Patent Grant
11822209
The present disclosure relates to a cover opening and closing device for opening and closing a cover for an object.
Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-8037 discloses a camera having a sliding-type of lens protective cover. The camera includes a cover part provided on a front surface of the camera and manually movable, and a lens part (object) to be shielded by the slid cover. This allows a user to open and close the cover to protect the lens part (object).
The present disclosure provides a cover opening and closing device in which a cover can be opened and closed without being directly touched.
A cover opening and closing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a cover opening and closing device for shielding an object, the cover opening and closing device including a cover attractable to or repellable by a magnet, a guide accommodating the cover, and a housing covering the guide. The cover is accommodated in a space between the guide and the housing. The guide allows the cover to be moved, by the magnet outside the space, between a first position where the cover shields the object and a second position where the cover does not shield the object.
According to the present disclosure, the cover can be opened and closed without being directly touched.
Exemplary embodiments will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, descriptions more detailed than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of already well-known matters, and duplicated descriptions of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. These omissions are intended to avoid excessive redundancy in the following description, and to facilitate understanding of those skilled in the art. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter recited in the appended claims.
Moreover, in the following exemplary embodiments, a description will be given of an example in which a cover opening and closing device is mounted on a monitor (which is an example of a display apparatus) to be attached to a passenger seat of an aircraft. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this example.
A first exemplary embodiment will be described below with reference to
[1-1. Configuration]
Frame 11a is made of a material, such as resin, aluminum, or glass, which does not have a magnetic force by itself and can transmit a magnetic force.
Transmission part 12 is a transparent circular member. For example, transmission part 12 is made of transparent resin or transparent glass. Note that in the present exemplary embodiment, transmission part 12 is a transparent member and is formed integrally with frame 11a. Frame 11a is a portion that is subjected to decoration, such as coating, which does not allow light to pass therethrough. Transmission part 12 is a portion that is not subjected to decoration, that is, a transparent portion.
Guide 13 has opening 14, through which camera 16 can capture an image, at a position between camera 16 and transmission part 12. In addition, in order not to affect an operation of cover 15, guide 13 is made of a material, such as resin, which does not have a magnetic force by itself and can transmit a magnetic force. Cover 15 can move, along guide 13, between a first position where cover 15 overlaps camera 16 and shields camera 16 as illustrated in FIG. 3 and a second position where cover 15 does not shield camera 16 as illustrated in
Opening 14 is disposed on an optical axis of camera 16 and has a dimension such that a field of view of camera 16 is not shielded. For example, opening 14 is formed by hollowing out a portion of guide 13, or is embedded with transparent resin or transparent glass that allows light to pass through. In the first exemplary embodiment, opening 14 is formed by hollowing out guide 13 into a cylindrical shape so as to have a diameter the same as that of transmission part 12.
Cover 15 is a member including a magnetically attractive material or a magnetically repulsive material. Examples of the magnetically attractive material include an iron-based material and a heteropolar magnet. An example of the magnetically repulsive material includes a homopolar magnet. In this case, one surface of each of magnet 17 and cover 15 is a monopolar magnet. For attraction, cover 15 is disposed with its pole different from that of magnet 17 being directed to a surface of frame 11a. For repulsion, cover 15 is disposed with its pole the same as that of magnet 17 being directed to the surface of frame 11a. Cover 15 has a thickness less than a depthwise dimension of guide 13. A depth direction of guide 13 corresponds to a normal direction of frame 11a or a normal direction of a display surface of display 11b. Cover 15 has a heightwise dimension and a lateral dimension that are less than a heightwise dimension of guide 13, but are equal to or greater than a heightwise dimension of transmission part 12. A height direction of cover 15 corresponds to a height direction of monitor 11. The lateral direction of cover 15 corresponds to a lateral direction of monitor 11, for example, a longitudinal direction of monitor 11. In the first exemplary embodiment, cover 15 has a cylindrical shape having a diameter greater than that of transmission part 12. Under no magnetic force applied to cover 15, cover 15 is in contact, on its lower surface, with guide 13 by its own weight. At this time, cover 15 is in contact, at a certain point, side, or surface somewhere, with guide 13 or frame 11a, due to a gravitational force applied to cover 15 or inclination of cover 15, in a depth direction or in the lateral direction of cover 15 (for example, the longitudinal direction of cover 15).
Next, a moving position of cover 15 will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
On the other hand, as illustrated in
[1-2. Operation]
An operation of the cover opening and closing device configured as described above will be described with reference to
Cover 15 includes a magnetically attractive material. When magnet 17 is brought close to the surface of frame 11a, cover 15 is attracted to the magnet and brought close to frame 11a. In this state, magnet 17 is moved in the lateral direction, and thereby, cover 15 can be moved under an attractive force of magnet 17 to the second position where cover 15 does not shield camera 16 as illustrated in
In a case where cover 15 includes a magnetically repulsive material, when magnet 17 is brought close to the surface of frame 11a, cover 15 repels the magnet and moves away from frame 11a. In this state, magnet 17 is positionally moved in the lateral direction (for example, the longitudinal direction of cover 15), and thereby, cover 15 can be moved under a repulsive force of magnet 17 to the second position where cover 15 does not shield camera 16 as illustrated in
[1-3. Effects and the Like]
As described above, in the present exemplary embodiment, monitor 11 includes camera 16 and cover 15 that is magnetically movable.
This prevents cover 15 from being directly touched from the outside of monitor 11. Thus, for example, an airline that provides monitor 11 can prevent, for example, a passenger using monitor 11 from moving the position of cover 15. Furthermore, when the cover needs to be opened and closed, cover 15 can be moved from the outside of monitor 11 by using a magnet.
A second exemplary embodiment will be described below with reference to
[2-1. Configuration]
[2-2. Operation]
An operation of the cover opening and closing device configured as described above will be described below. Since the freely selected portion on the lower side of guide 23 is raised like protrusion 28 in the direction opposite to the direction of gravitational force applied to monitor 11, cover 15 is guided by its own weight to either the first position where cover 15 shields camera 16 as illustrated in
[2-3. Effects and the Like]
As described above, in the present exemplary embodiment, with provision of protrusion 28 in guide 23, cover 15 spontaneously moves by its own weight to either the first position where cover 15 shields camera 16 or the second position where cover 15 does not shield camera 16. As long as cover 15 is not moved by using magnet 17, it is possible to reduce an unintended positional change of cover 15, which is caused by vibrations or the like, between the first position where cover 15 shields camera 16 and the second position where cover 15 does not shield camera 16.
This makes it possible to reduce the movement of cover 15 beyond the third position, for example, even when cover 15 undergoes vibrations transmitted from an aircraft, and involves changes in the direction of gravitational force due to a tilt of the aircraft.
A third exemplary embodiment will be described below with reference to
[3-1. Configuration]
[3-2. Operation]
An operation of the cover opening and closing device configured as described above will be described with reference to
[3-3. Effects and the Like]
As described above, in the present exemplary embodiment, cover 35 is positionally fixed by the repulsive forces in the depth direction, and restrained from being positionally changed as long as cover 35 is not moved by using magnet 17.
This makes it possible to restrain the movement of cover 35, for example, even when cover 35 undergoes vibrations transmitted from an aircraft, and involves changes in the direction of gravitational force due to a tilt of the aircraft.
A fourth exemplary embodiment will be described below with reference to
[4-1. Configuration]
For example, cover 45 integrally includes a plurality of different components as a configuration in which a magnetically attractive portion or a magnetically repulsive portion containing iron powder or the like is provided at a periphery (edge) of an elastically deformable portion made of rubber or resin. Alternatively, for example, cover 45 includes one component such as an elastic body including rubber or resin blended with iron powder. Cover 45 under no magnetic force applied thereto has a natural length having width L1 greater than width La at the third position of guide 43. However, when cover 45 is deformed by a magnetic force as illustrated in
[4-2. Operation]
An operation of the cover opening and closing device configured as described above will be described with reference to
However, as illustrated in
[4-3. Effects and the Like]
As described above, in the present exemplary embodiment, since depthwise thickness L1 of cover 45 is greater than width La of the narrowed portion of guide 43, cover 45 can be restrained from being positionally changed beyond the third position as long as cover 45 is not moved by using magnet 17.
This makes it possible to restrain the movement of cover 45 between the first position and the second position beyond the third position, for example, even when cover 45 undergoes vibrations transmitted from an aircraft, and involves changes in the direction of gravitational force due to a tilt of the aircraft.
The first to fourth exemplary embodiments have been described above as examples of the techniques disclosed in the present application. However, the techniques of the present disclosure are not limited to the first to fourth exemplary embodiments, and can also be applied to exemplary embodiments in which modifications, replacements, additions, omissions, and the like are made. In addition, new exemplary embodiments can be made by combining the constituent elements described in the first to fourth exemplary embodiments. In particular, the second exemplary embodiment may be combined with the third exemplary embodiment and the fourth exemplary embodiment.
Other exemplary embodiments will be described below as an example.
Although the shapes of transmission part 12, guide 13, opening 14, and cover 15 are defined in the first exemplary embodiment, each shape is an example. As long as the similar effect can be obtained, these components may have, for example, a shape having an uneven height and an uneven thickness, and a shape having a combination of curved surface shapes.
In the third exemplary embodiment described above, cover 35 has the repulsive forces in the depth direction. However, the shape is an example. The direction in which the repulsive forces act may be, for example, the height direction instead of the depth direction of guide 13. For example, an elastic body has, for example in its height direction, an upper portion including a magnetically attractive material or a magnetically repulsive material, and is attracted to or repelled by magnet 17 and then moved in the height direction. This causes heightwise deformation of cover 35, and allows cover 35 to be positionally moved by being moved in the lateral direction while keeping the deformed state. When the magnet is brought away from cover 35 after the movement of cover 35, the heightwise deformation of cover 35 is restored, and the elastic forces act in both directions of a height. Thus, the movement of cover 35 can be restrained.
In the fourth exemplary embodiment described above, guide 43 has portions protruding from both sides thereof in the depth direction and thereby has thickness La. However, guide 43 has only to have thickness La less than thickness L1 of cover 45 in a freely selected portion. Therefore, only one of surfaces of guide 43 in the depth direction may have a protruding portion, and the other may be flat.
In the fourth exemplary embodiment described above, guide 43 has the narrowed width in the depth of the freely selected portion. However, the shape is an example. Guide 43 may have the narrowed width, for example, in the height direction instead of the depth direction. For example, an elastic body has, for example in its height direction, an upper portion including a magnetically attractive material or a magnetically repulsive material, and is attracted to or repelled by magnet 17 and then moved in the height direction. This causes heightwise deformation of cover 45, and allows cover 45 to be positionally moved by being moved in the lateral direction while keeping the deformed state. When the magnet is brought away from cover 45 after the movement of cover 45, the heightwise deformation of cover 45 is restored, and the height of cover 45 becomes greater than the height of cover 45 at the third position. Thus, cover 45 can be restrained from being positionally changed beyond the third position.
In the first to fourth exemplary embodiments described above as an example, monitor 11 includes transmission part 12. However, transmission part 12 may be an opening provided in monitor 11.
In the first to fourth exemplary embodiments, transmission part 12 is made of a transparent material. However, transmission part 12 may be made of an opaque material as long as the camera is operable.
In the first to fourth exemplary embodiments, camera 16 is positioned at frame 11a of monitor 11. However, camera 16 may be disposed in display 11b.
In the first to fourth exemplary embodiments, frame 11a and the guide are made of resin having no magnetic force. However, frame 11a and the guide may each have a magnetic force as long as their magnetic forces are weaker than the magnetic force of magnet 17 for operating the cover from the outside of frame 11a and the cover can be operated.
In the first to fourth exemplary embodiments, the moving direction of the cover is the lateral direction. However, the moving direction of the cover may be a direction different from the lateral direction, such as an oblique direction, a lengthwise direction, and a circumferential direction.
In the first to fourth exemplary embodiments described above, camera 16 is built in monitor 11. However, camera 16 may be provided in the outside of monitor 11 so as to operate as a module of the camera by itself rather than being built in monitor 11.
In the first to fourth exemplary embodiments described above, the object is camera 16. However, the object may be any object that needs to be switched between an open state and a closed state. For example, the object may be a sensor configured to detect a state in front of monitor 11, for example, brightness, a distance from the sensor to a close object, a temperature, or the like. For example, the object may be a light source itself or illumination that propagates light from a distant place by refraction or reflection. In addition, the surface of the object and the portion of opening 14 of guide 13 may be decorated with a design or coloring.
In the first to fourth exemplary embodiments, the monitor to be attached to the passenger seat of the aircraft has been described as an example. However, the passenger seat of the aircraft is an example as an attachment destination. The monitor may be attached, for example, to a wall and a ceiling other than the passenger seat. In addition, although an aircraft has been described as an example, another movable body may be possible. For example, the movable body may be a flying body other than an aircraft, a traveling vehicle, and a movable body that can be carried by a user.
Note that, the above exemplary embodiments are to exemplify the techniques in the present disclosure, and therefore, various modifications, replacements, additions, omissions, and the like can be made in the scope of the appended claims or in an equivalent scope thereof.
The present disclosure can be applied to a cover opening and closing device in which a cover can be opened and closed without being touched. Specifically, the present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a monitor itself or a monitor having, at its periphery, a camera, a sensor, decoration, and a function of illuminating.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-109480 | Jun 2021 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11422434 | Choi | Aug 2022 | B2 |
| 11422435 | Sathe | Aug 2022 | B1 |
| 20110115924 | Yu et al. | May 2011 | A1 |
| 20210200061 | Kanas | Jul 2021 | A1 |
| 20210208478 | Kanas | Jul 2021 | A1 |
| 20210333686 | Park | Oct 2021 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 833 241 | Sep 2007 | EP |
| 4177976 | Nov 2008 | JP |
| 2019-8037 | Jan 2019 | JP |
| 2019156683 | Aug 2019 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| Extended European Search Report dated Jun. 28, 2022 for the related European Patent Application No. 22151913.5. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20230004069 A1 | Jan 2023 | US |
