JP7709302B2 - Rotating telescopic device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rotary telescopic device that is used, for example, in the opening and closing structure of an automobile fuel lid, and is configured to rotate and extend when pushed in.

For example, a fuel lid for an automobile is provided with a rod that receives and supports the lid when the lid is closed relative to the opening. This rod is often designed to expand and contract when the lid is pushed in.

As an example of a device having such a structure, the following Patent Document 1 describes a rotary telescopic device having a main body member having a cylindrical portion, a moving member held axially slidably and rotatably relative to the cylindrical portion, a spring member for biasing the moving member, a protrusion formed on the outer periphery of the moving member, and a cam groove formed on the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion into which the protrusion fits. The cam groove has a first fitting groove, a second fitting groove, a first guide groove, and a second guide groove, which are arranged so as to circle around the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion. The moving member also has a spring accommodation space, and a closed end is arranged on one end side of the spring. Furthermore, the spring member is a coil spring, and when the coil spring is compressed, one axial end of the spring presses the closed end of the moving member to bias the moving member in a direction protruding from one end of the cylindrical portion.

International Publication WO2018/038034A1

However, in the rotary telescopic device of Patent Document 1, if the moving member is pushed in while rotating by the cam groove against the biasing force of the coil spring, the following problems can occur.

In other words, the other end of the coil spring is supported in contact with the inner surface of the main body member, so its rotation is restricted to a certain extent (see Figure 7 in Cited Document 1), but one end of the coil spring is subjected to the rotational force of the moving member when the moving member is pushed in while rotating, and can end up being twisted in the same direction as the rotational direction of the moving member. When the twisted end of the coil spring elastically returns to its original position, a rotational force acts on the moving member in the opposite direction to the rotational direction when the moving member was pushed in, so it is necessary to make the operation of the moving member more stable.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a rotary telescopic device that can suppress twisting of the coil spring when the rod is pushed in and rotated, thereby stabilizing the operation of the rod.

In order to achieve the above object, the rotary telescopic device according to the present invention comprises a main body member having a cylindrical portion with a circular inner circumference, a rod with a circular outer circumference, which is disposed within the cylindrical portion and is held rotatably and axially movable relative to the cylindrical portion, a spring accommodating space provided within the rod, with a closed end disposed at one end of the rod and an open end at the other end, a coil spring disposed within the spring accommodating space and biasing the rod in a direction protruding from the one end of the cylindrical portion, and a spring accommodating space formed between the rod and the cylindrical portion, The device has a cam mechanism that rotates the rod while moving it axially, and a spacer that is disposed between one end of the coil spring and the closed end, and is characterized in that a rotary sliding part is provided that locally abuts the spacer and the closed end so as to include a portion located at the axis of the coil spring between the spacer and the closed end, or locally abuts the spacer and one end of the coil spring so as to include a portion located at the axis of the coil spring between the spacer and one end of the coil spring.

According to the present invention, a rotating sliding part is provided that locally abuts the spacer and the closed end, or locally abuts the spacer and one end of the coil spring, so that the sliding area between the spacer and the closed end, or the sliding area between the spacer and one end of the coil spring, can be made smaller than when there is no rotating sliding part, and when a rotational force from the rod is transmitted to the coil spring via the spacer, the rotational force is made less likely to act on the one end of the coil spring. As a result, twisting of the coil spring can be suppressed, and the operation of the rod can be stabilized.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a rotary telescopic device according to the present invention. FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 3. FIG. 13 is an enlarged explanatory view of a main part of the rotary telescopic device in a state where a rod protrudes from one end of a cylindrical portion. FIG. 4 is a development view of a cam groove constituting the rotary telescopic device. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the rotary telescopic device in a state where the engagement piece of the rod is not engaged with the engagement groove of the opening/closing body. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the rotary telescopic device in a state where an engagement piece of the rod is engaged with an engagement groove of the opening/closing body. 9A shows modified examples of the rotating sliding part in the rotary telescopic device, and FIG. 9B is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of a first modified example, FIG. 9B is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of a second modified example, and FIG. 9C is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of a third modified example. 10A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a fourth modified example, FIG. 10B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a fifth modified example, and FIG. 10C is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a sixth modified example. FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of a seventh modified example of the rotary sliding part in the rotary telescopic device. 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the rotation angle of the rod and the spring load of the coil spring or the sliding torque at the rotation sliding portion for an example and a comparative example.

(One embodiment of a rotary telescopic device)
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a rotary telescopic device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

This rotary telescopic device is used, for example, in an opening and closing structure for an opening and closing body such as a fuel lid, as shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, a fixed member 1 having a generally cylindrical box shape is fixed to the periphery of a fuel filler opening of a vehicle body 1a. An opening and closing body (fuel lid) 5 is attached to an opening 2 of the fixed member 1 via a hinge portion 3 so as to be capable of opening and closing. Furthermore, a recess 3a is provided on the circumferential opposite side of the opening 2 of the fixed member 1 from the hinge portion 3, and the rotary telescopic device 10 of this embodiment (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "telescopic device 10") is disposed in this recess 3a.

An engagement portion 6 is provided on the inner surface of the opening/closing body 5. This engagement portion 6 is made up of a pair of side walls 7, 7 and a connecting wall 8 that connects one end of the side walls 7, 7, forming a gate-shaped frame. An engagement groove 9 is provided between the pair of side walls 7, 7.

The telescopic device 10 of this embodiment is used in the opening and closing structure of the fuel lid as described above, but it may also be used, for example, in the opening and closing structure of a small storage compartment in an automobile, or in furniture or daily necessities that are opened and closed by pushing, and there are no particular limitations on the manner of use or installation location.

2 to 4, the telescopic device 10 of this embodiment is composed of a first body portion 20 and a second body portion 30, and includes a main body member 11 having a cylindrical portion 15 with a circular inner circumference, a rod 40 having a circular outer circumference and disposed within the cylindrical portion 15, and held rotatably and axially movable relative to the cylindrical portion 15, a spring accommodating space 44 provided inside the rod 40, with a closed end 43 disposed on one end of the rod 40 and an open shape on the other end, a coil spring 50 disposed within the spring accommodating space 44 and biasing the rod 40 in a direction protruding from one end 15a (the axial tip) of the cylindrical portion 15, a cam mechanism formed between the rod 40 and the cylindrical portion 15 for rotating and axially moving the rod 40, and a spacer 80 disposed between one end of the coil spring 50 and the closed end 43. In addition, the cam mechanism in this embodiment is composed of a cam protrusion 48 formed on the outer periphery of the rod 40 and a cam groove 70 (see FIG. 5) formed around the tubular portion 15, into which the cam protrusion 48 fits to move the rod 40 in the axial direction while rotating it.

In this embodiment, the coil spring 50 is made by winding a wire of a predetermined diameter at a predetermined pitch, and extends a predetermined length. Seat turns 51, 53 are provided at one end and the other end of the coil spring 50 in the axial direction. The end 55 of the seat turn 51 on the one axial end side of the coil spring 50 is wound so as to have a smaller diameter than the seat turn 51 other than the end 55. The axis of the coil spring 50 (the line segment that passes through the radial center of the coil spring 50 and extends along the axial direction) is referred to as the "axis C1" (see FIG. 4).

In this embodiment, the expansion device 10 is provided with a rotating sliding portion between the spacer 80 and the closed end 43, which locally abuts the spacer 80 and the closed end 43, including the portion located at the axis C1 of the coil spring 50.

Each component will be explained below. First, the structure of the main body member 11 will be described in detail.

This main body member 11 is composed of a first main body portion 20 and a second main body portion 30, which are assembled together by dividing a cylindrical portion 15 having a circular inner circumference in the axial direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the cylindrical portion 15 is composed of a first cylindrical portion 23 and a second cylindrical portion 33, which are formed by dividing the cylindrical portion 15 in the axial direction, with the first cylindrical portion 23 being provided on the first main body portion 20 side and the second cylindrical portion 33 being provided on the second main body portion 30 side. Note that, for the sake of convenience, in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, in order to explain the structure in an easy-to-understand manner, only the cylindrical portions 23, 33 of the main body portions 20, 30 are shown.

2, the first main body 20 has a base 21 that is generally box-shaped and extends in one direction, and a generally cylindrical wall 22 is provided on one end of the base 21 in the longitudinal direction. The wall 22 is configured such that a large-diameter cylindrical portion 22a and a smaller-diameter cylindrical portion 22b are connected in the axial direction. The first cylindrical portion 23 is integrally formed inside the cylindrical wall 22. The cylindrical wall 22 is also a member that constitutes the cylindrical portion 15. Caps 17 made of rubber, elastic elastomer, etc. are attached to the outer periphery of one end (tip) of the cylindrical portion 22a of the cylindrical wall 22 and the outer periphery of one end of the cylindrical portion 22b.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second tubular portion 33 of the second main body portion 30 is inserted into the tubular wall 22. A cap 19 made of rubber or the like is also attached to the other longitudinal end side and one widthwise side of the base portion 21 relative to the tubular wall 22. Furthermore, a locking recess 25 is formed on one longitudinal end side and one widthwise side of the outer peripheral edge of the base portion 21 on the contact surface side with the second main body portion 30.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the second main body 30 has a base 31 that is substantially elongated in one direction in correspondence with the first main body 20. At one longitudinal end of the base 31, a second cylindrical portion 33 with a bottom is provided, which, together with the first cylindrical portion 23, forms the cylindrical portion 15.

The outer diameter of the second tubular portion 33 is the same as the outer diameter of the first tubular portion 23, and is sized to be insertable into the tubular wall 22 of the first main body portion 20. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, when the first main body portion 20 and the second main body portion 30 are assembled to form the main body member 11, the second tubular portion 33 is inserted into the tubular wall 22, and as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, a cam groove 70 is formed on the axially opposing end faces of the first tubular portion 23 and the second tubular portion 33. The detailed structure of this cam groove 70 will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, a locking claw 35 protrudes from one end in the longitudinal direction and one widthwise side of the outer peripheral edge of the base portion 31. This locking claw 35 locks into the locking recess 25 of the first main body portion 20, and the first main body portion 20 and the second main body portion 30 are assembled by a fixing pin 36 (see FIG. 4) to form the main body member 11 (see FIG. 3).

Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, a cylindrical spring support pillar 37 protrudes from the center of the inner surface of the bottom 33a of the second cylindrical portion 33. This spring support pillar 37 is inserted into the coil spring 50 to make the coil spring 50 less likely to tilt. In addition, the coil spring 50 supported by the spring support pillar 37 has a seat turn portion 53 on the other axial end side thereof abutting against the bottom 33a of the second cylindrical portion 33.

Next, we will explain the rod 40 in detail.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rod 40 of this embodiment has a tubular wall 41 that is substantially cylindrical and extends a predetermined length. A closed end 43 is disposed on one axial end of the tubular wall 41, and the other axial end is open. Inside the rod 40, a spring accommodating space 44 capable of accommodating a coil spring 50 is provided. That is, the closed end 43 is disposed on one axial end of the rod 40 in the spring accommodating space 44, and the other axial end is open. The axis of the rod 40 is referred to as "axis C2". In this embodiment, axis C2 coincides with axis C1 of the coil spring 50 (see FIG. 4).

In addition, the closed end 43 in this embodiment is disk-shaped to correspond to the cylindrical wall 41, and the inner surface of the closed end 43, i.e., the surface of the closed end 43 facing the spring accommodating space 44, forms the closed end surface 43a. A spacer 80 is arranged between the closed end 43 and the seat turn portion 51 on one axial end side of the coil spring 50 (see FIG. 4).

Furthermore, a columnar portion 46 having a smaller diameter than the cylindrical wall 41 protrudes from the center of the outer surface of the closed end portion 43 (the surface opposite the closed end surface 43a), and a band-shaped engagement piece 47 having arc-shaped longitudinal ends is connected to the tip of the columnar portion 46. Furthermore, a tapered surface 41a is formed on the axial base end side of the cylindrical wall 41 (see FIG. 4).

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the engaging piece 47 of the rod 40 rotates and changes angle as the rod 40 rotates, and engages with and disengages from the engaging portion 6 of the opening/closing body 5. In this embodiment, when the opening/closing body 5 is opened from the opening 2 of the fixed member 1, the longitudinal direction of the engaging piece 47 is arranged so as to be in the direction along the groove direction of the engaging groove 9 of the engaging portion 6 provided on the opening/closing body 5 (see Figure 7). On the other hand, when the opening/closing body 5 is closed against the opening 2 of the fixed member 1, the longitudinal angle of the engaging piece 47 changes so as to be perpendicular to the groove direction of the engaging groove 9 (see Figure 8).

Furthermore, a pair of cam protrusions 48, 48 protrude in the outer diameter direction from the outer periphery of the cylindrical wall 41 near the base end in the axial direction. In this embodiment, a protrusion forming member (not shown) is provided separately from the rod 40 and is formed by appropriately bending a metal wire such as stainless steel or spring steel, and a pair of cam protrusions 48, 48 are bent and formed at both ends (see FIG. 4). The protrusion forming member is attached to the outer periphery of the rod 40, so that the pair of cam protrusions 48, 48 protrude from the outer periphery of the rod (see FIG. 4). Each cam protrusion 48 has a circular outer periphery. These cam protrusions 48, 48 fit into the cam groove 70 formed in the cylindrical portion 15, and rotate and move the rod 40 in the axial direction in response to the pushing operation of the rod 40. The cam protrusions 48 may be formed integrally with the rod 40.

Furthermore, rectangular lock holes 49, 49 are formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical wall 41 closer to the axial base end than the pair of cam protrusions 48, 48, at a position perpendicular to the protruding direction of the pair of cam protrusions 48, 48. A lock protrusion 67 of a lock retainer 65 (see FIG. 1), which will be described later, is inserted and removed into this lock hole 49 to lock the rod 40 in a pushed-in state or release the locked state.

The closed end 43 is provided with a closed end side protrusion 45 protruding toward the spacer 80. More specifically, the closed end side protrusion 45, which has a curved outer surface, protrudes from the closed end face 43a side of the closed end 43, from the radial center including the portion located at the axis C1 of the coil spring 50 (see FIG. 4). The closed end side protrusion 45 has a circular outer periphery at the bottom located at the closed end face 43a side, and is a curved protrusion that gradually increases in protrusion amount while drawing a curved surface from this bottom in the direction away from the closed end face 43a. In addition, the part of the closed end side protrusion 45 that matches the axis C2 of the rod 40 is the apex 45a that protrudes most from the closed end face 43a, and the outer surface of this apex 45a forms a rounded arc-shaped curved surface. The closed end side protrusion 45 includes a portion located at the axis C1 of the coil spring 50.

The spacer 80 will be described in relation to the closed end 43 above.

In this embodiment, the spacer 80 has a constant thickness with both sides parallel to each other in the thickness direction, and is generally disk-shaped with a circular outer periphery. The outer diameter of the spacer 80 is formed to a size that matches the inner diameter of the cylindrical wall 41 of the rod 40 (it is formed to an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical wall 41), and it is rotatable within the spring accommodation space 44.

In addition, one surface of the spacer 80 in the thickness direction, that is, the surface facing the closed end 43, and the radial center including the portion located at the axis C of the coil spring 50, forms the protrusion abutment surface 81. As shown in FIG. 4, the top 45a of the closed end side protrusion 45 abuts locally (partially) against this protrusion abutment surface 81. When the rod 40 is pushed in while rotating against the biasing force of the coil spring 50, this protrusion abutment surface 81 is a portion that receives the pressing force due to the pushing of the rod 40 and the rotational force due to the rotation of the rod 40 through the closed end side protrusion 45. That is, in this embodiment, the protrusion abutment surface 81 of the spacer 80 and the closed end side protrusion 45 provided on the closed end 43 of the rod 40 form the "rotary sliding part" in the present invention. In addition, an R-shaped portion 81a is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the surface of the spacer 80 on the closed end 43 side, making it less likely to interfere with the inner circumference of the spring accommodating space 44.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the other surface of the spacer 80 in the thickness direction, i.e., the surface opposite the protrusion abutment surface 81, forms a spring abutment surface 82. The end 55 of the seat turn portion 51 of the coil spring 50 abuts against this spring abutment surface 82. The end 55 of the seat turn portion 51 abuts against the spring abutment surface 82 at a portion radially outward of the protrusion abutment surface 81 of the spacer 80 (see FIG. 4).

As shown in FIG. 4, the coil spring 50 is held in a compressed state inside the spring accommodating space 44 and the cylindrical portion 15 of the rod 40 with the seat winding portion 53 on the other axial end side abutting against the bottom portion 33a of the second cylindrical portion 33 and the end 55 of the seat winding portion 51 on one axial end side abutting against the spring abutment surface 82 of the spacer 80. Therefore, the elastic biasing force of the coil spring 50 always acts on the spring abutment surface 82 of the spacer 80, pressing the spacer 80 toward the closed end 43.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the spacer 80 is disposed between one end of the coil spring 50 and the closed end 43, and the rod 40 is pushed in while rotating against the biasing force of the coil spring 50, the rod 40 rotates via the rotating sliding part consisting of the protrusion abutment surface 81 of the spacer 80 and the closed end side protrusion 45. That is, the closed end side protrusion 45, which is locally abutting against the protrusion abutment surface 81 of the spacer 80, slides against the protrusion abutment surface 81 while the rod 40 rotates via the rotating sliding part. As a result, the pushing force and rotational force from the rod 40 are transmitted to one end of the coil spring 50 via the spacer 80.

The shape and structure of the rotating sliding part are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and the embodiments shown in Figures 9 to 11 can also be adopted. This will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 4, a motor 60 equipped with a worm gear 61 is disposed within the main body member 11. A lock retainer 65 is disposed adjacent to the motor 60. As shown in FIG. 2, the lock retainer 65 has a main body 66 having a pair of guide pieces 66a, 66a, a lock protrusion 67 protruding from one side of the main body 66, and an operation knob 68 protruding in a substantially L-shape from one end face of the main body 66. A meshing portion 66b that meshes with the worm gear 61 is formed within the main body 66.

When power is supplied to the motor 60 from a power supply means (not shown) via multiple bus bars 63 or the like and the worm gear 61 rotates, the lock retainer 65 slides toward or away from the rod 40, and the lock protrusion 67 engages with and disengages from the lock hole 49 of the rod 40. When the lock protrusion 67 enters and engages with the lock hole 49 of the rod 40, the rotation and axial movement of the rod 40 are restricted, and when it comes out of the lock hole 49, the rotation and axial movement of the rod 40 are permitted.

Next, the structure of the cam groove 70 into which the cam protrusion 48 fits will be described in detail.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the cam groove 70 has a protruding holding portion 71 into which the cam protrusion 48 fits to hold the rod 40 protruding a predetermined length from one end 15a of the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 15, a retracting holding portion 73 into which the cam protrusion 48 fits to hold the rod 40 retracted a predetermined length into the cylindrical portion 15 from one end 15a, a retracting guide portion 75 that guides the cam protrusion 48 to the retracting holding portion 73 when the rod 40 is pushed in with the cam protrusion 48 engaged with the protruding holding portion 71, and a protruding guide portion 77 that guides the cam protrusion 48 to the protruding holding portion 71 when the rod 40 is pushed in with the cam protrusion 48 engaged with the retracting holding portion 73.

In the following description, one axial end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15 is also referred to simply as "one end" or "one axial end", and the other axial end of the cylindrical portion 15 (the end opposite to one end 15a) is also referred to simply as "the other end" or "the other axial end". In addition, the end of the cylindrical portion 15 in one circumferential direction (see arrow R in Figure 6) is also referred to simply as "one circumferential end", and the end of the cylindrical portion 15 in the other circumferential direction is also referred to simply as "the other circumferential end".

Figure 6 shows an exploded view of the cam groove 70. As shown in the figure, the retraction guide portion 75 and the protruding guide portion 77 are inclined with respect to the axis C of the cylindrical portion 15 and extend in one circumferential direction (see arrow R).

As shown in FIG. 6, the cam groove 70 in this embodiment is arranged so as to go around the circumference of the tubular portion 15 in the order of the protruding retaining portion 71, the retracting guide portion 75, the retracting retaining portion 73, the protruding guide portion 77, and so on. In other words, the cam groove 70 in this embodiment is formed continuously around the entire circumference of the tubular portion 15.

As described above, the rod 40 is biased by the biasing force of the coil spring 50 in a direction that causes it to protrude from one end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15. At that time, a pair of cam protrusions 48, 48 on the rod 40 engage with the protruding retaining portions 71, 71 of the cam groove 70, so that the entire rod 40 is held in place so that it does not slip out of one end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15.

The protruding retaining portion 71 and the retracting retaining portion 73 are groove-shaped and formed on the end face (the end face facing the second cylindrical portion 33) of the first cylindrical portion 23 of the first main body portion 20. The protruding retaining portion 71 is disposed on one end 15a side of the cylindrical portion 15 (the protruding direction side of the rod 40), and the retracting retaining portion 73 is disposed on the other axial end side of the cylindrical portion 15, offset in position in the circumferential direction relative to the protruding retaining portion 71.

The retraction guide portion 75 has its base end 75a connected to the protruding holding portion 71 and extends while inclining toward the other axial end side of the cylindrical portion 15 and toward one circumferential direction, and its tip end 75b in the extending direction is connected to the retraction holding portion 73, inclining toward one axial end side of the cylindrical portion 15 and toward one circumferential direction. The protruding guide portion 77 has its base end 77a connected to the retraction holding portion 73 and extends while inclining toward one end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15 and toward one circumferential direction, and its tip end 77b in the extending direction is connected to the protruding holding portion 71.

When the rod 40 is pushed in against the biasing force of the coil spring 50 with the cam protrusion 48 engaged with the protruding retaining portion 71, the cam protrusion 48 is guided by the retraction guide portion 75, and the rod 40 rotates while being gradually retracted from one end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15. When the rod 40 is further pushed in, the cam protrusion 48 is guided to the retraction retaining portion 73 via the inclined tip portion 75b of the retraction guide portion 75, and engages with the retraction retaining portion 73, so that the rod 40 is held in a state in which it is retracted into the cylindrical portion 15 from one end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15 by a predetermined length. In this state, when the rod 40 is pushed further in, the cam protrusion 48 comes out of the retraction holding portion 73 and is guided by the protruding guide portion 77, so that the rod 40 is gradually pushed out from one end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15 while rotating, and the cam protrusion 48 fits into the protruding holding portion 71, so that the rod 40 is held in a state in which it protrudes a predetermined length from one end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15 (see FIG. 5).

In this embodiment, the cam mechanism is composed of a cam protrusion 48 provided on the rod 40 side and a cam groove 70 provided on the tubular portion 15 side, but the cam mechanism may be composed of a cam groove provided on the rod side and a cam protrusion provided on the tubular portion side, as long as it is possible to move the rod in the axial direction while rotating it.

(Modification of Rotary Slider Part)
9 to 11 show modified examples of the rotary sliding part. They will be described in detail below. Fig. 9A shows a first modified example, Fig. 9B shows a second modified example, and Fig. 9C shows a third modified example. These modified examples have in common that the spacer is cap-shaped.

(First Modification)
The spacer 80A in the first modified example shown in Fig. 9A is cap-shaped and includes a disk-shaped base 83 and a peripheral wall 84 extending from the periphery of the base 83 in a cylindrical shape in a direction away from the closed end 43. As shown in Fig. 9A, the peripheral wall 84 is a portion surrounding the outer periphery of the seat turn portion 51 on the axial end side of the coil spring 50. A spacer side protrusion 85 having a curved outer periphery protrudes from the surface of the base 83 facing the closed end 43 and from the radial center including the portion located at the axis C1 of the coil spring 50. The spacer side protrusion 85 has the same shape as the closed end side protrusion 45 in the embodiment shown in Fig. 4.

The top 85a of the spacer side projection 85 is adapted to locally abut against the radial center of the closed end face 43a of the closed end 43, including the portion located at the axis C1 of the coil spring 50. That is, in this first modified example, the spacer side projection 85 and the closed end face 43a form the "rotary sliding part" of the present invention. The end 55 of the seat turn portion 51 of the coil spring 50 abuts against the surface of the base 83 of the spacer 80A opposite to the spacer side projection 85.

(Second Modification)
A spacer 80B in the second modification shown in Fig. 9B is basically the same as the first modification, except that the shape of the spacer side protrusion 86 is different from that of the first modification. That is, the base 83 in the second modification has a shape that gradually protrudes from its outer circumferential edge toward the closed end 43 in a substantially conical shape, and this protruding portion is the spacer side protrusion 86. The portion of the spacer side protrusion 86 located at the axis C1 of the coil spring 50 is the most protruding apex 86a, and this apex 86a is in a pointed shape. The peripheral wall 84 in the second modification extends longer than the peripheral wall 84 in the first modification.

The top 86a of the spacer side projection 86 locally abuts against the radial center of the closed end face 43a of the closed end 43, including the portion located at the axis C1 of the coil spring 50. That is, in this second modified example, the spacer side projection 86 and the closed end face 43a form the "rotary sliding part" in the present invention. Since the pointed top 86a of the spacer side projection 86 locally abuts against the closed end face 43a, the contact area with the closed end face 43a is smaller than in the first modified example shown in FIG. 9A (in the first modified example, the top 85a of the spacer side projection 85 is curved, so the contact area with the closed end face 43a is larger than in the second modified example).

(Third Modification)
A spacer 80C in a third modified example shown in Fig. 9C is basically the same as the second modified example, except that the shape of the spacer side protrusion 87 is different from that of the second modified example. That is, the base 83 in the third modified example has a substantially spherical shape that gradually protrudes from its outer circumferential edge toward the closed end 43 while describing a curved surface, and this protruding portion serves as the spacer side protrusion 87. The portion of the spacer side protrusion 87 located at the axis C1 of the coil spring 50 serves as the most protruding apex 87a, and this apex 87a has a rounded, arc-shaped curved surface.

The top 87a of the spacer side projection 87 locally abuts against the radial center of the closed end face 43a of the closed end 43, including the portion located at the axis C of the coil spring 50. That is, in this third modified example, the spacer side projection 87 and the closed end face 43a form the "rotary sliding part" of the present invention.

Figure 10A shows a fourth modified example, Figure 10B shows a fifth modified example, and Figure 10C shows a sixth modified example. These modified examples have in common that the spacer is provided with a support shaft 88 that is inserted into the inner circumference of one end of the coil spring 50.

(Fourth Modification)
A spacer 80D in the fourth modification shown in Fig. 10A has a base 83 and a spacer-side protrusion 86 having a substantially conical shape, similar to the spacer 80B in the second modification, and a cylindrical support shaft 88 extends a predetermined length from the radial center of the surface of the base 83 opposite the spacer-side protrusion 86. The support shaft 88 is inserted into the end 55 of the seat turn portion 51 on one axial end side of the coil spring 50, and the end 55 abuts against the base end side peripheral portion of the support shaft 88 of the base 83. In the fourth modification, similar to the spacer 80B in the second modification, the spacer-side protrusion 86 and the closed end face 43a form the "rotary sliding portion" in the present invention.

(Fifth Modification)
10B has a base 83 and a spacer side projection 87 having a substantially spherical shape similar to the spacer 80C of the third modification, and a support shaft 88 similar to the spacer 80D of the fourth modification. In this fifth modification, like the spacer 80C of the third modification, the spacer side projection 87 and the radial center of the closed end face 43a form the "rotary sliding portion" according to the present invention.

(Sixth Modification)
10C, a spacer 80F in the sixth modified example has a base 83 and a spacer side projection 85 having a curved projection shape projecting from the radial center thereof, similar to the spacer 80A in the first modified example, and a support shaft 88 similar to the spacers 80D and 80E in the fourth and fifth modified examples. In this sixth modified example, the spacer side projection 85 and the closed end face 83a form the "rotary sliding part" in the present invention, similar to the spacer 80A in the first modified example.

(Seventh Modification)
FIG. 11 shows a seventh modified example of the rotary sliding portion.

The spacer 80 is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, and is generally disk-shaped with parallel surfaces on both sides in the thickness direction, and the closed end surface 43a of the closed end 43 does not have a closed end side protrusion 45. In addition, the coil spring 50 has a terminal end 55 of the seat winding portion 51 on one axial end side protruding toward the spacer 80. The terminal end 55 of the coil spring 50 protrudes from a position including the axis C1 of the coil spring 50. The terminal end 55 of the coil spring 50 has a pointed portion 55a, and this pointed portion 55a is locally abutted against the terminal abutment surface 82a of the spring abutment surface 82 of the spacer 80 at the radial center including the portion located at the axis C1 of the coil spring 50. The surface of the spacer 80 opposite to the spring abutment surface 82 is abutted against the closed end surface 43a of the closed end 43.

In this way, in this seventh modified example, a rotating sliding part is provided between the spacer 80 and one end of the coil spring 50, which locally abuts the spacer 80 and one end of the coil spring 50, including a portion including the axis C1 of the coil spring 50. That is, in this seventh modified example, the terminal abutment surface 82a of the spacer 80 and the terminal end 55 of the coil spring 50 form the "rotating sliding part" in the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 11, when the rod 40 is rotated and pushed against the biasing force of the coil spring 50 with the spacer 80 disposed between one end of the coil spring 50 and the closed end 43, the rod 40 rotates via the rotating sliding portion consisting of the terminal abutment surface 82a of the spacer 80 and the terminal 55 of the coil spring 50. That is, the rod 40 rotates via the rotating sliding portion while the terminal 55 of the coil spring 50, which is locally abutting against the terminal abutment surface 82a of the spacer 80, slides against it. As a result, the pushing force and rotating force from the rod 40 are transmitted to one end of the coil spring 50 via the spacer 80.

The shape and structure of the spacer described above are not limited to the embodiments shown in Figures 4 and 9 to 11. For example, the spacer side protrusion provided on the spacer may be a generally conical protrusion with a rounded top, a protrusion with a flat top, or a cylindrical or conical pin-shaped protrusion. The closed end side protrusion provided on the closed end may be a generally triangular pyramid-shaped protrusion or a protrusion that protrudes into a generally spherical shape. Any shape or structure may be used that includes a portion located at the axis of the coil spring and has a contact area smaller than the contact area when one end of the coil spring directly contacts the closed end face of the rod.

The spacer may be made of synthetic resin materials such as polyacetal (POM), polyamide (PA), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polypropylene (PP), or metal materials such as iron-based metals, stainless steel, titanium, or aluminum. From the viewpoint of reducing sliding resistance and frictional resistance, it is preferable that the spacer is made of a material different from that of the rod. In the seventh modified example, the spacer is preferably made of a metal material in order to suppress the bite of the end of the coil spring while allowing sliding contact. A lubricant such as grease may be applied between the rotating sliding parts to reduce sliding resistance and frictional resistance.

Furthermore, the shapes and structures of each member other than the spacer that constitutes the rotary telescopic device, i.e., the main body member, the first main body portion, the second main body portion, the rod, the motor, the worm gear, the lock retainer, etc., are not limited to the above-mentioned aspects. In addition, the cam groove may have any shape or structure that is provided so as to go around the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion.

(Action and Effect)
Next, the effects of the extension device 10 having the above structure will be described.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the cam protrusion 48 of the rod 40 is engaged with the protruding retaining portion 71 of the cam groove 70, the rod 40 protrudes a predetermined length from one end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15. In this state, the engagement piece 47 of the rod 40 passes through the engagement groove 9 of the engagement portion 6 and abuts against the inner surface of the opening/closing body 5 as shown in FIG. 7, and the opening/closing body 5 can be opened and closed relative to the periphery of the opening of the fixed member 1.

When the opening/closing body 5 is closed from the above state, the engagement piece 47 is pressed, and the rod 40 is pushed into the inner side of the cylindrical part 15 against the biasing force of the coil spring 50, and the cam protrusion 48 that has come out of the protruding holding part 71 is guided by the retraction guide part 75, and the rod 40 is retracted into the cylindrical part 15 while rotating. When the rod 40 is further pushed in, the cam protrusion 48 is guided to the retraction holding part 73 via the tip part 75b of the retraction guide part 75, and is fitted into the retraction holding part 73, so that the rod 40 is held in a state in which it is retracted into the cylindrical part 15 by a predetermined length from one end 15a of the cylindrical part 15. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 8, the longitudinal direction of the engagement piece 47 of the rod 40 is perpendicular to the groove direction of the engagement groove 9 of the engagement part 6 of the opening/closing body 5, so that the opening/closing body 5 can be locked in a closed state against the periphery of the opening of the fixing member 1.

In the above state, the motor 60 rotates the worm gear 61 in a predetermined direction, engaging the locking protrusion 67 of the lock retainer 65 with the locking hole 49 of the rod 40, thereby preventing the rod 40 from being pushed in further. As a result, the cam protrusion 48 cannot be removed from the retraction retaining portion 73 of the cam groove 70, and the opening/closing body 5 can be locked in the closed state. On the other hand, by rotating the worm gear 61 in the opposite direction to the above and removing the locking protrusion 67 of the lock retainer 65 from the locking hole 49 of the rod 40, the inability to push the rod 40 in is released, and the locked state of the opening/closing body 5 is released.

When the rod 40 is pushed against the biasing force of the coil spring 50 from the unlocked state of the opening/closing body 5 as described above, the cam protrusion 48 comes out of the retraction holding portion 73, and then the rod 40 is pressed again toward the one end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15 by the biasing force of the coil spring 50, and the cam protrusion 48 is guided by the protruding guide portion 77, and the rod 40 rotates while protruding from the one end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15. Then, the cam protrusion 48 is engaged with the protruding holding portion 71, so that the rod 40 is held in a state protruding from the one end 15a of the cylindrical portion 15 (see FIG. 5). In this state, as shown in FIG. 7, the engagement piece 47 is oriented along the groove direction of the engagement groove 9 of the engagement portion 6 of the opening/closing body 5, so that the lock of the closed state of the opening/closing body 5 is released. At this time, the opening/closing body 5 is pushed by the rod 40 and the opening/closing body 5 is lifted to a predetermined height from the opening of the fixing member 1 (lifter operation), so that the opening/closing body 5 can be manually opened.

As shown in FIG. 4, in this expansion device 10, a spacer 80 is disposed between one end of the coil spring 50 and the closed end 43, and a rotating sliding portion (here, the protrusion abutment surface 81 of the spacer 80 and the closed end side protrusion 45 provided on the closed end 43) is provided between the spacer 80 and the closed end 43 to locally abut the spacer 80 and the closed end 43, including the portion located at the axis C of the coil spring 50. This provides the following effects.

In other words, when the rod 40 rotates while being pushed in, the pushing force and rotational force do not act directly on the coil spring 50, but act through the spacer 80. Also, by providing a rotating sliding portion that locally contacts the spacer 80 and the closed end 43, the sliding area between the spacer 80 and the closed end 43 can be made smaller than when there is no rotating sliding portion. This makes it difficult for the pushing force and rotational force from the rod 40 to act on one axial end (seat turn portion 51) of the coil spring 50.

That is, by interposing the spacer 80 between one end of the coil spring 50 and the closed end 43, and by providing a rotating sliding portion, the sliding area is reduced, and the sliding torque is reduced. This makes it difficult for the spacer 80 to rotate with the rotation of the rod 40, and makes it easier for it to spin freely, so that the pushing force and rotational force from the rod 40 are less likely to act on the coil spring 50. As a result, the twisting of the coil spring 50 can be suppressed, and malfunctions of the rod 40 (such as malfunctions in which the rod 40 cannot be maintained in a protruding or retracted state from the tubular portion 15 due to the cam protrusion 48 no longer fitting into the protruding retaining portion 71 or retracting retaining portion 73 of the cam groove 70) can be suppressed, and the pushing/pulling and rotating operations of the rod 40 can be stabilized.

The above-mentioned effect can be obtained in the first modified example shown in FIG. 9A, the second modified example shown in FIG. 9B, the third modified example shown in FIG. 9C, the fourth modified example shown in FIG. 10A, the fifth modified example shown in FIG. 10B, and the sixth modified example shown in FIG. 10C. In addition, in the seventh modified example shown in FIG. 11, a rotating sliding part that locally contacts the spacer 80 and one end of the coil spring 50 is provided, so that the sliding area between the spacer 80 and one end of the coil spring 50 can be made smaller than when there is no rotating sliding part. This makes it difficult for the pushing force or rotational force from the rod 40 to act on the one end of the coil spring 50 in the axial direction, and the same effect as above can be obtained.

The above-mentioned effects will be described with reference to FIG. 12. FIG. 12 shows a graph illustrating the relationship between the rotation angle of the rod and the spring load of the coil spring or the sliding torque at the rotating sliding part for an example and a comparative example. The example here is the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, and the comparative example is the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 described in International Publication WO2018/038034A1, an application by the applicant of the present application, in which there is no spacer and the spring member (hereinafter also referred to as the "coil spring") directly abuts against the closed end of the moving member (hereinafter also referred to as the "rod").

In addition, the solid line in FIG. 12 indicates the variation between the rotation angle of the rod and the spring load in the embodiment, the dashed line indicates the variation between the rotation angle of the rod and the sliding torque in the embodiment, the two-dot chain line indicates the variation between the rotation angle of the rod and the spring load in the comparative example, and the one-dot chain line indicates the variation between the rotation angle of the rod and the sliding torque in the comparative example. Note that the sliding torque in the comparative example refers to the sliding torque between one end and the closed end of the spring member.

In FIG. 12, the portion marked with the symbol "P1" indicates the state in which the cam protrusion 48 is engaged with the protrusion retainer 71 (see P1 in FIG. 6; in the comparative example, the cam protrusion is engaged with the first engagement groove). In this state, the spring load and sliding torque of the example and comparative example are at their lowest.

As the rod 40 is pushed from the P1 state, the coil spring 50 is compressed and the rod 40 rotates while being guided by the retraction guide portion 75, so the spring load and sliding torque gradually increase, and as shown by the symbol "P2", when the cam protrusion 48 is positioned at the tip 75b of the retraction guide portion 75 (in the comparative example, when the cam protrusion is positioned at the tip of the first guide groove), the spring load and sliding torque in the example and comparative example are the highest.

When the rod 40 is pushed from the P2 state, it is guided by the inclined tip 75b of the retraction guide portion 75, and the rod 40 rotates while being pressed in the opposite direction to the pushing direction by the force of the coil spring 50, so the spring load and sliding torque decrease slightly, and when the cam protrusion 48 engages with the retraction holding portion 73 as shown by the symbol "P3" (in the comparative example, when the cam protrusion engages with the second engagement groove), the spring load and sliding torque of the embodiment and comparative example are maintained in a state lower than the state shown in P2.

Furthermore, when the rod 40 is pushed from the P3 state, the coil spring 50 is compressed and the rod 40 rotates while being guided by the protruding guide portion 77, increasing the spring load and sliding torque. As shown by the symbol "P4", when the cam protrusion 48 is positioned at the base end 77a of the protruding guide portion 77 (in the comparative example, when the cam protrusion is positioned at the base end of the second guide groove), the spring load and sliding torque in the embodiment and comparative example become as high as in the state shown in P2.

When the rod 40 is pushed from the P4 state, it is guided by the protruding guide portion 77, and the force of the coil spring 50 causes the rod 40 to rotate while being pressed in the opposite direction to the pushing direction, so that the spring load and sliding torque gradually decrease, and when the cam protrusion 48 again engages with the protruding retaining portion 71 as shown by the symbol "P5" (when the cam protrusion engages with the first engagement groove in the comparative example), the spring load and sliding torque in the embodiment and comparative example become as low as in the state shown in P1.

In the case of this embodiment, by adopting the configuration in which the above-mentioned spacer 80 and rotating sliding portion are provided (see paragraphs 0075-0077, etc.), the spring load shown by the solid line in FIG. 12 and the sliding torque shown by the dashed line in FIG. 12 are much lower than the spring load of the comparative example shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 12 and the sliding torque of the comparative example shown by the one-dot chain line in FIG. 12, and it can be seen that twisting of the coil spring 50 can be suppressed. In particular, the sliding torque of the embodiment shown by the dashed line in FIG. 12 has almost no peaks or valleys, and torque fluctuation is extremely small, and the effect of providing the spacer 80 and rotating sliding portion was remarkable.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the rotating sliding portion is provided on the closed end 43 and consists of a closed end side protrusion 45 that protrudes toward the spacer 80, and a protrusion abutment surface 81 of the spacer 80 against which the closed end side protrusion 45 abuts.

According to the above embodiment, since there is no need to provide a protrusion on the spacer side, the shape and structure of the spacer 80 can be simplified, making it easier to manufacture the spacer 80.

Furthermore, in the first modified example shown in FIG. 9A, the second modified example shown in FIG. 9B, the third modified example shown in FIG. 9C, the fourth modified example shown in FIG. 10A, the fifth modified example shown in FIG. 10B, and the sixth modified example shown in FIG. 10C, the rotating sliding part is provided on the spacers 80A, 80B, 80C, 80D, 80E, and 80F, and is composed of spacer side projections 85, 86, and 87 that project toward the closed end 43 side, and the closed end surface 43a of the closed end 43 against which the spacer side projections 85, 86, and 87 abut.

According to the above embodiment, by providing a protrusion on the spacer side, the shape and structure of the rod 40 can be simplified, making it easier to manufacture the rod 40.

In the first modified example shown in FIG. 9A, the second modified example shown in FIG. 9B, and the third modified example shown in FIG. 9C, the spacers 80A, 80B, and 80C are cap-shaped and have a peripheral wall 84 that surrounds the outer periphery of one end of the coil spring 50.

According to the above embodiment, the outer periphery of one end of the coil spring 50 is covered by the peripheral wall 84 of the cap-shaped spacers 80A, 80B, and 80C. Therefore, even if the coil spring 50 tilts when the rod 40 is pushed and rotated, the sliding resistance between the outer periphery of one end of the coil spring 50 and the inner periphery of the spring accommodating space 44 can be reduced, and the pushing/pulling and rotating operations of the rod 40 are unlikely to be affected.

When the spacers 80A, 80B, and 80C are disposed between one end of the coil spring 50 and the closed end 43, the coil spring 50 can be inserted together with the spacers 80A, 80B, and 80C into the spring accommodating space 44 with the cap-shaped spacers 80A, 80B, and 80C disposed on the outer periphery of one end of the coil spring 50, thereby allowing the spacers 80A, 80B, and 80C to be disposed between one end of the coil spring 50 and the closed end 43, improving the ease of assembly of the spacers 80A, 80B, and 80C.

Furthermore, in the fourth modified example shown in FIG. 10A, the fifth modified example shown in FIG. 10B, and the sixth modified example shown in FIG. 10C, the spacers 80D, 80E, and 80F have a support shaft 88 that is inserted into the inner circumference of one end of the coil spring 50.

According to the above aspect, when the spacers 80D, 80E, and 80F are disposed between one end of the coil spring 50 and the closed end 43, the support shaft 88 of the spacers 80D, 80E, and 80F is inserted into the inner circumference of one end of the coil spring 50, and the coil spring 50 is inserted together with the spacers 80D, 80E, and 80F into the spring accommodating space 44. This allows the spacers 80D, 80E, and 80F to be disposed between one end of the coil spring 50 and the closed end 43, improving the ease of assembly of the spacers 80D, 80E, and 80F.

In the seventh modified example shown in FIG. 11, the end 55 of the seat turn portion 51 provided on one end side of the coil spring 50 protrudes toward the spacer 80, and the rotating sliding portion is composed of the end 55 of the coil spring 50 and an end abutment surface 82a of the spacer 80 against which the end 55 of the coil spring 50 abuts.

According to the above embodiment, the rotating sliding part can be provided by using the end 55 of the coil spring 50, so the rotating sliding part can have a relatively simple structure, and the manufacturing cost of the extension device 10 can be reduced. In addition, since the spacer 80 does not have a protrusion, there is no risk of the closed end 43 of the spring accommodating space 44 being scraped off, and the sliding resistance of the rotating sliding part can also be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modified embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention, and such embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention.

10 Rotating telescopic device (telescopic device)
Reference Signs List 11 Main body member 15 Cylindrical portion 20 First main body portion 30 Second main body portion 40 Rod 43 Closed end portion 43a Closed end surface 44 Spring accommodating space 50 Coil spring 51, 53 Seat turn portion 55 End 60 Motor 65 Lock retainer 70 Cam groove 80, 80A, 80B, 80C, 80D, 80E, 80F Spacer 81 Protrusion abutment surface 82 Spring abutment surface 83 Base 84 Peripheral wall 85, 86, 87 Spacer side protrusion 88 Support shaft

Claims (6)

A main body member having a cylindrical portion with a circular inner circumference;
a rod having a circular outer periphery, disposed within the cylindrical portion, and held rotatably and axially movable relative to the cylindrical portion;
a spring accommodating space provided inside the rod, the spring accommodating space having a closed end portion disposed on one end side of the rod and an open end portion on the other end side;
a coil spring disposed in the spring accommodating space and biasing the rod in a direction protruding from the one end of the cylindrical portion;
a cam mechanism formed between the rod and the cylindrical portion and configured to rotate the rod while moving it in an axial direction;
a spacer disposed between one end of the coil spring and the closed end,
a rotary sliding portion is provided between the spacer and the closed end portion, the rotary sliding portion locally abutting the spacer and the closed end portion so as to include a portion located at an axis of the coil spring,
The coil spring is wound such that the end of the seat winding portion provided at one end in the axial direction is smaller in diameter than the other seat winding portions, and the end of the seat winding portion abuts against the spacer radially outward from the local abutment portion between the spacer and the closed end. The rotary sliding portion is
a closed end side protrusion provided at the closed end and protruding toward the spacer;
2. The rotary telescopic device according to claim 1, further comprising a protrusion abutment surface against which the closed end protrusion of the spacer abuts. The rotary sliding portion is
a spacer side protrusion provided on the spacer and protruding toward the closed end side;
2. The rotary telescopic device according to claim 1, further comprising a closed end surface with which the spacer side projection abuts. The rotary telescopic device according to claim 3, wherein the spacer is in the shape of a cap having a peripheral wall surrounding the outer periphery of one end of the coil spring. The rotary telescopic device according to claim 3, wherein the spacer has a support shaft that is inserted into the inner circumference of one end of the coil spring. A main body member having a cylindrical portion with a circular inner circumference;
a rod having a circular outer periphery, disposed within the cylindrical portion, and held rotatably and axially movable relative to the cylindrical portion;
a spring accommodating space provided inside the rod, the spring accommodating space having a closed end portion disposed on one end side of the rod and an open end portion on the other end side;
a coil spring disposed in the spring accommodating space and biasing the rod in a direction protruding from the one end of the cylindrical portion;
a cam mechanism formed between the rod and the cylindrical portion and configured to rotate the rod while moving it in an axial direction;
a spacer disposed between one end of the coil spring and the closed end,
a rotary sliding portion is provided between the spacer and one end of the coil spring, the rotary sliding portion locally contacting the spacer and one end of the coil spring so as to include a portion located at an axis of the coil spring;
An end of a seat turn portion provided on one end side of the coil spring protrudes toward the spacer,
The rotary sliding portion includes the end of the coil spring and
A rotary telescopic device comprising: an end abutment surface of the spacer against which an end of the coil spring abuts.