JPH0736558A - Control lever device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make a control lever device containing a detent mechanism small in size and to improve the notch characteristic of the detent mechanism. CONSTITUTION:A slider 18 is slidably provided on a lever member 5 which is rotatably provided on a base 1, and a detent plate 9 having a notch 11 is fixed above the base 1. A projection 21 is provided on the lower end of the slider 18 and engaged with the notch 11. Then a spring 25 is stretched between a base part 13 of the member 5 and the upper end of the slider 18. In such a constitution, a slender space formed at the periphery of the member 5 is effectively used to attain a compact structure of a control lever device. Furthermore the sure guidance is secured even with the shallow engagement of the notch 11 since the slider 18 and the spring 25 have the large lengths. Then the fluctuation of the spring load is made small.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control lever device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a lever device used as an input device of a controller for electrically controlling a throttle or a governor lever of an engine of a construction machine such as a power shovel or a ship.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Usually, most input devices of engine controllers rotate a dial input shaft of a potentiometer. On the other hand, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-5005 and Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 60-115963 disclose a lever type input device in which a support shaft of a rotatably supported lever is connected to a potentiometer. This one uses a return spring that returns the lever to its neutral position and a detent mechanism that holds the lever at a certain angle.

[0003]

Since the dial type input device has a small load, it is convenient to hold the operated angle, but it does not match the human operating characteristics. That is, in the operation of rotating the dial with the fingertip, it is difficult to intuitively grasp the correspondence between the operation target and the operation amount of the dial. Therefore, a control lever device that accelerates the lever operation and inputs it to a potentiometer or the like is desirable.

However, a general conventional lever device is provided with a friction plate for giving a resistance feeling at the time of operation and a detent mechanism for holding the lever at a predetermined angle, and therefore the entire structure is complicated. It has become bulky. Further, the precision of the notch of the detent mechanism is rough, and the spring load varies greatly above and below the notch, so it is difficult to match the spring characteristics with the notch characteristics.

In order to deal with this, for example, in the device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 60-115963, the notch is made smaller, and the vertical amount of the notch is enlarged by the engaging lever, and then the engaging lever is moved. The free end is biased by a relatively long tension coil spring, thereby reducing the vertical amount of the notch and suppressing the variation of the spring load at the same time, and the spring characteristic and the notch characteristic are balanced. However, the lever device provided with such a mechanism is much larger than a dial type input device, and there is a problem in that it is bulky as a whole.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional lever device, to provide a lever device having a high notch accuracy, a small spring load variation, and a compact structure.

[0007]

The lever device of the present invention comprises:
A base, a lever member that is rotatably provided on the base, a slider that is slidable in the longitudinal direction of the lever member, a spring that urges the slider toward the base side of the lever member, and is fixed to the base. And a detent plate having an arcuate surface with the center of rotation of the lever member as the center, a first engaging portion is formed on the proximal end side of the slider, and a detent plate has a first surface on the arcuate surface. It is characterized in that a second engaging portion which is intermittently engaged with the first engaging portion is formed.

In such an apparatus, it is preferable that the slider extends in the longitudinal direction of the lever member and the spring is a tension coil spring stretched between the upper end of the slider and the base of the lever member. . Further, it is preferable that a friction material is provided on the base of the lever member so as to be in sliding contact with the base, and that a pinch spring for elastically abutting the base and the base is provided.

An angle detector is provided on the base,
A device provided with a transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the lever member to the input shaft of the angle detector is preferable. In that case, it is preferable that the transmission mechanism is a speed increasing mechanism including a sector gear provided at the base of the lever member and a gear provided at the input shaft of the angle detector.

A second aspect of the device of the present invention is a base,
A lever member rotatably provided on the base, a detent mechanism interposed between the lever member and the base, a friction member provided on the base of the lever member so as to be in sliding contact with the base, and a lever member. It is characterized by comprising a pinching spring that elastically abuts the base part and the base part of each other. In such a device, the base portion of the lever member has a disc shape, and the friction member has a disc-shaped friction portion interposed between the disc-shaped base portion and the base. , A shaft gear that is rotatably fitted in a hole formed in the base, and a sector gear that is integrally provided on the peripheral edge of the friction portion. The base is provided with an angle detector and the input of the angle detector. A gear that meshes with the sector gear is provided on the shaft, and the sector gear and the gear constitute a speed increasing mechanism.

Further, through holes are respectively formed in the shaft portion of the friction member and the base portion of the lever member, and the friction member and the lever member are concentrically supported by a support shaft penetrating the through holes. It is preferable that the base portion of the lever member has a notch portion that fits with the side surface of the sector gear. Further, the shaft portion of the friction member extends to the back surface of the base, and an annular plate spring that constitutes the pinching spring is provided around the shaft portion protruding from the back surface, and a support shaft that penetrates the shaft portion. A device in which a spring retainer is provided at the end of the is preferable.

[0012]

In the apparatus of claim 1, when the operator turns the lever member, the first engaging portion on the proximal end side of the slider slides on the arc-shaped surface of the detent member. Then, when the second engaging portion and the first engaging portion are aligned with each other, the engaging portions engage with each other by the action of the spring that biases the slider toward the base portion, and the detent action is achieved. In this device, the slider is built in the lever member, so to speak, and the detent member is fixed to the base near the center of rotation of the lever member, so that the entire structure can be made compact. That is, the space near the lever member having a certain length is effectively used for the detent mechanism.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the slider is elongated to ensure the guide property of the slide, and the vicinity of the long lever member is more effectively used as a space for accommodating the long slider and the long spring. Further, since the spring is made long, it is possible to greatly reduce the fluctuation of the spring load during the detent action. Further, in the apparatus of claim 4,
Since the friction member is provided on the lever member, the detent action of holding the lever member at the predetermined angular position becomes more reliable. Further, the frictional force gives a certain resistance to the operation force, which makes the operation feeling preferable.

In the lever device according to the fifth aspect, when the lever member is rotationally operated, the input shaft of the angle detector rotates via the transmission mechanism, and an electrical output according to the operation angle can be obtained. Further, the transmission mechanism is a speed increasing mechanism including a sector gear and a gear meshing with the sector gear, so that the angle of the lever member can be enlarged and detected.

In the second aspect of the device of the present invention, since the detent mechanism and the friction member work together in the same manner as the device of claim 4, the detent action for holding the lever member in the predetermined position is more reliable. Further, the frictional force gives a certain resistance to the lever operation, and the operation feeling becomes preferable. In the device of claim 7, the friction portion of the disc-shaped friction member is pressed between the disc-shaped base portion of the lever member and the base, so that the friction portion is sufficiently uniform toward the base. And strongly abut. Therefore, the frictional force can be generated sufficiently and uniformly. Further, since the friction member and the sector gear are integrally formed, the number of parts is reduced, the assembling work is simplified, and the strength of the base portion of the lever member can be increased.

In the apparatus of claim 8, the disc-shaped friction portion of the friction member is effectively used, and the shaft portion is integrated with the friction portion, so that the friction member also serves as a bearing. Therefore, the entire structure can be made simpler and more compact. Further, since the disc-shaped base portion of the lever member is provided with the notch portion that meshes with the sector gear, the torque applied to the lever member can be received at a position away from the center of rotation. Therefore, the support structure for the lever member can be further strengthened.

[0020]

Embodiments of the apparatus of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment of a lever device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same device, FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway front view of the same device, and FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway view of the same device. FIG. 5 is a rear view and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of essential parts of the device.

A lever device A shown in FIG. 1 includes a base 1 and
The bearing bush 3 and the pin 4 are attached to the vertical piece 2 of the base 1.
It is composed of a lever member 5 rotatably mounted by means of and a potentiometer P also mounted on the vertical piece 2. The bearing bush 3 and the pin 4 respectively form a friction member and a support shaft as claimed in claims.

As shown in FIG. 2, the base 1 is formed by cutting two parallel slits from one side of one plate material, bending the central portion downward to form a vertical piece 2, and attaching the rest to a mounting piece 6 It is what Returning to FIG. 1, a hole 7 for inserting the bearing bush 3 and the pin 4 is provided in the center of the vertical piece 2.
Is formed, and the input shaft P of the potentiometer P is formed below it.
A hole 8 for inserting a is formed. Vertical piece 2
A fan-shaped detent plate 9 is fixed by spot welding or the like to the center of the upper end of the. The upper surface 10 of the detent plate 9 is formed in an arc shape with the center of rotation of the lever member 5 as the center, and a pair of notches 11 are formed at two positions left and right from the center (see FIG. 4). The number of notches 11 can be set arbitrarily.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lever member 5 comprises a handle portion 12 having a U-shaped cross section and extending elongatedly, and a disc-shaped base portion 13 attached to the vertical piece 2. A rib 14 continuing from the handle portion 12 extends in an arc shape around the base portion 13. A hole 15 for inserting the pin 4 is formed in the center of the base 13 (see FIG. 5). The downwardly facing step or notch 16 formed on the left and right of the base 13 is shown in FIG.
This is a contact portion that contacts the stopper 17 shown in FIG. It is preferable that the stoppers 17 are screwed with screws 17a so that the turning angle range of the lever member 5 can be adjusted. The lever member 5 can be formed by pressing a metal plate, for example. In that case, it is preferable to provide a grip 12a made of synthetic resin around the lever member 5 so that it fits in the hand of the operator.

Referring to FIG. 4, a plate-like slider 18 is attached to one surface of the handle portion 12 of the lever member 5 by two pins 19 so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction.
That is, as shown in FIG. 4, two long holes 20 are vertically formed in the slider 18, two pins 19 with heads are passed through the long holes 20, and the tips of the pins 19 are connected to the lever member 5.
Is crimped (see Fig. 1). Further, the slider 18
A projection 21 that engages with the notch 11 of the detent plate 9 is provided at the lower end of the. A protrusion may be provided on the detent plate 9 side and a notch may be formed on the slider 18 side. In addition, in order to slidably guide the slider 18, in addition to the engagement between the elongated hole 20 and the pin 19, another guide structure can be adopted.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the slider 1
The upper end of 8 is provided with a claw 22 bent rearward,
The claw 22 projects through a window 23 formed in the lever member 5. The claw 22 and a claw 24 formed by cutting and raising the base portion 13 of the lever member 5 form a protruding piece for locking a tension coil spring 25 for urging the slider 18 downward.

As clearly shown in FIG. 5, the bearing bush 3 has a cylindrical shaft portion 26 and a disc-shaped friction portion (friction plate) 27 provided at one end thereof at a right angle. A sector gear 28 is integrally provided below the friction portion 27. The sector gear 28 projects from the disc-shaped friction portion, and has teeth 29 formed on the lower surface which is formed in an arc shape centered on the center of the shaft portion 26. The bearing bush 3 can be integrally formed by injection molding or the like from an engineering plastic such as polyamide, polycarbonate, or polyacetal, or a synthetic resin such as Teflon. The lever member 5 is provided around the friction portion 27.
It is preferable to provide an abutment rib 30 for accurately maintaining a right angle with the base portion 13.

The bearing bush 3 is fixed to the base portion 13 of the lever member 5 by, for example, a pin 31 shown in FIG. 3, and a fan-shaped notch portion 32 that engages with the sector gear 28 is formed at the lower end of the base portion 13. The notch 32 is preferably engaged with the sector gear 28. In that case, since the sector gear 28 is integrally provided on the bearing bush 3 as described above, the coupling between the bearing bush 3 and the lever member 5 is further secured.

A head portion 37 that engages with the base portion 13 of the lever member 5 is provided at one end of the pin 4, and a screw 33 is provided at the other end.
Are formed. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, when the pin 4 is inserted from the surface side of the lever member 5 through the hole 15 and the shaft portion 26 of the bearing bush 3, the screw 33 has such a length as to protrude from the tip of the shaft portion 26. Has been done. Further, the shaft portion 26 also has a length that protrudes to the back side of the vertical piece 2 when inserted into the hole 7 of the vertical piece 2. Then, several disc springs 34 are provided around the protruding shaft portion 26 as pinching springs, and the screw 33 at the tip of the pin 4 is provided with a spring retainer for the disc spring 34 and the shaft portion 26 and the pin 4. The nut 35, which also functions as a retainer, is screwed in. A coil spring or a wave washer may be used as the pinching spring.

As shown in FIG. 4, the potentiometer P is attached to the vertical piece 2 of the base 1 by two screws 36, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the input shaft Pa of the sector gear 28 is attached to the input shaft Pa. A pinion or gear 38 that meshes with the teeth 29 is fixed. The pitch circle diameter of the gear 38 is about 1/5 to 1/8 of the pitch circle diameter of the sector gear 28, so that the rotation angle of the lever member 5 is increased by 5 to 8 times on the input shaft Pa of the potentiometer P. And then transmitted.
The gear 38 may be made of the same material as the bearing bush 3.

In the lever device constructed as described above, as shown in FIG. 3, when the lever member 5 is rotated in the direction of arrows BC, the gear 38 meshed with the sector gear 28 and the input shaft Pa of the potentiometer P are rotated. Is arrow D-
It rotates in the E direction by increasing the speed 5 to 8 times. Lever member 5
The rotation angle of the notch portion (contact portion) 16 and the stopper 17
It is limited by and and is usually about ± 25 °. Therefore, the gear 38 rotates about ± 300 °. When the lever member 5 rotates, the friction portion 27 of the bearing bush 3
The friction between the surface of the vertical piece 2 of the base 1 and the surface of the base 1 gives an appropriate resistance. Since the frictional force depends on the magnitude of the clamping force of the disc spring 34, it can be adjusted by tightening the nut (35 in FIG. 1).

Further, since the slider 18 is constantly biased toward the base end side by the tension coil spring 25, the projection 21 at the lower end of the slider 18 in FIG. 4 slides on the surface 10 of the detent plate 9. When the protrusion 21 fits into the notch 11, the protrusion 21 enters the notch 11. In that state, the angle of the lever member 5 is maintained even if the hand operating the lever member 5 is released. Since the lever member 5 is guided by the two pins 19 over a long span, the engagement is reliable even if the notch 11 and the protrusion 21 are shallowly meshed with each other. Therefore, the engagement accuracy of the protrusion 21 and the notch 11 is high. Further, since the notch 11 has a shallow engagement, the slider 1
Since the vertical stroke of 8 is reduced and the tension coil spring 25 is long, the spring load does not fluctuate much.

When the lever member 5 is further rotated from the state in which the protrusion 21 is engaged with the notch 11 and enters, the protrusion 21
Tends to come out of the notch 11, the slider 18 is pushed up against the urging force of the tension coil spring 25,
The engagement between the protrusion 21 and the notch 11 is released, and the lever member 5 can be rotated again. It is also easy to rotate the lever member 5 so as to pass over the notch 11.

Although the potentiometer is adopted as the angle detector in the above-mentioned embodiment, other angle detectors such as a rotary encoder and a resolver can be used. Further, a compression coil spring can be used instead of the tension coil spring. Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the friction member is rotated together with the lever member, but the friction member may be fixed to the base so that the friction member and the lever member can exert a friction action. In that case, of course, the sector gear and the base of the lever member do not mesh with each other.

[0034]

In the lever device of the present invention, the lever member having a certain length is provided with the slider for the detent mechanism slidably, and the base is provided with the detent plate. The size can be about 1/2 of that of the conventional one. Further, the notch accuracy can be increased and the fluctuation of the spring load can be extremely reduced to about 1/10 as compared with the conventional case, so that the notch characteristics can be greatly improved. Further, the reference position such as the potentiometer can be easily adjusted with reference to the notch position, and the stopper position can be adjusted with high accuracy in accordance with the one having the variable stopper.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing an embodiment of a lever device of the present invention.

2 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway front view of the device of FIG.

4 is a partially cutaway rear view of the device of FIG. 1. FIG.

5 is an exploded perspective view of main parts of the apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A lever device 1 base 3 bearing bush 5 lever member 9 detent plate 11 notch 13 base portion 18 slider 25 tension coil spring 26 shaft portion 27 friction portion 28 sector gear 34 disc spring 38 gear

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A base, a lever member rotatably mounted on the base, a slider slidably mounted in the longitudinal direction of the lever member, and a spring urging the slider toward the base of the lever member. A detent plate fixed to the base and having an arcuate surface centered on the center of rotation of the lever member, wherein a first engaging portion is formed on the base end side of the slider, and a circle of the detent plate. A control lever device in which a second engaging portion that intermittently engages with the first engaging portion is formed on an arcuate surface. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the slider is a long member extending in a longitudinal direction of the lever member, and the spring is a tension coil spring stretched between an upper end of the slider and a base portion of the lever member. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a friction member is provided on the base of the lever member so as to be in sliding contact with the base, and a pinching spring that elastically abuts the base and the base on each other is provided. 4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the base is provided with an angle detector, and a transmission mechanism is provided for transmitting the rotation of the lever member to the input shaft of the angle detector. 5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the transmission mechanism is a speed increasing mechanism including a sector gear provided on a base portion of the lever member and a gear provided on an input shaft of the angle detector. 6. A base, a lever member rotatably provided on the base, a detent mechanism interposed between the lever member and the base, and a base portion of the lever member slidably contacting the base. A control lever device comprising a friction member provided and a pinching spring that elastically abuts a base portion and a base of the lever member. 7. The base of the lever member has a disc shape, and the friction member includes a disc-shaped friction portion interposed between the disc-shaped base portion and the base, and a base. A shaft portion that is rotatably fitted in the hole formed in, and a sector gear that is integrally provided on the peripheral edge portion of the friction portion.An angle detector is provided on the base, and an input shaft of the angle detector is provided. 7. A gear that meshes with the sector gear is provided, and the sector gear and the gear constitute a speed increasing mechanism.
The described device. 8. A through hole is formed in each of the shaft portion of the friction member and the base portion of the lever member, and the friction member and the lever member are concentrically supported by a support shaft penetrating the through holes. 8. The device according to claim 7, wherein a notch portion that engages with a side surface of the sector gear is formed in a base portion of the lever member. 9. The shaft portion of the friction member extends to the back surface of the base, and an annular plate spring that constitutes the pinching spring is provided around the shaft portion protruding from the back surface. 9. The device according to claim 8, wherein a spring retainer is provided at the end of the support shaft that penetrates through.