JP7396667B2 - holder - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a holder.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Holders for holding rectangular mobile terminals, particularly smartphones, in vehicles are already known. The holder includes a non-electric holder and an electric holder.

A known electric holder is configured to open and close a grip part for holding a mobile terminal using a motor. For example, the holder includes a pinion gear connected to a motor, and left and right racks having teeth that mesh with the pinion gear, and the left and right racks move in opposite directions as the pinion gear rotates. The grip portion is configured to open and close (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-34584 Publication

Conventional electric holders use motor torque as a holding force to hold the mobile terminal. In this holding method, it is conceivable to construct an electric holder using a motor that has a large torque when not energized. However, use of a motor with high torque may result in increased product cost and increased size of the device.

Further, in the conventional electric holder, the holding of the mobile terminal is unstable due to backlash caused by the presence of gears between the motor and the driven object. In other words, the backlash causes the mobile terminal to wobble.

In addition, it is possible to use a spring to close the grip and even hold the mobile terminal, but with a spring arrangement that exerts elastic force in the direction of closing the grip, it is difficult to open the grip. , a force greater than the elastic force of the spring is required.

Therefore, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is desirable to be able to provide a holder that can achieve high holding ability without relying on motor torque and that can easily open the grip.

A holder according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a rotating plate, a link mechanism, and a clamp mechanism. The linkage mechanism is coupled to the rotating plate. The clamp mechanism includes a pair of jaws arranged to be openable and closable. At least one of the pair of jaws is coupled to the link mechanism.

The clamp mechanism is configured to open and close a pair of jaws in response to displacement of a link mechanism due to rotation of a rotary plate, and to hold an object by clamping the object between the pair of closed jaws. Ru.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the link mechanism includes first and second links that are connected to each other, and an elastic material that is disposed at a connecting portion between the first link and the second link. . In the link mechanism, when the first and second links are displaced by the rotation of the rotary plate and the pair of jaws close, the first link and the second link are brought into contact by the pair of jaws and the object. The elastic material is configured to exert elastic force in response to a change in relative position. The object is held between the pair of jaws under the action of elastic force.

According to the above-described holder, since the object is held using elastic force, a high holding ability can be achieved without being based on motor torque. Moreover, compared to a holder configuration in which a spring disposed in a direction in which the grip part opens and closes applies a biasing force in a direction in which the grip part closes, a strong force is not required to open the pair of jaws.

This is because the elastic force used for holding is generated by the change in the relative position of the first link and second link caused by the contact between the pair of jaws and the object when the pair of jaws closes. This is because there is.

Therefore, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a holder that can realize a high ability to hold an object without relying on motor torque, and can easily open the grip portion.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the holder may include a motor configured to rotationally drive the rotary plate. The clamp mechanism may be an electric clamp mechanism configured to receive power from a motor via a rotary plate and a link mechanism to open and close the pair of jaws.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the output shaft of the motor may be connected to the rotating plate without intervening gears. If there are no gears in the power transmission path between the motor's output shaft and the rotary plate, backlash due to gears will not occur, and instability in holding capacity due to backlash can be suppressed. .

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the holder may include, as the above-mentioned link mechanisms, first and second link mechanisms connected to the rotary plate. The first link mechanism may be connected to the first jaw of the pair of jaws at an end opposite to the connection with the rotating plate. The second link mechanism may be connected to the second jaw of the pair of jaws at an end opposite to the connection with the rotating plate.

The first and second linkages may be coupled to the rotating plate such that the first and second jaws move linearly in opposite directions in response to rotation of the rotating plate. According to the holder including the first and second link mechanisms, the holding ability and stability of holding are improved.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the first and second linkages may be coupled to the rotating plate at different positions from each other such that the first and second jaws move linearly in opposite directions. good.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the first and second link mechanisms may be connected to the rotary plate at positions 180 degrees apart from each other in the rotation direction of the rotary plate. The 180 degree spacing allows the pair of jaws to be coupled to the rotating plate for large linear movements in opposite directions.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the first and second link mechanisms include a first connection point that is a connection point between the rotary plate and the first link mechanism when the pair of jaws is closed; The second connection point, which is the connection point between the rotary plate and the second link mechanism, may be connected to the rotary plate such that it is arranged on a straight line passing through the orbits of the first and second jaws. .

When the pair of jaws is closed, if the first and second connection points are arranged on a straight line passing through the trajectory, the first Even if the second jaw portion attempts to move along the trajectory, the force for rotating the rotary plate can be suppressed from acting on the rotary plate from the first and second jaw portions through the link mechanism.

In other words, it is possible to prevent the rotating plate from rotating due to the action of a force from the object and moving the first and second jaws in the opening direction. Therefore, according to the arrangement of the first and second connection points described above, it is possible to suppress the influence of force from the object due to vibrations, etc., and to stably hold the object.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the above-described configuration may be applied to a holder for holding a rectangular smartphone as an object in a vehicle. These holders help keep your smartphone stable in your vehicle.

It is a perspective view of a holder. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram regarding a holder drive system. It is a figure which shows the structure of a holder when a clamp mechanism is closed. It is a figure which shows the structure of a holder when a clamp mechanism is open. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the holder when the clamp mechanism holds the mobile terminal.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.
The holder 1 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a holder particularly suitable for holding the mobile terminal 100 inside a vehicle. Examples of the mobile terminal 100 include a rectangular smartphone. A vehicle occupant can attach a smartphone to the holder 1 in order to use a telephone function, a map display function, a navigation function, etc. hands-free.

The holder 1 is installed, for example, on a dashboard or center console inside a vehicle via a base or metal fittings (not shown). The holder 1 is electric, and is configured to use power from the motor 10 to open and close a clamp mechanism 20 for clamping the mobile terminal 100.

The clamp mechanism 20 includes a pair of jaws 21 and 22. The pair of jaws 21 and 22 includes a first jaw 21 located on the right side when viewed from the user looking at the screen of the mobile terminal 100, and a second jaw 22 located on the left side.

The first and second jaws 21 and 22 are driven by the motor 10 and move in directions opposite to each other, as shown by the dashed-dotted line and the dashed-double arrow in FIG. That is, when the first jaw 21 moves to the right, the second jaw 22 moves to the left. This operation corresponds to the opening of the pair of jaws 21, 22 or the clamp mechanism 20. When the first jaw 21 moves to the left, the second jaw 22 moves to the right. This operation corresponds to the closing of the pair of jaws 21, 22 or the clamp mechanism 20.

The mobile terminal 100 is placed in a mounting space between the pair of jaws 21 and 22 with the clamp mechanism 20 open, and the pair of jaws that sandwich the mobile terminal 100 from the left and right sides with the clamp mechanism 20 closed. It is held by parts 21 and 22.

The motor 10 is connected to a controller 60 through a cable CB, as shown in FIG. 2, and rotates positively or negatively in accordance with a drive signal from the controller 60. When the motor 10 rotates in the positive direction, the clamp mechanism 20 operates in the opening direction, and when the motor 10 rotates in the negative direction, the clamp mechanism 20 operates in the closing direction.

The controller 60 inputs a drive signal for opening and closing the clamp mechanism 20 to the motor 10, for example, in accordance with an operation signal from an operation section 70 installed in the vehicle interior and operable by a vehicle occupant.

An optical sensor 80 for detecting the presence or approach of the mobile terminal 100 may be connected to the controller 60 . In this case, when the controller 60 detects the installation of the mobile terminal 100 in the mounting space based on the input signal from the optical sensor 80 while the clamp mechanism 20 is open, the controller 60 operates without a signal from the operation unit 70. Motor 10 may be controlled to close clamp mechanism 20.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the holder 1 when the clamp mechanism 20 is closed, and FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the holder 1 when the clamp mechanism 20 is open. FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the holder 1 in a state where the clamp mechanism 20 holds the mobile terminal 100. The dashed line in FIG. 5 represents the external shape of the mobile terminal 100. In FIG. 5, the mobile terminal 100 is depicted transparently.

In each of FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the upper row shows a plan view of the holder 1 seen from above, and the lower row shows a side view of the holder 1 seen from the rear. The vertical, horizontal, and front-back relationships here are shown in FIG.

In addition to the motor 10 and clamp mechanism 20 described above, the holder 1 includes a rotary plate 30 and first and second link mechanisms 41 and 42. Motor 10 may be a stepping motor 10.

In addition to the pair of jaws 21 and 22, the clamp mechanism 20 includes a support base 26 for realizing linear movement of the jaws 21 and 22, in other words, linear movement. The support stand 26 has a slit 27 extending left and right as shown in FIG.

Each of the first and second jaws 21 and 22 includes a plate-shaped lower structure 23L and an upper portion that stands upright from the side edge of the lower structure 23L to hold the side surface of the mobile terminal 100. A structure 23U is provided.

Specifically, the first jaw portion 21 is configured such that an upper structure 23U stands up from the right end of the lower structure 23L. The second jaw portion 22 has a structure in which an upper structure 23U stands up from the left end of the lower structure 23L. Each of the first and second jaws 21 and 22 further includes a guide structure 23G that protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the lower structure 23L and passes through the slit 27.

By restricting the movement of the guide structure 23G in the linear direction by the slit 27, the first and second jaws 21 and 22 move linearly left and right. Specifically, the first and second jaws 21 and 22 slide on the support base 26.

The support stand 26 further includes an insertion hole (not shown) through which the output shaft 11 of the motor 10 is inserted. The motor 10 is mounted on the support base 26 from below the support base 26 so that the output shaft 11 passes through the insertion hole, and is fixed to the support base 26 . The insertion hole is configured to have a larger diameter than the output shaft 11 of the motor 10, and the output shaft 11 of the motor 10 rotates without interfering with the insertion hole.

The rotating plate 30 is arranged on the support base 26 so as to fit with the output shaft 11 of the motor 10 protruding from the support base 26 . Specifically, the rotating plate 30 is provided with a fitting hole 31 at the center into which the output shaft 11 of the motor 10 is inserted. The output shaft 11 of the motor 10 is a double D-cut shaft, and the fitting hole 31 has a similar shape to fit with this output shaft 11.

The rotary plate 30 is fixed to the output shaft 11 by this fitting, rotates in accordance with the rotation of the motor 10, and acts on the first and second link mechanisms 41 and 42 connected to the rotary plate 30. This rotating plate 30 functions as a rotating link.

The first and second link mechanisms 41 and 42 have the same configuration but are arranged on the support base 26 with their directions changed by 180 degrees. The first and second link mechanisms 41 and 42 each include a first link 51, a second link 52, and a spring 55.

The first link 51 is configured such that a first end is connected to the rotating plate 30 and a second end opposite to the first end is connected to the second link 52. The second link 52 is arranged such that a first end is connected to the first link 51 and a second end opposite to the first end is connected to the corresponding jaws 21 and 22. be done. Specifically, the second link 52 of the first link mechanism 41 is connected to the first jaw 21, and the second link 52 of the second link mechanism 42 is connected to the second jaw 22. connected to.

As can be understood from FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the first and second links 51 and 52 are each in a 90-degree arc shape, The set shows a link structure arranged in a 180 degree arc.

The spring 55 is a torsion spring 55 having an arm 56, and is provided at the connecting portion JT between the first link 51 and the second link 52. Each of the first and second links 51 and 52 is provided with a convex portion 53 near the connecting portion JT to restrict movement of the arm 56.

By engaging the convex portion 53 with the arm 56, the spring 55 changes the angle when the first link 51 and the second link 52 move relative to each other in the direction in which the angle θ formed by the two arms 56 becomes smaller. It is arranged so as to exert an elastic force in the direction of widening θ.

The spring 55 is arranged so that substantially no elastic force acts when the pair of first and second links 51 and 52 are arranged in a 180 degree arc. In the following, when the pair of first and second links 51, 52 moves from the initial arrangement of 180 degrees in a circular arc arrangement in a direction where the angle θ becomes smaller, the first and second links 51, 52 It is expressed as "spreading". On the other hand, when moving in a direction in which the angle θ increases, the first and second links 51 and 52 are said to be “closed”. The 180-degree arc arrangement of the first and second links 51 and 52, ie, the initial arrangement, is referred to as a normal posture.

The first and second links 51 and 52 are further closed from the 180 degree arcuate arrangement by interference of the JT side ends of each of the first link 51 and the second link 52 with each other. It is configured so that it does not move in any direction. That is, each of the first and second link mechanisms 41 and 42 maintains the normal posture of the first and second links 51 and 52 unless a force acts in a direction that reduces the angle θ. It is composed of

Further, the first link mechanism 41 is connected to the rotary plate 30 at a first connection point P1 located on the left side of the rotary plate 30 when the clamp mechanism 20 is closed. The second link mechanism 42 is connected to the rotating plate 30 at a second connecting point P2 located on the right side of the rotating plate 30, which is different from the first connecting point P1, when the clamp mechanism 20 is closed.

The first and second connection points P1 and P2 are located 180 degrees apart from each other with respect to the rotation direction of the rotary plate 30. In particular, the first connection point P1 and the second connection point P2 are arranged on the straight line LN passing through the trajectory of the first and second jaws 21 and 22 when the clamp mechanism 20 is closed.

As can be understood from FIGS. 3 and 4, when the rotary plate 30 rotates counterclockwise from the closed state of the clamp mechanism 20 in a state where the mobile terminal 100 is not placed, the first and second link mechanisms 41 and 42 are displaced so that the first and second links 51 and 52 move left and right while being tilted as a whole according to the rotation of the rotary plate 30 while maintaining their normal postures. Due to this displacement, the first and second jaws 21 and 22 move to open in opposite left and right directions.

When the rotary plate 30 rotates 180 degrees from the initial angle when the clamp mechanism 20 is closed, that is, when the first and second connection points P1 and P2 each move 180 degrees counterclockwise, the first The second jaws 21 and 22 are opened to the left and right as much as possible. In this state, the mobile terminal 100 is placed in the placement space between the upper structure 23U of the first and second jaws 21 and 22.

Thereafter, the motor 10 rotates negatively in response to a user's operation through the operation unit 70, and the rotary plate 30 rotates clockwise, thereby closing the clamp mechanism 20. When the rotary plate 30 is rotated 180 degrees by the motor 10 and returns to the initial angle, the closing operation of the clamp mechanism 20 is completed.

When the clamp mechanism 20 closes with the mobile terminal 100 not placed, the first and second link mechanisms 41 and 42 are arranged in a circular arc shape with the entire first and second links 51 and 52 being 180 degrees. It is displaced so as to move left and right while tilting according to the rotation of the rotary plate 30 while maintaining the same position, and the pair of jaw parts 21 and 22 are moved to close.

On the other hand, when the clamp mechanism 20 closes with the mobile terminal 100 placed thereon, the first and second link mechanisms 41 and 42 allow the upper structure 23U of the pair of jaws 21 and 22 to connect to the mobile terminal 100. Until the movement is inhibited by contact, the pair of jaws 21 and 22 moves in the closing direction while maintaining the normal posture, similar to the state in which the mobile terminal 100 is not placed.

When the upper structure 23U of the pair of jaws 21 and 22 comes into contact with the mobile terminal 100 and begins to be inhibited from moving, the normal posture collapses and basically only the first link 51 is rotated by the rotation plate 30. Displaced according to.

That is, the first link 51 is displaced in accordance with the rotation of the rotary plate 30 so that the connecting points P1 and P2 with the rotary plate 30 return to their initial positions, but the second link 52 is displaced due to the above-mentioned inhibition. The first link 51 and the jaw (the first jaw 21 or the second jaw 22) are only angularly displaced, and cannot be displaced in the direction approaching the rotating plate 30 side.

At this time, the first link 51 and the second link 52 that are connected to each other are relatively displaced in the expanding direction. That is, the relative position of the first link 51 and the second link 52 changes in the direction of decreasing the angle θ formed by the arm 56 of the spring 55 present at the connecting portion JT.

This change in relative position generates an elastic force in the spring 55 in the direction of closing the expanded first and second links 51 and 52. This elastic force is converted via the second link 52 into a force for the pair of jaws 21 and 22 to grip the mobile terminal 100. Thereby, the mobile terminal 100 is held between the pair of jaws 21 and 22 under the action of elastic force.

What should be noted here is that even if the clamp mechanism 20 closes while holding the mobile terminal 100, the rotary plate 30 returns to the initial angle as in the case without the mobile terminal 100. That is, this holder 1 does not utilize motor torque, but utilizes the elastic force of the spring 55, particularly the elastic force due to the torsion of the torsion spring 55 caused by contact between the mobile terminal 100 and the pair of jaws 21 and 22. and hold the mobile terminal 100.

The fact that the mobile terminal 100 can be held by the elastic force of the spring 55 generated in the clamp mechanism 20 without using the motor torque when the power is not applied makes it possible to configure the holder 1 with a high holding force without using a large torque motor. It means that you can.

Furthermore, since this holder 1 utilizes the elastic force in the torsional direction of the torsion spring 55 generated by the relative displacement of the first and second links 51 and 52 for the holding force, it is clamped by the power of the motor 10. No additional torque is required to overcome the elastic force of spring 55 when opening mechanism 20.

Therefore, compared to a holder configuration in which the grip portion is closed using elastic force, the holder 1 of the present embodiment uses a clamping mechanism with a small motor torque even though the elastic force is utilized to hold the mobile terminal 100. 20 can be opened.

Furthermore, according to this holder 1, when the clamp mechanism 20 is closed, the connection points P1 and P2 between the first and second link mechanisms 41 and 42 and the rotary plate 30 are further aligned with the center of the rotary plate 30. The point is on a straight line LN passing through the orbits of the pair of jaws 21 and 22.

According to the arrangement of the connecting points P1 and P2, when the first and second jaw parts 21 and 22 try to move left and right along the trajectory due to the action of force from the mobile terminal 100 caused by vibration etc. Also, the force for rotating the rotary plate 30 can be suppressed from acting on the rotary plate 30 from the first and second jaws 21 and 22 through the first and second link mechanisms 41 and 42.

Therefore, according to this holder 1, the rotary plate 30 is rotated by the action of force from the mobile terminal 100 without an additional locking mechanism for the rotary plate 30, and the first and second jaws 21 and 22 are opened in the direction in which the rotary plate 30 is rotated. This allows the mobile terminal 100 to be held stably.

Furthermore, according to this holder 1, the output shaft 11 of the motor 10 is directly connected to the rotating plate 30 without using a gear, so that the clamp mechanism 20 does not wobble due to backlash. Since there is no noise caused by gear rotation, the clamp mechanism 20 can be opened and closed quietly.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, an excellent holder 1 can be provided. For example, it is possible to provide a holder 1 that can achieve a high holding ability for an object without relying on motor torque, and can easily open the clamp mechanism 20 with a small motor torque.

Although the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can take various forms. For example, according to the above-described holder 1, both the first and second jaws 21 and 22 move left and right to open and close the clamp mechanism 20.

However, the clamp mechanism 20 may be opened and closed by one of the first and second jaws 21, 22 being fixed and the other jaw moving left and right. In this case, the holder may be provided with only one link mechanism.

Moreover, the first and second links 51 and 52 may have a linear shape instead of a circular arc shape. For example, the first and second link mechanisms 41 and 42 may have a configuration in which two linear links are connected at a predetermined angle.

The spring 55 may be arranged so that an elastic force acts in the direction of closing the first and second links 51 and 52, and may be replaced with an elastic material other than a torsion spring. For example, a tension coil spring is connected so as to span between the end of the first link 51 on the rotating plate 30 side and the end of the second link 52 on the jaw side. A tension coil spring may be arranged so that an elastic force acts in a direction that closes the links 51 and 52.

In addition, a gear may be provided between the motor 10 and the rotary plate 30 if wobbling due to backlash can be suppressed within an allowable range. That is, the motor 10 and the rotating plate 30 may be connected via gears. The holder 1 may be configured as a non-electric holder that does not include the motor 10 and rotates the rotary plate 30 manually.

The function that one component in the above embodiment has may be distributed and provided to multiple components. Functions possessed by multiple components may be integrated into one component. A part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be omitted. All aspects included in the technical idea specified from the words described in the claims are embodiments of the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Holder, 10... Motor, 11... Output shaft, 20... Clamp mechanism, 21... First jaw, 22... Second jaw, 23G... Guide structure, 23L... Lower structure, 23U... Upper structure , 26... Support stand, 27... Slit, 30... Rotating plate, 31... Fitting hole, 41... First link mechanism, 42... Second link mechanism, 51... First link, 52... Second link , 53...Convex portion, 55...Spring, 56...Arm, 60...Controller, 70...Operation unit, 80...Optical sensor, 100...Mobile terminal, CB...Cable, JT...Connection part, P1, P2... Connection point.

Claims (7)

rotating plate and
a link mechanism connected to the rotating plate;
a clamp mechanism including a pair of jaws arranged to be openable and closable;
Equipped with
At least one of the pair of jaws is connected to the link mechanism,
The clamp mechanism opens and closes the pair of jaws in response to displacement of the link mechanism due to rotation of the rotary plate, and clamps the object with the closed pair of jaws, thereby clamping the object. configured to hold
The link mechanism includes first and second links that are connected to each other, and an elastic material that is disposed at a connecting portion between the first link and the second link, and the link mechanism is configured to rotate the rotary plate. When the first and second links are displaced and the pair of jaws are closed, the relative positions of the first link and the second link are changed due to contact between the pair of jaws and the object. is configured to exert elastic force from the elastic material in response to changes in the elastic material,
The object is held between the pair of jaws under the action of the elastic force. a motor configured to rotationally drive the rotary plate;
The holder according to claim 1, wherein the clamp mechanism is an electric clamp mechanism configured to receive power from the motor via the rotary plate and the link mechanism to open and close the pair of jaws. . 3. The holder according to claim 2, wherein the output shaft of the motor is connected to the rotating plate without intervening gears. The link mechanism includes first and second link mechanisms connected to the rotary plate,
The first link mechanism is connected to a first jaw of the pair of jaws at an end opposite to a connecting portion with the rotary plate,
The second link mechanism is connected to a second jaw of the pair of jaws at an end opposite to a connection to the rotary plate,
The first and second link mechanisms are coupled to the rotating plate at different positions such that the first and second jaws move linearly in opposite directions as the rotating plate rotates. The holder according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 5. The holder according to claim 4, wherein the first and second link mechanisms are connected to the rotating plate at positions 180 degrees apart from each other in the rotating direction of the rotating plate. The first and second link mechanisms have a first connection point that is a connection point between the rotary plate and the first link mechanism, and a connection point between the rotary plate and the first link mechanism when the pair of jaws are closed. Claim 5: A second connection point, which is a connection point with a second link mechanism, is connected to the rotary plate so as to be disposed on a straight line passing through the orbits of the first and second jaws. The holder mentioned. The holder according to any one of claims 1 to 6, configured as a holder for holding a rectangular smartphone as the object in a vehicle.