Electric lock and clutch mechanism thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11788322-B2
Application number	US-202117141243-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2021
Priority date	Jul 27, 2020
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

An electric lock includes a housing, a clutch mechanism and a manual control member. The housing is formed with a driving structure having a first inclined surface, a second inclined surface and a bottom surface. The clutch mechanism includes a driving member having a pushing structure, an elastic member arranged on the driving member for abutting against the driving structure, a rotating member having a pushed structure, and a motor for driving the driving member to rotate. The manual control member is connected to the rotating member. When the motor drives the driving member to rotate relative to the driving structure, the elastic member abuts against the first or second inclined surface to push the driving member to move toward the rotating member, so as to allow the pushing structure to abut against the pushed structure, in order to further drive the rotating member to rotate the manual control member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric lock, comprising:
a housing, wherein a driving structure and a shaft hole are formed on the housing, the driving structure has a first inclined surface, a second inclined surface and a bottom surface located between bottom portions of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface;
a clutch mechanism, comprising:
a driving member having a pushing structure;
an elastic member arranged on the driving member for abutting against the driving structure;
a rotating member having a pushed structure; and
a motor configured to drive the driving member to rotate relative to the driving structure; and

a manual control member connected to the rotating member through the shaft hole;
wherein when the motor drives the driving member to rotate relative to the driving structure, the elastic member is configured to abut against the first or second inclined surface to push the driving member to move toward the rotating member, so as to allow the pushing structure to abut against the pushed structure, such that the motor further drives the rotating member to rotate the manual control member through the driving member;
wherein when a rotating direction of the driving member is opposite to a rotating direction of the rotating member, the elastic member is configured to be deformed between the driving structure and the driving member to allow the driving member to move away from the rotating member, so as to avoid damage by conflict between the pushing structure of the driving member and the pushed structure of the rotating member.

2. The electric lock of claim 1 , wherein when the motor drives the driving member to rotate relative to the driving structure along a first rotating direction, the elastic member is configured to abut against the first inclined surface to push the driving member to move toward the rotating member, so as to allow the pushing structure to abut against the pushed structure, in order to further drive the rotating member to rotate the manual control member to a first position; wherein when the motor drives the driving member to rotate relative to the driving structure along a second rotating direction, the elastic member is configured to abut against the second inclined surface to push the driving member to move toward the rotating member, so as to allow the pushing structure to abut against the pushed structure; in order to further drive the rotating member to rotate the manual control member to a second position; wherein the second rotating direction is opposite to the first rotating direction.

3. The electric lock of claim 1 , wherein when the elastic member abuts against the bottom surface, the driving member is away from the rotating member, such that the pushing structure is unable to abut against the pushed structure.

4. The electric lock of claim 1 , wherein the clutch mechanism further comprises a gear assembly; and the motor is configured to drive the driving member to rotate relative to the driving structure through the gear assembly.

5. The electric lock of claim 1 , wherein the manual control member comprises:
a knob arranged on an outer side of the housing; and
a rotating shaft connected to the knob and passing through the shaft hole and the driving member to be connected to the rotating member.

6. The electric lock of claim 1 , wherein the rotating member is configured to be connected to a latch through a transmission rod; wherein when the rotating member rotates, the transmission rod is driven to move the latch.

7. The electric lock of claim 1 , wherein the clutch mechanism further comprises a spring arranged between the driving member and the rotating member and configured to push the driving member to move away from the rotating member.

8. The electric lock of claim 1 , wherein the elastic member comprises:
a main body fixed to the driving member; and
a protrusion part extended from the main body toward the driving structure.

9. The electric lock of claim 8 , wherein the driving structure further has a top surface connected to top portions of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface, the protrusion part has a guiding plane and a plurality of inclined guiding surfaces, the guiding plane is configured to correspondingly abut against the bottom surface or the top surface, and the plurality of inclined guiding surfaces are configured to respectively abut against the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface to guide the protrusion part to move relative to the driving structure.

10. A clutch mechanism of an electric lock, comprising:
a driving member having a pushing structure;
an elastic member arranged on the driving member for abutting against a driving structure formed on a housing of the electric lock, wherein the driving structure has a first inclined surface, a second inclined surface and a bottom surface located between bottom portions of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface;
a rotating member having a pushed structure; and
a motor configured to drive the driving member to rotate relative to the driving structure;
wherein when the motor drives the driving member to rotate relative to the driving structure along a first rotating direction, the elastic member is configured to abut against the first inclined surface to push the driving member to move toward the rotating, member, so as to allow the pushing structure to abut against the pushed structure, such that the motor further drives the rotating member to rotate along the first rotating direction through the driving member;
wherein when the motor drives the driving member to rotate relative to the driving structure along a second rotating direction, the elastic member is configured to abut against the second inclined surface to push the driving member to move toward the rotating member, so as to allow the pushing structure to abut against the pushed structure, such that the motor further drives the rotating member to rotate along the second rotating direction through the driving member;
wherein the second rotating direction is opposite to the first rotating direction;
wherein when a rotating direction of the driving member is opposite to a rotating direction of the rotating member, the elastic member is configured to be deformed between the driving structure and the driving member to allow the driving member to move away from the rotating member, so as to avoid damage by conflict between the pushing structure of the driving member and the pushed structure of the rotating member.

11. The clutch mechanism of claim 10 , wherein when the elastic member abuts against the bottom surface, the driving member is away from the rotating member, such that the pushing structure is unable to abut against the pushed structure.

12. The clutch mechanism of claim 10 , further comprising a gear assembly; wherein the motor is configured to drive the driving member to rotate relative to the driving structure through the gear assembly.

13. The clutch mechanism of claim 10 , further comprising a spring arranged between the driving member and the rotating member, and configured to push the driving member to move away from the rotating member.

14. The clutch mechanism of claim 10 , wherein the elastic member comprises:
a main body fixed to the driving member; and
a protrusion part extended from the main body toward the driving structure.

15. The clutch mechanism of claim 14 , wherein the driving structure further has a top surface connected to top portions of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface, the protrusion part has a guidin

Assignees

• Taiwan Fu Hsing Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chan Tien-Fu

Classifications

• E05B47/0001 Primary

  with electric actuators; Constructional features thereof (for vehicles E05B81/04) · CPC title

• E05B1/0007

  Knobs (E05B1/0015, E05B1/0053, E05B1/0061, E05B1/0069 take precedence) · CPC title

• E05B17/044

  Clutches, disengageable couplings · CPC title

• E05B47/0012 Primary

  with rotary electromotors (actuators with rotary electromotors per se H02K7/06, H02K23/68) · CPC title

• E05B2047/002

  Geared transmissions · CPC title