Locking mechanism, shopping cart lock and shopping cart

Abstract

The present invention discloses a locking mechanism, a shopping cart lock and a shopping cart. The locking mechanism includes a base, a pivotable lock catch, a first elastic member and a stopping assembly. The pivotable lock catch is arranged on the base and is pivotable between an unlocking position and a locking position. When the pivotable lock catch is in the locking position, a locked hole in a closed state is defined between the pivotable lock catch and the base. When the pivotable lock catch rotates from the locking position to the unlocking position, the locked hole is switched from the closed state to the open state. The first elastic member is arranged between the pivotable lock catch and the base and constantly drives the pivotable lock catch to pivot towards the unlocking position. The stopping assembly is arranged between the base and the pivotable lock catch and is configured such that when the pivotable lock catch pivots to the locking position, the state between the stopping assembly and the pivotable lock catch is switched from a non-blocking state to a blocking state to prevent the pivotable lock catch from rotating towards the unlocking position. According to the locking mechanism provided by the embodiments of the present invention, abnormal unlocking of the pivotable lock catch can be prevented, and the reliability of the lock using the locking mechanism can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lock, and more particularly to a locking mechanism, a shopping cart lock and a shopping cart. Background Art

[0002] A shopping cart refers to a trolley used by customers to temporarily store selected goods in large self-service stores such as supermarkets. To facilitate the management of shopping carts, shopping carts are usually locked with locks, such as coin-operated locks. The inventor has found that in the related art, when a shopping cart is in use, if it is subjected to a large impact such as a collision, the locking tongue of the shopping cart is violently vibrated, and there is a certain probability of resonance and displacement, resulting in abnormal unlocking. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems in the related art to some extent. To this end, an object of the present invention is to provide a locking mechanism, a shopping cart lock and a shopping cart.

[0004] To achieve the above object, in a first aspect, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a locking mechanism is used to lock or release a locked member on a shopping cart. The locked member is a ring-shaped member. The locking mechanism includes:

[0005] A base;

[0006] A pivotable lock catch, which is provided on the base and is pivotable between an unlocked position and a locked position. When the pivotable lock catch is in the locked position, a lock hole in a closed state is defined between the pivotable lock catch and the base to lock the locked member sleeved in the lock hole; when the pivotable lock catch rotates from the locked position to the unlocked position, the lock hole is switched from the closed state to an open state to allow the locked member to be taken out of the lock hole;

[0007] A first elastic member, which is provided between the pivotable lock catch and the base and always drives the pivotable lock catch to pivot towards the unlocked position;

[0008] A stopping assembly, which is provided between the base and the pivotable lock catch and is configured such that when the pivotable lock catch is in the unlocked position, the stopping assembly and the pivotable lock catch are in a non-blocking state to allow the pivotable lock catch to rotate from the unlocked position to the locked position. When the pivotable lock catch pivots from the unlocked position to the locked position, the stopping assembly and the pivotable lock catch are switched from the non-blocking state to a blocking state to prevent the pivotable lock catch from rotating towards the unlocked position.

[0009] According to the locking mechanism provided by the embodiments of the present invention, the pivot latch pivots between a locking position and an unlocking position, and the first elastic member always drives the pivot latch to pivot towards the unlocking position. Moreover, when the pivot latch pivots from the unlocking position to the locking position, the non-blocking state between the stop assembly and the pivot latch switches to a blocking state to prevent the pivot latch from rotating towards the unlocking position. In other words, after the pivot latch rotates to the locking position to lock the locked member, the stop assembly automatically switches to the blocking state, thereby preventing the pivot latch from rotating towards the unlocking position. Thus, even if vibrations such as collisions occur, under the blocking action of the stop assembly, the pivot latch will not rotate towards the unlocking position, which can prevent the problem of abnormal unlocking of the pivot latch and improve the reliability of the lock using this locking mechanism. In addition, by using the keyhole that defines a closed state or an open state between the pivot latch and the base, when the keyhole is in the closed state, the locked member on the shopping cart can be locked, and when the keyhole is in the open state, the elastic force of the first elastic member can quickly unlock the locked member. This locking and unlocking method of the pivot latch is simple, convenient, and fast.

[0010] In addition, the locking mechanism according to the above embodiments of the present invention may further have the following additional technical features:

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the base has a hanging portion protruding upward, and the hanging portion is adapted to be sleeved and connected with the locked member. When the pivot latch is in the locking position, the keyhole is defined between the pivot latch and the hanging portion.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pivot latch includes:

[0013] A pivot portion pivotally provided on the base and opposite to the hanging portion;

[0014] A pressure-receiving portion formed on the pivot portion and configured such that when the pivot latch is in the unlocking position and the locked member is inserted into the keyhole in the open state, the locked member acts on the pressure-receiving portion and applies pressure to drive the rotation of the pivot portion, causing the pivot latch to rotate from the unlocking position to the locking position.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a notch is provided on the pivot portion. When the pivot latch rotates from the unlocking position to the locking position, the notch is closed by the hanging portion to define the keyhole in the closed state.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pressure-receiving portion is formed to extend from the lower edge of the notch towards the outside of the notch.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the notch is arc-shaped, and the extending direction of the pressure-receiving portion is the tangential direction of the lower edge of the notch.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pivot lock further includes:

[0019] A stop portion formed on the pivot portion and adapted to cooperate with the stop assembly to form a blocking state or a non-blocking state.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hanging portion has a guiding inclined surface that slopes downward from top to bottom in a direction close to the pivot lock, and the lower end of the guiding inclined surface is adjacent to the pressure-receiving portion for guiding the locked member to slide onto the pressure-receiving portion when the locked member is inserted into the lock hole.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first elastic member is a torsion spring, one end of the torsion spring is connected to the base, and the other end of the torsion spring is connected to the pivot lock.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the stop assembly includes:

[0023] A stop pin provided on the base and movable between a blocking position and a release position;

[0024] A second elastic member provided between the base and the stop pin and constantly driving the stop pin to move towards the blocking position so as to form the blocking state between the stop pin and the pivot lock;

[0025] A driving member provided on the base for driving the stop pin to move towards the release position against the elastic force of the second elastic member so as to switch to the non-blocking state between the stop pin and the pivot lock.

[0026] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the stop assembly further includes a moving seat that is relatively fixed to the stop pin, and a first tooth group is provided on the moving seat; the driving member includes a driving motor and a gear, the gear is provided on the output shaft of the driving motor, and the gear has a second tooth group that meshes with the first tooth group.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first tooth group has at least two rows, each row of the first tooth group has a plurality of first tooth portions arranged at intervals in a first direction, multiple rows of the first tooth group are arranged at intervals in a second direction, and the first tooth portions in adjacent two rows of the first tooth group are arranged in a staggered manner, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction;

[0028] The second tooth group has at least two rows. Each second row of the second tooth group has a plurality of second tooth parts arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the gear. The multiple rows of the second tooth group are arranged at intervals in the axial direction of the gear, and the second tooth parts in two adjacent rows of the second tooth group are arranged in a staggered manner;

[0029] The first tooth part in each row of the first tooth group meshes with the second tooth part in the corresponding row of the second tooth group.

[0030] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the gear is a semi-tooth gear.

[0031] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the end face of the gear facing the moving seat has two opposite limiting parts, and the moving seat has a stopping part;

[0032] When the stop pin is in the release position, the connection line between the two limiting parts is perpendicular to the moving direction of the stopping part. When the stop pin moves from the release position to the blocking position, the stopping part moves between the two limiting parts, and the connection line between the two limiting parts is parallel to the moving direction of the stopping part, so as to limit the movement of the stopping part through the two limiting parts.

[0033] In a second aspect, a shopping cart lock provided according to the present invention includes:

[0034] A lock case;

[0035] The locking mechanism as described above, and the locking mechanism is provided on the lock case.

[0036] In a third aspect, a shopping cart provided according to the present invention has the shopping cart lock as described above.

[0037] The additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be partly given in the following description, partly will become obvious from the following description, or will be understood through the practice of the present invention. Description of the Drawings

[0038] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the following drawings are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative efforts.

[0039] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the locking mechanism (the pivot lock is in the locked position) in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2It is a schematic structural diagram of the locking mechanism (the pivot latch is in the unlocked position) according to an embodiment of the present invention from one perspective;

[0041] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the locking mechanism (the pivot latch is in the unlocked position) according to an embodiment of the present invention from another perspective;

[0042] Figure 4 It is an exploded view of the locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5 It is a front view of a partial structure of the locking mechanism (the pivot latch is in the unlocked position) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 6 It is a front view of a partial structure of the locking mechanism (the pivot latch is in the locked position) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 7 It is a front view of the pivot latch in the locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view of the stop component in the locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 9 It is a schematic structural diagram of the stop component in the locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 10 It is an exploded view of the stop component in the locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 11 It is a cross-sectional view of the stop component (the stop pin is in the released position) in the locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 12 It is a schematic structural diagram of the stop component (the stop pin is in the blocking position) in the locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 13 It is a schematic structural diagram of the shopping cart lock according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Reference numerals:

[0053] Base 10;

[0054] Hanging portion 101;

[0055] Guide inclined surface S101;

[0056] Lock hole H10;

[0057] Pivot latch 20;

[0058] Pivot portion 201;

[0059] Notch H201;

[0060] Compression part 202;

[0061] Friction increasing structure 2021;

[0062] Blocking part 203;

[0063] First elastic member 30;

[0064] Stopping assembly 40;

[0065] Stopping pin 401;

[0066] Second elastic member 402;

[0067] Driving member 403;

[0068] Driving motor 4031;

[0069] Gear 4032;

[0070] Second tooth part 4032a;

[0071] Limiting part 4032b;

[0072] Moving seat 404;

[0073] Groove 4041;

[0074] First tooth part 4042;

[0075] Blocking part 4043;

[0076] Guide post 405;

[0077] Locked parts 50a, 50b;

[0078] Lock housing 60;

[0079] Chain 70.

[0080] The realization, functional features and advantages of the object of the present invention will be further described with reference to the embodiments and the accompanying drawings. Detailed implementation manners

[0081] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions from beginning to end. The embodiments described below by referring to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0082] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationships indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "circumferential", "radial", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0083] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0084] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "mounted", "connected", "coupled", "fixed", etc. shall be construed broadly. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0085] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the first feature being "on" or "under" the second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact through additional features therebetween. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over" and "on top of" the second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicating that the first feature has a higher horizontal height than the second feature. The first feature being "under", "beneath" and "underneath" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or merely indicating that the first feature has a lower horizontal height than the second feature.

[0086] The locking mechanism, shopping cart lock and shopping cart according to the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0087] A shopping cart lock is a special lock for locking a shopping cart and can realize the management of the shopping cart. Each shopping cart is provided with a shopping cart lock and a shopping cart chain. The shopping cart lock is fixedly installed on the shopping cart, and the shopping cart chain can be directly connected to the shopping cart or connected to the shopping cart lock (such asFigure 10 As shown in the figure, a locked member 50a (50b) is provided at the free end of the shopping cart chain. The locked member 50a (50b) can be a structure such as a link. This locking mechanism can be applied to a shopping cart lock to lock the locked member 50a (50b). When locking, the locked member 50a of the shopping cart chain on one shopping cart is locked by the locking mechanism of the shopping cart lock on another shopping cart. In this way, two shopping carts are locked together and cannot be separated, thus realizing the management of shopping carts.

[0088] Referring to Figures 1 to 9 As shown in the figure, according to the locking mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present invention, it is used to lock or release the locked member 50a on the shopping cart. The locked member 50a is a ring-shaped member. Exemplarily, the locked member 50a can be a link at the free end of the shopping cart chain 70. This locking mechanism includes a base 10, a pivot lock 20, a first elastic member 30, and a stop assembly 40.

[0089] Specifically, the base 10 can be configured in different shapes according to the application of the locking mechanism in a specific product. Moreover, the base 10 can be an integrally formed structure with other components (such as a housing) of the specific product, or the base 10 can also be connected to other components of the specific product by a detachable connection method.

[0090] The pivot lock 20 is provided on the base 10 and is pivotable between an unlocked position and a locked position. When the pivot lock 20 is in the locked position, a locked hole H10 in a closed state is defined between the pivot lock 20 and the base 10 to lock the locked member 50a sleeved in the locked hole H10. That is, when the pivot lock 20 is in the locked position, the locked hole H10 is in a closed state. Due to the closed state of the locked hole H10, the locked member 50a cannot be taken out of the locked hole H10. At this time, the pivot lock 20 can lock and fix the locked member 50a. When the pivot lock 20 rotates from the locked position to the unlocked position, the locked hole H10 switches from the closed state to the open state to allow the locked member 50a to be taken out of the locked hole H10. That is, when the pivot lock 20 is in the unlocked position, the locked hole H10 is in the open state. At this time, the locked member 50a can be taken out of the locked hole H10.

[0091] The first elastic member 30 is provided between the pivot lock 20 and the base 10 and always drives the pivot lock 20 to pivot towards the unlocked position. That is to say, the elastic force provided by the first elastic member 30 acts on the pivot lock 20 and towards the unlocked position, so that when there is no other external force intervention, the pivot lock 20 remains in the unlocked position under the elastic force of the first elastic member 30.

[0092] The stop component 40 is provided between the base 10 and the pivot latch 20, and is configured such that when the pivot latch 20 is in the unlocked position, the stop component 40 and the pivot latch 20 are in a non-blocking state, allowing the pivot latch 20 to rotate from the unlocked position to the locked position. When the pivot latch 20 pivots from the unlocked position to the locked position, the stop component 40 and the pivot latch 20 switch from a non-blocking state to a blocking state, preventing the pivot latch 20 from rotating back to the unlocked position.

[0093] That is to say, the stop component 40 cooperates with the pivot latch 20. When the pivot latch 20 is in the unlocked position, the cooperation state between the stop component 40 and the pivot latch 20 is a non-blocking state, which means that the stop component 40 does not block the pivot latch 20. At this time, the pivot latch 20 can rotate from the unlocked position to the locked position. Thus, when the pivot latch 20 is in the unlocked position, the stop component 40 is in a non-blocking state. In this case, the locked item 50a can be placed between the base 10 and the pivot latch 20, and then the pivot latch 20 is rotated from the unlocked position to the locked position, thereby locking and fixing the locked item 50a. When the pivot latch 20 rotates from the unlocked position to the locked position, the first elastic member 30 is forced to deform and store elastic energy, and this process is the locking process.

[0094] When the pivot latch 20 rotates from the unlocked position to the locked position, the stop component 40 acts, causing the cooperation state between the stop component and the pivot latch 20 to switch to a blocking state. This blocking state means that the stop component 40 blocks the pivot latch 20, preventing the pivot latch 20 from returning from the locked position to the unlocked position. Thus, under the blocking action of the stop component, the pivot latch 20 can be held in the locked position, ensuring that the locked item 50a remains locked and fixed. As described above, since the first elastic member 30 is forced to deform and store elastic energy when the pivot latch 20 rotates from the unlocked position to the locked position, when it is necessary to unlock the locked item 50a, the stop component can be first switched from the blocking state to the non-blocking state. At this time, the stop component no longer blocks the pivot latch 20 from rotating to the unlocked position. Thus, the first elastic member 30 returns to its original shape, forcing the pivot latch 20 to quickly return to the unlocked position, and the locked item 50a can be removed from the lock hole H10 to unlock the locked item 50a. This process is the unlocking process.

[0095] According to the locking mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present invention, the pivot latch 20 pivots between a locking position and an unlocking position, and the first elastic member 30 always drives the pivot latch 20 to pivot towards the unlocking position. Moreover, when the pivot latch 20 pivots from the unlocking position to the locking position, the non-blocking state between the stop assembly 40 and the pivot latch 20 switches to a blocking state to prevent the pivot latch 20 from rotating towards the unlocking position. In other words, after the pivot latch 20 rotates to the locking position to lock the locked member 50a, the stop assembly 40 automatically switches to the blocking state, thereby preventing the pivot latch 20 from rotating towards the unlocking position. Thus, even if vibrations such as collisions occur, under the blocking action of the stop assembly 40, the pivot latch 20 will not rotate towards the unlocking position, which can prevent the problem of abnormal unlocking of the pivot latch 20 and improve the reliability of the lock using this locking mechanism. In addition, by using the lock hole H10 defined between the pivot latch 20 and the base 10 to define a closed state or an open state, when the lock hole H10 is in the closed state, the locked member 50a on the shopping cart can be locked, and when the lock hole H10 is in the open state, the elastic force of the first elastic member 30 can be used to quickly unlock the locked member 50a. This locking and unlocking method of the pivot latch 20 is simple, convenient, and fast.

[0096] It should be emphasized that in the related art, the lock on the shopping cart usually has an elastic member that always drives the lock tongue to be in the locking position. That is to say, by the elastic force of the elastic member, the lock tongue is forced to maintain the locking position to lock the locked member 50a on the shopping cart. In this locking method, when the shopping cart or the lock is impacted, in fact, when the supermarket collects and transfers the shopping carts, collisions often occur between multiple shopping carts. Therefore, it is easy for the elastic member in the lock to be impacted, ultimately resulting in the lock tongue shaking or shifting, and thus problems such as abnormal unlocking occur.

[0097] In the locking mechanism of the present application, the elastic force provided by the first elastic member 30 forces the pivot latch 20 to be always in the unlocking position rather than the locking position. Moreover, when the pivot latch 20 is in the locking position, the stop assembly is used to block the pivot latch 20 from rotating towards the unlocking position. In other words, in the present application, it is the blocking action of the stop assembly that ensures the pivot latch 20 is maintained in the locking position, rather than using the elastic force of the first elastic member 30 to maintain it in the locking position. Therefore, the pivot latch 20 will not shake or shift due to external forces such as impacts, which can ensure the reliable stability of the pivot latch 20 and prevent problems such as abnormal unlocking.

[0098] Refer to Figures 1 to 6As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the base 10 has a hanging portion 101 protruding upward. The hanging portion 101 is adapted to be sleeved and connected with the locked member 50a. When the pivot lock 20 is in the locked position, a lock hole H10 is defined between the pivot lock 20 and the hanging portion 101.

[0099] Since the locked member 50a is an annular member, the locked member 50a can be sleeved on the hanging portion 101. That is, the hanging portion 101 passes through the locked member 50a. At the same time, when the locked member 50a is sleeved on the hanging portion 101 and the pivot lock 20 rotates to the locked position, the lock hole H10 in the above closed state is formed between the pivot lock 20 and the hanging portion 101, and a part of the locked member 50a is located in the lock hole H10. Therefore, the locked member 50a cannot be taken out from the lock hole H10 in the closed state, realizing the locking and fixing of the locked member 50a.

[0100] Shopping carts are usually connected in series by multiple locks. When the locking mechanism in this embodiment is applied to the locks of shopping carts, in two adjacent shopping carts, the link at the free end of the upper chain 70 of one shopping cart is sleeved on the hanging portion 101 of the lock of the other shopping cart. Then, during the movement of the shopping cart, the upper chain 70 of one shopping cart exerts a pulling force on the lock of the other shopping cart. At this time, this pulling force acts on the hanging portion 101 and does not act on the pivot lock 20. Therefore, in the design, the strength of the pivot lock 20 can be appropriately reduced, the cost is correspondingly reduced, and the probability of damage to the pivot lock 20 is also reduced, ensuring higher reliability of the lock applying this locking mechanism.

[0101] Refer to Figures 1 to 7 As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the pivot lock 20 includes a pivot portion 201 and a pressure-receiving portion 202. Among them, the pivot portion 201 is pivotally provided on the base 10 and is opposite to the hanging portion 101. The pressure-receiving portion 202 is formed on the pivot portion 201 and is configured such that when the pivot lock 20 is in the unlocked position and the locked member 50a is inserted into the open lock hole H10, the locked member 50a acts on the pressure-receiving portion 202 and applies a pressure to drive the pivot portion 201 to rotate, so that the pivot lock 20 rotates from the unlocked position to the locked position.

[0102] That is to say, the pivoting portion 201 can pivot relative to the base 10 and the hanging portion 101, and the pressure-receiving portion 202 is located on the pivoting portion 201. Preferably, the pressure-receiving portion 202 is integrally formed with the pivoting portion 201. The pressure-receiving portion 202 is used for being pressed by the locked member 50a to force the pivoting portion 201 to rotate, thereby rotating the pivot lock 20 from the unlocked position to the locked position. Specifically, when the pivot lock 20 is in the unlocked position, at this time, the lock hole H10 defined between the pivot lock 20 and the hanging portion 101 is in an open state (as Figure 5 shown). In this state, the locked member 50a is inserted into the lock hole H10, so that the locked member 50a contacts the pressure-receiving portion 202. At the same time, a pressing force is applied to the locked member 50a, so that the force acts on the pressure-receiving portion 202, thereby driving the pressure-receiving portion 202 and the pivoting portion 201 to rotate (as shown by the arrow A in Figure 5 ), and finally the pivot lock 20 is rotated from the unlocked position to the locked position (as shown in Figure 6 ).

[0103] In other words, in this embodiment, by using the pressure-receiving portion 202 of the pivot lock 20, the force applied by the locked member 50a can be borne, and the pivot lock 20 can be driven to rotate from the unlocked position to the locked position, thereby realizing locking the locked member 50a. Its structure is simple, and the locking operation is very convenient and labor-saving.

[0104] Referring to Figure 4 and Figure 7 shown, in an example of the present invention, a notch H201 is provided on the pivoting portion 201. When the pivot lock 20 rotates from the unlocked position to the locked position, the notch H201 is closed by the hanging portion 101 to define the lock hole H10 in a closed state. In this embodiment, by providing the notch H201 on the pivoting portion 201, when the pivot lock 20 rotates to the locked position, the notch H201 is closed by the hanging portion 101, and the above-mentioned closed lock hole H10 can be formed. Its structure is simple, and moreover, forming the lock hole H10 is convenient for locking the locked member 50a.

[0105] Advantageously, the pressure-receiving portion 202 is formed to extend from the lower edge of the notch H201 to the outside of the notch H201. In this way, it is convenient for the locked member 50a to press the pressure-receiving portion 202 when being inserted downward into the lock hole H10, thereby ensuring that the locking is more convenient. In addition, when the pivot lock 20 is in the locked position, the pressure-receiving portion 202 is adjacent to the hanging portion 101 and is located at the bottom of the lock hole H10. In this way, the pressure-receiving portion 202, the hanging portion 101 and the pivoting portion 201 jointly define the lock hole H10 in a closed state.

[0106] Optionally, an anti-slip structure 2021 for increasing the frictional force between the locked member 50a and the pressure-receiving portion 202 may be provided on the pressure-receiving portion 202. The anti-slip structure 2021 may be a tooth-shaped protrusion or the like. In this way, when the locked member 50a acts on the pressure-receiving portion 202, it is not easy to slide, ensuring that the pressure-receiving portion 202 can pivot the pivot lock 20 under the pressure of the locked member 50a.

[0107] More advantageously, the notch H201 is arc-shaped, and the extending direction of the pressure-receiving portion 202 is the tangent direction of the lower edge of the notch H201. In this way, it is convenient for the locked member 50a to apply pressure to the pressure-receiving portion 202. And when the pivot lock 20 rotates to the locked position, the pressure-receiving portion 202 is generally kept horizontal, so that the lock hole H10 jointly defined by the pressure-receiving portion 202, the hanging portion 101 and the pivot portion 201 maintains a better closed state.

[0108] Refer to Figures 1 to 7 As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the pivot lock 20 further includes a stop portion 203. The stop portion 203 is formed on the pivot portion 201 and is adapted to cooperate with the stop assembly 40 to form a blocking state or a non-blocking state. Preferably, the stop portion 203 is provided at a position on the pivot portion 201 opposite to the pressure-receiving portion 202.

[0109] That is to say, the stop portion 203 can cooperate with the stop assembly 40. When the pivot lock 20 rotates to the locked position, the stop assembly can abut against the stop portion 203, thereby restricting the pivot lock 20 from rotating to the unlocked position, thus ensuring the reliability of locking.

[0110] Advantageously, the hanging portion 101 has a guiding inclined surface S101. The guiding inclined surface S101 inclines downward from top to bottom in the direction close to the pivot lock 20, and the lower end of the guiding inclined surface S101 is adjacent to the pressure-receiving portion 202, for guiding the locked member 50a to slide onto the pressure-receiving portion 202 when the locked member 50a is inserted into the lock hole H10.

[0111] That is to say, when the locked member 50a is inserted into the open lock hole H10, the locked member 50a contacts the guiding inclined surface S101 and slides downward along the guiding inclined surface S101 onto the pressure-receiving portion 202, and then applies pressure to the pressure-receiving portion 202 to force the pivot lock 20 to rotate. In this way, by using the guiding function of the guiding inclined surface S101, it is convenient for the locked member 50a to be quickly inserted into the lock hole H10 and contact the pressure-receiving portion 202, improving the convenience during the locking operation.

[0112] Preferably, the first elastic member 30 is a torsion spring. One end of the torsion spring is connected to the base 10, and the other end of the torsion spring is connected to the pivot latch 20. In this way, by using the elastic force provided by the torsion spring, the pivot latch 20 can quickly return from the locked position to the unlocked position, ensuring faster and more reliable unlocking.

[0113] Referring Figures 1 to 4 As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the stop assembly 40 includes a stop pin 401, a second elastic member 402, and a driving member 403. Among them, the stop pin 401 is provided on the base 10 and moves between a blocking position and a release position.

[0114] The second elastic member 402 is provided between the base 10 and the stop pin 401 and constantly drives the stop pin 401 to move towards the blocking position, so as to form the blocking state between the stop pin 401 and the pivot latch 20. That is to say, the elastic force provided by the second elastic member 402 acts on the stop pin 401. Without the intervention of other external forces, the stop pin 401 remains in the blocking position under the elastic force of the second elastic member 402.

[0115] The driving member 403 is provided on the base 10 and is used to drive the stop pin 401 to move towards the release position against the elastic force of the second elastic member 402, so as to switch the state between the stop pin 401 and the pivot latch 20 to the non-blocking state.

[0116] In specific use, when locking is required, the pivot latch 20 rotates from the unlocked position to the locked position. The stop pin 401 quickly moves to the blocking position under the elastic force of the second elastic member 402, and a blocking state can be formed between the stop pin 401 and the pivot latch 20. For example, the stop pin 401 extends below the blocking portion 203. In this way, the blocking effect of the stop pin 401 on the blocking portion 203 makes the pivot latch 20 unable to rotate towards the unlocked position, thereby ensuring that the pivot latch 20 remains in the locked position and achieving reliable locking. When unlocking is required, the driving member 403 drives the stop pin 401 to move from the blocking position to the release position. At this time, the state between the stop pin 401 and the pivot latch 20 is switched to the non-blocking state. For example, the stop pin moves to one side of the blocking portion 203. In this way, the stop pin releases the block on the blocking portion 203, and the pivot latch 20 quickly returns to the unlocked position under the elastic force of the first elastic member 30, thus realizing quick unlocking.

[0117] In this embodiment, the cooperation state between the pivot latch 20 is switched by the movement of the stop pin 401, which enables the stop pin 401 to quickly switch to the blocking position under the action of the second elastic member 402, ensuring that the pivot latch 20 is quickly and reliably locked. When the stop pin 401 moves to the release position under the drive of the drive member 403, it ensures that the pivot latch 20 is quickly unlocked under the action of the first elastic member 30.

[0118] Referring to Figures 1 to 4 and Figures 8 to 9 As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the stop assembly 40 further includes a moving seat 404. The moving seat 404 is relatively fixed to the stop pin 401, and a first tooth group is provided on the moving seat 404. Preferably, the stop pin 401 and the moving seat 404 are of an integral structure. The drive member 403 includes a drive motor 4031 and a gear 4032. The gear 4032 is provided on the output shaft of the drive motor 4031, and the gear 4032 has a second tooth group that meshes with the first tooth group.

[0119] When the drive motor 4031 operates, the drive motor 4031 drives the gear 4032 to rotate. Since the second tooth group on the gear 4032 meshes with the first tooth group on the moving seat 404, when the gear 4032 rotates, it can drive the moving seat 404 and the stop pin 401 thereon to move between the blocking position and the release position. In this way, the driving of the stop pin 401 is realized, and its structure is simple and the driving is reliable.

[0120] Exemplarily, a groove 4041 is provided on one side surface of the moving seat 404. The gear 4032 is located in the groove 4041, and the first tooth group is provided on the top wall or the bottom wall of the groove 4041. In this way, it can be ensured that the second tooth group on the gear 4032 and the first tooth group on the moving seat 404 maintain reliable meshing.

[0121] Referring to Figure 9 As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the first tooth group is at least two rows. Each row of the first tooth group has a plurality of first tooth portions 4042 arranged at intervals in a first direction. The multiple rows of the first tooth group are arranged at intervals in a second direction, and the first tooth portions 4042 in adjacent two rows of the first tooth group are arranged in a staggered manner. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0122] The second tooth group is at least two rows. Each row of the second tooth group has a plurality of second tooth portions 4032a arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the gear 4032. The multiple rows of the second tooth group are arranged at intervals in the axial direction of the gear 4032, and the second tooth portions 4032a in adjacent two rows of the second tooth group are arranged in a staggered manner.

[0123] The first tooth portion 4042 in each row of the first tooth group meshes with the corresponding second tooth portion 4032a in a row of the second tooth group.

[0124] In this embodiment, multiple rows of the first tooth group arranged in a staggered manner mesh with multiple rows of the second tooth group arranged in a staggered manner respectively. In this way, the transmission can be made smoother and more reliable. Moreover, when designing the gear 4032 in a relatively small space, by using the cooperation of multiple rows of the first tooth group and multiple rows of the second tooth group, the force-bearing capacity can be improved, and the requirements for the machining precision and material strength of the gear 4032 can be reduced, thus saving costs.

[0125] Advantageously, the gear 4032 is a half-tooth gear 4032. By using the half-tooth gear 4032, after the gear 4032 rotates within a certain angle range, the second tooth group on the gear 4032 disengages from the first tooth group on the moving seat 404. In this way, it is convenient for the second elastic member 402 to drive the moving seat 404 and the stop pin 401 thereon to return to the blocking position, and problems such as the jamming of the driving motor 4031 can also be prevented.

[0126] Exemplarily, the second elastic member 402 is a compression spring. One end of the compression spring abuts against the moving seat 404, and the other end of the compression spring abuts against the base 10. Optionally, the stop assembly further includes a guide post 405. The guide post 405 is slidably disposed through the moving seat 404, and the compression spring is sleeved on the guide post 405. In this way, the reliable compression of the compression spring can be ensured.

[0127] Referring to Figures 10 to 12 As shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, the end face of the gear 4032 facing the moving seat 404 has two opposite limiting portions 4032b, and the moving seat 404 has a stop portion 4043.

[0128] When the stop pin 401 is in the release position, the connection line between the two limiting portions 4032b is perpendicular to the moving direction of the stop portion 4043. When the stop pin 401 moves from the release position to the blocking position, the stop portion 4043 moves between the two limiting portions 4032b, and the connection line between the two limiting portions 4032b is parallel to the moving direction of the stop portion 4043, so as to limit the movement of the stop portion 4043 through the two limiting portions 4032b.

[0129] That is to say, when the stop pin 401 is in the release position, the connection line between the two limiting portions 4032b is perpendicular to the moving direction of the stop portion 4043, as Figure 11As shown, the connection line between the two limiting parts 4032b is in the up-and-down direction, while the moving seat 404 and the stop part 4043 thereon move in the horizontal direction. In this state, if the pivot buckle 20 rotates to the locking position, the elastic force of the second elastic member can force the moving seat 404 and the stop pin 401 to quickly move to the blocking position. Correspondingly, the stop part 4043 can move between the two limiting parts 4032b. Then, by driving the gear 4032 to rotate 90° through the driving motor, at this time, the connection line between the limiting parts 4032b on the gear 4032 can be switched to the horizontal direction (as Figure 12 shown), and are respectively located on both sides of the stop part 4043 in the horizontal direction, so as to restrict the movement of the stop part 4043 in the horizontal direction. Correspondingly, the moving seat 404 where the stop part 4043 is located and the stop pin 401 connected to the moving seat 404 cannot move in the horizontal direction. Thus, in this embodiment, after the stop pin 401 moves to the blocking position, the cooperation between the stop part 4043 and the two limiting parts 4032b can be used to lock the stop pin 401, block the left and right movement of the stop pin 401 caused by resonance, thereby improving the reliability of the stop of the pivot buckle 20 by the stop pin 401, preventing the problem of abnormal unlocking, and further improving the reliability of locking and the anti-theft effect of the locking mechanism.

[0130] Referring to Figure 13 shown, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a shopping cart lock, including a lock case 60 and the locking mechanism as described in the above embodiment, and the locking mechanism is arranged on the lock case 60.

[0131] According to the shopping cart lock provided by the embodiment of the present invention, having the above locking mechanism, in this way, it can be ensured that the performance of the shopping cart lock is more reliable, preventing the problem of abnormal unlocking. In addition, locking and unlocking are simpler and faster.

[0132] The present invention also provides a shopping cart having the shopping cart lock as described in the above embodiment.

[0133] According to the shopping cart provided by the embodiment of the present invention, having the above shopping cart lock, in this way, it can be ensured that the shopping cart is more reliable in use, locking and unlocking are simpler and faster, and the user experience is better.

[0134] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms are not necessarily directed to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0135] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and do not limit the patent scope of the present invention accordingly. Any equivalent structural transformation made by using the content of the specification and drawings of the present invention under the inventive concept of the present invention, or any direct / indirect application in other related technical fields is included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A locking mechanism for locking or releasing a locked member on a shopping cart, the locked member being an annular member, characterized in that, The locking mechanism includes: A base; A pivot latch, which is provided on the base and is pivotable between an unlocked position and a locked position. When the pivot latch is in the locked position, a lock hole in a closed state is defined between the pivot latch and the base to lock the locked member sleeved in the lock hole; when the pivot latch rotates from the locked position to the unlocked position, the lock hole switches from the closed state to the open state to allow the locked member to be taken out from the lock hole; A first elastic member, which is provided between the pivot latch and the base and constantly drives the pivot latch to pivot towards the unlocked position; A stop assembly, which is provided between the base and the pivot latch and is configured such that when the pivot latch is in the unlocked position, the stop assembly and the pivot latch are in a non-blocking state to allow the pivot latch to rotate from the unlocked position to the locked position. When the pivot latch pivots from the unlocked position to the locked position, the stop assembly and the pivot latch switch from the non-blocking state to the blocking state to prevent the pivot latch from rotating towards the unlocked position; The base has a hanging portion protruding upward, and the hanging portion is adapted to be sleeved and connected with the locked member. When the pivot latch is in the locked position, the lock hole is defined between the pivot latch and the hanging portion; The first elastic member is a torsion spring, one end of the torsion spring is connected to the base, and the other end of the torsion spring is connected to the pivot latch.

2. The locking mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pivot latch includes: A pivot portion, which is pivotably provided on the base and is opposite to the hanging portion; A pressed portion, which is formed on the pivot portion and is configured such that when the pivot latch is in the unlocked position and the locked member is inserted into the open lock hole, the locked member acts on the pressed portion and applies pressure to drive the pivot portion to rotate, so that the pivot latch rotates from the unlocked position to the locked position.

3. The locking mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, A notch is provided on the pivot portion. When the pivot latch rotates from the unlocked position to the locked position, the notch is closed by the hanging portion to define the lock hole in the closed state.

4. The locking mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The pressed portion is formed to extend from the lower edge of the notch towards the outside of the notch.

5. The locking mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The notch is arc-shaped, and the extending direction of the pressed portion is the tangential direction of the lower edge of the notch.

6. The locking mechanism according to claim 2, wherein, The pivot latch further includes: A stop portion, which is formed on the pivot portion and is adapted to cooperate with the stop assembly to form a blocking state or a non-blocking state.

7. The locking mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The hanging portion has a guiding inclined surface, which inclines downward from top to bottom in the direction close to the pivot latch, and the lower end of the guiding inclined surface is adjacent to the pressed portion to guide the locked member to slide onto the pressed portion when the locked member is inserted into the lock hole.

8. The locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein The stop assembly includes: A stop pin, which is provided on the base and moves between a blocking position and a releasing position; A second elastic member, which is disposed between the base and the stop pin and constantly drives the stop pin to move towards the blocking position, so as to form the blocking state between the stop pin and the pivot latch; A driving member, which is disposed on the base and is used to drive the stop pin to move towards the release position against the elastic force of the second elastic member, so as to switch to the non-blocking state between the stop pin and the pivot latch.

9. The locking mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that, The stop assembly further includes a moving seat, which is relatively fixed to the stop pin, and a first tooth group is provided on the moving seat; the driving member includes a driving motor and a gear, the gear is disposed on the output shaft of the driving motor, and the gear has a second tooth group meshing with the first tooth group.

10. The locking mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first tooth group has at least two rows, each row of the first tooth group has a plurality of first tooth portions arranged at intervals in a first direction, and multiple rows of the first tooth group are arranged at intervals in a second direction, and the first tooth portions in adjacent two rows of the first tooth group are arranged in a staggered manner, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction; The second tooth group has at least two rows, each second row of the second tooth group has a plurality of second tooth portions arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction of the gear, and multiple rows of the second tooth group are arranged at intervals in the axial direction of the gear, and the second tooth portions in adjacent two rows of the second tooth group are arranged in a staggered manner; The first tooth portions in each row of the first tooth group mesh with the second tooth portions in the corresponding row of the second tooth group.

11. The locking mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that, The gear is a semi-tooth gear.

12. The locking mechanism according to claim 9, wherein, The end face of the gear facing the moving seat has two opposite limiting portions, and the moving seat has a stop portion; When the stop pin is in the release position, the connection line between the two limiting portions is perpendicular to the moving direction of the stop portion. When the stop pin moves from the release position to the blocking position, the stop portion moves between the two limiting portions, and the connection line between the two limiting portions is parallel to the moving direction of the stop portion, so as to limit the movement of the stop portion through the two limiting portions.

13. A shopping cart lock, characterized in that, Comprising: A lock case; The locking mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 12, and the locking mechanism is disposed on the lock case.

14. A shopping cart, characterized in that, Having the shopping cart lock according to claim 13.

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