JP2000087605A - Lock device for bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lock device for a bicycle capable of properly maintaining a locking/releasing condition, and capable of releasing it by remote control. SOLUTION: In a lock device for a bicycle consisting of a first constituent element having a transmitting means for an identification signal, a second constituent element having a control means for identifying and judging a received signal and for transmitting an operation signal on the basis of the judment, and a third constituent element provided with both a lock body for slidably holding a latch formed into a curved shape and energized so as to be drawn in a releasing position by a spring and an electric actuator for releasing the lock of a lock mechanism on the basis of the signal sent from a control means, engaging cutout parts 38, 39 to respective lock mechanism are provided in the parts corresponding to both the locking position of the latch 33 and the releasing position thereof.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bicycle locking device, and more particularly, to a bicycle locking device that can be unlocked by remote control.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a bicycle lock device for preventing a bicycle from being stolen, a device as shown in FIG. 6 has been known. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 201 denotes a lock body. The lock body 201 has a curved yoke 202 inside. One end of the bar 202 is a coil spring 2
03 are connected. Further, the latch 202 is provided with a knob 204 that can move the latch 202 from the outside in the locking direction against the tensile force of the coil spring 203. Also, when unlocking, the lock 202
Is the lock body 201 by the tensile force of the coil spring 203.
It is drawn inside and the unlocked state is maintained. At the time of unlocking, the knob 204 moves into the elongated hole 206 communicating with the guide groove 205 of the knob 204 provided on the lock body 201. Then, in this state, as shown in FIG.
04 is restricted in the locking direction, and the unlocked state is maintained even when the spring 203 is cut off, so that the inconvenience of the latch 202 moving in the locking direction while the bicycle is running is prevented. It is supposed to be. When the user or the like locks, the latch 202 can be easily moved in the locking direction by lightly pulling the knob 204 upward.

Recently, a bicycle lock device has been developed which can be unlocked by remote control using a transmitting means for transmitting a radio wave or an optical signal including an identification signal (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 8- 260784, JP-A-9-226649). In such a lock device, the signal from the transmitting means is received by the receiving means, and after confirming the identification signal, the actuator can be actuated and automatically unlocked. There is no need to insert and operate, and the unlocking operation can be easily performed even in the dark, which is extremely convenient. It should be noted that such a bicycle locking device that can be unlocked by remote control also employs the unlocking maintenance mechanism as described above.

[0004]

However, such an unlocking and maintaining mechanism as described above has a complicated structure, and thus has a high durability.
May be unreliable. Further, it may be difficult to reduce the number of parts and the number of assembling steps. Furthermore, in a bicycle lock device that can be unlocked by remote control, a receiving unit that receives a signal from a transmitting unit and a lock body that mechanically locks and unlocks are configured as one assembly component. Therefore, there is a problem in that this lock device becomes a large-sized component, and a portion that can be actually mounted on a bicycle is restricted, or it is difficult to mount the lock device depending on a vehicle model. In addition, it is difficult to handle because it is a large part,
Even if it can be attached to a bicycle, there is a problem that it takes time to attach the bicycle. Further, such a locking device is usually equipped with a power supply (for example, a battery) for an actuator for performing an unlocking operation. However, when a large integrated component as described above is used, the power supply can be easily replaced. There is also a problem that it becomes difficult to design a structure that can perform the above.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to focus on such a problem in the conventional apparatus, and to provide a simple structure,
Provides an unlocking maintenance mechanism that is excellent in durability and reliability and can reduce the number of parts and assembly steps.Moreover, it enables a bicycle lock device that can be unlocked by remote control to be composed of small parts. It is an object of the present invention to provide a convenient and highly versatile bicycle lock device having a structure in which a positional restriction upon mounting on a bicycle is eased, and in particular, a power supply can be easily replaced.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a bicycle lock device according to the present invention comprises at least a first component having transmitting means for transmitting an identification signal, and receiving a signal from the transmitting means. Receiving means, a determining means for determining an identification signal received by the receiving means, a second component having a control means for issuing a predetermined operation signal based on the determination by the determining means, a latch formed in a curved shape, A lock body consisting of a frame for holding the latch slidably in the locking and unlocking direction, a biasing mechanism and a lock mechanism for the latch, and releasing the lock by the lock mechanism based on an operation signal from a control means; A bicycle locking device comprising a third component having a driving means having an electric actuator for operating the latch in the unlocking direction by the above method, wherein the locking of the latch is performed. At positions corresponding to both the location and the unlocking position, respectively, consists of those characterized by comprising an engaging portion to the locking mechanism.

[0007] The engaging portion can be constituted by a notch formed in a latch.

[0008] The lock mechanism may employ a structure having a lock lever which is urged in the latch direction and engages with the engagement portion.

In the bicycle lock device, it is preferable that the first to third components are formed separately from each other. If these components are configured separately, it is possible to alleviate positional restrictions when actually attaching the bicycle to a bicycle, and to significantly improve maintenance workability such as battery replacement. Also, even when each component is configured separately, the use of a harness can ensure a good electrical connection between the second component and the third component.

The bicycle lock device has at least a power supply for the electric actuator, and the power supply is connected to the second power supply.
Can be a structure accommodated in the components. As a power source, a battery is usually used. Further, as the electric actuator, a motor or an electromagnetic solenoid can be used. In particular, by using a motor and adopting a structure in which a speed reduction mechanism is interposed between the motor and the lock body, it is possible to obtain a large operating force with a small electric actuator. If the unlocking operation is performed via a lock lever of a lock mechanism as shown in an embodiment to be described later, a reliable operation can be ensured with a simple structure.

Although the structure of the lock body is not particularly limited, an optimum structure may be a structure having a latch formed in a horseshoe shape and a frame for slidably holding the latch in the unlocking and unlocking directions. it can.

The bicycle lock device according to the present invention can have the following configuration. That is,
A configuration may be provided that includes a second control unit that detects the voltage of the power supply and stops transmitting the operation signal when the detected voltage becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined minimum voltage.

[0013] Further, there is provided unlocking completion detecting means for detecting the unlocking completion of the lock body, and the operation of the driving means is stopped based on a signal from the unlocking completion detecting means. it can.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the second component has a built-in antenna of the receiving means. In this case, it is preferable that at least the cover of the antenna portion is made of resin.

In such a bicycle locking device according to the present invention, since the engagement portions with the locking mechanism are provided at the portions corresponding to both the locking position and the unlocking position of the latch, the anticipation of the latch is provided. Unintentional unexpected operation is reliably prevented, and the unlocked state and the locked state can be favorably maintained. Further, since the engaging portion can be formed as a cutout formed in a latch, it can be easily applied to an existing device.

Further, if the lock mechanism has a lock lever which is urged in the latching direction and engages with the engagement portion, a good engagement structure can be provided by the action of the urging force at the time of engagement. Can be formed.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a bicycle lock device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 5 show a bicycle lock device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bicycle lock device according to this embodiment has a first component 1.
, A second component 2, and a third component 3, which are substantially separately formed. Particularly, unlike the conventional configuration, the second component 2 and the third component 3 are mechanically separated from each other, and are electrically connected via a harness as described later.

The first component 1 includes a transmitting means 5 having a transmitting circuit for transmitting a radio wave 4 including at least an identification signal.
A power source 6 (for example, a battery) for the transmitting means 5 and a switch means 7 (for example, for turning on / off the transmission of the radio wave 4)
Push button switch) and an antenna 8 for transmitting a radio wave from the transmitting means 5. The switch means 7 can be operated from outside the component 1. The first component 1 constitutes a remote switch capable of operating a bicycle locking device, particularly an unlocking operation, even from a position away from the bicycle. As shown in FIG. 3, a spare key 10 for manual unlocking may be attached to the first component 1 via a key holder 9, for example. In this embodiment, the identification signal is transmitted by the radio wave 4, but a method using an optical signal or the like is also possible.

As shown in FIG. 2, the second component 2 includes an antenna 11 for receiving the radio wave 4 from the transmitting means 5 and a receiving means 12 having a receiving circuit, and an identification signal received by the receiving means 12. A determination means 13 (comparison / determination means) for comparing and determining whether the signal belongs to a predetermined owner, and a predetermined identification signal for unlocking when the signal is a predetermined identification signal based on the determination by the determination means 13. Control means 1 for issuing an activation signal
4 (this embodiment will be referred to as “first control means” to distinguish it from second control means described later). The first control means 14 includes a latch circuit 15, It comprises an actuator control circuit 16 for controlling the driving of an electric actuator described later. The second component 2 further detects these means, a power supply 17 (for example, a battery) for circuit control and for driving an electric actuator or the like to be described later, and a voltage of the power supply 17, and the detected voltage is determined in advance. And a second control means for stopping the transmission of the operation signal when the voltage becomes equal to or lower than the minimum voltage. The second control means includes a power supply voltage detection circuit for detecting the voltage of the power supply. And a minimum voltage setting circuit 20 for setting an allowable minimum voltage, a voltage comparing means 21 for comparing the voltage of the power supply 17 with the set minimum voltage, and a latch circuit 15.
By providing the second control means 18, the power supply 17
When the voltage of the (battery) falls below the minimum voltage, the latch circuit 1
Since the transmission of the operation signal from 5 to the actuator control circuit 16 is stopped and the motor 32 is not driven, the occurrence of the inconvenience that the latch 33 stops at an intermediate position due to insufficient voltage is prevented. In addition, since the remote control is no longer effective, the user can recognize that it is time to replace the power supply 17 (battery). The unlocking in this state may be performed manually. By replacing with a new power supply 17, the voltage in the power supply voltage detection circuit 19 returns to the initial predetermined level, so that the motor 32 can operate normally.
The remote control as described above can be performed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the second component 2 is configured by housing a substrate 22 in which the above-described circuit is incorporated and a battery 17 as a power supply in a case 23. I have. The board storage section and the battery storage section are partitioned,
Battery 17 can be easily replaced. Also,
At least the cover 24 of the antenna 11 of the case 23 of the second component 2 is made of resin so as to be able to receive radio waves favorably.

The third component 3 includes a mechanical lock body, and in this embodiment, the third component 3 is attached to the rear wheel 101 of the bicycle 100. However, it is also possible to attach to the front wheel side. In the present embodiment, the third component 3 is fixed to a frame 104 extending obliquely below the saddle 102 so as to straddle the rear wheel 101 and its mudguard 103. The second component 2 is installed on the mudguard 103 with the frame 104 interposed between the third component 3 and the third component 3. The second component 2 and the third component
Is connected to the component 3 via a tubular member 25. A harness 26 is inserted into the cylindrical member 25, and the second component 2 and the third
Are electrically connected.

The third component 3 includes a lockable / unlockable lock body 31 and an electric actuator 32 for operating the lock body 31 at least in the unlocking direction based on an operation signal from the first control means 14. Driving means 70,
Power for driving the electric actuator 32 is supplied from a power supply 17 housed in the second component 2 via a harness 26 and the like. In the present embodiment, the electric actuator 32 is formed of a motor, but another electric actuator such as an electromagnetic solenoid may be used.

The lock body 31 of the third component 3 is
It has a latch 33 formed in a horseshoe shape and a frame 34 for holding the latch 33 slidably in the locking and unlocking direction. In FIG. 1, the position of the latch 33 shown by the two-dot chain line indicates the locking position, and the position of the latch 33 shown by the solid line indicates the unlocking position. One end of a coil spring 36 housed in the base 35 of the third component 3 or in the frame 34 provided on the base 35 is connected to the rear end of the bent latch 33. The other end of the coil spring 36 is fixed at a predetermined position. The coil spring 36 urges the latch 33 in the unlocking direction. Locking is performed by manually moving the latch 33 to the position shown by the two-dot chain line against the tensile force of the coil spring 36, and by releasing the lock at this locked position, the latch 33 is moved by the tensile force of the coil spring 36. It is automatically moved to the unlock position shown by the solid line. At the time of unlocking, the stopper 37 protruding from the base 35 comes into contact with the inner surface of the distal end of the drawn latch 33 so that the latch 33 is stopped at a predetermined position.

In the present embodiment, the latch 33 is formed in a U-shape in cross section, and notches 38 and 39 are provided at two predetermined positions on the outer peripheral surface. The distal ends of the lock levers 40 are fitted into and engaged with these notches 38 and 39. With respect to the engagement with the lock lever 40, the notch 38 is located at the unlocking position of the latch 33, and Are provided at corresponding positions in the locking position. The lock lever 40 is swingably supported about a fulcrum 41, the leading end of the latch 33 is divided into two branches, and one of the leading claws 42 has a notch 38.
The lock lever 40 is attached to the other front end portion 43 with the front end claw portion 42 of the latch 3.
A spring 44 constantly biased in three directions is provided. The tip claw 42 has a slope on the tip surface on the side of the latch 33, and when the latch 33 is manually operated from the unlocking position to the locking position, the tip claw 42 is naturally cut out 38.
And rides on the outer peripheral surface of the latch 33.

In this embodiment, a cylinder lock 45 for manual unlocking is provided. The aforementioned spare key 10 is inserted into the keyhole of the cylinder lock 45, and the cam 47 pulled by the spring 46 is rotated to push the tip 43 and swing the lock lever 40, whereby the tip claw 4 is moved.
2 and the notch 39 can be unlocked by releasing the engagement.

The other end 48 of the lock lever 40 is engaged with and connected to the motor 32 via a speed reduction mechanism 49. The speed reduction mechanism 49 includes a worm gear 50 directly connected to the motor 32 and a gear group 51 meshing with the worm gear 50. The eccentric cam 52 is provided on the shaft of the final gear 51 a of the gear group 51. The eccentric cam 52 is formed in a semicircular shape in this embodiment, but may be a circular eccentric cam. The eccentric cam 52 is rotated at a low speed by the rotation of the motor 32 via the speed reduction mechanism 49, and the rotating eccentric cam 52 comes into sliding contact with the end 48 of the lock lever 40, thereby swinging the lock lever 40. I can do it. By interposing the speed reduction mechanism 49, a relatively large force can be obtained as the rotation operating force of the eccentric cam 52 even with a small output torque of the small motor 32. When an electromagnetic solenoid is used as the electric actuator, the lock lever 40 is directly swung without the intervention of the speed reduction mechanism 49, and further, the output end of the solenoid is directly notched 38 without the interposition of the lock lever 40, It is also possible to engage with 39.

In this embodiment, the completion of the unlocking of the lock body is determined by the rotational position of the eccentric cam 52, more precisely, the eccentric cam 52.
The rotational position of the final gear 51a of the gear group 51 of the reduction mechanism 49 that rotates integrally with the rotational speed is detected. That is, the unlocking completion detecting means is configured as a rotational position detecting means of the final gear 51a of the gear group 51. The final gear 51a is provided with an origin mark 53 (or a projection or the like indicating the position of the origin), and the origin mark 53 is detected by a microswitch 54 as position detecting means. Reference numeral 55 denotes a position detection circuit (substrate) for the microswitch 54. In principle, the operation of the motor 32 is stopped so that the origin mark 53 and the eccentric cam 52 are always at the positions shown in FIG. That is, the unlocking is completed, and the tip claw portion 42 of the lock lever 40 is notched 38
It is the position fitted inside. This position is maintained during manual locking and after locking is complete. Therefore, when the unlocking is started from the locked state, the rotation of the motor 32 rotates the eccentric cam 52 via the speed reduction mechanism 49, swings the lock lever 40, and immediately engages the notch 42 with the notch 42. It is on standby so that the disengagement with 39 is started. The detection signal from the microswitch 54 as the position detecting means is sent to the latch circuit 15 via the position detecting circuit 55, and the driving of the motor 32 is controlled via the actuator control circuit 16 based on the signal.

In this embodiment, the third component 3 further includes a display means 6 for displaying that a predetermined signal is being transmitted from the first component 1 to the second component 2.
1, and a display means control circuit (substrate) 62 for controlling lighting or blinking of the display means 61 are provided.
As shown in FIG. 4, the display means 61 is provided so as to be lit or flashed to the outside, and is made of, for example, a light emitting diode. The operation of the display means 61 is performed based on a command from the latch circuit 15, and is turned on or blinked at least in conjunction with the operation of the motor 32. After the operation of is stopped,
A simple lighting or blinking display without the operation of the motor 32 may be performed. The latter action helps, for example, to locate the bicycle in the dark.

In this embodiment, the position detecting circuit 55 and the display means control circuit 62 are incorporated in the third component 3, but the second component 2 and the third component 3 are connected by the harness 26. Since they are electrically connected, at least one of them is connected to the second
It is also possible to incorporate it in the component 2.

In the bicycle lock device as described above,
The latch 33 is manually moved in the locking direction, and the tip claw 42 of the lock lever 40 urged by the spring 44 is fitted and engaged with the notch 39, thereby completing the locking. At the time of unlocking, a predetermined radio wave including an identification signal is transmitted from the first component 1 and received by the second component 2 to confirm the identification signal.
6, the motor 3 incorporated in the third component 3
2 is driven, the lock lever 40 is swung via the speed reduction mechanism 49 and the eccentric cam 52, and the front claw portion 42 and the notch 3
9 is released. When the engagement is released, since the latch 33 is pulled by the spring 36, the latch 33 is automatically moved in the unlocking direction, locked by the stopper 37 and stopped at a predetermined unlocking completed position.
At this time, since the eccentric cam 52 has reached the origin position (initial position) shown in FIG. 1 and the lock lever 40 is urged by the spring 44, the lock lever 40 is swung and the tip claw portion 42 is moved. The notch 38 is fitted and engaged with the notch 38, and the state shown in FIG. 1 is obtained. Therefore, a remote operation by radio wave transmission from the first component 1 can be performed as an unlocking operation.

In the bicycle lock device as described above, the tip claw 42 of the lock lever 40 is engaged with the notch 39 when locking, and the tip claw 42 of the lock lever 40 is notched when unlocked. 38,
Unexpected unexpected operation of the latch 33 is prevented, and the locked state and the unlocked state can be favorably maintained. In particular, the lock lever 40 is urged in the direction of the latch 33 by the spring 44, and the notch 3
A strong engagement state with 8, 39 is formed. For this reason,
For example, at the time of unlocking, even if a failure occurs such that the urging mechanism of the latch 33 is damaged due to cutting of the coil spring 36 or the like, unexpected operation of the latch 33 in the locking direction can be reliably prevented, and Durability and reliability can be improved.

Further, such a bicycle locking device as a whole is
Since the first component 1, the second component 2, and the third component 3 are configured separately from each other, the second component 2, which is conventionally configured as an integrated component, is particularly used.
And the third component 3 are mechanically divided,
Each component is formed small. Therefore, handling of each part is greatly facilitated, and workability in actually attaching the second component 3 and the third component 3 to the bicycle is greatly improved.

Further, since the second component 2 and the third component 3 are electrically connected by the harness 26, electric components, especially most of the substrate and the power supply are stored in the second component 2. It becomes possible to store. Therefore, these electrical components can be mounted separately from the third component 3 mainly composed of a mechanical operating portion, so that the electrical components can be easily incorporated and handled, and the electrical components can be easily removed from the external environment and external force. Can be properly protected. In particular,
Since the accommodating portion of the power supply 17 (battery) can be easily formed in an independent room, the replacement can be facilitated, and the replacement does not affect other electric components and mechanical elements at all. can do.

Further, since the second component 3 and the third component 3 are divided, maintenance and replacement can be performed for each component, and the maintainability is greatly improved.

[0035]

As described above, according to the bicycle locking device of the present invention, only the engaging portions for the locking mechanism are provided at the portions corresponding to both the locking position and the unlocking position of the latch. Although it is a simple mechanism, the unexpected operation of the bolt is reliably prevented, and the durability and reliability of the device can be improved. In addition, the second component 2 and the third component 3
Is divided into two parts, and these parts are electrically connected via a harness, so that each part can be downsized and handling and mounting of each part can be greatly facilitated. By being housed in the housing 2, the exchangeability thereof can be improved, and further, the maintainability and exchangeability of each component can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a bicycle lock device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a state where the device of FIG. 1 is attached to a bicycle.

FIG. 4 is an external front view of a first component of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a latch of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an external perspective view of a lock body of a conventional bicycle lock device.

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view of the device of FIG. 7;

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 first component 2 second component 3 third component 4 radio wave 5 transmitting means 6 power supply for transmitting means 7 switch means 8 transmitting antenna 10 spare key 11 receiving antenna 12 receiving means 13 (comparison) determining means Reference Signs List 14 (first) control means 15 latch circuit 16 actuator control circuit 17 power supply (battery) 18 second control means 19 power supply voltage detection circuit 20 minimum voltage setting circuit 21 voltage comparison means 24 cover portion of receiving antenna portion 25 cylindrical shape Member 26 Harness 31 Lock body 32 Electric actuator (motor) 33 Latch 34 Frame 35 Base 36 Coil spring 37 Stopper 38, 39 Notch 40 Lock lever 41 Support point 42 Tip claw 43 The other branch end 44 Spring 45 Cylinder lock 46 Spring 47 Cam 48 The other end of the lock lever Part 49 Reduction mechanism 50 Worm gear 51 Gear group 51a Final gear 52 Eccentric cam 53 Origin mark 54 Micro switch (position detection means) 55 Position detection circuit (substrate) 61 Display means 62 Display control circuit 70 Drive means

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) E05B 71/02 E05B 71/02 K

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A first component having at least a transmitting means for transmitting an identification signal; a receiving means for receiving a signal from the transmitting means; a determining means for determining the identification signal received by the receiving means; A lock body comprising a second component having control means for generating a predetermined operation signal based on the above, a latch formed in a curved shape, and a frame body for holding the latch slidably in the locking and unlocking direction; A drive mechanism including an electric actuator for releasing the lock by the lock mechanism based on an operation signal from the urging mechanism, the lock mechanism, and the control means, and operating the latch in the unlocking direction by the urging mechanism. A locking device for a bicycle, comprising: A locking device for a bicycle, comprising: 2. The bicycle lock device according to claim 1, wherein said engaging portion comprises a notch formed in a latch. 3. The bicycle lock device according to claim 1, wherein the lock mechanism has a lock lever that is urged in the latch direction and engages with the engagement portion. 4. The first to third components are formed separately from each other, and the second and third components are
Are electrically connected by a harness,
The bicycle lock device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 5. The bicycle lock device according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply for at least the electric actuator, wherein the power supply is housed in the second component. 6. The bicycle lock device according to claim 1, wherein said drive means has a speed reduction mechanism between an electric actuator and a lock mechanism. 7. The control device according to claim 5, further comprising: a second control unit configured to detect a voltage of the power supply and to stop transmitting the operation signal when the detected voltage becomes equal to or less than a predetermined minimum voltage. Or the bicycle lock device of 6. 8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising unlock completion detecting means for detecting the completion of unlocking of the latch, and stopping the operation of the driving means based on a signal from the unlock completion detecting means. A bicycle lock device according to any one of the above. 9. The bicycle lock device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna of the receiving means is built in the second component, and at least a cover of the antenna portion is made of resin.