JP7734089B2 - Emergency unlocking device - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an emergency unlocking device for unlocking doors installed at entrances to toilets, work booths, etc. from outside in an emergency.

Doors installed at entrances to restrooms and other rooms are usually locked and unlocked using a locking mechanism that can be operated from inside the room. An emergency unlocking device is installed on the outside of the restroom or other room in case a room occupant suddenly falls ill, etc., so that the locking mechanism can be unlocked from outside the room.

Conventionally, emergency unlocking devices include an operated part that is operated to perform emergency unlocking using a specified operating tool, and an outdoor case that houses an unlocking mechanism that is activated by the force transmitted from the operated part (Patent Document 1).

In the emergency unlocking device of Patent Document 1, the front of the operated part is always exposed to the outside of the outdoor case. The outdoor case has a plate-shaped main body that is fastened to the exterior wall of a toilet or other facility, and a cup-shaped cover that fits over the main body. The four side walls of the outdoor case (top, bottom, left, and right) are made up of covers. The operated part penetrates a hole opening in the front of the cover in the front-to-back direction and is arranged to be rotatable around a front-to-back axis. An operating groove extending perpendicular to the axis is provided on the front of the operated part. The operated part is rotated by an emergency unlocking operation in which an operating tool is inserted into the operating groove and torque is applied. The operating tool can be either a simple key-shaped operating tool with two faces that engage with both side surfaces of the operating groove, or a flat operating tool such as a coin or medal. The outdoor case houses an unlocking mechanism that is activated by force (torque) transmitted from the operated part. The unlocking mechanism transmits the transmitted force to the locking mechanism, which then uses the transmitted force as a driving force to perform an unlocking operation.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-206877

However, the emergency unlocking device in Patent Document 1 leaves room for improvement in that even children can easily use a coin to operate the operated part for emergency unlocking, making it vulnerable to tampering when installed in restrooms in elementary schools, etc.

On the other hand, if emergency unlocking using a flat operating tool such as a coin is not possible in order to prevent children from tampering with the device, there is a concern that in an emergency, teachers and staff will have to spend time going to a storage location such as the staff room to retrieve a special key-shaped operating tool, which could delay the time it takes to rescue someone.

In light of the above background, the problem that this invention aims to solve is to create an emergency unlocking device that is convenient because it can be operated with a flat operating tool such as a coin, while making it difficult for children to misuse the emergency unlocking operation.

In order to achieve the above object, this invention provides an emergency unlocking device having an operated part that is operated in an emergency to unlock, and an outdoor case that houses an unlocking mechanism that is activated by the operating force transmitted from the operated part. The outdoor case has a main body that holds the unlocking mechanism, and a cover that fits onto the main body. The main body is provided with elongated holes that open to areas other than the top and front of both the top and bottom, left and right side surfaces, and front and back surfaces of the outdoor case. A locking mechanism that prevents the cover from being opened relative to the main body and the operated part are housed in the outdoor case, and the locking mechanism is The cover is configured so that insertion of a flat operating tool through the elongated hole releases the cover from opening. When the locking mechanism prevents the cover from opening, the operated part is protected by the cover to prevent contact with the flat operating tool or a person's finger. When the locking mechanism's opening prevention is released and the cover is opened, the operated part is exposed to the outside of the main body so that emergency unlocking can be performed using at least one of the flat operating tool or a person's finger.

With the above configuration, under normal circumstances, the main body and cover are engaged, and the locking mechanism housed in the outdoor case prevents the cover from opening. This protects the operated part housed in the outdoor case from contact with flat operating tools or human fingers, preventing children from using coins or their fingers to perform emergency unlocking operations. In an emergency, inserting a flat operating tool such as a coin into the elongated hole in the outdoor case releases the cover from being blocked by the locking mechanism, opens the cover, and exposes the operated part outside the main body. This allows emergency unlocking to be performed using at least one flat operating tool or human finger, making it convenient to use a flat operating tool such as a coin for emergency unlocking.

In addition, to allow even younger children to operate the lock from the inside of the room, the interior locking mechanism and exterior case are installed at a low position. However, the opening of the elongated hole in the main body is located on the exterior of the exterior case in a location other than the top or front. This makes the opening difficult to see when viewed from the front or above, the most common viewing direction for older children who are prone to mischief. This makes it less likely that a child will become curious about the elongated hole and insert a coin into it, causing the locking mechanism to release the cover's opening prevention, leading to mischief.

In this way, by adopting the above configuration, this invention can provide an emergency unlocking device that is convenient because emergency unlocking can be performed with just a flat operating tool such as a coin, while making it difficult for children to misuse the emergency unlocking operation.

1A is a front view of an emergency unlocking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1B is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the overall structure of the emergency unlocking device; FIG. 1C is a right side view of the emergency unlocking device; FIG. 2 is a front perspective view showing the emergency unlocking device of FIG. 1 combined with the lock mechanism; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the state of FIG. 2 from the rear side. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the cover opening prevention state of the lock mechanism of FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the engagement between the first and second locking portions of the locking mechanism is released from the state shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the movable member of the cover of FIG. 1 from the front right side; FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the third engaging portion of the locking mechanism is engaged with the flat-plate-shaped operating tool, following the state shown in FIG. 5 . FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which the first braking surface and the second braking surface temporarily hold the cover position. 10A is a perspective view showing a first locking portion and a second locking portion according to a second embodiment of the present invention from an oblique rear view, and FIG. 10B is a perspective view showing the first locking portion and the second locking portion from an oblique front view. 1A is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the cover is prevented from being opened by a locking mechanism according to a second embodiment; FIG. 1B is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the prevention of the cover from being opened by the locking mechanism is released; and FIG. 1C is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the first braking surface and the second braking surface temporarily hold the cover position following the state shown in FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a modified example of the cover according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing another modified example of the cover according to the present invention.

An emergency unlocking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

The emergency unlocking device 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3 is used to unlock from outside a locking mechanism 2 that is operated from inside the room. It has an operated part 3 that is operated for emergency unlocking, and an outdoor case 5 that houses an unlocking mechanism 4 that is activated by the operating force transmitted from the operated part 3.

The outdoor case 5 is placed on the outdoor side of a door (not shown) or a door frame (not shown) that fits over the door. The outdoor case 5 is fastened to the door or door frame at its fastening surface 6.

The outdoor case 5 includes a main body 7 that holds the operated part 3 and the unlocking mechanism 4, and a cover 8 that fits onto the main body 7.

Here, the concepts of up and down in the emergency unlocking device 1 refer to the vertical directions above and below the horizontal when in the fastened state described above, the concepts of left and right refer to the horizontal directions to the left and right, and the concepts of front and back (front and back) refer to directions perpendicular to the up and down and left and right directions, with the side where the cover 8 is exposed outside the outdoor case 5 (away from the fastening surface 6) being the front, and the opposite direction being the rear.

The outdoor case 5 also houses a locking mechanism 9 that prevents the cover 8 from being opened from the main body 7, an operated unit 3, and a display mechanism 10.

The display mechanism 10 is intended to indicate the locked or unlocked state to those outside the room through a display window 11 provided in the exterior case 5, and may be omitted.

The main body 7 has a base member 12 and a retaining plate 13 attached to the front of the base member 12. The aforementioned fastening surface 6 is formed on the back of the base member 12. The retaining plate 13 is used to sandwich the operated part 3, unlocking mechanism 4, etc. between the base member 12 and the retaining plate 13, thereby holding them to the main body 7.

The operated part 3 is composed of a member arranged to be rotatable around an axis in the front-to-rear direction. The front surface of the operated part 3 is provided with a shallow groove 14 and a deep groove 14a extending perpendicular to the aforementioned axis. Here, the shallow groove 14 and the deep groove 14a extend perpendicular to each other. The shallow groove 14 has a depth of, for example, 2 mm, a width in front view of the shallow groove 14 of 1.6 mm to 2.0 mm, for example, 2.0 mm, and a length equal to the diameter of the gripping surface 15. The deep groove 14a has a depth of, for example, 9 mm, a width in front view of the deep groove 14a of 1.6 mm to 2.0 mm, for example, 1.6 mm, and a total length of 2.9 mm to 3.3 mm, for example, forming an oval shape of 3.0 mm. The operated part 3 also has a gripping surface 15 protruding forward. The operated part 3 is capable of applying torque around the axis through either of two emergency unlocking operations. The first mode is an emergency unlocking operation in which a specified operating tool is inserted into the shallow groove 14 or deep groove 14a to apply torque around the axis to the shallow groove 14 or deep groove 14a. The second mode is an emergency unlocking operation in which the gripping surface 15 is pinched with a person's fingers to apply torque around the axis to the gripping surface 15.

A specified flat-plate-shaped operating tool C can be used as the aforementioned specified operating tool for applying torque to the shallow groove 14. A circular plate with a diameter of 20 mm to 26.5 mm and a thickness of 1.5 mm to 1.8 mm can be used as the specified flat-plate-shaped operating tool C. All currently circulating 1- to 500-yen coins qualify as flat-plate-shaped operating tools C.

The unlocking mechanism 4 transmits the force transmitted from the operated part 3 to the locking mechanism 2. The locking mechanism 2 performs an unlocking operation using the force transmitted from the unlocking mechanism 4 as a driving force. The unlocking mechanism 4 is linked to the locking/unlocking switching operation of the locking mechanism 2.

Note that while a slide latch lock is shown as an example of the lock mechanism 2, other types of locks, such as a latch lock, can also be used.

As shown in FIG. 1, the base member 12 has outer walls 16 located on both the top and bottom surfaces and the left and right sides of the outdoor case 5. The inner periphery of the outer wall 16 has a stepped portion 17 that supports the cover 8 from the rear and from the top, bottom, left, and right. The entire periphery of the outer wall 16 is provided with a rib 18 that protrudes high forward from the stepped portion 17. The rib 18 forms the front peripheral edge of the outdoor case 5. The outer periphery of the outer wall 16 extends outward from the outdoor case 5 to the extent that it approaches the rib 18 forward.

Of the exterior walls 16, the side walls 16a located on one of the left and right sides of the outdoor case 5 have elongated holes 19. The elongated holes 19 penetrate the side walls 16a in the left-right direction and open to one of the left and right faces of the outdoor case 5. The elongated holes 19 are rectangular holes. The longitudinal direction of the elongated holes 19 is set in the up-down direction, and the lateral direction of the elongated holes 19 is set in the front-to-back direction.

To ensure an appropriate left-right operating stroke when inserting a flat operating device C for a 1- to 500-yen coin left-right through the elongated hole 19 to release the cover 8 from being blocked by the locking mechanism 9, and to make the elongated hole 19 as inconspicuous as possible from the outside of the outdoor case 5, it is preferable that the longitudinal diameter L1 of the elongated hole 19 be set to 22 mm or more and 24 mm or less, for example 22 mm, and the lateral diameter L2 of the elongated hole 19 be set to 1.8 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less, for example 2.0 mm.

The side wall 16a includes a shielding wall portion 20 that extends to the left or right of the elongated hole portion 19 between the front surface of the outdoor case 5 and the elongated hole portion 19. The shielding wall portion 20 extends over the entire length of the side wall 16a in the vertical direction.

The outer wall 16, located on the other side of the exterior case 5, has a protruding wall portion 21 that protrudes to the left or right on the back side of the stepped portion 17. The protruding wall portion 21 is a portion for hooking the other side of the cover 8.

The cover 8 has a cover member 22, which is a component of the front of the outdoor case 5, a movable member 23 attached to the back of the cover member 22, and an elastic member 24 interposed between the cover member 22 and the movable member 23.

The cover member 22 has an edge 25 located inside the outer wall 16 of the main body 7, a claw 26 that hooks onto the protruding wall 21 of the main body 7, and a hole 27 that opens to the front of the cover member 22.

The cover 8 is inserted at an angle into the inside of the outer wall 16 of the main body 7 so that the claws 26 of the cover 8 hook onto the protruding wall 21 of the main body 7, and the cover 8 is then lowered using the hooks as a fulcrum. This causes the edge 25 of the cover 8 to come into contact with the front surface of the stepped portion 17 of the outer wall 16 and to fit inside the protruding strip 18, resulting in the cover 8 fitting inside the outer wall 16 of the main body 7 in the closed position.

As shown in Figures 1 and 4, when the cover 8 is in the closed position, the locking mechanism 9 (described below) prevents the cover 8 from opening relative to the main body 7, using the hook portion between the claw portion 26 of the cover 8 and the protruding wall portion 21 of the main body 7 as a fulcrum. As shown in Figure 5, the cover 8 is released from the opening prevention when a flat operating tool C is inserted through the elongated hole portion 19.

As shown in Figures 1 and 4, when the locking mechanism 9 prevents the cover 8 from opening, the operated part 3 is covered and protected by the cover 8, preventing the flat operating tool C from coming into contact with the shallow groove 14 of the operated part 3 and preventing a human finger (not shown) from coming into contact with the gripping surface 15 of the operated part 3. When the locking mechanism 9's prevention of opening is released and the cover 8 is opened, the shallow groove 14 and gripping surface 15 of the operated part 3 are exposed to the outside of the main body 7, allowing emergency unlocking to be performed using at least one of the flat operating tool C and a human finger.

As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4, the ridges 18 of the main body 7 are located forward of the edge 25 of the cover 8 when it is in the closed position along its entire circumference. As a result, the ridges 18 shield the edge 25 of the cover 8 along the entire circumference on both the top and bottom surfaces and the left and right sides of the outdoor case 5. Therefore, there are no seams between the main body 7 and the cover 8 in the closed position on all four sides of the outdoor case 5, including the top and bottom surfaces and the left and right sides.

As shown in FIG. 1, the hole 27 of the cover 8 is provided so that when the cover 8 is in the closed position, the front of the operated part 3 is exposed to the outside of the outdoor case 5 to the extent that the flat operating tool C cannot be inserted through the hole 27 into the shallow groove 14 of the operated part 3. This exposed range includes a portion of the groove consisting of the shallow groove 14 and the deep groove 14a when viewed from the front.

In addition, it is preferable that hole 27 be positioned so that the entire length of deep groove 14a is exposed, and have a diameter of 3.5 mm or more and 4.5 mm or less. This is so that, even in the protected state described above, an emergency unlocking operation can be performed on the operated part 3 using a dedicated key (not shown) that can be inserted into deep groove 14a through hole 27 and configured to apply torque to the center of deep groove 14a as a specified operating tool.

As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the locking mechanism 9 is composed of the movable member 23 of the cover 8, the side wall 16a of the main body 7, and the elastic member 24. The locking mechanism 9 has a first locking portion 28 provided on the movable member 23, a second locking portion 29 provided on the side wall 16a, and a third locking portion 30 provided on the movable member 23.

The movable member 23 is arranged to be swingable around a shaft 32 held by a rear bearing portion 31 of the cover member 22. The shaft 32 is held so that it faces vertically. The movable member 23 has an arm-shaped first locking portion 28 located to the left or right of the shaft 32 and rearward of the shaft 32, a biasing arm portion 33 located to the other left or right of the shaft 32, and a stopper arm portion 34 located to the left or right of the shaft 32 and forward of the first locking portion 28.

The second locking portion 29 is provided as a wedge-shaped protrusion that protrudes to the left or right at a position rearward of the elongated hole portion 19. The first locking portion 28 includes an opening 28a for engaging with the second locking portion 29. The third locking portion 30 is provided as a groove extending vertically on the side surface of the first locking portion 28 that faces the side wall 16a in the left-right direction. The cross section of the third locking portion 30 is V-shaped, with the groove width narrowing towards the left or right.

The elastic member 24 is interposed between the biasing arm portion 33 and the back surface of the cover member 22.

The movable member 23 is tilted in a first direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 1(b)) around the axis 32 by the biasing force of the elastic member 24 acting on the biasing arm portion 33, and is tilted in a second direction (clockwise in FIG. 1(b)) around the axis 32 by being pushed to the left or right by the flat operating device C inserted laterally through the elongated hole portion 19. When the cover 8 is completely separated from the main body 7, the tilting of the movable member 23 in the first direction is restricted by the stopper arm portion 34 abutting against the back surface of the cover member 22. The tilting of the movable member 23 in the second direction is restricted by the abutment between the tip of the first locking portion 28 and the tilt restricting portion 35 of the main body 7, as shown in FIG. 7. This tilt restricting portion 35 consists of a wall portion protruding forward from the front surface of the base member 12.

As shown in Figure 1, during the process of fitting the cover 8 to the main body 7, the movable member 23 is initially tilted to its limit in the first direction. During this fitting process, the tapered tip surface of the first locking portion 28 of the movable member 23 comes into contact with the tapered front surface of the second locking portion 29. A reaction force generated at this contact point acts on the first locking portion 28 in either the left or right direction, causing the movable member 23 to tilt in the second direction (i.e., away from the side wall 16a) against the elastic member 24. As the mating process progresses, the movable member 23 tilts in the second direction. Eventually, the second locking portion 29 faces the opening 28a of the first locking portion 28 in the left-right direction. The biasing force of the elastic member 24 causes the movable member 23 to tilt in the first direction (i.e., toward the side wall 16a). When the cover 8 reaches the closed position, the rear surface of the second locking portion 29 engages with the rear edge of the opening 28a of the first locking portion 28. This engagement prevents the cover 8 from opening relative to the main body 7, and this state is maintained by the biasing force of the elastic member 24. Therefore, even if a child tries to open the cover 8, the protective state described above, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, is maintained.

In this protected state, when the flat operating device C is inserted into the elongated hole 19 to the left or right, the area near the first locking portion 28 of the movable member 23 is pushed toward the left or right by the flat operating device C. This causes the movable member 23 to tilt in the second direction, as shown in FIG. 5 . As the flat operating device C is inserted further, the movable member 23 tilts further in the second direction, and eventually the first locking portion 28 escapes from the second locking portion 29, disengaging the first locking portion 28 from the second locking portion 29. Around this time, the protruding kick-out portion 38 formed on one of the left and right sides of the movable member 23 abuts against the stepped receiving portion 39 provided on the front side of the side wall 16a. Using this contact point as a fulcrum, the cover 8 begins to move forward. Thus, the cover 8 is released from the opening prevention block and is kicked forward relative to the main body 7, beginning to open. As the cover 8 opens forward, the kick-out portion 38 moves away from the receiving portion 39. At this time, the flat operating tool C slides further into the movable member 23 against the smooth-surfaced sliding portion 36a (see FIG. 6) located between the kick-out portion 38 and the third locking portion 30. The forward component of the reaction force generated at this sliding portion acts on the movable member 23, further pushing the cover 8 forward relative to the main body 7. As the flat operating tool C continues to be inserted, it slides into the third locking portion 30 during the opening of the cover 8, which has been pushed out to a point where the first locking portion 28 and the second locking portion 29 cannot re-engage, as shown in FIG. 7. This causes the third locking portion 30 to engage with the rear surface of the flat operating tool C, hooking it forward. This engagement prevents further opening of the cover 8.

Here, if an attempt is made to forcibly insert the flat operating tool C after the third locking portion 30 has engaged with the flat operating tool C, there is a concern that an overload may be applied to the claw portion 26 of the cover 8. If the minimum value L3min of the operating stroke of the locking mechanism 9 required to engage the flat operating tool C with the third locking portion 30 of the locking mechanism 9 (i.e., the protrusion length L3 of the flat operating tool C to the left or right from the elongated hole portion 19: see Figure 7) and the maximum value L3max of the operating stroke required to prevent an overload from being applied to the claw portion 26 of the cover 8 are set relative to the longitudinal length L1 of the elongated hole portion 19 (see Figure 1(c)) so as to satisfy the following mathematical formula 1, it is possible to achieve both ease of insertion of the flat operating tool C and prevention of forcible insertion of a flat operating tool C with a relatively large diameter. Here, R is the radius of the flat operating tool C.

For example, if a 500-yen coin is used as the flat operating device C, the longitudinal length L1 (22-24 mm) of the elongated hole 19 is shorter than the diameter of the 500-yen coin (2R = 26.5 mm in Equation 1). Therefore, even if an attempt is made to forcibly insert the 500-yen coin after the third locking portion 30 and the 500-yen coin have engaged, the left-right engagement of the periphery of the 500-yen coin with the elongated hole 19 will prevent the coin from being inserted. Here, if the minimum operating stroke L3min of the locking mechanism 9 required to engage the third locking portion 30 of the locking mechanism 9 with the flat operating device C is designed to be 5 mm, and the maximum operating stroke L3max to prevent overload from being applied to the claw 26 of the cover 8 is designed to be 8 mm, there is no risk of damage to the claw 26.

However, when a small-diameter coin, such as a 1-yen coin (diameter 20 mm), is used as the flat operating device C in the above-described design, the diameter of these 1-yen coins is shorter than the longitudinal length L1 of the elongated hole portion 19, so Equation 1 does not hold, and the 1-yen coin can still be forcibly inserted after it engages with the third locking portion 30. Even if this forcible insertion is attempted, once the first locking portion 28 abuts against the tilting restriction portion 35 of the main body 7, the 1-yen coin cannot be inserted any further, preventing damage to the claw portion 26 of the cover 8.

In order to enable the operation of pinching a small-diameter coin, such as a 1-yen coin, with the fingers and inserting it into the elongated hole 19 until the third locking portion 30 engages with the 1-yen coin, it is preferable that the shortest distance D in the left-right direction between the outer periphery of the outer wall 16 and one of the left and right edges of the 1-yen coin be 10 mm or more when the first locking portion 28 and the tilting restriction portion 35 are in a butted state.

As the flat operating device C engaged with the third locking portion 30 is pulled out to the left or right from the elongated hole portion 19, the movable member 23 is tilted in the first direction by the biasing force of the elastic member 24. Eventually, as shown in FIG. 8 , the first braking surface 36 on the movable member 23 comes into contact with the second braking surface 37 on the side wall 16a of the main body 7, and when the engagement between the third locking portion 30 and the flat operating device C is released, a frictional force that resists the opening of the cover 8 is generated at the contact point between the first braking surface 36 and the second braking surface 37, which are pressed against each other by the biasing force of the elastic member 24. This frictional force temporarily maintains the position of the cover 8 relative to the main body 7. This prevents the cover 8 from flying out of the main body 7 and falling due to the biasing force of the elastic member 24.

As shown in Figures 1 and 4 to 8, this emergency unlocking device 1, as described above, comprises an operated part 3 that is operated in an emergency to unlock, and an outdoor case 5 that houses an unlocking mechanism 4 that is activated by the operating force transmitted from the operated part 3. The outdoor case 5 comprises a main body 7 that holds the unlocking mechanism 4, and a cover 8 that fits onto the main body 7. The main body 7 is provided with elongated holes 19 that open to areas other than the top and front of both the top and bottom, left and right side surfaces, and front and back surfaces of the outdoor case 5. The locking mechanism 9 that prevents the cover 8 from being opened relative to the main body 7 and the operated part 3 are housed in the outdoor case 5, and the locking mechanism 9 is The locking mechanism 9 is configured to release the cover 8 from opening when a flat operating tool C is inserted through the elongated hole 19. When the locking mechanism 9 prevents the cover 8 from opening, the operated part 3 is protected by the cover 8 and is covered so that the flat operating tool C and a person's finger cannot come into contact with the operated part 3. When the locking mechanism 9 releases the opening prevention and the cover 8 is opened, the operated part 3 is exposed to the outside of the main body 7 so that an emergency unlocking operation can be performed using at least one of the flat operating tool C and a person's finger.

As a result, under normal circumstances, the emergency unlocking device 1 is in a protected state where the main body 7 and cover 8 are engaged, the locking mechanism 9 housed in the outdoor case 5 prevents the cover 8 from opening, and the operated part 3 housed in the outdoor case 5 cannot be touched by the flat operating tool C or a human finger. This prevents children from performing emergency unlocking operations using coins or their fingers. However, in an emergency, by inserting a flat operating tool C such as a coin into the elongated hole 19 of the outdoor case 5, the locking mechanism 9's prevention of the cover 8 from opening is released, and the cover 8 is opened to expose the operated part 3 outside the main body 7, allowing emergency unlocking operations to be performed using at least one of the flat operating tool C and a human finger.

In addition, when the interior locking mechanism 2 and exterior case 5 are installed in a low position, the opening of the elongated hole 19 of the main body 7 is located on the exterior of the exterior case 5 other than the top and front. This makes the opening of the elongated hole 19 less visible when viewing the exterior case 5 from the front or above, which are the most common directions from which older children, who are prone to mischief, view the exterior case 5. This makes it less likely that a child will become curious about the elongated hole 19 and insert a coin into it, causing the locking mechanism 9 to release the cover 8 from its opening prevention function, leading to mischief.

In this way, this emergency unlocking device 1 provides the convenience of being able to perform emergency unlocking with just a flat operating tool C such as a coin, while also making it difficult for children to misuse the emergency unlocking operation.

In particular, because this emergency unlocking device 1 has the elongated hole 19 opening only on one of the left and right sides of the exterior case 5, the opening of the elongated hole 19 will not be on the top surface of the exterior case 5 even when the device is attached to a door or door frame in an opposite orientation. If the elongated hole were opening on the underside of the exterior case 5, and the exterior case 5 were rotated 180 degrees around the front-to-rear axis to be attached to a door or door frame in an opposite orientation, what was originally the underside of the exterior case 5 would become the top surface of the exterior case 5 when it is attached in an opposite orientation, meaning that the elongated hole would open on this top surface, which is undesirable.

Furthermore, while the elongated hole 19 of this emergency unlocking device 1 opens only on one of the left and right sides of the outdoor case 5, a shielding wall 20 is provided on the main body 7 between the front of the outdoor case 5 and the elongated hole 19, extending further to the left or right than the elongated hole 19. This makes the opening of the elongated hole 19 even less visible due to the presence of the shielding wall 20, making it even more difficult for children to notice the elongated hole 19.

In addition, in this emergency unlocking device 1, the main body 7 has outer walls 16 located on the top and both left and right sides of the outdoor case 5, the cover 8 has an edge 25 that fits inside the outer wall 16, and the outer wall 16 has protrusions 18 that shield the ridge E (see Figures 8 and 4) where the edge 25 of the cover 8 intersects with the back surface 22b on the top and both left and right sides of the outdoor case 5.As a result, the gap between the ridge E of the cover 8 and the outer wall 16 of the main body 7 on the top and both left and right sides of the outdoor case 5, which are easily visible to older children, is hidden by the protrusions 18 of the outer wall 16.This makes it more difficult for older children to notice the gap between the ridge E of the cover 8 and the main body 7, thereby making it more difficult for children to become tempted to remove the cover 8.

Furthermore, with this emergency unlocking device 1, the protrusions 18 on the outer wall 16 are located on both the top and bottom surfaces and both the left and right sides of the outdoor case 5, the edge 25 of the cover 8 fits inside the outer wall 16 around the entire periphery of the cover 8, and the ridge E of the cover 8 is shielded by the protrusions 18 around the entire periphery. As a result, from the outside of the outdoor case 5, there is no visible gap between the ridge E of the cover 8 and the main body 7 around the edge 25. This has the effect of making children believe that the cover 8 cannot be removed from the main body 7, and prevents children from trying to remove the cover 8 by tampering.

In addition, this emergency unlocking device 1 has a locking mechanism 9 which has a first locking portion 28 on the cover 8 and a second locking portion 29 on the main body 7. The engagement between the first locking portion 28 and the second locking portion 29 locks the cover 8 in the closed position fitted to the main body 7. Insertion of a flat operating tool C through the elongated hole 19 displaces the first locking portion 28, disengaging the first locking portion 28 from the second locking portion 29. The locking mechanism 9 further has a third locking portion 30 which engages with a flat operating tool C inserted through the elongated hole 19 while the cover 8 is being opened with the first locking portion 28 and the second locking portion 29 disengaged. This engagement prevents further opening of the cover 8. Therefore, even if a child inserts a coin into the elongated hole 19 to disengage the first locking portion 28 from the second locking portion 29, the cover 8 can be prevented from opening again.

In particular, this emergency unlocking device 1 is designed to fit the edge 25 of the cover 8 completely inside the outer wall 16 of the main body 7. As the first locking portion 28 and the second locking portion 29 are disengaged, the locking mechanism 9 kicks the cover 8 out of the main body 7. This makes it easy to open the cover 8 in an emergency, while the engagement of the third locking portion 30 with the flat operating device C prevents the cover 8 from opening further, reliably preventing the cover 8 from bouncing off until the flat operating device C is removed from the third locking portion 30. This in turn prevents the cover 8 from falling and being damaged or lost.

In addition, in this emergency unlocking device 1, the first locking portion 28 is provided on a movable member 23 that swings around an axis 32, and the locking mechanism 9 has an elastic member 24 that biases the movable member 23 in a direction that engages the first locking portion 28 and the second locking portion 29. When the movable member 23 is pushed by a flat operating tool C inserted through the elongated hole portion 19, it is tilted against the elastic member 24 in a direction that disengages the first locking portion 28 and the second locking portion 29. A first braking surface 36 is provided on the movable member 23, and a second braking surface 37 is provided on the main body 7 having the second locking portion 29. When the flat operating tool C is removed from the elongated hole portion 19, As the coin is removed, the first braking surface 36 of the movable member 23 is tilted by the biasing force of the elastic member 24, and comes into contact with the second braking surface 37. The frictional force at this contact point temporarily holds the position of the cover 8 relative to the main body 7. Therefore, when a child inserts a coin into the elongated hole 19 and disengages the first locking portion 28 and the second locking portion 29, the engagement of the coin with the third locking portion 30 prevents the cover 8 from opening, causing the child to lose interest. Even if the coin is removed from the elongated hole 19, the position of the cover 8 remains fixed due to the contact between the first braking surface 36 and the second braking surface 37, preventing the child's attention from being drawn back to the cover 8 or the elongated hole 19.

In addition, this emergency unlocking device 1 has a hole 27 in the cover 8 that opens to the front of the outdoor case 5, and shallow and deep grooves 14 and 14a are provided on the front of the operated part 3. The hole 27 in the cover 8 is arranged to expose the groove to the outside of the outdoor case 5 to an extent that a flat operating tool C cannot be inserted into the groove through the hole 27. This makes it possible to deceive children into thinking that emergency unlocking cannot be performed from outside the outdoor case 5 without a dedicated key-type operating tool that can be inserted into the exposed part of the groove through the hole 27 in the cover 8, and thus discourages them from attempting to open the cover 8.

In the first embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the first locking portion 28 on the cover 8 side was provided on the movable member 23, but it is also possible to change the second locking portion on the main body side to a movable member. An example of this is shown in Figures 9 and 10 of a second embodiment. Below, we will only discuss the differences from the first embodiment.

The first locking portion 41 on the cover 40 side is provided on a cantilever-shaped wall portion that protrudes rearward from the back surface of the cover 40, and is recessed to one side or the other on the left or right side of this cantilever-shaped wall portion.

The second locking portion 43 on the main body 42 side consists of a hook portion attached to a movable member 45 that swings around a shaft 44 held by the main body 42, with the tip of the hook located on either the left or right side.

The elastic member 46 is interposed between the front surface of the main body 42 and the back surface of the movable member 45.

The third locking portion 47 consists of a hook portion that extends further rearward from the cantilever-shaped wall portion that constitutes the first locking portion 41, with the tip of the hook located on either the left or right side.

A first braking surface 48 and a first inclined surface 49 are provided on one of the left and right sides of the movable member 45. A second inclined surface 50 is provided on one of the left and right sides of the third locking portion 47, and a second braking surface 51 is provided on the other left and right side of the third locking portion 47.

During the process of fitting the cover 40 to the main body 42, the third locking portion 47 comes into contact with the tapered front surface of the second locking portion 43. The left or right component of the reaction force generated at this contact point acts on the second locking portion 43, causing the movable member 45 to tilt in the first direction (counterclockwise around axis 44 in FIG. 10 ) against the elastic member 46. As the fitting process progresses, the movable member 45 continues to tilt in the first direction. Eventually, the first braking surface 48 of the second locking portion 43 and the stepped portion of the first locking portion 41 come into sliding contact while facing each other in the left-right direction. The biasing force of the elastic member 46 causes the movable member 45 to tilt in the second direction (clockwise around axis 44 in FIG. 10 ). When the cover 40 is in the closed position, the second locking portion 43 engages with the stepped portion of the first locking portion 41 from front to back. This engagement prevents the cover 40 from opening from the main body 42.

10(a) and (b), when the cover 40 is opened, the first inclined surface 49 is pushed to the left or right by a flat operating tool C inserted through the elongated hole 52, causing the movable member 45 to tilt against the elastic member 46 and disengaging the first locking portion 41 from the second locking portion 43. After this disengagement, the second inclined surface 50 is also pushed to the left or right by the flat operating tool C that is still inserted. The forward component of the reaction force generated at the contact point between the flat operating tool C and the second inclined surface 50 acts on the first locking portion 41, kicking the cover 40 forward relative to the main body 42 and beginning to open. As the flat operating tool C continues to be inserted, the third locking portion 47 engages with the back surface of the flat operating tool C, hooking forward. This engagement prevents further opening of the cover 40.

As the flat operating device C engaged with the third locking portion 47 is pulled out to the left or right from the elongated hole portion 52, the movable member 45 is tilted in the second direction by the biasing force of the elastic member 46. Eventually, the first braking surface 48 on the movable member 45 comes into contact with the second braking surface 51 on the cover 40. When the engagement between the third locking portion 47 and the flat operating device C is released, a frictional force that resists the opening of the cover 40 is generated at the contact point between the first braking surface 48 and the second braking surface 51, which are pressed against each other by the biasing force of the elastic member 46. This frictional force temporarily maintains the position of the cover 40 relative to the main body 42 (see Figure 10(c)).

As such, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the second locking portion 43 is provided on a movable member 45 that swings around the axis 44, and the second braking surface 51 is provided on the cover 40 having the first locking portion 41. However, like the first embodiment, even if a child inserts a coin into the elongated hole 52, the third locking portion 47 engages with the coin to prevent the cover 40 from opening, causing the child to lose interest, and even if the coin is removed from the elongated hole 52, the child's attention will not be drawn back to the cover 40 or the elongated hole 52.

In the above-described embodiments, examples have been shown in which not only the edges of the cover but the entire front surface of the cover are positioned flush with the tips of the protrusions on the main body. However, in order to make it difficult to see the fit between the cover and main body from the outside of the outdoor case, it is not necessary for the entire cover 8 to be completely shielded from both the top and bottom and both the left and right sides of the outdoor case 5, as in the example shown in Figure 1. For example, as in the modified example shown in Figure 11, when the cover 60 is in the closed position where it fits into the main body 61, the edges 62 of the cover 60 and the tips of the protrusions 63 on the main body 61 may be positioned flush with each other, or the protrusions 63 may be positioned forward of the edges 62, but even if the rest of the front portion (central portion) of the cover 60 is raised and positioned forward of the edges 62, it will still be difficult to see how the cover 60 fits into the main body 61.

Furthermore, to make a child believe that the cover cannot be removed from the main body, it is sufficient to shield the gap between the ridge of the cover and the main body along the entire periphery; it is not necessary to completely shield the edge 25 of the cover 8 on both the top and bottom and both the left and right sides of the outdoor case 5 with the ridge 18, as in the example in Figure 1. For example, as in another modified example shown in Figure 12, the ridge E where the back surface 60b of the cover 60 intersects with the edge 62 is shielded along the entire periphery by the ridge 63 on both the top and bottom and both the left and right sides of the outdoor case, but the front side of the edge 62 of the cover 60 may be located forward of the tip of the ridge 63.

In addition, in the above-described embodiments, a coin was used as an example of a flat operating tool, but a metal ruler or other similar object may also be used, as long as it is flat and has the dimensions and strength to be inserted into the slot to release the locking mechanism.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and it is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

1 Emergency unlocking device 3 Operated part 4 Unlocking mechanism 5 Outdoor case 7, 42, 61 Main body 8, 40, 60 Cover 9 Locking mechanism 14 Shallow groove 14a Deep groove 16 Outer wall 18, 63 Protrusion 19, 52 Elongated hole portion 23, 45 Movable member 24, 46 Elastic member 25, 62 Edge portion 27 Hole portion 28, 41 First locking portion 29, 43 Second locking portion 30, 47 Third locking portion 36, 48 First braking surface 37, 51 Second braking surface

Claims (5)

An emergency unlocking device having an operated part that is operated for emergency unlocking and an outdoor case that houses an unlocking mechanism that is activated by the operating force transmitted from the operated part,
The outdoor case includes a main body that holds the unlocking mechanism and a cover that fits onto the main body.
The main body is provided with elongated holes that open to portions of the upper and lower surfaces, left and right side surfaces, and front and back surfaces of the outdoor case other than the upper surface and the front surface,
a locking mechanism that prevents the cover from being opened from the main body and the operated unit are housed in the outdoor case;
the locking mechanism is provided to release the cover from being prevented from being opened by inserting a flat-plate-shaped operating tool into the elongated hole portion,
An emergency unlocking device characterized in that when the locking mechanism is in a state where it prevents the cover from being opened, the operated part is covered by the cover and protected so that the flat operating tool and a person's finger cannot come into contact with the operated part, and when the opening prevention by the locking mechanism is released and the cover is opened, the operated part is exposed outside the main body so that emergency unlocking operation can be performed using at least one of the flat operating tool and a person's finger. The emergency unlocking device described in claim 1, wherein the main body has outer walls located on the top and both left and right sides of the outdoor case, the cover has an edge that fits inside the outer wall, and the outer wall has protrusions that shield the ridge where the edge of the cover intersects with the back surface on the top and both left and right sides of the outdoor case. the locking mechanism has a first locking portion provided on the cover and a second locking portion provided on the main body, and is configured so that engagement between the first locking portion and the second locking portion locks the cover in a closed position fitted to the main body, and insertion of the flat-plate-shaped operating tool through the elongated hole portion displaces the first locking portion or the second locking portion, thereby releasing the engagement between the first locking portion and the second locking portion;
The emergency unlocking device described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the locking mechanism further has a third locking portion that engages with a flat operating tool inserted through the long hole portion during the process of opening the cover when the first locking portion and the second locking portion are disengaged, and this engagement prevents further opening of the cover. one of the first locking portion and the second locking portion is provided on a movable member that swings around an axis,
the locking mechanism has an elastic member that biases the movable member in a direction that engages the first locking portion with the second locking portion,
the movable member is pushed by a flat-plate-shaped operating tool inserted into the elongated hole portion, and is thereby tilted against the elastic member in a direction to release the engagement between the first locking portion and the second locking portion,
An emergency unlocking device as described in claim 3, wherein a first braking surface is provided on the movable member, and a second braking surface is provided on the main body or the cover having the other of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion, and the first braking surface of the movable member, which is tilted by the spring force of the elastic member as the flat operating device is removed from the long hole portion, comes into contact with the second braking surface, and the position of the cover relative to the main body is temporarily maintained by the frictional force at this contact portion. a hole that opens to a front surface of the outdoor case is provided in the cover;
A groove is provided on the front surface of the operated portion,
An emergency unlocking device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the hole portion of the cover is arranged to expose the groove to the outside of the outdoor case to an extent that the flat operating tool cannot be inserted into the groove from the hole portion.