WO2013065550A1 - Electric-field-coupled electric lock - Google Patents

Abstract

A door frame (3) is equipped with: a high-frequency voltage generation unit (4); and a first activation electrode (A1) to which the high-frequency voltage generated in the high-frequency voltage generation unit (4) is supplied. A door (1) is equipped with: a second activation electrode (A2) closely facing the first activation electrode (A1) when the door (1) is closed and detecting an electric field produced from the first activation electrode (A1); an electricity storage unit (6) for, based on the detected electric field, storing electricity; and a lock portion (2) driven by the electricity. The door frame (3) and the door (1) are equipped with: an activation path leading from the side of the door frame (3) to the side of the door (1) via the first activation electrode (A1) and the second activation electrode (A2); and a passive path provided separately from the activation path and electrically connecting between the side of the door frame (3) and the side of the door (1).

Description

Electric field coupling type electric lock

The present invention relates to an electric lock provided with a non-contact power supply mechanism.

Conventionally, as an electric lock of a door, a lock part is provided on the door side, and a drive power source for supplying a drive current to the lock part is provided on the door frame side to keep the door frame and the door in a non-contact state. Some supply power to the lock.

As such a conventional electric lock, there is a technique shown in Patent Document 1 below. This electric lock is intended to provide an electric lock that does not require wiring between a door and a door frame or a wall and has a good appearance, and has the following configuration.

The electric lock disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes an electric lock installed on a door and a control signal for controlling the electric lock by determining locking and unlocking of the electric lock by electric means installed on a door frame or a wall. Locking / unlocking determining means for outputting is provided. The electric lock control unit performs locking and unlocking of the electric lock based on a control signal from the locking / unlocking determining means. The signal transmission means performs signal transmission between the electric lock control unit and the locking / unlocking determination means. This signal transmission means is performed using, for example, electromagnetic induction between coils provided on a door and a door frame, respectively.

Such a configuration eliminates the need for an electric cable for power supply and signal transmission between the door and the door frame or wall, and prevents an electric cable disconnection accident. Moreover, since the locking / unlocking determining means is installed on the door frame or wall, there is a description that the appearance of the door can be improved as compared with the case where the locking / unlocking determining means is installed on the door.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-25935 (FIG. 1, [0008] paragraph)

In the electromagnetic induction type like the above-described conventional electric lock, if the positional relationship between the pair of induction coils provided on the door frame side and the door side is not accurate, the power supply efficiency becomes extremely poor. Accurate alignment is required. In many cases, the door and the door frame are made of metal, and when an electromagnetic induction type electric lock is used for such a door, a magnetic field is absorbed by the metal door, and power supply efficiency is lowered. That is, the electromagnetic induction type electric lock is not preferable because the types of applicable doors are limited and lacks versatility. As described above, there are many problems to be solved in the electric lock provided with the conventional non-contact type power feeding mechanism.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the conventional problems and provide an electric lock that is excellent in power supply efficiency and easy to install.

In one of the embodiments of the electric field coupling type electric lock according to the present invention, a high frequency voltage generator provided in a door frame and a high frequency voltage provided in the door frame and generated in the high frequency voltage generator are supplied. A first live electrode, a second live electrode provided on the door and detecting an electric field generated from the first live electrode in close proximity to the first live electrode when the door is closed; A power storage unit that is provided on the door and stores electric power based on an electric field detected by the second live electrode, a lock portion that is provided on the door and is driven by the electric power, and the first from the door frame side. A passive path electrically connecting the side of the door frame and the side of the door separately from the live path and the live path through the first live electrode and the second live electrode And a route.

By using an electric field coupling type power supply mechanism as in this configuration, power supply can be performed if a certain amount of facing area can be secured between the first active electrode and the second active electrode. Therefore, exact alignment is not forced like the center alignment of the power transmitting and receiving coils in the conventional electromagnetic induction system. Therefore, the electric field coupling type power feeding mechanism can be appropriately used even for a door in which a certain amount of installation error is unavoidable. Further, the first live electrode and the second live electrode need only have a structure facing each other, which saves space and facilitates the mounting itself. Furthermore, since the electric field does not overheat the metal, the electric field feeding type electric lock can be applied to door frames and doors made of metal. Thus, with the electric lock having this configuration, it is possible to obtain an electric lock that is excellent in power supply efficiency and easy to install.

In one of the preferred embodiments of the electric field coupling type electric lock according to the present invention, the passive path includes a first passive electrode provided on the door frame, and the first passive electrode when the door is closed. And a second passive electrode provided on the door so as to face each other.

As in this configuration, the first and second passive electrodes are provided in the passive path, so that the open / closed state of the door can be determined. That is, when the door is in a closed state, when an electric field is generated between the active electrodes by energizing the active path, an electric field is also generated between the passive electrodes. On the other hand, when the door is in an open state, the active electrodes are separated from each other, so that electric field coupling is not performed, and no electric field is formed between the passive electrodes. Therefore, by monitoring the formation state of the electric field between the passive electrodes, the door open / closed state can be determined on the door frame side.

In a preferred embodiment of the electric field coupling type electric lock according to the present invention, a metal case for storing the lock portion is provided, and the metal case is electrically connected to the second passive electrode.

As in this configuration, by electrically connecting the second passive electrode to the metal case of the lock portion, a portion of the metal case that is particularly facing the door frame can function as a part of the passive electrode. As a result, the electric field detection function of the passive electrode can be further improved.

In one preferred embodiment of the electric field coupling type electric lock according to the present invention, the door frame includes a plate member having a locked portion that receives the locking portion that is withdrawn from and retracted from the lock portion, and the plate member. And the first live electrode are integrally formed, a part of the plate member is used as the first passive electrode, and the door includes a metal case for storing the lock portion and the second live electrode. A part of the metal case is used as the second passive electrode.

Thus, by integrating the member to be attached to the door frame and the member to be attached to the door, the first active portion having the function of aligning the lock portion having the function as a lock and the plate member and having the power supply function is provided. Alignment of the electric electrode and the second active electrode, and further alignment of the first passive electrode and the second passive electrode having a function of discriminating electric field formation can be performed simultaneously. Therefore, the electric lock excellent in attachment work efficiency can be obtained.

In one preferred embodiment of the electric field coupling type electric lock according to the present invention, the first active electrode is covered with the first passive electrode, and the second active electrode is covered with the second passive electrode. Can be configured. For example, the first passive electrode and the second passive electrode can be arranged to face each other so as to sandwich the first live electrode and the second live electrode.

As in this configuration, the active electrode is covered with the passive electrode in each of the door frame and the door, so that it is possible to effectively prevent the active electrode from being disturbed. As a result, it is possible to obtain an electric lock having a strong electric field strength and excellent power supply efficiency.

In one preferred embodiment of the electric field coupling type electric lock according to the present invention, the door frame and the door are made of metal, a part of the door frame is used as the first passive electrode, and the door A part is used as the second passive electrode.

As in this configuration, by configuring the passive electrode with the entire door frame or the entire door, the area of the passive electrode can be secured very large. For this reason, the live electrode provided on the door and door frame side is covered in a wide range, and even when there is a noise source outside, the influence of noise is greatly reduced. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an electric lock with very stable power feeding characteristics.

It is a perspective view showing an outline of an electric field coupling type electric lock concerning a 1st embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline | summary of an electric power feeding unit. It is explanatory drawing which shows the equivalent circuit of the electric lock of 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the outline | summary of the electric field coupling type electric lock which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the equivalent circuit of the electric lock of 2nd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the outline | summary of the electric field coupling type electric lock which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

(Overview)
A first embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The electric field coupling type electric lock K according to the present invention (hereinafter, simply referred to as “electric lock”) opens and closes the lock portion 2 provided on the door 1 by supplying power from the door frame 3 side. is there. Electric power is supplied by using an electric field generated by applying a high-frequency voltage between a pair of electrodes arranged opposite to each other. This method is completely different from a conventional electric lock, for example, an electromagnetic induction type electric lock using a pair of opposed coils.

FIG. 1 shows an outline of the electric lock K according to the present embodiment. In addition, a block diagram showing the configuration of the electric lock K is shown in FIG. The door frame 3 is provided with a power transmission unit U1 having a high-frequency voltage generator 4 and a first live electrode A1. The high-frequency voltage generation unit 4 generates a high-frequency voltage having a higher frequency from a normal household AC current or the like. The first live electrode A1 is an electrode that supplies the high frequency voltage generated by the high frequency voltage generator 4 to the door 1 side.

The door 1 is provided with a power receiving unit U2 having a lock portion 2 driven by electric power and a second live electrode A2 that transmits power from the first live electrode A1 to the lock portion 2. The power receiving unit U2 includes the second live electrode A2, the AC / DC converter 5 that converts the alternating voltage received by the second live electrode A2 into direct current, and the power storage unit 6 that stores electric power. In the present embodiment, the lock portion 2 refers to the whole unit including a mechanism portion such as a motor or a door knob 8 that mainly operates a locking portion 7 provided in the lock portion 2 during locking / unlocking. The door frame 3 is provided with a locked portion 9 that receives the locking portion 7 protruding from the side of the lock portion 2, but in a broad sense, the member including the member provided on the door frame 3 is referred to as the lock portion 2.

(Active electrode)
A power feeding path from the power transmission unit U1 of the door frame 3 to the power receiving unit U2 of the door 1 is referred to as a live path 10. On the other hand, a path that electrically connects the power transmission unit U1 of the door frame 3 and the power reception unit U2 of the door 1 in parallel with the live path 10 is referred to as a passive path 11.

The live electrode described here constitutes a part of the live path 10. The live electrode includes a first live electrode A <b> 1 provided on the door frame 3 and a second live electrode A <b> 2 provided on the door 1. As shown in FIG. 1, these live electrodes A1 and A2 have a plate-like portion having a predetermined area. Between the first live electrode A1 and the second live electrode A2, when a high frequency voltage is applied to the live path 10, electric fields having different polarities are alternately generated. Electric power is supplied to the door 1 (power receiving unit U2) according to the strength of the electric field. In addition, the opposing area of 1st active electrode A1 and 2nd active electrode A2 can be suitably changed according to the magnitude | size etc. of the electric power to supply.

In the electric field coupling method, electric power can be supplied as long as the facing surfaces of the live electrodes are secured to some extent. Therefore, it is not necessary to align the two exactly as in the case of a conventional electromagnetic induction electromagnetic coil. However, the alignment accuracy between the two active electrodes affects the quality of power feeding efficiency between the two electrodes. Therefore, it is desirable to align both electrodes as accurately as possible.

It is also possible to make one active electrode large. However, the strength of the electric field formed between both active electrodes is determined by the smaller electrode area.

(Passive electrode)
In order to form electric field coupling between the first active electrode A1 and the second active electrode A2, a passive path 11 parallel to these active paths 10 must be formed. FIG. 1 shows a passive electrode that constitutes a part of the passive path 11. Here, the first passive electrode B1 provided on the door frame 3 and the second passive electrode B2 provided on the door 1 are provided as passive electrodes. In FIG. 1, the first passive electrode B <b> 1 and the second passive electrode B <b> 2 are arranged so as to sandwich the first active electrode A <b> 1 and the second active electrode A <b> 2 that are arranged opposite to each other from the outside in the opposite direction. Further, the first passive electrode B1 and the second passive electrode B2 are formed to have approximately the same size as the first active electrode A1 or the second active electrode A2.

The passive electrode mainly has a detection function for detecting whether or not electric field coupling is reliably generated when a high-frequency voltage is applied to the live path 10. When an electric field is formed between the active electrodes A1 and A2, an electric field is also generated between the passive electrodes B1 and B2. Therefore, by monitoring the voltage between the passive electrodes B1 and B2, it is determined whether or not an electric field is formed between the live electrodes A1 and A2, that is, whether the door 1 is closed or open. The determination can be made on the frame 3 side.

It should be noted that the size of the passive electrode is not necessarily the same size as the active electrode as shown in FIG. The size of the passive electrode can be appropriately determined from the following viewpoints, for example.

One is from the viewpoint of the stability of the electric field formed. The larger the area of the passive electrodes B1 and B2, the stronger the electric field formed between the first passive electrode B1 and the second passive electrode B2. Therefore, the detection function of the electric field generation is improved by increasing the areas of the passive electrodes B1 and B2. Further, when the electric field becomes strong, both passive electrodes can be separated. When the passive electrodes B1 and B2 separated in this way are applied to the electric lock K of the door 1, the range of absorption of the installation error of the door 1 is widened, which is preferable.

The other is the viewpoint of the shielding effect of the live electrode. As shown in FIG. 1, the first passive electrode B1 and the second passive electrode B2 are arranged in a state of sandwiching the first active electrode A1 and the second active electrode A2. This prevents noise from appearing on both the live electrodes A1 and A2. In this respect, it is preferable that each of the passive electrodes B1 and B2 has a larger area than the active electrodes A1 and A2 that are disposed close to each other because the noise shielding effect is enhanced.

Further, in order to enhance the shielding effect, for example, in FIG. 1, the case 12 housing the first passive electrode B1 or the second passive electrode B2 is made of metal, and each of the passive electrodes B1, B2 and the case 12 Are electrically connected. At this time, the first live electrode A1 or the second live electrode A2 is exposed on one surface of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped case 12, and the other five surfaces surrounding it are covered with the metal surface of the case 12. With this configuration, it is possible to effectively prevent noise from the surroundings from being placed on each active electrode. In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the case 12, that is, the surface far from the door frame 3 among the two surfaces facing the door frame 3 serves as a passive electrode, and functions as a sensor for determining the state of locking and unlocking. In addition, the five surfaces including the bottom surface, in other words, the five surfaces excluding the surface facing the side of the door frame 3 having the second live electrode A2, exhibit a noise blocking function with respect to the second live electrode A2. It will be.

(Electric storage unit)
As shown in FIG. 1, the door 1 is provided with a power storage unit 6. Electric power is supplied to the power storage unit 6 from the door frame 3 side, and the power storage unit 6 is charged. For example, power is supplied to the door 1 side from a 100 V AC power supply (not shown) provided in the door frame 3, and the power converted from AC to DC by the AC / DC converter 5 is stored in the power storage unit 6. This power storage is performed when the door 1 is in a closed state, that is, when the first live electrode A1 and the second live electrode A2 are in the opposing positions.

The electric power stored in the power storage unit 6 is used, for example, for driving a motor when the door 1 is opened. The unlocking operation is performed by, for example, the operation button 13 provided on the lock unit 2. Even when the power of the power storage unit 6 is consumed by the unlocking operation, the power is sequentially supplied from the door frame 3 side, so that the power storage unit 6 can always be fully charged. As the power storage unit 6, a chargeable / dischargeable secondary battery, a capacitor unit, or the like can be used.

(Lock part)
As shown in FIG. 1, the lock portion 2 according to the present embodiment is provided adjacent to the power transmission unit U1 and the power reception unit U2. The case 12 of the lock portion 2 is made of metal. The lock portion 2 is electrically connected to the metal case 12 of the power receiving unit U2. Thereby, since the site | part which faces especially the door frame 3 side etc. of the case 12 functions as a part of passive electrode, the electric field detection function and shielding function with which a passive electrode is provided further improve.

Specifically, the electric lock K of the present invention can be implemented as follows. The first and second live electrodes A1 and A2 and the first and second passive electrodes B1 and B2 are formed of a metal plate having a width that fits in the thickness of the door. As shown in FIG. 1, these metal plates are arranged in parallel to each other and perpendicular to the thickness direction of the door. Among these, the first passive electrode B <b> 1 of the door frame 3 is electrically connected to a plate member 14 that is fixed to the door frame 3 and has a hole as the locked portion 9. On the other hand, the second passive electrode B <b> 2 of the door 1 is electrically connected to the metal case 12 of the lock portion 2.

As a power source, for example, a general household 100V AC power source is used. A high-frequency voltage generator 4 using a switching element converts the AC power source into a high-frequency / high voltage. The high frequency / high voltage is supplied to the first active electrode A1, and the electric field coupling state is established between the first active electrode A1 and the second active electrode A2. By adjusting the frequency and voltage, it is possible to perform optimal control for power transmission in the gap (about 8 mm) between the door and the door frame.

A high frequency voltage is applied from the high frequency voltage generator 4 to the first active electrode A1 constantly or periodically. Therefore, when the door 1 is in the closed state, the electric field periodically changes also on the passive electrodes B1 and B2. On the contrary, when the door 1 is in the open state, the active electrodes A1 and A2 or the passive electrodes B1 and B2 are separated from each other. Therefore, an electric field is not generated between the active electrodes A1 and A2 and between the passive electrodes B1 and B2. Does not occur. Therefore, the open / closed state of the door 1 can be determined by monitoring the presence or absence of a periodic change in voltage on the power transmission unit U1 side.

[First Alternative Embodiment]
As in the embodiment described above, the electric lock K provided with the passive electrode in the passive path 11 can be applied to the wooden door 1 because the energization circuit can be reliably secured. However, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the door 1 is made of metal, the passive electrode is not always necessary. That is, when the door frame 3 and the door 1 are made of metal, in a state where the door 1 is closed, between the end surface of the door frame 3 and the end surface of the door 1, there are mutually parallel facing surfaces made of metal. It is formed. This surface can be used as a passive electrode. That is, the power transmission unit U1 can be configured to include the first active electrode A1 and not the first passive electrode B1. In this case, it is preferable that the wiring connected to the first passive electrode B1 is grounded to the door frame 3.

On the other hand, even on the door 1 side, the power receiving unit U2 can be configured to include the second live electrode A2 and not the second passive electrode B2. In this case, it is preferable that the wiring connected to the second passive electrode B2 is grounded to the door 1. An equivalent circuit of this configuration is shown in FIG.

Even with such a configuration, the electric field coupling type electric lock K can be configured. However, in the case of this configuration, the door frame 3 or the door 1 functioning as a passive electrode has an extremely large area or metal volume of the facing surface. Therefore, even if an electric field is formed between the door frame 3 and the door 1 functioning as a passive electrode corresponding to the electric field formed between the live electrodes, the voltage change is measured by the door frame 3. The voltage change that can be measured at the position is extremely small. Therefore, in this configuration, it is difficult to determine the open / closed state of the door 1 on the door frame 3 side.

However, in this configuration, when noise is applied from the outside, the influence of the noise is diluted, so that the door frame 3 and the door 1 become very stable passive electrodes. That is, the electric lock K having a high shielding effect of the live electrode can be obtained.

[Second alternative embodiment]
For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the power transmission / reception units U1, U2 and the metal case 12 of the lock unit 2 can be integrally formed. Specifically, the first live electrode A1 and the high-frequency voltage generator 4 provided on the door frame 3 are assembled together in the metal case 12, and the locked portion 9 of the lock is integrally formed in the metal case 12. . At this time, the plate member 14 constituting the locked portion 9 of the lock is used as the first passive electrode B1.

On the other hand, the second live electrode A2, the lock portion 2, the power storage unit 6 and the like provided on the door 1 are integrally incorporated in a common metal case 12. At this time, a surface of the side surface of the metal case 12 where the locking portion 7 is withdrawn or retracted, that is, a surface portion facing the door frame 3 side is used as the second passive electrode B2.

Thus, by integrating the member to be mounted on the door frame 3 and integrating the member to be mounted on the door 1, the positioning of the locking portion 7 and the locked portion 9 of the lock portion 2, and the power transmission / reception unit Since the positioning of U1 and U2 can be performed simultaneously, the mounting efficiency of the electric lock K is improved.

[Third Another Embodiment]
In the said embodiment, the example which can discriminate | determine the opening / closing state of the door 1 by providing 1st passive electrode B1 and 2nd passive electrode B2 was shown. In addition, for example, by providing the following configuration, it is possible to determine the lock / unlock state of the lock. Such a configuration may be convenient when used in an apartment house.

As shown in FIG. 2, for example, between the AC / DC converter 5 and the electric lock K, a locking / unlocking determining unit 17 capable of outputting a locking / unlocking command to the electric lock K is provided. A lock command or unlock command is input to the power transmission unit U1 from the lock / unlock management terminal 18 provided on the door frame 3 to the lock / unlock determination unit 17, and for example, the high-frequency voltage generator 4 is based on this input. The frequency of the high-frequency voltage input to the first live electrode A1 is changed. The change in frequency is recognized by the locking / unlocking determining unit 17 and a locking command or unlocking command is transmitted to the electric lock K. At the same time, the locking / unlocking determination unit 17 continuously operates, for example, an on / off circuit (not shown) included in the determination unit. This on / off switching affects the electric field generated between the passive electrodes B1 and B2. The locking / unlocking management terminal 18 can recognize the locking / unlocking state of the electric lock K by detecting the fluctuation of the electric field.

The electric lock according to the present invention can be applied to any door as long as it electrically locks / unlocks a lock part such as a door of a car or a train, a refrigerator or a vending machine in addition to a door of a building. It can also be applied to.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Door 2 Lock part 3 Door frame 4 High frequency voltage generation part 6 Power storage unit 7 Locking part 9 Locked part 10 Live path 11 Passive path 12 Metal case 14 of lock part Plate member A1 1st live electrode A2 2nd Active electrode B1 First passive electrode B2 Second passive electrode K Electric lock

Claims (7)

A high-frequency voltage generator provided on the door frame;
A first live electrode provided on the door frame and supplied with a high-frequency voltage generated by the high-frequency voltage generator;
A second live electrode provided on the door for detecting an electric field generated from the first live electrode in close proximity to the first live electrode when the door is closed;
A power storage unit that is provided in the door and stores electric power based on an electric field detected by the second live electrode;
A lock provided on the door and driven by the electric power;
An active path from the door frame side to the door side via the first live electrode and the second live electrode;
An electric field coupling type electric lock comprising a passive path for electrically connecting the door frame side and the door side separately from the live path. The passive path is
A first passive electrode provided on the door frame;
The electric field coupling type electric lock according to claim 1, further comprising: a second passive electrode provided on the door so as to face and oppose the first passive electrode when the door is closed. A metal case for storing the lock portion;
The electric field coupling type electric lock according to claim 2, wherein the metal case is electrically connected to the second passive electrode. The door frame includes a plate member having a locked portion that receives a locking portion that is withdrawn / retracted from the lock portion,
The plate member and the first live electrode are integrally formed,
Using a part of the plate member as the first passive electrode,
The door includes a metal case for storing the lock portion and the second live electrode,
The electric field coupling type electric lock according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a part of the metal case is used as the second passive electrode. The electric field coupling type electric lock according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the first live electrode is covered with the first passive electrode, and the second live electrode is covered with the second passive electrode. The electric field coupling type electric lock according to claim 5, wherein the first passive electrode and the second passive electrode are arranged to face each other so as to sandwich the first active electrode and the second active electrode. The door frame and the door are made of metal,
The electric field coupling type electric lock according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein a part of the door frame is used as the first passive electrode and a part of the door is used as the second passive electrode.

Images