JP7679348B2 - Drop window fixing structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a drop window, and in particular to a drop window fixing structure that stably fixes the drop window of a railway vehicle in a closed state.

A drop window is known for the side windows of railway cars, with a lifting mechanism at the bottom that applies an upward bias. Figure 11 shows a conventional drop window 100 equipped with a balancer 103 (balancing device) as the lifting mechanism. When this drop window 100 is opened, a moderate upward bias is applied by the balancer 103, so the user does not need to support the entire weight of the window as with a drop window, and opening and closing operations can be performed safely and smoothly.

The balancer 103 described above acts as an auxiliary when the drop window 100 is in the middle of the opening and closing range, and in order to maintain a completely closed state, a separate structure for fixing the closed state is required. Therefore, the drop window 100 equipped with the conventional balancer 103 is provided with a drop stop structure 120 (fixing structure) to prevent the drop window 100 in the closed state from naturally dropping due to vibration of the vehicle body, etc.

Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the drop stop structure 120 taken along line XII-XII in Figure 11. A pin receiver 120b is provided at the lower end 101 of the drop window 100. A plunger 122 is provided facing the pin receiver 120b on the vehicle interior side of the drop window 100, within the storage wall 102 that contains the open (lowered) drop window 100. An inclined surface is formed on the plunger 122 side of the pin receiver 120b, and the pin 122a of the plunger 122 is formed to engage with the lower end side of this inclined surface. When the drop window 100 is closed, the pin 122a of the plunger 122 slides against the inclined surface of the pin receiver 120b and engages with the lower end, thereby fixing the drop window 100 in the closed state.

The above-mentioned downward stop structure 120 is equipped with an adjustment mechanism to absorb the effects of variations in each downward window 100. In the configuration of FIG. 12, it is possible to finely adjust the position of the plunger 122 relative to the pin receiver 120b by inserting a liner 121 between the plunger 122 and the mounting seat 123. As described above, the downward stop structure 120 of the downward window 100 is composed of the pin receiver 120b and the pressing portion 120a, and this pressing portion 120a is composed of the plunger 122, the mounting seat 123, and the liner 121.

A conventional drop window equipped with a balancer is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

JP 2021-084519 A

However, it is rare for the thickness of the liner 121 to match exactly with the required amount of adjustment, so the closest dimension is selected. This means that there may be subtle differences in the feel of the operation depending on the installation location.

12, the plunger 122 is attached from inside the vehicle. Specifically, in order to release the locked state with a specified force when the drop window 100 is pulled down a little from the fully closed state, it is necessary to insert and remove the liner 121 of different thicknesses multiple times to make adjustments while intuitively checking the resistance when pulled down, which is a heavy workload.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a drop window fixing structure that allows fine adjustments to be made individually to each drop window and can shorten the work time.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the drop-down window fixing structure of the present invention is a drop-down window fixing structure that fixes a drop-down window in a closed position, and is characterized in that it comprises a slider that is arranged within the storage wall of the drop-down window and is capable of moving up and down at a distance in the out-of-plane direction of the drop-down window, a base that is arranged integrally with an adjustment screw that is screwed into a mounting plate in the storage wall and moves relatively to the mounting plate as the adjustment screw is screwed forward and backward, a spring having one end fixed to the base and the other end that urges the slider downward, a swinging arm that is journaled on the slider so as to swing toward the drop-down window, a horizontal guide portion that guides the swinging end of the swinging arm to move horizontally toward the drop-down window as the slider descends, and a receiving portion that is arranged at the lower end of the drop-down window and has a recess that positions the drop-down window in a closed state by fitting into the swinging end.

In addition to the above configuration, the drop window fixing structure of the present invention is characterized in that it includes a frame that holds the slider so that it can move up and down and in which the horizontal guide portion is formed, a roller that constitutes the swing end of the swing arm and is supported parallel to the axial direction of the swing, and a rotating shaft that supports the roller and has at least one edge guided horizontally by the horizontal guide portion.

As described above, according to the present invention, the biasing force acting in the vertical direction can be converted into an indirect biasing force acting in the horizontal direction via the swing mechanism. This allows the biasing means to be provided using the relatively ample vertical space within the storage wall, which not only improves the design freedom of the biasing mechanism but also makes it possible to reduce the thickness dimension of the storage wall of the drop-down window.

In addition, according to the present invention, the sliding friction of the oscillating end against the receiving part is reduced by the rollers, making it possible to smoothly position the drop window.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a descending window provided with the descending window fixing structure of the present invention. 2 is a perspective view of a pressing portion constituting the drop window fixing structure of FIG. 1 . 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a central vertical cross-sectional view of the pressing portion side of the drop window fixing structure of FIG. 2 . 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along line II in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of part A of the drop window fixing structure. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a first modified example of the pressing portion of FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a second modified example of the pressing portion of FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a third modified example of the pressing portion of FIG. 2 . FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a fourth modified example of the pressing portion of FIG. 2 . FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a fifth modified example of the pressing portion of FIG. 2 . FIG. 1 shows a drop window equipped with a conventional balancer. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the downward stop structure taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 11.

The following describes the drop window fixing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a front view of a drop window 100 equipped with the drop window fixing structure 1 of the present invention.

A balancer 103 for reducing the weight of the drop window 100 is provided inside the storage wall 102 in which the drop window 100 is stored when open. A drop window fixing structure 1 for fixing the drop window 100 in the closed state is provided near the balancer 103 and on the lower end side of the drop window 100.

While there is a limit to the width of the vehicle body, the space available in the vehicle width direction within the storage wall 102 is also limited in order to expand the interior space. For this reason, a fixing structure that is relatively compact yet capable of generating sufficient force to stably support the heavy drop window 100 is desired.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the pressing portion 1a that constitutes the drop window fixing structure 1 of Figure 1. For ease of explanation, a part of the frame body 2 is broken away to show the configuration of the biasing spring 6.

A frame body 2 formed by bending a metal plate is welded to an attachment plate 18 attached to a vertically extending portion inside the storage wall 102 (see FIG. 1). A slider 4 is provided in the center of this frame body 2 so that it can slide up and down. This slider 4 is biased downward by two biasing springs 6 provided above. A swing arm 8 is pivotally supported by the slider 4 so that it can swing. The swing end 10 of the swing arm 8 in this embodiment is composed of a roller 10a and a rotating shaft 12.

The slider 4 and the swing arm 8 do not move freely in a circular arc because their movements are restricted by the frame 2. The frame 2 has horizontal guide parts 2a that guide the edges 12a on both sides of the rotation shaft 12 of the roller 10a in the horizontal direction, and slider restriction parts 2b that restrict the downward movement of the slider 4, which are formed by cutouts.

Because of this configuration, when no external force is acting on the roller 10a, the swing shaft 9 that supports the swing arm 8 on the slider 4 is pressed against the slider restriction portion 2b. In contrast, when an external force that pushes the roller 10a toward the mounting plate 18 is received, the direction in which the swing arm 8 extends moves closer to the vertical direction, and the rotation shaft 12 slides horizontally along the horizontal guide portion 2a. As a result, the swing shaft 9 floats off the slider restriction portion 2b and the biasing spring 6 contracts.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I in Figure 1.

The drop window fixing structure 1 is composed of the pressing part 1a shown in FIG. 2 and the receiving part 1b provided at the lower end 101 of the drop window 100. The swing arm 8 of the pressing part 1a is configured to be swingable toward the receiving part 1b. The receiving part 1b has an inclined part 1b1 that is inclined downward toward the pressing part 1a, and below this inclined part 1b1, a recess 1b2 that can engage with the roller 10a is formed. FIG. 3 shows the state in which the roller 10a is engaged with the recess 1b2, i.e., the state in which the drop window 100 is fixed in the closed position.

As explained with reference to FIG. 2, the downward bias of the biasing spring 6 is transmitted as a force pushing the roller 10a horizontally via the slider 4 and the swinging arm 8. When the lowering window 100 is opened slightly from the closed state, the roller 10a is pushed back horizontally as it moves from the recess 1b2 in which it was engaged onto the inclined portion 1b1, and the slider 4 is lifted up against the bias of the biasing spring 6. The magnitude of the bias of this biasing spring 6 can be fine-tuned with the adjustment screw 16, which will be explained later with reference to FIG. 4. Therefore, even if there is variation in the installation state of the lowering window 100, it can be adjusted so that it can be operated with the same operating feel.

Figure 4 shows a central vertical cross section of the pressing portion 1a side of the drop window fixing structure 1 in Figure 2.

A base 3 with a U-shaped cross section is provided so as to contact the mounting plate 18. A biasing spring 6 and a slider 4 are provided on the base 3. An adjustment screw 16 is integrally provided below the base 3. When the adjustment screw 16 is operated so as to move downward relative to the mounting plate 18, the biasing spring 6 contracts by the same length as the movement of the adjustment screw 16. At this time, in the assembled state as shown in FIG. 4, the swing shaft 9 that supports the swing arm 8 swingably relative to the slider 4 is in abutment against the slider regulating portion 2b, so that the swing arm 8 does not move. However, since the force pressing the slider 4 and the swing shaft 9 against the slider regulating portion 2b is increased, the biasing force against the force pressing the roller 10a against the mounting plate 18 side is increased. In this way, by operating the adjustment screw 16, it is possible to adjust the pressing force against the receiving portion 1b side.

In the configuration of this embodiment, as can be seen in Figure 4, the biasing spring 6 is arranged so that it can expand and contract in the vertical direction, so that sufficient biasing force can be generated even in vehicles with limited space in the vehicle width direction, and design freedom is also improved.

Figure 5 is a diagram explaining the action of the drop window fixing structure during operation, where (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I in Figure 1, and (b) is an enlarged view of part A. Figure 5(a) shows the state just before the drop window 100 reaches the closed position, with the roller 10a rolling on the inclined portion 1b1 of the receiving portion 1b and moving relatively downward toward the recess 1b2. Therefore, at this time, the roller 10a is subjected to a rubbing force by the inclined portion 1b1. The action of this force is shown in Figure 5(b).

Figure 5(b) shows the normal force F received from the inclined portion 1b1 of the receiving portion 1b, and the components F1 and F2 of the normal force F. The component F1 is a horizontal component along the horizontal guide portion 2a. As can be seen from Figure 5(b), a component F2 is generated on the roller 10a receiving an external force from the receiving portion 1b, which acts in a direction away from the horizontal guide portion 2a upward. This reduces the force with which the rotating shaft 12 is pressed against the horizontal guide portion 2a by the biasing spring 6. In other words, by reducing the friction between the rotating shaft 12 and the horizontal guide portion 2a, it is possible to reduce wear in the sliding contact area.

In addition, if the rotating shaft 12 is configured to be rotatable relative to the swing arm 8, a force that rubs against the roller 10a at the receiving portion 1b generates a force that causes the rotating shaft 12 to roll on the horizontal guide portion 2a. This further reduces friction between the rotating shaft 12 and the horizontal guide portion 2a, improving the durability of the drop window fixing structure 1.

In contrast, when the lowering window 100 is lowered, a force acts on the receiving part 1b to rub against the roller 10a, so that in the sliding contact area of the inclined part 1b1, the rotating shaft 12 moves horizontally on the horizontal guide part 2a, rolling in the opposite direction to that described above.

In this way, in the inclined portion 1b1, it is possible to reduce friction between the rotating shaft 12 and the horizontal guide portion 2a, whether the lowering window 100 is open or closed.

<Modification 1>
Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a first modified example of the pressing portion 1a in Fig. 2. For ease of explanation, common parts to the pressing portion 1a are omitted from the illustration so that the differences therebetween can be easily understood.

In the pressing part 50A, which is the first modified example, the configuration of the slider 54A, which is provided so as to be able to slide up and down on the base 52A, is different from that of the pressing part 1a. The slider 54A is divided into two parts so as to correspond to the two biasing springs 56A, respectively. A roller 55A is provided between these two sliders 54A. This roller 55A is configured so as to be able to roll on the base 52A, so friction associated with the up and down movement of the slider 54A is reduced, making it possible to obtain a smooth operating feel.

Note that, although a configuration with two biasing springs 56A is shown as an example here, a single biasing spring 56A or three or more biasing springs 56A may be used. In this case, the roller 55A that is rotatably provided relative to the slider 54A is not limited to a configuration with one in the center. Therefore, it may be provided in contact with one side of the slider 54A, or multiple rollers may be provided.

<Modification 2>
Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a second modified example of the pressing portion 1a of Fig. 2. As in the first modified example, common parts are omitted from the illustration for the sake of convenience.

In the pressing part 50B, which is the second modified example, the swing arm 58B is connected to the slider 54B via the hinge 55B. Even with this simple configuration, the vertical bias of the biasing spring 56B can be converted into a horizontal bias of the swing end of the swing arm 58B.

Here, the hinge 55B is provided on the surface of the slider 54B facing the receiving portion 1b (see FIG. 3) as an example. However, as long as the swing arm 58B is swingable, it may be provided, for example, on the center line of the slider 54B in the vehicle width direction.

<Modification 3>
Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a third modified example of the pressing portion 1a of Fig. 2. As in the first modified example, common parts are omitted from the illustration for the sake of convenience.

In the pressing part 50C, which is the third modified example, the structure of the swing end of the swing arm 58C is different from that of the pressing part 1a in FIG. 2. In the pressing part 50C, a swing end 60C is used that has a shape that combines a rectangular column portion and a hemispherical portion. If the hemispherical portion of the swing end 60C is configured to be in stable contact with the receiving part 1b (see FIG. 3), the coefficient of friction can be kept small, and a smooth operating feel can be obtained. For example, if a guide structure that contacts the outer surface of the swing end 60C in the horizontal direction is provided on the frame side, the posture of the swing end 60C can be stabilized.

In addition, for the same coefficient of friction, the larger the area between the rectangular column portion of the oscillating end 60C and the above-mentioned horizontally contacting guide structure, the more the pressure is distributed, allowing for smoother movement.

<Modification 4>
Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a fourth modified example of the pressing portion 1a of Fig. 2. As in the first modified example, common parts are omitted from the illustration for the sake of convenience.

In the pressing part 50D, which is the fourth modified example, the biasing spring 56D that biases the slider 54D downward is provided on the lower side of the slider 54D, which is different from the pressing part 1a in FIG. 2. Even with this configuration, it is possible to generate a downward bias on the slider 54D, just like the pressing part 1a in FIG. 2. Also, fine adjustments can be made in the same way using the adjustment screw 66D.

Here, a configuration in which the biasing spring 56D is provided along the vertical direction is shown as an example. However, if it is possible to bias the slider 54D downward, it is not necessary to arrange them parallel to the vertical direction (sliding direction). For example, it is also possible to arrange two biasing springs 56D in a V-shape. It is also possible to use a configuration in which the biasing spring 56D is used in conjunction with the biasing spring 6 as shown in Figure 2.

<Modification 5>
Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing a fifth modified example of the pressing portion 1a of Fig. 2. As in the first modified example, common parts are omitted from the illustration for the sake of convenience.

The pressing unit 50E, which is the fifth modified example, differs from the pressing unit 1a in FIG. 2 in that a horizontal base 55E is added at a position where the roller 60E can roll. In addition to the horizontal guide structure between the horizontal guide portion 52Ea formed on the frame body 52E and the rotating shaft 62E, the roller 60E can also be guided in the horizontal direction on the horizontal base 55E side, so that it is possible to reduce the load on the rotating shaft 62E and suppress wear.

Here, a configuration is shown as an example in which the horizontal base 55E that guides the roller 60E in the horizontal direction has a width similar to that of the roller 60E. However, as long as the roller 60E is configured to be able to stably roll in the horizontal direction, the configuration is not limited to having a horizontal surface of the same width as the roller 60E. For example, a linear member that can be in contact with a part of the roller 60E and can be guided in the horizontal direction may be used. Also, a configuration is shown as an example in which the roller 60E and the rotating shaft 62E that constitute the oscillating end are provided with two horizontal guide structures, the horizontal guide portion 52Ea and the horizontal base 55E, but a configuration that only has the horizontal base 55E may also be used.

The configuration of the above embodiment is one example of the present invention, and in addition to the above-mentioned modifications, the following modifications are also included.

(1) In the above embodiment, a coil spring is used as a biasing means for biasing the slider 4 downward. However, a biasing means other than a coil spring may be used as long as it is capable of obtaining a sufficient force to stably maintain the lowering window 100. For example, a configuration using the elastic repulsive force of a leaf spring or the repulsive force of a magnetic force may be used.

(2) In the above embodiment, the horizontal guide portion 2a is formed by a notch in the frame body 2. However, as long as the horizontal guide portion 2a is configured to guide the roller 10a and the rotating shaft 12 in the horizontal direction, the horizontal guide portion 2a may be a long hole extending horizontally through the frame body 2. Also, instead of the horizontal guide portion 2a formed by a notch, a horizontally extending groove that guides the edge of the rotating shaft 12 may be formed on the inside of the frame body 2 by cutting or the like.

(3) In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the receiving portion 1b of the drop window fixing structure 1 has an inclined portion 1b1 that inclines downward toward the pressing portion 1a. However, as long as at least a recess 1b2 with which the roller 10a can engage is formed on the receiving portion 1b side, the inclined portion 1b1 does not have to be formed.

(4) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which both end edges 12a of the rotation shaft 12 of the roller 10a are configured to engage with the horizontal guide portion 2a. However, as long as stable operation can be achieved without distortion, it is acceptable for only one end to be configured to engage with the horizontal guide portion 2a.

(5) In the above embodiment, the cylindrical roller 10a is used as the configuration of the oscillating end 10. However, the shape does not have to be cylindrical as long as the roller has a rotationally symmetric shape that can roll smoothly on the receiving portion 1b. For example, the roller may be spherical or have a different diameter in the axial direction.

The drop window fixing structure of the present invention is suitable for use in vehicles. Therefore, it is useful not only for railroad cars, but also for large vehicles such as buses.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1: drop window fixing structure 1a: pressing portion 1b: receiving portion 1b1: inclined portion 1b2: recess 2: frame body 2a: horizontal guide portion 2b: slider regulating portion 3: base 4: slider 6: biasing spring (biasing means)
Reference Signs List 8 Swing arm 9 Swing shaft 10 Swing end 10a Roller 12 Rotation shaft 12a End edge 16 Adjustment screw 18 Mounting plate 50A Pressing portion 52A Base 54A Slider 55A Roller 56A Pressing spring 50B Pressing portion 54B Slider 55B Hinge 56B Pressing spring 58B Swing arm 50C Pressing portion 54C Slider 58C Swing arm 60C Swing end 50D Pressing portion 54D Slider 56D Pressing spring (pressing means)
66D Adjustment screw 68D Mounting plate 50E Pressing portion 52E Frame body 52Ea Horizontal guide portion 55E Horizontal stand 58E Swing arm 60E Roller 62E Rotation shaft 66E Adjustment screw 100 Lowering window 101 Lower end 102 Storage wall 103 Balancer

Claims (2)

A drop window fixing structure for fixing a drop window in a closed position,
A slider that is provided within the receiving wall of the descending window and is movable up and down at a distance in an outward direction of the descending window;
a base that is integral with an adjustment screw that is screwed into a mounting plate within the storage wall and moves relatively to the mounting plate as the adjustment screw advances and retreats;
a biasing spring having one end fixed to the base and the other end biasing the slider downward;
A swing arm pivotally supported by the slider so as to swing toward the lowering window side;
a horizontal guide portion that guides the swing end of the swing arm to move horizontally toward the lowering window in response to the descent of the slider;
a receiving portion provided at the lower end of the drop window and having a recess formed therein that positions the drop window in a closed state by fitting the swing end therein. a frame that holds the slider so as to be vertically movable and in which the horizontal guide portion is formed;
A roller that constitutes the swing end of the swing arm and is journaled in parallel with the swing axis direction;
2. The drop window fixing structure according to claim 1, further comprising a rotating shaft that supports the roller and has at least one end guided horizontally by the horizontal guide portion.

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