JPH0623129U - Panel mounting unit lock mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] The storage unit can be attached to the main body with one touch, and the two can be easily separated. [Structure] A movable projection 12 that selectively engages with a vertical groove 13a and a horizontal groove 13b formed in a mounting portion 6 of a main body 2 is elastically displaceable and provided in a lock portion 4 of a storage portion 3.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a panel mounting unit such as an operation switch which fixes a main body to an operation panel and then attaches a storage section to the main body via a lock section, and more particularly to a lock mechanism for fixing the main body and the lock section.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 A panel mounting unit such as an operation switch and an indicator lamp attached to an operation panel is generally configured by dividing a main body having an operation section or a display section and a storage section having a lock section. For example, with the operation switch, after fixing the operation section to the operation panel, the storage section is fixed to the mounting section formed on the back of the operation section via the lock section. As for the structure of this lock portion, the applicant of the present application, in Japanese Patent Application No. 63-40206, provided a rotatable ring-shaped lock plate on the lock portion of the storage portion, and provided an operating portion on the inner peripheral surface of the lock plate. We proposed a lock mechanism for the operation switch, which is provided with protrusions that engage with the vertical and horizontal grooves formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mounting part of the. In this locking mechanism, since the lock plate is rotatably rotated within the range in which the projection engages with the vertical groove and the horizontal groove, the lock plate faces the vertical groove formed in the mounting portion of the operation section. Then, insert the mounting part of the operation part into the lock part of the storage part. After that, the lock plate is rotated to engage the protrusion with the lateral groove, thereby restricting the movement of the operation unit and the storage unit in the mounting direction. As described above, according to the lock mechanism of the operation switch described above, the mounting portion of the operation portion can be securely fixed to the storage portion, and the confirmation work can be easily performed. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of a defective installation with the storage part and prevent accidents such as device failure or damage.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, with the lock mechanism for the operation switches described above, it is necessary to operate the lever and fix the two after fitting the storage part to the main body such as the operation part. When mounting, there was a problem that the mounting work became complicated. Further, in the case where the projection and the claw formed on the main body and the housing are engaged with each other to fix them, it is not necessary to operate the lever or the like after fitting them, but There was a problem that after fixing them, they could not be easily removed, making maintenance work and layout changes difficult.

The object of the present invention is to fix both by simply fitting the storage part to the main body, and when detaching the storage part from the main body, it is easy to use a general tool such as a flat-blade screwdriver. An object of the present invention is to provide a locking mechanism for a panel mounting unit that can be operated and can improve workability during maintenance and layout changes.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The lock mechanism of the panel mounting unit of the present invention comprises a main body to be mounted on the operation panel and a storage part having a lock part. In the operation switch for mounting the storage part to the mounting part of the main body via the lock part, At the single or multiple positions on the outer peripheral surface of the section, a groove section is formed which is a vertical groove open to the end surface in the mounting direction and a lateral groove that communicates at a right angle to the vertical groove. This is a cylindrical ring in which a fixed protrusion that engages with the vertical groove is formed on the peripheral surface to be fitted, and the mounting portion of the main body is fitted into this lock portion. On the inner peripheral surface that has elasticity in the direction perpendicular to the mounting direction, there is a wedge-shaped moving protrusion whose protrusion amount increases toward the rear in the mounting direction, and this moving protrusion reaches the position facing the vertical groove. Or a holding member for selectively holding the lock ring rotatably at a position facing the lateral groove by elastic force at a position where the moving projection faces the vertical groove or a position facing the lateral groove. It is characterized by having.

[0006]

[Action]

 In this invention, the fixing protrusion formed on the lock portion of the housing portion faces the vertical groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mounting portion of the main body. The vertical groove is formed on the end face of the mounting part of the main body, and the fixing protrusions penetrate into the vertical groove when the storage part is fitted into the main body. As a result, they are positioned on a plane orthogonal to the mounting direction of the main body and the storage section.

Further, a lock ring is rotatably movable on the lock part of the storage part. The lock ring has a cylindrical ring shape into which the mounting portion of the main body is fitted, and a wedge-shaped moving projection is formed on the inner peripheral surface of which the projection amount increases toward the rear in the mounting direction. The moving protrusion moves to a position facing the vertical groove and the horizontal groove formed in the mounting portion of the main body by the rotation of the lock ring. The lock ring is selectively held by the holding member at a position where the moving protrusion faces the vertical groove or a position which faces the horizontal groove. When the lock ring is rotationally moved to the position where the moving protrusion faces the vertical groove, the position of the moving protrusion matches the position of the fixed protrusion with respect to the mounting direction. Engages the flutes with the locking projections. When the lock ring is rotationally moved in this state, the moving protrusion moves to a position facing the lateral groove and engages with the lateral groove. The horizontal groove communicates with the vertical groove, is formed in a direction orthogonal to the vertical groove, and is not open to the end face of the mounting portion. Therefore, when the lock ring is rotationally moved to the position where the moving projection faces the lateral groove while the storage part is fitted to the main body, the moving projection engages with the lateral groove and the movement of the mounting part to the main body in the mounting direction is restricted. To be done.

Furthermore, the moving protrusion is formed in a wedge shape in which the amount of protrusion increases toward the rear in the mounting direction, and the inner peripheral surface of the lock portion on which the moving protrusion is formed extends in a direction perpendicular to the mounting direction. It has elasticity. Therefore, when the storage part is fitted to the attachment part of the main body with the lock ring moved to the position where the moving projection faces the lateral groove, the end surface of the mounting part comes into contact with the inclined surface of the moving projection. Due to this contact force, the inner peripheral surface on which the moving projection is formed is elastically deformed in the direction perpendicular to the mounting direction, and when the moving projection reaches the lateral groove, the inner peripheral surface returns to its original shape and the moving projection does not move. Engage with the lateral groove. Therefore, before fitting the storage part to the mounting part of the main body, the lock ring is rotationally moved to the position where the moving protrusion faces the lateral groove, and the mounting part of the main body is fitted into the locking part of the storage part in this state. Then, by pushing the storage part toward the main body side, the storage part is fixed to the mounting part of the main body with one touch.

[0009]

【Example】

 FIG. 1 is an assembly diagram of an operation switch to which a lock mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The operation switch 1 is composed of a main body 2 attached to an operation panel and a storage portion 3 having a lock portion 4 on the front surface. The main body 2 comprises an operating portion 5 and a mounting portion 6. The operation unit 5 is located in front of an operation panel (not shown). The attachment portion 6 connected to the back surface of the operation portion 5 has a cylindrical shape, and a screw portion 8 is formed on the outer peripheral surface on a part of the operation portion 5 side. The lock nut 7 is screwed into the screw portion 8. The main body 2 is attached such that the operation panel is sandwiched between the back surface of the operation section 5 and the lock nut 7. Therefore, the operation panel is provided with a mounting hole into which the screw portion 8 is fitted.

The storage unit 3 stores therein the switch unit and the light source unit. The housing portion 3 is fixed to a mounting portion 6 of the main body 2 mounted on the operation panel via a lock portion 4. The lock portion 4 is opened in a shape into which the mounting portion 6 of the main body 2 is fitted, and fixing projections 9 are formed at four positions on the inner peripheral surface at equal intervals. Further, a cylindrical lock ring 10 is provided inside the position where the fixed protrusion 9 is formed in the lock portion 4.

The lock ring 10 is made of an elastic material such as resin and has a shape into which the mounting portion 6 of the main body 2 is fitted, and a plurality of slits 11 that are open to the inner end surface are formed.

In the area where the slits 11 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the lock ring 10, wedge-shaped moving protrusions 12 are formed at four equal intervals. The moving protrusion 12 has a wedge shape in which the amount of protrusion increases as it goes to the inside of the storage portion, and the inclined surface of the wedge shape faces the mounting portion 6.

Grooves 13 are formed at four positions on the outer peripheral surface of the mounting portion 6 of the main body 2 at equal intervals.

The groove portion 13 is constituted by a vertical groove 13a and a horizontal groove 13b communicating with the vertical groove in a direction orthogonal to the vertical groove. The vertical groove 13a is open to the end surface of the mounting portion 6. The vertical groove 13a is formed at a position facing the fixed protrusion 9 formed on the lock portion 4.

On the other hand, in the lock portion 4, the lock ring 10 is rotatable, and its rotation range is such that the moving projection 12 faces the vertical groove 13a as shown in FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B). It is set between the position and the position facing the lateral groove 13b. This rotation range is defined by the abutment between the lever 14 projectingly formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lock ring 10 and the side surface of the opening 15 formed at the upper portion of the front surface of the storage section 3.

A semi-circular projecting portion 16 is formed on the lock portion 4 located in the opening 15.

Further, in the portion of the lock ring 10 located in the opening 15, a protrusion 17 that engages with the protrusion 16 is formed. Since the cross-sectional area of the lock portion 4 is reduced at the position of the opening portion 15, elastic deformation can occur back and forth in this portion.

Therefore, the protrusion 16 and the protrusion 17 are elastically engaged with each other, and by this elastic engagement, the lever 14 abuts on one side of the opening 15 and the moving projection 12 faces the lateral groove 13 a, and the lever 14 Comes into contact with the other side surface of the opening 15 to selectively hold the lock ring 10 at a position where the moving protrusion 12 faces the lateral groove 13b.

As shown in FIG. 3B, when the lever 14 is in contact with one side surface of the opening 15, the moving protrusion 12 faces the lateral groove 13b. At this time, the rotational movement of the lock ring 10 is restricted by the elastic engagement between the protrusion 16 and the protrusion 17. The lever 14 has a long hole 14a formed therein. When a tip of a general tool such as a flat head screwdriver is inserted into the long hole 14a and an external force is applied in the rotational direction of the lock ring 10, this action force is locked. When the elastic force of the portion of the portion 4 located in the opening 15 is applied, the lock ring 10 rotationally moves to the position where the lever 14 abuts on the other side surface of the opening 15.

FIG. 2 is a side view and a side sectional view of the operation switch. The lock ring 10, which is rotatably held by the lock portion 4 of the storage portion 3, has moving protrusions 12 formed at four positions on the inner peripheral surface thereof. When the ring 10 is in the position shown in FIG. 3B, it faces the lateral groove 13b formed in the mounting portion 6 of the main body 2. Unlike the vertical groove 13a, the horizontal groove 13b is not open to the end surface 6a of the mounting portion 6. Therefore, when the mounting portion 6 is fitted into the lock portion 4 of the storage portion 3 with the lock ring 10 shown in FIG. 3B, the end surface 6 a of the mounting portion 6 contacts the inclined surface of the moving protrusion 12. . The lock ring 10 is formed with a plurality of slits 11 which are open on the inner end surface, and elastically deforms in this portion in a direction orthogonal to the fitting direction of the mounting portion 6. Since the moving projection 12 is provided in the area where the slit 11 is formed, when the external force due to the contact with the end surface 6a of the mounting portion 6 acts on the inclined surface of the moving projection 12, the moving projection 12 is locked by the lock ring 11. With the peripheral surface of the rock ring 10, the rock ring 10 is elastically displaced outward. As a result, the diameter of the lock ring 10 increases at the position where the moving protrusion 12 is formed, and the moving protrusion 12 abuts the outer peripheral surface of the mounting portion 6 and engages with the lateral groove 13b.

When the moving projection 12 engages with the lateral groove 13b in this way, when the storage part 3 moves in the direction separating from the mounting part 6, the vertical inner surface of the moving projection 12 is perpendicular to the vertical surface of the groove part 13b. Are brought into contact with each other, and the external force acting due to the contact between them does not work in the direction of expanding the peripheral surface of the locking ring 10. Therefore, once the moving projection 12 is engaged with the lateral groove 13b, the lock ring 10 is rotated to bring the moving projection 12 into the state in which the moving projection 12 faces the vertical groove 13a as shown in FIG. 3 (A). 3 cannot be separated from the mounting part 6 of the body 2. This movement of the lock ring 10 can be performed relatively easily by inserting a general tool such as a flat-blade screwdriver into the opening 14a formed in the lever 14 from the back surface side of the storage portion 3, and maintenance of the operation switch and The replacement work can be easily performed when changing the layout.

Although the present embodiment has been described by taking the operation switch as an example, the present invention can be implemented in the same manner as long as it is a panel mounting unit which is separated into a main body and a housing portion and is mounted on an operation panel. You can

[0023]

[Effect of device]

 According to this invention, since the movable projection that can be moved to the position facing the horizontal groove and the vertical groove formed in the mounting portion of the main body is elastically displaceable only when the main body and the storage portion are fitted together, the moving projection is attached to the mounting portion. The main body and the housing can be fitted to the proper position even when facing the lateral groove that is not open on the end face of the, and after the both are fitted, the lateral groove and the moving protrusion engage to separate the two. Can be reliably regulated. The regulation of the movement in the separating direction is continued until the moving projection is moved to the position facing the vertical groove by the rotational movement of the lock ring. Therefore, there is an advantage that the storage section can be securely attached to the main body with one touch. Also, during maintenance or layout changes, the lock ring can be rotated and moved to separate the main unit and the storage unit very easily.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an assembly view of an operation switch to which a lock mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a side view and a side sectional view of the operation switch.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a storage portion of the operation switch.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-Operation switch 2-Main body 3-Storage section 4-Lock section

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An operation switch comprising a main body attached to an operation panel and a storage portion having a lock portion, wherein the storage portion is attached to the attachment portion of the main body via the lock portion. At one or a plurality of positions, a groove portion formed of a vertical groove open to the end face in the mounting direction and a lateral groove that communicates at right angles to the vertical groove is formed, and the lock portion has a peripheral surface on which the mounting portion of the main body is fitted. This is a cylindrical ring that has a fixed protrusion that engages with the vertical groove, and the mounting portion of the main body fits into this lock portion.
On the inner peripheral surface that has elasticity in the direction perpendicular to the mounting direction of the main body,
A lock ring is provided, which has a wedge-shaped moving protrusion whose protrusion amount increases toward the rear in the mounting direction, and the movable protrusion is rotatably movable at a position facing the vertical groove or a position facing the lateral groove. A locking mechanism for a panel mounting unit, comprising: a holding member that selectively holds the lock ring at a position where the moving protrusion faces the vertical groove or a position where the moving protrusion faces the lateral groove by elastic force.