Drive structure

Abstract

To provide a drive structure that is as compact as possible with a minimum necessary number of components.SOLUTION: The drive structure includes: a push rod (5) supported by a casing (3) so as to be able to slide in and out of the casing in a longitudinal direction; and a motor (9) with a reduction gear group controlled by a motor control structure (17) to drive the push rod. The motor control structure drives the motor to protrude the push rod based on the drive signal received via the drive signal input terminal, while stopping the drive of the motor and leaving the push rod in a retracted standby position when a position detection structure detects that the push rod has returned to the retracted standby position as the motor continues to drive. As described above, the drive structure is miniaturized with a minimum necessary number of components.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drive structure mainly for driving a lock member used for doors such as vending machines and parking lot ticket machines.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a slider is moved by the rotation of a motor cam that directly contacts the base end portion of the slider. The slider is spring-biased toward the motor cam by a compression spring 47. That is, the length directions of the motor cam and the slider and the length direction of the compression spring are aligned in a straight line.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a locking device having a worm gear attached to an output shaft of a drive motor, a gear group that meshes with the worm gear, a rack connected to the driven side of the gear group, and a rail-shaped slider that supports the rack so as to be linearly movable and is held so as to be linearly movable in the same direction as the rack.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the electric door lock of Patent Document 1, as described above, the length directions of the motor cam, the slider, and the compression spring are aligned in a straight line. Therefore, there is a problem that the overall dimension in the length direction of the slider becomes large.

[0006] The locking device described in Patent Document 2 shares a common problem with the electric door lock described in Patent Document 1, in that it requires a rack and a slider on a rail, which increases the overall length of the slider.

[0007] The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a drive structure that is as compact as possible with the minimum necessary number of parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention has the following features.

[0009] (Features of the invention described in claim 1) The drive structure according to claim 1 (hereinafter referred to as "the drive structure of claim 1") comprises a casing, a push rod supported by the casing so as to slide in and out of the casing in the longitudinal direction, a driven structure formed on the push rod, a tension spring arranged within the casing such that its axis is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the push rod in the retraction standby position and constantly applies a tensile force to the push rod in the retraction direction, and a rotation control motor or a motor with a reduction gear group controlled by a motor control structure, The system includes at least a rotating cam that causes the push rod, which is in an immersion standby position, to protrude from the casing to a predetermined protruding standby position by the driving force of the motor, while making contact with the driven structure and resisting the tensile force of the tension spring, and then releases the push rod from the driving force of the motor at the protruding standby position; a position detection structure that directly or indirectly detects that the push rod is in an immersion standby position; and a drive signal input terminal that transmits an external drive signal to the motor control structure. The motor control structure drives the motor based on the drive signal received via the drive signal input terminal, and is configured to stop the motor and leave the push rod in the immersion standby position when the position detection structure detects that the push rod is returning to the immersion standby position due to the continued operation of the motor.

[0010] According to the drive structure of claim 1, when no drive signal is input, the push rod is retracted and stationary within the casing due to the tensile action of the tension spring. When a drive signal is input, the rotation control motor or the motor with a reduction gear group is driven, causing the rotating cam to rotate and slide the push rod in the protruding direction. This sliding is achieved by a cam action with the rotating cam as the driving part and the driven structure formed on the push rod as the driven part. The tensile force of the tension spring during sliding is overcome by the rotational force of the rotating cam, pulling the push rod in the retraction direction. The tension spring is not located on the extension of the push rod, but rather its axis is parallel to the length direction of the push rod, that is, aligned side by side. Therefore, the space required in the length direction of the push rod is reduced, and the overall casing can be made smaller. The rotation cam rotates further due to the continued driving of the rotation control motor or the motor with a reduction gear group, and the push rod protrudes from the casing due to this cam action. Further rotation of the rotating cam after protrusion releases the cam action, and the pulling force of the tension spring pulls the push rod back to the retracted standby position. The motor control structure drives the motor based on the drive signal received via the drive signal input terminal, and stops this drive and waits for the next drive signal when the position detection structure directly or indirectly detects the return of the push rod to the retracted standby position. The drive signal is transmitted directly or indirectly from an operating device outside the casing (for example, a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone with a compatible application) or other drive control means using wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth, and the antenna or the like for receiving this signal corresponds to the drive signal input terminal. The operating device may also transmit the drive signal to the drive signal input terminal via a wired connection.

[0011] (Claim 2 description Features of the invention) The drive structure according to claim 2 (hereinafter referred to as "the drive structure of claim 2") further comprises, as a preferred embodiment of the drive structure of claim 1, a rotation-preventing structure for preventing circumferential rotation of the push rod.

[0012] According to the drive structure of claim 2, the push rod, which is pulled by horizontally aligned tension springs aligned in the longitudinal direction, is subjected to a bias in a direction different from the longitudinal direction. As a result, force is easily applied to the circumferential direction of the push rod, which leads to tilting and circumferential rotation of the push rod. In particular, the occurrence of circumferential rotation is significant when the cross-section of the push rod is circular. For this reason, the cross-section of the push rod itself can be made non-circular (for example, square) and combined with the support structure of the casing to create a rotation-preventing structure, or a circular cross-section of the push rod can be used in conjunction with various rotation-preventing structures. By adopting a rotation-preventing structure, the extension and retraction sliding of the push rod can be made more stable.

[0013] (Claim 3 description Features of the invention) The drive structure according to claim 3 (hereinafter referred to as "the drive structure of claim 3") is a preferred embodiment of the drive structure of claim 1 or 2, wherein the driven structure comprises a hooking surface formed in a cam groove extending in the longitudinal direction of the push rod, and the rotating cam comprises a rotating disc and a cam projection protruding in the tangential direction of the rotating disc, and the cam projection comprises an extrusion surface that enters the cam groove as the rotating cam rotates and pushes the hooking surface in the protruding direction.

[0014] According to the drive structure of claim 3, the cam groove, which acts as the driven link, is formed to bite into the inside of the push rod, so that it does not require a dedicated space for the driven link. As a result, this contributes to miniaturization of the entire casing. The hooking surface of the cam groove and the extrusion surface of the rotating disc are each formed in a shape suitable for the extension and retraction of the push rod.

[0015] (Features of the invention according to claim 4) The drive structure according to claim 4 (hereinafter referred to as "the drive structure of claim 4") is a preferred embodiment of the drive structure of claim 3, wherein the rotating disk comprises a large-diameter rotating disk that is coaxially larger in diameter than the rotating disk and rotates integrally with the rotating disk, and the position detection structure comprises a Hall element supported by the casing and at least one magnet provided on the large-diameter rotating disk.

[0016] According to the drive structure of claim 4, since the large-diameter rotating disc rotates integrally with the rotating disc, space can be secured for placing magnets in the portion of the large-diameter rotating disc that is not covered by the rotating cam. In other words, it also functions as a compact magnet mounting medium.

[0017] (Features of the invention of claim 5) The drive structure according to claim 5 (hereinafter referred to as "the drive structure of claim 5") is a preferred embodiment of the drive structure of claim 3, wherein the rotation control motor or the motor with reduction gear group is a reversible motor, the rotating disk comprises a large-diameter rotating disk that is coaxially larger in diameter than the rotating disk, is rotatably supported in the casing, and rotates integrally with the rotating cam, and the position detection structure comprises at least one Hall element supported in the casing and two magnets arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the circumferential direction of the large-diameter rotating disk, or two Hall elements arranged at predetermined positions within the casing and one magnet arranged at a predetermined position on the large-diameter rotating disk. The motor control structure includes a drive signal input terminal that transmits an external forward drive signal and a reverse drive signal to the motor control structure, and the motor control structure is configured to drive the reversible motor in the forward direction based on the forward drive signal received via the drive signal input terminal, and to stop the drive when the position detection structure detects that the push rod has reached the protruding standby position, while driving the reversible motor in the reverse direction based on the reverse drive signal, and to stop the drive when the position detection structure detects that the push rod has returned to the retracted standby position. It should be noted that there is no prerequisite for using multiple Hall elements and three or more magnets as needed.

[0018] According to the drive structure of claim 5, since the large-diameter rotating disk is rotatably supported with respect to the casing, the large-diameter rotating disk itself functions as a radial-direction vibration prevention for the motor shaft (rotation shaft), and because the disk can minimize variations in centrifugal force, the rotational stability of the rotating cam is improved. Further, since the portion on the large-diameter rotating disk not covered by the rotating cam can be utilized as a space for arranging magnets, it also functions as a compact magnet mounting medium. By using a combination including at least two Hall elements or magnets, the rotational position of the magnet (rotating cam) recognized by the Hall element becomes more accurate, and thereby, the driving accuracy can be made higher. When a drive signal is input, the reversible motor is driven, and thereby the rotating cam rotates in the forward or reverse direction to slide the push rod in the protruding direction or the retracting direction. This sliding is realized by a cam action with the rotating cam as the driving section and the driven structure formed on the push rod as the driven section. The motor control structure controls the rotation of the motor based on the forward drive signal or reverse drive signal received via the drive signal input terminal. The stop position of the push rod after driving is controlled by the motor control by the motor control structure based on the detection signal of the position detection structure.

[0019] (Features of the invention of claim 6) The drive structure according to claim 6 (hereinafter referred to as the "drive structure of claim 6"), which is a preferred embodiment of the drive structure of claim 3, the rotation prevention structure includes a rotation prevention groove formed in the longitudinal direction of the push rod, and a stopper having a base end supported by the casing and a pushing-out surface inserted into the rotation prevention groove so as not to hinder the protrusion and retraction of the push rod.

[0020] According to the drive structure of claim 6, since the rotation prevention groove is formed so as to bite into the inside of the push rod and the stopper is inserted therein, no special dedicated space outside the push rod is required. As a result, it contributes to the miniaturization of the entire casing.

[0021] (Features of the invention of claim 7) The drive structure according to claim 7 (hereinafter referred to as "the drive structure of claim 7") comprises a casing, a push rod supported by the casing so as to slide longitudinally in and out of the casing, a driven structure formed on the push rod, a reversible rotation control motor or a motor with a reversible reduction gear group controlled by a motor control structure, a rotating cam that causes the push rod in the retracted standby position to protrude from the casing to a predetermined protruding standby position by the forward driving force of the reversible rotation control motor or the motor with a reversible reduction gear group, while the push rod is in cam contact with the driven structure, and returns it to the retracted standby position by the reverse driving force of the reversible rotation control motor or the motor with a reversible reduction gear group, a position detection structure that detects at least the retracted standby position and the protruding standby position, and a drive signal input terminal that transmits an external forward drive signal and a reverse drive signal, respectively, to the reversible motor control structure. The reversible motor control structure is configured to drive the reversible motor in the forward direction based on a forward drive signal received via the drive signal input terminal, and to stop the drive when the position detection structure detects that the push rod has reached the protruding standby position. Conversely, it is configured to drive the reversible motor in the reverse direction based on a reverse drive signal, and to stop the drive when the position detection structure detects that the push rod has returned to the retracted standby position.

[0022] According to the drive structure of claim 7, when a drive signal is input, the motor is driven, whereby the rotary cam rotates in the forward or reverse direction to slide the push rod in the protruding direction or the immersion direction. This slide is realized by a cam action with the rotary cam as the driving node and the driven structure formed on the push rod as the driven node. The rotation of the motor is controlled by a motor control structure based on a forward drive signal or a reverse drive signal received via the drive signal input terminal. The stop position of the push rod after driving is controlled by motor control by the motor control structure based on the detection signal of the position detection structure. The drive signal is transmitted from an operating device outside the casing (for example, a portable terminal device such as a smartphone equipped with a corresponding app) using a wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), and an antenna or the like for receiving this corresponds to the drive signal input terminal. The operating device can also transmit a drive signal to the drive signal input terminal via a wire. Since the position of the push rod can be controlled only by motor control via the rotary cam, multiple parts therefor are not required. For this reason, the structure is simple, and as a result, the entire casing can be miniaturized.

[0023] (Features of the invention of claim 8) The drive structure according to the invention described in claim 8 (hereinafter referred to as "the drive structure of claim 8") is a preferred embodiment of the drive structure of claim 7, wherein the motor control structure includes a timer, and after the position detection structure detects the arrival of the push rod at the protruding standby position and stops the driving of the motor, the motor is controlled by regarding a predetermined time elapse signal issued by the timer as the reverse drive signal (instead of the reverse drive signal).

[0024] According to the drive structure of claim 8, the push rod, which has reached the protruding standby position and stopped, automatically returns to the retracted standby position and stops after a predetermined time has elapsed, due to the reverse rotation of the rotating cam. Whether to use a reverse drive signal transmitted from an operating device outside the casing or a predetermined time elapsed signal issued by a timer is to be selected by the user depending on the application of the drive structure. It is also not precluded to employ both and allow the user to choose one or the other when using it.

[0025] (Features of the invention of claim 9) The drive structure according to claim 9 (hereinafter referred to as "the drive structure of claim 9") is a preferred embodiment of the drive structure of claim 7 or 8, wherein the driven structure comprises a hooking surface formed in a cam groove extending in the longitudinal direction of the push rod, and the rotating cam comprises a rotating disc and a cam projection protruding in the tangential direction of the rotating disc, and the cam projection comprises an extrusion surface that enters the cam groove as the rotating cam rotates and pushes the hooking surface in the protruding direction.

[0026] According to the drive structure of claim 9, the cam groove, which acts as the driven link, is formed to engage with the inside of the push rod, thus eliminating the need for a dedicated space for the driven link. This contributes to miniaturization of the entire casing. The hooking surface of the cam groove and the extrusion surface of the rotating disc are each formed in a shape suitable for the extension and retraction of the push rod. Furthermore, regardless of whether it is in the forward or reverse direction, the portion of the rotating cam including the extrusion surface is always engaged with the cam groove, thus preventing circumferential rotation regardless of the shape of the cross-section of the push rod. In other words, since there is no need to provide a separate rotation prevention structure, the overall size of the casing can be reduced accordingly.

[0027] (Features of the invention of claim 10) The drive structure according to claim 10 (hereinafter referred to as "the drive structure of claim 10") is Claim 9In a preferred embodiment of the drive structure, the rotating disk comprises a large-diameter rotating disk that is coaxially larger in diameter than the rotating disk and rotates integrally with the rotating disk, and the position detection structure comprises at least one Hall element supported by the casing and two magnets arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the circumferential direction of the large-diameter rotating disk, or two Hall elements arranged at predetermined positions within the casing and one magnet arranged at a predetermined position on the large-diameter rotating disk, and the position detection structure comprises at least one Hall element supported by the casing and two magnets provided on the large-diameter rotating disk, one for the immersion standby position and one for the protruding standby position. This does not preclude providing more Hall elements or magnets than the above number if necessary.

[0028] According to the drive structure of claim 10, since the large-diameter rotating disk rotates integrally with the rotating disk, space can be secured for placing magnets in the portion of the large-diameter rotating disk not covered by the rotating cam. In other words, it also functions as a compact magnet mounting medium. By using a combination that includes at least two Hall elements or magnets, the rotational position of the magnet (rotating cam) recognized by the Hall element becomes more accurate, thereby increasing the drive accuracy. [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a drive structure that is as compact as possible with the minimum necessary number of parts. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0030] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the drive structure of this embodiment (hereinafter the same) as seen from the outside of the mounting area. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the drive structure from the inside of the mounting area. [Figure 3] This is a disassembled perspective view of the drive structure. [Figure 4] This is a plan view of the drive structure with the cover case removed. [Figure 5] This is a plan view showing the cover case removed and the push rod and tension spring in place. [Figure 6] This is a bottom view of the cover case, with the push rod omitted, as seen from the center case side. [Figure 7] This is a bottom view showing the cover case with the push rod and tension spring arranged inside. [Figure 8] This is a top-down view of the gear case, as seen from the outside. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view showing the relationship between the push rod and the tension spring. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view showing a rotating cam and a Hall element (Hall IC) mounted on a control board. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view showing the rotating cam and the cam fixing pin. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view from below showing the relative positions of the control board, motor, and reduction gear group. [Figure 13] This is a perspective view from below showing the relative positions of the control board, motor, and reduction gear group. [Figure 14] This is a side view showing the relative positions of the control board, motor, and reduction gear group. [Figure 15] This is a block diagram showing the electrical structure of a control board. [Figure 16] This is a plan view illustrating the operation of the drive structure. [Figure 17] This is a partially enlarged plan view illustrating the operation of the drive structure. [Figure 18] This is a flowchart to explain the operation of the drive structure. [Figure 19] This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the drive structure. [Figure 20] This is a perspective view showing the control board and rotating cam of the first modified example (the same applies hereafter). [Figure 21] This is a plan view illustrating the operation of the drive structure. [Figure 22] This is a flowchart to explain the operation of the drive structure. [Figure 23] This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the drive structure. [Figure 24]This is a perspective view of the second modified example (hereinafter the same) of the rotating cam. [Figure 25] This is a perspective view of the second modified example (hereinafter the same) of the rotating cam. [Figure 26] This is a plan view illustrating the operation of the drive structure. [Figure 27] This is a partially enlarged plan view illustrating the operation of the drive structure. [Figure 28] This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the drive structure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] An embodiment for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "this embodiment") will be described with reference to the figures. For the sake of convenience in the following description, as shown by the bidirectional arrows in Figure 3, when viewing the center case 3b, the upper side of Figure 3 (the side facing the cover case 3a) will be referred to as the front, and the lower side (the side facing the gear case 3c) as the back, and left, right, up, and down will be defined as shown in the figure.

[0032] (External configuration of the drive structure) Refer to Figures 1 to 13. The external appearance of the drive structure 1 is largely determined by the casing 3. The drive structure 1 can be suitably used as a drive structure (actuator) primarily for driving locking members used in doors of, for example, vending machines or parking payment machines.

[0033] (Outline structure of the casing) The casing 3 is preferably made of resin for cost reasons and is generally composed of three parts: a cover case 3a, a center case 3b, and a gear case 3c, which are fixed to each other by screws or the like (Figure 3). The casing 3 shown in Figures 1 and 2 has a complex shape at first glance, but this is to suit the mounting location (not shown) and to make it compact, and there is no restriction on adopting other shapes. For the sake of explanation, the center case 3b, gear case 3c, and cover case 3a will be described in that order below.

[0034] (Center case structure) The center case 3b has a rectangular bottom plate 3ba in plan view and low peripheral walls 3bb that surround the four sides of the front of the bottom plate 3ba and protrude toward the cover case 3a (Figure 3). A control board 17 with a cutout for mounting the motor 9 is placed on the bottom plate 3ba (Figures 3 to 7), and the motor 9 is inserted into a mounting hole (hidden and not visible by the motor 9) that penetrates the bottom plate 3ba. The inserted motor 9 is then fitted and held in the motor housing 3cc (Figure 8) inside the gear case 3c, as will be described later. The held motor 9 has a pinion 9a that rotates integrally with its motor shaft protruding from the back (Figure 11). Note that the reference numeral 3e in Figure 3 indicates a group of fixing screws for fixing the center case 3b to the gear case 3c. The cover case 3a is attached to the center case 3b by mechanical joining with a snap fit 3f formed between them to facilitate opening and closing. Similarly, reference numeral 4 indicates a group of positioning pins for positioning between the center case 3b and the gear case 3c, and reference numeral 12 indicates a group of gear shafts that are paired with the reduction gear group.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4, a half-pipe shaped slide support surface 3bc of a predetermined length and diameter is provided on the center case 3b, opening upward (towards the front of the paper). The slide support surface 3bc overlaps with a slide support surface 3ac (Figure 6) of the same shape and dimensions provided on the back of the cover case 3a to form a pipe shape, and is designed to support the slide rod 5 shown in Figure 5 so that it can slide in the longitudinal direction. In other words, the slide rod 5 is supported so that it can slide in the longitudinal direction by the slide support surface 3ac (Figure 4) and the slide support surface 3bc (Figure 6). The reference numeral 3bd shown in Figures 4 and 5 indicates a support step portion formed in an arc shape with the same curvature as the circumferential end surface of the large-diameter rotating disk 11d, which will be described later, and having a predetermined thickness from the front to the back. The support step portion 3bd is a part that suppresses lateral movement of the large-diameter rotating disk 11d by sliding its peripheral edge when the disk moves laterally.

[0036] (Cover case structure) As shown in Figures 3, 6, and 7, the cover case 3a has a structure that resembles a hat worn on the head. The cover case 3a has a box-shaped box portion 3aa that opens downwards, and a rectangular visor portion 3ab that protrudes downwards from one end of the box portion 3aa. When the upper end of the box portion 3aa is aligned with the upper end of the center case 3b, the dimensions are such that the visor portion 3ab fits perfectly with the lower end of the center case 3b (Figures 1 and 2). The slide support surface 3ac, as described above, is provided on the inside of the cover case 3a (Figure 6). One end of the guide pin 6, which forms one end of the rotation prevention structure, protrudes from the longitudinal center of the slide support surface 3ac towards the visor portion 3ab (described later). A spring locking pin 8b protrudes from the right side (left side in Figure 6, as it is upside down) toward the slide support surface 3ac. Furthermore, the reference numeral 3ad shown in Figures 6 and 7 is a bearing that rotatably supports the output shaft 14 (Figure 12) that protrudes from the center case 3b side when the box portion 3aa is placed on top of the center case 3b.

[0037] (Gear case structure) As shown in Figures 3 and 8, the gear case 3c is a box-shaped member with an opening at the top, which is roughly a rectangular parallelepiped, and is screw-fixed to the back of the center case 3b. Inside, there is a motor housing section 3cf surrounded by an elliptical annular motor housing arm 3cc with a portion cut out, and the motor 9 with the pinion 9a facing downwards is fitted and fixed here. The cut-out portion is a space for driving and connecting the reduction gear group 13 (described later) and the pinion 9a. The reduction gear group 13 is housed in the gear housing section 3cd. Mounting pieces 3ca and 3cb protruding to the left and right are provided on the outside of the gear case 3c.

[0038] (Structure of the gear group) This will be explained with reference to Figures 3 and 12 to 14. The reduction gear group 13 of this embodiment is preferably made of resin or sintered material and consists of four stages of double gears 13a to 13d and one stage of single gear 13e. That is, the reduction gear group 13 consists of a double gear 13a, a double gear 13b that meshes with the double gear 13a, a double gear 13c that meshes with the double gear 13b, a double gear 13d that meshes with the double gear 3c, and a single gear 13e that meshes with the double gear 13d. The first stage double gear 13a meshes with the pinion 9a, and the last stage single gear 13e is fixed to the output shaft 14 so as to rotate integrally with it. Through this transmission path, the rotation of the motor shaft (pinion 9a) of the motor 9 is transmitted to the output shaft 14 via the reduction gear group 13. A rotating cam 11 is fixed to the output shaft 14, as described later, so that the output shaft 14 and the rotating cam 11 rotate together. The configuration of the reduction gear group 13 is not limited to that described above, and any combination that can rotate the rotating cam 11 at a predetermined speed and torque to achieve the objective of the present invention may be used. Furthermore, if a rotation control motor that can accurately control the rotation angle and rotation speed, such as a stepping motor, is used, the reduction gear group 13 may be omitted.

[0039] (Configuration of the rotating cam) As shown in Figures 9 to 11, the rotating cam 11 is preferably made of integrally formed resin and comprises a rotating disc 11a at a predetermined height from a large-diameter rotating disc 11d (described later), and a cam projection 11b protruding tangentially from the rotating disc 11a. The cam projection 11b is located at the position furthest from the large-diameter rotating disc 11d (i.e., on the open end side), and its thickness is approximately half the thickness of the rotating disc 11a (the remaining half is a gap between it and the large-diameter rotating disc 11b). The cam projection 11b is thick enough to enter and pass through the cam groove 5a (driven structure) described later. A fixing hole 11bd is formed radially through the peripheral wall of the rotating disc 11a. Although this is out of order, the output shaft 14 has an output shaft hole 14a that penetrates radially (Figure 3). Here, the output shaft 14 is inserted into the central hole 11h of the rotating cam 11, aligning the fixing hole 11bd and the output shaft hole 14a in a line, and the cam fixing pin 11e is inserted therein to fix the rotating cam 11 so that it rotates integrally with the output shaft 14. In the next section, the structure of the cam projection 11b will be described in more detail.

[0040] The cam projection 11b is formed in a shape that is roughly similar to a triangle. The cam projection 11b has a relief surface 11ba that extends from the periphery of the rotating disk 11a to the tip 11bb, and an extrusion surface 11bc that folds back from the tip 11bb towards the center. The extrusion surface 11bc is configured with an angle and width that allows it to push out (make contact with the cam) the hooking surface 5b of the cam groove 5a, which will be described later, in the protruding direction. The rotating disk 11a is equipped with a large-diameter rotating disk 11d that is coaxial with the rotating disk 11a and has a diameter approximately twice that of the rotating disk 11a. There are no particular limitations, but the thickness dimension of the large-diameter rotating disk 11d is slightly less than one-third that of the rotating disk 11a. A magnet 15b, which is part of the position detection structure 15 (described later), is embedded and fixed in the large-diameter rotating disk 11d so that its magnetic flux passes through the thickness direction of the large-diameter rotating disk 11d (in this embodiment, the north pole is in the opposite direction to that of the rotating disk 11a). In this embodiment, there is one magnet 15b, but two or three or more may be provided in the circumferential direction of the large-diameter rotating disk 11d.

[0041] (Position detection structure) As shown in Figure 10, a preferred configuration of the position detection structure 15 includes a magnet 15b embedded and fixed in a large-diameter rotating disk 11d, and a Hall element 15a fixed to the upper surface (the surface facing the rotating cam 11) of a control board 17, which is a motor control structure. The Hall element 15a refers to a non-contact type magnetic sensor that uses the Hall effect to convert the magnetic field (magnetic flux) emitted by the magnet 15b into an electrical signal and output it. In this embodiment, it is preferable to integrate the Hall element 15a with an operational amplifier to create a Hall IC. This is because the control circuit becomes simpler and easier to handle. The Hall element 15a indirectly detects the direction of the cam projection 11b, and thus the standby position of the push rod 5 when it is protruding or retracted, by detecting the rotation angle of the magnet 15b. Although it is also possible to use a sensor that directly detects the standby position of the push rod 5, the combination of a Hall element and a magnet is convenient for making the area around the push rod 5 slim and making the entire drive device 1 compact.

[0042] (Structure of the pushrod) As shown in Figures 5 and 9, the push rod 5 is an elongated cylindrical body, preferably made of resin for ease of manufacture and weight reduction. The push rod 5 as a whole is supported between the aforementioned slide support surfaces 3ac and 3bc, and is configured to slide so as to protrude a predetermined stroke in the longitudinal direction from the casing 3, and conversely, to retract back to its original position. On the base end side of the push rod 5 (the side that does not protrude from the casing 3), a rotation-preventing groove 5c is formed in a recessed shape so as to bite into the base end face, extending to slightly less than half of the total length in the longitudinal direction. The rotation-preventing groove 5c is a groove into which the other end of a guide pin 6, one end of which is press-fitted and fixed to the cover case, is inserted with a small amount of play so as not to obstruct the extension and retraction of the push rod 5. The guide pin 6 is a stopper that works in cooperation with the rotation-preventing groove 5c to prevent the push rod 5 from rotating mainly in the circumferential direction. The circumferential rotation of the push rod 5 is due to the action of a tension spring 7, which will be described later. In addition, the reference numeral 5e shown in Figures 3, 5 and 7 indicates a waterproof ring for improving watertightness between the push rod 5 and the cover case 3a.

[0043] A cam groove 5a with a roughly rectangular cross-section is formed on the push rod 5, which is moved approximately 90 degrees circumferentially from the rotation-preventing groove 5c. The cam groove 5a is made as a through hole because it retains the same shape even when the push rod 5 is rotated 180 degrees circumferentially, thus making the mounting direction irrelevant within that range, and thus making assembly easier. However, making it a through hole is not essential, and it does not prevent the cam groove 5a from being made as a recess with a bottom. This is because a through hole is easier to manufacture than a groove with a bottom, which requires the use of a slide, for example, when molding the resin push rod 5, as it allows for the use of a push-cut joint. The length of the cam groove 5a is equal to about one-quarter of the total length of the push rod 5, and the width and depth dimensions are formed so that the cam projection 11b can move in and out with some play. The convex-concave relationship between the cam projection 11b and the cam groove 5a of the rotating cam 11 could be reversed to a concave-concave relationship, but this would require a convex portion on the push rod 5, which would be contrary to miniaturization and simplification, so it was not adopted.

[0044] In Figures 9 and 17, the rising surface on the opposite end of the cam groove 5a forms a hooking surface 5b. The hooking surface 5b is pushed out in the protruding direction by contact with the extrusion surface 11bc of the rotating cam projection 11b, as shown in Figure 17, while at the same time not contacting the relief surface 11ba, so as not to hinder further rotation of the cam projection 11b (rotating cam 11) (allowing the cam projection 11b to pass through). A circular insertion hole 5d is formed through the cam groove 5a at a position slightly offset in the protruding direction. The insertion hole 5d is a hole for inserting and fixing one end of the spring locking pin 8a. The spring locking pin 8a is a pin for hooking and fixing one end of the tension spring 7, as shown in Figures 5 and 7. The reference numeral 5f in Figure 17 indicates the reverse hooking surface opposite to the hooking surface 5b.

[0045] (Structure of a tension spring) As shown in Figures 9 and 16(d), the tension spring 7 is a coil spring in shape and is a component that keeps the push rod 5 constantly immersed and stationary within the casing 3. It is preferable to set the diameter of the tension spring 7 to be as small as possible compared to that of the push rod 5. This is because the smaller the diameter of the tension spring 7, the more compact the casing 3 can be made. As mentioned above, one end of the tension spring 7 is fixed to the push rod 5 via a spring locking pin 8a. On the other hand, the other end of the tension spring 7 is hooked and fixed to a spring locking pin 8b, which is supported parallel to the spring locking pin 8a in the box portion 3aa of the cover case 3a, as shown in Figure 5. As a result, the push rod 5 is placed in the immersed and stationary position within the casing by the tensile action of the tension spring 7. At this time, the push rod 5 is positioned so that its axis is parallel to the length direction of the push rod 5 (side by side in Figure 7). Note that although the push rod 5 and tension spring 7 are shown inside the center case 3b in Figure 5, this is for illustrative purposes only, and in actual assembly, they will be placed on the cover case 3a side as shown in Figure 7.

[0046] (Configuration of the motor control structure) Refer to Figure 15. The motor control structure is comprised of a control board 17. The control board 17 is equipped with a control means 17a, which is the central component for controlling the motor 9. The control means 17a consists of a processing unit comprising a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory) as a work area, and a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing control programs, etc. In addition to a communication means 17b, a timer 17c, and a power supply terminal 17d, the control means 17a is electrically connected to the previously described Hall element (Hall IC) 15a and the motor 9 to be controlled. The control board 17 is configured to receive drive signals, etc., from an external control means 21 via a drive signal input terminal 18 and transmit them to the communication means 17b. Examples of operating devices 21 for operating the control means 1 from the outside include a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet with the necessary control application installed, a dedicated terminal for the drive structure 1, and built-in control means such as a vending machine or parking payment machine (Figure 15) that outputs drive signals based on predetermined operations performed by an administrator, etc.

[0047] The communication means 17b is responsible for receiving a drive signal from the drive signal input terminal 18 and transmitting it to the control means 17a. In some cases, the drive signal may be directly input to the control means 17a from the drive signal input terminal 18. Methods of transmission or input include, for example, wired connection or wireless connection using wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth (trademark). The timer 17c is a component that measures the predetermined time and transmits a signal to the control means 17a when it is necessary to drive the motor 9, which is mainly in a stopped state, after a predetermined time. The timer 17c may be omitted or disabled if there is no operational need. The power supply terminal 17d in this embodiment is a terminal for receiving power from a power supply means 19 located outside the control means 17a. The power supply means 19 may be a commercial power source or a battery (primary, secondary, solar cell, etc.). If it is a small battery, it may be built into the casing 3. As previously described in the explanation of the position detection structure, the Hall element 15a is configured to convert the magnetic field (magnetic flux) emitted by the magnet 15b into an electrical signal and output it, and to transmit this electrical signal to the control means 17a. Here, at least one Hall element 15a and one magnet 15b are sufficient to detect the rotation angle of the rotating cam 11 (one predetermined angle within 360 degrees), but if finer angle detection is desired (for example, 180 degrees and 360 degrees), two or more of either one or both may be used. As mentioned above, the magnet 15b rotates integrally with the large-diameter rotating disk 11d.

[0048] (Effects of this embodiment) The operation of the drive unit 1 controlled by the control program will be explained with reference to Figures 15 to 19. The rightmost column of Figure 19 shows the relationship with the corresponding figures in Figure 16. When no drive signal is input, the push rod 5 is immersed and stationary within the casing 3 due to the tensioning action of the tension spring 7. At this time, the output voltages of the magnet 15b at the 6 o'clock position and the Hall element 15a behind it show H (High), and the tension spring 7 is in a contracted state (S1 in Figure 18, Figure 16(a)).

[0049] Here, for example, when a drive signal (forward drive signal) is input from the vending machine 21 based on a predetermined operation by an administrator or the like, the control means 17a drives the motor 9 (S3 and S5 in Figure 18). As a result, the rotating cam 11 (cam projection 11b) rotates in the forward direction (counterclockwise in this embodiment) and attempts to slide the push rod 5 in the protruding direction (Figures 16(b) and 17(b)). At this time, the tip 11bb of the cam projection 11b points to the 4 o'clock position in Figure 16. Similarly, the push rod 5 is just about to protrude, and the tension spring 7 is in a contracted state just about to extend. As the rotating cam 11 rotates, the magnet 15b moves away, and the output voltage of the Hall element 15a shows L (Low) (Figure 19).

[0050] As the cam rotates, the cam projection 11b enters the cam groove 5a, and eventually the pushing surface 11bc of the cam projection 11b collides with the hooking surface 5b of the cam groove 5a. Further rotation then pushes it upward against the tensile force of the tension spring 7 (upward arrow in Figure 17(b)). This upward push is due to a cam action in which the cam projection 11b of the rotating cam 11 is the driving part and the driven structure, the cam groove 5a (hooking surface 5b) formed on the push rod 5, is the driven part. As a result, the push rod 5 is pushed upward in the protruding direction and slides, reaching the protruding standby position shown in Figure 16(c). At this time, the tension spring 7 is in the extended state. Since the magnet 15b is between 11 o'clock and 12 o'clock, the output voltage of the Hall element 15a is L (Figure 19).

[0051] The rotation continues, and when the tip 11bb of the cam projection 11b passes the 11 o'clock position, the relief surface 11ba is curved to avoid contact with the hook surface 5b, thus releasing the upward push by the cam projection 11b (Figures 16(d), 17(c)-(d)). As the upward release is released, the tension of the tension spring 7 pulls the push rod 5 back to the retracted standby position (downward arrow in Figures 16(e) and 17(d)). As the magnet 15d is pulled back, it also returns to the 6 o'clock position, causing the output voltage of the Hall element 15a to become H (S7 in Figure 18, Figure 19). Sensing the output voltage of the Hall element 15a, which started at H and returned to H, the control means 17a stops the motor 9 from driving (S11 in Figures 15(e) and 18). Having stopped the motor in S11, the control means 17a returns to S1. However, if necessary, the rotating cam 11 may be set to continue rotating, in which case the push rod 5 will repeatedly extend and retract.

[0052] As shown in Figure 5, the tension spring 7 is positioned to pull the side-by-side push rods 5 at an angle. As a result, an oblique force F acts on the push rods 5 that is different from the axial force (bottom right of Figure 5). The tension spring 7 is positioned side-by-side to save space in the axial direction of the push rods 5, but this oblique force may cause the push rods 5 to tilt or rotate in the circumferential direction. The interaction between the rotation-preventing groove 5c and the guide pin 6 is a measure to suppress this and allow the push rods 5 to extend and retract smoothly.

[0053] (First modified example of this embodiment) Refer to Figure 20. The difference between this embodiment and the first modified example of this embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "first modified example") is that the one Hall element in this embodiment is replaced with two Hall elements in the first modified example. In addition to the Hall element 15a, the control board 18 is equipped with a Hall element 16a. Similar to the Hall element 15a, it is preferable to make the Hall element 16a a Hall IC in order to reduce the number of components and make it more compact. In the first modified example, when the push rod 5 is in the immersion standby position (Figure 21(a)(e)), one Hall element 15a is positioned to be able to sense the magnetic field of the magnet 15b, and similarly, when the push rod 5 is in the protruding standby position (Figure 21(c)), the other Hall element 16a is positioned to be able to sense the magnetic field of the magnet 15b.

[0054] (Operation of the first modified example) The operation of the first modified example will be explained based on Figures 21 to 23. The rightmost column of Figure 23 shows the relationship with the corresponding figures in Figure 21. The control program is currently running. When there is no drive signal input, the push rod 5 is immersed and stationary within the casing 3 due to the pulling action of the tension spring 7. At this time, the output voltage of the magnet 15b at the 9 o'clock position and the Hall element 15a behind it become H. At this time, although it is hidden and not visible in Figure 21, the output voltage of the Hall element 16a at the 6 o'clock position becomes L (Figure 21(a), step 31 in Figure 22, Figure 23). The flowchart in Figure 22 does not mention that the output voltage of the Hall element 16a is L. This is because the output voltage of the Hall element 15a being H means that the magnet 15b is in close proximity to it, and therefore the magnet 15b is far enough away to cause the output voltage of the Hall element 16a to become L. This relationship, where if one is H, the other becomes L (and both can become L when they are in an intermediate position), is the same for the subsequent group of steps and the second modified example described later.

[0055] When a positive drive signal for positive rotation is input, the control means 17a rotates the motor 9 in the positive direction, and consequently the rotating cam 11 begins to rotate counterclockwise (counterclockwise in the first modified example), causing the magnet 15b to move to the 8 o'clock position (Figure 21(b), S33 and S35 in Figure 22). This movement creates a gap between the magnet 15b and the Hall element 15a, and its output voltage becomes L (Figure 23). The output voltage of the Hall element 16a remains L (repeated Low in S37 in Figure 22). At this time, the tension spring 7 is slightly stretched, and the push rod 5 is partially protruding from the casing 4 (Figure 21(b), Figure 23).

[0056] As the rotation continues and the magnet 15b is positioned at the 6 o'clock position (Figure 21(c)), the output voltage of the Hall element 15a remains low, but the output voltage of the Hall element 16a on the opposite side, which is overlapping with the magnet 15b, becomes high (High in S37 of Figure 22). At this time, the tension spring 7 is in its most extended state, and the push rod 5 reaches its most protruding standby position (Figure 23). The control means 17a (Figure 15), which senses the output signal from the Hall element 16a, stops the rotational drive of the motor 9 (S39 in Figure 22).

[0057] On the other hand, when a reverse drive signal is input after the motor 9 has stopped, the control means 17a reverses the motor 9 clockwise (Figure 21(d), S41 and S43 in Figure 22). At this point, the tension spring 7 is in the process of contracting, and the push rod 5 is also in the process of retracting, having retracted only slightly. At this time, the pushing surface 11bc of the push rod 5 rotates clockwise, and the hooking surface 5b is pulled back in the retraction direction by the contraction force of the tension spring 7 (Figure 7) to follow this rotation. This can be represented in the order of Figure 17(c) and (b).

[0058] When the output voltage of Hall element 15a becomes high due to further rotation (the output voltage of Hall element 16a is low, S45 in Figure 22), the control means 17a stops the motor 9 (S47 in Figure 22). At this time, the push rod 5 returns to the immersion standby state (Figure 21(d)). The control program returns to start after stopping.

[0059] The aforementioned reverse drive signal is a signal input to the drive signal input terminal 18 from the vending machine 21, following the previous example, that is, based on the operator's operation. However, there is also a method of activating the timer 17c (Figure 15). That is, the control means 17a can be set to reverse drive the motor 9 after a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) counted by the timer 17c. In the first modified example, a combination of one magnet and two Hall elements is used, but a combination of two magnets and one Hall element (not shown) can also be used. The effect is the same for any combination. In addition, in the first modified example, the rotating cam 11 remains in the cam groove 5a when the push rod 5 is extended, so it becomes possible to omit the rotation suppression guide pin 6.

[0060] (Second modified example of this embodiment) The second modified example of this embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "second modified example") differs from the first modified example in the shape of the cam projection. Common components are simply indicated by reference numerals in the drawings, and their descriptions are omitted. The following explanation will focus on the differences. Note that the tension spring for pull-back is unnecessary and has been omitted.

[0061] (Configuration of the rotating cam) As shown in Figures 24, 25, and 27, the rotating cam 31 comprises a rotating disc 31a at a predetermined height from the large-diameter rotating disc 11d, and a cam projection 31b that protrudes radially from the rotating disc 31a, and is preferably made of integrally formed resin. The cam projection 31b is located at the position furthest from the large-diameter rotating disc 11d (i.e., on the open end side), and its thickness is approximately half the thickness of the rotating disc 31a (the remaining half is a gap between it and the large-diameter rotating disc 11d). The cam projection 31b is thick enough to penetrate into the cam groove 5a (driven structure) described above. A fixing hole 31bd is formed radially through the peripheral wall of the rotating disc 31a. Although it is not impossible to provide one, the tension spring is omitted because the push rod 5 can be retracted without it.

[0062] The cam projection 31b is formed in a shape that is roughly similar to a water droplet (a triangular rice ball). The cam projection 31b has an outward-curving extrusion surface 31ba that extends from the periphery of the rotating disk 31a to a tip 31bb in the tangential direction, and a downward-pressing surface 31bc that is symmetrical to the extrusion surface 31ba, which folds back from the tip 31bb at the end of the extrusion surface 31ba. As the push rod 5 rotates in the forward direction, the extrusion surface 31ba makes cam contact with the hook surface 5b located on the protruding side of the cam groove 5a of the push rod 5, causing the push rod 5 to protrude to the protruding standby position as the rotation continues. On the other hand, as the push rod 5 rotates in the reverse direction, the downward-pressing surface 31bc makes cam contact with the reverse hook surface 5f located on the recessed side of the cam groove 5a, pushing the push rod 5 down to the recessed standby position.

[0063] large diameter The rotating disk 11d is embedded and fixed in the rotating disk 11d, similar to this embodiment, so that its magnetic flux passes through the thickness direction of the large-diameter rotating disk 11d (in the second modified example, so that the north pole is in the opposite direction to that of the rotating disk 11a). In the second modified example, there is one magnet 15b, but two or more may be provided in the circumferential direction of the large-diameter rotating disk 11d. The above configuration is common to the configuration of the first modified example.

[0064] (Operation of the second modified example) The operation of the second modified example will be explained based on Figures 15 and 26 to 28. The control program is the same as the operation of the flowchart in Figure 22 explained in the first modified example, so its explanation will be omitted. The control program is currently running. The rightmost column of Figure 28 shows the relationship with the corresponding figures in Figure 26. When there is no drive signal input, the push rod 5 is immersed and stationary within the casing 3 due to the contact between the pressing surface 31bc of the cam projection 31b and the reverse hooking surface 5f of the cam groove 5a. At this time, the output voltage of the magnet 15b at the 9 o'clock position and the Hall element 15a behind it become H. At this time, although it is hidden and not visible in Figure 26, the output voltage of the Hall element 16a at the 6 o'clock position becomes L (Figures 26(a), 27(a)).

[0065] When a positive drive signal for positive rotation is input, the control means 17a rotates the motor 9 in the positive direction, and consequently the rotating cam 31 begins to rotate counterclockwise (counterclockwise in the second modified example), causing the magnet 15b to move to the 8 o'clock position (Figures 26(b), 27(b)). This movement creates a gap between the magnet 15b and the Hall element 15a, and its output voltage becomes L (Figure 28). The output voltage of the Hall element 16a remains L.

[0066] As the rotation continues and the magnet 15b is positioned at the 6 o'clock position (Figures 26(c), 27(c)), the output voltage of the Hall element 15a remains low, but the output voltage of the Hall element 16a on the opposite side, which is overlapping with the magnet 15b, becomes high, and the push rod 5 reaches its most protruding standby position (Figures 26(c), 27(c), 28). The control means 17a (Figure 15), which senses the output signal of the Hall element 16a, stops the rotational drive of the motor 9.

[0067] On the other hand, when a reverse drive signal is input after the motor 9 has stopped, the control means 17a reverses the motor 9 clockwise (Figure 26(d)). The push rod 5 may remain in the protruding standby position for a short amount of time after the slight reversal (because there is no force to pull it in the retraction direction due to the omission of the tension spring) (Figure 26(d)), but further reversal pushes it back to the retraction standby state by contact between the push-down surface 31bc of the cam projection 31 and the reverse hook surface 5f of the cam groove 5a (Figures 27(d), 26(e)). If it is to avoid the push rod 5 remaining in the protruding standby position, the tension spring used in the first modification may be used in the second modification.

[0068] When the output voltage of Hall element 15a becomes high due to further rotation (the output voltage of Hall element 16a is low), the control means 17a stops the motor 9. At this time, the push rod 5 returns to the immersion standby state (Figure 26(e)). [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1·· Drive structure, 3·· Casing, 3a·· Cover case, 3aa·· Box section, 3ab·· Visor section, ··3ac, 3bc, Slide support surface, ··3ad, Bearing (for output shaft), 3b·· Center case, 3ba·· Bottom plate, 3bb·· Peripheral wall, 3bd·· Support step section, 3c·· Gear case, 3ca, 3cb·· Mounting piece, 3cc·· Motor housing arm, 3cd·· Gear housing section, 3cf·· Motor housing section, 3e·· Fixing screw, 3f·· Snap fit, 4·· Positioning pin group, 5·· Push rod, 5a·· Cam groove (driven structure), 5b·· Hooking surface, 5c·· Rotation prevention groove (rotation prevention structure), 5d·· Insertion hole, 5e·· Waterproof ring, 5f·· Reverse hooking surface, 6·· Guide pin (stopper, rotation prevention structure), 7·· Tension spring (coil spring), 8a, 8b... Spring locking pin, 9... Motor, 9a... Pinion, 11... Rotating cam, 11a... Rotating disc, 11b... Cam projection, 11ba... Relief surface, 11bb... Tip, 11bc... Extrusion surface, 11bd... Fixing hole, 11d... Large diameter rotating disc, 11e... Cam fixing pin, 11h... Center hole, 12... Gear shaft group, 13... Reduction gear group, 13a... Two-stage gear, 13b... Two-stage gear, 13c... Two-stage gear, 13d... Two-stage gear, 13e... Single-stage gear, 14... Output shaft, 14a... Output shaft hole, 15... Position detection structure, 15a, 16a... Hall element (Hall IC), 15b...Magnet, 17, 18...Control board, 17a...Control means, 17b...Communication means, 17c...Timer, 17d...Power supply terminal, 18...Drive signal input terminal, 19...Power supply means, 21...Drive control means, 31...Rotating cam, 31a...Rotating disk, 31b...Cam projection, 31ba...Extrusion surface, 31bb...Tip, 31bc...Pressing surface

Claims

1. Casing and, A push rod supported by the casing so as to slide in and out of the casing in the longitudinal direction, The driven structure formed on the push rod, Within the casing, a tension spring is positioned so that its axis is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the push rod in the immersion standby position, and it constantly applies a tensile force to the push rod in the immersion direction. A rotation control motor or a motor with a reduction gear group controlled by a motor control structure, A rotating cam causes the push rod, which is in a recessed standby position, to protrude from the casing to a predetermined protruding standby position by the driving force of the motor, while resisting the tensile force of the tension spring and in contact with the driven structure and the cam, and then releases it from the driving force of the motor at the protruding standby position. A position detection structure that directly or indirectly detects whether the push rod is in the immersion standby position, It includes a drive signal input terminal that transmits an external drive signal to the motor control structure, The motor control structure is configured to drive the motor and extend the push rod based on the drive signal received via the drive signal input terminal, and to stop the motor and set the push rod in the immersion standby position when the position detection structure detects that the push rod has returned to the immersion standby position due to the continued operation of the motor. A drive structure characterized by the following features.

2. The system further includes a rotation-preventing structure for preventing circumferential rotation of the push rod. The drive structure according to feature 1.

3. The driven structure comprises a hooking surface formed in a cam groove extending in the longitudinal direction of the push rod, The rotating cam comprises a rotating disk and a cam projection that protrudes tangentially from the rotating disk. The cam projection has an extrusion surface that enters the cam groove as the rotating cam rotates and pushes the hooking surface in the protruding direction. The drive structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is as described above.

4. The rotating disk comprises a large-diameter rotating disk that is coaxially larger in diameter than the rotating disk and rotates integrally with the rotating disk. The position detection structure comprises a Hall element supported by the casing and at least one magnet provided on the large-diameter rotating disk. The drive structure according to feature 3.

5. The aforementioned rotation control motor or motor with reduction gear group is a reversible motor. The rotating disk is coaxially larger in diameter than the rotating disk and is rotatably supported by the casing, while also comprising a large-diameter rotating disk that rotates integrally with the rotating cam. The position detection structure includes at least one Hall element supported by the casing and two magnets arranged at a predetermined distance in the circumferential direction of the large-diameter rotating disk, or two Hall elements arranged at predetermined positions within the casing and one magnet arranged at a predetermined position on the large-diameter rotating disk. It includes drive signal input terminals that transmit forward drive signals and reverse drive signals from an external source to the motor control structure, The motor control structure is configured to drive the reversible motor in the forward direction based on a forward drive signal received via the drive signal input terminal, and to stop the drive when the position detection structure detects that the push rod has reached the protruding standby position, while driving the reversible motor in the reverse direction based on a reverse drive signal, and to stop the drive when the position detection structure detects that the push rod has returned to the retracted standby position. The drive structure according to feature 3.

6. The rotation-preventing structure comprises a rotation-preventing groove formed in the longitudinal direction of the push rod, and a stopper whose base end is supported by the casing and whose extrusion surface is inserted into the rotation-preventing groove so as not to obstruct the extension and retraction of the push rod. The drive structure according to claim 2, characterized by the feature.

7. Casing and, A push rod supported by the casing so as to slide in and out of the casing in the longitudinal direction, The driven structure formed on the push rod, A reversible rotation control motor or a motor with a reversible reduction gear group controlled by a motor control structure, A rotating cam causes the push rod, which is in the immersion standby position, to protrude from the casing to a predetermined protruding standby position by the forward driving force of the reversible rotation control motor or the reversible reduction gear group motor, while in contact with the driven structure and the cam, and returns it from the protruding standby position to the immersion standby position by the reverse driving force of the reversible rotation control motor or the reversible reduction gear group motor, A position detection structure that directly or indirectly detects whether the push rod is in the retracted standby position and the protruding standby position, It includes drive signal input terminals that transmit forward drive signals and reverse drive signals from an external source to the motor control structure, The motor control structure is configured to drive the reversible motor in the forward direction based on a forward drive signal received via the drive signal input terminal, and to stop the drive when the position detection structure detects that the push rod has reached the protruding standby position, while driving the reversible motor in the reverse direction based on a reverse drive signal, and to stop the drive when the position detection structure detects that the push rod has returned to the retracted standby position. A drive structure characterized by the following features.

8. The motor control structure is equipped with a timer, and after the position detection structure detects when the push rod reaches the protruding standby position and stops the motor, it is configured to control the motor by considering the predetermined time elapsed signal issued by the timer as the reverse drive signal. The drive structure according to claim 7, characterized by the feature.

9. The driven structure comprises a hooking surface formed in a cam groove extending in the longitudinal direction of the push rod, The rotating cam comprises a rotating disk and a cam projection that protrudes tangentially from the rotating disk. The cam projection has an extrusion surface that enters the cam groove as the rotating cam rotates and pushes the hooking surface in the protruding direction. The drive structure according to claim 7 or 8, characterized by the features described above.

10. The rotating disk comprises a large-diameter rotating disk that is coaxially larger in diameter than the rotating disk and rotates integrally with the rotating disk. The position detection structure includes at least one Hall element supported by the casing and two magnets arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the circumferential direction of the large-diameter rotating disk, or two Hall elements arranged at predetermined positions within the casing and one magnet arranged at a predetermined position on the large-diameter rotating disk. The drive structure according to any one of the features of 9.

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