JPH0447921Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field] The present invention relates to a rotation operating device for variable electric components such as variable resistors and trimmer capacitors.

[Background Art] Conventionally, as an electric appliance using variable electric components, there is a photoelectric switch, for example. This photoelectric switch uses a variable resistor, which is a variable electric component, to adjust the amount of light emitted from the light emitting element.
However, with variable resistors, the resistance value must usually be set within one rotation, and the variable amount of the resistance value etc. is large compared to the rotation angle, so it is difficult to fine-tune the resistance value etc. to a delicate value. It was difficult.

Therefore, conventionally, a main body gear that is connected to a rotation operation section of a variable electric component, rotates together with the rotation operation section, and has a display section formed on its surface that indicates the rotation of the variable electric component, and is rotated by a screwdriver or the like. Some devices are equipped with a drive gear that decelerates the rotation of the operation part and rotationally drives the main body gear, so that the main body gear rotates by a predetermined rotation angle within one rotation while the drive gear rotates several times. According to this rotation operating device, it is possible to finely adjust the set value of the variable electric component, and if the number of rotations of the drive gear is displayed on the display section provided on the main gear, the number of rotations of the drive gear can be adjusted. It is easy to understand what has been done.

However, in this type of conventional rotary operating device for a variable electrical component, there has been a problem in that the drive gear is forcibly rotated beyond the rotation angle of the variable electrical component, causing damage to the variable electrical component.

[Purpose of the invention] The present invention was made in view of the above points, and its purpose is to enable fine adjustment using variable electrical components, and to prevent the variable electrical components from rotating more than necessary. It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotation operating device for a variable electrical component that does not cause damage.

[Disclosure of the Invention] (Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 8 are diagrams showing an embodiment of the present invention, and this embodiment will also be explained using a photoelectric switch A using variable electric components as an example. First, the schematic structure of the photoelectric switch A will be explained with reference to FIG. This photoelectric switch A includes a box-shaped main body case 24 with a front opening, an optical tube 34 attached to the front surface of the main body case 24 and equipped with a light emitting element 32 and a light receiving element 33, and an optical tube 34 attached to the optical tube 34. Printed circuit boards 35 and 36 are mounted with circuit components for driving the light emitting element 32 and circuit components for signal processing of the optical signal received by the light receiving element 33 and housed in the main body case 24, and the printed circuit board 3
5 and 36, and a connector 37 for connecting wiring to the photoelectric switch A for transmitting the output of the circuit mounted on the photoelectric switch A to, for example, an alarm device.

The above is a description of the general configuration of the photoelectric switch A. Next, the variable resistor 2, which is a variable electric component used in this embodiment, will be described. This variable resistor 2 is for adjusting the amount of light emitted from the light emitting element 32, for example, and in the photoelectric switch A of this embodiment, the printed circuit boards 35 and 36 are set up so that the variable resistor 2 can be adjusted from above. Therefore, a printed circuit board 14 for the variable resistor 2 is provided separately from the printed circuit boards 35 and 36 on which circuit components are mounted, and this printed circuit board 14 is connected to the printed circuit board 35, for example.
By electrically and mechanically connecting the printed circuit board 14 to the printed circuit board 35 as a type of circuit component. Incidentally, if the printed circuit board 35 or 36 is not installed upright as in this embodiment, the variable resistor 2 can also be mounted on the printed circuit board 35 or 36. Further, the variable resistor 2 of this embodiment uses a chip variable resistor, and the rotation angle that can be varied is within 360 degrees. The rotary operating device of this embodiment is attached to this variable resistor 2.

The rotation operating device of this embodiment will be described in detail below. This embodiment reduces the rotation of a main body gear 1 which is connected to a rotational operation part (not shown) of the variable resistor 2 and rotates together with the rotational operation part, and an operation part 16 which is rotationally operated by a driver or the like. As shown in the main body gear 1
An operation gear 3 is formed with a smaller number of teeth and rotates several times during one rotation of the main body gear 1, and the operation gear 3 meshes with both this operation gear 3 and the main body gear 1 to transfer the rotation of the operation gear 3 to the main body gear 1. A transmission gear 4 for transmitting,
It is comprised of a case 5 that houses each of the gears 1, 3, and 4 mentioned above. In addition, in the conventional example, the driving gear was formed by one piece, but in this example, the operating gear 3 is used.
and a transmission gear 4. First, the main body gear 1 will be explained. The main body gear 1 has a cylindrical shape as shown in FIG.
The rotary operation unit is housed. Incidentally, the rotary operation section of the variable resistor 2 has a groove bored in its upper surface so that a screwdriver or the like can be inserted thereinto for rotation. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to rotate the rotary operation part of the variable resistor 2, a groove 7 is formed in the opposing part of the inner wall of the recess 6.
A connecting rod 8 is fitted into the groove 7, and the connecting rod 8 is fitted into the groove of the rotary operation portion of the variable resistor 2 to transmit the rotation of the main body gear 1 to the variable resistor 2. Further, the teeth 1a provided on the circumferential surface of the main body gear 1 are not formed all the way around the circumferential surface, but are formed on the circumferential surface at an angle corresponding to the rotation angle of the variable resistor 2. Further, a groove 9 is bored all around the upper part of the circumferential surface where the tooth 1a is formed, and the cross-sectional shape of this groove 9 portion is a part of a circular portion as shown in Fig. 2c. The protrusion 10 has a protruding shape. Furthermore, a cylindrical protrusion 11 with a part cut out protrudes from the upper surface of the main body gear 1, and a disc-shaped display plate 12 is fitted onto this protrusion 11. A bar-shaped mark 13 pointing toward the center of the display board 12 is attached to a part of the display board 12.

Next, the structure of the operating gear 3 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 3, this operating gear 3 has a positioning protrusion 15 protruding from its lower end that is inserted into an insertion hole (not shown) drilled in the printed circuit board 14 to position the operating gear 3. Teeth 3a, the number of which is smaller than the number of teeth of the main body gear 1, are carved on the upper circumferential surface of the positioning protrusion 15 over the entire circumference. and tooth 3a
A cylindrical operation part 16 with a diameter larger than the part where the teeth 3a are formed is formed above the part where the teeth 3a are formed, and an adjustment jig such as a screwdriver is inserted into the upper surface of this operation part 16. A groove 17 for rotating the operating gear 3 is provided.

Furthermore, the transmission gear 4 that transmits the rotation of the operating gear 3 to the main body gear 1 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 4, the lower part of the transmission gear 4 also has a protruding positioning projection 18 that fits into the printed circuit board 14 and positions the transmission gear 4 similarly to the operation gear 3. Teeth 4a are carved on the upper part over the entire circumference. An insertion hole 19, the details of which will be described later, is bored in the center of the top surface.

The case 5 that houses the gears 1, 3, and 4 described above is constructed as follows. The case 5 is made of synthetic resin and has a box-like shape with an opening at the bottom as shown in FIG. Then, bosses 20 are projected downward from three locations in the opening, and are positioned and attached onto the printed circuit board 14 by these bosses 20. Specifically, the printed circuit board 1 is inserted through the printed circuit board 14.
4 is melted and welded to the printed circuit board 14. Further, the lower surface of the top plate of the case 5 is provided with a recess 21 into which the upper part of the main body gear 1 is inserted so that the main body gear 1 can rotate freely, as shown in FIG. 5b. A protrusion 22 in the shape of two stacked cylinders is protruded into the case 5 at a position adjacent to this recess 21.
2 is inserted into the upper insertion hole 19 of the transmission gear 4, the teeth of the transmission gear 4 and the main body gear 1 mesh with each other.
It goes without saying that the transmission gear 4 is rotatable when the protrusion 22 is inserted into the insertion hole 19. Furthermore, an insertion hole 23 is bored on the side of the projection 22 into which a portion of the operating gear 3 below the operating section 16 is inserted from above. The operating portion 16 is made smaller than the diameter so that the operating portion 16 is exposed on the surface of the case 5. The operation gear 3 is inserted into this insertion hole 23.
The transmission gear 4 and the operation gear 3 mesh with each other in a state where the transmission gear 4 and the operation gear 3 are inserted. Incidentally, at least the display panel 12 portion of the top plate of the case 5 is translucent so that it can be seen from above. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the gears 1, 3, and 4 are housed in the case 5, and the printed circuit board 14 is attached to the bottom surface of the case 5. Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the operation gear 3 exposed from this case 5
The operating section 16 and the display board 12 on the top of the main body gear 1
The upper surface of the main body case 24 is cut out so that it can be seen from the upper part of the main body case 24, and this cutout part 25 has a crescent-shaped display on the outer periphery indicating how many rotations the operating gear 3 has rotated. Window 27 and
A nameplate 26 with a through hole 28 through which the operating portion 16 of the operating gear 3 can be adjusted from above the photoelectric switch A is attached.

The above is a configuration in which fine adjustment of the variable resistor 2 can be made by rotating the operating gear 3 multiple times while the variable resistor 2 rotates within a variable rotation angle, similar to the conventional example, and the rotation of the operating gear 3. This is a description of the members related to the configuration in which the operating state of the operating gear 3 can be grasped by displaying numbers. Next, the gist of this embodiment will be explained. In this embodiment, the above-described cross-sectional shape of the groove 9 of the main body gear 1, the fact that the teeth 1a are not formed over the entire circumference, and the rotation of the main body gear 1 that is pressed against the groove 9 of the main body gear 1. This device is characterized in that it is provided with a control spring 29 that performs control. More specifically, the control spring 29 is a rod-shaped spring bent into an L-shape, one end of which is supported and fixed to the case 5, and the other end is fixed to the main body gear 1.
It is fitted into the groove 9 of the holder. In order to support and fix one end of the control spring 29, the case 5 has the following structure. This case 5
A substantially L-shaped projecting piece 30 is formed on the inner surface of the control spring 29, and the curved portion of the control spring 29 is engaged with this projecting piece 30. A rib 31 having a semicircular cross-section is formed on the inner surface of the case 5, on which the protruding piece 30 is formed, and is adjacent to the inner surface of the case 5, slightly inward from the curved portion of the control spring 29. The rib 31 supports the control spring 29 slightly inward from the curved portion, and supports and fixes one end of the control spring 29 by sandwiching it between the rib 31 and the protruding piece 30. It is. Further, the other end of the control spring 29 is fitted into the groove 9 of the main body gear 1, and the protrusion 10 of the groove 9 shown in FIG.
When the transmission gear 4 rotates, the transmission gear 4 is transmitted to the teeth 1a (hereinafter referred to as outermost teeth) adjacent to both sides of the part where the teeth 1a of the main body gear 1 are not formed. A control spring 29 comes into contact with the side surface of the protrusion 10 in a state where the teeth 4a of the gear 4 are in mesh with each other. The fitting of the control spring 29 into the groove 9 of the main body gear 1 also serves to prevent the main body gear 1 from falling out of the recess 21 of the case 5.

The operation of this embodiment will be explained below based on FIG. In this embodiment, when the operating portion 16 of the operating gear 3 is rotated by a screwdriver or the like, the rotation of the operating gear 3 is transmitted to the main body gear 1 via the transmission gear 4 . Since the main body gear 1 is connected to the rotary operation section of the variable resistor 2 by the connecting rod 8, the variable resistor 2 rotates together with the main body gear 1. Here, the teeth 1a are not formed on the circumferential surface of the main body gear 1 over the entire circumference, but the teeth 1a are formed only on the circumferential surface corresponding to the rotation angle of the variable resistor 2. 3 is rotated a predetermined number of times and the variable resistor 2 is rotated to the full rotation angle, the teeth 4a of the transmission gear 4 and the outermost teeth 1a of the main body gear 1 are kept in mesh with each other. Therefore, the main body gear 1 is in a state where it can be further rotated by the transmission gear 4. However, in this embodiment, the control spring 29 fitted in the groove 9 of the main gear 1 prevents the main gear 1 from rotating. In other words, the operating gear 3
According to the rotation of the main body gear 1, the outermost tooth 1a of the main body gear 1, which is meshed with the tooth 4a of the transmission gear 4, rotates. For this reason,
The main body gear 1 attempts to move by approximately one pitch of the teeth 4a of the transmission gear 4. However, in a state where the teeth 4a of the transmission gear 4 and the outermost teeth 1a of the main body gear 1 are disengaged, the teeth 1a are not formed on the circumferential surface of the main body gear 1. Transmission gear 4
The rotational force caused by this will no longer be applied. At this time, the control spring 29 is connected to the main body gear 1 as shown in FIG.
The side surface of the protrusion 10 shown in the cross section of the groove 9 contacts, the control spring 29 is pressed by the protrusion 10 more than the normal state, and the main body gear 1 is rotated in a direction opposite to the rotation direction in which the transmission gear 4 is about to rotate. The control spring 29 is biased by the return force of the control spring 29 so as to rotate. Therefore, as described above, when the teeth 4a of the transmission gear 4 and the outermost tooth 1a of the main body gear 1 are disengaged, that is, when the force that causes the transmission gear 4 to rotate the main gear 1 is released, the main gear 1 is It is rotated in the opposite direction by the biasing force of the control spring 29. Then, the next tooth 4a of the transmission gear 4 and the outermost tooth 1a of the main body gear 1 mesh with each other, and the reverse rotation of the main body gear 1 is prevented. In this way, the above-mentioned operation is repeated every time the operation gear 3 is rotated from now on, and the main body gear 1 only performs a reciprocating rotational motion and does not rotate. Further, when the operation gear 3 is rotated in the reverse direction and the transmission gear 4 is meshed with the outermost tooth 1a adjacent to the portion of the main body gear 1 where the teeth 1a are not formed, the protrusion is opposite to the state shown in FIG. The control spring 29 contacts and presses the side surface of the main body gear 10 and applies a rotational force that rotates the main body gear 1 in the opposite direction to that described above, so that the main body gear 1 rotates the variable resistor 2 in the same manner as described above. This prevents rotation beyond an angle. Therefore,
According to this embodiment, the variable resistor 2 will not be damaged due to excessive rotation of the operation gear 3.
Furthermore, if the operating gear 3 is rotated in the opposite direction while the main gear 1 is spinning idle, the teeth 4a of the transmission gear 4, the outermost teeth 1a of the main gear 1, and the outermost teeth 1a are always in mesh with each other. Therefore, the main body gear 1 can be rotated in the reverse direction without idle rotation, resulting in good operability.

[Effects of the invention] As described above, the present invention provides a variable electric component such as a variable resistor that has a rotational operation part and whose rotation angle can be varied within 360 degrees, and a rotational operation part of the variable electric component. A main body gear that is connected and rotates together with the operating section, has teeth formed on its peripheral surface according to the rotation angle of the variable electric component, and a display section that displays the number of rotations on the top surface, and an operation that is rotated. a drive gear that decelerates the rotation of the main body gear and rotationally drives the main body gear, a control spring whose one end is supported and the other end is in contact with the circumferential surface of the main body gear, and a part of the main body gear where teeth are not formed. The control spring is formed on the peripheral surface of the main gear so that the control spring is pressed into contact with the teeth of the drive gear meshing with the adjacent teeth to rotate the main gear in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation applied to the main gear by the drive gear. When the main body gear is rotated by the drive gear and the teeth of the drive gear and the teeth adjacent to the part of the main body gear where no teeth are formed are in mesh with each other, the rotation of the drive gear causes the main body to rotate. The gear tries to rotate, but when the control spring is pressed by the protrusion of the main gear and the meshing state between the teeth of the drive gear and the teeth of the main gear is released, the main gear no longer has the teeth of the drive gear. Since there are no teeth to mesh with each other, the rotational force applied to the main gear by the driving gear is released, and at this time, the control spring causes the main gear to rotate in the opposite direction due to the reaction force of the protrusion of the main gear. When the main gear rotates in the opposite direction and meshes with the next tooth of the drive gear, the above operation is repeated every time the drive gear is rotated beyond the rotation angle of the variable electric component, causing the main gear to idle. Therefore, no matter how much the drive gear is rotated, the main body gear will not rotate beyond the rotation angle of the variable electric component, and for this reason, the rotating operation part of the variable electric component may be rotated more than necessary and damaged. disappears. Furthermore, as mentioned above, even if the teeth of the drive gear are in a position where the main gear does not rotate any further, the teeth of the drive gear are always in mesh with the teeth adjacent to the part of the main gear where no teeth are formed. Therefore, when the drive gear is rotated in the reverse direction, the main body gear immediately rotates in the reverse direction, resulting in good operability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the main parts of an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 a is a sectional view showing the main body gear of the above, Fig. 2 b is a bottom view, and Fig. 2 c is a line X-X in Fig. a. Line sectional view and figure d are plan views, figure 3 a and b are side views and plane views of the same operating gear, figure 4 is a sectional view of the same transmission gear, figure 5 a and b are 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the assembled state of the above case, FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a photoelectric switch using the same, and FIG. 8 is a plan view of the photoelectric switch. be. 1 is a main body gear, 2 is a variable resistor, 3 is an operation gear, 4 is a transmission gear, 10 is a protrusion, 12 is a display section,
16 is an operating section, and 29 is a control spring.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A variable electrical component such as a variable resistor that has a rotational operation part and whose rotation angle can be varied within 360 degrees, and a variable electrical component that is connected to the rotational operation part of the variable electric component and rotates together with the operation part and is variable. The main body gear has teeth formed on its circumferential surface according to the rotation angle of the electrical component, and a display part that displays the number of rotations on the top surface, and the main body gear is rotationally driven by decelerating the rotation of the operating part that is rotated. A driving gear, a control spring whose one end is supported and the other end is in contact with the circumferential surface of the main gear, and the teeth of the driving gear mesh with the teeth adjacent to the portion of the main gear where no teeth are formed. Rotation operation of a variable electric component comprising a protrusion formed on the circumferential surface of the main gear so as to press the control spring and rotate the main gear in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation applied to the main gear by the drive gear. Device.