WO2023003010A1

WO2023003010A1 - Racing module and anti-rotation mechanism

Info

Publication number: WO2023003010A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/028161
Authority: WO
Inventors: 洋一関井
Original assignee: 日本電産株式会社
Priority date: 2021-07-20
Filing date: 2022-07-20
Publication date: 2023-01-26

Abstract

The casing of this racing module accomnodates at least some of a spool shaft and accommodates a rotary drive unit. The top surface of a lid accommodating a body portion around which a cord can be wound expands in a direction that intersects with the vertical direction. An inner wall extends downward from the top surface and surrounds the body portion when viewed in the vertical direction. An outer wall extends downward from the outer edge of the top surface and is disposed radially outward from the inner wall. An outlet passes through the outer wall. The inner wall has a pair of guide walls facing each other across the body portion. Each of the guide walls extends at least toward the outlet and is connected to the edge of the outlet. The gap between the pair of guide walls in the facing direction becomes narrower from the axis of rotation toward the outlet.

Description

Racing module, rotation control mechanism

The present invention relates to racing modules and rotation control mechanisms.

Conventionally, a lacing unit that can tighten and loosen shoelaces wrapped around a spool is known. A racing engine that drives the spool may include a worm drive, a worm gear and a gear motor or a geneva wheel. A gear motor rotates a worm gear through a worm drive. The worm gear is designed to prevent reverse driving of the worm drive and gear motor. The worm gear is connected to the spool shaft and rotates the spool to wind the string. Also, when the slot next to the stop tooth of the geneva wheel engages the index tooth of the worm gear, the drive mechanism of the racing engine stalls (see, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-509817).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-509817

In the racing engine disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-509817, the spool intermediate portion around which the race cable is wound, the worm driving portion, the worm gear, and the gear motor are accommodated in the same housing structure. Therefore, it is difficult to secure a sufficient space in the housing structure for accommodating the spool intermediate portion and drawing out the race cable. In addition, if this space is secured, the arrangement space for other members within the housing structure will be squeezed. Therefore, it is difficult to freely design a racing engine.
Further, when the spool is rotated only by driving the gear motor, there is a possibility that the string cannot be loosened immediately in an emergency such as when the gear motor fails.
Furthermore, there are cases where the engagement between the geneva wheel and the index teeth is deviated due to deviations in the positional relationship between the geneva wheel and the index teeth, manufacturing errors in the shape of the geneva wheel, and the like. This may cause the spool to stop rotating unintentionally. That is, in order to operate the Geneva mechanism normally, high precision is required in mounting. Therefore, a new mechanism for restricting the rotation of the spool is required.

The present invention is a new type of reel that allows the string wound around the body to be manually unwound from the body while securing a sufficient space for accommodating the body of the spool and drawing out the string, thereby restricting the rotation of the rotating body. The purpose is to provide technology.

An exemplary lacing module of the first invention for solving the problem includes a spool, a rotary drive section, a casing, and a lid section. The spool has a body and a spool shaft. A string can be wound around the trunk. The spool shaft portion extends along a rotating shaft extending in the vertical direction. The rotation drive section rotates the spool around the rotation shaft. The casing accommodates at least part of the spool shaft and the rotary drive section. The lid portion accommodates the trunk portion. The lid portion has a top surface portion, an inner wall portion, an outer wall portion, and an outlet. The top surface portion extends in a direction intersecting the vertical direction. The inner wall portion extends downward from the top surface portion and surrounds the trunk portion when viewed from above and below. The outer wall portion extends downward from the outer edge portion of the top surface portion and is arranged radially outward of the inner wall portion. The outlet penetrates through the outer wall. The inner wall has a pair of guide walls. A pair of said guide wall part opposes mutually on both sides of the said trunk|drum. Each said guide wall extends at least towards said outlet and is connected to an edge of said outlet. The distance between the pair of guide walls in the facing direction becomes narrower from the rotating shaft toward the outlet.
An exemplary racing module of a second invention for solving the problem comprises a spool, a rotary drive section, a clutch gear, and an operating section. The spool has a body and a spool shaft. A string can be wound around the trunk. The spool shaft portion extends along a rotating shaft extending in the vertical direction. The rotary drive unit is rotatable about the rotation shaft. The clutch gear is connectable with the rotary drive unit. The operation unit can be operated externally by a user. The spool shaft portion is rotatable about the rotation shaft together with the body portion and the clutch gear. The operation unit disconnects the clutch gear from the rotary drive unit according to the user's operation.
An exemplary rotation restricting mechanism of a third aspect of the invention for solving the problem includes a guide member and a relative movement section. The guide member has a guide portion. The guide portion extends in the circumferential direction with reference to the central axis extending in the axial direction. The relative movement part is relatively movable with respect to the guide member. The relatively movable portion is relatively movable along the guide portion between one end and the other end of the guide portion. Also, an exemplary racing module of the present invention includes the above-described rotation restricting mechanism, spool, worm gear, and worm wheel gear. The spool has a body and a spool shaft. A string can be wound around the trunk. The spool shaft extends axially. The worm gear is rotatable with the shaft of the motor. The worm wheel gear meshes with the worm gear. The spool shaft is rotatable about the central axis together with the body and the worm wheel gear. The spool shaft portion is rotatable about the central axis together with either the guide member or the relative movement portion of the rotation restricting mechanism.

The exemplary lacing module of the present invention provides sufficient space to accommodate the body of the spool and pull out the string so that the string wound on the body can be manually unwound from the body. A racing module can be provided, and furthermore, according to the exemplary rotation restricting mechanism, the racing module, of the present invention, a new technology for restricting the rotation of a rotating body can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a racing module according to exemplary embodiments of the first and second inventions. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a racing module according to exemplary embodiments of the first and second inventions. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the application of the racing module. 4 is a perspective view of a casing according to an exemplary embodiment of the first invention; FIG. FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the lid according to the exemplary embodiment of the first invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a spool assembly in which a rotary drive unit, a clutch gear, etc. are attached to a spool according to exemplary embodiments of the first and second inventions. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a spool assembly according to exemplary embodiments of the first and second inventions. FIG. 8 is a top view of clutch gears according to exemplary embodiments of the first and second inventions. It is a sectional view. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing meshing of gears according to exemplary embodiments of the first and second inventions. FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional view showing an example of fitting of a convex portion to a concave portion viewed from the radial direction according to an exemplary embodiment of the second invention. FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view showing another example of fitting of a convex portion to a concave portion viewed from the radial direction according to the exemplary embodiment of the second invention. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of an operating member according to a first modified example of the exemplary embodiment of the second invention. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of an operating section according to a second modification of the exemplary embodiment of the second invention. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a racing module according to an exemplary embodiment of the third invention. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of a racing module according to an exemplary embodiment of the third invention. 15 is a perspective view of a spool assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the third invention; FIG. FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of a spool assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the third invention; FIG. 17A is a plan view showing an example of a guide portion according to an exemplary embodiment of the third invention; 17B is a plan view showing another example of the guide part according to the exemplary embodiment of the third invention. FIG. FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a first modification of the rotation restricting mechanism according to the exemplary embodiment of the third invention. FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a second modification of the rotation restricting mechanism according to the exemplary embodiment of the third invention. FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a third modification of the rotation restricting mechanism according to the exemplary embodiment of the third invention.

An exemplary embodiment of the first invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In this specification, the direction in which the rotation axis J1 of the spool 2 (to be described later) extends in the racing module 100 is referred to as the "vertical direction". Among the vertical directions, the direction from the bottom plate portion 141 to the lid portion 15, which will be described later, is called “upper Du”, and the direction from the lid portion 15 to the bottom plate portion 141 is called “downward Dd”. In each component, the end at the upper Du is called the "upper end", and the end at the lower Dd is called the "lower end". Moreover, in the surface of each component, the surface facing upward Du is called "upper surface", and the surface facing downward Dd is called "lower surface".

Also, the direction perpendicular to the predetermined axis is called the "radial direction". In the radial direction, the direction toward the axis is called "radially inward", and the direction away from the axis is called "radial outward". In each component, the radially inner end is referred to as the "radial inner end" and the radially outer end is referred to as the "radial outer end". In addition, among the side surfaces of each component, the side surface facing radially inward is referred to as the "radial inner surface", and the side surface facing radially outward is referred to as the "radial outer surface".

Also, the direction of rotation about a predetermined axis is called the "circumferential direction". In each component, the end portion in the circumferential direction is called a "circumferential end portion". One of the circumferential directions is called "one circumferential direction", and the other direction is called "the other circumferential direction".

In addition, in this specification, "annular" means a shape that is continuously connected without a break over the entire circumferential direction centered on a predetermined axis, or a shape that is continuous throughout the entire area centered on a predetermined axis. Includes shapes with one or more cuts in the part. It also includes a shape that draws a closed curve on a curved surface that intersects with a predetermined axis as the center.

In addition, in terms of the positional relationship between any one of azimuth, line, and plane and any other, "parallel" means not only a state in which they do not intersect at all no matter how far they are extended, but also a state in which they are substantially parallel. include. Also, "perpendicular" respectively includes not only the state in which the two intersect each other at 90 degrees, but also the state in which they are substantially perpendicular. In other words, "parallel" and "perpendicular" each include a state in which there is an angular deviation in the positional relationship between the two without departing from the gist of the present invention.

It should be noted that these names are merely used for explanation, and are not intended to limit the actual positional relationships, directions, names, etc.

<1. Racing module 100>
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a racing module 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the racing module 100. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of application of the racing module 100. As shown in FIG. 1 shows a cross section of the racing module 100 along the dashed-dotted line II in FIG.

The lacing module 100 can electrically wind the string S around the spool 2, which will be described later, and release it from the spool 2 electrically or manually. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 , the lacing module 100 is attached to footwear 200 such as athletic shoes, and can tighten or loosen the shoelace (that is, the lace S) of the footwear 200 . Note that the racing module 100 is not limited to this illustration. For example, the lacing module 100 can be mounted on an article for winding, releasing, tightening, loosening, etc. the string S. For example, the lacing module 100 can also be used as a luggage bag such as a rucksack whose outlet is closed by tightening the string S, or as a fixture such as a cast that is attached by tightening the string S.

The racing module 100 includes a motor 11, a worm gear 12, a battery 13, a casing 14, a spool 2, a rotary drive section 3, a clutch gear 4, an operation section 5, a regulation section 6, and a support member 7. , and a limit gear 8 . The rotary drive unit 3 has a worm wheel gear 31 that meshes with the worm gear 12 . Also, the spool 2, the rotary drive section 3, the clutch gear 4, the operation section 5, the regulation section 6, and the support member 7 constitute a spool assembly (see FIGS. 6 and 7, which will be described later). Figures 4 and 5

<1-1. motor 11>
Motor 11 is electrically connected to battery 13 . A shaft 111 of the motor 11 rotates in one circumferential direction or the other circumferential direction around the motor rotation axis Ax by current supplied from the battery 13 .

<1-2. Worm gear 12>
The worm gear 12 extends along the motor rotation axis Ax and is connected with the shaft 111 of the motor 11 . As previously mentioned, lacing module 100 includes worm gear 12 . Worm gear 12 is rotatable together with shaft 111 of motor 11 . Torque of the motor 11 is transmitted to the worm wheel gear 31 via the worm gear 12 . As will be described later, the clutch gear 4 can be connected to the worm wheel gear 31 by fitting the convex portion 43 into the concave portion 35 .

The worm gear 12 is connected to a later-described spool shaft portion 22 of the spool 2 via the rotary drive portion 3 . By driving the motor 11, the worm gear 12 rotates in the circumferential direction around the motor rotation axis Ax. The spool 2 is interlocked with the rotation of the worm gear 12 and rotates in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis J1. For example, when the shaft 111 of the motor 11 rotates in one circumferential direction about the motor rotation axis Ax, the spool 2 rotates in one circumferential direction about the rotation axis J1. be done. On the other hand, when the shaft 111 of the motor 11 rotates in the other circumferential direction about the motor rotation axis Ax, the spool 2 rotates in the other circumferential direction about the rotation axis J1, thereby unwinding the string S. Released from spool 2.

<1-3. Battery 13>
A battery 13 supplies power to the motor 11 . The battery 13 is a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery in this embodiment. However, it is not limited to this example, and a primary battery such as a dry battery may be used instead of the secondary battery.

<1-4. casing 14>
Next, the configuration of the casing 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the casing 14. FIG.

The casing 14 accommodates at least part of the spool shaft portion 22 and the rotary drive portion 3 . As previously mentioned, lacing module 100 includes casing 14 . Further, the casing 14 houses the motor 11, the worm gear 12, the battery 13, the clutch gear 4, the operating portion 5, the restricting portion 6, the supporting member 7, the restricting gear 8, and the like. The casing 14 has a rectangular shape when viewed from above and below. Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the casing 14 viewed from above and below is referred to as "first direction D1", and the width direction of casing 14 seen from above and below is referred to as "second direction D2". In this embodiment, the vertical direction, the first direction D1, and the second direction D2 are perpendicular to each other.

The casing 14 has a bottom plate portion 141 , a side plate portion 142 , an upper plate portion 143 , a lower plate portion 144 and a sealing member 145 .

<1-4-1. Bottom plate portion 141 and side plate portion 142>
The bottom plate portion 141 extends in a direction that intersects the rotation axis J1 (radial direction in this embodiment). The side plate portion 142 has a tubular shape extending upward Du from the outer edge portion of the bottom plate portion 141 . The bottom plate portion 141 and the side plate portions 142 form a box whose upper end is open. The motor 11, the worm gear 12, the battery 13, at least part of the spool shaft portion 22, the rotary drive portion 3 (worm wheel gear 31), the clutch gear 4, the operation portion 5, the regulation portion 6, the support member 7, and the limit gear 8 and the like are accommodated. The bottom plate portion 141 and the side plate portion 142 are integrated in this embodiment, but are not limited to this example, and may be separate.

The bottom plate portion 141 has a receiving hole 1411 and a hole portion 1412 . The receiving hole 1411 is arranged on the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 141 and is recessed downward Dd. A lower end portion of the spool shaft portion 22 is accommodated in the receiving hole 1411 . The hole portion 1412 vertically penetrates the bottom plate portion 141 . A linear member 53 , which will be described later, is inserted through the hole 1412 .

<1-4-2. Upper plate portion 143>
The upper plate portion 143 spreads in a direction that intersects the rotation axis J<b>1 (radial direction in this embodiment) and is arranged below the lid portion 15 Dd. As described above, the lacing module 100 has the upper plate portion 143 . The upper plate portion 143 covers the upper end portion of the side plate portion 142 .

The upper plate portion 143 has an opening portion 1431 , a shaft portion 1432 , a concave portion 1433 and a piece portion 1434 .

The opening 1431 vertically penetrates the upper plate portion 143 . Casing 14 has an opening 1431 . The spool shaft portion 22 is inserted through the opening 1431 as described later.

The shaft portion 1432 rotatably supports the limit gear 8. The shaft portion 1432 extends downward Dd along the gear shaft J2 parallel to the rotation axis J1 on the lower surface of the upper plate portion 143 (see FIG. 1). The shaft portion 1432 is arranged radially outward of the spool shaft portion 22 .

The recessed portion 1433 is recessed downward Dd on the upper surface of the upper plate portion 143 . In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, four recesses 1433 are arranged around the opening 1431 . Preferably, the recess 1433 is arranged non-rotationally symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis J1 when viewed in the vertical direction. It should be noted that the number of recesses 1433 may be singular or plural other than four, without being limited to the example of the present embodiment. The number of recesses 1433 may be equal to or greater than the number of protrusions 154 of the lid 15, which will be described later. Also, the plurality of recesses 1433 may be arranged rotationally symmetrically with respect to the rotation axis J1.

The piece portion 1434 protrudes outward from the outer edge portion of the upper plate portion 143 . In the present embodiment, the pieces 1434 are arranged at one end of the upper plate portion 143 in the second direction D2 and the other end of the upper plate portion 143 in the second direction D2.

<1-4-3. Lower plate portion 144>
The lower plate portion 144 is arranged below the bottom plate portion 141 Dd and spreads in a direction intersecting with the rotation axis J1 (radial direction in this embodiment). The bottom plate portion 141 has a hole portion 1441 . The hole portion 1441 vertically penetrates the lower plate portion 144 . The linear member 53 is inserted through the hole 1441 .

<1-4-4. sealing member 145>
The seal member 145 is arranged between the bottom plate portion 141 and the lower plate portion 144, as shown in FIG. The sealing member 145 seals the gap between the linear member 53 and the

holes

1412 and 1441 . The lacing module 100 further comprises a sealing member 145. As shown in FIG. The seal member 145 has a hole portion (reference numeral omitted) penetrating the seal member 145 in the vertical direction. The linear member 53 is inserted through this hole. The inner peripheral surface of the hole is in contact with the linear member 53 without any gap. In this way, it is possible to prevent liquid (such as water) and dust from entering the casing 14 through the

holes

1412 and 1441 .

<1-5. lid portion 15>
Next, the configuration of the lid portion 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 5. FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lid portion 15 viewed from below Dd.

The lid portion 15 has a lidded tubular shape with an open lower end, and is attached to the casing 14 . Preferably, the lid portion 15 is detachable from the casing 14 . In this way, if trouble (tangling, breakage, etc.) of the string S occurs in the trunk section 21, by removing the lid section 15 from the casing 14, inspection and repair can be facilitated. However, this illustration does not exclude the configuration in which the lid portion 15 is non-detachably fixed to the casing 14 .

The lid portion 15 covers a region of the upper surface of the upper plate portion 143 including the opening portion 1431 . The lid portion 15 accommodates a body portion 21 which will be described later. As described above, the lacing module 100 has the lid portion 15 .

The lid portion 15 has a top surface portion 151 , an outer wall portion 152 , an inner wall portion 153 , a convex portion 154 , an extending member 155 , a claw portion 156 and a hook portion 157 .

<1-5-1. top surface portion 151>
The top surface portion 151 is arranged above the upper plate portion 143 Du. As described above, the lid portion 15 has the top portion 151 . The top surface portion 151 extends in a direction that intersects the vertical direction (radial direction in this embodiment).

The top surface portion 151 has a flange portion 1511 . The flange portion 1511 is arranged outside the outer wall portion 152 when viewed in the vertical direction and spreads in a direction intersecting the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the flange portion 1511 extends in the second direction D2 at the outer edge portion of the top surface portion 151 in the second direction D2.

<1-5-2. outer wall portion 152>
The outer wall portion 152 extends downward Dd from the outer edge portion of the top surface portion 151 and is arranged radially outward of the inner wall portion 153 . As described above, the lid portion 15 has the outer wall portion 152 . The outer wall portion 152 has

outlets

152a and 152b. In other words, the lid portion 15 has

outlets

152a and 152b. The

outlets

152 a and 152 b pass through the outer wall portion 152 . The string S wound around the spool 2 is pulled out from the inside of the lid portion 15 to the outside through the

outlets

152a and 152b.

In the present embodiment, the

outlets

152a and 152b are arranged at positions facing each other with the body portion 21 interposed therebetween when viewed in the vertical direction. However, the

outlets

152a and 152b are not limited to this example, and the

outlets

152a and 152b may be arranged at positions that are not opposed to each other with the body portion 21 interposed therebetween when viewed from above and below. For example, one of the

outlets

152a and 152b may be arranged at the end of the lid portion 15 in the first direction D1 when viewed from the top and bottom direction, and the other of the

outlets

152a and 152b may be arranged at the end portion of the lid portion 15 in the second direction D2. may be placed at the end of the

<1-5-3. inner wall portion 153>
The inner wall portion 153 extends downward Dd from the top surface portion 151 and surrounds the body portion 21 when viewed in the vertical direction. As described above, the lid portion 15 has an inner wall portion 153 .

The inner wall portion 153 has a pair of

guide wall portions

1531a and 1531b. A pair of

guide wall portions

1531a and 1531b face each other with the body portion 21 interposed therebetween. Each

guide wall portion

1531a, 1531b extends at least toward the

outlets

152a, 152b and is connected to the edges of the

outlets

152a, 152b.

A gap Wg between the pair of

guide wall portions

1531a and 1531b in the opposing direction of the pair of

guide wall portions

1531a and 1531b becomes narrower from the rotation axis J1 toward the

outlets

152a and 152b.

By doing so, the inner wall portion 153 can protect the trunk portion 21 . Further, the cord S wound around the body portion 21 is pulled out of the lid portion 15 through the pull-out

openings

152a and 152b. By passing the string S between the pair of

guide walls

1531a and 1531b, the string S can be guided toward the

outlets

152a and 152b by the

guide walls

1531a and 1531b. Further, the string S can be pulled out smoothly by narrowing the gap Wg between the pair of

guide walls

1531a and 1531b in the opposing direction from the rotation axis J1 toward the

outlets

152a and 152b.

In addition, the inner wall portion 153 surrounds the body portion 21 and has a pair of

guide wall portions

1531a and 1531b. By providing the inner wall portion 153 in the lid portion 15, a sufficient space for accommodating the trunk portion 21 of the spool 2 and drawing out the string S is ensured in the casing 14 compared to the structure in which the inner wall portion 153 is provided in the casing 14. can.

<1-5-4. Convex portion 154>
The convex portion 154 protrudes downward Dd from the lower surface of the top surface portion 151 and is inserted into the concave portion 1433 . In this embodiment, four convex portions 154 are arranged around the space surrounded by the inner wall portion 153 . Preferably, these protrusions 154 are arranged in a non-rotational symmetry with respect to the rotation axis J1 when viewed from above and below. It should be noted that the number of protrusions 154 may be singular or plural other than four, without being limited to the example of the present embodiment. Also, the plurality of protrusions 154 may be arranged rotationally symmetrically with respect to the rotation axis J1.

Note that, in this embodiment, the recess 1433 is arranged on the casing 14 side, and the protrusion 154 is arranged on the lid section 15 side. However, it is not limited to this illustration, and the concave portion 1433 may be arranged on the lid portion 15 side, and the convex portion 154 may be arranged on the casing 14 side. In other words, one of the casing 14 and the lid 15 may further have a concave portion 1433 recessed from the other of the casing 14 and the lid 15 toward the one in the vertical direction. Moreover, the other of the above may further have a convex portion 154 that protrudes from the one of the above to the other of the above and is inserted into the concave portion 1433 . In this way, when assembling the racing module 100 , by inserting the convex portion 154 into the concave portion 1433 , the lid portion 15 can be easily positioned with respect to the casing 14 .

Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the convex portion 154 and the concave portion 1433 are arranged outside the inner wall portion 153 in the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. Specifically, the convex portion 154 and the concave portion 1433 are arranged between the outer wall portion 152 and the inner wall portion 153 when viewed in the vertical direction. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the projecting portion 154 from coming into contact with the string S pulled out from the trunk portion 21 to the

outlets

152a and 152b. Even if the positioning structure of the protrusion 154 and the recess 1433 is arranged, the string S can be pulled out smoothly without the protrusion 154 interfering with the string S.

<1-5-5. Extension member 155 and claw portion 156>
The extending member 155 has flexibility and extends downward Dd from at least one of the top surface portion 151 and the outer wall portion 152 . As mentioned above, lid 15 has extension member 155 . In this embodiment, the extension member 155 extends downward Dd from the flange portion 1511 . In this way, the extending member 155 can be spaced outward from the top surface portion 151 in the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction (the first direction D1 in FIG. 2). Therefore, the arrangement of the lid portion 15 with respect to the casing 14 can be designed more freely.

The claw portion 156 is arranged below the extension member 155 and hooked on a portion of the casing 14 . As described above, the lid portion 15 has the claw portions 156 . With this configuration, the snap-fit structure composed of the extending member 155 and the claw portion 156 allows the lid portion 15 to be detachably attached to the casing 14 with a simple configuration.

In this embodiment, the claw portion 156 is hooked on the outer edge portion of the upper plate portion 143 . By doing so, it is not necessary to form a component on the casing 14 for hooking the claw portion 156 . Therefore, the lid portion 15 can be attached to the casing 14 with a simpler configuration.

In addition, although the number of snap-fit structures composed of the extending members 155 and the claw portions 156 is two in this embodiment, it is not limited to this example, and may be singular or three or more. There may be.

<1-5-6. Hook portion 157>
A piece portion 1434 is hooked on the hook portion 157 . This hook structure allows the lid portion 15 to be attached to the casing 14 . In this embodiment, one hook portion 157 is arranged on each side of the lid portion 15 in the second direction D2. However, the arrangement and number of hook portions 157 are not limited to this example.

Further, in this embodiment, the hook portion 157 is arranged on the lid portion 15 side, and the piece portion 1434 is arranged on the casing 14 side. However, it is not limited to this illustration, and at least one hook portion 157 may be arranged on the casing 14 side, and at least one piece portion 1434 may be arranged on the lid portion 15 side. That is, one of the lid portion 15 and the casing 14 may have the piece portion 1434 . Also, the other of the lid portion 15 and the casing 14 may have the hook portion 157 on which the piece portion 1434 is hooked.

Preferably, when viewed from the vertical direction, the hook portion 157 is arranged on the side opposite to the extension member 155 with the trunk portion 21 interposed in one direction (the first direction D1 in FIG. 2) perpendicular to the vertical direction. For example, in the present embodiment, the hook portion 157 is arranged on one side of the trunk portion 21 in the second direction D2, and the extension member 155 is arranged on the other side of the trunk portion 21 in the second direction D2. As a result, the hooking structure of the piece 1434 and the hook portion 157 and the snap-fit structure described above enable the lid portion 15 to be attached to the casing 14 more reliably than the configuration in which the lid portion 15 is attached to the casing 14 only by the snap-fit structure. can be done.

Also, when attaching and detaching the lid portion 15, it is only necessary to attach and detach the above-described snap-fit structure with the above-described hook structure as a fulcrum, and there is no need to use a complicated procedure. However, a member such as a screw may be additionally used to attach the lid portion 15 to the casing 14 for the purpose of fixing it more firmly.

In addition, although the number of hooking structures composed of the hook portion 157 and the piece portion 1434 is two in this embodiment, it is not limited to this example, and may be singular or three or more. may

Also, in this embodiment, both the above-described snap-fit structure and hook structure are used for attaching the lid portion 15 to the casing 14 . However, the attachment of the lid portion 15 to the casing 14 is not limited to this example, and only the above-described snap-fit structure may be employed, or only the above-described hooking structure may be employed.

<1-6. Spool assembly>
The spool assembly will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1-2 and 6-7. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the spool assembly. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the spool assembly. In the spool assembly, a rotation drive portion 3, a clutch gear 4, an operation portion 5, a regulation portion 6, and a support member 7 are attached to the spool 2. As shown in FIG.

<1-6-1. Spool 2>
The spool 2 has a body portion 21 and a spool shaft portion 22 . A string S can be wound around the trunk portion 21 . The spool shaft portion 22 extends along a rotation axis J1 extending in the vertical direction. As mentioned above, the lacing module 100 comprises the spool 2. As shown in FIG.

<1-6-1-1. body 21>
The trunk portion 21 is connected to the upper end portion of the spool shaft portion 22 and is rotatable together with the spool shaft portion 22 . The body portion 21 is arranged above the casing 14 and is housed inside the lid portion 15 . An upper end portion of the trunk portion 21 vertically faces the top surface portion 151 . Also, the lower end portion of the trunk portion 21 vertically faces the upper plate portion 143 . As a result, vertical movement of the spool 2 is suppressed.

<1-6-1-2. Spool shaft portion 22>
The spool shaft portion 22 is inserted through an opening 1431 of the upper plate portion 143 and fitted into the opening 1431 via a gasket (reference numerals omitted) such as an O-ring. Thereby, the spool shaft portion 22 is held by the upper plate portion 143 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis J1. At least the portion on the lower Dd side of the spool shaft portion 22 is housed in the casing 14 . The spool shaft portion 22 is rotatable about the rotation axis J1 together with the body portion 21 and the clutch gear 4 .

As shown in FIG. 7, the spool shaft portion 22 has a first plane portion 221, a contact surface portion 222, an upper groove portion 223, and a lower groove portion 224. The first plane portion 221 is parallel to the vertical direction and arranged on the radial outer surface of the spool shaft portion 22 . The contact surface portion 222 is in contact with the upper end portion of the rotary drive portion 3, and in the present embodiment, is in contact with the upper end portion of the intermittent gear 36, which will be described later. The contact surface portion 222 is perpendicular to the up-down direction and is arranged above the first plane portion 221 Du. The contact surface portion 222 is arranged on the radial outer surface of the spool shaft portion 22 and extends radially outward from the upper end portion of the first flat portion 221 in this embodiment. The upper groove portion 223 is recessed radially inward and extends in the circumferential direction, and is disposed on the radially outer surface of the spool shaft portion 22 . The upper groove portion 223 is arranged above the operating member 52 in the lower portion of the spool shaft portion 22 . The lower groove portion 224 is recessed radially inward and extends in the circumferential direction, and is disposed on the radially outer surface of the spool shaft portion 22 . The lower groove portion 224 is arranged in the lower portion of the spool shaft portion 22 at a position Dd below the upper groove portion 223 and the operating member 52 .

<1-6-2. Rotation drive unit 3>
Next, the rotary drive unit 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. The rotary drive unit 3 is rotatable around the rotation axis J1. As described above, the racing module 100 has the rotary drive section 3 . The rotary drive unit 3 rotates the spool 2 around the rotation axis J1. The worm wheel gear 31 is arranged at the radially outer end of the spool shaft 22 and extends radially outward from the radially outer end of the spool shaft 22 . The worm wheel gear 31 meshes with the worm gear 12 . Specifically, a plurality of teeth 311 are arranged in a circumferential direction on the radially outer end of the worm wheel gear 31 . The teeth 311 mesh with the teeth of the worm gear 12, so that the worm wheel gear 31 rotates in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis J1 as the worm gear 12 rotates.

Note that, in this embodiment, the torque of the motor 11 is transmitted to the spool 2 via the worm wheel gear 31 and the worm gear 12 . However, the torque transmission mechanism is not limited to this illustration, and various members and structures for torque transmission can be employed for the torque transmission mechanism. For example, torque may be transmitted through spur gears, bevel gears, chains and sprockets, and the like. Further, the racing module 100 may have a configuration in which the rotation driving section 3 includes a motor that generates torque to be transmitted to the spool 2 . In this case, the worm gear 12 and the worm wheel gear 31 described above can be omitted. For example, clutch gear 4 may be connectable with the rotor of motor 11 . By doing so, the clutch gear 4 can transmit the rotation of the rotor to the spool 2 .

The rotary drive unit 3 further has a gear recess 32 , a central recess 33 , a first gear through-hole 34 , a recess 35 and an intermittent gear 36 .

The gear recess 32 is arranged on the lower surface of the worm wheel gear 31 and is recessed upward Du. The gear recess 32 accommodates the clutch gear 4, at least a portion of the operating portion 5 on the upper Du side, the restricting portion 6, and the like (see FIG. 6). As a result, the vertical size of the spool assembly can be reduced.

The central recessed portion 33 is arranged on the bottom surface facing downward Dd of the gear recessed portion 32 and is recessed upward Du. The radially outer end of the central recessed portion 33 is arranged radially inwardly of the radially outer end of the gear recessed portion 32 . At least the upper Du side portion of the restricting portion 6 is accommodated in the central recessed portion 33 . As a result, the vertical size of the spool assembly can be further reduced.

The first gear through-hole 34 is arranged on the bottom surface facing downward Dd of the central recessed portion 33, and penetrates the worm wheel gear 31 and the intermittent gear 36 in the vertical direction. The center of the first gear through-hole 34 coincides with the center of the worm wheel gear 31 when viewed from above and below. The spool shaft portion 22 is inserted through the first gear through-hole 34 . The inner peripheral surface of the first gear through-hole 34 faces the radial outer surface of the spool shaft portion 22 at a position Dd below the contact surface portion 222 with a gap in the radial direction. Thereby, the worm wheel gear 31 and the intermittent gear 36 are rotatably supported by the spool shaft portion 22 .

The recessed portion 35 is arranged on the bottom surface facing downward Dd of the gear recessed portion 32 and is recessed upward Du. The recess 35 is arranged radially outward of the central recess 33 and extends radially outward from the radially outer end of the central recess 33 in this embodiment. A plurality of recesses 35 are arranged in a circumferential direction about the rotation axis J1. Although the number of recesses 35 is four in FIG. 7, it is not limited to this example. The number of recesses 35 may be singular or plural other than four. Moreover, the plurality of recesses 35 arranged in the circumferential direction may be arranged at equal intervals, or may be arranged at different intervals.

The intermittent gear 36 is an annular gear surrounding the rotation axis J1. The intermittent gear 36 is fixed to the upper end of the worm wheel gear 31 and is integral with the worm wheel gear 31 in this embodiment. A plurality of first teeth 361 arranged in the circumferential direction are arranged in a partial area of the radial outer surface of the intermittent gear 36 in the circumferential direction. The first teeth 361 are circumferentially arranged at predetermined intervals in the partial region, but are not arranged in regions other than the partial region. The number of first teeth 361 is two in this embodiment (see FIG. 9 described later). However, the number of first teeth 361 is not limited to this example, and may be three or more.

<1-6-3. clutch gear 4>
Next, the clutch gear 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. FIG. 8 is a top view of the clutch gear 4. FIG.

The clutch gear 4 is arranged at the radially outer end of the spool shaft 22 and extends radially outward from the radially outer end of the spool shaft 22 . The clutch gear 4 is connectable with the rotation drive section 3 . This connection can be released by moving the clutch gear 4 connected to the spool shaft portion 22 downward Dd.

The clutch gear 4 vertically faces the rotary drive section 3 and is connected to the radially outer end portion of the spool shaft section 22 so as to be vertically movable. That is, the clutch gear 4 can be non-rotatably connected to the spool shaft portion 22 . This connection allows the rotary drive unit 3 to transmit the torque transmitted from the motor 11 via the worm gear 12 to the clutch gear 4 . The spool 2 can be rotated around the rotation axis J1 by torque transmitted from the clutch gear 4 . As a result, the spool 2 can wind the string S around the trunk portion 21 and apply tension to the string S. Further, the spool 2 can be rotated in the reverse direction in response to the reverse rotation of the motor 11 to loosen the string S wound around the body portion 21 so that the string S can be untied from the body portion 21 .

The clutch gear 4 has a second gear through-hole 41 . The second gear through-hole 41 vertically penetrates the clutch gear 4 . The spool shaft portion 22 is inserted through the second gear through-hole 41 . The inner peripheral surface of the second gear through-hole 41 is in contact with the radially outer surface of the spool shaft portion 22 .

In addition, the clutch gear 4 further has a second plane portion 42 parallel to the vertical direction (see FIGS. 7 and 8). The second plane portion 42 is arranged on the inner surface of the second gear through-hole 41 . The second flat portion 42 is in contact with and faces the first flat portion 221 of the spool shaft portion 22 in the radial direction. In this way, the clutch gear 4 can be rendered non-rotatable in the circumferential direction with respect to the spool shaft portion 22 . Therefore, idling of the clutch gear 4 with respect to the spool shaft portion 22 can be reliably prevented.

In addition, the clutch gear 4 further has a convex portion 43 as shown in FIG. The convex portion 43 is arranged on the upper surface of the clutch gear 4 and protrudes upward Du. At least the upper end portion of the projection 43 is detachably fitted into the recess 35 of the rotary drive portion 3 . The fitting of the two enables the clutch gear 4 to rotate in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis J1 together with the rotary drive section 3 (especially the worm wheel gear 31). In other words, the torque of the rotation driving portion 3 can be transmitted to the clutch gear 4 and further to the spool 2 via the clutch gear 4 . Although the number of convex portions 43 is four in FIG. 8, it is not limited to this example. The number of protrusions 43 may be singular or plural other than four.

Further, in the present embodiment, all the convex portions 43 are arranged on the side of the clutch gear 4 (upper surface thereof) (see FIG. 8), and all the concave portions 35 are arranged on the side of the rotary drive portion 3 (on the gear concave portion 32 of the worm wheel gear 31). bottom). However, the arrangement of the protrusions 43 and the recesses 35 is not limited to the example in this embodiment. At least one convex portion 43 may be arranged on the rotary drive portion 3 side (the bottom surface of the gear concave portion 32 of the worm wheel gear 31). At least one recess 35 may be arranged on the clutch gear 4 side (its upper surface).

In other words, one of the rotation driving portion 3 and the clutch gear 4 should have the protrusion 43 projecting toward the other of the rotation driving portion 3 and the clutch gear 4 . Further, the other side may have a concave portion 35 recessed from the one side toward the other side. At this time, the convex portion 43 is arranged on the one surface facing the other, and protrudes from the one in the vertical direction to the other. The concave portion 35 is arranged on the surface of the other side facing the one side, and is recessed in the direction from the one side to the other side in the vertical direction. At least the ends of the projections 43 in the direction from the one to the other in the vertical direction are fitted into the recesses 35 . As a result, the clutch gear 4 can be connected to the rotary drive section 3 by fitting the convex portion 43 into the concave portion 35 .

If excessive tension is applied to the string S and excessive torque is generated in the spool shaft portion 22, the convex portion 43 is disengaged from the concave portion 35, thereby disconnecting the clutch gear 4 from the spool shaft portion 22. can. As a result, the spool 2 can be freely rotated and the string S wound around the body portion 21 can be quickly loosened. Therefore, since the tension acting on the string S can be immediately reduced, damage to the string S can be reduced or prevented, and the life of the string S can be extended.

In addition, the clutch gear 4 further has a cylindrical portion 44 as shown in FIG. 7 and the like. At the lower end of the clutch gear 4, the cylindrical portion 44 surrounds the rotation axis J1 and extends downward Dd. The tubular portion 44 has a groove portion 441 . The groove portion 441 has an annular shape that is recessed radially inward and extends in the circumferential direction, and is arranged on the radially outer surface of the tubular portion 44 .

<1-6-4. Operation unit 5>
Next, the operation unit 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. The operation unit 5 is a member that can be operated externally by the user. The operation unit 5 disconnects the clutch gear 4 from the rotary drive unit 3 in accordance with a user's operation. The user can freely rotate the spool 2 with respect to the rotary drive unit 3 by disengaging the clutch gear 4 from the rotary drive unit 3 according to the operation of the operation unit 5 . Therefore, the user can operate the spool 2 manually. For example, even if the racing module 100 cannot be electrically driven due to power shortage, failure, etc., the spool 2 can be manually operated, so that the string S wound around the trunk portion 21 can be manually removed from the trunk portion 21. can be solved.

The operation unit 5 separates or brings the clutch gear 4 closer to or away from the rotary drive unit 3 according to the user's operation. By doing so, it is possible to switch between a state in which the spool 2 can be manually operated and a state in which the spool 2 can be driven electrically, with a simple configuration. For example, the racing module 100 disengages the clutch gear 4 from the rotary drive unit 3 by moving the clutch gear 4 away from the rotary drive unit 3, and the spool 2 can be manually operated. In addition, the racing module 100 connects the clutch gear 4 to the rotary drive unit 3 by bringing the clutch gear 4 closer to the rotary drive unit 3 , and enters a state in which the spool 2 can be electrically driven.

The operating portion 5 has a connecting member 51 , an operating member 52 and a linear member 53 .

<1-6-4-1. Connecting member 51>
The connecting member 51 is connected to the clutch gear 4 . In this embodiment, the connecting member 51 has an annular shape surrounding the rotation axis J1. A radially inner end portion of the connecting member 51 fits into the groove portion 441 of the clutch gear 4 . Thereby, the connecting member 51 is connected to the clutch gear 4 so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis J1. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the connecting member 51 from rotating together with the clutch gear 4 .

<1-6-4-2. actuating member 52>
The operating member 52 is arranged below the clutch gear 4 Dd. The actuating member 52 has an opening 521 extending therethrough in the vertical direction. The spool shaft portion 22 is inserted through the opening portion 521 of the operating member 52 . In other words, the operating member 52 is arranged radially outward of the spool shaft portion 22 . The actuating member 52 applies a load to the clutch gear 4 toward the rotary drive portion 3 . By moving the clutch gear 4 toward the rotary drive section 3 with the above load, the clutch gear 4 can be brought into a connectable state with the rotary drive section 3 . For example, when the user does not operate the operating unit 5 , the racing module 100 can couple the clutch gear 4 to the rotary drive unit 3 to electrically drive the spool 2 . Moreover, it is possible to prevent the protrusion 43 from easily coming off the recess 35 due to the above load. Furthermore, by adjusting the load, the tension acting on the string S when the protrusion 43 is removed from the recess 35 can be adjusted. That is, the upper limit of the tension acting on the string S can be adjusted.

In this embodiment, the actuating member 52 includes an elastic member 522. The elastic member 522 is arranged below the clutch gear 4 Dd. An upper end portion of the elastic member 522 contacts the clutch gear 4 . By utilizing the elastic force of the elastic member 522, the operating member 52 can direct the clutch gear 4 toward the rotary drive section 3 with a simple configuration. A spring coil is adopted as the elastic member 522 in this embodiment. However, it is not limited to this illustration, and the elastic member 522 may be a plate spring or a member made of rubber.

<1-6-4-3. Linear member 53>
The linear member 53 extends from the connecting member 51 at least in the direction opposite to the direction of the load applied to the clutch gear 4 by the operating member 52 . When the user pulls the linear member 53 , the clutch gear 4 moves, for example, downward Dd together with the connecting member 51 to separate from the rotary drive section 3 . In other words, the user can release the connection of the clutch gear 4 with the rotary drive unit 3 .

The linear member 53 is a wire with one end connected to the connecting member 51 in this embodiment. The linear member 53 is pulled out from the inside of the casing 14 to the outside through the hole 1412 , the hole of the seal member 145 , and the hole 1441 . By pulling the other end of the linear member 53 out of the casing 14 through the hole 1412 , the hole of the seal member 145 , and the hole 1441 , the user can operate the operation unit 5 from the outside of the casing 14 .

<1-6-5. Regulation part 6>
The restricting portion 6 is an annular metal fitting surrounding the rotating shaft J1. The spool shaft portion 22 is inserted through the restricting portion 6 . A radially inner end portion of the restricting portion 6 is accommodated in the upper groove portion 223 of the spool shaft portion 22 . The restricting portion 6 is arranged between the worm wheel gear 31 and the clutch gear 4 in the vertical direction, and is in contact with the bottom surface of the gear concave portion 32 of the rotation driving portion 3 facing downward Dd. Thereby, the restricting portion 6 restricts the movement of the rotation driving portion 3 downward Dd.

<1-6-6. Support member 7>
The support member 7 is an annular metal fitting that surrounds the rotation axis J1 and is in contact with the lower end of the elastic member 522 . The support member 7 supports the lower end of the elastic member 522 . Specifically, the spool shaft portion 22 is inserted through the support member 7 . A radial inner end portion of the support member 7 is accommodated in the lower groove portion 224 of the spool shaft portion 22 . By arranging the support member 7 , the lacing module 100 can regulate the expansion and contraction range of the elastic member 522 . For example, the upper end of elastic member 522 contacts clutch gear 4 . The movement of the upper end portion upward Du is regulated by the rotary drive portion 3 . Further, the movement of the lower end portion of the elastic member 522 downward Dd is restricted by the support member 7 . Therefore, in the racing module 100, the elastic force of the elastic member 522 can be designed to a desired value because the elastic member 522 can be expanded and contracted depending on the vertical position of the support member 7. FIG.

Note that the support member 7 may be a part of the bottom plate portion 141 of the casing 14 without being limited to the example of this embodiment. That is, the bottom plate portion 141 may support the lower end portion of the elastic member 522 , and the bottom plate portion 141 may restrict the movement of the lower end portion downward Dd.

As a modified example, the racing module 100 may employ a configuration in which the restricting portion 6 also contacts the clutch gear 4 . Thereby, the racing module 100 can further restrict the expansion and contraction range of the elastic member 522 not only by the support member 7 but also by the restriction portion 6 .

<1-7. Limit gear 8>
Next, the limit gear 8 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 9. FIG. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing engagement of each gear.

The limit gear 8 is rotatable around the gear shaft J2 and meshes with the intermittent gear 36 of the rotation drive section 3. As shown in FIG. 9, the limit gear 8 is rotatably supported by a shaft portion 1432 of the upper plate portion 143 and extends radially outward from the shaft portion 1432 with the gear axis J2 as a reference.

The limit gear 8 has a plurality of second teeth 81, first limit teeth 82, and second limit teeth 83. The plurality of second teeth 81 are arranged in a circumferential direction around the gear shaft J2. The first restricting tooth 82 is circumferentially adjacent to the second tooth 81 arranged on one side in the circumferential direction. The second restricting tooth 83 is circumferentially adjacent to the second tooth 81 arranged on the other side in the circumferential direction. The second tooth 81 , the first limit tooth 82 , and the second limit tooth 83 of the limit gear 8 are meshable with the first tooth 361 of the rotary drive section 3 . The tooth thickness of the first limiting tooth 82 and the second limiting tooth 83 is greater than the width of the tooth space between the circumferentially adjacent first teeth 361 of the intermittent gear 36 .

In this way, when the second tooth 81 of the limit gear 8 meshes with the first tooth 361 of the rotary drive section 3, the worm wheel gear 31 of the rotary drive section 3 can rotate. Therefore, if the rotation driving portion 3 is connected to the clutch gear 4, the spool 2 can wind the string S around the body portion 21 and untie the string S wound around the body portion 21. - 特許庁On the other hand, when the first limit tooth 82 or the second limit tooth 83 of the limit gear 8 meshes with the first tooth 361, the worm wheel gear 31 cannot rotate. Therefore, the spool 2 becomes unable to wind and unwind the string S. Therefore, by meshing the limit gear 8 with the clutch gear 4, the range in which the racing module 100 winds the string S and the range in which the string S is unwound can be determined.

Further, the state in which one of the first limiting tooth 82 and the second limiting tooth 83 of the limiting gear 8 meshes with the first tooth 361 of the intermittent gear 36 of the rotary drive unit 3 is defined as the starting point of the range in which the racing module 100 winds the string. be able to. Also, the state in which the other of the first limit tooth 82 and the second limit tooth 83 of the limit gear 8 meshes with the first tooth 361 can be used as the starting point of the range in which the racing module 100 unties the string S.

An exemplary embodiment of the second invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<2. Racing module 100>
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a racing module 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the racing module 100. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of application of the racing module 100. As shown in FIG. 1 shows a cross section of the racing module 100 along the dashed-dotted line II in FIG.

The racing module 100 includes a motor 11, a worm gear 12, a battery 13, a casing 14, a spool 2, a rotary drive section 3, a clutch gear 4, an operation section 5, a regulation section 6, and a support member 7. , and a limit gear 8 . The rotary drive unit 3 has a worm wheel gear 31 that meshes with the worm gear 12 . Also, the spool 2, the rotary drive section 3, the clutch gear 4, the operating section 5, the restricting section 6, and the support member 7 constitute a spool assembly (see FIGS. 4 and 5, which will be described later).

<2-1. motor 11>
Motor 11 is electrically connected to battery 13 . A shaft 111 of the motor 11 rotates in one circumferential direction or the other circumferential direction around the motor rotation axis Ax by current supplied from the battery 13 .

<2-2. Worm gear 12>
The worm gear 12 extends along the motor rotation axis Ax and is connected with the shaft 111 of the motor 11 . As previously mentioned, lacing module 100 includes worm gear 12 . Worm gear 12 is rotatable together with shaft 111 of motor 11 . Torque of the motor 11 is transmitted to the worm wheel gear 31 via the worm gear 12 . As will be described later, the clutch gear 4 can be connected to the worm wheel gear 31 by fitting the convex portion 43 into the concave portion 35 .

<2-3. Battery 13>
A battery 13 supplies power to the motor 11 . The battery 13 is a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery in this embodiment. However, it is not limited to this example, and a primary battery such as a dry battery may be used instead of the secondary battery.

<2-4. casing 14>
The casing 14 houses at least part of the spool shaft portion 22 , the rotary drive portion 3 , the clutch gear 4 and the operation portion 5 . As previously mentioned, lacing module 100 includes casing 14 . Further, the casing 14 accommodates the motor 11, the worm gear 12, the battery 13, the restricting portion 6, the supporting member 7, the restricting gear 8, and the like.

The bottom plate portion 141 extends in a direction intersecting the rotation axis J1 (radial direction in this embodiment). The side plate portion 142 has a tubular shape extending upward Du from the outer edge portion of the bottom plate portion 141 . The bottom plate portion 141 and the side plate portions 142 form a box whose upper end is open. The motor 11, the worm gear 12, the battery 13, at least part of the spool shaft portion 22, the rotary drive portion 3 (worm wheel gear 31), the clutch gear 4, the operation portion 5, the regulation portion 6, the support member 7, and the limit gear 8 and the like are accommodated. The bottom plate portion 141 and the side plate portion 142 are integrated in this embodiment, but are not limited to this example, and may be separate.

The upper plate portion 143 extends in a direction intersecting with the rotation axis J1 (radial direction in this embodiment) and covers the upper end portion of the side plate portion 142 . The upper plate portion 143 has an opening portion 1431 and a shaft portion 1432 . The opening 1431 vertically penetrates the upper plate portion 143 . The spool shaft portion 22 is inserted through the opening 1431 as described later. The shaft portion 1432 rotatably supports the limit gear 8 . The shaft portion 1432 extends downward Dd on the lower surface of the upper plate portion 143 along the gear shaft J2 parallel to the rotation axis J1. The shaft portion 1432 is arranged radially outward of the spool shaft portion 22 .

The lower plate portion 144 is arranged below the bottom plate portion 141 Dd and extends in a direction intersecting with the rotation axis J1 (radial direction in this embodiment). The bottom plate portion 141 has a hole portion 1441 . The hole portion 1441 vertically penetrates the lower plate portion 144 . The linear member 53 is inserted through the hole 1441 .

The sealing member 145 is arranged between the bottom plate portion 141 and the lower plate portion 144 . The sealing member 145 seals the gap between the linear member 53 and the

holes

1412 and 1441 .

<2-5. lid portion 15>
The lid portion 15 has a lidded tubular shape with an open bottom end, and is attached to the upper plate portion 143 of the casing 14 . Lid portion 15 covers a region of the upper surface of upper plate portion 143 including opening portion 1431 .

The lid portion 15 has a top portion 151 and an outer wall portion 152 . The top surface portion 151 is arranged above the upper plate portion 143 and extends in a direction intersecting the vertical direction (radial direction in this embodiment). The outer wall portion 152 extends downward Dd from the outer edge portion of the top surface portion 151 . The lid portion 15 has

outlets

152 a and 152 b penetrating the outer wall portion 152 . The string S wound around the spool 2 is pulled out from the inside of the lid portion 15 to the outside through the

outlets

152a and 152b.

<2-6. Spool assembly>
The spool assembly will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1-2 and 6-7. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the spool assembly. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the spool assembly. In the spool assembly, a rotation drive portion 3, a clutch gear 4, an operation portion 5, a regulation portion 6, and a support member 7 are attached to the spool 2. As shown in FIG.

<2-6-1. Spool 2>
The spool 2 has a body portion 21 and a spool shaft portion 22 . A string S can be wound around the trunk portion 21 . The spool shaft portion 22 extends along a rotation axis J1 extending in the vertical direction. As mentioned above, the lacing module 100 comprises the spool 2. As shown in FIG.

<2-6-1-1. body 21>
The trunk portion 21 is connected to the upper end portion of the spool shaft portion 22 and is rotatable together with the spool shaft portion 22 . The body portion 21 is arranged above the casing 14 and is housed inside the lid portion 15 . An upper end portion of the trunk portion 21 vertically faces the top surface portion 151 . Also, the lower end portion of the trunk portion 21 vertically faces the upper plate portion 143 . As a result, vertical movement of the spool 2 is suppressed.

<2-6-1-2. Spool shaft portion 22>
The spool shaft portion 22 is inserted through an opening 1431 of the upper plate portion 143 and fitted into the opening 1431 via a gasket (reference numerals omitted) such as an O-ring. Thereby, the spool shaft portion 22 is held by the upper plate portion 143 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis J1. At least the portion on the lower Dd side of the spool shaft portion 22 is housed in the casing 14 . The spool shaft portion 22 is rotatable about the rotation axis J1 together with the body portion 21 and the clutch gear 4 .

As shown in FIG. 7, the spool shaft portion 22 has a first plane portion 221, a contact surface portion 222, an upper groove portion 223, and a lower groove portion 224.

The first plane portion 221 is parallel to the vertical direction and arranged on the radial outer surface of the spool shaft portion 22 .

The contact surface portion 222 is in contact with the upper end portion of the rotary drive portion 3, and in the present embodiment, is in contact with the upper end portion of the intermittent gear 36, which will be described later. The contact surface portion 222 is perpendicular to the up-down direction and is arranged above the first plane portion 221 Du. The contact surface portion 222 is arranged on the radial outer surface of the spool shaft portion 22 and extends radially outward from the upper end portion of the first flat portion 221 in this embodiment. In this way, as will be described later, when the spool shaft portion 22 is inserted into the first gear through-hole 34 of the rotary drive portion 3, the vertical positioning of the rotary drive portion 3 with respect to the spool shaft portion 22 can be easily performed. Further, the contact surface portion 222 can restrict the upward movement of the rotary drive portion 3 with respect to the spool shaft portion 22 to Du.

The upper groove portion 223 is recessed radially inward and extends in the circumferential direction, and is arranged on the radial outer surface of the spool shaft portion 22 . The upper groove portion 223 is arranged above the operating member 52 in the lower portion of the spool shaft portion 22 .

The lower groove portion 224 is recessed radially inward and extends in the circumferential direction, and is arranged on the radial outer surface of the spool shaft portion 22 . The lower groove portion 224 is arranged in the lower portion of the spool shaft portion 22 at a position Dd below the upper groove portion 223 and the operating member 52 .

<2-6-2. Rotation drive unit 3>
Next, the rotary drive unit 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIGS. 6 to 7. FIG. The rotary drive unit 3 is rotatable around the rotation axis J1. As described above, the racing module 100 has the rotary drive section 3 . The rotary drive section 3 has the worm wheel gear 31 as described above. The worm wheel gear 31 is arranged at the radially outer end of the spool shaft 22 and extends radially outward from the radially outer end of the spool shaft 22 . The worm wheel gear 31 meshes with the worm gear 12 . Specifically, a plurality of teeth 311 are arranged in a circumferential direction on the radially outer end of the worm wheel gear 31 . The teeth 311 mesh with the teeth of the worm gear 12, so that the worm wheel gear 31 rotates in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis J1 as the worm gear 12 rotates.

It should be noted that in this embodiment, the torque of the motor 11 is transmitted to the spool 2 via the worm wheel gear 31 and the worm gear 12 . However, the torque transmission mechanism is not limited to this illustration, and various members and structures for torque transmission can be employed for the torque transmission mechanism. For example, torque may be transmitted through spur gears, bevel gears, chains and sprockets, and the like. Further, the racing module 100 may have a configuration in which the rotation driving section 3 includes a motor that generates torque to be transmitted to the spool 2 . In this case, the worm gear 12 and the worm wheel gear 31 described above can be omitted. For example, clutch gear 4 may be connectable with the rotor of motor 11 . By doing so, the clutch gear 4 can transmit the rotation of the rotor to the spool 2 .

The recessed portion 35 is arranged on the bottom surface facing downward Dd of the gear recessed portion 32 and is recessed upward Du. The recess 35 is arranged radially outward of the central recess 33 and extends radially outward from the radially outer end of the central recess 33 in this embodiment. A plurality of recesses 35 are arranged in a circumferential direction about the rotation axis J1. Although the number of recesses 35 is four in FIG. 5, it is not limited to this example. The number of recesses 35 may be singular or plural other than four. Moreover, the plurality of recesses 35 arranged in the circumferential direction may be arranged at equal intervals, or may be arranged at different intervals.

<2-6-3. clutch gear 4>
Next, the clutch gear 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 and 6 to 8. FIG. 8 is a top view of the clutch gear 4. FIG.

The clutch gear 4 vertically faces the rotary drive section 3 and is connected to the radially outer end portion of the spool shaft section 22 so as to be vertically movable. As mentioned above, the racing module 100 has the clutch gear 4 . That is, the clutch gear 4 can be non-rotatably connected to the spool shaft portion 22 . This connection allows the rotary drive unit 3 to transmit the torque transmitted from the motor 11 via the worm gear 12 to the clutch gear 4 . The spool 2 can be rotated around the rotation axis J1 by torque transmitted from the clutch gear 4 . As a result, the spool 2 can wind the string S around the trunk portion 21 and apply tension to the string S. Further, the spool 2 can be rotated in the reverse direction in response to the reverse rotation of the motor 11 to loosen the string S wound around the body portion 21 so that the string S can be untied from the body portion 21 .

In addition, the clutch gear 4 further has a convex portion 43 as shown in FIG. The convex portion 43 is arranged on the upper surface of the clutch gear 4 and protrudes upward Du. At least the upper end portion of the projection 43 is detachably fitted into the recess 35 of the rotary drive portion 3 . The fitting of the two enables the clutch gear 4 to rotate in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis J1 together with the rotary drive section 3 (especially the worm wheel gear 31). In other words, the torque of the rotation driving portion 3 can be transmitted to the clutch gear 4 and further to the spool 2 via the clutch gear 4 . Although the number of convex portions 43 is four in FIG. 6, it is not limited to this example. The number of protrusions 43 may be singular or plural other than four.

Preferably, at least one of the convex portion 43 and the concave portion 35 has a tapered shape when viewed from the radial direction with respect to the rotation axis J1. In this tapered shape, the width W in the direction Dv perpendicular to the vertical direction and the radial direction becomes narrower from the one side to the other side in the vertical direction. FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional view showing an example of fitting of the convex portion 43 to the concave portion 35 as seen from the radial direction. FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view showing another example of fitting of the convex portion 43 to the concave portion 35 as seen from the radial direction. The tapered shape of the concave portion 35 and the convex portion 43 may be a trapezoidal shape as shown in FIG. 10A or a triangular shape as shown in FIG. may

10A and 10B, the recess 35 has an inner surface 351 facing at least one direction Dv (hereinafter referred to as direction Dv1) and an inner surface facing at least the other direction Dv (hereinafter referred to as direction Dv2). 352 and . The convex portion 43 has an outer side surface 431 facing at least the direction Dv1 and an outer side surface 432 facing at least the direction Dv2. The inner side surface 352 of the concave portion 35 and the outer side surface 431 of the convex portion 43 face each other in the direction Dv, obliquely intersect the vertical direction, and extend in the direction Dv2 toward the upper side Du when viewed in the radial direction. The inner side surface 351 of the concave portion 35 and the outer side surface 432 of the convex portion 43 face each other in the direction Dv, obliquely intersect the vertical direction, and extend in the direction Dv1 toward the upper Du when viewed in the radial direction. Therefore, when viewed from the radial direction with respect to the rotation axis J1, the widths of the concave portion 35 and the convex portion 43 in the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and parallel to the radial direction become narrower toward the upper Du. Preferably, the outer side surface 431 of the convex portion 43 is parallel to the inner side surface 352 of the concave portion 35 on the one Dv1 side in the circumferential direction. Further, the outer side surface 432 of the convex portion 43 is parallel to the inner side surface 351 of the concave portion 35 on the other circumferential direction Dv2 side.

With such a tapered shape, the convex portion 43 can be reliably disengaged from the concave portion 35 when a torque equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold is transmitted between the coupled rotary drive portion 3 and clutch gear 4 . Also, at this time, the outer side surfaces 431 and 432 of the convex portion 43 are aligned with respect to the inner side surfaces 351 and 352 of the concave portion 35 in the vertical direction from the other gear to the one gear (in FIGS. 10A and 10B, Since it slides downward Dd), deformation and breakage of the concave portion 35 and the convex portion 43 are less likely to occur.

Although the shapes of the convex portion 43 and the concave portion 35 are the same in this embodiment, they may have different shapes. For example, a structure may be adopted in which the width of the concave portion 43 is made larger than the width of the convex portion 35 in the direction Dv so that the spool 2 rotates with play. Also, in the present embodiment, the shapes of the convex portion 43 and the concave portion 35 are bilaterally symmetrical, but they may be bilaterally asymmetrical. For example, one of the

inner surfaces

351 and 352 may have a greater inclination with respect to the vertical direction than the other inner surface. Also, one of the

outer surfaces

431 and 432 may be inclined with respect to the vertical direction more than the other outer surface. By doing so, a structure can be adopted in which the predetermined threshold value for removing the projection 43 from the recess 35 can be changed between rotation in one circumferential direction and rotation in the other circumferential direction.

<2-6-4. Operation unit 5>
Next, the operation unit 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 and 6 to 7. FIG. The operation unit 5 is a member that can be operated externally by the user. As described above, the racing module 100 has the operating section 5 . The operation unit 5 disconnects the clutch gear 4 from the rotary drive unit 3 in accordance with a user's operation. The user can freely rotate the spool 2 with respect to the rotary drive unit 3 by disengaging the clutch gear 4 from the rotary drive unit 3 according to the operation of the operation unit 5 . Therefore, the user can operate the spool 2 manually. For example, even if the racing module 100 cannot be electrically driven due to power shortage, failure, etc., the spool 2 can be manually operated, so that the string S wound around the trunk portion 21 can be manually removed from the trunk portion 21. can be solved.

<2-6-4-1. Connecting member 51>
The connecting member 51 is connected to the clutch gear 4 . As described above, the operating section 5 has the connecting member 51 . In this embodiment, the connecting member 51 has an annular shape surrounding the rotation axis J1. A radially inner end portion of the connecting member 51 fits into the groove portion 441 of the clutch gear 4 . Thereby, the connecting member 51 is connected to the clutch gear 4 so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis J1. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the connecting member 51 from rotating together with the clutch gear 4 .

<2-6-4-2. actuating member 52>
The operating member 52 is arranged below the clutch gear 4 Dd. The actuating member 52 has an opening 521 extending therethrough in the vertical direction. The spool shaft portion 22 is inserted through the opening portion 521 of the operating member 52 . In other words, the operating member 52 is arranged radially outward of the spool shaft portion 22 . As mentioned above, the operating portion 5 has the operating member 52 . The actuating member 52 applies a load to the clutch gear 4 toward the rotary drive portion 3 . By moving the clutch gear 4 toward the rotary drive section 3 with the above load, the clutch gear 4 can be brought into a connectable state with the rotary drive section 3 . For example, when the user does not operate the operating unit 5 , the racing module 100 can couple the clutch gear 4 to the rotary drive unit 3 to electrically drive the spool 2 . Moreover, it is possible to prevent the protrusion 43 from easily coming off the recess 35 due to the above load. Furthermore, by adjusting the load, the tension acting on the string S when the protrusion 43 is removed from the recess 35 can be adjusted. That is, the upper limit of the tension acting on the string S can be adjusted.

<2-6-4-3. Linear member 53>
The linear member 53 extends from the connecting member 51 at least in the direction opposite to the direction of the load applied to the clutch gear 4 by the operating member 52 . As described above, the operating section 5 has the linear member 53 . When the user pulls the linear member 53 , the clutch gear 4 moves, for example, downward Dd together with the connecting member 51 to separate from the rotary drive section 3 . In other words, the user can release the connection of the clutch gear 4 with the rotary drive unit 3 .

The linear member 53 is a wire with one end connected to the connecting member 51 in this embodiment. The linear member 53 is pulled out from the inside of the casing 14 to the outside through the hole 1412 , the hole of the seal member 145 , and the hole 1441 . As described above, the casing 14 has the hole 1412 , the hole of the seal member 145 and the hole 1441 . The hole 1412, the hole of the sealing member 145, and the hole 1441 are examples of the "hole" in the present invention. By pulling the other end of the linear member 53 out of the casing 14 through the hole 1412 , the hole of the seal member 145 , and the hole 1441 , the user can operate the operation unit 5 from the outside of the casing 14 .

Preferably, the linear members 53 are plural. Connection portions between the respective linear members 53 and the connecting members 51 are arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis J1. In this way, the user can pull the linear members 53 simultaneously to move the clutch gear 4 parallel to the rotation axis J1 extending in the vertical direction. Therefore, the clutch gear 4 can be moved with respect to the vertically extending spool shaft portion 22 without being caught. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly disengage the clutch gear 4 from the rotary drive unit 3 . Although the number of linear members 53 is two in this embodiment, the number of linear members 53 is not limited to this example, and may be three or more. Moreover, the above-mentioned illustration does not exclude the configuration in which the linear member 53 is singular and the configuration in which a plurality of linear members 53 are arranged at different intervals in the circumferential direction.

<2-6-5. Regulation part 6>
The restricting portion 6 is an annular metal fitting surrounding the rotating shaft J1. The spool shaft portion 22 is inserted through the restricting portion 6 . A radially inner end portion of the restricting portion 6 is accommodated in the upper groove portion 223 of the spool shaft portion 22 . The restricting portion 6 is arranged between the worm wheel gear 31 and the clutch gear 4 in the vertical direction, and is in contact with the bottom surface of the gear concave portion 32 of the rotation driving portion 3 facing downward Dd. Thereby, the restricting portion 6 restricts the movement of the rotation driving portion 3 downward Dd.

<2-6-6. Support member 7>
The support member 7 is an annular metal fitting that surrounds the rotation axis J1 and is in contact with the lower end of the elastic member 522 . As mentioned above, the lacing module 100 comprises the support member 7. As shown in FIG. The support member 7 supports the lower end of the elastic member 522 . Specifically, the spool shaft portion 22 is inserted through the support member 7 . A radial inner end portion of the support member 7 is accommodated in the lower groove portion 224 of the spool shaft portion 22 . By arranging the support member 7 , the lacing module 100 can regulate the expansion and contraction range of the elastic member 522 . For example, the upper end of elastic member 522 contacts clutch gear 4 . The movement of the upper end portion upward Du is regulated by the rotary drive portion 3 . Further, the movement of the lower end portion of the elastic member 522 downward Dd is restricted by the support member 7 . Therefore, in the racing module 100, the elastic force of the elastic member 522 can be designed to a desired value because the elastic member 522 can be expanded and contracted depending on the vertical position of the support member 7. FIG.

<2-7. Limit gear 8>
Next, the limit gear 8 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 9. FIG. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing engagement of each gear.

The limit gear 8 is rotatable around the gear shaft J2 and meshes with the intermittent gear 36 of the rotation drive section 3. As previously mentioned, the lacing module 100 comprises a limit gear 8. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the limit gear 8 is rotatably supported by a shaft portion 1432 of the upper plate portion 143 and extends radially outward from the shaft portion 1432 with the gear axis J2 as a reference.

Furthermore, the state in which one of the first and second limiting

teeth

82 and 83 of the limiting gear 8 meshes with the first tooth 361 of the intermittent gear 36 of the rotary drive unit 3 is defined as the starting point of the range in which the racing module 100 winds the string S. can do. Also, the state in which the other of the first limit tooth 82 and the second limit tooth 83 of the limit gear 8 meshes with the first tooth 361 can be used as the starting point of the range in which the racing module 100 unties the string S.

<2-8. Modification of Embodiment>
Next, a first modified example and a second modified example of the embodiment will be described. In addition, below, the structure different from the above-mentioned embodiment and other modified examples is demonstrated. In addition, the same reference numerals may be given to the same components as those of the above-described embodiment and other modifications, and the description thereof may be omitted. It should be noted that the embodiment and its first and second modifications can be implemented in combination as long as there is no contradiction.

<2-8-1. First modification>
In the first modified example, the attraction between the magnet 523 and the magnetic body 37 applies a load directed toward the rotary drive unit 3 to the clutch gear 4 . FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of an operating member 52 according to a first modified example.

The operating member 52 has a magnet 523 instead of the elastic member 522 . Further, the rotation drive section 3 has a magnetic body 37 . In FIG. 11, the magnetic body 37 is arranged to vertically face the magnet 523 . A plurality of magnets 523 and magnetic bodies 37 can be arranged in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis J1. Alternatively, at least one of the magnet 523 and the magnetic body 37 may have a ring shape extending in the circumferential direction. Also, the magnet 523 is exposed on the surface (upper surface) of the clutch gear 4 in FIG. The magnetic body 37 is exposed on the surface (lower surface) of the worm wheel gear 31 . However, it is not limited to these examples, and the magnet 523 may be arranged inside or outside the clutch gear 4 . Also, the magnetic body 37 may be arranged inside or outside the worm wheel gear 31 . Alternatively, the material of the worm wheel gear 31 may be a magnetic material.

Further, the magnetic body 37 may be arranged on the clutch gear 4 side, and the magnet 523 may be arranged on the rotary drive section 3 side, without being limited to the example shown in FIG. 11 . That is, the operating member 52 may be one of the magnet 523 and the magnetic body 37 arranged to face the magnet 523 in the vertical direction. Also, the rotation drive section 3 may have the other of the magnet 523 and the magnetic body 37 . In this way, the magnetic attraction between the magnet 523 and the magnetic body 37 allows the actuating member 52 to direct the clutch gear 4 toward the rotary drive portion.

Although the elastic member 522 and the support member 7 are omitted in FIG. 11 in the first modified example, they are not limited to this illustration and may not be omitted.

<2-8-2. Second modification>
In the second modification, the user can release the connection between the rotary drive unit 3 and the clutch gear 4 by operating a member provided outside the casing 14 . FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the operation unit 5 according to the second modified example.

In the second modified example, the racing module 100 further includes a pulley 91, a bobbin 92, an operating shaft 93, and a bobbin operating member 94. Casing 14 houses pulley 91 . Further, the casing 14 houses at least part of the spool shaft portion 22 , the rotary drive portion 3 , the clutch gear 4 , the operating portion 5 and the bobbin 92 . Racing module 100 comprises a casing 14 .

The pulley 91 is rotatable around an axis (not shown) extending in a direction parallel to the top surface of the bottom plate portion 141 and is arranged on the top surface of the bottom plate portion 141 . A linear member 53 is hooked on the pulley 91 . The pulley 91 extends a linear member 53 extending downward Dd from the connecting member 51 toward the bobbin 92 .

The bobbin 92 is rotatable around the predetermined axis J3, and can wind the linear member 53 around the outer surface in the radial direction with respect to the predetermined axis J3. As previously mentioned, lacing module 100 includes bobbin 92 . The bobbin 92 is arranged on the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 141 . The predetermined axis J3 extends along the normal direction of the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 141 .

The operating shaft 93 extends along the predetermined axis J3. The operation shaft 93 is inserted from the outside to the inside of the casing 14 through the hole 1412 , the hole of the seal member 145 and the hole 1441 . In addition, the seal member 145 seals the gap between the operation shaft 93 and the

holes

1412 and 1441 . The upper end of the operating shaft 93 is fixed to the bobbin 92 . The operation shaft 93 is rotatable about the predetermined axis J3 together with the bobbin 92 and the bobbin operation member 94, and is supported by the bottom plate portion 141 and the lower plate portion 144. As shown in FIG.

The bobbin operating member 94 is fixed to the lower end of the operating shaft 93 . The bobbin operating member 94 is arranged outside the casing 14 and rotates the bobbin 92 according to the user's operation. As previously mentioned, lacing module 100 includes bobbin operating member 94 . The user can wind the linear member 53 around the bobbin 92 by rotating the bobbin operating member 94 in one circumferential direction. The user can also untie the linear member 53 from the bobbin 92 by rotating the bobbin operating member 94 in the other circumferential direction.

According to the configuration of the second modification, the linear member 53 is wound around the bobbin 92 by the rotation of the bobbin 92 according to the operation of the bobbin operation member 94 . Due to the pulling of the linear member 53 accompanying this, the clutch gear 4 is separated from the rotary drive section 3 . Therefore, even if the linear member 53 is not pulled out of the casing 14 , the clutch gear 4 can be disconnected from the rotary drive section 3 by operating the bobbin operation member 94 arranged outside the casing 14 .

Note that when the user does not operate the bobbin operation member 94, a load directed upward Du is applied to the connection member 51 by the operation member 52. Therefore, the linear member 53 is released from the bobbin 92, and the connecting member 51 can move upward Du together with the clutch gear 4. As shown in FIG. When the circumferential positions of the concave portion 35 and the convex portion 43 coincide with each other due to the rotation of the worm wheel gear 31 , the convex portion 43 fits into the concave portion 35 , thereby coupling the clutch gear 4 to the rotary drive portion 3 .

<Summary>
The present invention has the following configurations.
(1) a body on which a string can be wound, a spool shaft extending along a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction,
a spool having
a rotary drive unit rotatable about the rotary shaft;
a clutch gear connectable with the rotary drive unit;
an operation unit that can be operated externally by a user;
with
The spool shaft is rotatable about the rotation shaft together with the body and the clutch gear,
The racing module, wherein the operation unit disconnects the clutch gear from the rotary drive unit according to the user's operation.
(2) one of the rotary drive unit and the clutch gear has a protrusion projecting toward the other;
The racing module according to (1), wherein the other has a recess recessed from the one toward the other.
(3) At least one of the convex portion and the concave portion is a taper in which the width in the vertical direction and the direction perpendicular to the radial direction narrows from the one to the other in the vertical direction when viewed in the radial direction. The lacing module of (2), having a shape.
(4) further comprising a worm gear rotatable with the shaft of the motor;
The racing module according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the rotary drive section has a worm wheel gear that meshes with the worm gear.
(5) the clutch gear faces the rotary drive portion in the vertical direction and is connected to the radially outer end portion of the spool shaft portion so as to be movable in the vertical direction;
The racing module according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the operating section moves the clutch gear away from or close to the rotary drive section according to the user's operation.
(6) The racing module according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the operation section has an operating member that applies a load to the clutch gear toward the rotary drive section.
(7) The racing module according to (6), wherein the operating member includes an elastic member arranged below the clutch gear.
(8) The racing module according to (7), wherein the support member supports the lower end of the elastic member.
(9) the actuating member is one of a magnet and a magnetic body disposed vertically facing the magnet;
(6) The racing module according to (6), wherein the rotational drive section has the other of the magnet and the magnetic body.
(10) The operation unit
a connecting member connected to the clutch gear;
a linear member extending from the connecting member at least in a direction opposite to the direction of the load applied to the clutch gear by the operating member;
The racing module according to any one of (6) to (9), having
(11) The racing module according to (10), wherein the connecting member is rotatably connected to the clutch gear in the circumferential direction about the rotation shaft.
(12) The linear member is plural,
The racing module according to (10) or (11), wherein connecting portions between the respective linear members and the connecting members are arranged at regular intervals in a circumferential direction about the rotation axis.
(13) further comprising a casing housing at least part of the spool shaft portion, the rotary drive portion, the clutch gear, and the operating portion;
The racing module according to any one of (10) to (12), wherein the casing has a hole through which the linear member is pulled out from the interior of the casing.
(14) The racing module according to (13), further comprising a sealing member that seals a gap between the linear member and the hole.
(15) a bobbin that is rotatable about a predetermined axis and capable of winding the linear member around an outer surface in a radial direction with respect to the predetermined axis;
a casing that houses at least part of the spool shaft, the rotary drive unit, the clutch gear, the operating unit, and the bobbin;
a bobbin operation member that is arranged outside the casing and rotates the bobbin according to a user's operation;
A lacing module according to any one of (10) to (12), further comprising:

An exemplary embodiment of the third invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In this specification, the direction in which the central axis CA, which will be described later, extends in the racing module 1000 is called "axial direction". Of the axial directions, the direction from body portion 210 to guide member 410, which will be described later, is referred to as "one axial direction Da1", and the direction from guide member 410 to body portion 210 is referred to as "other axial direction Da2".

Also, the direction perpendicular to a predetermined axis such as the central axis CA is called the "radial direction", and the direction of rotation about the predetermined axis is called the "circumferential direction". Among the radial directions, the direction toward a predetermined axis is called "radially inward", and the direction away from the predetermined axis is called "radial outward". In addition, the circumferential direction centering on the central axis CA is called "circumferential direction Dr". Among the circumferential directions Dr, one direction is called "one circumferential direction Dr1", and the other direction is called "the other circumferential direction Dr2".

<3. embodiment>
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the racing module 1000. As shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of the racing module 1000. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows an example application of the racing module 1000 . 13 shows a cross section of the racing module 1000 along the two-dot chain line II in FIG.

<3-1. Racing module >
The lacing module 1000 can be electrically operated to wind the string S around the spool 20 described later and release the string S from the spool 20 . In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 , the lacing module 1000 is attached to footwear 200 such as athletic shoes, and can tighten or loosen the shoelace (that is, lace S) of the footwear 200 . Note that the racing module 1000 is not limited to this illustration. For example, the lacing module 1000 can be mounted on an article for winding, releasing, tightening, loosening, etc. the string S. For example, the lacing module 1000 can be used for a bag such as a rucksack whose outlet is closed by tightening the string S, and a fixture such as a cast that is attached by tightening the string S.

The racing module 1000 includes a motor 110, a worm gear 120, a battery 130, and a casing 140. The racing module 1000 also includes a spool 20, a worm wheel gear 30, a rotation restricting mechanism 40, an elastic member 510, and

metal fittings

520 and 530. The spool 20, the worm wheel gear 30, the guide member 410 of the rotation restricting mechanism 40, the elastic member 510, and the

metal fittings

520, 530 constitute a spool assembly to be described later. Details of the rotation restricting mechanism 40 will be described later.

The motor 110 is electrically connected with the battery 130 . A shaft 1110 of the motor 110 rotates in one circumferential direction or in the other circumferential direction by current supplied from the battery 130 .

The worm gear 120 extends along the rotation axis of the shaft 1110 and is connected with the shaft 1110 of the motor 110 . As previously mentioned, lacing module 1000 includes worm gear 120 . Worm gear 120 is rotatable with shaft 1110 of motor 110 . The worm gear 120 is also connected to a later-described spool shaft portion 220 of the spool 20 via the worm wheel gear 30 and the rotation restricting mechanism 40 . By driving the motor 110 , the worm gear 120 rotates in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis of the shaft 1110 . The spool 20 is interlocked with the rotation of the worm gear 120 and rotates in the circumferential direction Dr around the central axis CA. For example, when the shaft 1110 of the motor 110 rotates in one circumferential direction, the spool 20 rotates in one circumferential direction Dr1 about the central axis CA, whereby the string S is wound around the spool 20 . On the other hand, when the shaft 1110 of the motor 110 rotates in the other circumferential direction, the spool 20 rotates in the other circumferential direction Dr2 about the central axis CA, whereby the string S is unwound and released from the spool 20 .

The battery 130 is the power source of the racing module 1000, and in this embodiment is a rechargeable secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery. However, without being limited to this example, the battery 130 may be a primary battery or may be replaceable.

The casing 140 houses the motor 110, the worm gear 120, the battery 130, the spool shaft 220, the worm wheel gear 30, the rotation restricting mechanism 40, the elastic member 510, the

metal fittings

520 and 530, and the like.

The casing 140 has a first casing 1410 and a second casing 1420.

The first casing 1410 is a box with an open end on the other Da2 side in the axial direction. The first casing 1410 has a side plate portion 14110 and a bottom plate portion 14120 . The side plate portion 14110 extends in the axial direction surrounding the motor 110, the worm gear 120, the battery 130, the spool shaft portion 220, the worm wheel gear 30, the rotation restricting mechanism 40, and the like. The bottom plate portion 14120 extends in a direction intersecting with the central axis CA. The outer edge portion of the bottom plate portion 14120 is connected to the one Da1 side of the side plate portion 14110 in the axial direction. The bottom plate portion 14120 has a receiving hole 1413 . The receiving hole 1413 is arranged in the end surface of the bottom plate portion 14120 on the other axial direction Da2 side, and is recessed in the axial direction one Da1. The receiving hole 1413 accommodates the end portion of the spool shaft portion 220 on the one Da1 side in the axial direction.

The second casing 1420 has a plate-like shape extending in a direction intersecting with the central axis CA, and covers the end of the first casing 1410 on the other Da2 side in the axial direction. The second casing 1420 has an opening 14210 , a cylindrical portion 14220 and a collar portion 1423 . The opening 14210 axially penetrates the second casing 1420 . The inner peripheral surface of opening 14210 surrounds central axis CA. Cylindrical portion 14220 extends in one axial direction Da1 from an edge portion of first casing 1410 along the end portion of opening 14210 on one axial direction Da1 side. The spool shaft portion 220 is inserted through the opening portion 14210 and the cylindrical portion 14220 . The collar portion 1423 extends radially inward from the end portion of the cylindrical portion 14220 on the one Da1 side in the axial direction.

<3-2. Spool 20>
The spool 20 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 13-14 and 15-16. FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an exemplary spool assembly; FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary spool assembly;

The spool 20 has a body portion 210 around which the string S can be wound, and a spool shaft portion 220 extending in the axial direction. As previously mentioned, lacing module 1000 includes spool 20 .

The trunk portion 210 is connected to the end portion of the spool shaft portion 220 on the other Da2 side in the axial direction, and is rotatable together with the spool shaft portion 220 . Body portion 210 is arranged on the other side Da<b>2 in the axial direction relative to second casing 1420 , that is, arranged outside casing 140 .

The spool shaft portion 220 extends along the axially extending central axis CA. The spool shaft portion 220 is inserted through the opening portion 14210 of the second casing 1420 and fitted into the cylindrical portion 14220 via an O-ring (reference numerals omitted). Thereby, the spool shaft portion 220 is held by the second casing 1420 so as to be rotatable about the central axis CA. The spool shaft portion 220 is rotatable around the central axis CA together with the body portion 210, the worm wheel gear 30, and the like.

Also, the spool shaft portion 220 has a contact surface portion 2210 and

groove portions

2220 and 2230 . The contact surface portion 2210 is arranged at the radially outer end portion of the spool shaft portion 220 , extends radially outward, and faces the flange portion 1423 in the axial direction. The axial contact of the contact surface portion 2210 with the collar portion 1423 prevents the spool 20 from moving in the first axial direction Da1. The

grooves

2220 and 2230 are arranged on the radially outer surface of the spool shaft 220, are recessed radially inward, and extend in the circumferential direction Dr. The groove portion 2220 is arranged on the one axial side Da1 from the contact surface portion 2210 . Groove portion 2230 is arranged on one side Da1 in the axial direction from groove portion 2220 . Specifically, the groove portion 2230 is arranged on the one axial direction Da1 side of the elastic member 510 in the portion of the spool shaft portion 220 on the one axial direction Da1 side.

<3-3. Worm wheel gear 30>
Next, the worm wheel gear 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 15 to 16. FIG. The worm wheel gear 30 is fixed to the radially outer end of the spool shaft 220 and spreads radially outward from the radially outer end of the spool shaft 220 . Although the worm wheel gear 30 is separate from the spool shaft portion 220 in this embodiment, it is not limited to this example and may be integrated with the spool shaft portion 220 .

The worm wheel gear 30 has a gear through hole 310 , a plurality of teeth 320 and gear recesses 330 .

The gear through-hole 310 penetrates the worm wheel gear 30 in the axial direction. The inner peripheral surface of gear through-hole 310 surrounds central axis CA. The spool shaft portion 220 is inserted through the gear through-hole 310 . The gear through-hole 310 is connected to the gear recessed portion 330 and a through-hole 4111 of the rotation restricting mechanism 40, which will be described later.

The plurality of teeth 320 are arranged at the radially outer end of the worm wheel gear 30 and arranged in the circumferential direction Dr, and mesh with the teeth of the worm gear 120 . That is, the worm wheel gear 30 meshes with the worm gear 120 . As mentioned above, the lacing module 1000 includes the worm wheel gear 30. As shown in FIG. Accordingly, the worm wheel gear 30 can rotate in the circumferential direction Dr around the central axis CA together with the spool 20 in accordance with the rotation of the worm gear 120 .

The gear recessed portion 330 is arranged on the end surface of the worm wheel gear 30 on the one axial direction Da1 side and is recessed on the other axial direction Da2 side. An inner peripheral surface of gear recess 330 facing radially inward surrounds central axis CA. An end portion of the gear through-hole 310 on the one axial Da1 side is disposed on the bottom face of the gear recess 330 facing the one axial Da1. A guide member 410 is accommodated in the gear recess 330 .

<3-4. Elastic member 510 and

metal fittings

520, 530>
Next, the elastic member 510 and the

metal fittings

520, 530 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 15 to 16. FIG.

The elastic member 510 is arranged on one side Da1 in the axial direction relative to the worm wheel gear 30 and the guide member 410 . The elastic member 510 has an opening 5110 extending axially therethrough. The spool shaft portion 220 is inserted through the opening portion 5110 of the elastic member 510 . In other words, elastic member 510 is arranged radially outward of spool shaft portion 220 . The elastic member 510 is in contact with the end of the guide member 410 on the first Da1 side in the axial direction, and applies a load toward the second Da2 in the axial direction to the worm wheel gear 30 and the guide member 410 . The elastic member 510 is a spring coil in this embodiment. However, the elastic member 510 is not limited to this illustration. The elastic member 510 may be a member having high elasticity at least in the axial direction. Elastic member 510 may be, for example, a leaf spring or a member made of rubber.

The

metal fittings

520, 530 are ring-shaped surrounding the central axis CA. The spool shaft portion 220 is inserted through the

fittings

520 and 530 . The radially inner ends of

fittings

520 and 530 are accommodated in

grooves

2220 and 2230 of spool shaft portion 220, respectively. This makes it possible to easily attach the

metal fittings

520 and 530 to the spool shaft portion 220 . The metal fitting 520 is arranged on the other side Da2 in the axial direction relative to the worm wheel gear 30 and is in contact with the end portion of the worm wheel gear 30 on the other side Da2 in the axial direction. The metal fitting 520 prevents the worm wheel gear 30 and the guide member 410 from moving in the other axial direction Da2. In addition, the metal fitting 530 is disposed closer to the one axial direction Da1 than the elastic member 510 and is in contact with the end portion of the elastic member 510 on the one axial direction Da1 side. The metal fitting 530 prevents the elastic member 510 from moving in the one axial direction Da1.

<3-5. Rotation restriction mechanism 40>
Next, the rotation restricting mechanism 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 15 to 16. FIG. The rotation restricting mechanism 40 restricts rotation of a rotating body such as the spool 20 . As described above, the racing module 1000 has the rotation restricting mechanism 40 . The rotation restricting mechanism 40 includes a guide member 410 and a relative movement section 420 . Moreover, the rotation restricting mechanism 40 further includes a support portion 430 .

The guide member 410 is accommodated in the gear recess 330 of the worm wheel gear 30 as described above. A plurality of teeth 320 are arranged in the circumferential direction Dr on the radial outer surface of the guide member 410 . Guide member 410 is rotatable about central axis CA together with teeth 320 . Thereby, the rotation restricting mechanism 40 can restrict the rotation of the worm wheel gear 30 . For example, the rotation restricting mechanism 40 can restrict the rotation angle, the number of rotations, etc. of the worm wheel gear 30 according to the path length along which the guide portion 412 extends, as will be described later.

The guide member 410 has a body portion 411 . The body portion 411 is arranged on the radially outer surface of the spool shaft portion 220 and extends radially from the radially outer surface of the spool shaft portion 220 . In this embodiment, the body portion 411 is housed in the gear recess 330 of the worm wheel gear 30 . The body portion 411 is rotatable about the central axis CA together with the spool shaft portion 220 . Note that the body portion 4110 is separate from the spool shaft portion 220 and the worm wheel gear 30 in this embodiment. However, it is not limited to this example, and the body portion 411 may be integrated with at least one of the spool shaft portion 220 and the worm wheel gear 30 .

The guide member 410 further has a guide portion 412 . The guide portion 412 extends in the circumferential direction Dr based on the central axis CA extending in the axial direction. The guide portion 412 is arranged on the surface of the body portion 411 . Details of the guide portion 412 will be described later.

The relative movement part 420 is relatively movable with respect to the guide member 410 . Relative movement portion 420 is relatively movable along guide portion 412 between one end and the other end of guide portion 412 . In addition, the relative movement portion 420 is radially movable according to the relative movement along the guide portion 412 . For example, the relative moving part 420 is arranged away from an axis J parallel to the central axis CA and is rotatable about the axis J. The relative movement portion 420 rotates about the axis J according to the radial position of the guide portion 412 when relatively moving along the guide portion 412 . Thereby, the relative moving part 420 moves in the radial direction. However, the means for radially moving the relative moving part 420 is not limited to the above example, and any method can be applied.

In this way, when the spool 20 rotates, the relative movement portion 420 rotates relative to the guide member 410 around the central axis CA. At this time, the relative movement part 420 is guided by the guide part 412 and relatively moves along the guide part 412 . After reaching one end of the guide portion 412 , the relative movement portion 420 cannot move from the other end to the one end along the guide portion 412 . In addition, when the relative movement portion 420 reaches the other end of the guide portion 412 , it becomes unable to move from one end to the other end along the guide portion 412 . Therefore, the rotation restricting mechanism 40 can restrict rotation of either the guide member 410 or the relative movement portion 420 . For example, in this embodiment, the rotation restriction mechanism 40 can restrict rotation of the guide member 410 . Thereby, the rotation of the spool 20 is restricted. In other words, the rotation restricting mechanism 40 can provide a new technology for restricting the rotation of the rotating body such as the spool 20 . For example, the rotation restricting mechanism 40 can restrict the rotational distance of the above members according to the path length along which the guide portion 412 extends.

In this embodiment, the support part 430 is attached to the end surface of the bottom plate part 14120 on the other Da2 side in the axial direction, and supports the relative movement part 420 rotatably. For example, the support 430 is rotatable about an axially extending axis J. As shown in FIG. Rotation of the support portion 430 about the J-axis allows the relative movement portion 420 to move about the J-axis in the circumferential direction.

Also preferably, the rotation restricting mechanism 40 further includes a sensor 440 . The sensor 440 detects radial movement of the relative movement portion 420 . For example, the sensor 440 detects the timing of starting and ending movement in the radial direction, and detects the amount of movement of the relative moving portion 420 in the radial direction (for example, the movement distance in the radial direction). A gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, or the like can be used as the sensor 440 . The sensor 440 outputs the detection result to a control device built into the racing module 1000 or an external control device. Thereby, the control device can detect the rotation distance (for example, the rotation angle, the number of rotations, etc.) of one of the guide member 410 and the relative moving part 420 . Therefore, the detection result of the sensor 440 can be used for automatic control of the rotation restricting mechanism 40 according to the rotation distance. Note that this illustration does not exclude a configuration in which the rotation restricting mechanism 40 does not include the sensor 440 . In other words, sensor 440 can be omitted.

<3-5-1. guide unit 412>
Next, the guide portion 412 will be described with reference to FIGS. 17A and 17B. 17A is a plan view showing an example of the guide portion 412. FIG. 17B is a plan view showing another example of the guide portion 412. FIG.

17A and 17B, the guide part 412 is arranged on the end surface of the body part 411 on the one Da1 side in the axial direction. In this way, the relative moving portion 420 can relatively revolve around the central axis CA with respect to the guide member 410 on the one Da1 side in the axial direction with respect to the guide member 410 . By revolving the relative movement portion 420 between one end and the other end of the guide portion 412 , the rotation restriction mechanism 4 can restrict rotation of either the guide member 410 or the relative movement portion 420 .

17A and 17B, the guide portion 412 is a concave portion 413 arranged on the end surface of the body portion 411 on the one Da1 side in the axial direction. The recess 413 is recessed in the other axial direction Da2 and extends in the circumferential direction Dr. Also, the relative movement portion 420 is a convex portion 421 extending from the support portion 430 in the one axial direction Da1. At least the tip of the projection 421 fits into the recess 413 .

However, the present invention is not limited to the example shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, and the convex portion 421 may be arranged on the guide portion 412 and the concave portion 413 may be arranged on the relative movement portion 420 . That is, one of the guide portion 4120 and the relative movement portion 420 may be the concave portion 413 . Furthermore, the other of the guide portion 412 and the relative movement portion 420 may be the convex portion 421 that fits into the concave portion 413 . By doing so, the relative movement portion 420 can relatively move along the guide portion 412 due to the fitting structure of the concave portion 413 and the convex portion 421 .

Further, in this embodiment, the guide member 410 can rotate (for example, rotate) around the central axis CA. However, it is not limited to this illustration, and the relative moving part 420 may be further capable of rotational movement (for example, revolving) around the central axis CA. At this time, the guide member 410 may be non-rotatable.

<3-5-2. Shape of guide portion 412>
Next, with reference to FIGS. 17A and 17B, the shape of the guide portion 412 viewed from the axial direction will be described.

In FIG. 17A, the guide portion 412 has a plurality of circular arc portions 4121 extending in the circumferential direction Dr. Each circular arc portion 4121 is arranged concentrically around the central axis CA.

In addition, the guide portion 412 further has a plurality of stepped portions 4122 . The step portion 4122 connects circumferential ends of the circular arc portions 4121 adjacent in the radial direction. Of the radially adjacent arc portions 4121, the stepped portion 4122 is positioned on the circumferential one Dr1 side of the radially outer arc portion 4121 and on the circumferential other Dr2 side of the radially inner arc portion 4121. connect the ends of the

The relative moving part 420 moves relatively to the guide member 410 without moving in the radial direction when relatively moving along the arc part 4121 . On the other hand, when relatively moving along the stepped portion 4122 , the relative moving portion 420 moves relatively to the guide member 410 while moving in the radial direction. As a result, the arc portion 4121 to which the relative moving portion 420 relatively moves next is changed from one of the radially adjacent arc portions 4121 to the other. Relative movement of the relative movement portion 420 along the arc portion 4121 is smoother than relative movement of the relative movement portion 420 along the stepped portion 4122 . Since the path length of the arc portion 4121 is normally longer than the path length of the stepped portion 4122, the operation of the rotation restricting mechanism 40 is smoother. Further, by confirming the relative movement of the relative movement portion 420 along the step portion 4122, the rotational distance of either the guide member 410 or the relative movement portion 420 (for example, the distance according to the arrangement of the step portion 4122). Rotation angle, number of rotations, etc.) can be checked.

In FIG. 17A, the stepped portion 4122 preferably extends radially inward toward the one circumferential direction Dr1. When viewed from the axial direction, the stepped portion 4122 may be straight or curved. In this way, relative movement of the relative movement portion 420 along the stepped portion 4122 can be made smoother than when the stepped portion 4122 extends only in the radial direction. However, the above illustration does not exclude the configuration in which the step portion 4122 does not extend radially inward toward the one circumferential direction Dr1. For example, step 4122 may extend only in the radial direction.

Note that the shape of the guide portion 412 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 17A, and may be a shape that does not extend radially when viewed from the axial direction. For example, the guide portion 412 may have a shape having a single arc portion 4121 and no step portion 4122 .

Alternatively, the guide part 412 may have a spiral shape around the central axis CA when viewed from the axial direction. For example, in FIG. 17B, the guide portion 412 extends radially inward toward the one circumferential direction Dr1. According to FIG. 17B, for example, a spiral guide portion 412 can be formed at the end portion of the body portion 411 on the one Da1 side in the axial direction. Therefore, the path length between one end and the other end of the guide portion 412 can be made longer compared to a configuration in which the guide portion 412 is not spiral (for example, a configuration having only a single arc portion 4121). In addition, the relatively movable portion 420 can move more smoothly along the guide portion 412 than the configuration in which the step portion 4122 is arranged between the plurality of arc portions 4121 (see FIG. 17A).

<3-5-3. Modified Example of Rotation Regulating Mechanism 40>
Next, first to third modifications of the rotation restricting mechanism 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 to 20. FIG. FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a first modification of the rotation restricting mechanism 40. As shown in FIG. FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a second modification of the rotation restricting mechanism 40. As shown in FIG. FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a third modification of the rotation restricting mechanism 40. As shown in FIG. Note that, in the first to third modifications, configurations different from the above-described embodiment will be described. Moreover, the same code|symbol may be attached|subjected to the component similar to the above-mentioned embodiment, and the description may be abbreviate|omitted.

In the first to third modifications, the guide member 410 has a cylindrical body portion 411 that surrounds the central axis CA and extends in the axial direction. The end portion of the body portion 411 on the other Da2 side in the axial direction is accommodated in the gear recess portion 330 of the worm wheel gear 30 and fixed to the worm wheel gear 30 . Note that the body portion 411 is separate from the worm wheel gear 30, but is not limited to this example, and may be integrated.

The guide portion 412 is arranged on the radial end surface of the body portion 411 . Also, the relative movement part 420 is movable in the axial direction. For example, as shown in FIGS. 18 to 20, the relative moving part 420 is arranged apart from an axis J extending in a direction perpendicular to the central axis CA, and is rotatable around the axis J. As shown in FIG. When the relative movement portion 420 relatively moves along the guide portion 412 , it rotates about the axis J according to the axial position of the guide portion 412 . Thereby, the relative moving part 420 moves in the axial direction. However, the means for axially moving the relative moving part 420 is not limited to the above example, and any method can be applied.

In the first to third modifications, the relative movement portion 420 moves relative to the guide member 410 about the central axis CA on the radially inner side or the radially outer side of the guide member 410 . can revolve to Due to the relative revolution of the relative movement portion 420 between the one end and the other end of the guide portion 412 , the rotation restriction mechanism 40 can restrict the rotation of either the guide member 410 or the relative movement portion 420 .

In the first to third modifications, the rotation restricting mechanism 40 preferably further includes a sensor 440 . Sensor 440 detects movement of relative movement portion 420 in the axial direction. For example, the sensor 440 detects the start and end timings of movement in the axial direction, and detects the amount of movement of the relative movement section 420 in the axial direction (for example, the movement distance in the axial direction). A gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, or the like can be used as the sensor 440 . The sensor 440 outputs the detection result to a control device built into the racing module 1000 or an external control device. Thereby, the control device can detect the rotation distance (for example, the rotation angle, the number of rotations, etc.) of one of the guide member 410 and the relative moving part 420 . Therefore, the detection result of the sensor 440 can be used for automatic control of the rotation restricting mechanism 40 according to the rotation distance. Note that this illustration does not exclude a configuration in which the rotation restricting mechanism 40 does not include the sensor 440 . In other words, the sensor 440 can be omitted in the first to third modifications.

<3-5-3-1. First modification>
As shown in FIG. 18 , in the first modification, the guide portion 412 is arranged on the radially outer surface of the body portion 411 at the axial one Da1 from the worm wheel gear 30 . The guide portion 412 has a plurality of arc portions 4121 and step portions 4122 . The arc portions 4121 extend in the circumferential direction Dr and are arranged in the axial direction. The step portion 4122 connects the axial ends of the arc portions 4121 adjacent in the axial direction. The arc portion 4121 and the stepped portion 4122 are arranged on the radial outer surface of the body portion 411 . More specifically, the stepped portion 4122 is formed between the end portion of the arc portion 4121 on the one axial Da1 side of the arc portions 4121 adjacent in the axial direction and the end portion on the one Dr1 side in the circumferential direction, and the arc portion 4121 on the other Da2 side in the axial direction. and the end portion on the side of the other Dr2 in the circumferential direction.

The support portion 430 is arranged radially outward of the body portion 411 . The relative movement portion 420 protrudes radially inward from the support portion 430 . A distal end portion (that is, a radially inner end portion) of the relative moving portion 420 is accommodated in the guide portion 412 .

According to the first modification, the relative movement part 420 moves relatively to the guide member 410 without moving in the axial direction when relatively moving along the arc part 4121 . On the other hand, when relatively moving along the stepped portion 4122 , the relative moving portion 420 moves relative to the guide member 410 while moving in the axial direction. As a result, the arc portion 4121 to which the relative moving portion 420 relatively moves next is changed from one of the arc portions 4121 adjacent in the axial direction to the other. Relative movement of the relative movement portion 420 along the arc portion 4121 is smoother than relative movement of the relative movement portion 420 along the stepped portion 4122 . Since the path length of the arc portion 4121 is normally longer than the path length of the stepped portion 4122, the operation of the rotation restricting mechanism 40 is smoother. Further, as will be described later, by confirming the relative movement of the relative movement portion 420 along the step portion 4122, the rotation distance of either the guide member 410 or the relative movement portion 420 (for example, the step portion 4122 You can check the rotation angle, number of rotations, etc.) according to the arrangement of

Preferably, the stepped portion 4122 extends in the other axial direction Da2 toward the one circumferential direction Dr1. For example, the stepped portion 4122 may extend linearly or curvilinearly on the radially outer surface of the body portion 411 . In this way, relative movement of the relative movement portion 420 along the stepped portion 4122 can be made smoother than when the stepped portion 41220 extends only in the axial direction. However, the above-mentioned illustration does not exclude the configuration in which the step portion 4122 does not extend in the other axial direction Da2 as it goes in the one circumferential direction Dr1. For example, step 4122 may extend only in the axial direction.

<3-5-3-2. Second modification>
As shown in FIG. 19, in the second modified example, the guide portion 412 extends in the other axial direction Da2 toward the one circumferential direction Dr1. The second modification is the same as the first modification except for this. According to the second modification, for example, a spiral guide portion 412 extending in the axial direction can be formed on the radial side surface of the body portion 411 . Therefore, the length of the path between one end and the other end of the guide portion 412 can be made longer compared to a configuration in which the guide portion 412 is not helical (for example, a configuration having only a single arc portion 4121). In addition, the relative movement portion 420 can move more smoothly along the guide portion 412 than in the configuration in which the step portions 4122 are arranged between the arc portions 4121 (see FIG. 18, for example).

<3-5-3-3. Third modification>
As shown in FIG. 20 , in the third modification, the guide portion 412 is arranged on the radial inner surface of the body portion 411 . The support portion 430 is arranged radially inward of the body portion 411 . The relative movement portion 420 protrudes radially outward from the support portion 430 . A distal end portion (that is, a radially outer end portion) of the relative moving portion 420 is accommodated in the guide portion 412 .

Note that in FIG. 20, the guide portion 412 has a plurality of arc portions 4121 and a stepped portion 4122, as in the first modified example. However, the guide portion 412 arranged on the radial inner surface of the body portion 411 is not limited to the example of FIG. On the other hand, it may have a shape extending to Da2.

<3-5-3-4. Other deformation>
In addition, although the shape of the guide part 412 is a spiral shape centering on the central axis CA in FIGS. 18 to 20, it is not limited to these examples. For example, the guide portion 412 may have a shape that extends in the circumferential direction Dr but does not extend in the axial direction. That is, the guide portion 412 may have a shape having, for example, a single arc portion 4121 .

18 to 20, the body portion 411 of the guide member 410 is fixed to at least one of the spool shaft portion 220 and the worm wheel gear 30. Therefore, the guide member 410 can rotate about the central axis CA together with the worm wheel gear 30 . On the other hand, support portion 430 that supports relative movement portion 420 is attached to first casing 1410, for example. Therefore, the relative moving part 420 does not rotate about the central axis CA. However, it is not limited to these examples, and the relative moving part 420 may be configured to be rotatable around the central axis CA. Further, the guide member 410 may be configured so as not to rotate about the central axis CA. For example, support 430 may be fixed to spool shaft 220 and/or worm wheel gear 30 . Also, the body portion 411 may be attached to the first casing 1410 . In other words, it is sufficient that the spool shaft portion 220 can rotate about the central axis CA together with either the guide member 410 or the relative movement portion 420 of the rotation restricting mechanism 40 . In this way, the rotation restricting mechanism 40 can restrict the rotational distance of either the guide member 410 or the relative moving portion 420 . Thereby, the racing module 1000 can regulate the rotation angle, number of rotations, etc. of the worm wheel gear 30 . Therefore, the racing module 1000 can easily regulate the range in which the body 210 of the spool 20 winds the string S and the range in which the string S is unwound.

18 to 20 , the concave portion 413 is arranged in the guide portion 412 and the convex portion 421 is arranged in the relative movement portion 420 . However, the present invention is not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 18 to 20 , and the convex portion 421 may be arranged on the guide portion 412 and the concave portion 413 may be arranged on the relative movement portion 420 .

<Summary>
The present invention has the following configurations.
(1) a guide member having a guide portion extending in the circumferential direction with reference to the central axis extending in the axial direction;
a relative moving part that is relatively movable with respect to the guide member;
with
The rotation restricting mechanism, wherein the relative movement portion is relatively movable along the guide portion between one end and the other end of the guide portion.
(2) one of the guide portion and the relative movement portion is a recess;
The rotation restricting mechanism according to (1), wherein the other of the guide portion and the relative movement portion is a protrusion that fits into the recess.
(3) the guide member further has a body portion;
The rotation restricting mechanism according to (1) or (2), wherein the guide portion is disposed on one end surface of the body portion in the axial direction.
(4) the guide portion extends radially inward toward one side in the circumferential direction;
The rotation restriction mechanism according to (3), wherein the relative movement portion is radially movable.
(5) The guide section
a plurality of circular arc portions extending in the circumferential direction;
a stepped portion connecting circumferential ends of the circular arc portions adjacent to each other in the radial direction;
has
Each of the arc portions is arranged concentrically around the central axis,
The stepped portion connects one circumferential end of the radially outer arc portion and the other circumferential end of the radially inner arc portion of the radially adjacent arc portions. death,
The rotation restriction mechanism according to (3), wherein the relative movement portion is radially movable.
(6) The rotation restricting mechanism according to (5), wherein the stepped portion extends radially inward toward one side in the circumferential direction.
(7) The rotation restricting mechanism according to any one of (4) to (6), further comprising a sensor that detects radial movement of the relatively moving portion.
(8) the guide member further has a cylindrical body portion extending in the axial direction;
The rotation restricting mechanism according to (1) or (2), wherein the guide portion is arranged on a radial end surface of the body portion.
(9) the guide portion extends in the other axial direction toward the one circumferential direction;
The rotation restriction mechanism according to (8), wherein the relative movement portion is axially movable.
(10) The guide section
a plurality of circular arc portions extending in the circumferential direction and arranged in the axial direction;
a stepped portion connecting axial ends of the arc portions adjacent in the axial direction;
has
The stepped portion connects one circumferential end of the arc portion on one axial side and the other circumferential end of the arc portion on the other axial side among the arc portions adjacent in the axial direction,
The rotation restriction mechanism according to (8), wherein the relative movement portion is axially movable.
(11) The rotation restricting mechanism according to (10), wherein the stepped portion extends in the other axial direction toward the one circumferential direction.
(12) The rotation restricting mechanism according to any one of (9) to (11), further comprising a sensor that detects axial movement of the relative movement portion.
(13) a plurality of teeth arranged in a circumferential direction are arranged on the radial outer surface of the guide member;
The rotation restriction mechanism according to any one of (1) to (12), wherein the guide member is rotatable about the central axis together with the plurality of teeth.
(14) the rotation restricting mechanism according to any one of (1) to (13);
a spool having a body on which a string can be wound and a spool shaft extending in the axial direction;
a worm gear rotatable with the shaft of the motor;
a worm wheel gear meshing with the worm gear;
with
The spool shaft is
rotatable about the central axis together with the body and the worm wheel gear;
A racing module that is rotatable about the central axis together with either the guide member or the relative movement portion of the rotation restricting mechanism.

<4. Others>
The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be noted that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The present invention can be implemented by adding various modifications to the above-described embodiments without departing from the gist of the invention. In addition, the matters described in the above-described embodiments can be appropriately and arbitrarily combined as long as there is no contradiction.

The present invention is useful for a module that winds a string, releases a wound string, a module that tightens or loosens a string, and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF

SYMBOLS

100, 1000...Racing module 200...

Footwear

11, 110...

Motors

111, 1110...

Shafts

12, 120...Worm gears 13, 130...

Batteries

14, 140...

Casing

141, 14120 ... bottom plate portion 1410 ... first casings 1411, 1413 ... receiving holes 1412 ... holes 142, 14110 ... side plate portions 1420 ...

second casings

1421, 1431 ... openings 1422 ... cylindrical portion 1423 ... collar portion 143 ... upper plate portion 1432 ... shaft portion 1433 ... recessed portion 1434 ... piece portion 144 ... lower plate portion 1441 ... hole portion 145 ... Seal member 15 ... Lid portion 151 ... Top surface portion 1511 ... Flange portion 152 ...

Outer wall portions

152a, 152b ... Drawer port 153 ...

Inner wall portions

1531a, 1531b ... Guide Wall portion 154 ... Convex portion 155 ... Extension member 156 ... Claw portion 157 ...

Hook portions

2, 20 ...

Spools

21, 210 ...

Body portions

22, 220 ...

Spool shaft portions

2220, 2230 ... groove part 221 ...

first plane part

222, 2210 ... contact surface part 223 ... upper groove part 224 ... lower groove part,
3...

Rotation drive parts

30, 31... Worm wheel gear 310... Gear through

holes

311, 320...

Teeth

32, 330... Gear concave part 33... Central concave part 34... First Gear through-hole 35 ... Recess 36 ... Intermittent gear 361 ... First tooth 4 ... Clutch gear 40 ... Rotation restricting mechanism 41 ... Second gear through-hole 410 ... Guide member 411 . , 421... Convex part 430... Support part 44... Cylinder part 440... Sensor part 441... Groove part 5... Operation part 51... Connection member 52... Operation member 520, 530: Metal fittings 521, 5110: Openings 510, 522: Elastic member 53: Linear member 6: Regulating portion 7: Supporting member 8: Limiting gear 81: Second tooth 82 First limit tooth 83 Second limit tooth J1 Rotary axis J2 Gear axis Ax Motor rotary axis CA Center axis Dr Circumferential direction Dr1 ・・・One circumferential direction Dr2 ・・・The other circumferential direction S ・・・String

Claims

a body on which a string can be wound; a spool shaft extending along a vertically extending rotating shaft;
a spool having
a rotary drive unit that rotates the spool about the rotary shaft;
a casing that accommodates at least part of the spool shaft and the rotary drive;
a lid portion that accommodates the body portion;
with
The lid is
A top surface portion that extends in a direction that intersects with the vertical direction,
an inner wall portion that extends downward from the top surface portion and surrounds the body portion as seen from the vertical direction;
an outer wall portion extending downward from an outer edge portion of the top surface portion and disposed radially outward from the inner wall portion;
a drawer opening penetrating through the outer wall;
has
The inner wall portion has a pair of guide wall portions facing each other across the body portion,
each guide wall extending at least toward the outlet and connected to an edge of the outlet;
The lacing module, wherein the distance between the pair of guide walls in the opposing direction becomes narrower from the rotating shaft toward the outlet.
The casing is
an upper plate portion extending in a direction intersecting the vertical direction and arranged below the lid portion;
an opening penetrating through the upper plate in the vertical direction and through which the spool shaft is inserted;
has
one of the casing and the lid further has a recess that is recessed from the other of the casing and the lid toward the one in the vertical direction;
2. The racing module according to claim 1, wherein said other side further has a protrusion projecting from said one side toward said other side and inserted into said recess.
The racing module according to claim 2, wherein the projection and the recess are arranged outside the inner wall portion in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.
The lid is
an extension member having flexibility and extending downward from at least one of the top surface portion and the outer wall portion;
a claw portion arranged at the lower portion of the extension member and hooked on a portion of the casing;
4. A racing module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising:
The lid is
an extension member having flexibility and extending downward from at least one of the top surface portion and the outer wall portion;
a claw portion arranged at the lower portion of the extension member and hooked on a portion of the casing;
has
4. The racing module according to claim 2, wherein said claw portion is hooked on an outer edge portion of said upper plate portion.
The top surface portion further has a flange portion arranged outside the outer wall portion when viewed in the vertical direction and extending in a direction intersecting the vertical direction,
6. A lacing module according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the extension member extends downwardly from the flange portion.
one of the lid and the casing has a piece,
The other of the lid portion and the casing has a hook portion on which the piece portion is hooked,
7. The apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the hook portion is arranged on the opposite side of the extension member across the trunk portion in one direction perpendicular to the vertical direction when viewed from the vertical direction. Racing module as described.
The racing module according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the lid is detachable from the casing.
a body on which a string can be wound; a spool shaft extending along a vertically extending rotating shaft;
a spool having
a rotary drive unit rotatable about the rotary shaft;
a clutch gear connectable with the rotary drive unit;
an operation unit that can be operated externally by a user;
with
The spool shaft is rotatable about the rotation shaft together with the body and the clutch gear,
The racing module, wherein the operation unit disconnects the clutch gear from the rotary drive unit according to the user's operation.
one of the rotary drive unit and the clutch gear has a convex portion projecting toward the other;
10. A racing module according to claim 9, wherein said other has a recess recessed from said one toward said other.
At least one of the convex portion and the concave portion has a tapered shape in which the width in the vertical direction and the direction perpendicular to the radial direction becomes narrower from the one in the vertical direction to the other in the vertical direction when viewed in the radial direction. 11. A racing module according to claim 10.
It also has a worm gear that can rotate with the shaft of the motor,
12. A racing module according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein said rotary drive has a worm wheel gear meshing with said worm gear.
The clutch gear vertically faces the rotary drive portion and is connected to a radially outer end portion of the spool shaft portion so as to be vertically movable,
13. The racing module according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the operating section moves the clutch gear away from or close to the rotary drive section according to the user's operation.
The racing module according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein said operating portion has an operating member that applies a load to said clutch gear toward said rotary drive portion.
a guide member having a guide portion extending in a circumferential direction with reference to an axially extending central axis;
a relative moving part that is relatively movable with respect to the guide member;
with
The rotation restricting mechanism, wherein the relative movement portion is relatively movable along the guide portion between one end and the other end of the guide portion.
one of the guide portion and the relative movement portion is a recess;
16. The rotation restricting mechanism according to claim 15, wherein the other of said guide portion and said relative movement portion is a convex portion that fits into said concave portion.
The guide member further has a body,
The rotation restricting mechanism according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the guide portion is arranged on one end surface of the body portion in the axial direction.
The guide portion extends radially inward toward one circumferential direction,
18. The rotation restricting mechanism according to claim 17, wherein the relative movement portion is radially movable.
The guide section
a plurality of circular arc portions extending in the circumferential direction;
a stepped portion connecting circumferential ends of the circular arc portions adjacent to each other in the radial direction;
has
Each of the arc portions is arranged concentrically around the central axis,
The stepped portion connects one circumferential end of the radially outer arc portion and the other circumferential end of the radially inner arc portion of the radially adjacent arc portions. death,
18. The rotation restricting mechanism according to claim 17, wherein the relative movement portion is radially movable.
The rotation restricting mechanism according to claim 19, wherein the step portion extends radially inward toward one side in the circumferential direction.