JP-2026075995-A - Release mechanism

Abstract

[Problem] This specification provides a release mechanism that allows the user to easily unlock the plug. [Solution] The release mechanism disclosed herein comprises a socket support, a sleeve, and a lever. The socket support comprises a socket into which a plug is inserted and a pivot shaft adjacent to the socket. The pivot shaft extends in a direction intersecting the axis of the socket. The sleeve is slidably fitted to the outer circumference of the socket. The sleeve locks the plug inserted into the socket in the first sleeve position and releases the lock in the second sleeve position. The lever is pivotably supported on the pivot shaft of the socket support and engages with the sleeve. The lever pivots in conjunction with the sliding of the sleeve. The distance from the point of engagement of the lever with the sleeve to the pivot shaft is shorter than the distance from the operating part to which an external force is applied to the lever to the pivot shaft. [Selection Diagram] Figure 2

Inventors

• 酒井 美也子
• 小林 孝紘
• 伊東　崇

Assignees

• トヨタ自動車株式会社
• トヨタ自動車北海道株式会社

Dates

Publication Date

20260511

Application Date

20241023

Claims (3)

1. A socket into which the plug is inserted, and a socket support having a pivot shaft adjacent to the socket and extending in a direction intersecting the axis of the socket, A sleeve that is slidably fitted to the outer circumference of the socket, locks the plug inserted into the socket in the first sleeve position and releases the lock in the second sleeve position, A lever is pivotably supported on the pivot shaft and engaged with the sleeve, and pivots in conjunction with the sliding of the sleeve, It is equipped with, The lever is a release mechanism in which the distance from the engagement point with the sleeve to the pivot axis is shorter than the distance from the operating part to which an external force is applied to the lever to the pivot axis.
2. The lever has a contact surface that contacts the operating part of the lever, and further comprises a stay-on tab that is slidably supported by the socket support in a direction perpendicular to the axis, The contact surface is inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis such that it pushes the lever as the stay-on tab slides away from the socket. The release mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the stay-on tab moves from the tab first position to the tab second position which is further from the socket than the tab first position, while the lever is moved so that the sleeve moves from the sleeve first position to the sleeve second position.
3. The stay-on tab has a stopper projection on the surface facing the socket, The release mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the stopper projection engages with the sleeve when the stay-on tab is in the first tab position to fix the sleeve in the first sleeve position, and disengages from the sleeve while the stay-on tab is moving from the first tab position to the second tab position.

Description

The technology disclosed herein relates to a release mechanism for unlocking a plug that has been inserted into and locked in a socket. Patent Document 1 discloses a coupler release mechanism for unlocking a plug that has been inserted into and locked in a socket. The release mechanism comprises a socket into which the plug is inserted and a sleeve slidably fitted to the outer circumference of the socket. The plug is locked when the sleeve is in the first position. The lock is released when the sleeve moves to the second position. The release mechanism includes an extension member fixed to the sleeve and sliding with the sleeve. The extension member extends in the sliding direction of the sleeve. Moving the extension member in the sliding direction moves the sleeve from the first position to the second position. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-193795 This is a perspective view of the release mechanism of the first embodiment.This is a cross-sectional view of the release mechanism of the first embodiment. Figure 2(A) is a cross-sectional view in the plug-locked state, and Figure 2(B) is a cross-sectional view in the plug-unlocked state.This is a perspective view of the release mechanism of the second embodiment.This is a cross-sectional view of the release mechanism of the second embodiment. Figure 4(A) is a cross-sectional view in the plug-locked state, and Figure 4(B) is a cross-sectional view in the plug-unlocked state. (First Embodiment) The release mechanism 100 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the release mechanism 100. The release mechanism 100 is a mechanism for releasing the lock of the plug 901 that is inserted into and locked in the socket 111. In this embodiment, the plug 901 is fixed to the tank 900. When the plug 901 is inserted into one end (the upper end in the figure) of the cylindrical socket 111, the plug 901 is locked to the socket 111. A gas utilization device (not shown) is connected to the other end (the lower end in the figure) of the socket 111. The release mechanism 100 is also fixed to the gas utilization device (not shown). Figure 2 shows a cross-section of the release mechanism 100, cut along the XZ plane of the coordinate system shown in the figure. The release mechanism 100 can attach and detach the plug 901. In other words, the release mechanism 100 can release the lock on the plug 901 that is inserted into and locked in the socket 111. Figure 2(A) is a cross-sectional view of the plug 901 in the locked state inserted into the socket 111, and Figure 2(B) is a cross-sectional view of the state in which the lock is released and the plug 901 is removed from the socket 111. Figure 2 also shows a cross-section of the tank 900. A shut-off valve is provided in the middle of the plug 901, but its illustration is omitted. The release mechanism 100 comprises a socket support 110, a sleeve 120, and levers 130a and 130b. Lever 130a and lever 130b are positioned between the socket support 110 and the sleeve 120, and are fixed to each other. In Figure 1, one lever 130b is drawn with a dashed line for clarity. In Figure 1, the lever 130b drawn with a solid line is shown separated from the socket support 110. Hereafter, when referring to the pair of levers 130a and 130b as a single component, they will be referred to as lever 130. The socket support 110 has a socket 111 through which the plug 901 is inserted, and a pivot shaft 112 that supports the lever 130 fixed to it. The socket 111 is cylindrical, and its axis (the axis of the cylinder) extends in the Z-axis direction. The pivot shaft 112 extends in the Y-axis direction. The socket 111 and the pivot shaft 112 are adjacent in the X-axis direction. In other words, the axis of the socket 111, the pivot shaft 112, and the alignment direction of the socket 111 and the pivot shaft 112 are in a positional relationship that is orthogonal to each other. The sleeve 120 is fitted onto the outer circumference of the socket 111. The sleeve 120 is slidably fitted to the socket 111 in its axial direction (Z-axis direction). The lever 130 is pivotably supported on the pivot shaft 112. The pivot shaft 112 fits into the axial hole 131 of the lever 130. A projection 121 is provided on the outer circumference of the sleeve 120. The projection 121 is provided on both sides of the sleeve 120 along the Y-axis direction. One end of the lever 130 is provided with an elongated hole 132 that is long in the X-axis direction (the direction in which the socket 111 and the pivot shaft 112 are aligned), and the projection 121 of the sleeve 120 engages with the elongated hole 132. This engagement causes the sleeve 120 to slide in the axial direction (Z-axis direction) in conjunction with the swing of the lever 130. An operating part 133 is attached to the other end of the lever 130. When the user applies force to the operating part 133 and swings the lever 130, the sleeve 120 slides, an