CN111902787B

CN111902787B - Actuator and method for manufacturing actuator

Info

Publication number: CN111902787B
Application number: CN201980021911.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 饭塚彩人; 越和也; 山冈匡太
Original assignee: Nix Inc
Current assignee: Nix Inc
Priority date: 2018-03-26
Filing date: 2019-03-26
Publication date: 2022-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 2039-03-26
Also published as: JP2019169073A; CN111902787A; WO2019189176A1; JP6708885B2

Abstract

The invention restrains looseness of an operation part when a front surface of the operation part moves to a position protruding from an operation panel. The operating mechanism 20 includes a tubular plunger 21 having a cylindrical shape, a flange core 22 having a cylindrical shape, and a spring 23, the tubular plunger 21 being coupled to the rear side of the knob 10 in the axial direction and having at least one end portion thereof opened; the flange core 22 is housed inside the tubular plunger 21 and is provided so as to be slidable in the axial direction relative to the tubular plunger 21; the spring 23 biases the tubular plunger 21 in the axial direction with respect to the flange core 22, and has a groove G provided on one of the outer peripheral surface of the flange core 22 and the inner peripheral surface of the tubular plunger 21, and a rib R that moves in the groove G provided on the other, the groove G and the rib R extending in the axial direction, respectively, and when the knob 10 is positioned at the forward position, the inclined surface Rb of the rib R of the flange core 22 abuts against the inclined surface Gb of the groove G of the tubular plunger 21.

Description

Actuator and method for manufacturing actuator

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an operating mechanism and a method of manufacturing the operating mechanism.

Background

Conventionally, for example, in a heating cooking appliance or the like, there is known an operation knob device in which a knob disposed in an opening portion of an operation panel is configured to be freely pushed in and projected from the operation panel by a push-push (push-push) type mechanism. The knob is pressed in when the heat source is not used, and the knob is protruded and rotated when the heat source is used, so that the heating power can be adjusted.

As a document disclosing an operation knob device provided with the push-push mechanism, for example, patent document 1 is known. In the operation knob device of patent document 1, a spring is positioned between an operation button 4 (hereinafter, referred to as an operation tube portion 4) and a fixing member 5, and the operation tube portion 4 is configured to be movable forward and backward with respect to the fixing member 5. Specifically, if the knob 4a is pushed from a retreated position (fig. 2 of patent document 1) at which the front surface of the operation tube portion 4 and the knob 4a coupled thereto are substantially flush with the front surface of the operation panel 2, the engagement between the 1 st locking portion a provided in the cam groove of the push-push mechanism and the operation pin 7a is released, and the operation pin 7a moves along the cam groove and comes into engagement with the 2 nd locking portion B (fig. 3 of patent document 1), whereby the knob 4a is switched to an advanced position protruding from the operation panel 2.

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese examined patent publication (Kokoku) No. 3-18982

Disclosure of Invention

However, in the operation knob device described in patent document 1, a long groove 8 extending in the axial direction is provided in the fixed member 5 on the side opposite to the side of the fixed member 5 on which the operation pin 7a is disposed with respect to the central axis therebetween, and an engagement pin 9 engaging with the long groove 8 is provided in the operation cylinder portion 4 (fig. 2 and 3 of patent document 1). According to patent document 1, when the operation tube portion 4 is moved to the advanced position, as shown in fig. 3 of patent document 1, the engagement pin 9 engages with one end side of the long groove 8 extending in the axial direction, and separation of the operation tube portion 4 from the fixing member 5 can be suppressed.

However, although the axial movement of the operation cylinder 4 can be fixed by the engagement of the locking pin 9 and the long groove 8 described in patent document 1, there is a problem that the operation cylinder 4 and the knob 4a connected thereto are loosened with respect to the fixing member 5.

In order to suppress the above-described backlash, for example, there is also a concept in which a rib (rib) extending in the axial direction of the outer peripheral surface thereof is provided at the fixing member 5 of patent document 1, and a recess portion that guides the rib in a slidable manner is formed in the inner peripheral surface of the operation tube portion 4. According to this configuration, the rib is guided along the inside of the recess formed in the inner peripheral surface of the operation tube portion, and the push-push mechanism can move the operation tube portion and the knob coupled thereto in the front-rear direction, so that the backlash can be suppressed to a certain extent as compared with the configuration described in patent document 1. However, even if such a rib and a recess are provided, a minute gap needs to be provided between the rib and the recess in terms of manufacturing, and therefore, in particular, when the front surface of the knob moves to an advanced position protruding from the operation panel (that is, in the state shown in fig. 3 of patent document 1), the operation tube portion and the knob may be loosened due to the gap. Depending on the degree of the backlash, a gap between the operation panel and the operation panel is partially eliminated during operation, and the gap is rubbed to generate a sound.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for suppressing rattling of an operation portion when a front surface of the operation portion moves to a position protruding from an operation panel without reducing yield.

An operation mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention is an operation mechanism provided in an operation device capable of being displaced between a rear position in which an operation panel having an opening in a front surface thereof and a front surface of an operation portion form substantially the same plane, and a front position in which the operation portion protrudes forward from the operation panel through the opening, the operation mechanism including: a cylindrical 1 st housing part, a cylindrical 2 nd housing part, and an elastic member, wherein the 1 st housing part is connected to the rear side of the operation part in the axial direction, and at least one end part of the 1 st housing part is opened; the 2 nd housing portion is housed in the 1 st housing portion and is provided to be slidable in the axial direction with respect to the 1 st housing portion; the elastic member biases the case 1 in the axial direction with respect to the case 2, a concave portion is provided on one of an outer peripheral surface of the case 2 and an inner peripheral surface of the case 1, a convex portion that moves in the concave portion is provided on the other, the concave portion and the convex portion extend in the axial direction, the convex portion and the concave portion each have an inclined surface, a width of the inclined surface in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction increases toward the axial front side, and the inclined surface of the convex portion abuts against the inclined surface of the concave portion when the operation portion is located at the front position.

According to the above embodiment, when the operation portion (knob) is located at the front position, the inclined surface of the convex portion of the case 2 portion abuts against the inclined surface of the concave portion of the case 1 portion, and therefore, the play between the case 1 and the case 2 portion can be suppressed. By suppressing the looseness, a good operation feeling can be obtained when the operation portion is rotated, and a high-grade feeling as an operation device can be prevented from being impaired. Further, when the operation portion is located at the front position, the inclined surface of the convex portion comes into contact with the inclined surface of the concave portion, whereby the separation of the operation portion when the operation portion moves from the rear position to the front position (in other words, the separation of the 1 st housing portion from the 2 nd housing portion) can be suppressed. As a result, the elastic member having a larger elastic coefficient can be incorporated, and therefore, the operation feeling when the operation portion is pressed can be increased, and the operation feeling can be improved.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique capable of suppressing the rattling of the operation portion when the front surface of the operation portion moves to a position protruding from the operation panel without reducing the yield.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an external view showing an example in which an operating mechanism according to the present embodiment is mounted on a heating cooker.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an operation knob device included in the operation mechanism according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of the operation mechanism according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the structure of the operation mechanism according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the section IV-IV of fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view of the operation mechanism according to the present embodiment as viewed from the cover member side.

Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the operation mechanism according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the structure of the tubular plunger (pipe plunger) of fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a side view of the tubular plunger as viewed from the direction a of fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view showing the V-V section of fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the structure of the flange core (flange core) of fig. 7.

Fig. 12 is a side view of the flange core as viewed from the direction C of fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a side view of the flange core as viewed from the direction D of fig. 11.

Fig. 14 is a main part sectional view for explaining a rear position and a front position of the operation portion.

Fig. 15 is an exploded perspective view of an operating mechanism according to a modification.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, the orientations shown in fig. 2 and 3 are used for front-back, left-right, and up-down. In the drawings, the components denoted by the same reference numerals have the same or similar structures.

Fig. 1 is an external view showing an example in which an operating mechanism according to the present embodiment is mounted on a heating cooker. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the structure of the operation knob device.

As shown in fig. 1, heating cooker 100 includes operation panel 110 on the front surface thereof. The operation panel 110 is provided with a plurality of openings 110a for inserting the operation knob device 1. The knob 10 (operation portion) of the operation knob device 1 is disposed inside the opening 110 a.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the knob 10 is attached to be freely pushed in and projected from the operation panel 110 by a double-push engagement and disengagement mechanism also called a push-push mechanism. When the heating cooker 100 shown in fig. 1 is not used, the knob 10 can be pushed in from the operation panel 110 by a push operation, and when the heating cooker 100 is used, the knob 10 can be projected by the push operation, and then the heating power can be adjusted by the rotation operation.

In fig. 1, an example in which the operation knob device 1 is mounted on the heating cooker 100 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and the operation knob device 1 may be suitably mounted on another device such as a gas appliance or a microwave oven.

As shown in fig. 2, a tubular plunger 21 and a flange core 22 included in a push-push mechanism are disposed between the knob 10 and a rotatable operating shaft 40a connected to the encoder 40.

The tubular plunger 21 is fitted and fixed to the cylindrical portion 10a (fig. 2) of the knob 10. The rear side of the flange core 22, which is clearance-fitted into the tubular plunger 21, is fitted and fixed to the front end of the operating shaft 40a (fig. 2). Since the operation shaft 40a and the flange core 22 connected thereto are fixed in the axial direction, the tubular plunger 21 slidably fitted to the flange core 22 and the knob 10 connected thereto are configured to be able to advance in the axial direction by the biasing force of the spring 23. The details of the rear position and the front position of the movement of the knob 10 will be described later.

The structure of the operation mechanism for driving the knob 10 in the axial direction will be explained. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a structure of an operation mechanism included in the operation knob device of fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of an operation mechanism included in the operation knob device of fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the section IV-IV of fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view of the operation mechanism included in the operation knob device as viewed from the axial front side. Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of an operation mechanism included in the operation knob device of fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the structure of the tubular plunger of fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a side view of the tubular plunger as viewed from the direction a of fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a sectional view showing the V-V section of fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the structure of the flange core of fig. 7. Fig. 12 is a side view of the flange core as viewed from the direction C of fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a side view of the flange core as viewed from the direction D of fig. 11.

As shown in fig. 3, the operating mechanism 20 includes a tubular plunger 21, a flange core 22, a spring 23, a cover member 24, and a lock pin 25.

The tubular plunger 21 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin material, and has a cylindrical body 21a having a shape in which both end portions in the axial direction are open. As shown in fig. 8, the tubular body 21a has a substantially cylindrical shape including an upper surface portion 21c, side surface portions 21d, and connecting surface portions 21e connecting between the upper surface portion 21c and the side surface portions 21d and between the side surface portions 21 d.

The upper surface portion 21c is a member that is positioned on the upper surface of the tubular plunger 21 and is formed in a substantially flat plate shape. The upper surface portion 21c has a protruding portion 21c1 that protrudes from the end portion 21a1 of the tubular main body 21a toward the front side in the axial direction. A fulcrum hole Ha (fig. 4, 5, etc.) into which the tip end 25a of the lock pin 25 is inserted is formed at an axial front end of the protrusion 21c 1. A portion of the protrusion 21c1 located on the axial front side (in other words, the vicinity of the portion of the protrusion 21c1 where the fulcrum hole Ha is formed) is fitted and fixed to a through hole 24c (fig. 6) of the lid member 24, which will be described later.

The side surface portion 21d is a member that is positioned on a side surface of the tubular plunger 21 and is formed in a substantially flat plate shape. The side surface portion 21d extends from the axial front side to the axial rear side of the tubular plunger 21. The axial front portion of the side surface portion 21d protrudes from an end portion 21a1 (fig. 8) of the tubular body 21a, and a locking portion 21d1 that engages with the cover member 24 is provided at the front end of the protruding portion. The engaging portion 21d1 has a shape curved inward in the radial direction to engage with a groove-shaped engaged portion 24d1, and the engaged portion 24d1 is formed on both left and right end sides of the bottom plate 24a of the cover member 24.

The cap member 24 fitted to the projecting portion 21c1 and the locking portion 21d1 of the tubular plunger 21 is assembled so as to cover the opening on the front side in the axial direction of the tubular plunger 21. The cover member 24 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin material, and has a rectangular box shape with at least one open side. The cover member 24 includes a bottom plate 24a and a side plate 24 b. The side plate 24b is formed with a concave guide groove 24d (fig. 7) extending in the axial direction, and the guide groove 24d guides the protruding portion of the side surface portion 21d of the tubular plunger 21. The bottom plate 24a is formed with a through hole 24c (fig. 6) into which the projecting portion 21c1 is fitted and a locked portion 24d1 (fig. 6 and 7) that is engaged with the locking portion 21d1 of the tubular plunger 21. The guide groove 24d and the engaged portion 24d1 are connected and formed to guide the protruding portion 21c1 of the tubular plunger 21 to the engaged portion 24d1 along the guide groove 24 d. When the cap member 24 is assembled to the axial front side of the tubular plunger 21, the portions of the side surface portions 21d that project to the axial front side are guided by the guide grooves 24d of the cap member 24, and the locking portions 21d1 of the side surface portions 21d are locked and fixed to the locked portions 24d1 of the cap member 24. The bottom plate 24a is provided with a spring guide projection 24e provided upright at the center of the bottom plate 24 a. The spring 23 is placed with one end inserted into the spring guide projection 24 e. As described later, the spring 23 is held by being pressed between the bottom plate 24a and a support plate 22m (fig. 5) located inside the flange core 22 described later.

A concave groove G (concave portion) for guiding the rib R of the flange core 22 is formed in the inner peripheral surface of the tubular plunger 21. A plurality of grooves G are provided at a prescribed interval in the circumferential direction of the inner peripheral surface of the tubular plunger 21.

The groove G is provided to extend from one end to the other end in the axial direction of the cylindrical body 21a having both ends open in the axial direction. As shown in fig. 9, the groove G has a concave shape in a side view, which is formed by a bottom wall surface Gd and a pair of side wall surfaces (Ga, Gb, Gc).

The bottom wall surface Gd has a planar shape substantially parallel to the axial direction of the tubular plunger 21. The sidewall face Ga, the sidewall face Gb, and the sidewall face Gc are provided in this order from the axial front side. The side wall surfaces Ga and Gc have planar shapes extending substantially parallel to the axial direction. The sidewall surface Gb connecting the sidewall surfaces Ga and Gc forms an inclined surface (tapered surface) inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the axial direction. As shown in fig. 10, the side wall surface Gb is inclined such that the width in the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the groove G increases toward the axially front side (toward the right in fig. 10). With such a side wall surface Gb formed, the width of the groove G located on the axially front side (D2 shown in fig. 10) is larger than the width of the groove G located on the axially rear side (D1 shown in fig. 10) among the grooves G.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 10, the length of the sidewall surface Ga in the axial direction is longer than the length of the sidewall surface Gb in the axial direction, and the length of the sidewall surface Gb in the axial direction is longer than the length of the sidewall surface Gc in the axial direction. That is, the side wall surface Gb is disposed at a position axially rearward of the groove G formed in the inner peripheral surface of the tubular plunger 21. As described later, when the knob 10 moves from the rear position to the front position, the side wall surface Gb (hereinafter, also referred to as the inclined surface Gb) of the groove G abuts against the side surface Rb (hereinafter, also referred to as the inclined surface Rb) of the rib R of the flange core 22.

The angle (angle θ 1 shown in fig. 10) formed between the inclined surfaces Gb of the groove G may be in the range of 0.5 ° to 90 ° (in other words, the inclination angle of the inclined surface Gb may be in the range of 0.25 ° to 45 ° with respect to the axial line AX direction of the tubular plunger 21). The angle θ 1 is preferably 2 ° to 60 °.

In the present embodiment, the 3-stage grooves G are provided along the circumferential direction of the inner circumferential surface of the tubular plunger 21, but the grooves G are not limited to this example, and the number of the grooves G may be appropriately changed. The side wall surface of the groove G in the present embodiment may have a sloped portion, and is not limited to the illustrated shape (the side wall surface Ga, the side wall surface Gb, and the side wall surface Gc), and may be appropriately modified.

In the present embodiment, the groove Gs is formed in addition to the groove G described above on the inner peripheral surface of the tubular plunger 21. The groove Gs has a concave shape recessed from the inner peripheral surface of the tubular plunger 21, and is in a shape different from the groove G. The groove Gs is formed as the rib Rs of the guide flange core 22 as in the groove G described above.

The center of the groove G' located on the lower side among the grooves G is located at a position offset from a center axis C1 extending in the vertical direction (vertical direction) along the pass axis AX. That is, when the tubular plunger 21 is viewed from the axial front side or the axial rear side, the groove G' is provided at a position slightly deviated from the central axis C1 in the left-right direction. In fig. 9, when the tubular plunger 21 is viewed from the axial front side, the groove G 'is provided at a position deviated to the left side from the center axis C1, and the groove Gs is provided at a position closer to the right side than the center axis C1 (on the opposite side of the position where the groove G' is provided across the center axis C1), but a groove shown by a broken line in fig. 9 may be formed.

Specifically, when the tubular plunger 21 is viewed from the axial front side, the groove G' indicated by a broken line in fig. 9 may be provided at a position deviated to the right from the center axis C1, and the groove Gs may be provided at a position deviated to the left from the center axis C1. The ribs R ', Rs (ribs R ', Rs shown by broken lines in fig. 12) of the flange core 22 described later may be provided so as to correspond to the grooves G ', Gs provided at such positions. As described above, compared with the case of manufacturing a molded product in which all the grooves and the rib portions are located at the same position, the following effects can be produced by molding the tubular plunger 21 in which the positions of the grooves G ', Gs are different and the flange core 22 in which the positions of the rib portions R', Rs are different. That is, when a plurality of tubular plungers and flange cores in which the respective grooves and the ribs guided by the respective grooves are all located at the same positions are molded using a predetermined mold (not shown), dimensional errors occur in the positions where the respective grooves and the ribs guided by the respective grooves are formed in the respective molded articles (the tubular plungers and the flange cores) molded using the predetermined mold. Therefore, if the molded articles having the largest dimensional error are combined with each other in each combination of the molded articles, defective articles may be generated.

In contrast, in the present embodiment, as described above, the tubular plunger 21 and the flange core 22, which have the grooves G ', Gs at different positions and the ribs R ', Rs guided by the grooves G ', Gs at different positions, are molded using a predetermined mold. That is, using this prescribed mold, the tubular plunger 21 having the grooves G ', Gs shown by the solid lines in fig. 9 and the flange core 22 having the ribs R', Rs shown by the solid lines in fig. 12 are combined, and further, the tubular plunger 21 having the grooves G ', Gs shown by the broken lines in fig. 9 and the flange core 22 having the ribs R', Rs shown by the broken lines in fig. 12 are combined. Thus, the dimensional errors occurring in the combination of the respective molded articles (the tubular plunger 21 and the flange core 22) can be suppressed as compared with the dimensional errors occurring in the case of manufacturing the molded article in which the respective grooves and ribs are all located at the same positions as described above. Therefore, the reliability of the produced article can be improved.

The steps of manufacturing the tubular plunger 21 and the flange core 22 described above with reference to fig. 9 and 12 include the following steps. Specifically, a step of preparing a predetermined mold having a plurality of cavities (cavities) and manufacturing the corresponding tubular plunger 21 and flange core 22 using the mold is included, the predetermined mold having a rib portion Rs (sub-convex portion) and a groove Gs (sub-concave portion) provided substantially parallel to the rib portion R 'and the groove G', and the relative positions of the rib portion R 'and the groove G' and the rib portion Rs and the groove Gs are changed, respectively. By obtaining the tubular plunger 21 and the flange core 22 respectively corresponding to each other using such a designated mold having a plurality of cavities, a combination of the tubular plunger 21 and the flange core 22 can be defined.

In the present embodiment described above, two examples of combinations of the tubular plunger 21 and the flange core 22 are described (in fig. 9 and 12, the grooves G ', Gs shown by solid lines and the ribs R', Rs guided by them, the grooves G ', Gs shown by broken lines and the ribs R', Rs guided by them), but the grooves and the ribs may be formed based on three or more combinations. Thereby, the maximum error of the combination due to the size error between the individual differences can be further suppressed, and the reliability of the product can be further improved.

The flange core 22 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin material, and the flange core 22 is housed in the tubular plunger 21 so that a part thereof protrudes from an opening portion of the tubular plunger 21. The flange core 22 is open at both axial ends, and the flange core 22 has a substantially cylindrical shape including a substantially flat plate-like upper surface 22a, a pair of side surfaces 22b, and a substantially arc-shaped bottom surface 22 c. A heart-shaped cam groove M is provided on the upper surface 22a, and ribs R are provided on the pair of side surfaces 22b and the bottom surface 22 c. As shown in fig. 12, a rib Rs protruding downward from a bottom surface 22c formed by an arc-shaped curved surface is provided at the lower end of the side surface 22 b.

The rib R, Rs is provided so as to be movable within the groove G of the tubular plunger 21 along the axial extension of the outer peripheral surface of the flange core 22. As described above, the 3 rib portions R having substantially the same shape slide in the groove G of the tubular plunger 21, and the rib portion Rs slides in the groove Gs of the tubular plunger 21.

The rib R has a convex shape in a side view, which is composed of a top surface Rd and a pair of side surfaces (Ra, Rb, Rc). As shown in fig. 12, the top face Rd has a planar shape substantially parallel to the axial direction of the flange core 22. The side surface Ra, the side surface Rb, and the side surface Rc are arranged in this order from the axial front side. As shown in fig. 13, the side surfaces Ra and Rc have a planar shape extending parallel to the axial direction. The side surface Rb connecting the side surface Ra and the side surface Rc forms an inclined surface (tapered surface) inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the axial direction. As shown in fig. 13, the side face Rb is inclined so that its width in the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the rib R becomes larger toward the axial front side. Due to the formation of such side faces Rb, the width of the portion of the rib R located on the axial front side (D4 shown in fig. 13) is larger than the width of the portion of the rib R located on the axial rear side (D3 shown in fig. 13).

The angle (angle θ 2 shown in fig. 13) formed between the side faces Rb (inclined faces) of the rib R may be in the range of 0.5 ° to 90 ° (in other words, the inclination angle of the inclined face Rb may be in the range of 0.25 ° to 45 ° with respect to the axis AX direction of the flange core 22). The angle θ 2 is preferably 2 ° to 60 °. The angles θ 1 and θ 2 may be different from each other, and by making the angle of the angle θ 2 slightly larger than the angle of the angle θ 1, the rib R can be fitted into the wedge-shaped groove G, and the play between the flange core 22 and the tubular plunger 21 (in other words, the play of the knob 10 connected to the tubular plunger 21) can be further suppressed.

The width D3 of the portion of the rib R located on the axial rear side is set to be smaller than the width D1 of the portion of the groove G located on the axial rear side so that the rib R is slidably guided along the groove G. Further, the length in the axial direction of the side face Rc is larger than the length in the axial direction of the side face Rb, which is located at an axially front portion in the rib R, and the length in the axial direction of the side face Rb is larger than the length in the axial direction of the side face Ra.

In the above-described embodiment, the side surface of the rib R having the convex shape includes the side surface Ra, the side surface Rb, and the side surface Rc, but is not limited to the side surface shape shown in the drawing. That is, the rib R of the present embodiment may have an inclined surface inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the axial direction (the direction of the axis AX shown in fig. 13), and may be appropriately modified into other shapes.

In the above-described embodiment, three rib portions R having substantially the same shape are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the flange core 22, and one rib portion Rs having a shape different from that of the rib portion R is provided. From the viewpoint of further suppressing the looseness of the tubular plunger 21 with respect to the flange core 22, it is preferable that at least three ribs R are provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the flange core 22, and at least three grooves G are provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the inner peripheral surface of the tubular plunger 21, the grooves G guiding the ribs R so as to be slidable.

Next, a method of assembling the operating mechanism 20 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to the exploded perspective view shown in fig. 7.

First, a tubular plunger 21 having both end portions open in the axial direction is prepared, and a flange core 22 that can be housed inside the tubular plunger 21 is prepared so as to pass through the opening portion of the tubular plunger 21.

Next, the flange core 22 is housed inside the tubular plunger 21 from the opening on the axial front side of the tubular plunger 21. As described above, the groove G formed in the inner peripheral surface of the tubular plunger 21 has the side wall surface Gb (inclined surface), and the rib R of the flange core 22 sliding in the groove G also has the side surface Rb (inclined surface), so that the flange core 22 can be accommodated in the tubular plunger 21 only from the axial front side of the tubular plunger 21.

Next, the spring 23 and the cover member 24 are assembled from the axial front side of the flange core 22. As described above, the flange core 22 needs to be assembled from the axial front side of the tubular plunger 21, and therefore, both axial end portions of the tubular plunger 21 are opened. On the other hand, in order to urge the tubular plunger 21 to the axial front side with respect to the flange core 22 by the urging force of the spring 23, it is necessary to cover the opening of the axial front side of the tubular plunger 21. Therefore, the cap member 24 is coupled to the axial front side of the tubular plunger 21, and the holding spring 23 is pressed in the axial direction between the cap member 24 and the flange core 22.

However, with the spring 23 that is held pressed inside the tubular plunger 21 and the lid member 24, in the case of incorporating the spring 23 having a larger spring constant, it is necessary to firmly fix the tubular plunger 21 and the lid member 24.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the engaging portion 21d1 (fig. 6 and 7) of the tubular plunger 21 is fixed to the engaged portion 24d1 of the cover member 24 in a state where the spring 23 is pressed and held between the support plate 22m (fig. 5) in the flange core 22 and the bottom plate 24a of the cover member 24. Thereby, the tubular plunger 21 and the lid member 24 can be firmly fixed, and the tubular plunger 21 and the lid member 24 can be urged forward in the axial direction integrally by the spring 23. In the present embodiment, the tip of the flat plate-like projection 21c1 of the tubular plunger 21 is fitted into the through hole 24c of the cover member 24. As described later, the lock pin 25 is installed, one end of the lock pin 25 is inserted into the fulcrum hole Ha (hole formed in the protruding portion 21c 1) formed at the end portion on the axial front side of the tubular plunger 21, while the other end is guided along the cam groove M of the flange core 22, and the lock pin 25 is caught at prescribed catching portions of the cam groove M (for example, points a and c of the cam groove M). The tubular plunger 21 and the cover member 24 are fixed to each other in a state where the end portion (the tip of the projecting portion 21c 1) on the axial front side of the tubular plunger 21, in which the fulcrum hole Ha of the lock pin 25 is inserted, is inserted into the through hole 24c of the cover member 24.

Next, one end 25a of the lock pin 25 having both bent ends is inserted into the fulcrum hole Ha of the tubular plunger 21, and the other end 25b of the lock pin 25 is inserted into the cam groove M of the heart cam of the flange core 22. The other end 25b of the lock pin 25 is guided along the cam groove M of the heart cam of the flange core 22. Note that, the embodiment is not limited to the embodiment in which the one end 25a of the lock pin 25 is inserted into the fulcrum hole Ha provided in the tubular plunger 21, and for example, as shown in fig. 15, the one end 25a of the lock pin 25 may be inserted into the fulcrum hole Ha 'provided in the cover member 24'. In the embodiment shown in fig. 15, one end 25a of the lock pin 25 is inserted into a fulcrum hole Ha 'provided in the cover member 24', and the other end 25b of the lock pin 25 is guided along the cam groove M of the flange core 22, so that the knob 10 is held at a rear position or a front position described later by locking the lock pin 25 to a predetermined locking portion (for example, points a and c of the cam groove M) of the cam groove M. Note that, in the tubular plunger 21 ' of the operating mechanism 20 ' shown in fig. 15, the projecting portion 21c1 of the tubular plunger 21 shown in fig. 7 is not provided, and in the cap member 24 ' shown in fig. 15, the through hole 24c of the cap member 24 shown in fig. 5 is not provided.

As shown in fig. 7, the cam groove M has 4 change points a, b, c, d, and a step descending in the lock pin moving direction is provided at each change point to prevent the withdrawal of the end portion 25b of the lock pin 25. When the end 25b of the lock pin 25 is located at the point a of the cam groove M, the flange core 22 is formed in a state pushed out by the spring 23. However, since the flange core 22 is fixed to the operation shaft 40a (fig. 2) which does not move, the tubular plunger 21 and the knob 10 integrated therewith are formed in a state of being pushed out in the reverse direction (i.e., a state in which the knob 10 protrudes from the operation panel 110). Here, if the knob 10 is pressed, the end 25b of the lock pin 25 moves to a point d in fig. 7, and when the pressing is stopped, the knob 10 is retracted by only the distance K and is locked at a point c, and is accommodated in the device main body. In this state, if the knob 10 is pressed again, the end 25b of the locking pin 25 moves only by the distance K and reaches the point b of fig. 7, and returns to the point a once the hand is released, thereby returning to the protruding state. In this way, the push-push operation is performed by the driving of the lock pin 25 guided along the cam groove M of the heart cam.

Next, the push-push will be explained. Fig. 14(a) is a main part sectional view for explaining a rear position where the front surface of the knob 10 is formed substantially on the same plane as the operation panel 110. Fig. 14(B) is a main part sectional view for explaining a front position where the knob 10 passes through the opening and protrudes further forward than the operation panel 110.

The tubular plunger 21 and the knob 10 connected thereto are configured to be movable to a rear position and a front position by a pushing operation.

As shown in fig. 14(a), the rear position refers to the following state: the front surface of the knob 10 is formed to be substantially flush with the operation panel 110 by locking and holding the other end 25b of the locking pin 25 at a point c of a heart-shaped cam groove M provided in the push-push type mechanism in a state where one end 25a of the locking pin 25 bent at both ends is locked in a fulcrum hole Ha of the tubular plunger 21. When the knob 10 is pressed from this state, the other end 25b of the lock pin 25 is disengaged from the point c provided in the cam groove M, and the other end 25b of the lock pin 25 moves along the cam groove M and is positioned at the point a provided in the cam groove M. This allows the knob 10 to be switched to the following forward position protruding from the operation panel 110.

As shown in fig. 14(B), the forward position refers to the following state: when the other end 25b of the lock pin 25 is positioned at the point a of the heart-shaped cam groove M provided in the push-push type mechanism in a state where the one end 25a of the lock pin 25 having both ends bent is locked in the fulcrum hole Ha of the tubular plunger 21, the front surface of the knob 10 protrudes forward beyond the operation panel 110. As described above, the flange core 22 is fixed to the operation shaft 40a coupled to the encoder 40. The operation knob device 1 is rotatable at a front position (fig. 14B), and if the knob 10 is rotationally operated, the flange core 22 rotates together with the tubular plunger 21 to supply power into the instrument body via the operation shaft 40a, so that, for example, the heating power can be adjusted.

However, if the rib of the flange core and the groove of the tubular plunger for slidably guiding the rib are each formed to extend substantially parallel to the axial direction, the knob may be loosened. Specifically, in a state where the knob is located at a forward position projecting further forward than the operation panel, the tubular plunger and the knob coupled thereto may become loose due to a gap between the rib and the groove for guiding the rib. If the knob is loosened, the high-grade feeling may be deteriorated.

In the present embodiment, the rib R and the groove G have the above-described configuration in order to suppress the backlash. That is, when the knob 10 is moved from a rear position where the front surface of the knob 10 is formed substantially flush with the operation panel 110 to a front position where the front surface of the knob 10 is urged by the spring 23 to protrude forward from the operation panel 110, the inclined surface Rb of the rib R of the flange core 22 is pressed against the inclined surface Gb of the groove G of the tubular plunger 21. In this way, the inclined surface Rb of the rib R is pressed against the inclined surface Gb of the groove G by the biasing force of the spring 23, and therefore, the backlash of the knob 10 when the knob 10 is positioned at the front position can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the damage of the high-grade feeling due to the looseness of the knob 10.

Further, the separation of the tubular plunger 21 from the flange core 22 can also be suppressed by the structure in which the inclined surface Rb of the rib R and the inclined surface Gb of the groove G are pressure-bonded. Thereby, the spring 23 having a larger elastic coefficient can be incorporated. Therefore, the operation feeling when the knob 10 is pressed can be increased, and the operation feeling can be improved.

In the above-described embodiment, the concave groove G recessed radially outward from the inner peripheral surface of the tubular plunger 21 and the convex rib R protruding radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the flange core 22 are formed, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, a rib (convex portion) having a convex shape protruding radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the tubular plunger 21 may be provided, and a groove (concave portion) having a concave shape recessed radially inward may be formed in the outer peripheral surface of the flange core 22 so that the rib is slidably guided.

The above-described embodiments are intended to facilitate the understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The elements, the arrangement, the materials, the conditions, the shapes, the dimensions, and the like of the elements included in the embodiments are not limited to the examples, and may be appropriately modified. For example, in the present embodiment, the tubular plunger 21 has a shape that is open at both ends in the axial direction, but a structure in which the flange core 22 and the tubular plunger 21 are combined in advance may be formed using a tubular plunger 21 having a shape that is open at one end in the axial direction. Further, the structures shown in different embodiments may be partially replaced or combined with each other.

Description of the symbols

1 … operation knob device, 10 … knob, 20 … push-push type mechanism (operation mechanism), 21 … tubular plunger (1 st case part), 22 … flange core (2 nd case part), 23 … spring, 24 … cover part, 25 … locking pin (locking pin), 100 … heating cooker, 110 … operation panel, G … recess, Gb … inclined surface, R … projection, Rb … inclined surface.

Claims

1. An operation mechanism provided in an operation device capable of being displaced between a rear position where an operation panel having an opening in a front surface thereof and a front surface of an operation portion form substantially the same plane, and a front position where the operation portion passes through the opening and protrudes further forward than the operation panel,

the operation mechanism includes:

a cylindrical 1 st housing portion that is coupled to a rear side in an axial direction of the operation portion, and at least one end portion of which is opened;

a cylindrical 2 nd housing portion that is housed in the 1 st housing portion and is provided to be slidable in an axial direction with respect to the 1 st housing portion; and

an elastic member that urges the 1 st housing part in an axial direction with respect to the 2 nd housing part,

a recess is provided on one of the outer peripheral surface of the 2 nd case portion and the inner peripheral surface of the 1 st case portion, and a protrusion that moves in the recess is provided on the other, the recess and the protrusion each extending in the axial direction,

the convex portion and the concave portion each have an inclined surface whose width in a direction orthogonal to an extending direction becomes larger toward an axially front side,

when the operation portion is located at the front position, the inclined surface of the convex portion abuts against the inclined surface of the concave portion.

2. The operating mechanism of claim 1,

the recess is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the 1 st housing part,

the projection is formed to project from an outer peripheral surface of the 2 nd case portion.

3. The operating mechanism of claim 1,

the recessed portions and the raised portions are provided at least three positions at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the 1 st case portion and the 2 nd case portion, respectively.

4. The operating mechanism of claim 2,

5. The operating mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the inclined surface of the projection has an inclination angle of 0.25 ° to 45 ° with respect to the axial direction of the case 2.

6. The operating mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

openings are formed at both axial end sides of the 1 st shell part,

the operating mechanism has a cover member that covers an opening portion on the axial front side of the 1 st case portion,

the cover member has a locked portion that is locked to the locking portion of the 1 st housing portion and is fixed to the axial front side of the 1 st housing portion,

the elastic member is held by the case 2 portion and the cover member in an axial direction.

7. The operating mechanism of claim 5,

openings are formed at both axial end sides of the 1 st shell part,

the cover member has a locked portion that is locked to the locking portion of the 1 st case portion and is fixed to the axial front side of the 1 st case portion,

8. The operating mechanism of claim 6,

the operating mechanism has a locking pin, one end of which is inserted into a hole at an end portion located on the axial front side of the 1 st housing portion while the other end of which is guided along a cam groove of the 2 nd housing portion,

the operating section is held at the rear position or the front position by a predetermined engaging section that engages the engaging pin with the cam groove,

the 1 st housing part and the lid member are fixed to each other in a state where an end portion of the 1 st housing part on the front side in the axial direction is inserted into the through hole of the lid member.

9. The operating mechanism of claim 7,

the 1 st case portion and the lid member are fixed to each other in a state where an end portion of the 1 st case portion on the axial front side is inserted into the through hole of the lid member.

10. The operating mechanism of claim 6,

the operating mechanism has a locking pin, one end of which is inserted into a hole provided in the cover member, and the other end of which is guided along a cam groove of the case 2,

the operating section is held at the rear position or the front position by a predetermined engaging section that engages the engaging pin with the cam groove.

11. The operating mechanism of claim 7,

12. A method of manufacturing an actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 11,

the manufacturing method includes a step of manufacturing the 1 st and 2 nd casing portions corresponding to each other by using a mold having a plurality of cavities, the mold having a sub-convex portion and a sub-concave portion provided substantially parallel to the convex portion and the concave portion, and the relative positions of the convex portion and the concave portion, and the sub-convex portion and the sub-concave portion being changed.