JP7038376B2 - Thumb turn device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a thumb turn device.

Conventionally, a lock provided on a door and a thumb turn device attached to the lock have been provided. A dead bolt is provided on the lock so that it can be moved forward and backward, and the dead bolt can be locked and unlocked by operating the thumb turn of the thumb turn device from the indoor side, and the key of the cylinder device can be operated from the outdoor side. It can be locked and unlocked with a card or numeric keypad.

Here, the doors include a right-handed door that opens inward or outward (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "right-handed") and a left-handed door that opens inward or outward (hereinafter, simply "left"). It may be described as "selfish"). As for the lock, by attaching the dead bolt to the door so that it faces the direction in which it can move forward and backward, it is possible to handle both right-handed and left-handed doors.

On the other hand, the thumb turn device is the direction of rotation of the thumb turn, the direction in which the hub of the lock can be locked and unlocked, and the direction in which the thumb turn is locked and unlocked (generally, when the thumb turn is in the vertical direction, it is unlocked, and when it is in the horizontal direction, it is unlocked. Locking), and when the thumb turn device is electric, it is necessary to drive a drive unit such as a motor to match all the lockable and unlockable directions. Therefore, it is not easy to make the thumb-turn device compatible with both right-handed and left-handed hands. Conventionally, a right-handed thumb-turn device and a left-handed thumb-turn device are prepared, and the thumb-turn device is arbitrarily prepared. It was common to be selected.

Patent Document 1 below discloses a thumb-turn device that can handle both right-handed and left-handed hands while matching the directions of such thumb-turns, and can switch between right-handed and left-handed hands. The thumb-turn device of Patent Document 1 is capable of performing a left-right switching operation using a tool in a state before being attached to a lock.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-209856

However, in the thumb turn device of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to use a tool or the like to switch between left and right, which is troublesome. Further, in the thumb turn device of Patent Document 1, for example, when the left and right hands are erroneously set and then attached to the lock, it is necessary to remove the thumb turn device from the lock and switch the left and right hands again using a tool. ..

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a thumb-turn device that does not require a tool and can switch between left and right while attached to a lock or a door.

The thumb turn device of the present invention provided to solve the above-mentioned problems has a rotating body connected to the thumb turn and rotating about the rotation axis of the thumb turn, a switching member attached to the rotating body, and the rotating body. The relative position of the switching member is positioned on the rotating body by the engaging mechanism capable of positioning both the right-handed position corresponding to the right-handed position and the left-handed position corresponding to the left-handed hand, and the engaging mechanism. The switching member has a switching mechanism for switching between the right-handed position and the left-handed position, and the switching mechanism can come into contact with the switching member to prevent the switching member from rotating, and the rotation of the switching member can be prevented. A restricting portion that allows rotation of the body is provided, and at a restricted position where the switching member and the restricting portion come into contact with each other, the rotating body is allowed to rotate while blocking the rotation of the switching member. It is characterized in that the relative position of the switching member can be switched.

According to the thumb turn device of the present invention, when the thumb turn is rotated, the rotating body further rotates while the rotation of the switching member is restricted at the restricted position where the switching member and the restricting portion come into contact with each other. Thereby, the thumb turn device of the present invention can switch the position of the switching member with respect to the rotating body from the right-handed position to the left-handed position or from the left-handed position to the right-handed position. That is, the thumb-turn device of the present invention can switch from right-handed to left-handed or left-handed to right-handed by simply performing a thumb-turn rotation operation without the need for a tool such as a screwdriver. Therefore, according to the thumb turn device of the present invention, for example, it is not necessary to switch the thumb turn device before attaching it to a lock or a door, and it is possible to switch the thumb turn device while the thumb turn device is attached to the door or the like. can.

Further, according to the thumb turn device of the present invention, both right-handed and left-handed thumb-turn devices can be supported, so that it is necessary to prepare both a right-handed thumb-turn device and a left-handed thumb-turn device. Can be done.

In the thumb turn device of the present invention, the engaging mechanism includes a concave portion provided on one of the rotating body and the switching member, and a convex portion provided on the other, and the rotating body and the switching member have the concave portion and the switching member. By fitting the convex portion, the relative position is positioned and the convex portion can be rotated integrally, and at least one of the concave portion and the convex portion includes a portion corresponding to the right-handed position and the said. It is desirable that both of those corresponding to the left-handed position are included.

According to the above configuration, the mechanical structure enables switching while maintaining the relative positions of the rotating body and the switching member.

In the thumb turn device of the present invention, the switching member is provided with the convex portion, the rotating body is provided with the concave portion, and the convex portion is provided with a first convex portion corresponding to the right-handed position. And the second convex portion corresponding to the left-handed position can be included.

According to the above configuration, the mechanical structure enables switching while maintaining the relative positions of the rotating body and the switching member.

Further, the thumb-turn device of the present invention includes a regulated portion formed by the switching member projecting in the axial direction in which the rotation axis extends, and the regulated portion is at a position where the regulated portion comes into contact with the regulated portion. It is desirable that the rotation of the switching member is blocked and the rotation of the rotating body is allowed.

According to the above configuration, the mechanical structure enables switching while maintaining the relative positions of the rotating body and the switching member.

In the thumb turn device of the present invention, it is desirable that the rotating body has a range of motion in a range of at least half a circumference about the axis of rotation.

According to the above configuration, the center of the movable range of the rotating body is set as the unlocking position common to the left and right, and the rotating body is rotated in the positive direction by a quarter circumference (90 degrees) to be the locking position of one of the left and right. It can be rotated in the direction by a quarter circumference (90 degrees) to obtain the other locked position. That is, according to the thumb-turn device of the present invention, it is not necessary to displace the entire range of motion of the rotating body corresponding to the left-right hand, and the left-right hand can be flexibly adjusted by other mechanical mechanisms and controls. The rotating body can be rotated.

In the thumb turn device of the present invention, the rotating body rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the thumb turn, and power is transmitted to enable rotation, and the position of at least one of the rotating body and the switching member. It is desirable to have a detection device for detecting the above and a control unit for controlling the rotation of the rotating body based on the information detected by the detection device.

According to the above configuration, the relative positions of the rotating body and the switching member are switched by the mechanical structure to switch between left and right, and the rotating body is rotated by the rotation control of the control unit to control locking and unlocking. Can be done. As a result, the thumb-turn device of the present invention can be locked and unlocked by manually operating the thumb-turn, and as an electric thumb-turn device that can be locked and unlocked in response to a card or a numeric keypad. It can be suitably used.

Further, in the thumb turn device of the present invention, the detection device can detect the positions of both the rotating body and the switching member, and the control unit is right-handed based on the information detected by the detection device. It is desirable to determine which of the two is left-handed and which is the locked state and the unlocked state.

According to the above configuration, the relative positions of the rotating body and the switching member are switched by the mechanical structure to switch between left and right hands, and left and right hands are determined and locking / unlocking is determined on the control system. Locking and unlocking can be controlled according to the situation. As a result, the thumb-turn device of the present invention can be locked and unlocked by manually operating the thumb-turn, and as an electric thumb-turn device that can be locked and unlocked in response to a card or a numeric keypad. It can be suitably used.

In the thumb turn device of the present invention, the rotating body is an external gear having tooth portions formed on at least a part of the outer peripheral surface, and an accommodating portion in which the switching member is accommodated is formed inside in the radial direction. can do.

According to the above configuration, the rotating body can be rotated by both the manual operation to the thumb turn and the drive by the drive unit. That is, according to the thumb turn device of the present invention, it can be performed by the rotational operation of the rotating body in both the case of locking and unlocking by power and the case of manually locking and unlocking. Further, in the thumb turn device of the present invention, the switching member can be accommodated inside the rotating body in the radial direction, and the engaging mechanism and the switching mechanism can be made compact.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a thumb-turn device that does not require a tool and can switch between left and right while being attached to a lock or a door.

It is a perspective view which shows the appearance of the thumb turn apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a reference figure for demonstrating right-handedness and left-handedness. It is an exploded perspective view of the thumb turn device of FIG. It is a side view which shows the thumb turn, the thumb gear, and the connecting member of the thumb turn apparatus of FIG. The thumb gear of the thumb turn device of FIG. 1 is shown. (A) is a perspective view on the front side, (b) is a perspective view on the back side, and (c) is a rear view. The switching member of the thumb turn device of FIG. 1 is shown. (A) is a perspective view on the back side, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a sectional view taken along line AA'of FIG. 6 (b). The thumb gear and the switching member of the thumb turn device of FIG. 1 are shown. (A) is a perspective view on the front side, and (b) is a perspective view on the back side. It is a figure which shows the engaging mechanism of the thumb turn device of FIG. It is a figure which shows the switching mechanism of the thumb turn device of FIG. It is a front view which shows the drive mechanism of the thumb turn device of FIG. It is an exploded perspective view which shows the drive mechanism of the thumb turn device of FIG. It is a front view which shows the operation of the clutch mechanism of the thumb turn device of FIG. It is a figure which shows the locking / unlocking operation in the right-handed setting of the thumb turn device of FIG. It is a figure which shows the locking / unlocking operation in the left hand setting of the thumb turn apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the switching operation to the left hand setting of the thumb turn device of FIG. It is a figure which shows the switching operation to the right hand setting of the thumb turn device of FIG.

Hereinafter, the thumb turn device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the thumb turn device 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the thumb turn device 10 has a thumb turn 18. The thumb turn device 10 is attached to the indoor side of the door D and is connected to the lock 1. The lock 1 is a lock that can be fully tightened, and a dead bolt 2 is provided so that it can be moved forward and backward. The lock 1 can be locked and unlocked by manually operating the thumb turn 18 or by using a key (not shown), or by operating a drive mechanism 60 described later with a card or a numeric keypad.

The lock 1 is provided with a rotatable hub 3. By rotating the hub 3, the lock 1 can be locked and unlocked by operating an actuating arm (not shown) connected to the hub 3 and projecting or retracting the dead bolt 2. The connecting member 20 of the thumb turn device 10 of the present embodiment is connected to the indoor side of the hub 3.

Here, the left-right hand of the door D and the rotation direction of the thumb turn 18 at the time of locking / unlocking will be described. In the present specification, opening the door D to the indoor side is described as "inward opening", and opening the door D to the outdoor side is described as "outward opening". Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the state where the hinge (not shown) can be seen on the right side when viewed from the indoor side is described as "right hand", and the state where the hinge can be seen on the left side is described as "left hand".

As shown in FIG. 2, in the unlocked state, the thumb turn 18 is oriented vertically regardless of whether the door D is right-handed or left-handed. Further, in the locked state, the thumb turn 18 is turned sideways regardless of whether the door D is right-handed or left-handed. In other words, the thumb turn 18 has a function as an indicator indicating an unlocked state in the vertical direction and a locked state in the horizontal direction.

On the other hand, when the operation is performed from the unlocked state to the locked state, the rotation direction when the thumb turn 18 is turned sideways differs depending on whether the door D is right-handed or left-handed.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the door D is right-handed and the operation is performed from the locked state to the unlocked state, the thumb turn 18 is "clockwise" (forward direction) when viewed from the indoor side. ), The protruding dead bolt 2 retracts and is unlocked. Further, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the door D is right-handed and the operation is performed from the unlocked state to the locked state, the thumb turn 18 is "counterclockwise" (reverse) when viewed from the indoor side. When it is rotated about 90 degrees in the direction), the dead bolt 2 protrudes and is locked. Depending on the type and structure of the lock 1 provided on the door D, contrary to the above, when the door D is right-handed, the thumb turn 18 is "counterclockwise" (counterclockwise) when viewed from the indoor side. ), It is unlocked by rotating it about 90 degrees, and some are locked by rotating it "clockwise" (positive direction) by about 90 degrees. In the following explanation, unless otherwise specified, in the case of right-handed hand, as described above, it is unlocked by rotating it "clockwise" (forward direction) by about 90 degrees, and "counterclockwise" (counterclockwise). The description will be made on the premise that the lock state is obtained by rotating the device by about 90 degrees.

As shown in FIG. 2B, when the door D is left-handed and the operation is performed from the locked state to the unlocked state, the thumb turn 18 is "counterclockwise" (counterclockwise) when viewed from the indoor side. When it is rotated about 90 degrees, the protruding dead bolt 2 retracts and is unlocked. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the door D is left-handed and the operation is performed from the unlocked state to the locked state, the thumb turn 18 is "clockwise" (forward direction) when viewed from the indoor side. ), The dead bolt 2 protrudes and is locked. Depending on the type and structure of the lock 1 provided on the door D, contrary to the above, when the door D is left-handed, the thumb turn 18 is "clockwise" (forward direction) when viewed from the indoor side. In some cases, it is unlocked by rotating it about 90 degrees, and it is locked by rotating it "counterclockwise" (counterclockwise) by about 90 degrees. In the following explanation, unless otherwise specified, in the case of left-handed hand, as described above, it is unlocked by rotating it "counterclockwise" (counterclockwise) by about 90 degrees, and "clockwise" (forward direction). The description will be made on the premise that the lock state is obtained by rotating the device by about 90 degrees.

The thumb turn device 10 is capable of handling right-handed and left-handed. Further, the thumb turn device 10 can be switched between right-handed and left-handed. Hereinafter, the configuration of the thumb turn device 10 will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the thumb turn device 10 has a main body 14, a thumb turn 18, and a cover 12. The thumb turn device 10 is configured such that the main body 14 is covered with a cover 12 and the thumb turn 18 is arranged on the outside of the cover 12. Further, the main body 14 can accommodate a battery 8 as a drive source.

As shown in FIG. 3, the main body 14 has a thumb turn 18, a thumb gear 30 (rotating body), a switching member 40, a gear accommodating body 54, a connecting member 20, a drive mechanism 60, and a back cover 16. Further, the main body 14 includes an engagement mechanism 50 (see FIG. 7), a switching mechanism 52 (see FIG. 8), a control unit (not shown), and a detection device (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 3, the main body 14 is provided with a back cover 16 on the back side attached to the door D. The thumb turn device 10 accommodates the configuration of the thumb gear 30, the drive mechanism 60, and the like in the internal space formed by the cover 12 and the back cover 16.

The cover 12 is a box body having an opening on the back side and a storage space formed inside. The cover 12 and the back cover 16 are assembled by a connecting member (not shown) such as a screw. In addition, in order to position the gear accommodating body 54, the motor case 61, and the like, positioning protrusions and the like (not shown) are formed inside the cover 12.

The thumb turn 18 is an operation knob for manually locking and unlocking. As described above, the thumb turn 18 is arranged on the outside of the cover 12. Further, a shaft mounting portion (not shown) is formed inside the thumb turn 18, and the shaft portion 32 of the thumb gear 30 is fitted into the shaft mounting portion.

The thumb turn 18 is connected to the thumb turn shaft 22 described later via the thumb gear 30, and rotates integrally with the rotation shaft of the thumb turn shaft 22. In other words, the thumb turn 18, the thumb gear 30, and the thumb turn shaft 22 have their rotation axes aligned with each other, and rotate integrally around the rotation shaft L1. In the following description, the rotation shafts of the thumb turn 18, the thumb gear 30, and the thumb turn shaft 22 will be described simply as “rotation shaft L1”. Further, the direction in which the rotation axis L1 extends may be described simply as "axis direction X". Further, in the axial direction X, the back cover 16 side may be described as "back side" and the side opposite to the back side may be described as "front side".

As shown in FIG. 1, the connecting member 20 is connected to the hub 3 of the lock 1. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the connecting member 20 has a thumb turn shaft 22 and a body portion 24.

The thumb turn shaft 22 is for transmitting the rotation of the thumb gear 30 to the hub 3 of the lock 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the thumb turn shaft 22 has a substantially cross-shaped cross-sectional shape on both the front end portion 22b, which is the front end portion, and the base end portion 22a, which is the back end portion. In the thumb turn shaft 22, the base end portion 22a is fitted into an engagement hole (not shown) of the hub 3, and the thumb turn shaft 22 and the hub 3 rotate integrally. As a result, the thumb turn device 10 can rotate the hub 3 by the rotation of the thumb turn shaft 22 to advance and retreat the dead bolt 2 of the lock 1. Further, the tip portion 22b is inserted and attached to the shaft portion 32 of the thumb gear 30. The thumb turn shaft 22 and the shaft portion 32 of the thumb gear 30 are integrally rotated by being positioned in the rotational direction by engaging the locking portion 32b of the shaft portion 32 in the cross-shaped shape of the thumb turn shaft 22.

The body portion 24 is for rotatably supporting the thumb turn shaft 22. The body portion 24 is attached to the back cover 16 via a member such as a screw (not shown). The thumb turn shaft 22 is positioned in the axial direction X in a state of being attached to the body portion 24 and is rotatably supported.

The thumb gear 30 (rotating body) rotates about the rotation shaft L1 by a manual rotation operation on the thumb turn 18 or an operation by the drive mechanism 60. In other words, the thumb gear 30 is manually and electrically rotated in the thumb turn device 10, and is provided to transmit the manual and electric rotation to the thumb turn shaft 22 to perform the locking / unlocking operation. The thumb gear 30 is connected to the thumb turn 18 and rotates about the rotation axis L1 of the thumb turn 18.

As shown in FIG. 5, the thumb gear 30 has a shaft portion 32 formed in a shaft shape and a gear portion 34 formed so as to expand the diameter outward in the radial direction from the middle portion of the shaft portion 32. The thumb gear 30 has a shaft portion 32 and a gear portion 34 integrally formed, and has an appearance as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the shaft portion 32 has a substantially columnar appearance. As shown in FIG. 5B, the inside of the shaft portion 32 is hollow, and two locking portions 32b extending in the axial direction X are formed on the inner peripheral surface. Further, as shown in FIG. 5A, a substantially cross-shaped thumb turn connecting portion 32a is formed at the front end portion of the shaft portion 32.

As shown in FIG. 4, the thumb turn shaft 22 is inserted into the shaft portion 32 from the back surface side. Further, in the shaft portion 32, the thumb turn connecting portion 32a on the front side is inserted into the inside of the thumb turn 18 and fitted into the shaft mounting portion (not shown) of the thumb turn 18. As a result, the thumb turn 18, the thumb gear 30, and the thumb turn shaft 22 form a rotation axis that coincides with the rotation shaft L1 of the thumb turn shaft 22 and rotate integrally. In other words, the shaft portion 32 of the thumb gear 30 functions as a connecting member that connects the thumb turn 18 and the thumb turn shaft 22 and rotates them integrally. Further, the thumb turn 18, the shaft portion 32 of the thumb gear 30, and the thumb turn shaft 22 function as a manual mechanism for transmitting manual rotation to the thumb turn 18.

As shown in FIG. 5, the gear portion 34 has a flange-like shape that expands in diameter toward the radial outer side of the shaft portion 32. A tooth portion 35 is formed on the outer peripheral surface 34a of the gear portion 34. The tooth portion 35 is formed over a half circumference or more (180 degrees or more) of the entire circumferential direction of the gear portion 34. Power is transmitted from the drive mechanism 60, which will be described later, to the gear portion 34, and the gear portion 34 rotates with the rotation shaft L1 as the rotation shaft. In other words, the thumb gear 30 also functions as an electric mechanism driven by the drive mechanism 60.

As shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C, an accommodating portion 36 surrounded by the inner peripheral surface 34b of the gear portion 34 is formed on the back surface side of the gear portion 34. As shown in FIG. 7B, the accommodating portion 36 accommodates a switching member 40, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 5C, the region of the peripheral portion of the gear portion 34 in which the tooth portion 35 is not formed on the outer side is a reduced diameter portion 34c formed so as to be reduced inward in the radial direction. The inner peripheral surface 34b of the reduced diameter portion 34c is provided with a recess 38 constituting the engaging mechanism 50 described in detail later. The recess 38 is formed so as to undulate a part of the inner peripheral surface 34b of the gear portion 34. More specifically, the recess 38 is formed so as to recess the inner wall surface of the gear portion 34 from the radial inside to the outside. Further, the portion of the inner peripheral surface 34b of the gear portion 34 adjacent to the recess 38 is formed to be undulating so as to be continuous with the recess 38.

As shown in FIGS. 5 (b) and 5 (c), the gear portion 34 is provided with the first detected portion 80. The first detected portion 80 is provided so as to be adjacent to the outer side in the radial direction with respect to the position where the recess 38 is provided. The first detected unit 80 can be detected by a detection device (not shown) which is a non-contact type magnetic sensor. In the present embodiment, the first detected unit 80 is provided as a magnet.

As shown in FIG. 5C, when the thumb turn 18 is oriented vertically (unlocked state), the thumb gear 30 has the first detected portion 80 at the lower reference position when the thumb turn device 10 is viewed from the front. It is arranged on P1 (see FIG. 13 and the like). Further, the thumb gear 30 can rotate about 90 degrees (+90 degrees) in the forward direction from the reference position P1 and can rotate about 90 degrees (−90 degrees) in the opposite direction from the reference position P1. That is, the thumb gear 30 has a range of motion R in a range of at least half a circumference (180 degrees) about the rotation axis L1.

The switching member 40 is provided for switching the left / right hand setting of the thumb turn device 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the switching member 40 is a member having different thicknesses in the axial direction X. As shown in FIG. 7 and the like, the switching member 40 is attached to the thumb gear 30.

As shown in FIG. 6C, the switching member 40 is formed so as to project from the first component 40a having a predetermined thickness in the axial direction X and the back surface side in the axial direction X from the first component 40a. It has a second component 40b, and the first component 40a and the second component 40b are integrally formed. Further, the switching member 40 forms the appearance shown in FIG. 6A when visually recognized from the back surface side.

The switching member 40 is provided with a hole 41 substantially in the center. As shown in FIG. 7, the switching member 40 has a hole 41 inserted through the shaft portion 32 of the thumb gear 30 and is accommodated in the accommodating portion 36 of the thumb gear 30. As shown in FIG. 7, in a state where the switching member 40 is housed in the accommodating portion 36, the first component 40a of the switching member 40 is arranged on the front side, and the second component 40b is arranged on the back side. Further, the switching member 40 rotates integrally with the thumb gear 30 with the rotation shaft L1 as the center of rotation, and when the left / right setting is switched, the rotation is restricted by the regulation unit 56 described later, and the thumb gear 30 is centered on the rotation shaft L1. It is relatively displaced.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the switching member 40 is provided with a convex portion 42, a protruding portion 45, a regulated portion 48, and a second detected portion 82. The convex portion 42 and the protruding portion 45 are formed on the first constituent portion 40a. Further, the regulated portion 48 is formed in the second component portion 40b. In other words, the switching member 40 has a configuration in which the convex portion 42 and the protruding portion 45 arranged on the front side and the regulated portion 48 arranged on the back side are arranged at different positions in the axial direction X. ing.

The convex portion 42 and the concave portion 38 form an engaging mechanism 50 described later. The switching member 40 is formed with a first convex portion 43 and a second convex portion 44 as two convex portions 42. The first convex portion 43 and the second convex portion 44 are arranged so as to form an angle of approximately 90 degrees with respect to the rotation center of the switching member 40. The switching member 40 is positioned in the circumferential direction with respect to the thumb gear 30 by fitting any one of the first convex portion 43 and the second convex portion 44 with the concave portion 38. As a result, the switching member 40 rotates integrally with the thumb gear 30.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the protruding portion 45 is a portion formed so as to protrude larger in the radial direction than the convex portion 42. The switching member 40 is formed with a first protruding portion 46 and a second protruding portion 47 as two protruding portions 45.

The regulated unit 48, together with the regulated unit 56 described later, constitutes a switching mechanism 52. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6C, the regulated portion 48 is formed in the switching member 40 so as to project in the axial direction X with respect to the first component portion 40a. The regulated portion 48 has a fan-shaped shape having an angle of approximately 90 degrees in the circumferential direction with the rotation axis L1 as the center in the front view. The regulated portion 48 is arranged at a position where it comes into contact with the regulated portion 56, which will be described later.

The switching member 40 is provided with a second detected unit 82. The second detected unit 82 is provided substantially in the center of the regulated unit 48. The second detected unit 82 can be detected by a detection device (not shown) which is a non-contact type magnetic sensor. In the present embodiment, the second detected unit 82 is provided as a magnet.

As shown in FIG. 7, the gear accommodating body 54 accommodates the thumb gear 30 and the switching member 40. The gear accommodating body 54 is arranged on the back cover 16 side, and the mounting hole 57b is inserted into a positioning portion (not shown) provided on the cover 12 for positioning.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the gear accommodating body 54 is provided with a through hole 57a and a regulating portion 56. The through hole 57a is provided for inserting the shaft portion 32 of the thumb gear 30.

The regulating unit 56 constitutes a switching mechanism 52 together with the regulated unit 48. In order to allow the thumb gear 30 to rotate while limiting the rotation range of the switching member 40 to about 90 degrees in contact with the regulated portion 48, the regulating unit 56 switches the angle formed by the thumb gear 30 and the switching member 40. It is provided. As shown in FIG. 9, the regulation portion 56 of the present embodiment is provided as a U-shaped protrusion having an angle of approximately 180 degrees with respect to the rotation axis L1. The regulating unit 56 has a first regulating unit 56a that comes into contact with the regulated unit 48 when the switching member 40 rotates in the forward direction (clockwise in FIG. 8) and the switching member 40 in the opposite direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 8). ), It has a second regulated portion 56b that comes into contact with the regulated portion 48.

Subsequently, the engagement mechanism 50 will be described with reference to FIG. Note that FIG. 8 shows a state of being visually recognized from the front side. As described above, the engaging mechanism 50 is composed of a concave portion 38 and a convex portion 42. As shown in FIG. 8 and the like, in the thumb turn device 10 of the present embodiment, the concave portion 38 is provided in the thumb gear 30, and the convex portion 42 is provided in the switching member 40. The thumb gear 30 and the switching member 40 are positioned relative to each other and can rotate integrally by fitting the concave portion 38 and the convex portion 42. The convex portion 42 includes a first convex portion 43 corresponding to the right-handed position Pr and a second convex portion 44 corresponding to the left-handed position Pl.

The engaging mechanism 50 makes it possible to position the relative position of the switching member 40 with respect to the thumb gear 30 at both the right-handed position Pr corresponding to the right-handed hand and the left-handed position Pl corresponding to the left-handed hand. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8A, when the first convex portion 43 is fitted in the concave portion 38, the relative positions of the thumb gear 30 and the switching member 40 are within the range of motion R of the thumb gear 30. The thumb gear 30 is set to a right-handed position Pr that can rotate about 90 degrees in the opposite direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 8) from the reference position P1.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the second convex portion 44 is fitted in the concave portion 38, the relative position of the thumb gear 30 and the switching member 40 is the reference position P1 in the range of motion R of the thumb gear 30. The thumb gear 30 is set to the left hand position Pl that can rotate about 90 degrees in the positive direction (clockwise in FIG. 8).

Next, the switching mechanism 52 will be described with reference to FIG. The switching mechanism 52 is provided to switch the switching member 40 positioned on the thumb gear 30 by the engaging mechanism 50 between the right-handed position Pr and the left-handed position Pl. The regulation unit 56 includes a first regulation unit 56a and a second regulation unit 56b.

As shown in FIG. 9, the switching mechanism 52 is composed of a regulated portion 56 and a regulated portion 48. Note that FIG. 9 shows a case where the image is visually recognized from the front side. The restricting portion 56 is provided in the gear accommodating body 54 (not shown in FIG. 9), and the regulated portion 48 is provided in the switching member 40. At the regulated position where the regulated portion 56 is provided, the regulated portion 48 and the regulated portion 56 come into contact with each other, and the rotation of the thumb gear 30 is allowed while the rotation of the switching member 40 is prevented.

More specifically, in a state where the switching member 40 and the thumb gear 30 are locked so as to be in the right-handed position Pr (see FIG. 9A), the regulated portion 48 is in the regulated position where the regulated portion 48 comes into contact with the first regulated portion 56a. When it reaches, the switching member 40 is prevented from rotating in the positive direction, and the thumb gear 30 further rotates in the positive direction. When the thumb gear 30 further rotates 90 degrees in the positive direction from the regulated position, the thumb gear 30 rotates to a position where the concave portion 38 and the second convex portion 44 engage, and the thumb gear 30 and the switching member 40 are in the left-handed position. It becomes Pl (see FIG. 9B).

Further, although not shown, when the regulated portion 48 reaches the regulated position where the regulated portion 48 comes into contact with the second regulated portion 56b in a state where the switching member 40 and the thumb gear 30 are locked so as to be in the left hand position Pl, the switching member 40 Is prevented from rotating in the opposite direction, and the thumb gear 30 further rotates in the opposite direction. When the thumb gear 30 is further rotated 90 degrees in the opposite direction from the regulated position, the thumb gear 30 is rotated to a position where the concave portion 38 and the first convex portion 43 are engaged, and the thumb gear 30 and the switching member 40 are in the right-handed position. It becomes Pr.

In this way, the switching mechanism 52 allows the thumb gear 30 to rotate while blocking the rotation of the switching member 40 at the restricted position where the switching member 40 and the regulating unit 56 come into contact with each other, so that the switching member 40 has a switching member 40 with respect to the thumb gear 30. The relative position can be switched. Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the surface where the concave portion 38 and the convex portion 42 of the engaging mechanism 50 come into contact with each other is a contact surface curved in the circumferential direction, and is covered with the regulation portion 56 of the switching mechanism 52. The surface in contact with the regulating portion 48 is a flat surface that intersects the circumferential direction. Therefore, at the regulated position, the thumb turn 18 is rotated without requiring a large external force, and the rotation of the thumb gear 30 is allowed while preventing the rotation of the switching member 40. As a result, the thumb turn device 10 can mechanically switch between left and right by simply rotating the thumb turn 18 in the forward direction or the reverse direction.

The detection device (not shown) is provided to detect the positions of the thumb gear 30 and the switching member 40. The detection device is capable of detecting the positions of the first detected unit 80 attached to the thumb gear 30 and the second detected unit 82 attached to the switching member 40. The detection device of the present embodiment is a non-contact type sensor whose detection target is magnetic force.

The control unit (not shown) is provided to determine the positions of the thumb gear 30 and the switching member 40 detected by the detection device, and to determine the left-right hand state. Further, the thumb turn device 10 determines whether it is in the locked state or the unlocked state based on the position of the thumb gear 30 detected by the detection device.

Subsequently, the drive mechanism 60 provided for the electric operation of the thumb turn device 10 will be described. The drive mechanism 60 is provided to electrically rotate the thumb gear 30 using the battery 8 as a power source. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 10, the motor 62, gears, and the like constituting the drive mechanism 60 are housed in the motor case 61.

As shown in FIG. 10, the drive mechanism 60 includes a motor 62 (drive unit) and a power transmission mechanism 64. The motor 62 (driving unit) is a motor that can rotate in both the forward direction and the reverse direction, and has a motor shaft 62a.

The power transmission mechanism 64 is provided to transmit the rotational power of the motor 62 to the thumb gear 30. As shown in FIG. 11, the power transmission mechanism 64 includes a worm gear 66, a wheel gear 67, a torque limit gear 69, a center gear 70, and a clutch mechanism 72.

The worm gear 66 is attached to the motor shaft 62a of the motor 62. The worm gear 66 meshes with the wheel gear 67, and the rotational power transmitted to the wheel gear 67 is transmitted to the torque limit gear 69 via the sub gear 68 integrally formed with the wheel gear 67. The torque limit gear 69 and the center gear 70 rotate about the coaxial drive rotation shaft L2. The center gear 70 meshes with the clutch gears 75 and 76 constituting the clutch mechanism 72. Further, as will be described in detail later, the clutch gears 75 and 76 are positioned so that the rocking plate 74 swings and meshes with the gear portion 34 of the thumb gear 30, and rotational power is transmitted from the clutch gears 75 and 76 to the thumb gear 30. To.

In this way, the power of the motor 62 is transmitted to the thumb gear 30 via the gear trains of the worm gear 66, the wheel gear 67, the sub gear 68, the torque limit gear 69, the center gear 70, and the clutch gears 75 and 76.

Here, the clutch mechanism 72 for connecting and disconnecting the power transmission between the thumb gear 30 and the drive mechanism 60 will be described. The clutch mechanism 72 is provided for smoothly switching between manual and electric thumb-turn devices 10. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the clutch mechanism 72 includes a swing plate 74, a pair of clutch gears 75 and 76, and a return pin 77.

As shown in FIG. 12A, when the rotation of the center gear 70 is stopped, the rocking plate 74 is not tilted, and the center gear 70 and the clutch gears 75 and 76 are maintained in a separated state. To. That is, in the state where the power is not transmitted from the motor 62, the power transmission from the drive mechanism 60 to the thumb gear 30 is cut off. Therefore, when the thumb turn 18 is manually operated, the thumb turn device 10 can suppress the load on the motor 62 due to the rotation of the thumb gear 30 by the manual operation.

As shown in FIG. 12B, when the center gear 70 rotates, the rocking plate 74 swings and tilts along the rotation direction of the center gear 70. Further, any one of the clutch gear 75 and the clutch gear 76 attached to the rocking plate 74 is displaced to a position where it meshes with the tooth portion 35 of the thumb gear 30. When any of the clutch gears 75 and 76 is displaced to a position where it meshes with the tooth portion 35 of the thumb gear 30, the rotational power of the center gear 70 is transmitted to the thumb gear 30 via the clutch gears 75 and 76.

Further, as shown in FIG. 12 (c), when the rotation angle of the thumb gear 30 reaches 90 degrees from the state of FIG. 12 (a), the return pin 77 is the first switching member 40 that rotates integrally with the thumb gear 30. Contact with the protrusion 46. The return pin 77 is pushed by the first protrusion 46 in a direction to release the inclination of the rocking plate 74, and the clutch gears 75 and 76 are displaced again to a position separated from the tooth portion 35 of the thumb gear 30.

When the motor 62 operates so that the center gear 70 rotates in the direction opposite to the direction shown in FIG. 12, the clutch gears 75 and 76 in the direction opposite to the direction shown in FIG. 12 are the teeth of the thumb gear 30. It meshes with the part 35.

As described above, when the thumb turn device 10 manually rotates the thumb turn 18 to lock and unlock, the load on the motor 62 is reduced, and when the thumb turn 18 is electrically locked and unlocked, the thumb turn device 10 rotates in the forward direction and in the reverse direction. In either case, power can be transmitted appropriately. In this way, every time the thumb gear 30 rotates about 90 degrees and the state changes from the unlocked state to the locked state or from the locked state to the unlocked state, the power transmission between the thumb gear 30 and the drive mechanism 60 is cut off. To. As a result, the thumb turn device 10 can smoothly switch between manual and electric.

Subsequently, the operation at the time of locking / unlocking the thumb turn device 10 and the operation at the time of switching between the left and right hands will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 16. In the present embodiment, first, the operation at the time of locking / unlocking the thumb turn device 10 will be described, and then the operation of switching between the left and right hands of the thumb turn device 10 will be described.

In FIGS. 13 to 16, the thumb turn shaft 22, the lock 1, and the hub 3 are not shown. Further, the figures shown in FIGS. 13 to 16 show a state of being visually recognized from the front side.

In the following description, the state in which the thumb turn device 10 is set for right-handed use may be simply referred to as "right-handed setting". Further, the state in which the thumb turn device 10 is set for left-handed use may be simply described as "left-handed setting".

As shown in FIGS. 13 (a) and 14 (a), the thumb turn device 10 is set to be unlocked when the thumb turn 18 is oriented vertically in both the right-handed setting and the left-handed setting. ing. Further, as shown in FIGS. 13 (b) and 14 (b), the thumb turn device 10 is set to be locked when the thumb turn 18 is turned sideways in both the right-handed setting and the left-handed setting. ing. In other words, the thumb turn 18 has a function as an indicator indicating an unlocked state in the vertical direction and a locked state in the horizontal direction.

Regardless of whether the thumb gear 30 is set to the right or left, when the thumb turn 18 is oriented vertically, the first detected portion 80 is arranged at the reference position P1 (rotation angle of the thumb gear 30). ± 0 degrees).

<Locking / unlocking operation when right-handed>
The locking / unlocking operation in the right-handed setting will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 13A, the thumb turn device 10 is set to be right-handed in a state where the first convex portion 43 corresponding to the right-handed position Pr is fitted in the concave portion 38. Further, the control unit is in the case where the relative positions of the first detected unit 80 and the second detected unit 82 detected by the detection device are at an angle θ1 with respect to the rotation axis L1 (about 135 degrees in this embodiment). Is determined to be a right-handed setting.

As shown in FIG. 13 (b), in the right-handed thumb turn device 10, when the thumb gear 30 rotates 90 degrees (−90 degrees) in the opposite direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 13), the thumb turn device 10 is locked.

For example, when the right-angled thumb turn device 10 is manually changed from the unlocked state to the locked state, the thumb gear 30 is operated by rotating the thumb turn 18 by 90 degrees (−90 degrees) in the opposite direction. Rotate 90 degrees (-90 degrees) in the opposite direction. The rotation of the thumb gear 30 is transmitted to the hub 3 via the thumb turn shaft 22, and the lock operation of the lock 1 is performed.

Further, when the thumb turn device 10 set by electric power is changed from the unlocked state to the locked state, the control unit controls the motor 62 based on the position information of the first detected unit 80 and the second detected unit 82. Is controlled to drive. Specifically, when changing from the unlocked state to the locked state in the right-handed setting, the control unit is based on the position information of the first detected unit 80 and the second detected unit 82 detected by the detection device. The motor 62 is operated to rotate the thumb gear 30 in the opposite direction by 90 degrees (−90 degrees). The rotation of the thumb gear 30 is transmitted to the hub 3 via the thumb turn shaft 22, and the lock operation of the lock 1 is performed.

When the rotation angle of the thumb gear 30 reaches 90 degrees (−90 degrees) in the opposite direction in the case of the right-angled setting, the control unit determines that the thumb gear 30 is in the locked state. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13B, the control unit locks when the first detected unit 80 is detected at the right-handed locking position P2 located 90 degrees in the opposite direction from the reference position P1. Determined to be in a state.

As shown in FIG. 13 (c), in the right-handed thumb-turn device 10, when the thumb gear 30 is rotated in the positive direction (clockwise in FIG. 13) by about 90 degrees (+90 degrees), the hub is routed through the thumb-turn shaft 22. The rotation is transmitted to 3 to be in the unlocked state.

For example, when manually changing the right-handed thumb-turn device 10 from the locked state to the unlocked state, the thumb gear 30 is rotated in the positive direction by about 90 degrees to rotate the thumb-turn 18 in the positive direction. Rotate 90 degrees (+90 degrees). The rotation of the thumb gear 30 is transmitted to the hub 3 via the thumb turn shaft 22, and the unlocking operation of the lock 1 is performed.

Further, when the thumb turn device 10 set by electric power is changed from the locked state to the unlocked state, the control unit controls the motor 62 based on the position information of the first detected unit 80 and the second detected unit 82. Is controlled to drive. Specifically, when changing from the locked state to the unlocked state in the right-handed setting, the control unit is based on the position information of the first detected unit 80 and the second detected unit 82 detected by the detection device. The motor 62 is operated to rotate the thumb gear 30 in the positive direction by about 90 degrees (+90 degrees). The rotation of the thumb gear 30 is transmitted to the hub 3 via the thumb turn shaft 22, and the unlocking operation of the lock 1 is performed.

<Locking / unlocking operation when left-handed>
Next, the locking / unlocking operation in the left-handed setting will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 14A, the thumb turn device 10 is set to be left-handed in a state where the second convex portion 44 corresponding to the left-handed position Pl is fitted in the concave portion 38. Further, the control unit is in the case where the relative positions of the first detected unit 80 and the second detected unit 82 detected by the detection device are at an angle θ2 (about 225 degrees in this embodiment) with respect to the rotation axis L1. Is determined to be a left-handed setting.

As shown in FIG. 14B, in the left-handed thumb-turn device 10, when the thumb gear 30 rotates in the positive direction (clockwise in FIG. 14) by about 90 degrees (+90 degrees), it is locked.

For example, when manually changing the left-handed thumb turn device 10 from the unlocked state to the locked state, the thumb gear 30 is operated by rotating the thumb turn 18 in the positive direction by about 90 degrees (+90 degrees). Rotate about 90 degrees (+90 degrees) in the positive direction. The rotation of the thumb gear 30 is transmitted to the hub 3 via the thumb turn shaft 22, and the lock operation of the lock 1 is performed.

Further, when the thumb turn device 10 set by electric power is changed from the unlocked state to the locked state, the control unit controls the motor 62 based on the position information of the first detected unit 80 and the second detected unit 82. Is controlled to drive. Specifically, when changing from the unlocked state to the locked state in the left-handed setting, the control unit is based on the position information of the first detected unit 80 and the second detected unit 82 detected by the detection device. The motor 62 is operated to rotate the thumb gear 30 in the positive direction by about 90 degrees (+90 degrees). The rotation of the thumb gear 30 is transmitted to the hub 3 via the thumb turn shaft 22, and the lock operation of the lock 1 is performed.

In the case of the left-handed setting, the control unit determines that the thumb gear 30 is in the locked state when the rotation angle of the thumb gear 30 is 90 degrees (+90 degrees) in the positive direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14B, the control unit locks when the first detected unit 80 is detected at the left-handed locking position P3 located 90 degrees in the positive direction from the reference position P1. Determined to be in a state.

As shown in FIG. 14 (c), in the left-handed thumb-turn device 10, when the thumb gear 30 rotates in the opposite direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 14) by about 90 degrees (-90 degrees), the hub is routed through the thumb-turn shaft 22. The rotation is transmitted to 3 to be in the unlocked state.

For example, when manually setting the left-handed thumb turn device 10 from the locked state to the unlocked state, the thumb gear 30 is rotated in the reverse direction by about 90 degrees to rotate the thumb turn 18 in the reverse direction. Rotate 90 degrees (-90 degrees). The rotation of the thumb gear 30 is transmitted to the hub 3 via the thumb turn shaft 22, and the unlocking operation of the lock 1 is performed.

Further, when the thumb turn device 10 set by electric power is changed from the locked state to the unlocked state, the control unit controls the motor 62 based on the position information of the first detected unit 80 and the second detected unit 82. Is controlled to drive. Specifically, when changing from the locked state to the unlocked state in the left-handed setting, the control unit is based on the position information of the first detected unit 80 and the second detected unit 82 detected by the detection device. The motor 62 is operated to rotate the thumb gear 30 in the opposite direction by about 90 degrees (−90 degrees). The rotation of the thumb gear 30 is transmitted to the hub 3 via the thumb turn shaft 22, and the unlocking operation of the lock 1 is performed.

As shown in FIGS. 14 (b) and 14 (c), in the locking / unlocking operation, the first convex portion 43 of the switching member 40 has a concave portion 38 regardless of whether the setting is right-handed or left-handed. It rotates integrally with the thumb gear 30 in the fitted state. In other words, the thumb gear 30 and the switching member 40 rotate integrally while maintaining their relative positions in the locking / unlocking operation.

Further, as described above, in both the right-handed setting and the left-handed setting, in the unlocked state, the power transmission between the drive mechanism 60 and the thumb gear 30 is cut off by the clutch mechanism 72. Therefore, when the thumb gear 30 is manually rotated, the rotation of the thumb gear 30 is not transmitted to the motor 62, and it is possible to prevent the motor 62 from being loaded.

<About switching operation between left and right>
Subsequently, the left / right hand switching operation of the thumb turn device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. FIG. 15 shows a series of operations when the thumb turn device 10 of the right-handed setting is switched to the left-handed setting.

As shown in FIG. 15A, the thumb turn device 10 is set to the right hand, and in the unlocked state, the first convex portion 43 is fitted into the concave portion 38, and the regulated portion 48 is the regulated portion 56. It is arranged so as to be adjacent to the first regulation unit 56a.

As shown in FIG. 15B, when the thumb turn 18 is rotated in the positive direction, the restricted portion 48 of the switching member 40 comes into contact with the regulated portion 56 to prevent the switching member 40 from rotating in the positive direction. On the other hand, the thumb gear 30 is allowed to rotate in the positive direction in conjunction with the rotation of the thumb turn 18. More specifically, when the thumb turn 18 is rotated in the positive direction in the right-handed setting and the unlocked state, the thumb gear 30 is rotated by disengaging the concave portion 38 from the first convex portion 43. At this time, the first convex portion 43 of the switching member 40 overcomes the undulating shape formed so as to be continuous with the concave portion 38, and the fitting with the concave portion 38 is released. As a result, the position of the thumb gear 30 relative to the switching member 40 can be changed.

As shown in FIG. 15C, when the rotation angles of the thumb turn 18 and the thumb gear 30 reach 90 degrees, the second convex portion 44 is fitted in the concave portion 38. When the second convex portion 44 is fitted into the concave portion 38, the thumb gear 30 and the switching member 40 can rotate integrally again. Further, in this state, the thumb turn 18 is in a sideways posture indicating a locked state. As a result, the thumb turn device 10 can switch from the "right-handed setting" to the "left-handed setting" as a mechanical structure.

Further, the first detected unit 80 and the second detected unit 82 are arranged so as to form an angle θ2 (225 degrees in this embodiment). When the first detected unit 80 and the second detected unit 82 form an angle θ2, the control unit of the thumb turn device 10 determines that the setting is “left-handed”.

In the state shown in FIG. 15 (c), the control unit is operated to set the "locked state" to recognize the "locked state". The control unit determines that the setting is "left-handed" based on the relative position between the first detected unit 80 and the second detected unit 82. Further, the control unit switches the control to operate the motor 62 so as to rotate the thumb gear 30 in the forward direction in the locked state and rotate the thumb gear 30 in the reverse direction in the unlocked state. As a result, left and right switching on the control system is performed.

Further, by performing an operation opposite to the operation of rotating the thumb turn 18 in the opposite direction, the thumb turn device 10 can switch from the left-handed setting to the right-handed setting.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, the thumb turn device 10 is left-handed, and in the unlocked state, the second convex portion 44 is fitted into the concave portion 38. Further, in this state, the regulated portion 48 is arranged so as to be adjacent to the second regulated portion 56b of the regulated portion 56.

As shown in FIG. 16B, when the thumb turn 18 and the thumb gear 30 are rotated in the opposite direction, the restricted portion 48 of the switching member 40 comes into contact with the regulating portion 56 to prevent the switching member 40 from rotating in the opposite direction. On the other hand, the thumb gear 30 is allowed to rotate in the opposite direction in conjunction with the rotation of the thumb turn 18. More specifically, when the thumb turn 18 is rotated in the opposite direction in the left-handed setting and the unlocked state, the thumb gear 30 is rotated by disengaging the concave portion 38 from the second convex portion 44. At this time, the second convex portion 44 of the switching member 40 overcomes the undulating shape formed so as to be continuous with the concave portion 38, and the fitting with the concave portion 38 is released. As a result, the relative position between the thumb gear 30 and the switching member 40 can be changed.

As shown in FIG. 16C, when the rotation angles of the thumb turn 18 and the thumb gear 30 reach 90 degrees, the first convex portion 43 is fitted in the concave portion 38. When the first convex portion 43 is fitted into the concave portion 38, the thumb gear 30 and the switching member 40 can rotate integrally again. Further, in this state, the thumb turn 18 is in a sideways posture indicating a locked state. As a result, the thumb turn device 10 can switch from the "left-handed setting" to the "right-handed setting" as a mechanical structure.

In the state shown in FIG. 16 (c), the control unit is operated to set the "locked state" to recognize the "locked state". The control unit determines that the setting is "right-handed" based on the relative position between the first detected unit 80 and the second detected unit 82. Further, the control unit switches the control to operate the motor 62 so as to rotate the thumb gear 30 in the reverse direction in the locked state and rotate the thumb gear 30 in the forward direction in the unlocked state. As a result, left and right switching on the control system is performed.

As described above, the thumb turn device 10 can mechanically switch between left and right by rotating the thumb turn 18 without using a tool or the like. Therefore, the thumb turn device 10 does not need to switch between left and right hands before attaching the thumb turn device 10 to the lock 1, and can switch between left and right hands even after being attached to the lock 1. For example, when the left and right hand mechanical settings are mistakenly attached to the lock 1, the thumb turn device 10 can switch to the correct hand without removing the thumb turn device 10 from the lock 1.

Further, the thumb turn device 10 switches the arbitrary setting on the control system by performing an operation to make the control unit recognize that the thumb turn device 10 is in the "locked state" after the thumb turn device 10 is mechanically locked. Can be done. Therefore, it is not necessary to recognize each of the "locked state" and the "unlocked state" after the mechanical self-setting of the thumb-turn device 10 is performed, and the labor of setting the self-setting on the control system is reduced. can do.

Although the thumb turn device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the thumb turn device of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

For example, the engaging mechanism 50 of the thumb turn device 10 according to the above-described embodiment shows an example in which a concave portion 38 is provided in the thumb gear 30 and a convex portion 42 is provided in the switching member 40. Not limited. Specifically, the thumb turn device of the present invention may be provided with a convex portion on the thumb gear (rotating body) and a concave portion on the switching member. Further, the engagement mechanism 50 of the thumb turn device 10 according to the above-described embodiment has shown an example composed of two convex portions 42 and one concave portion 38, but the thumb turn device of the present invention has one with two concave portions. It may be composed of two convex portions.

Further, in the thumb turn device 10 according to the above-described embodiment, an example in which the regulation unit 56 is provided in the gear accommodating body 54 is shown, but the thumb turn device of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the regulating portion of the thumb turn device of the present invention may be any member as long as it is at a position where it can come into contact with the switching member in the thumb turn device and is provided at a member or position where the relative position does not change in the entire thumb turn device. It may be provided. For example, the regulating portion of the thumb turn device 10 of the present invention may be provided on the back cover or may be provided on the cover.

Further, in the thumb turn device 10 according to the above-described embodiment, the thumb gear 30 and the switching member 40 are detected by detecting the positions of the first detected unit 80 and the second detected unit 82 by the detection device which is a non-contact type sensor. Although an example is shown in which the position of is determined and whether the setting is right-handed or left-handed and the state of locking / unlocking is determined, the thumb-turn device of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the detection device of the thumb turn device of the present invention may detect the displacement amount of the thumb gear and the switching member to determine left-right handwriting and lock / unlock.

Further, in the thumb turn device 10 according to the above-described embodiment, an example in which the thumb turn device 10 is attached to the lock 1 is shown, but the thumb turn device of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the thumb-turn device of the present invention may further include a dead bolt or a hub.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be suitably used as a thumb turn device corresponding to left and right hand.

10 thumb turn device 18 thumb turn 30 thumb gear (rotating body)
38 Concave 40 Switching member 42 Convex 43 First convex (convex)
44 Second convex part (convex part)
48 Controlled part 50 Engagement mechanism 52 Switching mechanism 56 Restriction part 56a First regulation part (regulation part)
56b Second Regulatory Department (Regulatory Department)
L1 rotation axis Pl left hand position Pr right hand position R range of motion

Claims (8)

A rotating body that is connected to the thumb turn and rotates around the rotation axis of the thumb turn,
The switching member attached to the rotating body and
An engaging mechanism that enables the relative position of the switching member with respect to the rotating body to be positioned at both the right-handed position corresponding to the right-handed position and the left-handed position corresponding to the left-handed side.
It has a switching mechanism for switching the switching member positioned on the rotating body by the engaging mechanism to the right-handed position and the left-handed position.
The switching mechanism
It is possible to prevent the rotation of the switching member by coming into contact with the switching member, and it is provided with a regulating unit that allows the rotation of the rotating body.
By allowing the rotating body to rotate while blocking the rotation of the switching member at the restricted position where the switching member and the restricting portion come into contact, the relative position of the switching member with respect to the rotating body can be switched. Characterized thumb turn device. The engagement mechanism
A recess provided in one of the rotating body and the switching member,
With a convex portion provided on the other side,
The rotating body and the switching member are capable of being integrally rotatable by being positioned relative to each other by fitting the concave portion and the convex portion.
The thumb-turn device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the concave portion and the convex portion includes both the one corresponding to the right-handed position and the one corresponding to the left-handed position. The switching member is provided with the convex portion, and the rotating body is provided with the concave portion.
The thumb-turn device according to claim 2, wherein the convex portion includes a first convex portion corresponding to the right-handed position and a second convex portion corresponding to the left-handed position. The switching member includes a regulated portion formed so as to project in the axial direction in which the rotation axis extends.
The thumb turn device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rotation of the switching member is prevented and the rotation of the rotating body is allowed at a position where the regulated portion comes into contact with the regulated portion. .. The thumb turn device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rotating body has a range of motion in a range of at least half a circumference (180 degrees) about the axis of rotation. The rotating body rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the thumb turn, and power is transmitted to enable rotation.
A detection device that detects the position of at least one of the rotating body and the switching member, and
The thumb turn device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a control unit that controls rotation of the rotating body based on information detected by the detection device. The detection device can detect the positions of both the rotating body and the switching member.
Based on the information detected by the detection device, the control unit determines whether it is right-handed or left-handed, and determines whether it is in the locked state or the unlocked state. The thumb-turn device according to claim 6, wherein the thumb-turn device is characterized by being a thing. The rotating body
It is an external gear with teeth formed on at least a part of the outer peripheral surface.
The thumb turn device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein an accommodating portion for accommodating the switching member is formed inside in the radial direction.

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