JPH0226749Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Purpose of Use of the Invention] The present invention relates to an opening/closing mechanism for an ashtray installed in the passenger compartment of an automobile.

[Background of the idea]

In conventional automobile ashtray mechanisms of this type, the ashtray is opened and closed by manual operation, and the user of the ashtray is overwhelmingly the driver of the vehicle himself. Therefore, the driver often opens and closes the ashtray by groping with one hand, which causes inconvenience when handling the ashtray.

In addition, ashtrays used when smoking while driving are often used by fumbling, and as a result, not only the inner surface of the ashtray, but also the outer surface and the area around the ashtray storage compartment are covered with ash and ``garnish''. It gets dirty. Therefore, when opening and closing the ashtray using the conventional manual opening/closing mechanism, it is unavoidable that the user has to grope around the ashtray, which is widely soiled, to open and close the ashtray, which inevitably results in dirty hands. In addition, dirty hands while driving are not only visually undesirable, but also cause problems such as the dirt spreading around the driver's seat through the hands since the driver must immediately touch the driving control equipment. For this reason, some clean-minded people even make it a habit not to smoke while driving. The problem with this was that the very existence of the ashtray became meaningless.

[Purpose of invention]

The present invention was developed by focusing on these conventional problems, and by using an electric opening/closing mechanism that allows the ashtray to be opened and closed using a hand switch, it solves the above problems and improves safe driving. The object of the present invention is to provide an opening/closing device for an automobile ashtray that can contribute to the present invention.

[Example of idea]

The main diagram of the machine of this invention is shown in Figure 1. In the figure, a ball 3 is provided which is engaged with both the guide groove 11 provided on both sides of the frame 1 and the groove 21 provided on both sides of the ashtray body 2 and supported by a retainer 30. The ashtray body 2 is supported by the guide of the ball 3 in a light and smooth slidable manner within the frame 1. On the frame 1, there are gears 41 from the motor 4,
A feed screw 5 rotatably driven via a shaft 42 is supported by bearings 22' and 23' mounted on the frame. The transfer nut 6 is screwed onto the feed screw 5.
is provided, so that the transfer nut 6 is moved axially along the longitudinal direction of the feed screw 5. The transfer nut 6 also connects the lead screw 5 and the transfer nut 6.
As shown in FIG. 2 which is a plan view of a portion of the frame 1, FIG. 3 which is a longitudinal section thereof, and FIG. 4 which is a cross section thereof,
are guided by sliding into guide grooves 24 provided in parallel.

Limit switches 71 and 72 are provided at both ends of the required moving length l of the transfer nut 6 to electrically detect the arrival of the transfer nut 6 and are linked to the direction changeover switch 8. engages with and moves the disposal lever 81;
Therefore, the direction changeover switch 8 is changed over.

The mounting of the limit switches 71, 72 and the direction changeover switches 8, 81 and the wiring of the electric circuit described later are preferably performed using the mounting board 0 made of a printed circuit board or the like.

The lower surface of the transfer nut 6 is provided with a V-groove portion 63 (see FIG. 4) parallel to the transfer direction and a central protrusion 64 via an integrally configured spring portion 61 or a similarly shaped leaf spring. It engages with the ridge 22 of the ashtray body 2. This engagement is based on friction, and various shapes and combinations are possible; however, since a complicated shape impairs practicality for the ashtray body 21, which is the main body used, an example of a simple shape is shown. It is. The V-groove portion 63 in this example is for ensuring the introduction of the ridge portion 22, and the central protrusion 64
is for engaging with a recess 23 provided in the ridge 22.

Limit switches 71 and 72 at both ends of the required moving length l of the transfer nut 6, and a pick-up lever 8
1. The engagement with the changeover switch 8 is as follows.
First, the limit switches 71 and 72 come into contact with the slopes 65 and 65 provided on the sides of the moving nut 6,
Limit switch 71,7 for the arrival of moving nut 6
Detection is made by opening and closing 2. The direction changeover switch 8 is switched by engaging with the end face of the moving nut via a discard lever 81. The basic electric circuits related to these switches 71, 72, 8, hand switch 9, and motor 4 are shown in relation to the mechanism in FIG. This electrical circuit can also be modified as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and in particular the circuit of FIG. 6 offers a solution to omit the limit switches 71, 72.

[Effect of the embodiment]

The operation of this invention having the configuration of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 is as follows.

First, the operation will be described in a state where the ashtray body 2 is properly housed in the frame 1, that is, the central protrusion 64 of the transfer nut 6 and the recess 23 on the ridge 22 of the ashtray body are fitted. Assuming that the transfer nut 6 is now in the position shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 (the ashtray body is fully opened), the limit switch 71 is operated and its contact 710 is turned off, turning off the current to the motor windings. However, due to the inertia of the motor rotation, the discarded lever 8
1 is shifted, the direction selector switch 8 is switched, and the circuit is connected so that the rotation direction of the motor 4 drives the transfer nut 6 to the right (as shown in the figure). (The motor type is the most popular permanent magnet shunt DC motor. ). When the hand switch 9 is turned on, the off state of the limit switch contact 710 is ignored, the motor 4 begins to rotate, and the transfer nut 6 begins to return. Then, the limit switch 71 returns, its contact 710 turns on, and even if the hand switch 9 is released from the pressure to turn off, the motor circuit continues to be energized and the motor 4 continues to rotate. Incidentally, since the discard lever remains in the same position, the rotation direction of the motor 4 remains in the direction in which the transfer nut 6 is returned (to the right in the figure, the direction in which the ashtray body is stored).

When the transfer nut 6 eventually reaches the right end position 6' shown by the broken line in FIG. 2, the limit switch 72 is activated and its contact 720 is turned off, ending the supply of electricity to the motor. The disposal lever 81 is now driven to the right and switches the direction changeover switch 8. If the hand switch 9 is turned on again, the same repeated operation will be performed. However, each time the hand switch is pressed, the ashtray body 2 is repeatedly released and stored.

Next, when the ashtray body 2 is taken out for reasons such as cleaning the ashtray, the engagement between the transfer nut 6 and the ashtray body 2 is a drop-in engagement between the central protrusion 64 and the recess 23 as described above. The ashtray body 2 can be pulled out by hand after cleaning, etc., and the ridge 22 of the ashtray body 2 can be guided into the V-groove 63 of the transfer nut 6 by simply pushing the ashtray body 2. Then, the central protrusion 64 and the recess 23 are engaged with each other to complete the locking. This completion of locking can be easily recognized by the feel of the lock, but even if the lock is pushed in carelessly, it will be completed automatically as follows. That is, when the motor is energized, the motor rotates (described later), and the transfer nut 6 moves while sliding on the ridge 22 with the central protrusion 64 on its lower surface, searches for the recess 23, and eventually connects the central protrusion 64 and the recess 2.
3 falls into each other to transfer the ashtray body 2, and the locking is completed. Here, in a motor based on the motor torque, the restraint torque amount is usually several times the normal torque, and on the other hand, the frictional force between the transfer nut 6 and the ridge 22 is determined by the elasticity setting of the spring 61. By designing the locking torque to be a little smaller than the above-mentioned restraint torque, the central protrusion 64 can search for the recess 23 at a low speed.

This combination of the automatic locking completion function and the manual ashtray body removal function is an important function not only for the purpose of cleaning the ashtray described above, but also for the following cases. The first is that when you turn off an external switch (assuming a car ignition switch) or remove the battery, the power is lost, so even in this case you have to manually open and close the switch. This allows the ashtray to be used, and when the power is turned on again, the locking is automatically completed and the normal state is restored. The second case is in the unlikely event that the power supply fails, and in this case as well, the above-mentioned effect is exerted.

Next, the aspect of the circuit will be explained.

Figure 5 shows an example in which a simple CR timer is added to the hand switch circuit of the circuit shown in Figure 2, and the motor starts to drive when the hand switch is turned on for a very short time (instantaneously). be. CR in the diagram
The time constant is backed up by a transistor Q, and a diode D and a snubber circuit are added to protect the transistor. The switches are the same as shown in Figure 2.

FIG. 6 shows an example in which the direction changeover switch 8 is used as a limit switch and also corresponds to the momentary turning on of the hand switch 9, and a very simple circuit configuration is realized using the relay Rel and its contact r. The operation is such that the relay Rel is activated by one touch of the hand switch 9, and the relay contact r is turned on, and the relay Rel is turned off when the jump gap of that contact is momentarily turned off when the changeover switch 8 is switched by the final stroke of the transfer nut 6. It is.

[Summary of the idea]

As explained above, the motor 4 installed on the frame 1 side, the feed screw 5 that is rotationally driven by the motor, the transfer nut 6 that is screwed onto the feed screw 5 and moves back and forth, and the movement of the transfer nut 6. A dumping lever 8 that is driven at the end of the stroke and left in the driven position
1 and a direction changeover switch 8 which is switched via a discard lever 81 are installed in a connected manner, and an ashtray body 2 is accommodated in the frame 1 so as to be retractable and is frictionally engaged with the transfer nut 6. This is an electric opening/closing mechanism for an ashtray, which is characterized in that the ashtray body 2 is configured to be detachable and opened and closed electrically by activation with a hand switch 9.

[Effect of idea]

Therefore, this electric opening/closing mechanism of the ashtray has the following effects.

a) By placing the hand switch for opening and closing the ashtray close to the steering wheel, the ashtray can be operated without taking the driver's line of sight, and the ashtray automatically determines whether it should be opened or closed. This contributes to safe driving.

b. Since the ashtray body can be opened and closed by operating a hand-held switch, there is no need to hold the ashtray body directly to open and close it, and the feeling of uncleanliness caused by transferring dirt from the ashtray to the hands can be eliminated.

c Since the structure is such that the driving force of the motor is transmitted through the feed screw, the reduction ratio of the DC motor drive can be easily increased by simply selecting the pitch of this feed screw, and the appropriate moving speed of the ashtray body can be achieved. In addition to being able to economically ensure the speed reduction mechanism, the speed reduction mechanism can be made simple and compact, and its reliability can be improved.

d Since the drive mechanism such as the motor and feed screw that reciprocates the ashtray body is attached to the frame, removing and attaching the ashtray body to the frame will not damage the drive mechanism and will not cause dirt to propagate. Body removal and installation work can be performed extremely safely, cleanly, and easily.

e. A dumping lever that is driven at the end of the transfer nut's travel stroke and a direction switching switch that is switched via this dumping lever are provided, and the operation of this direction switching switch changes the rotational direction of the motor started by the hand switch. Since the transfer nut is switched over, overshooting of the transfer nut is effectively prevented, and erroneous operation of the entire drive mechanism can be reliably eliminated.

f. Since the engaging portion provided on the transfer nut frictionally engages with the ashtray body, the ashtray body can be easily and reliably switched between automatic opening and closing and manual opening and closing at appropriate times.

g. In addition, the electrical circuit has a rational configuration in terms of circuit function, is simple, and has the effect that the entire device can be provided at low cost.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the main part of this invention, and Figures 2, 3, and 4 are a plan view, a vertical sectional view, and a cross sectional view, respectively, of the screw feeding part, which is the main part of this invention. , FIG. 2 shows a drive circuit diagram in relation to the mechanism. 5 and 6 show another embodiment of the drive circuit. 0... Mounting board, 1... Ashtray body, 2... Frame, 3... Ball, 4... Motor, 5... Feed screw,
6... Transfer nut, 7... Limit switch, 8
...Direction switch, 9...Hand switch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A motor 4 installed on the frame 1 side, a feed screw 5 that is rotationally driven by the motor, a transfer nut 6 that is screwed onto the feed screw 5 and moves back and forth, and is driven at the end of the movement stroke of the transfer nut 6. A discarding lever 81 that is left in the position where the discarding lever 81 is left, and a direction changeover switch 8 that is switched via the discarding lever 81 are installed in series, and the ashtray body 2 is housed in the frame 1 so as to be retractable. An electric opening/closing mechanism for an ashtray, characterized in that the ashtray body 2 is configured to be detachable by frictionally engaging with the transfer nut 6, and the ashtray body 2 is opened and closed electrically by being activated by a hand switch 9.