Remote control device

Abstract

To provide a remote control system for an engine switch which enables easy management.SOLUTION: A remote control device 1 operates a rotary switch operation member K provided at a vehicle from a remote location and includes: a fixed member 10 fixed to the vehicle; a driving member 30 which has an inserted part 31 into which the rotary switch operation member K is inserted and which may be positioned relative to the fixed member 10 so that the rotary switch operation member K is inserted into the inserted part 31 and move relative to the fixed member 10 so that the rotary switch operation member K is pulled out from the inserted part 31; and a motor 40 which can be controlled from the remote location and causes the driving member 30 to rotate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a remote control device.

Background Art

[0002] Automobiles having an engine starter system that can start an engine from a remote location are increasing. Generally, an engine starter system is configured to electronically switch an electric circuit that is normally switched by an engine key when it receives a predetermined signal transmitted from a transmitter built into a key head or key holder of the engine key. Such an engine starter system is configured such that a different code (signal pattern) is set for each vehicle, and the engine is started only when the set code is received (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventional engine starter systems are mainly adopted for passenger cars, but there are also cases where it is desired to remotely operate an engine in other types of vehicles (including ships, aircraft, etc.). As a specific example, there is also a need for remote operation of an engine in construction machinery. In a business establishment that uses a large number of construction machines, there are cases where many construction machines can be operated using a common engine key. This is because using different engine keys for each construction machine complicates the management of engine keys when selecting the type and size of the construction machine to be used according to the required work at a construction site or the like.

[0005] Even with construction machinery like this, there are times when it's necessary to start and stop the engine remotely. When using an electronically controlled engine starter system for construction machinery, assigning different codes to each machine becomes complicated to operate, for the same reasons as using a common engine key. However, unlike engine keys, the transmitter of the engine starter system cannot be selected by the user's intention alone, so it is not possible to standardize the oscillator of the engine starter system.

[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a remote control system for an engine switch that is easy to manage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A remote control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a remote control device for operating a rotary switch operating member provided on a vehicle from a remote location, comprising: a fixed member fixed to the vehicle; a drive member having an insertion portion into which the rotary switch operating member is inserted, positionable relative to the fixed member so as to be inserted into the insertion portion, and movable relative to the fixed member so as to be pulled out of the insertion portion; and a motor controllable from the remote location for rotating the drive member.

[0008] The remote control device described above may further include a holding member that holds the drive member and the motor, and is detachably attached to or relatively movable with respect to the fixed member.

[0009] In the remote control device described above, the rotary switch operating member is an engine key inserted into the key cylinder, and the holding member may have a positioning portion having a hole or notch that fits the outer circumference of the key cylinder.

[0010] The remote control device described above may further include a transmission mechanism having a drive gear or drive pulley rotated by the motor, and a driven gear or driven pulley rotated integrally with the drive member by the drive gear or drive pulley.

[0011] In the remote control device described above, the driven gear or driven pulley may be formed in an annular shape and arranged coaxially on the outside of the rotary switch operating member.

[0012] In the remote control device described above, the drive member may be detachably attached to the driven gear or the driven pulley.

[0013] The remote control device described above may be provided integrally with the drive member and may further include an operating member that can be rotated by a person. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, a remote control system for an engine switch that is easy to manage can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the remote control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention mounted on the dashboard. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the dashboard before the remote control device was installed. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the remote control device. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the remote control device with the holding member removed. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing the remote control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention mounted on the dashboard. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the remote control device. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the remote control device from a different viewpoint than Figure 6. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view showing a state where the holding member of the remote operation device is removed from the dashboard of FIG. 5. [Figure 9] It is an enlarged perspective view showing the drive member of the remote operation device of FIG. 5. [Figure 10] It is a perspective view showing the remote operation device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a perspective view showing the remote operation device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments described later, components similar to those in the previously described embodiments may be denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions may be omitted.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state where the remote operation device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a vehicle dashboard (console) D. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the dashboard D before the remote operation device 1 is attached. FIG. 3 is a perspective view (a view with the cover removed) showing the internal configuration of the remote operation device 1.

[0018] The remote operation device 1 according to one aspect of the present invention remotely operates a rotary switch operating member provided in a vehicle such as a vehicle, a ship, an aircraft, etc., specifically, an engine key K inserted into a key cylinder C. The engine operated by the engine key K is not limited to an internal combustion engine, and can be any power source such as an electric engine. The remote operation device 1 of the present embodiment includes a fixing member 10, a holding member 20, a drive member 30, a motor 40, and a transmission mechanism 50.

[0019] The fixing member 10 is fixed to the vehicle's dashboard D, and the retaining member 20 is fixed to this fixing member 10. In other words, the fixing member 10 is a bracket for attaching the retaining member 20 to the dashboard D. Preferably, the fixing member 10 is designed to match the shape of the dashboard D of the vehicle to which the remote control device 1 is attached, and is designed to be fixed to the internal structure of the dashboard D. The remote control device 1 can be attached to a variety of vehicles by replacing the fixing member 10.

[0020] The holding member 20 is a housing fixed to the fixing member 10 and holding the motor 40 and transmission mechanism 50 inside. In other words, the holding member 20 houses the motor 40 and transmission mechanism 50, preventing injuries, electric shocks, equipment damage, and other problems caused by people or foreign objects coming into contact with these internal structures. The holding member 20 also has an opening 21 that exposes the drive member 30.

[0021] The drive member 30 is attached to the transmission mechanism 50 and rotated by the motor 40 via the transmission mechanism 50. The drive member 30 is formed in a generally disc shape and has an insertion portion 31 which is a slot-shaped opening into which the key head H, which is part of the engine key K, is inserted and whose relative rotation is restricted. As a result, the drive member 30 is rotated by the transmission mechanism 50 around the axis of the key cylinder C, together with the engine key K inserted into the insertion portion 31. In other words, the drive member 30 operates the engine key K by rotating.

[0022] The drive member 30 can be easily attached to and detached from the transmission mechanism 50 by an engaging member 32 consisting of a ball lock pin that can be attached to and detached from the transmission mechanism 50 with a single touch. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the drive member 30 removed from the remote control device 1. In this way, the drive member 30 is positioned relative to the fixing member 10 so that the key head H is inserted into the insertion portion 31, and is also movable relative to the fixing member 10 so that the key head H is pulled out from the insertion portion 31. As shown in Figure 4, by removing the drive member 30, the remote control device 1 can be made so as not to hinder a person from inserting, rotating, and pulling out the engine key K into the key cylinder C.

[0023] The motor 40 is controllable from a remote location and rotates the drive member 30 via the transmission mechanism 50. The motor 40 can be a stepping motor or the like, or a feedback-controlled servo motor, to accurately control the angle of the drive member 30 and, consequently, the engine key K. Furthermore, it is preferable that the motor 40 has a reduction gear 41 so that the angular position of the drive member 30 can be precisely controlled. The reduction gear 41 is configured such that its output shaft can be rotated when stopped, allowing a person to directly operate the engine key K connected via the drive member 30. In particular, it is preferable that the output shaft is coaxial with the armature rotation shaft, and that this is a planetary gear mechanism. The motor 40 is driven by a motor driver 42 that outputs power based on a signal received from a remote location.

[0024] The transmission mechanism 50 includes a drive gear 51 rotated by a motor 40, and a driven gear 52 that is rotatable integrally with the drive member 30 and is arranged to mesh with the drive gear 51, and is rotated by the drive gear 51. The drive gear 51 is attached to the output shaft of the motor 40. The driven gear 52 meshes with the drive gear 51. The drive member 30 is fixed to the driven gear 52 by an engaging member 32 so that it can be attached and detached with a single touch. For this reason, the driven gear 52 is formed in an annular shape and is arranged coaxially on the outside of the key cylinder C. As a result, as shown in Figure 4, the engine key K can be attached to and detached from the key cylinder C by removing only the drive member 30 while the transmission mechanism 50 remains attached to the dashboard D. Furthermore, in order to allow a person to rotate the key head H protruding from the drive member 30, it is preferable that the diameters of the drive gear 51 and the driven gear 52 do not differ significantly.

[0025] The remote control device 1 described above makes it possible to operate the engine key K from a remote location without making any changes to the vehicle's electrical and mechanical structure. Furthermore, since the vehicle to which the remote control device 1 is attached is the target of remote control, a single remote control device 1 can remotely control any one of many vehicles. In addition, since the drive member 30 of the remote control device 1 is detachable, by removing only the drive member 30 without removing the entire remote control device 1 and pulling out the engine key K, unintended engine starting can be prevented, and the engine key K can be used for other vehicles.

[0026] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the remote control device 1A according to the second embodiment of the present invention mounted on the dashboard D of a vehicle. Figure 6 is a perspective view (with the cover removed) showing the internal configuration of the remote control device 1A. Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the remote control device 1A from a different viewpoint than that of Figure 6. The remote control device 1A of this embodiment remotely controls the engine key K and the speed dial S for setting the engine speed, using a rotary switch operating member.

[0027] The remote control device 1A of this embodiment includes a fixing member 10A attached to the dashboard D, a retaining member 20A detachably attached to the fixing member 10A, a key drive member 30A, a key motor 40A, a key transmission mechanism 50A and a key operating member 60A for operating the engine key K, and a dial drive member 30B, a dial motor 40B, a dial transmission mechanism 50B and a dial operating member 60B.

[0028] As shown in Figure 8, the fixing member 10A has a fixing part 11 that is fixed to the dashboard D, and a base part 12 that is fixed to the fixing part 11 and can position and mount the retaining member 20A. The fixing part 11 has a support column 13 made of aluminum extruded material and a connecting part 14 made of a free-angle bracket that is attached to the support column 13 and enables connection of the base part 12. Thus, the fixing part 11, which is formed from the support column 13 and the connecting part 14, both of which are general-purpose parts, is relatively inexpensive, and the base part 12 can be easily positioned in an appropriate position relative to the engine key K and speed dial S according to the structure of the dashboard D. The base part 12 has an engagement structure 15 for easily positioning and detachably attaching the retaining member 20. In this embodiment, the engagement structure 15 is a cam clamper.

[0029] The retaining member 20A holds the drive members 30A, 30B, motors 40A, 40B, transmission mechanisms 50A, 50B, and operating members 60A, 60B, and is removable from the fixing member 10A and thus from the dashboard D as a whole. The retaining member 20A is also a housing that accommodates the drive members 30A, 30B, motors 40A, 40B, and transmission mechanisms 50A, 50B. Furthermore, the retaining member 20A has an engaging member 22 that can engage with and disengage from the engaging structure 15 with a single touch. In this embodiment, the engaging member 22 is a thumbturn clamper.

[0030] As shown in Figure 10, the key drive member 30A has two cylindrical clamping members 33A arranged in a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the key cylinder C, defining an insertion portion 31A between them, and a channel-shaped support 34A that supports the clamping members 33A by clamping them from both ends. The dial drive member 30B has two pairs, a total of four cylindrical clamping members 33B arranged parallel to the central axis of the key cylinder C, defining an insertion portion 31B between them into which the knob portion T of the speed dial S is inserted, and a support 34B that cantilever-supports the end of the clamping member 33B opposite to the dashboard D.

[0031] The key motor 40A can be controlled remotely and rotates the key drive member 30A via the key transmission mechanism 50A, while the dial motor 40B rotates the dial drive member 30B via the dial transmission mechanism 50B.

[0032] The key transmission mechanism 50A and the dial transmission mechanism 50B each include drive pulleys 51A and 51B attached to the output shafts of motors 40A and 40B and rotated by motors 40A and 40B, driven pulleys 52A and 52B rotated together with drive members 30A and 30B by the drive pulleys 51A and 51B, a timing belt (not shown) stretched between the drive pulleys 51A and 51B and the driven pulleys 52A and 52B, and a pair of tension rollers 53A and 53B that apply tension to the timing belt. The driven pulleys 52A and 52B are fixed to the side of the support members 34A and 34B opposite to the dashboard D. In this way, by making the transmission mechanisms 50A and 50B belt-driven mechanisms, the transmission mechanisms 50A and 50B and consequently the remote control device 1A can be made relatively small.

[0033] The key operating member 60A and the dial operating member 60B are rotatably mounted integrally with the drive members 30A, 30B and the driven pulleys 52A, 52B. Furthermore, the operating members 60A and 60B are positioned to be exposed on the outside of the holding member 20A and are operating members that can be rotated by a person.

[0034] The remote control device 1A allows a person to directly operate the engine key K and speed dial S by removing the rest of the device from the dashboard D, leaving only the fixing member 10A. Furthermore, by providing multiple fixing members 10A and attaching each fixing member 10A to multiple vehicles, the remote control device 1A can be easily attached to the desired vehicle by the holding member 20A that holds the drive members 30A, 30B, motors 40A, 40B, and operating members 60A, 60B.

[0035] Figure 10 is a perspective view showing a remote control device 1C according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The remote control device 1C comprises a fixing member 10C fixed to a vehicle, a holding member 20C that is movable relative to the fixing member 10C, a connecting member 70 that connects the fixing member 10C and the holding member 20C, a drive member 30C held by the holding member 20C, and a motor 40C.

[0036] The fixing member 10C includes a fixing plate 16 that is fixed to the floor of a vehicle or the like, and a pole 17 that is erected on the fixing plate 16.

[0037] The retaining member 20C has a plate-shaped positioning portion 23 that contacts the dashboard (not shown). The positioning portion 23 has a semicircular notch 24 that fits the outer circumference of the key cylinder C, thereby allowing the drive member 30C to be held to be positioned relative to the engine key K.

[0038] The connecting member 70 has universal joints at both ends that can be bent in any direction, allowing the holding member 20C to move relatively freely relative to it.

[0039] The drive member 30C is configured to define the insertion portion 31C between a pair of cylindrical clamping members 33C and is directly attached to the output shaft of the motor 40C. Therefore, the motor 40C is positioned coaxially with the key cylinder C.

[0040] In this embodiment, the remote control device 1C has a high degree of freedom in the placement of the fixed member 10C and is easy to design because the holding member 20C is connected to the fixed member 10C by the connecting member 70 so that it can move relative to it.

[0041] Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the main parts of a remote control device 1D according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The remote control device 1D includes a holding member 20D that is movable relative to a fixed member (not shown), a drive member 30D and a motor 40D held by the holding member 20D, and an operating member 60D that is provided integrally with the drive member 30D and can be rotated by a person.

[0042] The retaining member 20D has a plate-shaped positioning portion 23D that contacts the dashboard (not shown). The positioning portion 23D has a circular hole 24D that fits the outer circumference of the key cylinder C, thereby allowing the retaining drive member 30D to be positioned relative to the engine key K.

[0043] The drive member 30D is configured to define the insertion portion 31D between a pair of plate-shaped clamping members 33D and is directly attached to the output shaft of the motor 40D. For this reason, the motor 40D is positioned coaxially with the key cylinder C.

[0044] The operating member 60D is a lever positioned on the drive member 30D so as to extend radially from the key cylinder C. This makes it easier to rotate the drive member 30D and thereby rotate the engine key K.

[0045] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible. The configurations of each of the embodiments described above are partially interchangeable and may be replaced with configurations that achieve similar effects based on common technical knowledge. For example, in the first embodiment described above, the drive member is detachably attached to an annular driven gear, but in the remote control device according to the present invention, the drive member may be detachably attached to an annular driven pulley arranged coaxially on the outside of the key cylinder. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1,1A,1C,1D Remote Control Device 10, 10A, 10C Fixing members 11 Fixed part 12 Base section 13 Posts 14 connecting parts 15 Engagement structure 16 Fixing plate 17 Paul 20, 20A, 20C, 20D Retaining members 21 Aperture 22 Engaging member 23,23D Positioning section 24 Notches 24D hole 30, 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D drive members 31,31A,31B,31C,31D Inserted part 32 Engaging member 33A, 33B, 33C, 33D Holding member 34A,34B Support 40, 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D motors 41 Reducer 42 Motor Drivers 50, 50A, 50B transmission mechanism 51 Drive gear 52 Driven gear 51A, 51B drive pulley 52A, 52B Driven pulley 53A, 53B Tension Roller 60A, 60B, 60D Operating Members 70 Connecting member C Key Cylinder D Dashboard H Key Head K Engine key (rotary switch operating component) S Speed ​​Dial (Rotary Switch Operating Component) T-shaped knob

Claims

1. A remote control device for operating a rotary switch operating member installed on a vehicle from a remote location, A fixing member that is fixed to the aforementioned vehicle, A drive member having an insertion portion into which the rotary switch operating member is inserted, being positionable relative to the fixed member so as to allow the rotary switch operating member to be inserted into the insertion portion, and being movable relative to the fixed member so as to allow the rotary switch operating member to be pulled out from the insertion portion, A motor that can be controlled from the aforementioned remote location and rotates the drive member, A transmission mechanism comprising a drive gear or drive pulley rotated by the motor, and a driven gear or driven pulley rotated integrally with the drive member by the drive gear or drive pulley, Equipped with, The rotary switch operating member is an engine key inserted into the key cylinder. The driven gear or driven pulley is formed in an annular shape and is coaxially arranged on the outside of the rotary switch operating member. The drive member is a remote control device that is detachably attached to the driven gear or driven pulley so as to be removable when the transmission mechanism is attached to the vehicle, allowing the engine key to be inserted and removed.

2. The remote control device according to claim 1, further comprising a holding member that holds the drive member and the motor, and is detachably attached to or relatively movable with respect to the fixed member.

3. The remote control device according to claim 2, wherein the retaining member has a positioning portion having a hole or notch that fits the outer circumference of the key cylinder.

4. The remote control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an operating member provided integrally with the drive member and capable of being rotated by a person.

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