U.S. patent application number 17/007113 was filed with the patent office on 2021-07-22 for lock apparatus and vehicle using the same.
The applicant listed for this patent is Gogoro Inc.. Invention is credited to Chia-Hao Chang, Yu-Min Chen, Jung-Chi Huang.
Application Number | 20210221327 17/007113 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005507454 |
Filed Date | 2021-07-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210221327 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Huang; Jung-Chi ; et
al. |
July 22, 2021 |
LOCK APPARATUS AND VEHICLE USING THE SAME
Abstract
A lock apparatus includes a bracket, an engagement module, and
an actuation module. The engagement module is supported in the
bracket and has an engagement member configured to move to a first
position or a second position in a first axial direction along the
first axial direction. The actuation module is connected to the
bracket and includes a pushing member. The actuation module drives
the pushing member to move to a first position or a second position
in the second axial direction along the second axial direction.
When the pushing member is at the first position in the second
axial direction, the engagement member is at the first position in
the first axial direction. When the pushing member is at the second
position in the second axial direction, the engagement member is at
the second position in the first axial direction.
Inventors: |
Huang; Jung-Chi; (Taoyuan
City, TW) ; Chang; Chia-Hao; (New Taipei City,
TW) ; Chen; Yu-Min; (New Taipei City, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Gogoro Inc. |
Hong Kong |
|
CN |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005507454 |
Appl. No.: |
17/007113 |
Filed: |
August 31, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
15987629 |
May 23, 2018 |
10759382 |
|
|
17007113 |
|
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|
62510200 |
May 23, 2017 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 2325/306 20130101;
B62H 5/06 20130101; B60R 25/02126 20130101; B60R 25/02153
20130101 |
International
Class: |
B60R 25/0215 20060101
B60R025/0215; B62H 5/06 20060101 B62H005/06; B60R 25/021 20060101
B60R025/021 |
Claims
1-26. (canceled)
27. A lock apparatus, comprising: a bracket; an engagement module
supported in the bracket and including an engagement member
configured to move in a first axial direction relative to the
bracket; and an actuation module connected to the bracket and
including a pushing member, the actuation module driving the
pushing member to move in a second axial direction, wherein the
pushing member includes a pushing portion configured to engage and
move the engagement member in the first axial direction toward the
bracket; and wherein the actuation module is an electromagnetic
switch and further comprises: a sleeve; a movable rod passing
through the sleeve, wherein the pushing member is coupled to an end
of the movable rod; an abutting ring mounted to another end of the
movable rod away from the pushing member; and a resilient member
abutted between the sleeve and the abutting ring.
28. The lock apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first axial
direction is substantially perpendicular to the second axial
direction.
29. The lock apparatus of claim 27, wherein the pushing portion of
the pushing member includes a curved surface.
30. The lock apparatus of claim 27, wherein the pushing member
includes a step portion adjacent to the pushing portion.
31. The lock apparatus of claim 30, wherein the pushing member
includes a flat surface.
32. The lock apparatus of claim 31, wherein the step portion is
positioned between the flat surface and the pushing portion.
33. The lock apparatus of claim 32, wherein the first axial
direction is substantially perpendicular to the second axial
direction, and wherein the pushing portion has a top surface
substantially parallel to the flat surface.
34. The lock apparatus of claim 33, wherein the top surface of the
pushing portion and the flat surface has a height difference in the
first axial direction.
35. The lock apparatus of claim 30, wherein the step portion is
curved.
36. The lock apparatus of claim 27, wherein when the engagement
member is moved toward the bracket in the first axial direction,
the engagement member is moved from an unlock position to a lock
position.
37. The lock apparatus of claim 27, wherein when the engagement
member is moved away from the bracket in the first axial direction,
the engagement member is moved from a lock position to an unlock
position.
38. The lock apparatus of claim 27, wherein when the pushing member
is moved toward the bracket in the second axial direction, the
engagement member is moved from an unlock position to a lock
position.
39. The lock apparatus of claim 27, wherein when the pushing member
is moved away from the bracket in the second axial direction, the
engagement member is moved from a lock position to an unlock
position.
40. The lock apparatus of claim 27, wherein when the pushing
portion engages and moves the engagement member in the first axial
direction toward the bracket, the engagement member is moved from
an unlock position to a lock position.
41. The lock apparatus of claim 27, wherein the engagement member
is configured to be positioned in an engagement hole of a shaft
when the engagement member is in a lock position.
42. The lock apparatus of claim 27, wherein the shaft is a steering
shaft of a vehicle.
43. The lock apparatus of claim 27, wherein the bracket is
configured to support and guide the engagement member to move in
the first axial direction.
44. A vehicle, comprising: a steering shaft; and a lock apparatus
configured to lock the steering shaft and comprising: a bracket; an
engagement module supported in the bracket and including an
engagement member configured to move in a first axial direction
relative to the bracket; and an actuation module connected to the
bracket and including a pushing member, the actuation module
driving the pushing member to move in a second axial direction
substantially perpendicular to the first axial direction, wherein
the pushing member includes a pushing portion configured to engage
and move the engagement member in the first axial direction toward
the bracket; and wherein the actuation module is an electromagnetic
switch and further comprises: a sleeve; a movable rod passing
through the sleeve, wherein the pushing member is coupled to an end
of the movable rod; an abutting ring mounted to another end of the
movable rod away from the pushing member; and a resilient member
abutted between the sleeve and the abutting ring.
45. The vehicle of claim 44, wherein the engagement member is
configured to be positioned in an engagement hole of the steering
shaft when the engagement member is in a lock position, and wherein
the engagement member is configured to be moved by the pushing
member to the lock position.
46. A vehicle, comprising: a shaft; and a lock apparatus configured
to lock the shaft and comprising: an engagement module including an
engagement member configured to move in a first axial direction
relative to the shaft; and an actuation module including a pushing
member, the actuation module driving the pushing member to move in
a second axial direction substantially perpendicular to the first
axial direction, wherein the pushing member includes a pushing
portion configured to engage and move the engagement member in the
first axial direction toward the shaft; and wherein the actuation
module is an electromagnetic switch and further comprises: a
sleeve; a movable rod passing through the sleeve, wherein the
pushing member is coupled to an end of the movable rod; an abutting
ring mounted to another end of the movable rod away from the
pushing member; and a resilient member abutted between the sleeve
and the abutting ring.
47. The vehicle of claim 46, wherein the engagement member is
configured to be positioned in an engagement hole of the shaft when
the engagement member is in a lock position, and wherein the
engagement member is configured to be moved by the pushing member
to the lock position.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 15/987,629, filed May 23, 2018, which claims priority to
U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/510,200, filed May 23, 2017,
which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.
BACKGROUND
Technical Field
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a lock apparatus, and more
particularly, to a lock apparatus used in a vehicle.
Description of Related Art
[0003] Motorcycles are common vehicles nowadays due to their
advantages on high mobility. In general, the front wheel of a
motorcycle is coupled to the steering shaft, and the steering shaft
is coupled to the handle of the motorcycle. In this way, the rider
can control the direction of the motorcycle by turning the handle
of the motorcycle.
[0004] In order to prevent pilferage, a motorcycle usually includes
an ignition-lock structure which can be fixed to the steering shaft
to prevent others from operating the handle of the motorcycle and
stealing motorcycle. A traditional motorcycle directly uses a
mechanical ignition-lock structure to lock the steering shaft. For
example, the ignition-lock structure is directly driven by a lock
head structure. When the user inserts the key into the lock head
structure and turns to a specific angle, the ignition-lock
structure will also be driven to lock the steering shaft.
[0005] However, for motorcycles that use keyless start systems,
they use wireless signal to enable the motorcycles rather than the
traditional keys. As a result, the locking/unlocking architecture
of the lock head structure by using a conventional key to drive the
ignition structure can no longer be used.
[0006] Accordingly, how to provide an ignition-lock structure that
can be applied to motorcycles using keyless start systems becomes
an important issue to be solved by those in the industry.
SUMMARY
[0007] An aspect of the disclosure is to provide a lock apparatus
that can be used in a vehicle using a keyless start system.
[0008] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a lock
apparatus includes a bracket, an engagement module, and an
actuation module. The engagement module is supported in the bracket
and has an engagement member configured to move to a first position
in a first axial direction or a second position in the first axial
direction relative to the bracket substantially along the first
axial direction. The actuation module is connected to the bracket
and includes a pushing member. The actuation module drives the
pushing member to move to a first position in a second axial
direction or a second position in the second axial direction
relative to the engagement module substantially along the second
axial direction that is not parallel to the first axial direction.
When the pushing member is located at the first position in the
second axial direction, the engagement member is located at the
first position in the first axial direction. When the pushing
member is located at the second position in the second axial
direction, the engagement member is located at the second position
in the first axial direction.
[0009] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first position in
the first axial direction is an unlock position, and the second
position in the first axial direction is a lock position.
[0010] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the engagement module
further includes a first linkage. Two ends of the first linkage are
respectively connected to the engagement member and the pushing
member.
[0011] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the pushing member has a
first pushing portion. When the pushing member is located at the
first position in the second axial direction, the first pushing
portion is separated from the engagement module. When the pushing
member moves from the first position in the second axial direction
to the second position in the second axial direction, the first
pushing portion pushes the engagement module to move the engagement
member to the lock position.
[0012] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the pushing member
further has a second pushing portion connected to the first pushing
portion. When the second pushing portion contacts the engagement
module, the engagement member is located at the unlock
position.
[0013] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first axial
direction is substantially perpendicular to the second axial
direction. The first pushing portion and the second pushing portion
are substantially parallel to the second axial direction and form a
height difference in the first axial direction.
[0014] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the pushing member
further has a step portion. The second pushing portion is connected
to the first pushing portion through the step portion.
[0015] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the second pushing
portion is a flat surface. The step portion is a curved surface.
The curved surface is smoothly connected to the flat surface.
[0016] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the bracket further
includes a first retaining member located at a side of the pushing
member away from the engagement module. The first retaining member
is configured to limit a movement of the pushing member away from
the engagement module.
[0017] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first retaining
member is a screw fastened to the bracket.
[0018] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the bracket further
includes a second retaining member. The second retaining member is
configured to be abutted by the second pushing portion.
[0019] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the second retaining
member includes a connecting block and a fastening member. The
connecting block has a through hole. The second pushing portion is
at least partially located in the through hole. The fastening
member is fastened to the connecting block and partially protrudes
into the through hole to be abutted by the second pushing
portion.
[0020] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the engagement member
includes a flange. The bracket includes a first frame body and a
second frame body. The first frame body faces toward the actuation
module. The second frame body faces away from the actuation module,
is fixed to the first frame body, and forms an accommodating space
with the first frame body. The engagement member passes through the
first frame body and the second frame body. The flange is retained
in the accommodating space.
[0021] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the engagement module
further includes a resilient member. The resilient member is
located in the accommodating space and compressed between the
second frame body and the flange.
[0022] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the engagement member
further includes a pin portion. The pin portion is connected to the
flange and protrudes out from the second frame body.
[0023] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the engagement member
further includes a coupling portion. The coupling portion is
connected to the flange and protrudes out from the first frame
body. The first linkage further includes a sliding member. The
sliding member is configured to be slidably pushed by the pushing
member.
[0024] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first linkage
further includes a coupling pedestal. The sliding member is
connected to the coupling portion through the coupling pedestal.
The coupling pedestal is configured to abut against the first frame
body.
[0025] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the engagement member
passes through the bracket. The first linkage further includes a
sliding member. The sliding member is coupled to an end of
engagement member close to the pushing member and configured to be
slidably abutted by the pushing member.
[0026] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first linkage
further includes a coupling pedestal. The sliding member is
connected to the end of engagement member close to the pushing
member through the coupling pedestal. The coupling pedestal is
configured to abut against the bracket.
[0027] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the engagement module
further includes a second linkage. Two ends of the second linkage
are pivotally connected to the bracket and the first linkage,
respectively.
[0028] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first linkage is
pivotally connected to the engagement member based on a first axis
and pivotally connected to the pushing member based on a second
axis. The second linkage is pivotally connected to the bracket
based on a third axis and pivotally connected to the first linkage
based on a fourth axis. The first axis, the second axis, the third
axis, and the fourth axis are parallel to each other.
[0029] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first axis is
aligned with the third axis in the first axial direction. The
second axis is aligned with the third axis in the second axial
direction.
[0030] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the pushing member
includes a main body, a sliding block, and a resilient member. The
main body has a slide rail. The slide rail is substantially
parallel to the second axial direction and has a first end and a
second end. The actuation module drives the main body to move to
the first position in the second axial direction or the second
position in the second axial direction. The first end and the
second end are respectively close to the first position in the
second axial direction and the second position in the second axial
direction. The sliding block slidably is coupled to the slide rail.
The first linkage is pivotally connected to the sliding block. The
resilient member is disposed between the main body and the sliding
block and configured to push the sliding block toward the first
end.
[0031] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the main body has a
chamber. The sliding block is slidably disposed in the chamber. The
first linkage passes into the chamber to pivotally connect the
sliding block. The resilient member is compressed between the main
body and the sliding block in the chamber.
[0032] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the actuation module is
an electromagnetic switch and further includes a sleeve, a movable
rod, an abutting ring, and a resilient member. The movable rod
passes through the sleeve. The pushing member is coupled to an end
of the movable rod. The abutting ring is mounted to another end of
the movable rod away from the pushing member. The resilient member
is abutted between the sleeve and the abutting ring.
[0033] According to another embodiment of the disclosure, a vehicle
includes a frame, a steering shaft, and the foregoing lock
apparatus. The frame has a bushing portion. The steering shaft is
rotatably disposed in the bushing portion. The bracket is fixed to
the bushing portion. When the engagement member is located at the
lock position, the engagement member passes through the bushing
portion and is engaged with the steering shaft. When the engagement
member is located at the unlock position, the engagement member is
separated from the steering shaft.
[0034] Accordingly, in the lock apparatus and the vehicle of the
disclosure, the actuation module can drive the pushing member to
push the engagement module, so as to achieve the purpose of moving
the engagement member of the engagement module to the lock position
or the unlock position. As such, the lock apparatus and the vehicle
of the disclosure can adopt keyless start system. In the actuation
method of moving the pushing member between two positions to move
the engagement member, the moving direction of the engagement
member can be designed to be distinct from the pushing direction of
the pushing member. Moreover, the reverse impact force that the
engagement module returns to the pushing member can be cushioned by
the first retaining member, so as to effectively prevent the
reverse impact force returned by the engagement module from
directly damaging the actuation module. By retaining the pushing
member with the second retaining member, the pushing member can be
ensured to correctly contact the engagement module with the first
pushing portion and the second pushing portion. By making the
engagement member be abutted by the pushing member through the
sliding member, the pushing member and the engagement member can
effectively prevent from producing excessive wear and tear
therebetween. By disposing the resilient member between the second
frame body of the bracket and the flange of the engagement member,
the engagement member can be ensured to return to the unlock
position when the first pushing portion does not push the
engagement module.
[0035] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following detailed description are by examples,
and are intended to provide further explanation of the disclosure
as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] The disclosure can be more fully understood by reading the
following detailed description of the embodiment, with reference
made to the accompanying drawings as follows:
[0037] FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle according to some
embodiments of the disclosure;
[0038] FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a lock apparatus, a
part of a frame, and a part of a steering shaft according to some
embodiments of the disclosure, in which an engagement member is
located at a first position in a first axial direction;
[0039] FIG. 2B is another cross-sectional view of the structure in
FIG. 2A, in which the engagement member is located at a second
position in the first axial direction;
[0040] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a lock apparatus, a part of
the frame, and a part of the steering shaft according to some
embodiments of the disclosure;
[0041] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the lock apparatus, the part
of the frame, and the part of the steering shaft in FIG. 3
according to some embodiments of the disclosure;
[0042] FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the structure in FIG. 3
taken along line 5A-5A, in which the engagement member is located
at an unlock position;
[0043] FIG. 5B is another cross-sectional view of the structure in
FIG. 3 taken along line 5A-5A, in which the engagement member is
located at a lock position;
[0044] FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of a lock apparatus, a
part of the frame, and a part of the steering shaft according to
some embodiments of the disclosure, in which the engagement member
is located at an unlock position;
[0045] FIG. 6B is another cross-sectional view of the structure in
FIG. 6A, in which the engagement member is located at a lock
position;
[0046] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a lock apparatus according
to some embodiments of the disclosure;
[0047] FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view of the structure in FIG. 7
taken along line 8A-8A, in which a main body of the pushing member
is located at a second position in a second axial direction, and
the engagement member is located at a lock position;
[0048] FIG. 8B is another cross-sectional view of the structure in
FIG. 7 taken along line 8A-8A, in which the main body of the
pushing member is located at a first position in the second axial
direction, and the engagement member is located at an unlock
position; and
[0049] FIG. 8C is another cross-sectional view of the structure in
FIG. 7 taken along line 8A-8A, in which the main body of the
pushing member is located at the first position in the second axial
direction, and the engagement member is located at the lock
position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0050] Reference will now be made in detail to the present
embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in
the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference
numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to
the same or like parts. However, specific structural and functional
details disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of
describing example embodiments, and thus may be embodied in many
alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only
example embodiments set forth herein. Therefore, it should be
understood that there is no intent to limit example embodiments to
the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, example
embodiments are to cover all modifications, equivalents, and
alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure.
[0051] Reference is made to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a side view of a
vehicle 100 according to some embodiments of the disclosure. As
shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 100 (e.g., a straddle type vehicle)
includes a steering handle 110, a steering shaft 120 (i.e., a
steering or controlling joystick), a steering wheel 130, a body
150, a frame 140 (referring to FIG. 2A), and a lock apparatus 200.
The steering shaft 120 is coupled to the steering handle 110 and
the steering wheel 130. When a rider rotates the steering handle
110, the steering handle 110 rotates the steering wheel 130 through
the steering shaft 120. The steering shaft 120, the frame 140, and
the lock apparatus 200 are on the body 150, but the disclosure is
not limited in this regard. The frame 140 has a bushing portion
141. The steering shaft 120 is rotatably disposed in the bushing
portion 141. The lock apparatus 200 is fixed to the bushing portion
141 and is capable of passing through the bushing portion 141 to
lock the steering shaft 120. Specifically, when the rider rotates
the steering handle 110 to a specific orientation, the lock
apparatus 200 can be used to lock the steering shaft 120, so as to
prevent theft of the vehicle 100. For convenience of description,
"locked state" recited below represents the state that the steering
shaft 120 is locked by the lock apparatus 200 and is difficult to
rotate, and "unlocked state" recited below represents the state
that the steering shaft 120 is not locked by the lock apparatus 200
and is rotatable.
[0052] Reference is made to FIGS. 2A and 2B. FIG. 2A is a
cross-sectional view of the lock apparatus 200, a part of the frame
140, and a part of the steering shaft 120 according to some
embodiments of the disclosure, in which an engagement member 221 is
located at a first position in a first axial direction A1. FIG. 2B
is another cross-sectional view of the structure in FIG. 2A, in
which the engagement member 221 is located at a second position in
the first axial direction A1. Structures and functions of
components included in the lock apparatus 200 and connection and
action relationships among these components are described in detail
below.
[0053] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, in some embodiments, the lock
apparatus 200 includes a bracket 210, an engagement module 220, and
an actuation module 230. The engagement module 220 is supported in
the bracket 210 and has an engagement member 221. The engagement
member 221 is configured to move to a first position in a first
axial direction A1 (as shown in FIG. 2A) or a second position in
the first axial direction A1 (as shown in FIG. 2B) relative to the
bracket 210 substantially along the first axial direction A1. The
actuation module 230 is connected to the bracket 210 and includes a
pushing member 231. The actuation module 230 drives the pushing
member 231 to move to a first position in a second axial direction
A2 or a second position in the second axial direction A2 relative
to the engagement module 220 substantially along the second axial
direction A2 that is not parallel to the first axial direction A1
according to electric signals. When the pushing member 231 is
located at the first position in the second axial direction A2
(i.e., the position of the pushing member 231 in FIG. 2A), the
engagement member 221 is located at the first position in the first
axial direction A1. When the pushing member 231 is located at the
second position in the second axial direction A2 (i.e., the
position of the pushing member 231 in FIG. 2B), the pushing member
231 pushes the engagement module 220 to move the engagement member
221 to the second position in the first axial direction A1. In some
embodiments, when the pushing member 231 is located at the second
position in the second axial direction A2, the engagement member
221 is located at the first position in the first axial direction
A1, when the pushing member 231 is located at the first position in
the second axial direction A2, the pushing member 231 pushes the
engagement module 220 to move the engagement member 221 to the
second position in the first axial direction A1, and the embodiment
is described in detail below.
[0054] In some embodiments, the first position in the first axial
direction A1 corresponds to, but is not limited to, the unlock
position of the engagement member 221 shown in FIG. 2A, and the
second position in the first axial direction A1 corresponds to, but
is not limited to, the lock position of the engagement member 221
shown in FIG. 2B.
[0055] Reference is made to FIGS. 3-5B. FIG. 3 is a perspective
view of a lock apparatus 300, a part of the frame 140, and a part
of the steering shaft 120 according to some embodiments of the
disclosure. FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the lock apparatus 300,
the part of the frame 140, and the part of the steering shaft 120
in FIG. 3 according to some embodiments of the disclosure. FIG. 5A
is a cross-sectional view of the structure in FIG. 3 taken along
line 5A-5A, in which the engagement member 321 is located at the
unlock position. FIG. 5B is another cross-sectional view of the
structure in FIG. 3 taken along line 5A-5A, in which the engagement
member 321 is located at the lock position. Structures and
functions of components included in the lock apparatus 300 and
connection and action relationships among these components are
described in detail below.
[0056] As shown in FIGS. 3-5B, in some embodiments, the pushing
member 331 has a first pushing portion 331a. Specifically, the
actuation module 330 makes the first pushing portion 331a push or
leave the engagement module 320 according to electric signals. When
the pushing member 331 is located at the first position in the
second axial direction A2, the first pushing portion 331a is
separated from the engagement module 320, the engagement member 321
is located at the unlock position (as shown in FIG. 5A), and the
engagement member 321 does not insert into an engagement hole 121
of the steering shaft 120. When the pushing member 331 moves from
the first position in the second axial direction A2 to the second
position in the second axial direction A2, the first pushing
portion 331a pushes the engagement module 320 to move the
engagement member 321 to the lock position (as shown in FIG. 5B),
and the engagement member 321 inserts into the engagement hole 121
of the steering shaft 120.
[0057] In some embodiments, the engagement member 321 is configured
to move relative to the bracket 310 substantially along the first
axial direction A1, the pushing member 331 is configured to move
relative to the engagement module 320 substantially along the
second axial direction A2, and the first axial direction A1 is
substantially perpendicular to the second axial direction A2, but
the disclosure is not limited in this regard. In practical
applications, angular configuration between the first axial
direction A1 and the second axial direction A2 can be
correspondingly adjusted in accordance with different
designs/interior spaces of the body 150.
[0058] As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, in some embodiments, the
pushing member 331 further has a second pushing portion 331b and a
step portion 331c. The step portion 331c is connected between the
first pushing portion 331a and the second pushing portion 331b. The
first pushing portion 331a and the second pushing portion 331b are
substantially parallel to the second axial direction A2 and form a
height difference H in the first axial direction A1. Therefore, the
purpose of making the first pushing portion 331a push or leave the
engagement module 320 can be achieved during the movement of the
pushing member 331 along the engagement module 320 along the second
axial direction A2.
[0059] As shown in FIG. 5A, in some embodiments, when the pushing
member 331 is located at the first position in the second axial
direction A2, the first pushing portion 331a is separated from the
engagement module 320, and the engagement module 320 is separately
located over the second pushing portion 331b, but the disclosure is
not limited in this regard. In some other embodiments, the shape of
the pushing member 331 can be modified, so that the pushing member
331 can contact the engagement module 320 with the first pushing
portion 331a and the second pushing portion 331b respectively at
different times. When the pushing member 331 is located at the
first position in the second axial direction A2, the second pushing
portion 331b contacts the engagement module 320 (can be referred to
FIG. 5A without providing another drawing). When the pushing member
331 moves from the first position in the second axial direction A2
to the second position in the second axial direction A2, the first
pushing portion 331a pushes the engagement module 320 to move the
engagement member 321 to the lock position (as shown in FIG. 5B).
Therefore, the engagement module 320 continuously contacts the
pushing member 331 during the movement of the pushing member 331,
so as to smooth the force transmitted between the pushing member
331 and the engagement module 320 and reduce the impact that the
pushing member 331 applies to the engagement module 320 during the
movement of the pushing member 331.
[0060] In some embodiments, the second pushing portion 331b is a
flat surface, the step portion 331c is a curved surface, and the
curved surface is smoothly connected to the second pushing portion
331b, but the disclosure is not limited in this regard. Therefore,
the engagement module 320 can smoothly move from the second pushing
portion 331b to the first pushing portion 331a, and the impact that
the pushing member 331 applies to the engagement module 320 during
the movement of the pushing member 331 can be reduced.
[0061] In some embodiments, the shape of the pushing member 331 is
a part of a cylinder, the first pushing portion 331a is a part of
the cylindrical surface of the cylinder, and the second pushing
portion 331b and the step portion 331c are portions of the cylinder
formed by removing a part of the cylinder, but the disclosure is
not limited in this regard. In some other embodiments, the first
pushing portion 331a can be a flat surface to steadily contact the
engagement module 320. In some other embodiments, the step portion
331c is a curved surface smoothly connected to the first pushing
portion 331a. In some embodiments, the step portion 331c can be a
flat surface and obliquely connected between the first pushing
portion 331a and the second pushing portion 331b.
[0062] As shown in FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the bracket 310
includes a first frame body 311, a second frame body 312 (referring
to FIGS. 5A and 5B), and a supporting frame body 213. The
supporting frame body 213 is fixed to the first frame body 311 and
the second frame body 312 (e.g., by screws), but the disclosure is
not limited in this regard. Structures and functions of the first
frame body 311 and the second frame body 312 and connection
relationships between any two of the first frame body 311, the
second frame body 312, and other components are described in detail
below.
[0063] As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, in some embodiments, the
bracket 310 limits the movement of the pushing member 331 away from
the engagement member 321. The bracket 310 further includes a first
retaining member 350. The actuation module 330 is fixed to the
bracket 310. The first retaining member 350 is disposed on the
bracket 310 and located at a side of the pushing member 331 away
from the engagement module 320. The first retaining member 350 is
configured to limit a movement of the pushing member 331 away from
the engagement module 320 along the first axial direction A1.
[0064] In some embodiments, the first retaining member 350 is a
screw fastened to the bracket 310 (i.e., meshed with tread
structure). Therefore, a distance of the first retaining member 350
extending toward the pushing member 331 can be adjusted by rotating
the first retaining member 350, so as to comply with different
shapes of the pushing member 331. In some other embodiments, the
first retaining member 350 can contact the pushing member 331
through a roller or a bearing, so as to prevent excessive wear and
tear produced between the first retaining member 350 and the
pushing member 331.
[0065] However, the disclosure is not limited in this regard. In
some other simplified embodiments, the first retaining member 350
is a protruding portion extended from the bracket 310 (i.e., not
adjustable). In some other embodiments, the protruding portion has
a certain degree of softness, so as to absorb the reverse impact
force that the engagement module 320 returns to the pushing member
331. For example, the protruding portion can be a rubber piece, but
the disclosure is not limited in this regard. In some other
embodiments, the shape of the protruding portion can approximate a
sphere, so as to prevent from producing excessive wear and tear
while contacting the pushing member 331.
[0066] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5A, in some embodiments, the bracket
310 further includes a second retaining member 360. The second
retaining member 360 is configured to be abutted by the second
pushing portion 331b, so as to limit the rotation of the pushing
member 331 around about the second axial direction A2. In some
embodiments, the second pushing portion 331b is a flat surface, a
surface of the second retaining member 360 facing toward the second
pushing portion 331b is substantially a flat surface, and a gap is
formed between the two flat surfaces, so as to allow the pushing
member 331 to perform a limited rotation relative to the second
retaining member 360 about the second axial direction A2. In some
other embodiments, the second retaining member 360 can directly
abut against the second pushing portion 331b, so as to ensure that
the pushing member 331 cannot rotate about the second axial
direction A2.
[0067] In some embodiments, the second retaining member 360
includes a connecting block 361 and a fastening member 362. The
connecting block 361 has a through hole 361a. The second pushing
portion 331b is at least partially located in the through hole
361a. The fastening member 362 is fastened to the connecting block
361 and partially protrudes into the through hole 361a to be
abutted by the second pushing portion 331b. In some embodiments,
the fastening member 362 is a screw. Therefore, a distance of the
fastening member 362 extending from the inner wall of the through
hole 361a toward the first pushing portion 331a can be adjusted by
rotating the fastening member 362, so as to comply with different
shapes of the pushing member 331, but the disclosure is not limited
in this regard. In some simplified embodiments, the second
retaining member 360 is a protruding portion extended from the
bracket 310 (i.e., not adjustable) and extends over the first
pushing portion 331a to be abutted by the first pushing portion
331a. In some other embodiments, the protruding portion can be a
one-piece structure.
[0068] As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B with reference to FIG. 3, in
some embodiments, the first frame body 311 faces toward the
actuation module 330. The second frame body 312 faces away from the
actuation module 330, is fixed to the first frame body 311, and
forms an accommodating space S with the first frame body 311. The
engagement member 321 includes a flange 321a, a pin portion 321b,
and a coupling portion 321c. The flange 321a is connected between
the pin portion 321b and the coupling portion 321c. The engagement
member 321 passes through the first frame body 311 and the second
frame body 312. The flange 321a is retained in the accommodating
space S. The engagement module 320 further includes a resilient
member 322. The resilient member 322 is located in the
accommodating space S and compressed between the second frame body
312 and the flange 321a. In some embodiments, the second frame body
312 can be welded to the bushing portion 141 of the frame 140 using
a welding process, so as to fix the bracket 310 to the frame 140,
but the disclosure is not limited in this regard.
[0069] According to the foregoing structural configurations, the
pushing member 331 makes the first pushing portion 331a push the
engagement module 320 when the lock apparatus 300 is switched from
the unlocked state to the locked state, so as to move the flange
321a of the engagement member 321 toward the second frame body 312.
Furthermore, due to the resilient member 322 is located between the
flange 321a and the second frame body 312, the resilient member 322
is compressed by the flange 321a and the second frame body 312. In
other words, in the locked state, the resilient member 322 is
compressed and stores elastic energy. Relatively, the pushing
member 331 makes the first pushing portion 331a does not push the
engagement module 320 (or makes the second pushing portion 331b
push the engagement module 320) when the lock apparatus 300 is
switched from the locked state to the unlocked state, the resilient
member 322 rebounds to push the flange 321a to move away from the
second frame body 312, so as to make the engagement member 321
separate from the engagement hole 121.
[0070] In the unlocked state, due to the resilient member 322 is
between the flange 321a and the second frame body 312, the
resilient member 322 can obstruct the movement of the flange 321a
toward the second frame body 312, so as to prevent the engagement
member 321 from engaging the engagement hole 121 of the steering
shaft 120 at the wrong time owing to the malfunction of the
engagement member 321. For example, the engagement member 321 may
encounter external forces to shake during the driving of the
vehicle 100, but the resilient member 322 can prevent the flange
321a from moving toward the second frame body 312 by abutting
against the flange 321a, so as to prevent the engagement member 321
from interfering the steering shaft 120. In addition, even if the
engagement member 321 is stuck at the engagement hole 121 of the
steering shaft 120 in the unlocked state, the elastic energy stored
by the resilient member 322 can drive the flange 321a to move away
from the second frame body 312 and help to drive the engagement
member 321 to separate from the engagement hole 121 to return to
the unlock position as shown in FIG. 5A.
[0071] In some embodiments, the resilient member 322 can be a
spring. For example, the resilient member 322 can be a compression
spring. The compression spring is disposed on the engagement member
321 (especially on the pin portion 321b of the engagement member
321). Two opposite ends of the compression spring respectively abut
against the flange 321a and the second frame body 312. In some
embodiments, the resilient member 322 includes a wire spring or a
plate spring.
[0072] Specifically, the pin portion 321b is connected to the
flange 321a, protrudes out from the second frame body 312, and
configured to insert into the engagement hole 121 of the steering
shaft 120. The coupling portion 321c is connected to the flange
321a and protrudes out from the first frame body 311.
[0073] As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B with reference to FIG. 3, in
some embodiments, the engagement module 320 further includes a
first linkage 323. Two ends of the first linkage 323 are
respectively connected to the engagement member 321 and the pushing
member 331. The first linkage 323 further includes a sliding member
323a. The sliding member 323a is coupled to the coupling portion
321c and slidably pushed by the pushing member 331. Therefore, the
pushing member 331 and the engagement member 321 can effectively
prevent from producing excessive wear and tear therebetween.
[0074] In some embodiments, the sliding member 323a is a roller or
a bearing, but the disclosure is not limited in this regard. In
some other simplified embodiments, the sliding member 323a can be
an end of the engagement member 321, and the shape of the sliding
member 323a can be similar to a sphere, so as to achieve the
purpose of effectively preventing the pushing member 331 and the
engagement member 321 from producing excessive wear and tear
therebetween.
[0075] As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B with reference to FIG. 3, in
some embodiments, the first linkage 323 further includes a coupling
pedestal 323b. The sliding member 323a is coupled to the coupling
portion 321c through the coupling pedestal 323b. The coupling
pedestal 323b is configured to abut against the first frame body
311, so as to limit the swing of the engagement member 321 relative
to the first axial direction A1. For example, a width of the
coupling pedestal 323b in a direction perpendicular to the first
axial direction A1 is greater than a width of the engagement member
321 in said direction, so that the coupling pedestal 323b will abut
against the first frame body 311 first when the engagement member
321 swings relative to the first axial direction A1. As a result,
the coupling pedestal 323b can effectively prevent the engagement
member 321 from excessively swing relative to the first axial
direction A1 and maintain the stability of movement of the
engagement member 321 along the first axial direction A1.
[0076] As shown in FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the first frame
body 311 has a square hole 311a. The coupling portion 321c of the
engagement member 321 is in shape of a square pillar, and passes
through and substantially coincides to the square hole 311a.
Therefore, the engagement member 321 can be prevented from rotating
relative to the first frame body 311 about the first axial
direction A1. In some other embodiments, the shapes of the square
hole 311a and the coupling portion 321c can be modified to other
specific shapes, as long as the purpose of preventing the
engagement member 321 from rotating relative to the first frame
body 311 about the first axial direction A1 can be achieved.
[0077] As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, in some embodiments, the
actuation module 330 is an electromagnetic switch, such as a
solenoid. Specifically, the actuation module 330 includes a movable
rod 332, a sleeve 333, a magnet 334, and an excitation winding 335.
The magnet 334 and the excitation winding 335 are disposed in the
sleeve 333. The movable rod 332 passes through the sleeve 333 and
the excitation winding 335, and the movable rod 332 includes a
magnetic core (not shown) therein. An end of the movable rod 332
exposed out from the sleeve 333 is coupled to the pushing member
331. The excitation winding 335 can generate a magnetic field while
switching from the unlocked state to the locked state. The movable
rod 332 is affected by the magnetic field to move from the position
shown in FIG. 5A to the position shown in FIG. 5B along a direction
D1 (referring to FIG. 5A) parallel to the second axial direction
A2, so as to make the magnetic core of the movable rod 332 enter
the magnetic field of the magnet 334 to be situated in the locked
state as shown in FIG. 5B. While moving along the direction D1, the
movable rod 332 moves the pushing member 331 to make the first
pushing portion 331a push the engagement module 320, thereby
engaging the steering shaft 120 by the engagement member 321. In
addition, owing to being located in the magnetic field of the
magnet 334 in the locked state, the magnetic core of the movable
rod 332 can be attracted by the magnet 334. As such, the magnet 334
can maintain the position of the movable rod 332 in the locked
state.
[0078] The excitation winding 335 can generate another magnetic
field while switching from the locked state to the unlocked state.
The movable rod 332 is affected by the magnetic field to move from
the position shown in FIG. 5B to the position shown in FIG. 5A
along a direction D2 (referring to FIG. 5B) parallel to the second
axial direction A2, so as to make the magnetic core of the movable
rod 332 leave the magnetic field of the magnet 334 to be situated
in the unlocked state as shown in FIG. 5A. While moving along the
direction D2, the movable rod 332 moves the pushing member 331 to
make the first pushing portion 331a separate from the engagement
module 320 (or to make the second pushing portion 331b contact the
engagement module 320), thereby separating the engagement member
321 from the steering shaft 120 without interference.
[0079] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the
actuation module 330 further includes a resilient member 336 and an
abutting ring 337. The abutting ring 337 is located out of the
sleeve 333 and mounted to another end of the movable rod 332 away
from the pushing member 331. The resilient member 336 is disposed
on the movable rod 332, located out of the sleeve 333, and abutted
compressed between the sleeve 333 and the abutting ring 337. When a
sum of magnetic forces of the excitation winding 335 and the magnet
334 is greater than an elastic force of the resilient member 336,
the movable rod 332 moves along the direction D1 until being
attracted by the magnet 334. When the excitation winding 335
applies a reverse magnetic field to make the magnetic force of the
magnet 334 be smaller than the a sum of reverse forces of the
excitation winding 335 and the resilient member 336, the movable
rod 332 moves along the direction D2. In some embodiments, the
actuation module 330 receives an electric signal of locking to move
the movable rod 332 from the position as shown in FIG. 5A toward
the position as shown in FIG. 5B. At this moment, if the engagement
member 321 is not aligned with the engagement hole 121 of the
steering shaft 120 and thus cannot move from the unlock position to
the lock position, there still exists a distance from the magnet
334 to the movable rod 332, and a sum of the magnetic forces of the
excitation winding 335 and the magnet 334 is still smaller than the
elastic force of the resilient member 336, so that the resilient
member 336 can move the movable rod 332 which moves halfway to
return to the position as shown in FIG. 5A and thus the occurrence
of disoperation can be prevented. Otherwise, if the actuation
module 330 does not include the resilient member 336, when the
actuation module 330 receives the electric signal to move the
movable rod 332 from the position as shown in FIG. 5A toward the
position as shown in FIG. 5B accompanied with the situation that
the engagement member 321 is not aligned with the engagement hole
121 of the steering shaft 120, the movable rod 332 will
continuously attracted by the magnetic force of the magnet 334 to
continuously move the pushing member 331 to push the engagement
module 320 along the direction D1. Under the circumstances, if the
rider rotates the steering shaft 120 to make the engagement member
321 be aligned with the engagement hole 121, the steering shaft 120
will be switched to the locked state, which easily causes danger
while driving.
[0080] In addition, when the actuation module 330 receives an
electric signal of unlocking, the movable rod 332 which is
originally located at the position as shown in FIG. 5A will not
move.
[0081] In addition, in the unlocked state, owing to being between
the abutting ring 337 and the sleeve 333, the resilient member 336
can obstruct the abutting ring 337 from moving toward the sleeve
333, so as to prevent the movable rod 332 from driving the pushing
member 331 to move along the direction D1 owing to the malfunction
of the movable rod 332. For example, even if the movable rod 332
may encounter external forces to shake during the driving of the
vehicle 100, the resilient member 336 can prevent the abutting ring
337 from moving toward the sleeve 333 by abutting against the
abutting ring 337, so as to prevent the movable rod 332 from
driving the pushing member 331 to move along the direction D1. In
some embodiments, the resilient member 336 can be a spring, such as
a compression spring, but the disclosure is not limited in this
regard.
[0082] In some embodiments as shown in FIG. 1, the lock apparatus
300 further includes a power supply line 160 and a battery 170. The
power supply line 160 is electrically connected to the actuation
module 330 and the battery 170. As such, the actuation module 330
can be powered by the battery 170. Specifically, the power supply
line 160 is electrically connected to the excitation winding 335,
so as to provide the power of the battery 170 to the excitation
winding 335 to generate the magnetic field. In some embodiments,
the battery 170 provides currents to the excitation winding 335
with different flowing directions respectively while switching from
the locked state to the unlocked state and switching from the
unlocked state to the locked state, so that the excitation winding
335 can generate magnetic fields of two opposite directions. The
movable rod 332 can move along the direction D1 (referring to FIG.
5A) under one of the magnetic fields and along the direction D2
(referring to FIG. 5B) under another of the magnetic fields.
[0083] In some embodiments, the battery 170 is not a driving
battery of the vehicle 100. In other words, the power of the
battery 170 is not used to drive the vehicle 100 to move. As such,
if the vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle, the actuation of the
lock apparatus 300 will not affect the operation of the power unit
of the electric vehicle, and the lock apparatus 300 will not fail
to function properly due to the power unit of the electric vehicle
runs out of power.
[0084] In some embodiments as shown in FIG. 1, the lock apparatus
300 further includes a controlling device 180. The controlling
device 180 is located in the vehicle 100. The power supplied from
the battery 170 to the actuation module 330 is controlled by the
controlling device 180. Specifically, the controlling device 180
can receive electric signals and control the power supplied from
the battery 170 to the actuation module 330 according to the
received electric signals, so as to move the movable rod 332 by the
change of magnetic field of the actuation module 330. The electric
signals received by the controlling device 180 can come from inside
or outside of the vehicle 100. For example, in some embodiments,
the electric signals received by the controlling device 180 can
come from switches on the vehicle 100. In other words, the rider
can provide the electric signals to the controlling device 180 by
pressing the switches on the vehicle 100, and the controlling
device 180 can control the powering and directions of current of
the battery 170 to the actuation module 330 according to the
electric signals, so as to drive the lock apparatus 300 to switch
from the unlocked state to the locked state or from the locked
state to the unlocked state. In some other embodiments, the
controlling device 180 is connected to a wireless signal receiving
module (not shown). The controlling device 180 receives the
electric signals through the wireless signal receiving module and
controls the powering and directions of current of the battery 170
to the actuation module 330 according to the electric signals. In
some embodiments, the controlling device 180 can be an electronic
control unit (ECU) of the vehicle 100, but the disclosure is not
limited in this regard. Reference is made to FIGS. 6A and 6B. FIG.
6A is a cross-sectional view of a lock apparatus 400, a part of the
frame 140, and a part of the steering shaft 120 according to some
embodiments of the disclosure, in which the engagement member 421
is located at an unlock position. FIG. 6B is another
cross-sectional view of the structure in FIG. 6A, in which the
engagement member 421 is located at a lock position. As shown in
FIGS. 6A and 6B, the lock apparatus 400 is fixed to the bushing
portion 141 of the frame 140 and passes through bushing portion 141
to fasten the steering shaft 120. Structures and functions of
components included in the lock apparatus 400 and connection and
action relationships among these components are described in detail
below.
[0085] As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, in some embodiments, the lock
apparatus 400 includes a bracket 410, an engagement module 420, and
an actuation module 430. The bracket 410 is fixed to the frame 140
(e.g., using a welding process). The engagement module 420 is
supported in the bracket 410 and has an engagement member 421. The
engagement member 421 slidably passes through the bracket 410 and
is configured to move to a lock position (as shown in FIG. 6B) or
an unlock position (as shown in FIG. 6A) relative to the bracket
410. The actuation module 430 is connected to the bracket 410 and
includes a pushing member 431. The pushing member 431 is connected
to the engagement module 420. The actuation module 430 is
configured to drive the pushing member 431 to move to a first
position in the second axial direction A2 (i.e., the position of
the pushing member 431 in FIG. 6A which corresponds to the unlock
position of the engagement member 421) or a second position in the
second axial direction A2 (i.e., the position of the pushing member
431 in FIG. 6B which corresponds to the lock position of the
engagement member 421), and the engagement member 421 does not
insert into the engagement hole 121 of the steering shaft 120. When
the pushing member 431 is located at the first position in the
second axial direction A2, the engagement member 421 is located at
the unlock position. When the pushing member 431 is located at the
second position in the second axial direction A2, the engagement
member 421 is located at the lock position, and the engagement
member 421 inserts into the engagement hole 121 of the steering
shaft 120. It is notable that the first and second positions in the
second axial direction A2 of the pushing member 431 defined in the
present embodiment are opposite to the first and second positions
in the second axial direction A2 of the pushing member 331 defined
in the embodiments illustrated by FIGS. 5A and 5B.
[0086] In some embodiments, the actuation module 430 can be the
electromagnetic switch as shown in FIG. 5A. That is, the actuation
module 430 can further include the movable rod 332, the sleeve 333,
the magnet 334, the excitation winding 335, the resilient member
336, and the abutting ring 337 as shown in FIG. 5A. Structures and
functions of these components of the actuation module 430 and
connection and action relationships among these components can be
referred to related descriptions above and therefor do not discuss
again here for simplicity.
[0087] In some embodiments, the lock apparatus 400 further includes
a fixing frame body 411 and a supporting frame body 412. The
supporting frame body 412 is fixed to the fixing frame body 411.
The actuation module 430 is fixed to the supporting frame body
412.
[0088] The engagement module 420 includes a first linkage 422 and a
second linkage 423. Two ends of the first linkage 422 are
respectively connected to the engagement member 421 and the pushing
member 431. Two ends of the second linkage 423 are respectively
connected to the supporting frame body 412 and the first linkage
422.
[0089] In some embodiments, the first linkage 422 is pivotally
connected to the engagement member 421 based on a first axis P1 and
pivotally connected to the pushing member 431 based on a second
axis P2, in which the first axis P1 and the second axis P2 are
respectively located at two opposite ends of the first linkage 422.
The second linkage 423 is pivotally connected to the supporting
frame body 412 based on a third axis P3 and pivotally connected to
the first linkage 422 based on a fourth axis P4, in which the third
axis P3 and the fourth axis P4 are respectively located at two
opposite ends of the second linkage 423. The first axis P1, the
second axis P2, the third axis P3, and the fourth axis P4 are
parallel to each other.
[0090] In some embodiments, the engagement member 421 is configured
to move relative to the bracket 410 substantially along the first
axial direction A1. The pushing member 431 is configured to move
relative to the engagement module 420 substantially along the
second axial direction A2. The first axis P1 is aligned with the
third axis P3 in the first axial direction A1. The second axis P2
is aligned with the third axis P3 in the second axial direction
A2.
[0091] Specifically, the supporting frame body 412 includes a
bottom board 412a and a pivotal pedestal 412b. The bottom board
412a is fixed to the bracket 410 (e.g., by screws). The actuation
module 430 and the pivotal pedestal 412b are fixed to the same side
of the bottom board 412a. The second linkage 423 is pivotally
connected to the pivotal pedestal 412b of the supporting frame body
412 based on the third axis P3. Therefore, the first axis P1 can be
aligned with the third axis P3 in the first axial direction A1. In
some embodiments, the second linkage 423 is pivotally connected to
the first linkage 422 between the opposite ends of the first
linkage 422 and pivotally connected to the pivotal pedestal 412b.
Therefore, the movement of the first linkage 422 away from the
actuation module 430 can be limited by the guidance of the second
linkage 423 and the pivotal pedestal 412b, so as to limit the
distance between the engagement member 421 pivotally connected to
the first linkage 422 and the pushing member 431, thereby limiting
the movement of the pushing member 431 away from the engagement
member 421.
[0092] In some embodiments, the fixing frame body 411 can be welded
to the bushing portion 141 of the frame 140 using a welding
process, so as to fix the bracket 410 to the frame 140, but the
disclosure is not limited in this regard.
[0093] Reference is made to FIGS. 7-8C. FIG. 7 is a perspective
view of a lock apparatus 500 according to some embodiments of the
disclosure. FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view of the structure in
FIG. 7 taken along line 8A-8A, in which a main body 531a of a
pushing member 531 is located at a second position in a second
axial direction A2, and an engagement member 521 is located at a
lock position. FIG. 8B is another cross-sectional view of the
structure in FIG. 7 taken along line 8A-8A, in which the main body
531a of the pushing member 531 is located at a first position in
the second axial direction A2, and the engagement member 521 is
located at an unlock position. FIG. 8C is another cross-sectional
view of the structure in FIG. 7 taken along line 8A-8A, in which
the main body 531a of the pushing member 531 is located at the
first position in the second axial direction A2, and the engagement
member 521 is located at the lock position. It is notable that the
first and second positions in the second axial direction A2 of the
pushing member 531 defined in the present embodiment are opposite
to the first and second positions in the second axial direction A2
of the pushing member 331 defined in the embodiments illustrated by
FIGS. 5A and 5B. Structures and functions of components included in
the lock apparatus 500 and connection and action relationships
among these components are described in detail below.
[0094] As shown in FIG. 7, in some embodiments, the lock apparatus
500 includes a bracket 510, an engagement module 520, and an
actuation module 530. The bracket 510 is fixed to the frame 140 as
shown in FIG. 3 (e.g., by a welding process).
[0095] The engagement module 520 is supported in the bracket 510
and includes an engagement member 521, a first linkage 522, and a
second linkage 523. Structures and functions of these components of
the engagement module 520 and connection and action relationships
among these components are similar to those of the engagement
member 421, the first linkage 422, and the second linkage 423 as
shown in FIG. 6A, so related descriptions above can be referred to
and therefor do not discuss again here for simplicity.
[0096] The actuation module 530 can be the electromagnetic switch
as shown in FIG. 5A. That is, the actuation module 530 can further
include the movable rod 332, the sleeve 333, the magnet 334, the
excitation winding 335, the resilient member 336, and the abutting
ring 337 as shown in FIG. 5A in addition to the pushing member 531.
Structures and functions of these components of the actuation
module 530 and connection and action relationships among these
components can be referred to related descriptions above and
therefor do not discuss again here for simplicity.
[0097] It should be pointed out that the pushing member 531 of the
actuation module 530 is modified in some embodiments. Specifically,
as shown in FIG. 8A, in some embodiments, the pushing member 531
includes a main body 531a, a sliding block 531b, and a resilient
member 531c. The main body 531a has a slide rail 531a1. The slide
rail 531a1 is substantially parallel to the second axial direction
A2 and has a first end E1 and a second end E2. The actuation module
530 drives the main body 531a to move to the first position in the
second axial direction A2 (i.e., the position of the main body 531a
in FIG. 8B which corresponds to the unlock position of the
engagement member 521) or the second position in the second axial
direction A2 (i.e., the position of the main body 531a in FIG. 8A
which corresponds to the lock position of the engagement member
521). The first end E1 and the second end E2 of the slide rail
531a1 are respectively close to the first position in the second
axial direction A2 and the second position in the second axial
direction A2. The sliding block 531b slidably is coupled to the
slide rail 531a1. The first linkage 522 is pivotally connected to
the sliding block 531b. The resilient member 531c is disposed
between the main body 531a and the sliding block 531b and
configured to push the sliding block 531b toward the first end
E1.
[0098] In more detail, the main body 531a of the pushing member 531
has a chamber 531a2. The sliding block 531b is slidably disposed in
the chamber 531a2. The first linkage 522 passes into the chamber
531a2 to pivotally connect the sliding block 531b. The resilient
member 531c is compressed between the main body 531a and the
sliding block 531b in the chamber 531a2.
[0099] As shown in FIG. 8A, the actuation module 530 will drive the
main body 531a of the pushing member 531 to move to the second
position in the second axial direction A2 as shown in FIG. 8A while
receiving the electric signal of locking, so as to move the
engagement member 521 to the lock position as shown in FIG. 8A.
Meanwhile, the resilient member 531c pushes the sliding block 531b
to the first end E1 of the slide rail 531a1.
[0100] As shown in FIG. 8B, the actuation module 530 will drive the
main body 531a of the pushing member 531 to move to the first
position in the second axial direction A2 as shown in FIG. 8B while
receiving the electric signal of unlocking, so as to move the
engagement member 521 to the unlock position as shown in FIG. 8B.
Meanwhile, the resilient member 531c still pushes the sliding block
531b to the first end E1 of the slide rail 531a1.
[0101] As shown in FIG. 8C, the actuation module 530 will still
drive the main body 531a of the pushing member 531 to move to the
first position in the second axial direction A2 while receiving the
electric signal of unlocking under the circumstances that the
engagement member 521 is stuck at the lock position (e.g., by the
steering shaft 120), but the sliding block 531b disposed in the
main body 531a will be pulled by the first linkage 522 to move from
the first end E1 to the second end E2 of the slide rail 531a1 and
compress the resilient member 531c. As a result, even if the
actuation module 530 receives the electric signal of unlocking
under the circumstances that the engagement member 521 is stuck at
the lock position, the pushing member 531 of the present embodiment
can perform cushioning and protecting functions to the actuation
module 530. In addition, when the situation that the engagement
member 521 is stuck at the lock position is removed, the elastic
energy stored by the resilient member 531c will be immediately
released to make the sliding block 531b disposed in the main body
531a return from the second end E2 to the first end E1 of the slide
rail 531a1 and help to drive the engagement member 521 to return to
the unlock position as shown in FIG. 8B.
[0102] The lock apparatuses 200, 300, and 400 described in the
disclosure can be applied to the vehicle 100, but the disclosure is
not limited in this regard. For example, the lock apparatuses 200,
300, and 400 described in the disclosure can also be applied to
mechanisms of other types of transport vehicles or other
non-transport vehicles. The vehicle 100 can be a scooter-type
vehicle as shown in FIG. 1, but the disclosure is not limited in
this regard. The vehicle 100 can also be another kind of straddle
type vehicle, such as a sport motorcycle, an electric two-wheeler,
a light motorcycle, or an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). The above
embodiments use ignition-locks as examples of the lock apparatuses
200, 300, and 400, but the disclosure is not limited in this
regard. For example, the lock apparatuses 200, 300, and 400 can
also be seat locks or tank cover locks for straddle type
vehicles.
[0103] According to the foregoing recitations of the embodiments of
the disclosure, it can be seen that in the lock apparatus and the
vehicle of the disclosure, the actuation module can drive the
pushing member to push the engagement module, so as to achieve the
purpose of moving the engagement member of the engagement module to
the lock position or the unlock position. As such, the lock
apparatus and the vehicle of the disclosure can adopt keyless start
system. In the actuation method of moving the pushing member
between two positions to move the engagement member, the moving
direction of the engagement member can be designed to be distinct
from the pushing direction of the pushing member. Moreover, the
reverse impact force that the engagement module returns to the
pushing member can be cushioned by the first retaining member, so
as to effectively prevent the reverse impact force returned by the
engagement module from directly damaging the actuation module. By
retaining the pushing member with the second retaining member, the
pushing member can be ensured to correctly contact the engagement
module with the first pushing portion and the second pushing
portion. By making the engagement member be abutted by the pushing
member through the sliding member, the pushing member and the
engagement member can effectively prevent from producing excessive
wear and tear therebetween. By disposing the resilient member
between the second frame body of the bracket and the flange of the
engagement member, the engagement member can be ensured to return
to the unlock position when the first pushing portion does not push
the engagement module.
[0104] Although the present disclosure has been described in
considerable detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof,
other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of
the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the
embodiments contained herein.
[0105] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the
present disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit of
the disclosure. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the
present disclosure cover modifications and variations of this
disclosure provided they fall within the scope of the following
claims.
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