Rotary locking mechanism, lock having the same, and locking control method of the lock

• US 10,641,007 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jichu Li
• Original Assignee: Jichu Li
• Inventors: Li, Jichu
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Bradley T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bowes, Stephen M
• Application Number:
  US15/813,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20180155958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 188189, 188 827, 188 69, 188 823, 188 8234
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/02 operating on the steering mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 3/02 involving means for gripping the cycle by the handlebars or by the upper part of the frame
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 5/148 acting on the hub
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/186 sliding
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/2088 Means to prevent disengagement of lock and keeper E05B63/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0017 with rotary motion
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0012 with rotary electromotors actuators with rotary electromotors per se H02K7/06, H02K23/68
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 71/00 Locks specially adapted for bicycles, other than padlocks locks integral with holders for parking or storing bicycles B62H3/00; locks integral with cycles B62H5/00

Abstract

A rotary locking mechanism and a lock applying the rotary locking mechanism and a locking control method are provided. A rotary output member is locked by a stable triangular supporting structure between the first locking member and the second locking member, the effective constraint of the second locking member on the first locking member applied by the first locking member in both a locked state and an unlocked state achieves locking and unlocking reliability of the product. The entire locking mechanism is controlled by the same switching member. The false locking operation when the rotary member is operating is effectively avoided through the mechanical structure and the automatic control method. The entire rotary locking mechanism is enclosed and fixed in a shell of the lock, and can be applied to transmission machinery of bicycles, electric vehicles, motorcycles and even lightweight automobiles.

Claims

1. A rotary locking mechanism, comprising:

a rotary output member, a first locking member, a second locking member and a switching member, wherein

the rotary output member is connected to a rotary member to transmit rotation power, and a rotation circumference of the rotary output member is provided with a plurality of locking grooves;

the first locking member and the second locking member are respectively elastically hinged at two hinge points, the first locking member is provided with a locking block engageable in any one of the locking grooves, and the second locking member and the first locking member abut against each other at a position outside a straight line in which the two hinge points are located, to allow the locking block of the first locking member to be engaged into the locking groove; and

the switching member is connected to a locking control system and has a first unlocking structure and a second unlocking structure configured to sequentially push the second locking member and the first locking member respectively; and

the locking control system comprises a motor configured to control swinging of the switching member, wherein the motor and the switching member are separately arranged, an output end of the motor is connected to a control block performing a rotational movement, and one point on a rotation circumference of the control block is connected to a non-hinged point of the switching member via a control wire.

2. The rotary locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein contact edges at two sides of the locking block and contact surfaces at two sides of the locking groove are in wedge surface contact, and the second locking member is provided, on a side where the second locking member abuts against the first locking member, with a continuous maintaining edge configured to be in sliding contact with the first locking member.

3. The rotary locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the locking control system further comprises a rotation speed sensor configured to monitor the rotary output member, and the rotation speed sensor is in signal connection with the motor.

4. The rotary locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first locking member and the second locking member abut against each other through a locking corner and a locking indentation, and the locking corner and the locking indentation are cooperated with each other.

5. The rotary locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first unlocking structure comprises a first unlocking edge configured to push the second locking member, the second unlocking structure comprises a second unlocking block configured to push the first locking member, the unlocking block is protruding, and the unlocking edge is configured to make contact with the unlocking block.

6. The rotary locking mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the first locking member and the second locking member are further provided with an unlocked-state maintaining structure.

7. The rotary locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the first locking member and the second locking member are further provided with an unlocked-state maintaining structure.

8. The rotary locking mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the unlocked-state maintaining structure comprises hook structures respectively arranged on the first locking member and the second locking member and configured to be hooked to each other, and the switching member is further provided with an unhooking structure configured to push the second locking member.

9. The rotary locking mechanism according to claim 8, wherein the unhooking structure is a lug or a side edge arranged on the switching member, and the lug or the side edge is configured to make contact with a side edge or a lug on the second locking member.

10. A lock applying the rotary locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the rotary output member is fixedly connected to the rotary member connected to a wheel and is coaxial with the rotary member, and the first locking member, the second locking member and the switching member are mounted on a same mounting base.

11. A locking control method for the lock according to claim 10, comprising:

in a locked state, the locking block of the first locking member being completely engaged in the locking groove of the rotary output member, and meanwhile the second locking member and the first locking member abut against each other, to reliably lock the wheel;

in an unlock process, controlling the switching member to swing by a rotation of the motor, first pushing the second locking member by the first unlocking structure of the switching member to release a locking constraint applied by the second locking member on the first locking member, then pushing the first locking member by the second unlocking structure of the switching member to push the locking block of the first locking member out of the locking groove, to finish the unlocking process;

in an unlocked state, the locking block of the first locking member being completely disengaged from the locking groove of the rotary output member, and meanwhile the second locking member and the first locking member fixing and constraining the first locking member through an unlocked-state maintaining structure; and

in a locking process, controlling the switching member to swing back by a reverse rotation of the motor, pushing the second locking member by an unhooking structure of the switching member while releasing constraint on the first locking member by the switching member, and meanwhile releasing the unlocking constraint applied by the second locking member on the first locking member, wherein, at this time, the first locking member swings back under the action of the torsion spring of the first locking member, to allow the locking block to be engaged in the locking groove of the rotary output member, and finally, the second locking member again abuts against the first locking member, to finish the locking process.

12. The locking control method for the lock according to claim 11, comprising:

setting a protective rotation speed,

in a case that a rotation speed of the wheel is lower than the protective rotation speed, controlling, by the motor, the rotary locking mechanism to unlock or lock;

in a case that the rotation speed of the wheel is higher than the protective rotation speed, stopping the motor from receiving a control signal and allowing the locking mechanism to be in an unlocked state, or maintaining the control signal and re-controlling the motor by the control signal in a case that the rotation speed of the wheel is lower than the protective rotation speed.

13. The lock according to claim 10, wherein the rotary member is a hub, and the lock is arranged in the hub of the wheel of a bicycle, an electric vehicle or a motorcycle.

14. The lock according to claim 13, wherein the rotary locking mechanism is enclosed in a shell of the hub, the rotary output member is an annular member, and is inlaid and fixed to an inner wall or an inner end surface of the hub, and the locking grooves are provided in an inner wall or an outer circumferential surface of the rotary output member;

and

the mounting base is locked and fixed to an axle, and is provided with rotary sleeves configured to be hinged to the first locking member, the second locking member and the switching member respectively, and the mounting base is further provided with a positioning structure configured to mount the motor and a position-limiting structure configured to limit the control wire.

15. The lock according to claim 14, wherein the rotation speed sensor is a Hall sensor, the Hall sensor is fixed to a mounting seat, and the rotary output member is provided with a magnetic steel which is aligned with a position where the Hall sensor is located.

16. The lock according to claim 15, wherein the motor is connected to a signal receiving module, and the motor is automatically controlled by a wired signal transmission or a wireless signal transmission.