JP2014034979A - Operating force transmission mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To diversify the structure of an operating force transmission mechanism comprising a conduit and an inner material.SOLUTION: An operating force transmission mechanism comprises: a transmission member 10 made up of a closed coil spring; and an inner material 20 inserted thereinto and made up of a stranded wire. The inner material 20 is fixed to a portion to which the operating force transmission mechanism is attached. The transmission member 10 transmits an operating force by moving in the axial direction of the inner material 20. Operation members 31, 32 for applying an operating force are attached to the transmission member 10. Insertion holes 31a, 32a for inserting the transmission member 10 is formed in the operation members 31, 32, and the transmission member 10 is fixed by forming the inner surfaces of the insertion holes 31a, 32a into uneven surfaces matched with the uneven shape of the outer surface of the transmission member 10. Thus, when the transmission member 10 moves with respect to the inner material 20, the movement of the operation member 31 is transmitted to the other operation member 32, and the operation force transmission mechanism having a structure different from a conventional one can be configured.

Description

  The present invention relates to an operating force transmission mechanism for transmitting an operating force.

  In a drain plug device or the like for a bathtub, a mechanism for opening and closing the drain plug by a remote operation by an operation unit provided separately from the drain plug may be used. Patent Document 1 discloses an example of such a drain plug device.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a configuration of a drain plug device 4 in the prior art. The drain plug device 4 includes a drain port device 1 and an operation unit 2. The drain port device 1 is attached to the bottom 101 of the bathtub 100 and is a device that opens and closes the drain port 104. An operation unit 2 for opening and closing the drain port device 1 is attached to a flange portion 103 that projects from the upper portion of the side wall 102 of the bathtub 100.
The operation unit 2 and the drain port device 1 are connected by an operating force transmission mechanism 3 for transmitting an operating force. The operating force transmission mechanism 3 has a structure in which a close coil spring is inserted into a resin tube. Both ends of the contact coil spring are indirectly attached to the movable part, that is, the operation button of the operation unit 2 and the drain plug of the drain port device 1 via a latch mechanism or the like. The resin tube is fixed to the operation unit 2 and the drain apparatus 1 so as not to move during operation.
When the operation button of the operation unit 2 is pressed, the operating force is transmitted to the drain port device 1 via the close contact coil spring of the transmission mechanism 3 to open and close the drain plug.

  As disclosed in Patent Document 2, the operating force transmission mechanism includes a mechanism in which the outer casing moves relative to the inner cable on the operation unit side.

JP 2011-246903 A JP 2012-12833 A

The devices and parts to which the operating force is to be transmitted are diverse, and the specifications required for the operating force transmission mechanism are also various. Therefore, there are cases where the conventional operating force transmission mechanism cannot sufficiently meet the requirements.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an operating force transmission mechanism having a structure different from the conventional one.

The present invention
An actuation force transmission mechanism for transmitting actuation force,
A flexible tubular transmission member for transmitting an actuation force;
And a support member that movably supports the transmission member by being fixed to the fixing member and having at least a portion inserted into the transmission member.
In the operating force transmission mechanism of the present invention, the operating force can be transmitted from one end of the transmitting member to the other end by moving the transmitting member supported by the support member. In the prior art, the close contact coil spring or the like inserted into the resin tube moves, whereas in the present invention, the transmission member positioned outside the support member moves. Because the member located on the outside moves, for example, by fixing the attachment member to multiple locations of the transmission member, it is possible to easily distribute the operating force in multiple locations, and so on, compared to the conventional case The transmission mode of the operating force can be diversified.
A wire, a support | pillar, etc. can be used for a supporting member. The support member does not necessarily pass through the entire transmission member, and may be a bolt having a predetermined length inserted from both ends of the transmission member. If a bolt longer than the movable range of the transmission member is used, it can sufficiently function as a support member.
In the present invention, the support member and the transmission member do not need to have flexibility, but if a material having flexibility is used, there is an advantage that the transmission path of the operating force can be set flexibly.

  Although the diameters of the support member and the transmission member can be set in various ways, it is preferable that the outer diameter of the support member be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the transmission member so that smooth movement can be ensured. If the outer diameter of the support member is made too thin, there is a possibility that play will be excessively large between the transmission member and useless movement will occur in the transmission member, impairing transmission of the operating force.

In the operating force transmission mechanism of the present invention, as an example,
The support member is formed of a single wire or a stranded wire,
The transmission member may be formed of a close coil spring.
Since both the wire and the close coil spring are flexible materials, a flexible operating force transmission mechanism can be configured. Further, by using a metal wire instead of resin for the support member and using a close coil spring as the transmission member, there is an advantage that the deformation of the support member and the transmission member can be suppressed and the operating force can be transmitted efficiently. It is also possible to make the operating force transmission mechanism relatively thin.

In the operating force transmission mechanism of the present invention,
At both ends of the transmission member, an operating member for receiving an operating force from the outside or for applying an operating force to the outside is attached, respectively.
At least one of the fixing members has a through-hole through which a part of the operating member can pass,
The actuating member corresponding to the fixing member provided with the through hole is assembled in a state of penetrating the through hole and partially protruding to the surface opposite to the transmission member with the fixing member interposed therebetween. It is good.
In the present invention, structurally, the transmission member moves inside the fixing member and the fixing member. However, by adopting the above configuration, there is an advantage that an operating force can be applied from the outside of the fixing member. .
The through-holes can be provided in various sizes and shapes, but in order to enable smooth transmission of the operating force to the transmission member, the support member is provided in an axial symmetry with respect to the attachment site fixed to the fixing member. It is preferable. For example, through holes can be formed in two places on the top and bottom or on the left and right sides of the attachment site, and the tip of the operating member can be branched into two and then protruded from each through hole.

In the operating force transmission mechanism of the present invention,
At least one end of the support member may be fixed in a state where it is bent inside the fixing member or on the side opposite to the transmission member.
Thus, it becomes possible to fix firmly by bending a support member. This is particularly useful when a tensile load is applied to the support member.
As a method of bending the inside of the fixing member, the fixing member may be divided and formed in advance, and the support member may be sandwiched and adhered. As a method of bending on the opposite surface side of the fixing member, a through hole for penetrating the end of the supporting member may be provided in the fixing member, and the supporting member may be bent after passing through the through hole.
As described above, in the present invention, the fixing member may be provided with a through hole for projecting the operating member. In such a structure, the support member may be fixed at a position that avoids the convex area of the minimum area including the through hole of the operating member and the attachment site of the support member. In order to fix the support member, a certain range corresponding to the fixing method is required. However, if the support member is fixed so as to avoid the convex region as described above, it is not necessary to consider the range required for fixing. Since the through-holes can be set, there is an advantage that the interval between the through-holes can be reduced and the operating member can be downsized.

In the operating force transmission mechanism of the present invention,
It is good also as providing the control member which controls the motion of the direction which cross | intersects the axis | shaft of the said transmission member from the outer side of this transmission member.
As the regulating member, for example, a conduit inserted by the transmission member, a roller, a pulley, a gear, a column, or the like provided in a portion where the transmission member is bent can be used.
By doing so, the shape of the operating force transmission mechanism, that is, the transmission path of the operating force can be stabilized, and the operating force can be transmitted efficiently. When the restriction member itself such as a roller has a rotatable structure, there is an advantage that the movement of the transmission member can be extracted as rotational power by the restriction member.

The present invention does not necessarily have all of the above-described features, and may be configured by omitting some or combining them as appropriate.
Moreover, the operating force transmission mechanism of the present invention is not necessarily limited to the drain plug device.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of a drain plug device. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of an operating force transmission mechanism. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the operating force transmission mechanism in Example 2. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the fixing method of an inner material. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the operating force transmission mechanism in Example 3. FIG.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the structure of the operating force transmission mechanism. 2A shows a perspective view, and FIG. 2B shows a cross-sectional view. As shown in these figures, the operating force transmission mechanism has a tubular transmission member 10 and an inner member 20 inserted therein. The inner member 20 is a member that is fixed to the fixing portions 40R and 40L to which the operating force transmission mechanism is attached, supports the transmission member 10, and has a function of determining the transmission path of the operating force. The transmission member 10 is a member that has a function of transmitting an operating force by moving in the axial direction of the inner member 20.
The transmission member 10 is formed of a close coil spring. Various materials can be applied to the transmission member 10, but it is preferable to use stainless steel (SUS material) from the viewpoint of durability against corrosion.
In the present embodiment, the inner material 20 is a stranded wire, but a single wire may be used. Further, when the load is relatively small, it may be made of resin. As the inner member 20, a close contact coil spring having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the transmission member 10 can be used. However, with such a structure, the inner surface side of the close contact coil spring forming the transmission member 10 has unevenness, The unevenness on the outer surface of the close contact coil spring forming the inner material 20 is in mesh with the surface, and smooth movement may be impaired. If a member having an outer surface shape that does not coincide with the concavo-convex shape on the inner surface side of the transmission member 10 such as a stranded wire or a single wire is used as the inner material 20, there is an advantage that such adverse effects can be avoided and smooth movement can be realized. .
Various designs can be used for the diameters of the transmission member 10 and the inner member 20. In order to realize smooth movement, the outer diameter of the inner member 20 needs to be smaller than the inner diameter of the transmission member 10. On the other hand, when the operating force is transmitted, the play between the inner member 20 and the transmission member 10 is large, and if the transmission member 10 moves in a direction intersecting the axis with respect to the inner member 20, such wasteful movement is caused. Detrimental effects such as transmission delay of operating force occur. The diameters of the transmission member 10 and the inner member 20 are preferably set in consideration of these points. For example, the outer diameter of the inner member 20 can be set to a level that can ensure smoother movement than the inner diameter of the transmission member 10. It is preferable to keep it slightly small.

Actuating members 31 and 32 are attached to the transmission member 10 for receiving an actuating force from the outside and exerting the actuating force on the outside. As shown in FIG. 2 (b), the operating members 31 and 32 are formed with through holes 31 a and 32 a for fitting the transmission member 10, and the inner surface of the operation members 31 and 32 matches the unevenness of the outer surface of the transmission member 10. A shape is formed. By doing so, the operating members 31 and 32 can be easily fixed to the transmission member 10.
Although not shown, a protrusion or the like for suppressing the operation members 31 and 32 from rotating relatively around the axis of the transmission member 10 is formed on one or both of the transmission member 10 and the operation members 31 and 32. You may keep it. As another aspect, the actuating members 31 and 32 may have an axisymmetric shape so that there is no problem even if the actuating members 31 and 32 rotate around the axis of the transmission member 10.

FIG. 2B also shows the operation of the operating force transmission mechanism. It is assumed that an operating force that moves in the direction of the arrow L or the arrow R is applied to the operating member 31. This operating force is transmitted to the transmission member 10, moves the transmission member 10 relative to the inner member 20, and moves the operation member 32 attached to the transmission member 10 in the direction of arrow L or arrow R. Thus, in the operating force transmission mechanism of the present embodiment, the operating force can be transmitted by the movement of the transmission member 10 provided outside the inner material 20.
In FIG. 2B, an example in which the operation members are attached at two positions is shown, but in the operation force transmission mechanism of the present embodiment, it is possible to attach more operation members to the transmission member 10. Therefore, the operating force can be easily distributed and transmitted to two or more places.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the structure of the operating force transmission mechanism according to the second embodiment. 3A shows a perspective view, and FIG. 3B shows a cross-sectional view. Also in the second embodiment, the operating force transmission mechanism is similar to the first embodiment in that the operating force is transmitted using the transmission member 10 that moves relative to the inner member 20. The second embodiment is characterized by the shape of the operating member attached to the transmission member 10 and the fixing member to which the inner member 20 is fixed.
As shown in FIG. 3A, in the operating force transmission mechanism of the second embodiment, the fixing members 45R and 45L are formed with two rectangular through holes 46R and 46L. The operating members 35R and 35L are attached to the end portions of the transmission member 10, respectively, but the two parallel plate-shaped tip portions 36R and 36L formed at the tips of the operating members 35R and 35L are through holes 46R. , 46L.
The assembly state of each member will be described with reference to FIG. As in the first embodiment, the inner member 20 is fixed to the fixing members 45R and 45L. And the transmission member 10 which consists of a close_contact | adherence coil spring is attached to the outer side of the inner material 20 so that the movement to an axial direction is possible. Actuating members 35R and 35L are attached to both ends of the transmission member 10, respectively. The operating members 35R and 35L are provided with insertion holes 37R and 37L for inserting the transmission member 10, and the inner surfaces thereof are uneven surfaces that match the uneven shape of the outer surface of the transmission member 10. Thus, the operating members 35R and 35L can be easily fixed to the transmission member 10.
The actuating members 35R and 35L are provided with two plate-like tip portions 36R and 36L. And these front-end | tip parts 36R and 36L penetrate the through-holes 46R and 46L formed in the fixing members 45R and 45L. In the aspect of FIG. 3, the inner material 20 is fixed at a central position between the two tip portions 36R and 36L.
The operating force transmission mechanism according to the second embodiment has the following advantages. That is, if the side sandwiched between the fixing members 45R and 45L, that is, the side on which the inner member 20 is fixed is referred to as the inner side, according to the structure shown in FIGS. Can be operated from the outside of the fixing members 45R and 45L. That is, it is possible to apply the operating force in such a manner that the fixing members 45R and 45L and the inner material 20 do not get in the way.

In the operating force transmission mechanism of the second embodiment, various methods can be used to fix the inner member 20 to the fixing member.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a method for fixing the inner member 20. The portions where the inner member 20 is fixed to the fixing members are shown enlarged. Metal ends 21a, 21b, and 21c are attached to the end of the inner member 20 by bonding, caulking, or the like. The end portions 21 a, 21 b, and 21 c can be members having various shapes such as a circular cross section and a rectangle having a circumscribed circle diameter larger than the diameter of the inner material 20.
FIG. 4A shows an example in which the inner member 20 is bent by 90 degrees and the end portion 21a is fixed so as to be embedded in a recess formed in the fixing member 45a. In this example, it fixes between the through-holes 46a for an operation member to penetrate. According to this method, there is an advantage that the inner material 20 can be easily fixed.
In FIG. 4B, the inner member 20 is fixed to the fixing member 45b in the same manner as in FIG. 4A, but the end 21b has a minimum convex area including the through hole 46b (in the drawing). Is fixed outside the area A) surrounded by the broken line. By doing so, the position of the through hole 46b can be set regardless of the space for fixing the end portion 21b, so that the interval d between the through holes 46b can be narrowed. Therefore, the operating member that penetrates the through hole 46b can be reduced in size, and there is an advantage that the entire operating force transmission mechanism can be reduced in size.
FIG. 4C shows an example in which the inner member 20 is embedded and fixed not in the surface of the fixing member 45c. As shown in FIG. 4C, a gap for holding the end 21c of the inner material 20 is formed inside the fixing member 45c, and the inner material 20 is embedded therein. The fixing member 45c may be divided and formed, and the inner material 20 may be sandwiched and bonded or the like. In the example of FIG. 4C, the end portion 21c is fixed between the through holes 46c. However, as shown in FIG. 4B, the end portion is avoided by avoiding the convex region defined by the through hole 46c. 21c may be fixed. Thus, according to the method of embedding in the fixing member 45c, there is an advantage that the inner material 20 can be firmly fixed and the appearance can be improved.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the structure of the operating force transmission mechanism according to the third embodiment. The basic structure of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, and a mechanism for transmitting the operating force using the transmission member 10 that is relatively movable with respect to the inner member 20 fixed to the fixing members 40R and 40L. It is. Although an operating member is attached to the transmission member 10, the illustration thereof is omitted here.
In this embodiment, since both the inner member 20 and the transmission member 10 are made of a flexible material, the transmission path of the operating force is not limited to a straight line, but a curved line (a free curved line shape with both ends fixed). May also be included). In the example of the third embodiment, the guides 50 and 51 are provided at the bent portions so that the operating force can be transmitted through the curved transmission path. These guides 50 and 51 are constituted by a roller, a gear or the like that can rotate around the central axis as indicated by an arrow. It is not necessary that the transmission member 10 is always in contact with the guides 50 and 51, and a structure in which play is provided between the transmission member 10 and the guides 50 and 51 may be used.
In this structure, consider a case where the transmission member 10 moves as indicated by an arrow M to transmit the operating force. At this time, the guides 50 and 51 rotate as indicated by arrows in accordance with the movement of the transmission member 10. By interposing the guides 50 and 51 in this way, the transmission path for the operating force can be held at a predetermined position. In addition, since the guides 50 and 51 rotate, it is possible to suppress a loss of operating force due to frictional force.
Further, the rotation of the guides 50 and 51 can be extracted as power. When the rotation of the guides 50 and 51 is positively extracted, it is preferable to sufficiently restrict the shape of the transmission path and the like so that the transmission member 10 reliably contacts the guides 50 and 51. Further, in order to suppress slipping between the guides 50 and 51 and the transmission member 10, it is also preferable that the guides 50 and 51 are gears that code on the uneven surface of the transmission member 10.
In the third embodiment, the structure of the second embodiment can be applied.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, the structures of the first to third embodiments do not necessarily use a contact coil spring, and may be a resin transmission member.

  The present invention can be used to transmit an operating force between two spaced points. The operating force transmission mechanism of this embodiment is suitable for a mechanism that transmits a relatively small operating force operated by a person through a narrow and bent path, such as an operation mechanism of a faucet, a drain plug device, and a washing toilet seat. The application is not limited to this. The present invention is applicable to various mechanisms that require flexibility in the transmission path of the operating force.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Drain port apparatus 2 ... Operation part 3 ... Transmission mechanism 4 ... Drain plug apparatus 10 ... Transmission member 20 ... Inner material 21a, 21b, 21c ... End part 31, 32, 35R, 35L ... Actuation member 31a, 32a, 37R, 37L: Insertion hole 36R, 36L ... End 40R, 40L, 45R, 45L, 45a, 45b, 45c ... Fixing member 46R, 46L, 46a, 46b, 46c ... Through hole 50, 51 ... Guide 100 ... Bathtub 101 ... Bottom 102 ... Side wall 103 ... Flange part 104 ... Drain port

Claims (5)

An actuation force transmission mechanism for transmitting actuation force,
A flexible tubular transmission member for transmitting an actuation force;
An operating force transmission mechanism comprising: a support member that is fixed to the fixing member and at least a part of which is inserted into the transmission member to movably support the transmission member. The operating force transmission mechanism according to claim 1,
The support member is formed of a single wire or a stranded wire,
The transmission member is an operating force transmission mechanism formed of a close coil spring. The operating force transmission mechanism according to claim 1 or 2,
At both ends of the transmission member, an operating member for receiving an operating force from the outside or for applying an operating force to the outside is attached, respectively.
At least one of the fixing members has a through-hole through which a part of the operating member can pass,
The actuating member corresponding to the fixing member provided with the through-hole is assembled in a state of passing through the through-hole and partially protruding to the surface opposite to the transmission member with the fixing member interposed therebetween. Power transmission mechanism. The operating force transmission mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
An operating force transmission mechanism in which at least one end of the support member is fixed in a state where it is bent inside the fixed member or on the side opposite to the transmission member. The operating force transmission mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
An operating force transmission mechanism comprising a regulating member that regulates movement in a direction intersecting the axis of the transmission member from the outside of the transmission member.

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