JPH0758085B2 - Friction lock mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a friction lock mechanism adopted in various devices such as an automobile stabilizer.

[Prior Art] In automobiles, a stabilizer is used in a suspension mechanism as a means of increasing roll rigidity. A conventional general stabilizer has a torsion portion along the left-right direction of the vehicle body,
The torsion portion is provided with a pair of arm portions located at both ends thereof, the arm portion is connected to the wheel side, and the torsion portion is attached to the vehicle body side.

The stabilizer can stabilize the posture of the vehicle body when cornering on a good road, but when traveling on a bad road, the stabilizer rather deteriorates the grounding property of the wheels. Therefore, it is desired that the stabilizer effect can be turned on / off as necessary. From this point of view, for example, JP-A-61-1444
As seen in Japanese Patent Publication No. 07, a stabilizer device capable of on / off using a friction lock mechanism has been developed. In this type of stabilizer device, one arm portion and the other arm portion are separated from each other when the friction lock mechanism is turned off, so that the left and right arm portions are in a non-interlocking state with each other and the stabilizer effect is not exerted. . On the other hand, when the friction lock mechanism is turned on, the left and right arm portions are connected to each other, so that the same effect as a normal stabilizer can be exhibited.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] When the friction lock mechanism of the stabilizer device is switched from off to on, it must be turned on when the positions of the left and right arm portions of the stabilizer match each other (at the neutral position). . Because when it is turned on when it is not neutral,
Since both arms are connected to each other when the angles of the left and right arms are deviated from each other, an unbalanced load is constantly applied to the arms, and as a result, the vehicle body tilts left and right. .

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a friction lock mechanism having a positioning function that can be switched from OFF to ON only when the rod reaches a predetermined axial position.

[Means for Solving the Problems] According to the present invention, a cylindrical housing having both ends open, a rod inserted into the housing so as to be reciprocally movable in the axial direction, and wound around the outer circumference of the rod in the housing. A coil spring that is rotated and has locking portions at both ends and that is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rod in the free state to prevent relative movement between the rod and the housing, and the coil spring located at both ends of the coil spring. A pair of rotating members that are housed in the housing and are immovable in the axial direction with respect to the housing and are rotatable about the axis, and both end locking portions of the coil spring are respectively locked; The present invention is applied to a friction lock mechanism provided with a pair of operating elements that are respectively provided and project to the outside of the housing.

In the friction lock mechanism of the present invention, an outer cylinder that covers the outside of the housing is fixed to the rod, and the pair of operators are rotated on the outer cylinder in the unwinding direction of the coil springs. An axial groove that slidably fits the operator is provided, and a wide portion that allows the pair of operators to rotate in the coil spring tightening direction with each other at an intermediate position in the longitudinal direction of the groove. Is provided.

[Operation] In the friction lock mechanism having the above-described configuration, when the pair of operators provided on the rotating member are rotated in directions approaching each other (rewinding direction of the coil spring), the inner diameter of the coil spring is expanded and the lock is released. be able to. An outer cylinder is covered on the outer side of the housing, and an axial groove into which the operator is fitted is formed in the outer cylinder. The lock is maintained in the unlocked state while being fitted to a position other than the wide portion.

When the operating element comes to the wide part of the groove when the force on the operating element is released, the operating elements can rotate in the direction to separate from each other, so the coil spring is tightened by its own elastic force. Rotate in the direction and close to the rod. Therefore, relative movement between the rod and the housing is prevented. In other words, the friction lock mechanism is turned on only when it becomes neutral.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The friction lock mechanism 1 includes a housing 2. The housing 2 has a cylindrical shape, and both ends thereof are open. A pair of through windows 3 and 4 are formed on the side wall of the housing 2 so as to be separated from each other in the axial direction. A rod 6 is inserted into the housing 2 so as to be relatively movable in the axial direction. The rod 6 has a circular cross section.

Further, one coil spring 7 is housed inside the housing 2. The coil spring 7 is wound around the outer circumference of the rod 6. The inner diameter of the coil spring 7 in the free state is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the rod 6. Therefore, in the free state, the coil spring 7 comes into close contact with the rod 6. Locking portions 8 and 9 are provided at both ends of the coil spring 7 so as to project in the radial direction.

A pair of rotating members 11 and 12 are provided at both ends of the coil spring 7. Each of the rotating members 11 and 12 has a substantially cylindrical shape, is housed inside the housing 2 with the rod 6 inserted, is rotatable with respect to the housing 2, and is restricted from moving in the axial direction. There is. In addition, the rotary members 11 and 12 are formed with inner end surfaces 14 and 15 inclined with respect to the axial direction of the coil spring 7, and both end locking portions 8 and 9 of the coil spring 7 are fitted therein. Engaging portions 16 and 17 are provided. The other rotating member 17
The fixing ring 18 is fixed to the end of the housing 2 at the outer end side of the housing 2.

Operators 20 and 21 are provided on the rotary members 11 and 12, respectively. The operators 20 and 21 project outward from the through windows 3 and 4. Housing 2
The slits 23, 24 formed in the
Used to insert the.

The housing 2 is covered with an outer cylinder 26. One end 27 of the outer cylinder 26 is fixed to the rod 6 by welding or caulking. The length of the outer cylinder 26 is the housing 2
Is sufficiently longer than the entire length of the housing 2 and covers the housing 2 over the range in which the housing 2 moves in the axial direction.

The outer cylinder 26 is provided with a groove 28 along the axial direction. This groove
The operators 20 and 21 are inserted through 28. That is, the groove 28 is
It is formed with a groove width such that the operators 20, 21 can be slidably fitted in the axial direction when the operators 20, 21 are close to each other (the coil spring 7 is rotated in the unwinding direction). There is. Further, a wide portion 29 is provided at an intermediate position in the length direction of the groove 28. The groove width of the wide portion 29 is dimensioned to allow the operators 20 and 21 to rotate in the directions away from each other (the winding direction of the coil spring 7).

Next, the operation of the friction lock mechanism 1 having the above structure will be described.

When the operating elements 20 and 21 are rotated in the direction of approaching each other, the coil spring 7 is twisted in the rewinding direction, that is, the direction in which the inner diameter increases. Therefore, the frictional force on the rod 6 is released, and the rod 6 can move in either the up or down direction.
That is, the friction lock mechanism 1 is in the off state.

To switch from off to on, the force on the controls 20, 21 is released. At this time, while the operating elements 20, 21 are located in the narrow groove portion other than the wide portion 29, even if the operating elements 20, 21 slide in the groove 28 in the axial direction, the coil spring 7 is tightened. It cannot rotate in any direction. Therefore, in this state, the coil spring 7 does not come into close contact with the rod 6 and the rod 6 is movable in the axial direction with respect to the housing 2. That is, the friction lock mechanism 1 remains off.

The rod 6 relatively moves in the axial direction, and the operators 20 and 21 move to the wide part 2
When it reaches the position of 9, the operating elements 20 and 21 are in a state of being able to rotate in the directions in which they extend, so the operating elements 20 and 21 and the coil spring 7
Rotates in the tightening direction by the elastic force of the coil spring 7, and the inner surface of the coil spring 7 comes into close contact with the rod 6.

If a downward force in the figure is applied to the rod 6 in this state, the coil spring 7 is pressed against the rotating member 12 on the lower side,
Since the coil 6 tends to be bent along the inclined inner end surface 15 by more than the natural spiral angle of the coil, the rod 6 is more closely adhered to the rod 6, and the rod 6 is firmly locked. On the contrary, when the rod 6 is pushed upward, the upper rotary member
It is pressed against the inclined inner end surface 14 of 11 and is locked for the same reason as above.

FIG. 5 is an example in which the friction lock mechanism 1 is applied to a stabilizer device for an automobile. That is, the friction lock mechanism 1 having the same structure as the above is provided between the end of the arm portion 31 of the stabilizer main body and the member 32 on the vehicle body side via the rubber mounts 33 and 34. Then, the operators 20 and 21 are driven in the directions described above by remote operation using an operation cable or the like (not shown), and the rod 6 is locked and unlocked. The relative movement of is allowed or restricted, and the on / off of the stabilizer effect can be controlled.

Even when applied to such a stabilizer device, as long as the operators 20, 21 of the friction lock mechanism 1 are located in a place other than the wide portion 29, even if the force on the operators 20, 21 is released, the operator 20 ,
21 does not rotate in the winding direction of the coil spring 7. Therefore, in this state, the stabilizer remains off.

When the rod 6 moves axially relative to the housing 2 in response to a change in the road surface condition or a change in the vehicle body posture, and the operating elements 20, 21 reach the wide portion 29, the operating elements 20, 21 If the force is released, the actuators 20 and 21 are coil springs 7
It rotates in the winding tightening direction, and the inner surface of the coil spring 7 is
Close to. Therefore, the stabilizer device is turned on for the first time when the one arm portion 31 and the other arm portion (not shown) reach the neutral position with respect to each other. To switch from on to off, the operators 20 and 21 may be driven in the lock release direction described above by remote control.

The friction lock mechanism of the present invention is not limited to the stabilizer device, and can be similarly applied to any device in which the friction lock mechanism needs to be locked at a desired position.

[Effect of the Invention] According to the present invention, when the friction lock mechanism is switched from off to on, it can be turned on only when the rod reaches a predetermined position. Since such a positioning function is provided, when applied to a stabilizer device for a vehicle, for example, it is possible to prevent the vehicle body from leaning to the left and right when turned on.

[Brief description of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a friction lock mechanism, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a housing and its internal mechanism, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an outer cylinder and a rod. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the friction lock mechanism, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a stabilizer device having the friction lock mechanism. 1 ... Friction lock mechanism, 2 ... Housing, 6 ... Rod, 7 ... Coil spring, 11,12 ... Rotating member, 20,21 ...
Operator, 26 ... Outer cylinder, 28 ... Groove, 29 ... Wide part.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cylindrical housing having both ends open, a rod inserted into the housing so as to be reciprocally movable in the axial direction, wound around the outer periphery of the rod in the housing, and locked at both ends. A coil spring that has a portion and is in a free state and closely contacts the outer peripheral surface of the rod to prevent relative movement of the rod and the housing, and is housed in the housing at both ends of the coil spring and accommodated in the housing. A pair of rotating members that are immovable in the axial direction and are rotatable around the axis and that lock the both end locking portions of the coil spring, respectively, and a pair of rotating members that are respectively provided on the rotating members and outside the housing. In a friction lock mechanism including a pair of protruding operators, an outer cylinder that covers the outside of the housing is fixed to the rod, and An axial groove is provided which slidably fits the pair of operators in a state where the pair of operators are rotated in the unwinding direction of the coil spring. The friction lock mechanism is provided with a wide portion that allows the operators of the above to rotate in the winding tightening direction of the coil spring.