JP2009085270A - Lock ball - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lock ball capable of easily supplying lubricating oil to a sliding portion. <P>SOLUTION: The lock ball includes a hook ball 11 for hooking a target object to be locked 2 at a predetermined position, an inner cylinder 12 for rotatably supporting the hook ball 11 in such a manner that a spherical portion 111 thereof is projected from one end 121, a case 14 having an opening 141 at its one end and a bottom 146 and also having a storage space 13 for receiving the inner cylinder 12 slidably along the axial direction, and a compression spring 15 retained in a compressed state between the bottom 146 of the storage space 13 of the case 14 and the other end 122 of the inner cylinder 12 received in the storage space 13 so as to urge the inner cylinder 12 toward one end 121. The case 14 has lubricant introduction through holes 16 for introducing lubricant which are formed in a side wall 140 having an inner wall surface 1402 that makes sliding contact with the inner cylinder 12 received in the case 14. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a lock ball used for a transmission in a vehicle such as an automobile.

  In a vehicle such as an automobile, a transmission (transmission) is mounted to smoothly transmit power from a drive source to wheels according to the traveling speed. When the driver operates the operation lever, the gear shift of the transmission is performed, and the driving state (neutral, first, second, etc.) of the vehicle such as traveling speed is controlled. Further, the speed setting in the transmission is determined by engaging the locking ball of the lock ball (engaging member) provided in the transmission by dropping into a predetermined locking recess of the object to be locked. In other words, the locking ball of the lock ball attached to the transmission falls into and engages with one locking recess at a predetermined position among the plurality of locking recesses of the object to be locked. A suitable gear is connected to control the driving state (low speed, high speed or acceleration) of the vehicle.

  7 and 8 show a conventional lock ball used in such a transmission. 7 is a perspective view of a conventional rock ball, and FIG. 8 is a plan view. This conventional lock ball mainly includes a case portion 91, an inner cylinder portion 93, a locking ball 92, and a spring (not shown). The case portion 91 has a bottomed cylindrical shape with one end opening provided with an opening 911 at one end and a bottom portion 912 at the other end. The inner cylinder part 93 is accommodated in the internal space of the case part 91 so as to be axially slidable. Further, a compressed spring is disposed between one end of the inner cylinder portion 93 and the bottom portion 912 of the internal space of the case portion 91. A locking ball 92 is rotatably fitted and held at the other end of the inner cylinder portion 93. Since a compressed spring is disposed at one end of the inner cylinder portion 93, the locking ball 92 held at the other end of the inner cylinder portion 93 and the inner cylinder portion 93 is attached to the opening 911 side of the case portion 91. It is energized.

  In this conventional lock ball, when an attempt is made to change the speed of a running vehicle, the object to be locked moves relative to the lock ball. At this time, the ball 92 of the lock ball rotates from one locking recess to the adjacent locking recess while being pressed against the surface of the object to be locked. When the ball 92 enters and exits from the locking recess, the locking ball 92 is pushed by the object to be locked and moves in the axial direction with respect to the case portion 91. That is, the inner cylindrical portion 93 that holds the locking ball 92 moves in the axial direction relative to the internal space of the case 91 against the biasing force of the spring.

  Smooth movement of the locking ball 92 in the lock ball is also important in order to achieve a smooth shift (gear shift) of the transmission. In order for the locking ball 92 of the lock ball to move smoothly, the inner cylinder portion 93 that rotatably holds the locking ball 92 resists the biasing force of the spring and forms an internal space of the case portion 91. It is necessary to slide smoothly in the axial direction.

  In the conventional lock ball (inside the transmission), the sprayed lubricant that is scraped and scattered by the components of the rotationally driven transmission is transferred from the tip opening 911 of the case 91 of the lock ball into the case 91. Between the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 93 and the inner peripheral surface of the case 91, and between the locking ball 92 and one end of the inner cylindrical portion 93 that rotatably holds the same. Oil is supplied and smooth sliding is obtained.

  However, the relative movement distance in the axial direction of the case portion 91 and the inner cylinder portion 93 that move relative to each other when the locking ball 92 of the lock ball moves into and out of the locking recess is extremely short and the opening 911 is narrow, so that they slide with each other. It is not easy to supply the lubricant between the inner peripheral surface of the case portion 91 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder portion 93. For this reason, when the scooping-up and scattering of the lubricant held in the transmission is not sufficient, it may be assumed that the lubricant supplied to the lock ball is insufficient.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a lock ball that can supply a sufficient amount of lubricant to the lock ball and can obtain a smooth movement of the ball.

  The lock ball according to the present invention includes a lock ball that locks an object to be locked at a predetermined position, an inner cylinder that rotatably holds the spherical portion of the lock ball from one end, and a hold on the inner cylinder. A case having a bottom with one end opening having a housing space for slidably housing the inner cylinder along the axial direction in a state in which the spherical portion of the locking ball protruded from the one end opening, and the housing space of the case A lock ball comprising: a compression spring that is held in a compressed state between a bottom and the other end side of the inner cylinder housed in the housing space and biases the inner cylinder toward one end side. And a lubricant introduction through hole for introducing a lubricant into a side wall having an inner wall surface in sliding contact with the inner cylinder.

  In the lock ball of the present invention, the lubricant introduction hole is provided in the side wall of the case having the inner wall surface that is in sliding contact with the inner cylinder. Therefore, along with the introduction of the lubricant from the opening of the case, the lubricant scattered around the lock ball directly slides from the outside of the case through the lubricant introduction hole to the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder and the case. A lubricant is introduced between the inner peripheral surface. In this way, since the introduction of the lubricant is facilitated, insufficient supply of the lubricant is avoided, and the lock ball has a smooth movement of the locking ball.

  The lock ball of the present invention includes a locking ball, an inner cylinder, a case, and a compression spring. The side wall of the case is provided with a lubricant introduction through hole. The locking ball falls into and engages with the engaging recess of the lock target object, and locks the lock target object at a predetermined position.

  The inner cylinder is provided with both ends, and is rotatably held in a state in which the spherical portion of the locking ball protrudes at one end thereof. An opening space for accommodating one end of the spring can be provided at the other end of the inner cylinder.

  The case has an opening at one end and a bottom at the other end, and has an accommodating space inside. In the internal space of the case, the inner cylinder is accommodated so as to be slidable along the axial direction of the case with the spherical portion of the locking ball protruding from the opening. The case includes a side wall having an inner wall surface, and the lubricant introduction through hole is formed on the side wall of the case. The lubricant is introduced into the side wall of the case in sliding contact with the inner cylinder through the lubricant introduction through hole.

  It is preferable that a plurality of the lubricant introduction through holes penetrate the side wall of the case and are dispersed in the outer peripheral direction of the side wall of the case. The shape of the lubricant introduction hole can be a circle, an ellipse, a long hole, a square, or the like. The shape of the lubricant introduction through hole is not limited to this. Further, the size, number and arrangement of the lubricant introduction through holes can be optimized according to the shape of the case.

  The compression spring is held in a compressed state between the bottom of the case and the other end side of the inner cylinder housed in the housing space of the case, and biases the inner cylinder toward one end side. A coil spring can be preferably used as the compression spring. However, the compression spring is not limited to the coil spring, and any spring having elasticity can be used.

  The lock ball of the present invention is generally used for a transmission such as a vehicle. In addition, a lubricant is used in the state of a splash in the interior of a transmission such as a vehicle to lubricate gears and the like. When the scattered lubricant is injected into the lock ball, it is introduced into the lock ball through the lubricant introduction hole provided in the side wall of the lock ball case, and the outer wall surface of the inner cylinder and the case Enables smooth sliding between the inner wall surface. In other words, the lubricant introduced into the lock ball allows the inner cylinder to slide along the inner wall surface of the case in a low friction state, and the lock ball smoothly engages or disengages with the lock recess. Can be operated to.

  In addition, as a lubricant used in the present invention, a lubricating oil generally used for gear lubrication can be employed. Further, it is preferable that the lubricating oil is used in a state of being atomized (misted) by scraping or the like.

  The case, the inner cylinder, and the locking ball that constitute the lock ball of the present invention are preferably constituted by a metal member having mechanical strength. In addition, it is not limited to this, A ceramic, hard resin, etc. are employable.

  According to the lock ball of the present invention, the lubricant can be effectively introduced from the outer peripheral side of the case into the case through the lubricant introduction through hole provided in the side wall of the case. That is, the lubricant can be introduced into the case from the outer peripheral side of the case not only by the opening of the case but also by the lubricant introduction through hole provided in the side wall of the case. Thereby, a lubricant can be more reliably introduced into the inner wall surface of the side wall of the case, and the inner wall surface of the case can be efficiently lubricated without leakage. Therefore, when the inner cylinder accommodated in the accommodation space of the case slides along the inner wall surface of the case, resistance due to friction is suppressed, smooth movement is guaranteed, and the service life of the lock ball is improved. .

  In addition, by providing the lubricant introduction through hole on the side wall of the case, the restriction on the directionality of the arrangement of the tip opening of the lock ball when the lock ball is attached to the transmission is greatly relaxed, and the degree of freedom of installation of the lock ball is reduced. improves. In other words, by providing a lubricant introduction through hole on the side wall of the lock ball case, the circumferential direction of the case can be adopted in addition to the opening direction at the tip of the lock ball as the direction in which the lubricant can be introduced into the lock ball. In addition, the degree of freedom of mounting the lock ball in the direction in which the lubricant is scattered (injected) is improved.

  Examples of the rock ball of the present invention will be described below in detail.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment of the rock ball of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 is a perspective view of the lock ball of this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof. FIG. 3 is an axial sectional view of the rock ball.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the lock ball 1 of the present embodiment mainly includes a locking ball 11, an inner cylinder 12, a case 14, and a compression spring 15. The case 14 has an open end 141 at one end, a bottom 146 on the opposite side, and a side wall 140 connecting the open end 141 and the bottom 146, and is formed in a cylindrical shape. The side wall 140 includes a first step portion 142 having a small outer diameter in the direction from the opening end 141 toward the bottom portion 146, a second step portion 143 having a thread formed on the outer peripheral surface, and a bowl-shaped third step portion 144. And a bolt part 145. A smooth inner wall surface 1402 having the same inner diameter is formed on the inner peripheral surfaces of the first step portion 142 and the second step portion 143 of the side wall 140. An inner space 13 is formed on the inner side of the bolt part 145, and an axial core part of the bottom part 146 is a protruding part protruding inward.

  The first step portion 142 of the side wall 140 has a plurality of circular (as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) lubricant introduction holes (through holes) 16 along the outer peripheral direction (outer peripheral surface 1401) of the side wall 140. Evenly distributed.

  Further, a male screw structure is formed in the second step portion 143 of the case 14 so that the lock ball 1 can be easily attached to a transmission (not shown). A bolt structure is formed on the bolt portion 145 of the case 14. Further, the third step portion 144 is formed in a protruding shape that protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface 1401 of the side wall 140 of the case 14. Accordingly, the lock ball 1 can be easily attached to the transmission via the bolt part 145, the third step part 144, and the second step part 143.

  In addition, each dimension of the lock ball 1 of a present Example can be determined according to the condition at the time of actually attaching to a transmission. Further, the formation position, the number, and the like of the lubricant introduction through-holes 16 in the first step portion 142 may be determined according to the actual installation situation.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the lock ball 1 of the present embodiment has a housing space 13 formed in a case 14. The accommodation space 13 is partitioned by an inner wall surface 1402 and a bottom portion 146 of the case 14.

  In the internal space 13 of the case 14, the inner cylinder 12 is installed so as to be slidable in the axial direction. Specifically, the outer wall surface 1201 of the inner cylinder 12 is disposed in sliding contact with the inner wall surface 1402 of the case 14. That is, the inner cylinder 12 is guided by the inner wall surface 1402 of the case 14 and can reciprocate along the axial direction of the case 14. Further, since the opening end 141 of the case 14 is provided with a drop-off preventing portion 1411 having a smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the inner cylinder 12, the inner cylinder 12 does not drop from the opening end 141 of the case 14. .

  The inner cylinder 12 includes a first end 121 and a second end 122. The first end 121 is formed with a hemispherical recess 1211 for receiving (holding) the locking ball 11. The locking ball 11 holds the spherical portion 111 of the locking ball 11 in a hemispherical recess 1211 so as to be rotatable in a state of protruding from the first end 121. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the hemispherical recess 1211 has an opening 1212 that is smaller than the diameter of the locking ball 11, and the locking ball 11 is located inside the opening 1212 in the hemispherical recess 1211. It is held in the inserted state.

  The hemispherical recess 1211 is provided with a plurality of bearing balls 112. The bearing ball 112 holds the locking ball 11 in a stable state in the hemispherical recess 1211 of the first end 121 and supports the locking ball 11 so that the rotational movement of the locking ball 11 can be performed smoothly. Thereby, when the locking ball 11 rotates, the friction between the locking ball 11 and the first end 121 (the hemispherical recess 1211) is suppressed, and the locking ball 11 can be smoothly rotated.

  On the other hand, the second end portion 122 is formed with a spring accommodating recess 1221 for sandwiching and accommodating the compression spring 15 with the bottom portion 146 of the case 14. Thereby, the compression spring 15 is held in a compressed state between the bottom (the bottom portion 146) of the accommodation space 13 of the case 14 and the second end portion 122 side (the spring accommodation recess 1221) of the inner cylinder 12. Therefore, the compressed compression spring 15 urges the inner cylinder 12 and the locking ball 11 held by the inner cylinder 12 toward the first end 121 side. Further, the locking ball 11 held on the first end 121 side can be elastically engaged with the object to be locked (the locking recess 21 of the shift unit 2, shown in FIG. 3). In addition, the spring accommodating recessed part 1221 of a present Example comprises the opening located in the other end (2nd end part 122) of the inner cylinder of this invention.

  As described above, the locking ball 11 is held at the first end 121 of the inner cylinder 12 so as to protrude from the opening end 141 of the case 14, and the bottom end of the second end 121 of the inner cylinder 12 and the bottom of the case 14. It is urged by the compression spring 15 accommodated in the compressed state (bottom part 146).

  The locking ball 11 located at the tip of the lock ball 1 attached and fixed to a transmission (not shown) has a plurality of locking recesses 21 (21A, 21B) provided on the end surface 20 of the shift portion 2 of the transmission. , 21C) (e.g., the locking recess 21B shown in FIG. 3) is elastically engaged to be in an engaged state (locked state). When the shift unit 2 of the transmission is rotated by the rotating unit 201, that is, when the vehicle shift control is performed, the shift unit 2 of the transmission is a lock ball 1 attached to the transmission and fixed. In contrast, the rotation of the locking recess 21 formed in the end surface 20 of the shift portion 2 and the lock ball 1 (the locking direction R1) is relatively rotated (clockwise direction R1 shown in FIG. Position) is switched. For example, when the shift unit 2 is rotated (R1 or R2 direction) by the rotating unit 201, the lock ball 1 can be switched (locked) from the locking recess 21B to the locking recess 21A or the locking recess 21C. Thus, the shift control of the vehicle is performed in the transmission.

  Further, when the locking recess 21 (21A, 21B, 21C) switches the locking state with the locking ball 1, the locking ball 11 rotates in the hemispherical recess 1211 of the first end 121 of the inner cylinder 12 at the same time. The inner cylinder 12 reciprocates along the axial direction while sliding on the inner wall surface of the side wall 140 in the housing space 13 of the case 14. Since the lubricant introduction through hole 16 is provided in the first step portion 142 of the case 14, the lubricant is effectively introduced from the outside of the case 14 to the inner wall surface of the side wall 140. Therefore, the sliding resistance when the inner cylinder 12 slides along the inner wall surface of the side wall 140 of the case 14 is reduced. That is, by providing the lubricant introduction hole 16 in the side wall 140 of the case 14, the lubricant may be introduced directly from the side wall 140 of the case 14 into the inner wall surface 1402 of the case 14 in addition to the open end 141 of the case 14. it can. Thereby, the lubrication effect with respect to the inner cylinder 12 accommodated in the accommodating space 13 of the case 14 is remarkably improved, the inside of the lock ball 1 can be effectively lubricated, and the resistance due to friction can be reduced.

  FIG. 2 shows the direction of lubricant introduction when the lubricant introduction through hole 16 is provided in the side wall 140 of the case 14. As can be understood from FIG. 2, in the conventional lock ball (see FIGS. 7 and 8), when the lubricant scattered in the transmission chamber is introduced into the lock ball 1, the direction of the tip of the lock ball ( It is necessary to adjust the direction D1 (see FIG. 8) to the scattering direction of the lubricant. Therefore, the degree of freedom when the lock ball 1 is mounted in the transmission chamber is limited. In contrast, in this embodiment, in addition to the introduction direction D1 at the open end 141 of the lock ball 1, effective lubrication is performed from an arbitrary direction on the outer periphery of the side wall 140 (for example, the introduction directions D2, D3, and D4 shown in FIG. 2). It is possible to introduce the agent into the lock ball 1. For this reason, the freedom degree at the time of attaching a lock ball to a transmission also improves.

  As shown in FIG. 1 or 2, in this embodiment, the plurality of circular lubricant introduction through holes 16 have a predetermined interval and are arranged in the first step 142 of the case 14 in two rows. The number, size, shape, or arrangement of the lubricant introduction through holes 16 is not limited to this, and can be optimized according to conditions such as the strength of the case 14.

  Further, in the lock ball 1 of the present embodiment, the lubricant introduction through hole 16 is formed in a circular shape on the side wall 140 of the case 14 of the lock ball 1, so that the lubricant can be effectively maintained while maintaining the strength of the case 14. Can be introduced into the case 14. Note that the shape is not limited to a circle but may be an ellipse or the like. Thereby, the friction by the sliding of the inner cylinder 12 accommodated in the accommodating space 13 of the case 14 is suppressed, and the speed change operation of the transmission can be performed more smoothly.

(Different use cases)
FIG. 4 shows an example in which the lock object locked by the lock ball 1 of the first embodiment is changed. In this use example, the shift unit 2 which is a lock target object is different from the first embodiment. In other words, in the first embodiment, the shift portion 2 (shown in FIG. 3) rotates (rotation directions R1, R2) via the rotation shaft 201 (shown in FIG. 3), whereby the locking recess 21 and the lock ball 1 The engagement state (lock position) is switched. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the shift portion 2 switches the engagement state (lock position) between the locking recess 21 and the lock ball 1 by a lateral movement.

  Specifically, the shift portion 2 of the transmission of the present embodiment is configured by a select shaft 2A. That is, the select shaft 2A can move in the axial direction (R3, R4), and a plurality of locking recesses 21 (21A, 21B, 21C) are aligned in the axial direction on the end surface 20 facing the lock ball 1. Is formed. The lock ball 1 is elastically engaged with any one of the locking recesses 21. Due to the shifting operation of the vehicle, the select shaft 2A of the transmission moves relative to the lock ball 1 attached and fixed to the transmission, and a locking recess 21 formed on the end surface 20 of the select shaft portion 2A. The engaged state (lock position) with the lock ball 1 is switched. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the select shaft portion 2A moves in the axial direction (R3, R4), the lock ball 1 is switched (locked) from the locking recess 21A to the locking recess 21B or the locking recess 21C. Can do. In this way, the positional relationship between the locking recess 21 and the lock ball 1 is determined by the relative movement of the select shaft portion 2A in the axial direction (R3, R4), and the vehicle shift control is performed by gear shifting.

  Further, the lubricant is effectively and uniformly introduced into the inside of the lock ball 1 through the lubricant introduction through hole 16 formed in the side wall 140 of the case 14 of the lock ball 1. For this reason, the friction during sliding of the locking ball and the inner cylinder 12 due to the switching of the locking position between the locking ball 1 and the locking recess 21 formed in the select shaft 2A is suppressed, and the running vehicle shifts. Smooth shifting can be performed in the machine.

(Second embodiment)
This embodiment is basically the same as the configuration of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, parts different from the first embodiment will be mainly described. Parts similar to those in the first embodiment will be described using the same reference numerals.

  FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the lock ball of the present embodiment. The lock ball 1 of this embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in the shape of the lubricant introduction hole 16 formed in the side wall 140 of the case 14. That is, in the lock ball 1 of the present embodiment, the first step portion 142 of the side wall 140 of the case 14 is formed with a long hole-shaped (slit-shaped) through hole 16A having a long diameter along the axial direction of the case 14. Yes. A plurality of through holes 16 </ b> A are formed in parallel on the outer peripheral surface of the first step portion 142. The long hole-shaped through hole 16A constitutes the lubricant introduction through hole of the present invention.

  Further, the long diameter, the short diameter, the number, the arrangement, and the like of the through holes 16A are optimized according to the state (for example, shape, size, strength, etc.) of the case 14 of the lock ball 1 or the situation when attached to the transmission. be able to.

(Third embodiment)
This embodiment is basically the same as the configuration of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, parts different from the first embodiment will be mainly described. Parts similar to those in the first embodiment will be described using the same reference numerals.

  FIG. 6 shows an axial cross-sectional view of the lock ball of this embodiment. The lock ball 1 according to the present embodiment has a sleeve portion 17 coaxially disposed between the case 14 and the inner cylinder 12. Specifically, the sleeve portion 17 includes a cylindrical sleeve 171, a bearing ball 173, and a ball support portion 174. The sleeve portion 17 is installed between the case 14 and the inner cylinder 12. The sleeve 171 of the sleeve portion 17 includes a first end 1711 on the open end 141 side of the case 14, a second end 1712 on the bottom 146 side of the case 14, an outer peripheral surface 173, and an inner peripheral surface 174. . Further, the sleeve 171 partially protrudes from the opening end 141 of the case 14 and is fixed to the inner wall surface 1402 of the side wall 140 of the case 14.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6, the 1st outer peripheral surface 1213 is formed in the outer peripheral surface of the 1st end part 121 of the inner cylinder 12 of the rock ball 1 of a present Example. The first outer peripheral surface 1213 is in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface 1714 of the sleeve 171. A second outer peripheral surface 1222 having a smaller diameter than the first outer peripheral surface 1213 is formed at the second end portion 122 of the inner cylinder 12. Thereby, a sleeve space 172 is formed between the second outer peripheral surface 1222 and the inner peripheral surface 1714 of the sleeve 171. Further, a drop-off preventing portion 1223 is formed at the second end portion 122 of the inner cylinder 12. The drop-off prevention portion 1223 has a diameter larger than the second end portion 1712 of the sleeve 171, restrains the inner cylinder 12 at the second end portion 1712 of the sleeve 171, and prevents the inner cylinder 12 from dropping from the sleeve portion 17. Is.

  A plurality of bearing balls 173 and ball support portions 174 are arranged in the sleeve space 172. The bearing ball 173 is in sliding contact with the second outer peripheral surface 1222 of the inner cylinder 12 and the inner peripheral surface 1714 of the sleeve 171. That is, the bearing ball 173 rotates according to the axial reciprocation of the inner cylinder 12 to reduce the frictional resistance between the outer peripheral surface (first outer peripheral surface 1213) of the inner cylinder 12 and the inner peripheral surface 1714 of the sleeve 17. To do.

  Further, a plurality of lubricant introduction through holes 16 are formed at a predetermined position at the tip of the sleeve 171 protruding from the opening end 141 of the case 14 (a position near the first opening 1711). The lubricant is introduced into the lock ball 1 (between the sleeve space 172 or the first outer peripheral surface 1213). Thereby, the sliding resistance when the inner cylinder 12 slides on the inner wall (inner peripheral surface 174) of the sleeve portion 17 is reduced.

(Other)
Each of the above embodiments shows an embodiment of the present invention, and the shape and dimensions of the lock ball are not limited thereto. In each of the above embodiments, the lock ball of the present invention is used and implemented in a transmission of a vehicle. However, the present invention is not limited to this and can be used for other devices.

  The lock ball of the present invention can be used for a transmission of a vehicle such as an automobile.

1 is a perspective view of a rock ball according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The top view of the rock ball in 1st Example of this invention is shown. 1 is a sectional view in the axial direction of a rock ball according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The axial direction sectional drawing from which the usage example of the lock ball in 1st Example of this invention differs was shown. The perspective view of the rock ball in the 2nd example of the present invention is shown. FIG. 5 is a sectional view in the axial direction of a rock ball according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The perspective view of the conventional lock ball is shown. The top view of the conventional rock ball is shown.

Explanation of symbols

1: Rock ball 2: Shift part (lock target object)
11: Locking ball 111: Spherical surface portion 12: Inner cylinder 121: First end (one end) 122: Second end (the other end)
13: Interior space 14: Case
140: Side wall 1402: Inner wall surface
141: Open end (opening) 146: Bottom (bottom)
15: Compression spring 16: Lubricant introduction hole

Claims (2)

A locking ball for locking the object to be locked in place;
An inner cylinder that rotatably holds the spherical portion of the locking ball in a state protruding from one end;
A case having a bottom with one end opening having a storage space for slidably storing the inner cylinder along the axial direction in a state where the spherical portion of the locking ball held by the inner cylinder protrudes from the one end opening;
A lock ball comprising: a compression spring which is held in a compressed state between the bottom of the housing space of the case and the other end side of the inner tube housed in the housing space and biases the inner tube toward one end side In
The lock ball according to claim 1, wherein the case includes a lubricant introduction through hole for introducing a lubricant into a side wall having an inner wall surface that is in sliding contact with the accommodated inner cylinder.   The rock ball according to claim 1, wherein the lubricant introduction through hole has a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a long hole shape, or a rectangular shape.

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