JP7293555B2 - Rotating body support structure - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a support structure for a rotating body that maintains the rotating body in a neutral position by interposing a torsion coil spring between the base and the rotating body.

As a structure for maintaining the rotating body in a neutral position with respect to the base, a locking portion is provided on the base, a pressing portion is provided on the rotating body, and both ends of the spring are engaged with the locking portion and the pressing portion, respectively. It is provided to provide a torsion coil spring as follows. In this support structure, for example, when the rotating body is rotated by applying an external force, the pressing portion of the rotating body rotates relative to the engaging portion of the base, and the torsion coil spring is bent. When the external force applied to the rotating body is removed from this state, the rotating body reverses due to the elastic force of the torsion coil spring and returns to the original neutral position (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-110876

In order to accurately define the neutral position of the rotating body, the spring end of the torsion coil spring is in contact with the pressing portion of the rotating body and the locking portion of the base without any gap when the rotating body is placed at the neutral position. must be However, in a support structure in which there is no gap between the spring end of the torsion coil spring, the pressing portion of the rotating body, and the locking portion of the base when the torsion coil spring is placed in the neutral position, is extremely complicated. For example, when a torsion coil spring is attached to the rotating body in advance and the rotating body is arranged on the base, it is necessary to insert the locking portion of the base between the spring ends of the torsion coil spring at the same time. As described above, in order to prevent the gap between the locking portion of the base and the spring end portion of the torsion coil spring, a clearance exceeding the width of the locking portion is secured between the spring ends of the torsion coil spring. Therefore, the operation of inserting the locking portion becomes difficult. Moreover, since the inserted state of the engaging portion cannot be visually recognized from the outside, the above-mentioned problem becomes even more pronounced. It is needless to say that the same problem can occur when a torsion coil spring is attached to the base in advance and the rotor is arranged on the base.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a support structure for a rotating body that facilitates assembly work.

In order to achieve the above object, the supporting structure for a rotating body according to the present invention includes a rotating body rotatably arranged with respect to a base, and a torsion coil spring interposed between the rotating body and the base. a support structure for a rotating body in which the rotating body is maintained in a neutral position with respect to the base by the elastic force of the torsion coil spring, wherein one spring end of the torsion coil spring is inside the coil portion; One spring end provided on the peripheral side and the other spring end provided on the outer peripheral side of the coil portion, and the rotating body includes a first pressing portion that abuts one spring end of the torsion coil spring and the torsion coil spring. A second pressing portion is provided that abuts against the other spring end of the coil spring, and the base is engaged with the edge of the one spring end of the torsion coil spring with which the first pressing portion abuts. and a second locking portion that is locked to the edge portion with which the second pressing portion abuts on the other spring end portion of the torsion coil spring.

Further, in the support structure for the rotating body described above, the locking portion provided on the base engages with the spring end portion of the torsion coil spring, thereby allowing the torsion coil spring to move along the axial direction with respect to the base. It is characterized by the provision of an engaging protrusion that restricts movement.

Further, according to the present invention, in the support structure for the rotating body described above, the first locking portion provided on the base is integrally provided with an arcuate projection extending along the inner circumference of the coil portion. It is characterized by

Further, according to the present invention, in the support structure for the rotating body described above, a rotation restricting portion is provided between the base and the rotating body to regulate a relative rotation angle by coming into contact with each other. .

Further, according to the present invention, in the support structure for the rotating body described above, the rotation restricting portion is provided with a sound deadening material.

According to the present invention, since the engaging portion of the base and the pressing portion of the rotating body are separated into the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side of the coil portion, for example, one side of the rotating body is attached to the torsion coil spring attached to the base. If the rotating body is rotated with respect to the base while the pressing portion of is first brought into contact with one end of the spring, the torsion coil spring is flexed, causing the one end of the spring to contact the other end of the spring. The mutual spacing will be temporarily increased. Therefore, it is possible to easily perform the work of attaching the rotating body to the base. Thereafter, when the external force applied to the rotating body is removed, the two spring ends of the torsion coil spring come into contact with the pressing portion of the rotating body due to the elastic force of the torsion coil spring.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a door latch device to which a supporting structure for a rotating body according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, as seen obliquely from the rear outside the vehicle. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the door latch device viewed obliquely from the front outside the vehicle. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the inside of the door latch device. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the latch mechanism. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the locking mechanism as seen obliquely from the inner rear side. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the locking mechanism as seen obliquely from the front and outside. 7A and 7B are diagrams showing the operation of the lock mechanism when the cam wheel rotates forward from the inside of the vehicle, FIG. FIG. 4C is a diagram showing a state in which the cam wheel has rotated forward slightly from the reference position; (c) is a diagram showing a state in which the cam wheel has rotated approximately 40° from the reference position; (e) is a diagram showing a state in which the cam wheel has been rotated approximately 90° from the reference position, and (f) is a diagram showing a state in which the cam wheel has been rotated approximately 250° from the reference position. It is a figure which shows the state which rotated normally. 8A and 8B are diagrams showing the operation of the lock mechanism when the cam wheel rotates in reverse and forward directions from the outside of the vehicle. FIG. ) is a diagram showing a state in which the cam wheel is rotated approximately 40 degrees from the reference position, (c) is a diagram showing a state in which the cam wheel is rotated approximately 40 degrees forward from the state in (b), and (d) is a diagram showing It is a figure which shows the state in which the cam wheel rotates forward about 40 degrees from the state of (c). FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of essential parts showing a case and a torsion coil spring of the door latch device. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a main portion of a state in which a torsion coil spring is attached to the case shown in FIG. 9; FIG. 11 is a view of the state in which the torsion coil spring is attached to the case of the door latch device, viewed from the inner surface side. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the detailed structure of the cam wheel of the door latch device. FIG. 13 is a view of the detailed structure of the cam wheel of the door latch device as viewed from the back side of the cam wheel. FIG. 14 illustrates the procedure for attaching the cam wheel with the torsion coil spring attached to the case. It is a figure of the state which removed the rotational operation force applied to the wheel.

Preferred embodiments of the support structure for a rotating body according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 3 show a door latch device to which a support structure for a rotating body according to an embodiment of the invention is applied. Although not shown in the figure, the door latch device illustrated here is mounted on the side door located on the right side of a four-wheeled vehicle, and is provided on the vehicle body according to the opening/closing operation using a door handle and the locking/unlocking operation using a key. The opening and closing of the side door is controlled by changing the state of engagement with the striker.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the door latch device 10 is provided with a latch member 12 for latching the striker deep inside the striker entry groove 14 . The latch member 12 is part of a latch mechanism 44 which will be described later. The striker entry groove 14 is formed as part of the cover plate 16 . A body 18 is provided around the cover plate 16 . The vehicle inner side and the vehicle rear side of the latch mechanism 44 are covered with the cover plate 16 and the body 18 .

The door latch device 10 is covered by a case (base) 20 , a first cover 22 and a second cover 24 in addition to the cover plate 16 and body 18 . The case 20 mainly covers the outer side of the vehicle, the first cover 22 mainly covers the inner side of the vehicle, and the second cover 24 further covers the front upper portion of the case 20 on the inner side of the vehicle. The cover plate 16 , body 18 , case 20 , first cover 22 and second cover 24 form a housing of the door latch device 10 .

The door latch device 10 further includes a waterproof cover 26 covering the upper portion, a cable cover 28 on the vehicle inner side lower side, a coupler 30 provided on the vehicle inner side upper side, and a key cylinder provided on the vehicle outer side upper side. and a connecting portion 32 . The waterproof cover 26 covers the boundary between the case 20 and the first cover 22 to prevent water from entering. The cable cover 28 covers the connecting portion with the cable 35 . The cable 35 connects with an inner handle (not shown). The coupler 30 is connected to a harness connector (not shown). The key cylinder connecting portion 32 is a portion into which a key is inserted and operated. An end portion of an outer lever 34 connected to an outer handle (not shown) is provided so as to protrude outward from the portion of the door latch device 10 positioned on the vehicle outer side.

As shown in FIG. 3, a housing space 36 is formed on the vehicle inner side of the door latch device 10 . The accommodation space 36 is a region covered with the case 20 on the vehicle outer side and mainly covered with the first cover 22 on the vehicle inner side. The vehicle inner side of the accommodation space 36 is covered with the cover plate 16 , the body 18 and the cable cover 28 in addition to the first cover 22 .

The accommodation space 36 generally has a mechanism area 40 in which the mechanical mechanism 38 is arranged and an electrical component area 42 in which the electrical components are arranged. The electrical component area 42 occupies the upper front portion of the vehicle, and the mechanism area 40 occupies the remaining portion thereof. The mechanical mechanism 38 houses a latch mechanism 44 for latching and unlatching the striker with the latch member 12 and a locking mechanism 46 for switching between locked and unlocked states. The latch mechanism 44 is arranged on the rear side of the vehicle in the accommodation space 36 and is covered with the cover plate 16 and the body 18 .

Further, the mechanical mechanism 38 accommodates electric release means capable of releasing the striker latched state by the latch mechanism 44 by the power of the motor 94 and manual release means capable of releasing the striker latched state by the latch mechanism 44 by manual operation. It is The electric release means has a motor 94, a cam wheel (rotating body) 76, etc., which will be described later, and unlatches the striker. The manual release means unlatches the striker via an outer lever 34 mechanically interlocked with manual operation and an inner lever 59 which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 4, the latch mechanism 44 has a base bracket 50, a ratchet 52, a ratchet holder 54, a ratchet lever 56, an anti-panic lever 58 and an inner lever 59 in addition to the latch member 12 and outer lever 34 described above. ing. Each element of latch mechanism 44 is supported by base bracket 50 .

The latch member 12 is rotatably supported by the housing via a latch shaft 60, and has a striker engaging groove 12a and a ratchet engaging portion 12b. The latch member 12 rotates against the elastic force of a spring (not shown) when the striker enters the striker engaging groove 12a as the door is closed from the open state, and the ratchet 52 engages the ratchet engaging portion 12b. to latch the striker in the fully latched position.

The ratchet 52 has a base lever 64 rotatably supported by the housing via a ratchet shaft 62, and a pole lever 66 rotatably supported by the base lever 64 via a root shaft portion 66a. The base lever 64 is elastically biased by a base spring 65 . The pole lever 66 is bent with respect to the base lever 64 within a predetermined angle range. The ratchet 52 is laterally supported by the ratchet holder 54 to maintain a substantially straight posture, and the tip of the pole lever 66 engages the ratchet engagement portion 12b to hold the latch member 12 at the full latch position. .

The ratchet holder 54 is rotatably supported by the housing via a shaft portion 68 and is elastically biased by a holder spring 70 to support the side of the base lever 64 . When the ratchet lever 56 rotates, the ratchet holder 54 rotates against the elastic force of the holder spring 70 and separates from the base lever 64 . When the ratchet holder 54 is separated from the base lever 64, the base lever 64 and the pole lever 66 of the ratchet 52 are bent about the root shaft portion 66a, and the pole lever 66 is separated from the ratchet engaging portion 12b, thereby separating the latch member. Open 12. As a result, the latch member 12 is rotated by the elastic force of a spring (not shown), and the striker is unlatched. When the ratchet 52 is operated via the ratchet holder 54, the operation can be performed with less force than when the ratchet 52 is operated directly.

The ratchet lever 56 is rotatably supported by the base bracket 50, and includes a passive portion 56a projecting inwardly of the vehicle from the rotating shaft, and a rotation acting portion 56b projecting outwardly of the vehicle from the rotating shaft. . The ratchet lever 56 rotates the ratchet holder 54 by the rotation acting portion 56b when the passive portion 56a moves upward.

The outer lever 34 is rotatably supported by the housing via a shaft portion 72, and includes a handle operation portion 34a projecting outwardly of the vehicle from the shaft portion 72, and a handle operation portion 34a projecting toward the vehicle inward side of the shaft portion 72. It has a projecting working portion 34b and a lever passive piece 34c. The handle operation portion 34a is a portion operated by an outer handle. The action portion 34b is inserted into a hole 58a of the anti-panic lever 58 and a deformed hole 80b of an open link 80 which will be described later. The lever receiving piece 34 c is arranged below the acting portion 34 b and is operated by the inner lever 59 . The outer lever 34 is rotated by the operation of the handle operation portion 34a or the lever passive piece 34c, and pushes up the anti-panic lever 58. As shown in FIG.

The inner lever 59 is rotatably supported by the housing via the shaft portion 74, and is rotated by the operation of the cable 35, and the operating piece 59a pushes up the lever receiving piece 34c.

The anti-panic lever 58 has a hole 58a into which the action portion 34b is inserted, and an action piece 58b bent upward. The anti-panic lever 58 is pushed up by the action portion 34b due to the rotation of the outer lever 34, and the action piece 58b pushes up the passive portion 56a of the ratchet lever 56 when the open link 80, which will be described later, is in the unlocked position. As a result, the ratchet holder 54 and the ratchet 52 perform an unlatch operation. The anti-panic lever 58 has a separate structure from the open link 80 for the anti-panic mechanism.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the lock mechanism 46 includes a cam wheel 76 rotatably supported by the housing via a shaft portion 76a, and a cam wheel 76 rotatably supported by the housing via a shaft portion 78a. A knob lever 78 driven by a cam wheel 76, an open link 80 driven by the knob lever 78, a sub-lock lever 82 interlocking with the open link 80, and a shaft portion 84a are rotatably supported by the housing to provide a cam. and an open lever 84 driven by the wheel 76 . The lock mechanism 46 further includes a lock lever 86 and an auxiliary lever 88 that interlock with the sub-lock lever 82, and a key lever 90 and a sub-key lever 92 that drive the sub-lock lever 82 in interlock with key operation. In each figure, the lock lever 86 is indicated by fine dots and the open link 80 is indicated by coarse dots for easy identification of parts.

The cam wheel 76 has a disc shape with teeth (not shown) on its outer peripheral surface, and meshes with a worm 94a provided on the drive shaft of the motor 94 through the teeth on the outer peripheral surface. It is possible to rotate when The teeth of the cam wheel 76 are omitted from the drawing. For the sake of convenience, the case where the cam wheel 76 rotates clockwise in FIG.

A cam portion 76b is provided on the end face of the cam wheel 76 on the inner side of the vehicle. The cam portion 76b is formed such that when the cam wheel 76 rotates counterclockwise, the distance from the center of the cam wheel 76 to the outer peripheral surface gradually increases and then becomes constant. In this embodiment, there is provided a portion where the distance of the outer peripheral surface gradually increases over a range of approximately 270° from the predetermined position.

As shown in FIG. 6, the cam wheel 76 has an auxiliary component (rotating body) 77 on the vehicle outer side end face. The auxiliary part 77 is attached to and integrated with the cam wheel 76 while preventing relative rotation. A torsion coil spring 176 is provided inside the cylindrical portion 77 a formed by the auxiliary component 77 . The torsion coil spring 176 is formed by winding a fine metal wire so as to have a cylindrical coil portion 176a. One spring end portion 176b is engaged with the cam wheel 76, and the other spring end portion 176c Engaged with case 20 . The torsion coil spring 176 allows the cam wheel 76 to rotate forward and backward with respect to the case 20 when an external force is applied to the cam wheel 76, while the cam wheel 76 maintains a neutral reference position when the external force is removed. It urges to do so.

The auxiliary part 77 includes a regulating projection (rotation regulating portion) 77b protruding inward of the vehicle in the vicinity of the outer circumference, and a first inclined wall 77c provided substantially on the opposite side of the regulating projection 77b. When the cam wheel 76 is reversed, the restricting protrusion 77b abuts against an elastic material (silencing material) 96a of a rotation stopper (rotation restricting portion) 96 provided on the case 20, thereby restricting the rotation of the cam wheel 76. . The first inclined wall 77c is inclined from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 77a toward the outer peripheral side so as to be positioned gradually clockwise in FIG. The first inclined wall 77c is provided so as to secure a gap between the cam wheel 76 and the end face on the vehicle outer side.

The cam wheel 76 further comprises a second inclined wall 76d and a retaining wall 76e. The second inclined wall 76d is inclined from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 77a of the auxiliary component 77 toward the outer peripheral side so as to be positioned gradually counterclockwise in FIG. The first inclined wall 77c and the second inclined wall 76d extend so as to gradually separate from a position near the cylindrical portion 77a toward the outer peripheral side. The first inclined wall 77c of the auxiliary component 77 is arranged on the vehicle outer side of the second inclined wall 76d. The holding wall 76e is an arc-shaped wall extending counterclockwise in FIG. 6 from a portion located on the outer peripheral side of the second inclined wall 76d. As shown in FIG. 6, the retaining wall 76e has its clockwise end closed at a portion forming the second inclined wall 76d, while its counterclockwise end is open to the outer peripheral surface of the cam wheel 76. It is adjacent to the cutout 76f.

As shown in FIG. 5, the knob lever 78 is provided with a driven surface 78d that contacts the peripheral surface of the cam portion 76b. The driven surface 78d is driven by the cam portion 76b when the cam wheel 76 rotates forward, and functions to rotate the knob lever 78 counterclockwise against the lever spring 78b. A knob 78 c is provided at the tip of the knob lever 78 . The knob 78c is engaged with a side guide groove 80a provided in the open link 80. As shown in FIG. When the knob lever 78 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 5, the knob 78c moves upward along the side guide groove 80a to erect the tilted open link 80. On the other hand, when it rotates clockwise in FIG. , the knob 78c moves downward along the side guide groove 80a to tilt the upright open link 80 toward the front side of the vehicle.

The open link 80 has a deformed hole 80b at its lower end, and rotates around its lower end to take the upright position (unlock position) and the inclined position (lock position) as described above. switch. When the open link 80 is placed at the lock position shown in FIG. 5, the lock mechanism 46 is locked, and when the open link 80 is placed at the unlock position, the lock mechanism 46 is unlocked. That is, when the open link 80 is in the locked position, the anti-panic lever 58 is tilted together with the open link 80 and does not contact the ratchet lever 56 even if it is lifted by the outer lever 34 . Therefore, the ratchet lever 56 does not operate and the door remains closed and locked. On the other hand, when the open link 80 is in the unlocked position, when lifted by the outer lever 34, the anti-panic lever 58 is upright together with the open link 80, so it contacts the ratchet lever 56 and pushes it up. Therefore, the ratchet lever 56 operates to unlock the door so that the door can be opened.

The action portion 34b of the outer lever 34 is inserted into the deformed hole 80b of the open link 80. As shown in FIG. When the outer lever 34 operates, the open link 80 moves vertically. An anti-panic lever 58 is attached to the lower end of the open link 80 . The anti-panic lever 58 moves integrally with the open link 80 .

The sub-lock lever 82 is rotatably supported by the housing via a shaft portion 82a, is engaged with the lock lever 86 via an outer knob 86c of the lock lever 86, and is positioned at the lock position. via an inner knob 86i. That is, when the sub-lock lever 82 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 5 by the rotation of the key lever 90 and the sub-key lever 92, the lock lever 86 is rotated clockwise in FIG. The open link 80 is pushed out to the unlocked position. When the sub-lock lever 82 rotates clockwise and returns to its original position, the open link 80 returns to the locked position by the knob lever 78 rotating clockwise in FIG. .

The open lever 84 is a component of the electric release means. That is, the open lever 84 operates to open the door when the motor 94 is driven by a driver's switch operation or the like. and a ratchet operation portion 84c extending rearward. An open spring 84d is provided between the open lever 84 and the housing. The open spring 84d biases the cam follower 84b clockwise in FIG. When the cam wheel 76 rotates forward in FIG. 5, the cam portion 76b pushes down the cam follower portion 84b, the open lever 84 rotates counterclockwise about the shaft portion 84a against the open spring 84d, and the ratchet is rotated. The operating portion 84c is lifted. When the ratchet operating portion 84c rises, the passive portion 56a of the ratchet lever 56 is pushed up, the latch mechanism 44 is unlatched, and the door is opened. When the cam wheel 76 returns to the neutral reference position, the open lever 84 also returns to the reference position by the open spring 84d.

The open lever 84 can operate the ratchet lever 56 independently of the open link 80 . Therefore, in the door latch device 10 having the open lever 84, the door can be opened by the electric release means even when the lock mechanism 46 is in the locked state (that is, the open link 80 is in the locked position).

As shown in FIG. 6, the lock lever 86 is rotatably supported by the housing via a shaft portion 86a. An outer knob 86c, a downwardly extending downwardly extending portion 86d, a first projection 86e projecting forwardly of the vehicle from the downwardly extending portion 86d, and an arm 86b projecting forwardly of the vehicle from the vicinity of the shaft portion 86a. A second protrusion 86f, a spring receiving portion 86g protruding outwardly of the vehicle from the downwardly extending portion 86d, and two extrusions projecting inwardly of the vehicle from a surface of the downwardly extending portion 86d that faces the vehicle inward side. and a portion 86h. The outer knob 86 c is engaged with the sub-lock lever 82 by being fitted into a guide hole 82 b formed at the lower end of the sub-lock lever 82 . The lock lever 86 is rotated via the outer knob 86c by rotating the sub-lock lever 82, and has an active position for switching the open link 80 from the locked position to the unlocked position and a non-active position where it does not act on the open link 80. can be displaced to

The spring receiving portion 86g is in contact with the bent portion 100a of the lock spring 100. As shown in FIG. The lock spring 100 regulates the posture of the sub-lock lever 82 via the spring receiving portion 86g.

The first protrusion 86e contacts the first inclined wall 77c when the cam wheel 76 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. When the cam wheel 76 continues to rotate counterclockwise while the first inclined wall 77c is in contact with the first protrusion 86e, the lock lever 86 rotates clockwise in FIG. The second projection 86f contacts the second inclined wall 76d when the cam wheel 76 rotates clockwise in FIG. When the cam wheel 76 continues to rotate clockwise while the second inclined wall 76d is in contact with the second projection 86f, the lock lever 86 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. The second protrusion 86f is provided on the inner side of the vehicle relative to the first inclined wall 77c, and enters the gap between the first inclined wall 77c and the end face of the cam wheel 76 to reach the first inclined wall 77c. not come into contact. The two push-out portions 86h abut on the auxiliary lever 88 when the lock lever 86 rotates clockwise in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the auxiliary lever 88 is rotatably supported by the shaft portion 86a of the lock lever 86, and includes an arm 88a projecting from the shaft portion 86a toward the front side of the vehicle and an upper tip portion of the arm 88a. and an arcuate protrusion 88b. The circular projection 88b abuts on the holding wall 76e of the cam wheel 76 when it rotates counterclockwise in FIG. An auxiliary lever spring 88c is interposed between the auxiliary lever 88 and the lock lever 86 to bias the lock lever 86 in a direction to rotate the auxiliary lever 88 counterclockwise in FIG. The elastic force of the auxiliary lever spring 88c keeps the lower surface of the auxiliary lever 88 in contact with the push-out portion 86h.

7(a) to 7(f) are diagrams showing the operation of the lock mechanism 46 when the cam wheel 76 rotates forward (clockwise in FIG. 7) from the inside of the vehicle. The operation of the lock mechanism 46 will be described below with reference to these drawings as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 7(a), in the basic state where the cam wheel 76 is at the reference position, the cam portion 76b is separated from the driven surface 78d of the knob lever 78 and the open lever 84 is most clockwise. At the rotated position, the cam follower portion 84b is in contact with the cam portion 76b. At this time, the open link 80 is located at the locked position, and the knob 78c of the knob lever 78 is located below the side guide groove 80a.

When the cam wheel 76 starts to rotate forward from this basic state by driving the motor 94, the cam portion 76b comes into contact with the driven surface 78d of the knob lever 78 as shown in FIG. Rotate counterclockwise. During this time, since the portion of the cam portion 76b with which the cam follower portion 84b of the open lever 84 abuts has the same outer diameter, the open lever 84 does not rotate.

As shown in FIG. 7(c), when the rotation of the cam wheel 76 progresses to approximately 40°, the radius expansion start portion 76ba of the cam portion 76b comes into contact with the cam follower portion 84b of the open lever 84, and the open lever 84 At 7, rotation is started in the counterclockwise direction. As shown in FIG. 7(d), when the rotation of the cam wheel 76 progresses to approximately 90°, the maximum diameter arc portion 76bb of the cam portion 76b reaches the driven surface 78d of the knob lever 78. As shown in FIG. As a result, the knob lever 78 is rotated most counterclockwise, and this state is maintained thereafter until the state shown in FIG. 7(f).

While the knob lever 78 is rotating counterclockwise, the knob 78c of the open link 80 moves upward along the side guide groove 80a and gradually rotates clockwise, and then reaches the unlocked position. Further, when the open lever 84 rotates counterclockwise, the ratchet operating portion 84c abuts on the passive portion 56a of the ratchet lever 56 and moves it upward, so that the ratchet lever 56 starts rotating about the rotation axis. . The sub-lock lever 82, lock lever 86, and auxiliary lever 88 do not operate during this period, and maintain the basic state shown in FIG. 7(a).

As shown in FIG. 7(e), when the rotation of the cam wheel 76 progresses to approximately 190°, the unlatching operation of the ratchet holder 54 and the ratchet 52 is started by the ratchet lever 56 rotated by the open lever 84. As shown in FIG.

After that, as shown in FIG. 7(f), when the rotation of the cam wheel 76 progresses to approximately 250°, the maximum diameter arc portion 76bb of the cam portion 76b reaches the cam follower portion 84b, and the open lever 84 rotates counterclockwise. With the maximum displacement, the passive portion 56a of the ratchet lever 56 is sufficiently pushed up, the latch mechanism 44 unlatches the striker, and the door is opened.

During the operation described above, the torsion coil spring 176 interposed between the case 20 and the cam wheel 76 is gradually flexed. Therefore, when the power supply to the motor 94 is subsequently stopped, the cam wheel 76 is rotated counterclockwise by the elastic force of the torsion coil spring 176 to reach the reference position, and the lock mechanism 46 returns to the basic state shown in FIG. 7(a). do.

7(a) to 7(f), when the motor 94 is driven, the open lever 84 rotates and acts on the latch mechanism 44, thereby unlatching the striker. . At this time, the open link 80 also reciprocates from the locked position to the unlocked position. The open link 80 has no effect on other parts, but it will operate at appropriate time intervals in synchronization with the electric release, so that the grease will harden due to deterioration over time, and springs and levers using steel materials will not be affected. By preventing the rusting, smooth operation of the lock mechanism 46 is guaranteed at all times.

Further, only the open link 80 is synchronously operated during the electric release, and the lock lever 86 is not operated. Therefore, the spring receiving portion 86g of the lock lever 86 does not climb over the bent portion 100a, and no sound is generated, so that the user does not feel uncomfortable.

8(a) to 8(d) show the operation of the lock mechanism 46 when the cam wheel 76 is reversed (rotated clockwise in FIG. 8) and forward (rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 8). It is a figure shown from the direction side. The operation of the lock mechanism 46 will be further described below with reference to these drawings as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 8(a), in the basic state in which the cam wheel 76 is arranged at the reference position, the lock lever 86 is in the most clockwise rotated position, and the first protrusion 86e and the second protrusion 86f are engaged with the cam. It is in a non-contact state with respect to the wheel 76 .

From this reference state, the cam wheel 76 starts reversing by driving the motor 94, and as shown in FIG. contacts the second projection 86f. As a result, the lock lever 86 rotates counterclockwise, and the spring receiving portion 86g is displaced until it gets over the bent portion 100a of the lock spring 100. As shown in FIG.

When the lock lever 86 rotates, the sub-lock lever 82 rotates clockwise through the outer knob 86c, and the open link 80 rotates counterclockwise through the inner knob 86i. Rotate counterclockwise. As a result, the sub-lock lever 82 and the open link 80 are in the unlocked position, and the arc projection 88b of the auxiliary lever 88 is displaced to a position close to the cylindrical portion 77a through the notch 76f.

When the spring receiving portion 86g gets over the bent portion 100a of the lock spring 100, the cam wheel 76 starts to rotate forward by driving the motor 94. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8(c), when the forward rotation of the cam wheel 76 progresses to approximately 40 degrees from the state shown in FIG. 8(b), the cam wheel 76 returns to the reference position shown in FIG. 8(a). However, since the spring receiving portion 86g is held by the bent portion 100a, the lock lever 86, the sub-lock lever 82 and the open link 80 are held in the postures shown in FIG. 8(b). As a result, the lock mechanism 46 is unlocked. At this time, the forward rotation of the cam wheel 76 causes the holding wall 76e to be arranged on the outer peripheral side of the arcuate protrusion 88b, and the arcuate protrusion 88b is engaged with the inner peripheral surface of the holding wall 76e.

When the forward rotation of the cam wheel 76 progresses by about 40 degrees from the state shown in FIG. 8(c), the first inclined wall 77c of the cam wheel 76 comes into contact with the first projection 86e. As a result, the lock lever 86 rotates clockwise, and as shown in FIG. 8(d), the spring receiving portion 86g overcomes the bent portion 100a of the lock spring 100 and returns to the reference state shown in FIG. 8(a).

When the lock lever 86 rotates clockwise, the sub-lock lever 82 rotates counterclockwise through the outer knob 86c, and the open link 80 rotates clockwise by the knob lever 78 rotated by the elastic force of the lever spring 78b. The block lever 82 and the open link 80 return to the reference state shown in FIG. 8(a).

On the other hand, since the arc projection 88b is engaged with the holding wall 76e of the cam wheel 76, the auxiliary lever 88 is kept rotating counterclockwise against the elastic force of the auxiliary lever spring 88c. As the cam wheel 76 rotates forward from this state, the restricting projection 77b eventually comes into contact with the rotation stopper 96 of the case 20 via the elastic member 96a, and the rotation of the cam wheel 76 is stopped. As a result, excessive rotation of the cam wheel 76 can be prevented.

After the restricting projection 77b comes into contact with the rotation stopper 96 and the rotation of the cam wheel 76 is stopped, the cam wheel 76 starts to be reversed by driving the motor 94. As shown in FIG. When the inversion of the cam wheel 76 progresses to the position shown in FIG. 8(a), the engagement between the arcuate projection 88b and the retaining wall 76e is released. As a result, the auxiliary lever 88 rotates clockwise by the elastic force of the auxiliary lever spring 88c and returns to the position shown in FIG. 8(a). Thus, the lock mechanism 46 as a whole returns to the basic state shown in FIG. 8(a). Thus, in the door latch device 10, the single motor 94 can unlatch the latch mechanism 44 and switch the lock mechanism 46 between the locked state and the unlocked state.

9 to 13 are diagrams for explaining the structure for disposing the torsion coil spring 176 between the case 20 and the cam wheel 76. FIG. As is clear from the drawing, the torsion coil spring 176 is provided so that one spring end portion 176b (hereinafter simply referred to as the inner peripheral side end portion 176b) protrudes toward the inner peripheral side of the coil portion 176a, A spring end portion 176c (hereinafter simply referred to as an outer peripheral side end portion 176c) is provided so as to protrude to the outer peripheral side of the coil portion 176a. An outer peripheral side end portion 176c of the coil portion 176a protruding to the outer peripheral side extends substantially linearly along the radial direction, while an inner peripheral side end portion 176b of the coil portion 176a protruding to the inner peripheral side is a protruding end. The portion is formed to be bent like a hook.

In the portion of the case 20 where the cam wheel 76 is provided, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, an inner peripheral side engaging portion (first engaging portion) 181 is provided in a portion corresponding to the inner peripheral side of the coil portion 176a. An outer peripheral side locking portion (second locking portion) 182 is provided at a portion corresponding to the outer peripheral side of the coil portion 176a. The inner peripheral locking portion 181 protrudes from the inner surface 20a of the case 20 and has an arc shape extending along the inner periphery of the coil portion 176a.

An engaging projection (engagement projection) 181b is provided at one arcuate end 181a of the inner peripheral locking portion 181. As shown in FIG. The engaging protrusion 181b is provided at a portion of the inner peripheral locking portion 181 separated from the inner surface 20a of the case 20, and protrudes in the circumferential direction along the arc of the inner peripheral locking portion 181. . In FIG. 11, an engaging protrusion 181b is provided on an arc end 181a located on the counterclockwise side of the inner peripheral locking portion 181. As shown in FIG. The outer locking portion 182 protrudes from the inner surface 20a of the case 20 and has an arc shape extending along the outer circumference of the coil portion 176a. The outer peripheral locking portion 182 is provided with an engaging projecting plate portion (engaging projecting portion) 182b at one arcuate end portion 182a. The engaging projecting plate portion 182b has a flat plate shape provided at a portion of the inner peripheral side locking portion 181 separated from the inner surface 20a of the case 20, and extends along the circular arc of the outer peripheral side locking portion 182. It protrudes radially. In FIG. 11, an engaging projecting plate portion 182b is provided at an arc end portion 182a located on the clockwise side of the outer peripheral locking portion 182. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the cam wheel 76 is provided with an inner peripheral side pressing portion (first pressing portion) 191 at a portion corresponding to the inner peripheral side of the coil portion 176a in the auxiliary component 77. An outer peripheral side pressing portion 192 is provided at a portion on the outer peripheral side of 77a. The inner peripheral side pressing portion 191 protrudes in a substantially fan shape toward the outer peripheral direction from the periphery of a mounting boss portion 193 provided at the center of the cam wheel 76, and extends along the inner periphery of the torsion coil spring 176 bent like a hook. It is configured to be lockable to the side end 176b. The outer pressing portion 192 protrudes from the cam wheel 76 toward the case 20 , and the protruding end is bent along the inner surface 20 a of the case 20 . As is clear from the drawing, the inner peripheral side pressing portion 191 is attached to the inner peripheral side end portion 176 b of the torsion coil spring 176 at a portion located on the inner peripheral side of the inner peripheral side locking portion 181 of the case 20 . The outer pressing portion 192 is engaged with the portion 176b, and the outer pressing portion 192 is engaged with the spring end portion 176c at a portion located on the inner peripheral side of the outer circumference side engaging portion 182 of the case 20 with respect to the outer peripheral side end portion 176c. Each dimension is adjusted accordingly.

To dispose the torsion coil spring 176 between the case 20 and the cam wheel 76 configured as described above, first, the torsion coil spring 176 is attached to the case 20 as shown in FIGS. That is, the inner peripheral side end portion 176b of the torsion coil spring 176 bent like a hook is engaged with one arcuate end portion 181a of the inner peripheral side engaging portion 181, and the outer peripheral side end portion 176c is engaged with the outer peripheral side engaging portion 182. is held in a state of being engaged with one arcuate end portion 182a. At this time, the torsion coil spring 176 is preliminarily shaped such that the inner peripheral side end 176b is pressed against the inner peripheral side locking portion 181 and the outer peripheral side end 176c is pressed against the outer peripheral side locking portion 182. Also, it is preferable to set the relative positions of the inner peripheral side locking portion 181 and the outer peripheral side locking portion 182 .

From this state, the cam wheel 76 is attached to the case 20, and as shown in FIG. Only the portion 176b is locked, and from this state, the cam wheel 76 is slightly rotated counterclockwise in the figure with respect to the case 20. As shown in FIG. At this time, since only the inner peripheral side end portion 176b of the torsion coil spring 176 protrudes from the inner peripheral side of the coil portion 176a, the inner peripheral side pressing portion 191 of the cam wheel 76 is locked only to the inner peripheral side end portion 176b. It is possible to easily perform the work of

When the cam wheel 76 is rotated counterclockwise in a state where the inner peripheral side end portion 176 b is locked by the inner peripheral side pressing portion 191 , the outer peripheral side end portion locked by the outer peripheral side locking portion 182 of the case 20 is rotated. Since only the inner peripheral side end portion 176b rotates together with the cam wheel 76 with respect to 176c, the distance between the inner peripheral side end portion 176b and the outer peripheral side end portion 176c is temporarily increased. Therefore, in this state, the outer pressing portion 192 of the cam wheel 76 can be inserted into the counterclockwise side of the outer peripheral end portion 176c without contacting the outer peripheral end portion 176c. . When the rotational force applied to the cam wheel 76 is removed while the outer peripheral pressing portion 192 is inserted into the counterclockwise side of the outer peripheral end portion 176c, the elastic force of the torsion coil spring 176 causes the cam wheel 76 to rotate. Since the cam wheel 76 rotates clockwise in the figure, the outer peripheral pressing portion 192 is engaged with the outer peripheral end portion 176c as shown in FIG. 14(b).

As described above, according to the door latch device 10 shown in this embodiment, the engaging portions 181 and 182 of the case 20 and the pressing portions 191 and 192 of the cam wheel 76 are arranged on the inner and outer peripheral sides of the coil portion 176a, respectively. Therefore, the cam wheel 76 is rotated with respect to the case 20 while one pressing portion of the cam wheel 76 is first brought into contact with one end of the torsion coil spring 176 attached to the case 20. By doing so, the torsion coil spring 176 is flexed to temporarily increase the mutual interval between the inner peripheral side end portion 176b and the outer peripheral side end portion 176c. Therefore, the work of attaching the cam wheel 76 to the case 20 can be easily performed. This also makes it possible to automate the above-described work, for example.

In the above-described embodiment, the case 20 and the cam wheel 76 for switching the lock mechanism 46 between the locked state and the unlocked state in the door latch device 10 are exemplified. It can be applied to other things as long as it is between a base and a rotating body that is rotatably arranged with respect to the base.

In addition, since the inner peripheral side engaging portion 181, which is the first engaging portion provided on the base, is illustrated as being in the shape of an arc extending along the coil portion 176a, the torsion coil spring 176 is not pulled during the assembly work. Although it is possible to prevent the position from being shifted and the work can be further facilitated, it is not always necessary for the first engaging portion to have an arc shape. Furthermore, since the locking portions 181 and 182 are provided with engaging projections 181b and 182b, respectively, it is possible to prevent the torsion coil spring 176 from slipping in the axial direction or falling off during the assembly work. Although the action can be further facilitated, it is not always necessary to provide the engaging protrusions 181b and 182b.

20 Case 76 Cam wheel 77 Auxiliary component 77b Regulating projection 96 Rotation stopper 96a Elastic member 176 Torsion coil spring 176a Coil portion 176b Inner peripheral end 176c Outer peripheral end 181 Inner locking portion 181b Engagement protrusion 182 Outer peripheral engagement Stopping portion 182b Engagement projecting plate portion 191 Inner peripheral side pressing portion 192 Outer peripheral side pressing portion

Claims (5)

a rotating body rotatably arranged with respect to the base;
a torsion coil spring interposed between the rotating body and the base;
A support structure for a rotating body in which the rotating body is maintained in a neutral position with respect to the base by the elastic force of the torsion coil spring,
The torsion coil spring has one spring end provided on the inner peripheral side of the coil portion and the other spring end provided on the outer peripheral side of the coil portion,
The rotating body is provided with a first pressing portion that contacts one end of the torsion coil spring and a second pressing portion that contacts the other end of the torsion coil spring,
The base includes a first engaging portion that is engaged with an edge portion of the torsion coil spring with which the first pressing portion abuts, and a second engaging portion that is attached to the other spring end of the torsion coil spring. A support structure for a rotating body, comprising: a second locking portion that is locked to an edge portion with which the pressing portion abuts. The locking portion provided on the base is provided with an engaging protrusion that engages with a spring end portion of the torsion coil spring to restrict axial movement of the torsion coil spring with respect to the base. A support structure for a rotating body according to claim 1, characterized by: 2. The body of rotation according to claim 1, wherein an arcuate protrusion extending along the inner periphery of the coil portion is integrally formed with the first engaging portion provided on the base. support structure. 2. The support structure for a rotating body according to claim 1, wherein a rotation restricting portion is provided between said base and said rotating body to regulate a relative rotation angle by coming into contact with each other. 5. The support structure for a rotating body according to claim 4, wherein a noise damping material is disposed in said rotation restricting portion.

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