, protrudes from the front of the case 230 to the outside of the case 230. When the first release lever 263 is operated, it releases the engagement of the first ratchet pawl 262 with the gear teeth of the first ratchet gear 261. This allows the first ratchet gear 261 to rotate freely, and the pair of first clamping members 211, which are interlocked with the first ratchet gear 261, move in the opening direction due to the biasing force of the first coil spring 253, and reach the fully open state shown in Fig. 5(a).

[0057] (Configuration of second interlocking mechanism 270) Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of second interlocking mechanism 270 included in connecting member 200 according to one embodiment. Fig. 9 shows main body 200A included in connecting member 200 from the front side (positive side of the Y axis) of case 230 included in main body 200A. However, Fig. 9 does not illustrate cover 231 (see Fig. 7) attached to the front portion of case 230, and first interlocking mechanism 250 and first ratchet mechanism 260 described using Fig. 8.

[0058] 9, a connecting member 200 according to one embodiment includes a second interlocking mechanism 270 inside a case 230. The second interlocking mechanism 270 has a pair of second rack gears 271 provided on the pair of second clamping members 212, and a second pinion gear 272 provided between the pair of second rack gears 271.

[0059] Second pinion gear 272 is provided at the center inside case 230 (that is, on rotational center axis AX1).

[0060] Each of the pair of second rack gears 271 is configured to have a plurality of gear teeth arranged linearly in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

[0061] One second rack gear 271 provided on one second clamping member 212 is disposed on the right side (X-axis positive side) of the second pinion gear 272 and meshes with the second pinion gear 272.

[0062] The other second rack gear 271 provided on the other second clamping member 212 is disposed on the left side (X-axis negative side) of the second pinion gear 272 and meshes with the second pinion gear 272.

[0063] By having the above-mentioned configuration, the second interlocking mechanism 270 can move the pair of second clamping members 212 in conjunction with each other, in a direction in which they approach each other in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), and in a direction in which they move away from each other in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), centered on the rotation center axis AX1.

[0064] 9, the second interlocking mechanism 270 includes a pair of second coil springs 273. The pair of second coil springs 273 bias the pair of second clamping members 212 in an opening direction in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). Note that, when the pair of second coil springs 273 are arranged at positions symmetrical with respect to the rotation center axis AX1 in the Z-axis direction intersecting with the rotation center axis AX1, the pair of second clamping members 212 can be efficiently moved in the opening direction.

[0065] 9, the connecting member 200 according to one embodiment includes a second ratchet mechanism 280 inside the case 230. The second ratchet mechanism 280 has a second ratchet gear 281, a second ratchet pawl 282, a second release lever 283, and a torsion spring 284.

[0066] The second ratchet gear 281 has a plurality of gear teeth arranged on the same circumference, and rotates integrally with a pinion gear (not shown) that is provided coaxially with the second ratchet gear 281. This pinion gear meshes with a fourth rack gear 274 provided on the other second clamping member 212, causing the second ratchet gear 281 to rotate in conjunction with the movement of the other second clamping member 212.

[0067] The second ratchet pawl 282 is biased toward the second ratchet gear 281 by a torsion spring 284, and by engaging with the gear teeth of the second ratchet gear 281, it locks the rotation of the second ratchet gear 281, thereby preventing the pair of second clamping members 212 that are linked to the second ratchet gear 281 from moving in the opening direction.

[0068] The connecting member 200 of one embodiment is equipped with a second ratchet mechanism 280, which allows the movement of the pair of second clamping members 212 in the closing direction to be locked each time the pair of second clamping members 212 is moved a predetermined amount in the closing direction (i.e., for each gear tooth of the second ratchet gear 281).

[0069] The second release lever 283 is formed integrally with the second ratchet pawl 282, and protrudes from the front of the case 230 to the outside of the case 230, as shown in Fig. 2. When the second release lever 283 is operated, it releases the engagement of the second ratchet pawl 282 with the gear teeth of the second ratchet gear 281. This allows the second ratchet gear 281 to rotate freely, and the pair of second clamping members 212, which are interlocked with the second ratchet gear 281, move in the opening direction due to the biasing force of the pair of second coil springs 273, and reach the fully open state shown in Fig. 5(a).

[0070] (Adapter 240) 10 and 11 are diagrams showing an example of how the adapter 240 included in the connecting member 200 according to one embodiment is attached. In the explanations so far, the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 is located at the middle position in the longitudinal direction of the knob portion 32. Therefore, by clamping the knob portion 32 with the clamping mechanism 210, the connecting member 200 can align the rotation center axis AX1 of the connecting member 200 with the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32.

[0071] However, when the knob portion 32-2 does not have a rotation center axis AX2 at its center, as in the knob portion 32-2 shown in Figure 10, when the knob portion 32-2 is clamped by the clamping mechanism 210, the rotation center axis AX1 of the connecting member 200 cannot be aligned with the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32-2.

[0072] 10, the connecting member 200 includes an adapter 240, which is attached to the knob portion 32-2. Specifically, the adapter 240 has a thin plate shape (a thin rectangular parallelepiped shape), and has a recess 241 on the surface facing the knob portion 32-2, the recess 241 having substantially the same shape as the outer shape of the knob portion 32-2. The adapter 240 is attached to the knob portion 32-2 by fitting the knob portion 32-2 into the recess 241.

[0073] 11, the adapter 240 attached to the knob portion 32-2 has the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32-2 at its center position. Therefore, by clamping the adapter 240 attached to the knob portion 32-2 with the clamping mechanism 210, the connecting member 200 can align the rotation center axis AX1 of the connecting member 200 with the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32-2.

[0074] (effective length D1) Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the connecting member 200 according to one embodiment taken along the XY plane. Fig. 12 shows the cross section of the connecting member 200 in a state in which it is connected to the output shaft 104 and in a state in which the knob portion 32 is clamped.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 12, the effective length D1 over which the pair of first clamping members 211 can clamp the knob portion 32 in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) is the length from the back surface of the case 230 to the tip of the first clamping member 211.

[0076] Here, as shown in Figure 12, it is preferable to set the length to the tip of the first clamping member 211 so that the effective length D1 is smaller than the forward (positive Y-axis) protrusion D2 of the knob portion 32 (knob portion 32 having the maximum protrusion D2 expected to be used) from the base 31 of the thumb turn device 30.

[0077] If the effective length D1 is greater than the forward (positive Y-axis) protrusion amount D2 of the knob portion 32, the tip of the first clamping member 211 will interfere with the base 31 of the thumb turn device 30.

[0078] (Variation) 13 and 14 are external perspective views showing a modified example of the connecting member 200 according to one embodiment. Fig. 13 shows the connecting member 200-2 in a state where it is not clamping the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30. Fig. 14 shows the connecting member 200-2 in a state where it is clamping the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30.

[0079] 13 and 14 includes a pair of third clamping members 213 instead of the pair of second clamping members 212, and each of the pair of third clamping members 213 is provided with a clamp portion 213A, i.e., a pair of upper and lower clamping portions 213A. Each of the pair of clamping portions 213A has a V-shaped groove 213B cut out in a V shape facing outward in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction). Note that the pair of third clamping members 213 have the same configuration as the pair of second clamping members 212 and are therefore movable in conjunction with each other in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction).

[0080] As shown in FIG. 13, a straight line L1 connecting the bottom of one V-shaped groove 213B and the bottom of the other V-shaped groove 213B intersects with the central axis of rotation AX1.

[0081] As a result, as shown in Figure 14, by simply clamping both ends of the knob portion 32 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) with a pair of upper and lower V-shaped grooves 213B when the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) is the longitudinal direction, the connecting member 200-2 can not only align the rotation center axis AX1 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) with respect to the rotation center axis AX2, but also align the rotation center axis AX1 in the left-right direction (X-axis direction).

[0082] Therefore, the connecting member 200-2 can be configured without a pair of first clamping members 211, a first interlocking mechanism 250, and a first ratchet mechanism 260, thereby reducing the number of parts and costs, and making the size smaller.

[0083] (effect) As described above, in one embodiment, the clamping mechanism 210 is a clamping mechanism 210 that clamps the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30 so that it can be rotated, and can clamp the knob portion 32 so that the center position of the knob portion 32 in the longitudinal direction and the center position of the knob portion 32 in the lateral direction are aligned with the rotation center axis AX1 of the rotation operation.

[0084] As a result, the clamping mechanism 210 according to one embodiment can easily align the rotation center axis AX1 of the rotation operation with the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 of the thumb-turn device 30 simply by clamping the knob portion 32. Therefore, by being provided on the connecting member 200 of the electronic lock 100, the clamping mechanism 210 according to one embodiment can easily align the rotation center axis AX1 of the connecting member 200 of the electronic lock 100 with the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 of the thumb-turn device 30.

[0085] In addition, an electronic lock 100 according to one embodiment is an electronic lock 100 that is attached to a door 20 having a thumb turn device 30, and is rotatable around a rotation center axis AX1, has a clamping mechanism 210 that clamps the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30, and is equipped with a connecting member 200 that rotates the knob portion 32 clamped by the clamping mechanism 210, and the clamping mechanism 210 can clamp the knob portion 32 so that the center position of the knob portion 32 in the longitudinal direction and the center position of the knob portion 32 in the lateral direction are aligned with the rotation center axis AX1.

[0086] As a result, the electronic lock 100 according to one embodiment can easily align the rotation center axis AX1 of the connecting member 200 with the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 of the thumb-turn device 30 simply by clamping the knob portion 32 with the clamping mechanism 210. Therefore, according to the electronic lock 100 according to one embodiment, the rotation center axis AX1 of the connecting member 200 of the electronic lock 100 and the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 of the thumb-turn device 30 can be easily aligned.

[0087] In addition, in one embodiment of the electronic lock 100, the rotation center axis AX1 of the connecting member 200 is aligned with the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30, thereby reducing the load on the knob portion 32 associated with driving.

[0088] In particular, in one embodiment of the electronic lock 100, the clamping mechanism 210 has a pair of first clamping members 211 that move in conjunction with each other toward the rotation center axis AX1 and clamp both sides of the knob portion 32 in the longitudinal direction, and a pair of second clamping members 212 that move in conjunction with each other toward the rotation center axis AX1 and clamp both sides of the knob portion 32 in the short direction.

[0089] As a result, in one embodiment of the electronic lock 100, the rotation center axis AX1 of the connecting member 200 can be easily aligned with the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30 simply by clamping the knob portion 32 with a pair of first clamping members 211 in the longitudinal direction of the knob portion 32, and the rotation center axis AX1 of the connecting member 200 can be easily aligned with the rotation center axis AX2 of the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30 simply by clamping the knob portion 32 with a pair of second clamping members 212 in the short direction of the knob portion 32.

[0090] In addition, in one embodiment of the electronic lock 100, the clamping mechanism 210 has a first interlocking mechanism 250 having a pair of first rack gears 251 provided on a pair of first clamping members 211 and a first pinion gear 252 provided between the pair of first rack gears 251, and a second interlocking mechanism 270 having a pair of second rack gears 271 provided on a pair of second clamping members 212 and a second pinion gear 272 provided between the pair of second rack gears 271.

[0091] As a result, the electronic lock 100 according to one embodiment has a relatively simple configuration, and can move the pair of first clamping members 211 in conjunction with each other, and can also move the pair of second clamping members 212 in conjunction with each other. Therefore, the electronic lock 100 according to one embodiment can prevent the connecting member 200 from increasing in cost and size.

[0092] In addition, in one embodiment of the electronic lock 100, the clamping mechanism 210 includes a first ratchet mechanism 260 that locks the pair of first clamping members 211 at each predetermined amount of movement in the closing direction, and a second ratchet mechanism 280 that locks the pair of second clamping members 212 at each predetermined amount of movement in the closing direction.

[0093] As a result, the electronic lock 100 of one embodiment can easily fix the opening width of the pair of first clamping members 211 and the pair of second clamping members 212 to a width that corresponds to the width of the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30, and in addition, can prevent the pair of first clamping members 211 and the pair of second clamping members 212 from moving in the opening direction, so that the knob portion 32 of the thumb turn device 30 can be maintained in a clamped state.

[0094] In addition, the electronic lock 100 of one embodiment has an output shaft 104 provided on the rotation center axis AX1, and the connecting member 200 has a connecting portion 201 to which the output shaft 104 is connected, a main body portion 200A having a clamping mechanism 210, and an eccentric mechanism 220 that shifts the center position of the connecting portion 201 relative to the center position of the main body portion 200A.

[0095] As a result, in one embodiment of the electronic lock 100, even if a slight misalignment occurs between the rotation center axis AX1 and the rotation center axis AX2 when the clamping mechanism 210 clamps the knob portion 32, the eccentric mechanism 220 can eliminate the misalignment, thereby completely aligning the rotation center axis AX1 and the rotation center axis AX2.

[0096] 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 20 Door, 20A Surface, 30 Thumbturn device, 31 Base, 32, 32-2 Knob portion, 100 Electronic lock, 101 Housing, 101A Notch portion, 101B Back side, 103 Knob, 200, 200-2 Connecting member, 200A Main body portion, 201 Connecting portion, 202 Fixing screw, 210 Clamping mechanism, 211 First clamping member, 211A Clamping surface, 212 Second clamping member, 212A Clamping surface, 213 Third clamping member, 213A Clamp portion, 213B V-groove, 220 Eccentric mechanism, 221 First plate, 222 Second plate, 223, 224 Guide screw, 230 Case, 240 Adapter, 241 Recess, 250 First interlocking mechanism, 251 First rack gear, 252 First pinion gear, 253 First coil spring, 254 Third rack gear, 260 First ratchet mechanism, 261 First ratchet gear, 262 First ratchet pawl, 263 First release lever, 270 Second interlocking mechanism, 271 Second rack gear, 272 Second pinion gear, 273 Second coil spring, 274 Fourth rack gear, 280 Second ratchet mechanism, 281 Second ratchet gear, 282 Second ratchet pawl, 283 Second release lever, 264, 284 Torsion spring, AX1, AX2 Rotation center axis, D1 Effective length, D2 Protrusion amount, L1 Straight line

Claims

1. A clamping mechanism that clamps a knob portion of a thumb turn device so that the knob portion can be rotated, The knob portion can be clamped so that the center position of the knob portion in the longitudinal direction and the center position of the knob portion in the lateral direction are aligned with the rotation center axis of the rotation operation. A clamping mechanism characterized by:

2. The clamping mechanism includes: a pair of first clamping members that move in conjunction with each other toward the rotation center shaft and clamp both longitudinal side portions of the knob portion; a pair of second clamping members that move in conjunction with each other toward the rotation center shaft and clamp both side portions of the knob portion in the short direction; 2. The clamping mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The clamping mechanism includes: a first interlocking mechanism including a pair of first rack gears provided on the pair of first clamping members and a first pinion gear provided between the pair of first rack gears; a second interlocking mechanism including a pair of second rack gears provided on the pair of second clamping members and a second pinion gear provided between the pair of second rack gears; 3. The clamping mechanism according to claim 2, further comprising:

4. The clamping mechanism includes: a first ratchet mechanism that locks the pair of first clamping members at each predetermined movement amount in the closing direction; a second ratchet mechanism that locks the pair of second clamping members at each predetermined movement amount in the closing direction; 4. The clamping mechanism according to claim 2, further comprising:

5. The clamping mechanism includes: a pair of third clamping members that move in conjunction with each other toward the rotation center shaft and clamp both longitudinal side portions of the knob portion; The pair of third clamping members has a pair of V-shaped grooves, and the pair of V-shaped grooves clamp both longitudinal side portions of the knob portion. The clamping mechanism according to claim 1 .

6. The clamping mechanism includes: An adapter is provided which is attached to the knob portion to align the center of the knob portion with the rotation central axis of the knob portion. The clamping mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. An electronic lock that can be attached to a door having a thumb turn device, a connecting member that is rotatably provided around the rotation center shaft, has the clamping mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and rotates the knob portion clamped by the clamping mechanism; An electronic lock characterized by:

8. The electronic lock is an output shaft provided on the rotation center shaft, The connecting member is a connecting portion to which the output shaft is connected; a main body having the clamping mechanism; an eccentric mechanism that shifts a center position of the connecting portion relative to a center position of the main body portion; 8. The electronic lock according to claim 7, further comprising:

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