TWI767777B - Electric steering lock device - Google Patents

Abstract

An electric steering lock device is provided, including: a housing: a locking unit, including a locking rod configured to be releasably engaged with a steering shaft of a vehicle, the locking rod being movable relative to the housing between a locking position and a release position; a driving unit, driving the locking unit to move, including a driving shaft; a first sensing assembly, including a first magnetic member co-movably connected with the locking unit and a first sensing unit, the first sensing unit being correspondable to the first magnetic member and sensing magnetic field changes of the first magnetic member; a second sensing assembly, including a second magnetic member co-rotatably connected with the driving shaft and a second sensing unit, the second sensing unit corresponding to the second magnetic member and sensing magnetic field changes of the second magnetic member; and a control unit, being communicative with the driving unit, the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit.

Description

Electric steering lock

The present invention relates to locking devices, in particular to an electric steering locking device.

The conventional steering lock mechanisms, such as automobile steering wheel locks or motorcycle faucet locks, can be classified into mechanical and electric mechanisms according to the actuation method. Among them, the electric steering locking mechanism uses a motor to drive a locking rod to move back and forth relative to a steering shaft of a vehicle, so as to achieve the purpose of locking and releasing.

However, when the conventional electric steering locking mechanism is activated, the vehicle only emits a tone or a light signal to remind the operator, and the operator cannot determine whether the steering shaft of the vehicle is indeed locked or released. In addition, when the electric steering locking mechanism fails, the operator has no way of knowing its failure factors, which is not conducive to maintenance, and is likely to cause doubts such as locking of the steering shaft and damage to related parts.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide a novel and progressive electric steering locking device to solve the above problems.

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide an electric steering lock device, which is convenient for confirming the operating state and maintenance.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electric steering locking device, comprising: a casing; a locking member, including a locking lever for releasably engaging with a steering shaft of a vehicle, the locking lever can be opposed to the casing The body moves in a locking position and a releasing position; a driving unit, which can drive the locking member to move, includes a driving shaft; a first sensing component includes a first magnetic piece that can move synchronously and connect the locking member; a first sensing unit, the first sensing unit can correspond to the first magnetic element and sense the change of the magnetic field of the first magnetic element; a second sensing element includes a synchronously rotatable connection to the drive shaft a second magnetic element and a second sensing unit, the second sensing unit can correspond to the second magnetic element and sense changes in the magnetic field of the second magnetic element; and a control unit, with the driving unit, the The first sensing unit and the second sensing unit are in communication.

The following examples only illustrate possible implementations of the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention, and are described together first.

Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 6, which show a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The electric steering locking device 1 of the present invention includes a housing 10, a locking member 20, a driving unit 30, a first sensing element 40, A second sensing element 50 and a control unit 60 .

The locking member 20 includes a locking lever 21 for releasably engaging with a steering shaft of a vehicle, the locking lever 21 can move relative to the housing 10 in a locking position and a releasing position; the driving unit 30 can drive The locking member 20 moves and includes a drive shaft 31 ; the first sensing component 40 includes a first magnetic member 41 movably connected to the locking member 20 and a first sensing unit 42 , the first sensing The unit 42 can correspond to the first magnetic element 41 and sense changes in the magnetic field of the first magnetic element 41 ; the second sensing element 50 includes a second magnetic element 51 rotatably connected to the drive shaft 31 and a second magnetic element 51 . The second sensing unit 52, the second sensing unit 52 can correspond to the second magnetic element 51 and sense the change of the magnetic field of the second magnetic element 51; the control unit 60 and the driving unit 30, the first sensing The sensing unit 42 and the second sensing unit 52 communicate with each other, so that the actions of the locking member 20 and the driving unit 30 can be sensed respectively, such as but not limited to the position of the locking lever 21 and the rotational speed and rotation of the driving shaft 31 . The number of laps, etc., can confirm the operating status and facilitate maintenance.

The electric steering locking device 1 further includes a transmission mechanism 70 . The transmission mechanism 70 includes a worm 71 disposed at one end of the drive shaft 31 , a worm wheel 72 engaged with the worm 71 , and a slidably disposed on the worm 71 . The sliding block 73 of the housing 10, the sliding block 73 is connected to the locking rod 21 and includes a tooth row 731 engaged with the worm gear 72, whereby when the driving shaft 31 rotates, the sliding block 73 can be driven along the teeth The row 731 moves, thereby driving the locking rod 21 to move between the locking position and the releasing position, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 . In detail, the worm gear 72 includes a first toothed ring 721 engaged with the worm 71 and a second toothed ring 722 engaged with the tooth row 731 , which can be driven synchronously to ensure smooth operation and easy alignment of the sets catch. One of the locking member 20 and the slider 73 includes a slot 732 and an insert 733 detachably disposed in the slot 732, the insert 733 stops and limits the first magnetic member 41, and is easy to assemble; more Preferably, one of the slider 73 and the insert 733 is provided with a latching recess 734, and the other is provided with a latching protrusion 735 releasably latched to the latching recess 734, which can be stably assembled and easy to maintain and replace. Of course, the first magnetic element can also be directly attached to or embedded in the locking member or the slider.

The casing 10 includes a first part 11 and a second part 12 which are detachably opposed to each other, and a sealing element 13 is sandwiched between the first part 11 and the second part 12 to achieve waterproof effect. Preferably, the first component 11 is provided with at least one first buckle portion 111 , and the second component 12 is provided with at least one second buckle portion 121 that can be buckled with the at least one first buckle portion 111 to facilitate processing Assembling; the first part 11 and the second part 12 are locked together by a plurality of locks, and the assembly stability is good. The housing 10 further includes a fixing frame 14 between the first part 11 and the second part 12 , the driving unit 30 and the transmission mechanism 70 are arranged on the fixing frame 14 ; the housing 10 includes a through With the fixed shaft 141 of the worm gear 72 (in this embodiment, it is set on the fixed frame 14 ), the moving direction of the slider 73 is transverse to the fixed shaft 141 , which can reduce the configuration space and facilitate miniaturization. Preferably, the slider 73 further includes a guide groove 736 corresponding to the tooth row 731 , and the fixed shaft 141 is at least partially accommodated in the guide groove 736 to guide and limit the movement margin of the slider 73 .

When the lock lever 21 moves between the release position and the lock position, the first sensing unit 42 generates at least a first sensing signal according to the change of the magnetic field of the first magnetic member 41 , and the second sensing unit 42 generates at least one first sensing signal. 52 generates at least one second sensing signal according to the change of the magnetic field of the second magnetic element 51, the control unit 60 receives the at least one first sensing signal and the at least one second sensing signal and obtains a locking state data accordingly and a drive status data. In this embodiment, the first sensing unit 42 and the second sensing unit 52 are respectively a Hall sensor; the first magnetic element 41 is a magnet, and the first sensing unit 42 can be The at least one first sensing signal is generated by the change of the magnetic field strength caused by the approaching (as shown in FIG. 5 ) and the distance (as shown in FIG. 4 ) of the magnet or the magnetic conversion caused by the change of the relative position of the magnet; The two magnetic elements 51 are a ring magnet, and the ring magnet includes a plurality of magnetic poles distributed in a staggered circumferential direction. The second sensing unit 52 can generate the at least one second sensing signal by the switching speed, frequency and direction of the plurality of magnetic poles. ; The locking state data include, for example, the relative position, moving speed, and moving direction of the slider 73 , and the driving state data include, for example, the number of turns, speed, and direction of rotation of the drive shaft 31 .

Furthermore, the control unit 60 includes a setting unit 61, which can set at least one state condition, and the control unit 60 generates at least one actuating state signal according to the locking state data, the driving state data and the at least one state condition , so as to judge whether the electric steering lock device 1 is operating normally. The at least one state condition includes, for example, the preset rotational speed, the preset number of rotations, and the preset rotation direction of the drive shaft 31, and may also include the preset position, preset movement rate, and preset movement direction of the slider 73, etc. It can be used as a judgment basis to compare with the locking state data and the driving state data. The control unit 60 further includes a communication unit 62 for communicating with an electronic control unit of the vehicle. The control unit 60 can control the communication unit 62 to transmit the at least one actuation state signal by wire or wirelessly; the electronic control unit can be, for example, It is a trip computer, which can generate a prompt effect according to the at least one action state signal, and can also control the locking state of the lock lever 21; the communication unit 62 can be, for example, a CAN transceiver, which has good real-time performance, low cost, and is convenient for signal transmission. Convert and pass.

The at least one action state signal includes a locking completion signal, an unlocking completion signal, a locking error signal and an unlocking error signal. For example, when the control unit 60 receives a locking command from the electronic control unit, the control unit 60 controls the locking lever 21 to move to the locking position, as shown in FIG. 4 , after the operation is completed, if the The control unit 60 determines that the lock state data and the drive state data meet the at least one state condition, the control unit 60 generates the lock completion signal and controls the communication unit 62 to transmit the lock completion signal, and the electronic control unit can generate the lock completion signal accordingly For example, sounds, lights or text prompts for confirmation. In this embodiment, when the control unit 60 generates the lock error signal (for example, the first sensing unit 42 or/and the second sensing unit 52 do not sense changes in the magnetic field, or the locking status data or/ and the driving status data cannot correspond to at least one status condition), it means that the driving unit 30 may operate abnormally, the slider 73 is in wrong position, or the operating speed is too slow. The control unit 60 controls the communication unit 62 Send the lock error signal, and control the drive unit 30 to drive the lock lever 21 to move to the release position to prevent the steering shaft from locking; when the control unit 60 generates the unlock error signal, the control unit 60 controls the communication The unit 62 transmits the unlocking error signal, and at the same time controls the driving unit 30 to stop the operation, so as to prevent the components from continuing to operate and be damaged, and the anti-theft effect can be achieved.

The electric steering locking device 1 further includes a circuit board 80 , the first sensing unit 42 , the second sensing unit 52 and the control unit 60 are respectively disposed on the circuit board 80 . The electric steering locking device 1 further includes a step-down unit 81 for connecting to a power supply unit. The step-down unit 81 is electrically connected to the control unit 60 to control and monitor the input voltage and protect the circuit. The electric steering locking device 1 further includes a connecting piece 82 electrically connected to the circuit board 80 , the connecting piece 82 is used for connecting the electronic control unit, and the connecting piece 82 can integrate the communication unit 62 and the power supply unit so as to be connected with the electrical control unit 82 . vehicle connection.

1: Electric steering lock device 10: Shell 11: The first part 111: The first buckle 12: Second part 121: The second buckle 13: Seals 14: Fixed frame 141: Fixed axis 20: Locking member 21: Lock lever 30: Drive unit 31: Drive shaft 40: First Sensing Assembly 41: The first magnetic piece 42: The first sensing unit 50: Second Sensing Assembly 51: The second magnetic piece 52: The second sensing unit 60: Control unit 61: Setting unit 62: Communication unit 70: Transmission mechanism 71: Worm 72: worm gear 721: First gear ring 722: Second ring gear 73: Slider 731: tooth row 732: Slot 733: Plugins 734: Card concave 735: Card convex 736: Guide groove 80: circuit board 81: Buck unit 82: Connector

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is another exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a lock lever in a locked position according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the lock lever in a release position according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a configuration block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

1: Electric steering lock device

10: Shell

21: Lock lever

82: Connector

Claims (8)

An electric steering locking device, comprising: a housing; a locking member, comprising a locking lever for releasably clipped on a steering shaft of a vehicle, the locking lever can move relative to the housing at a locking position and a a release position; a driving unit, which can drive the locking member to move, including a driving shaft; a first sensing component, including a first magnetic element and a first sensing unit that can be moved synchronously connected to the locking member, the The first sensing unit can correspond to the first magnetic element and sense the change of the magnetic field of the first magnetic element; a second sensing element includes a second magnetic element rotatably connected to the drive shaft and a first magnetic element Two sensing units, the second sensing unit can correspond to the second magnetic element and sense the change of the magnetic field of the second magnetic element; and a control unit, with the driving unit, the first sensing unit and the second The sensing unit is in communication; wherein, when the locking lever is moved between the release position and the locking position, the first sensing unit generates at least a first sensing signal according to the change of the magnetic field of the first magnetic element, and the first sensing unit generates at least one first sensing signal. The two sensing units generate at least one second sensing signal according to the change of the magnetic field of the second magnetic element, and the control unit receives the at least one first sensing signal and the at least one second sensing signal and obtains a locked state accordingly data and a driving state data; wherein, the control unit includes a setting unit, the setting unit can set at least one state condition, and the control unit generates at least one action according to the locking state data, the driving state data and the at least one state condition status signal. The electric steering locking device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second magnetic member is a ring magnet set on the drive shaft, and the ring magnet includes a plurality of magnetic poles distributed in a staggered circumferential direction. The electric steering locking device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a transmission mechanism, wherein the transmission mechanism comprises a worm arranged at one end of the drive shaft, a worm gear engaged with the worm, and a slidably arranged on the worm. The sliding block of the housing is connected with the locking rod and includes a tooth row engaged with the worm gear. The electric steering locking device according to claim 3, wherein the housing includes a fixed shaft passing through the worm gear, and the moving direction of the slider is transverse to the fixed shaft. The electric steering locking device as claimed in claim 3, wherein one of the locking member and the slider includes a slot for accommodating the first magnetic member and an insert detachably arranged in the slot, the insert The first magnetic member is stopped and limited. The electric steering locking device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further comprises a communication unit for communicating with an electronic control unit of the vehicle, the control unit can control the communication unit to transmit the at least one actuation state signal. The electric steering locking device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one actuation state signal comprises a locking completion signal, an unlocking completion signal, a locking error signal and an unlocking error signal; when the control unit generates the locking error signal , the control unit controls the drive unit to drive the lock lever to move to the release position; when the control unit generates the unlocking error signal, the control unit controls the drive unit to stop operating. The electric steering locking device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second magnetic member is a ring magnet set on the drive shaft, and the ring magnet includes a plurality of magnetic poles distributed in a staggered circumferential direction; The slot of the first magnetic element and an insert detachably arranged in the slot, the insert stops Limiting the first magnetic element; one of the slider and the insert is provided with a latching concave, and the other is provided with a latching protrusion releasably clamped to the latching concave; the worm gear includes a worm gear engaged with the worm the first toothed ring and a second toothed ring engaged with the tooth row; the slider further includes a guide groove corresponding to the tooth row, the fixed shaft is at least partially accommodated in the guide groove; the housing It includes a first part and a second part which are detachably butted against each other, and a seal is sandwiched between the first part and the second part; the casing further includes a A fixing frame between parts, the driving unit and the transmission mechanism are arranged on the fixing frame; the first part is provided with at least one first buckle part, and the second part is provided with at least one first buckle part which can be connected with the at least one first buckle part a second buckle part connected to each other; the electric steering locking device further includes a circuit board, the first sensing unit, the second sensing unit and the control unit are respectively arranged on the circuit board; the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit are respectively a Hall sensor; the control unit further includes a communication unit for communicating with an electronic control unit of the vehicle, the control unit can control the communication unit to transmit the at least one action state signal; the at least one actuation state signal includes a lock completion signal, an unlock completion signal, a lock error signal and an unlock error signal; when the control unit generates the lock error signal, the control unit controls the drive unit to drive the lock The lever is moved to the release position; when the control unit generates the unlocking error signal, the control unit controls the drive unit to stop operating; the electric steering locking device further includes a step-down unit for connecting a power supply unit, the step-down unit The control unit is electrically connected; and the electric steering locking device further includes a connector electrically connected to the circuit board, and the connector is used for connecting the electronic control unit.

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