JP2014073832A - Vehicular electric lock device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To downsize a vehicular electric lock device including position detection means capable of detecting the position of a lock member which linearly moves along with the rotation of an electric motor, make it possible to detect the fact that the lock member is located at a position immediately preceding an unlocked position, and shorten a time of a transition to succeeding control.SOLUTION: Position detection means 70 includes: a magnet 19 that moves together with a lock member 16; and plural magnetic sensors 71 to 74 located at fixed positions in a housing 14 so that they can detect the position of the lock member 16 using a magnetic field of the magnet 19. The magnetic sensors 71 to 74 include: the magnetic sensor 71 which detects that the lock member 16 is located at a locked position; the magnetic sensors 72 and 73 which detect that the lock member 16 is located at an unlocked position; and the magnetic sensor 74 which detects that the lock member 16 is located at a position immediately preceding the unlocked position.

Description

  The present invention is provided within a paramagnetic housing that supports a lock member that can be linearly moved between a lock position that engages with an actuating member and an unlock position that disengages the actuating member. An electric motor, a motion converting means interposed between the electric motor and the lock member so as to convert the rotary motion of the electric motor into a linear motion, and the lock member is at least one of the locked position and the unlock position. The present invention relates to a vehicular electric lock device in which position detecting means for detecting being on one side is housed.

  An electric lock device for a vehicle in which a lock member that can be engaged with a steering shaft is linked and connected to a slider that moves in the axial direction of the screw shaft in response to the screw shaft being rotated by an electric motor. In this device, an operating arm projecting to the side of the slider is provided, and a pair of microswitches are selectively switched by the operating arm, whereby the lock member is provided. It is mechanically detected whether the position is the locked position or the unlocked position.

Japanese Patent No. 4502538

  However, in the device disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to secure a space for disposing an operating arm that extends to the side of the slider and a pair of microswitches that are switched by the operating arm. In other words, the location of the electric lock device is restricted.

  Therefore, it is conceivable to detect the position of the lock member using a magnetic sensor such as a Hall sensor that is smaller than the microswitch and can be disposed close to the slider.

  The present invention achieves miniaturization of the device, and further enables detection of the fact that the lock member is in a position immediately before the unlock position in addition to being in the lock position and the unlock position. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention supports a lock member that enables linear movement between a lock position that engages with an operation member and an unlock position that releases engagement with the operation member. In a paramagnetic housing, an electric motor, movement converting means interposed between the electric motor and the lock member so as to convert the rotational movement of the electric motor into a linear movement, and the lock member being the lock And a position detecting means for detecting that the position detecting means is at least one of the position and the unlocked position, and the position detecting means includes a magnet that moves together with the lock member, And a plurality of magnetic sensors arranged at fixed positions in the housing so as to detect the position of the lock member by a magnetic field. The plurality of magnetic sensors include a magnetic sensor that detects that the lock member is in a lock position, a magnetic sensor that detects that the lock member is in an unlock position, and the lock member is in the unlock position. And a magnetic sensor for detecting that the position is immediately before.

  The toothed ring 13 of the embodiment corresponds to the actuating member of the present invention, and the hall sensors 71, 72, 73, 74 of the embodiment correspond to the magnetic sensor of the present invention.

  According to the above feature of the present invention, the position of the lock member is detected by detecting the magnetic field of the magnet that moves together with the lock member by the magnetic sensor. The size of the device can be reduced, and the degree of freedom in arrangement of the electric lock device can be increased. In addition, the magnetic sensor of the position detecting means includes a magnetic sensor that detects that the lock member is in the lock position, a magnetic sensor that detects that the lock member is in the unlock position, and a position where the lock member is immediately before the unlock position. Therefore, in addition to being in the lock position and the unlock position, it is possible to detect that the lock member is in the position immediately before the unlock position.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the electric lock device for vehicles in the state where a lock member exists in a locked position, Comprising: Sectional drawing which follows the 1-1 line of FIG. Fig. 2 arrow view of Fig. 1 with the lid member removed 3-3 sectional view of FIG. Sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. Exploded perspective view of slider and lock member Sectional view corresponding to FIG. 1 with the locking member in the unlocked position The figure which looked at a part of board | substrate from the 7-7 line arrow direction of FIG.

  The embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 attached herewith. First, in FIG. 1, an operating member is provided on a steering shaft 12 rotatably disposed in a steering column 11 of a passenger vehicle. The toothed ring 13 is fixed so as to surround the steering shaft 12 coaxially, and is engaged with the outer periphery of the toothed ring 13 to rotate the toothed ring 13, that is, the steering shaft 12. A housing 14 of the vehicle electric lock device that prevents the movement is fixed to the steering column 11.

  Referring also to FIG. 2, the vehicle electric lock device releases the engagement between the housing 14, the electric motor 15, and the toothed ring 13 and the toothed ring 13. The lock member 16 that enables linear movement between unlock positions, the screw shaft 17 that is rotationally driven by the electric motor 15, and the screw shaft that cannot be rotated around the axis of the screw shaft 17. And a pair of magnets 19 provided on the slider 18. The electric motor 15, the lock member 16, and the screw shaft 17 are provided. The slider 18 and the magnets 19 are housed and held in the housing 14.

  The housing 14 closes the housing main body 22 having the first and second receiving recesses 20 and 21 opened to the opposite side of the steering column 11 and the open ends of the first and second receiving recesses 20 and 21. The housing main body 22 and the lid member 23 are made of a paramagnetic material such as a zinc alloy or a magnesium alloy.

  The housing main body 22 has a pair of boss portions 26, 26 having bottomed screw holes 25, 25 for screwing a pair of screw members 24, 24 inserted through the lid member 23, respectively. 20 are provided integrally with each other.

  On the side of the steering column 11, the housing main body 22 is provided with a housing recess 28 having an arc surface 28 a that contacts a part of the outer periphery of the steering column 11 so as to accommodate a substantially half circumference of the steering column 11. At the same time, a protrusion 30 inserted and engaged in an engagement hole 29 provided in the steering column 11 is integrally protruded so as to protrude from the arc surface 28a. In addition, arc portions 31 a of the column holder 31 are in contact with the outer periphery of the remaining half of the outer periphery of the steering column 11 that protrudes from the housing recess 28, and the column holders are provided on both sides of the steering column 11. Both end portions of 31 are fastened to the housing main body 22 by special screw members 32 and 32 that cannot be removed by a normal tool, whereby the housing main body 22 is fixed to the steering column 11.

  On the outer periphery of the toothed ring 13, a plurality of teeth 33, 33... Are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction so as to form locking recesses 34, 34. The locking member 16 having an engagement protrusion 16a that can engage with one of the three ends 34, 34... Extends long in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the steering column 11 and the steering shaft 12, and has a cross-sectional shape. It is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape and is slidably fitted in a guide hole 35 provided in the housing main body 22. The guide hole 35 extends in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the steering column 11 and the steering shaft 12 and is provided in the housing main body 22 so as to engage with the engagement hole 29 of the steering column 11. One end of the guide hole 35 is opened at the center of the tip of the protrusion 30 provided in the housing main body 22, and the other end of the guide hole 35 is opened in the first receiving recess 20.

  The electric motor 15 having an axis parallel to the steering shaft 12 and the steering column 11 is configured such that the lock member 16 is placed on the steering shaft on a plan view orthogonal to the axis of the steering shaft 12 and the steering column 11. The motor housing 36 of the electric motor 15 is partly housed in a second housing recess 21 formed shallower than the first housing recess 20. An elastic sheet 37 is wound around the outer periphery of the motor housing 36, and a motor holder 38 is brought into contact with a portion protruding from the second housing recess 21 of the motor housing 36 via the elastic sheet 37. The motor housing 36 is fixedly supported by the housing main body 22 by fastening the holder 38 to the housing main body 22 with screw members 39, 39 arranged on both sides of the motor housing 36.

  The electric motor 15 has a motor shaft 42 projecting from the motor housing 36 toward the first housing recess 20, and a support recess 43 for rotatably supporting the projecting end of the motor shaft 42 is a housing. Formed on the main body 22.

  Between the electric motor 15 and the lock member 16, motion conversion means 40 for converting the rotational motion of the electric motor 15 into linear motion of the lock member 16 is interposed, and the motion conversion means 40 is connected to the motor. A worm gear 44 fixed to an axially intermediate portion of the shaft 42, a worm wheel 45 meshing with the worm gear 44, a screw shaft 17 to which the worm wheel 45 is fixed at one end portion, and an axis around the screw shaft 17 And a slider 18 that is screwed into the screw shaft 17 and interlocked with and connected to the lock member 16.

  The worm gear 44, the worm wheel 45, the screw shaft 17 and the slider 18 are disposed in the first receiving recess 20. The screw shaft 17 is provided with a support hole 46 coaxially between both ends thereof, and a support shaft 47 having an axis extending in parallel with the guide hole 35 passes through the support hole 46, whereby the screw shaft 17 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 47.

  Both ends of the support shaft 47 projecting from the screw shaft 17 are fitted and supported by the housing main body 22 and the lid member 23, and the support shaft 47 is surrounded between the housing main body 22 and the lid member 23. The cylindrical bush 48 and the screw shaft 17 are disposed, and a male screw 49 is provided on the outer periphery of the large-diameter shaft portion 17a provided at the bush 48 side end portion of the screw shaft 17.

  Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the slider 18 includes a screw member 50 formed of a rigid ferromagnetic material such as an iron material and screwed into the male screw of the screw shaft 17, and a paramagnetic material such as zinc. A magnet holding member 51 that is formed of an alloy and covers the screwing member 50. The screwing member 50 and the magnet holding member 51 are relatively moved in the direction along the axis of the screw shaft 17 and the screw shaft. They are coupled to each other with the relative rotation about the axis of 17 disabled.

  The magnet holding member 51 includes a holding member main portion 51a having a press-fitting hole 52 formed by connecting a circular hole portion 52a and a substantially rectangular non-circular hole portion 52b, and the locking member 16 from the holding member main portion 51a. An arm portion 51b that extends to the side and a pair of guide projections 51c and 51c that are provided on both sides of the holding member main portion 51a and extend in parallel with the screw shaft 17 are integrated with the arm portion 51b. A groove 53 extending over the entire length is provided so as to open to the steering column 11 and the steering shaft 12 side and to allow the inner end to pass through the press-fitting hole 52.

  Guide grooves 54 and 54 for slidably fitting the guide protrusions 51c and 51c of the magnet holding member 51 are formed on both side surfaces of the first housing recess 20 in the housing main body 22, and the support shaft 47 and the screw. The magnet holding member 51 and the screwing member 50 are provided so as to extend in parallel with the shaft 17, and the axis of the support shaft 47 and the screw shaft 17 is guided by the guide grooves 54. It becomes possible to move in the axial direction of the support shaft 47 and the screw shaft 17 while making it impossible to rotate around.

  The screw member 50 is inserted into a screw member main portion 50 a that is press-fitted into a press-fit hole 52 in a holding member main portion 51 a of the magnet holding member 51 and a groove 53 of an arm portion 51 b in the magnet holding member 51. Thus, the connecting arm portion 50b extending from the screwing member main portion 50a and the spring receiving protrusion 50c protruding from the distal end portion of the connecting arm portion 50b toward the steering column 11 are integrated. The holding member main portion 51a is provided with a screw hole 55 into which the male screw 49 of the screw shaft 17 is screwed.

  On the other hand, on the other end side of the lock member 16, a pair of connecting wall portions 16b and 16b sandwiching the arm portion 51b of the magnet holding member 51 and the connecting arm portion 50b of the screwing member 50 from both sides are integrally provided. The connecting wall portions 16b are provided with elongated holes 56, 56 extending in the longitudinal direction of the guide hole 35, respectively. Further, pins 57 are press-fitted into the arm portions 51b of the magnet holding member 51 and the connecting arm portions 50b of the screwing member 50 so that both ends of the pins 57 are inserted into the long holes 56. The

  A coil spring 58 is accommodated between the connecting wall portions 16b of the lock member 16, and one end portion of the coil spring 58 is inserted into the spring receiving projection 50c of the screwing member 50. The magnet holding member 51 is in contact with the tip of the arm 51 b, and the other end of the coil spring 58 is in contact with the lock member 16. Due to the spring force exerted by the coil spring 58, the lock member 16 is urged toward the toothed ring 13 side, that is, the lock position side within a range in which the pin 57 can move within the long hole 56. It will be.

  Thus, when the screw shaft 17 rotates in one direction according to the one-way rotation of the electric motor 15 and the slider 18 moves to the toothed ring 13 side as shown in FIG. The locking member 16 is pressed to the locking position side via the coil spring 58, and one of the locking recesses 34 provided on the outer periphery of the toothed ring 13 is at a position corresponding to the engaging protrusion 16a of the locking member 16. Sometimes, the lock member 16 moves to the lock position, and the engagement protrusion 16a engages with the locking recess 34. When the engagement protrusion 16a contacts one of the teeth 33 provided on the outer periphery of the toothed ring 13, the slider 18 moves toward the toothed ring 13 while compressing the coil spring 58, The lock member 16 is rotated by the spring force of the coil spring 58 by slightly rotating the steering shaft 12 to a position where one of the locking recesses 34 corresponds to the engagement protrusion 16a. The portion 16a is moved to the locking position where the locking recess 34 is engaged.

  When the screw shaft 17 rotates in the other direction according to the rotation of the electric motor 15 in the other direction, and the slider 18 moves away from the toothed ring 13 as shown in FIG. The pin 57 abuts the end of the elongated hole 56 provided in the connecting wall portion 16b of the lock member 16 on the side opposite to the toothed ring 13, and the lock member 16 moves to the unlock position together with the slider 18. .

  Thus, when the lock member 16 and the slider 18 are moved to the unlock position side, the rotation of the electric motor 15 does not stop due to some trouble even though the position detection means 70 described later detects the unlock position. In the case where the screwing of the male screw 49 of the screw shaft 17 and the screw hole 55 of the slider 18 is released due to the operation stop of the electric motor 15, the screwing is performed again when the electric motor 15 rotates in the reverse direction. For this purpose, a stopper 64 made of a leaf spring is fastened to the housing main body 22 by a screw member 59.

  The holding member main portion 51a of the magnet holding member 51 has a pair of magnet housing recesses 60, 60 that open on the side opposite to the side where the arm portion 51b of the holding member main portion 51a is connected. The positions along the moving direction of the slider 18 are the same, the magnets 19 are accommodated in the magnet accommodating recesses 60, and the magnets 19 are accommodated and held in the magnet accommodating recesses 60. Holders 61, 61 are attached to the holding member main portion 51a.

  The holders 61 are made of a paramagnetic material, for example, a copper alloy, and are formed in a substantially U shape. The holders 61 are opposite to the side where the arm portions 51b of the holding member main portion 51a are connected. A side portion is fitted so as to cover the magnet accommodating recesses 60. Thus, when the engaging projections 63, 63... Projecting from the holding member main portion 51a are engaged with the engaging holes 62, 62. The magnets 19 are attached to the magnet holding member 51 so as to be held by the magnet holding member 51.

  The first housing recess 20 of the housing main body 22 is formed in a box shape with the opposite side to the slider 18 open, and is made of a synthetic resin case 65 facing the slider 18 from the side opposite to the lock member 16. The ends of the case 65 on the lid member 23 side are held at both ends of the leaf springs 66 that elastically contact the lid member 23, and the leaf springs 66 exhibit the elasticity. The case 65 is housed and fixed in the first housing recess 20 so as to be pressed against the contact support surface 22 a provided at the inner end of the housing main body 22 by force.

  In the case 65, a substrate 68 of a control unit 67 for controlling the operation of the electric motor 15 is attached by a plurality of screw members 69, 69.

  Referring also to FIG. 7, the lock member 16 is in at least one of the lock position and the unlock position. In this embodiment, in addition to being in the lock position and the unlock position, the unlock position The position detection means 70 detects that the position is immediately before the position of the lock member 16. The position detection means 70 detects the position of the lock member 16 by a pair of the magnets 19 and the magnetic field of the magnets 19. Are constituted by Hall sensors 71, 72, 73, 74 which are magnetic sensors arranged at fixed positions of the substrate 68.

  Thus, in the Hall sensor 71, when the magnet 19 is moved to the position P1 together with the slider 18 so as to place the lock member 16 in the lock position, the lock member 16 is in the lock position by the magnetic field of one magnet 19. The Hall sensors 72 and 73 are fixed to the substrate 68 at a position for detecting this, and the magnets 19 are moved to the position P2 together with the slider 18 so that the lock member 16 is set to the unlock position. The lock member 16 is fixed to the substrate 68 at a position where it is detected by the magnetic field 19... The Hall sensor 74 is for detecting in advance immediately before the lock member 16 is moved to the unlock position, and immediately before reaching the unlock position. The Hall sensor 74 is moved from the unlock position to the unlock position. When the magnets 19 are moved together with the slider 18 to a position just before the position P2 when moving, the substrate 68 is detected at a position where it is detected by the magnetic field of one of the magnets 19 that the lock member 16 is immediately before the unlock position. Fixed to.

  Thus, the control unit 67 stops energization of the electric motor 15 and transmits the state to the vehicle side control circuit when the lock position is detected by the hall sensor 71 and the unlock position is detected by the hall sensors 72 and 73. To do. In addition, when the hall sensor 74 detects that the lock member 16 is immediately before the unlock position, the control unit 67 performs a vehicle-side control circuit in order to take a vehicle-side response after the steering lock state is released. The state is transmitted in advance, so that the vehicle side control circuit performs ID collation and the like.

  The portion of the inner surface of the housing main body 22 in the housing 14 corresponding to the Hall sensors 71 to 74 is magnetically covered with the Hall sensors 71 to 74 from the side opposite to the magnets 19. The shielding member 75 is fixed.

  The magnetic shielding member 75 is formed in a plate shape extending in the moving direction of the slider 18 along the inner side surface of the housing main body 22 by a ferromagnetic material such as iron, and the inner end of the magnetic shielding member 75. A mounting plate portion 75 a that is connected to the portion at a right angle and integrally is attached to the housing main body 22 by a screw member 76.

  In addition, the case 65 is integrally provided with a connector portion 65a (see FIG. 2) in which terminals connected to the conductors led from the board 68 are disposed. (Not shown) is provided in the housing main body 22, and the external connector 77 is connected to the connector portion 65a.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. A part of the motion converting means 40 for converting the rotational motion of the electric motor 15 into the linear motion of the lock member 16 is provided around the screw shaft 17 and the axis of the screw shaft 17. The slider 18 is configured to include a slider 18 that is screwed into the screw shaft 17 and is interlocked with and coupled to the lock member 16 so that it cannot rotate. The slider 18 has a position detection for detecting the position of the lock member 16. Magnets 19... Constituting the means 70 in cooperation with the Hall sensors 71 to 74 are held. The slider 18 is formed of a rigid ferromagnetic material and is screwed onto the screw shaft 17. It comprises a member 50 and a magnet holding member 51 which is formed of a paramagnetic material and covers the screwing member 50 and holds the magnets 19. There is coupled to the threaded member 50 as a disable relative rotation about the axis of the relative movement and the screw shaft 17 in direction along the axis of the screw shaft 17.

  Accordingly, it is possible to ensure the strength corresponding to the wear or movement change for screwing with the screw shaft 17 with the ferromagnetic screwing member 50 and to detect the magnet 19 detected by the Hall sensors 71 to 74. It is possible to accurately detect the lock position and the unlock position of the lock member 16 by suppressing the influence of the screw member 50 on the magnetic field of ... by the magnet holding member 51 made of paramagnetic material. ˜74 can be arranged close to the slider 18 to reduce the size of the electric lock device and increase the degree of freedom in arrangement of the electric lock device.

  In the housing 14, the hall sensors 71, 72 are arranged at fixed positions of the substrate 68 in the housing 14 so that the position of the lock member 16 is detected by the magnetic field of the magnets 19. , 73 and 74 are housed, but the Hall sensors 71 to 74 are attached to portions of the inner surface of the housing main body 22 in the housing 14 corresponding to the Hall sensors 71 to 74. Since the magnetic shielding member 75 made of a ferromagnetic material is fixed so as to cover from the side, the magnets 19... Held by the magnet holding member 51 of the slider 18 in the vicinity of the outer surface of the housing 14 made of a paramagnetic material. Even if another magnet is placed, the influence of the external magnet will affect Hall sensors 71-74. Prevents detection occurs, the position of the locking member 16 can be accurately detected.

  As a result, it is confirmed that the lock member 16 is in the unlocked position in a state where the ID set in the regular portable device held by the vehicle user and the ID set on the engine side mounted on the vehicle are collated. When the magnet is placed in the vicinity of the electric lock device in a state where the vehicle user temporarily keeps the portable device in the vehicle interior, the lock member 16 is It is possible to prevent a situation in which the engine is inadvertently started by erroneous detection of being in the unlock position despite being in the lock position.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes can be made without departing from the present invention described in the claims. Is possible.

  For example, the present invention is not limited to a steering lock device, and can be widely applied as an electric lock device for a vehicle in which a lock member is engaged with an operation member so that the operation member can be held in a locked state.

13 ... toothed ring 14 which is an operating member ... housing 15 ... electric motor 16 ... lock member 40 ... motion converting means 70 ... position detecting means 19 ... magnets 71, 72 , 73, 74... Hall sensors which are magnetic sensors

Claims (1)

Paramagnetic material for supporting the lock member (16) that enables linear movement between the lock position for engaging the actuating member (13) and the unlock position for disengaging the actuating member (13). An electric motor (15) and an electric motor (15) interposed between the electric motor (15) and the lock member (16) so as to convert the rotary motion of the electric motor (15) into a linear motion in a housing (14) made of metal. The vehicle electric lock in which the motion converting means (40) for performing the operation and the position detecting means (70) for detecting that the lock member (16) is in at least one of the locked position and the unlocked position are housed. In the device
The position detection means (70) detects the position of the lock member (16) by the magnet (19) moving with the lock member (16) and the magnetic field of the magnet (19). ) And a plurality of magnetic sensors (71 to 74) arranged at fixed positions,
The plurality of magnetic sensors (71 to 74) include a magnetic sensor (71) for detecting that the lock member (16) is in the locked position, and detecting that the lock member (16) is in the unlocked position. And a magnetic sensor (74) for detecting that the lock member (16) is in a position immediately before the unlock position.

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