fastening device

Abstract

A fastening device includes: a body, a top section, a hook, and a spring insert. The body has a first sidewall and a second sidewall. The top section is connected to the body at the first sidewall, and a gap is formed between the distal end of the top section and the second sidewall. The top section has a guide rail extending longitudinally through the top section, the guide rail having an opening leading to a space outside the top section. The hook is formed on the second sidewall facing the first sidewall. The spring insert is configured to be assembled with the body by inserting the spring insert into the guide rail and sliding the spring insert to the distal end of the guide rail, wherein the spring insert is configured to press into the hook in a resting position to lock the gap between the second sidewall and the top section, and wherein the gap is opened by pressing the spring insert inward to release the spring insert from the hook.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 17 / 503,608, filed October 18, 2021, and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 17 / 555,870, filed December 20, 2021, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology 1. Technical Field

[0004] This invention relates to a device that allows a rope to be releasably attached to or removed from a device or another rope. Specifically, this invention relates to a securing device that allows for simple and quick attachment and removal of rope loops from and from a device via a spring-locking system.

[0005] 2. Existing Technology

[0006] Locks with spring-loaded plate locking systems have been used to releasably attach ropes (particularly ropes with closed loop ends) to the lock. These types of locks are used when it may be necessary to remove the rope, or can be used as replacement locks for broken locks already secured with ropes in place. The top bar of the lock has a free end to form an open slot and is locked via a separate spring-loaded plate locking element inserted through one or more holes in the end of the top bar. The locking element is then pressed into place so that it extends around a hook on the lock body, thus locking the open slot and keeping the rope attached to the lock. A drawback of this design is that the spring-loaded plate locking element is typically formed of wire, bent into an L-shape at the end to be inserted through the hole. The wire is unstable under strong force because it can bend, causing the end to slip out of the hole and release the rope. Furthermore, the spring-loaded plate locking element in this design must be bent to break free of its original shape to insert into the hole of the lock, which further destabilizes the design. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Therefore, an objective of the present invention is to provide a lock or other fastening device for attaching ropes, wherein the locking element will not be unintentionally removed from the fastening device during use and under strong forces. Another objective of the present invention is to provide a fastening device in which the locking element can be easily assembled to the fastening device without deformation.

[0008] These and other objectives are achieved in one embodiment by a latch comprising: a latch body having a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and at least one first groove for receiving a rope; and a top section connected to the latch body at the first sidewall and forming a second groove for receiving a second rope. The second groove is open at its distal end. The top section has a guide rail extending longitudinally through the top section, wherein the guide rail leads to the second groove. The guide rail extends parallel to the second groove. A hook is formed on the second sidewall adjacent to the distal end of the second groove. A spring insert in the shape of an overlapping loop is disposed in the guide rail. The spring insert is configured to be positioned around the hook to lock the distal end of the second groove. The spring insert can be released from the hook by pressing the top section until the spring insert passes over the hook. The spring insert can be attached to the top section by sliding it from the second slot into the guide rail and moving it to the far end of the top section. The guide rail preferably extends into the second slot at an angle. This allows for simple and easy assembly of the spring insert with the guide rail.

[0009] At the distal end of the guide rail, there is at least one protrusion extending into the guide rail, which allows the spring insert to be held at the distal end of the guide rail after passing over the protrusion. By assembling the spring insert to the latch in this manner, the spring insert does not need to be bent or deformed in any way to attach it to the latch. The spring insert is placed onto the latch by rotating it until it rests under the hook, which is preferably in the form of a downward-facing hook. Since the spring insert cannot move within the guide rail due to the protrusion obstructing its movement, the pressure generated by pressing the spring insert deforms the spring. The spring then stores a restoring force, which helps to remove the spring insert from the latch once the top section is pressed down sufficiently to release the spring insert from the hook.

[0010] The connection between the spring insert and the hook prevents any rope inserted into the second slot from slipping out of the lock through the open end.

[0011] The spring insert is preferably formed of wire bent into loops with overlapping end portions. Each end portion of the spring insert has an extension perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the spring insert and extending in opposite directions to form a substantially Z-shaped profile. These extensions serve to anchor the spring insert in a guide rail when the latch is subjected to force from a pulling rope. To receive the extension, the top section includes a groove communicating with the guide rail, which receives the extension of the spring insert when the spring insert is positioned at the distal end of the guide rail. Forces on the top section away from the body press the extension deeper into the groove to prevent the spring insert from opening. Furthermore, this pressure from the rope presses the top section to compress the guide rail and further anchor the spring insert in place.

[0012] Preferably, a reinforcing protrusion is present on the bottom surface of the guide rail at the opposite end of the protrusion, so that excessive force on the top section will not damage the part below the guide rail.

[0013] In an alternative embodiment, the invention may take the form of a closed-loop fastening device, such as a D-ring or triangular ring with a spring-loaded locking element. In this embodiment, the fastening device is formed by a body and a top section, the body having a first sidewall and a second sidewall, the top section being connected to the body at the first sidewall. A gap is formed between the distal end of the top section and the second sidewall. The top section has a guide rail extending longitudinally through the top section and having an opening to a space outside the top section. A hook is formed on the second sidewall facing the first sidewall. In the embodiment discussed above, the spring-loaded element is in the shape of an overlapping loop and is configured to be assembled with the body by inserting the spring-loaded element into the guide rail and sliding the spring-loaded element to the distal end of the guide rail. The spring-loaded element is configured to snap into the hook in a resting position to lock the gap between the second sidewall and the top section, and wherein the gap is opened by pressing the spring-loaded element inward to release it from the hook. The difference between the D-ring arrangement in this embodiment and the first embodiment described above is that the hook faces inward of the body and the spring insert rotates inward to allow access to the body, thereby attaching the object to the D-ring. In this embodiment, the spring insert is positioned in a resting position within the hook, such that the ring remains in a locked position until a force is applied to move the spring insert inward to allow access to the ring.

[0014] The top section of the fixing device also includes a groove for receiving ropes. The groove has an opening leading to a space located between the sidewalls. A guide rail is connected to the groove at an angle relative to its longitudinal extension. At the distal end of the guide rail, there is at least one protrusion extending into the guide rail to hold the spring insert at the distal end of the guide rail. At the end of the guide rail opposite the protrusion, there is also a reinforcing protrusion extending into the guide rail.

[0015] In the first embodiment, the end portion of the spring insert has an extension perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the spring insert and extending in opposite directions. The top section of the fixing device includes a groove communicating with the guide rail. The groove is configured to receive the extension of the spring insert when the spring insert is positioned at the distal end of the guide rail, such that a force on the top section away from the body presses the extension deeper into the groove to prevent the spring insert from opening.

[0016] The rope can be attached to the fixing device by passing it through a groove and placing it around the top section. Tension on the rope away from the body presses against the top section, compressing the rope and the guide rail. The spring insert is made of wire, but can also be made of any other suitable material.

[0017] In another embodiment, the device is in the form of a hook-and-lock clamp rather than a ring, thus giving the body a more rounded, elongated shape while retaining all the functional features described above regarding the ring. In this embodiment, the clamp has a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a top section, the top section being separated from the second sidewall by a gap. The top section of the hook-and-lock clamp also includes a rope retainer pivotally connected to the top section. The rope retainer is in the form of a closed loop with a central groove for receiving rope. The rope retainer can be mounted on a post extending from the top section of the clamp to allow the rope retainer to rotate about the post.

[0018] In this embodiment, because the top section of the hook lock is not as wide as the previously described ring, the guide rail can have a curved shape extending along the first sidewall of the hook lock clamp. In this embodiment, the guide rail can be formed by a top section extending toward the first sidewall, and the support rod extending from the first sidewall toward the opening and parallel to the top section. The space between the top section and the support rod opens to the guide rail to allow the spring insert to be assembled into the guide rail. This embodiment possesses all the other features of the ring-shaped fixing device described above.

[0019] This invention offers significant advantages over existing insert-type latches and fastening devices because the spring-loaded insert locking element of this invention does not need to deform during assembly and will not be unintentionally released due to large forces on the ropes connected to the device. Furthermore, the insert is simply assembled with the device without requiring the use of small holes in the device for forming or assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the drawings are intended to be illustrative only and not to define the scope of the invention.

[0021] In the accompanying drawings, reference characters that appear similar throughout several views denote similar elements:

[0022] Figure 1 Existing locking components are shown;

[0023] Figure 2 A perspective view of a latch according to the invention without a spring-loaded locking element is shown.

[0024] Figure 3 Another view of the latch without a spring-loaded locking element is shown;

[0025] Figure 4 A top view of the spring-loaded locking element is shown;

[0026] Figure 5 A front view of the spring-loaded locking element is shown;

[0027] Figure 6 The spring-loaded locking element is shown assembled into the guide rail of the latch.

[0028] Figure 7 This illustrates a spring-loaded locking element that moves toward the distal end along the guide rail of the latch.

[0029] Figure 8 The spring-loaded locking element is shown in its assembled position within the guide rail.

[0030] Figure 9 The latch is shown in the locked position;

[0031] Figure 10 Show along Figure 9 A cross-sectional view of line XX;

[0032] Figure 10A Show Figure 10 A magnified view of circle 10A;

[0033] Figure 11 A lock with an attachment rope being pulled in opposite directions is shown;

[0034] Figure 12 The locking element is shown as being released from the latch by pressing down on the top section of the latch;

[0035] Figure 13 A first alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0036] Figure 14 Show Figure 13 Opposite side view of the implementation scheme;

[0037] Figure 15 Show along Figure 14 Sectional view of line 15-15;

[0038] Figure 15A Show Figure 15 Details of circle 15A;

[0039] Figure 16 Show Figure 13 The implementation plan is in an open position;

[0040] Figure 17 Show Figure 13 An implementation scheme with attached ropes and accessories;

[0041] Figure 18 A second alternative embodiment of the invention is shown;

[0042] Figure 19 Show Figure 18 The implementation scheme is in an open position; and

[0043] Figure 20 Show Figure 18 The implementation plan is to attach ropes. Detailed Implementation

[0044] Please refer to the attached diagram for details. Figure 1A prior art latch 100 is shown, having a body 102 connected to a top section 101. A spring insert 200 is attached to the free end of the top section 101 by deforming its ends until they are spaced apart sufficiently to be inserted into holes 201 and 202 in the top section 101. Once the spring insert 200 is attached to the top section 101, it can be used to lock the opening to the slot 104 by hooking it around a latch 103. A drawback of this design is that the deformation of the spring insert 200 leads to a degree of unreliability, as it does not always quickly return to its original shape once fully assembled onto the top section 101. Furthermore, vertical pressure, such as from the rope connected to the buckle and to the top section 101, can force the end of the spring insert 200 to bend and slip out of the holes 201, 202, which may then cause the buckle to fail and release any attached ropes.

[0045] The latch of the present invention solves this problem by using a novel guide rail in the top section and a novel insert plate structure. Figures 2 to 12 The latch of the present invention is shown in the figure. In this document, as... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the latch 10 has a main body consisting of sidewalls 11 and 12 and a first groove 13 for receiving a rope. A central post 14 spans the first groove 13 and allows for rope adjustment as needed, and arms 17 and 18 hold the rope in place. A top section 20 is connected to the sidewall 11 and extends toward but is not connected to the sidewall 12. A second groove 15 is provided between the arms 17 and 18 and the top section 20. The second groove 15 is open at its end adjacent to the sidewall 12. A hook 16 in the form of a downward-facing hook is provided on the sidewall 12. A guide rail 22 is located inside the top section 20 and extends parallel to the width of the top section 20 and the second groove 15. The guide rail 22 is connected to the second groove 15 via a guide slot 23, which is arranged at an angle to the guide rail 22.

[0046] Lower protrusions 25 and upper protrusions 24, facing each other, are arranged at the distal end of the guide rail to create a region of reduced width in the guide rail 22. A groove 26 is formed in the top section 20, extending into the guide rail 22, and helps to hold the spring insert 30, discussed below, in place. Corresponding grooves are located on opposite surfaces of the top section 20 (not shown).

[0047] Figure 4 and Figure 5A spring insert 30 is shown, which is formed from a metal wire or other elongated structure bent into a D-shape with overlapping end portions 31, 32. Each end portion 31, 32 has an extension 33, 34 extending perpendicular to the plane of the spring insert 30, wherein each extension faces away from the other, thereby creating a Z-shaped profile.

[0048] Figures 6 to 9 The image shows the assembly of the spring insert 30 and the latch 10. (See image for details.) Figure 6 As shown, the spring insert 30 slides onto the top section 20 via the open slot 15, then is fed into the guide slot 23 and upwards into the guide rail 22. Then, as... Figure 7 The spring insert 30 shown slides along the guide rail 22 until it reaches its distal end, where the spring insert 30, under increased force, passes through the protrusions 24 and 25 to reach the end of the guide rail 22, as shown. Figure 8 As shown in the diagram, protrusions 24 and 25 prevent the spring insert 30 from sliding back along the guide rail 22 during use of the latch 10. Figure 8 As shown, the extension 33 of the spring insert 30 rests in the groove 26 of the top section 20, and the corresponding groove 28 on the rear side of the top section 20 also receives the extension 34.

[0049] To lock the latch 10, the spring plate 30 is rotated about the top section 20 until it passes the hook 16, at which point the hook on the hook 16 locks the spring plate 30 in the proper position, such as... Figure 9 As shown in the diagram. In the locked position, the abutment against the top section 20 firmly presses the extensions 33, 34 of the spring insert 30 into the recesses 26 and 28, thereby preventing any movement of the spring insert 30 during use, as shown in the diagram. Figure 10 and Figure 10A It can be seen in the cross-sectional view.

[0050] During use, rope 40 is wrapped around the top section 20 and rope 50 is passed around the central post 14 in the first groove 13 (e.g.) Figure 11 (as shown in the image) to connect two items together. When along... Figure 11 When the arrows in the diagram pull ropes 40 and 50 in opposite directions (which is typical), the force on the bottom side of the top section 20 causes the bottom side of the top section 20 to bend slightly and compress the guide rail 22. This compression further secures the spring insert 30 in place on the latch 10. To prevent excessive compression under heavy loads, additional protrusions 29 may be provided in the guide rail 22 adjacent to the guide groove 23, for example... Figure 9 As shown in the image.

[0051] In addition to the compression of the guide rail 22, the upward force of the rope 40 on the top section 20 pulls the spring insert 30, which forces the extensions 33, 34 of the spring insert 30 to press more tightly against the top section 20, thereby preventing the spring insert 30 from being unintentionally released from the top section 20.

[0052] To release the spring insert 30 from the hook 16, the user simply presses down on the top section 20 (as shown in 12) until the spring insert 30 passes the hook 16. The pressure of the extensions 33, 34 on the walls of the grooves 26, 28 in the top section 20 creates a restoring force that allows the spring insert 30 to subsequently spring away from the hook 16 to allow entry into the slot 15.

[0053] Figures 13 to 17 A first alternative embodiment of the invention is shown herein. In this document, the fixing device 60, in the form of a triangular ring, has a first sidewall 61 connected at one end to a second sidewall 62 and at the other end to a top section 63. The top section 63 is separated from the second sidewall 62 by a gap 64. A hook 71 is disposed at the distal end of the second sidewall 62 adjacent to the gap 64. The hook 71 faces inward toward the central cavity 72. A guide rail 65 is disposed in the top section 63 and extends into a groove 66 via an inclined guide groove 67. The groove 66 opens to the interior of the device 60 via an opening 68 to allow attachment of a rope 80, such as... Figure 17 As shown in the image.

[0054] A protrusion 69 is positioned at the distal end of the guide rail 65, creating a region with reduced width within the guide rail 65. A groove 77 extending into the guide rail 65 is formed in the top section 63, the groove 77 facilitating the retention of the spring insert 30 in place. The spring insert 30 is similar to the one described above. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The spring insert 30 described herein is identical. The corresponding groove 78 is located on the opposite surface of the top section 63.

[0055] With Figures 6 to 9 The spring insert 30 is assembled onto the device 60 in the same manner as shown. The spring insert 30 is slid into the guide rail 65 via the opening 68, then fed into the guide groove 67 and upward into the guide rail 65. The spring insert 30 is then slid along the guide rail 65 until it reaches the distal end, where it passes through the protrusion 69 under increased force to reach the end of the guide rail 65.

[0056] The protrusion 69 prevents the spring insert 30 from sliding back along the guide rail 65 during use of the device 60. Figure 15 and Figure 15A As shown, the extension 33 of the spring insert 30 rests in the groove 77 of the top section 63, and the corresponding groove 78 on the rear side of the top section 63 also receives the extension 34.

[0057] In the resting state, the spring insert 30 rests in the hook 71 to hold the spring insert 30 in place, such as Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown in the diagram. In the locked position, the extensions 33 and 34 of the spring insert 30 are firmly pressed against the top section 63 within the grooves 77 and 78, and the resulting spring tension forces the spring insert 30 into the hook 71 to close the gap 64. Figure 16 As shown, the inner cavity 72 can be accessed by pressing the spring insert 30 inward to overcome the spring force generated by the extensions 33, 34 abutting against the grooves 77, 78 in the top section 63. When access is no longer needed, the spring insert 30 naturally swings back to the locked position.

[0058] In use, such as Figure 17 As shown, rope 80 is placed in slot 66, and another object 85 (such as a hook) is attached to the bottom of device 60. The stress in the opposite direction caused by pulling rope 80 in one direction and object 85 in the opposite direction compresses guide rail 65, thereby pulling the top section upward and securing spring insert 30 more tightly in hook 71. An additional protrusion 79 is provided in the top section 63, extending into guide rail 65 near guide slot 67 to prevent excessive deformation of the top section 63 under high stress.

[0059] Figures 18 to 20 Another embodiment of the invention is shown below. Here, instead of a triangular ring, the device 90 is in the form of a hook-and-lock clamp. The device 90 has a first sidewall 91, a second sidewall 92, and a top section 93, which is spaced apart from the second sidewall 92 by a gap 94. A hook 95 is located at the distal end of the second sidewall 92 adjacent to the gap 94. The hook 95 faces the interior 96 of the device 90. A guide rail 97 is located in the top section 93 and extends in a curved manner along the shape of the top section 93 toward the first sidewall 91. The guide rail 97 is curved around the interior 96 and opens into the interior 96 at the end of a support wall 98 that extends inward from the first sidewall 91.

[0060] At once Figures 1 to 12 as well as Figures 13 to 17 In one embodiment, the same spring insert 30 as in these embodiments is disposed in the guide rail 97 and is spring-pressed to be pressed into the hook 95 to hold the device 90 in the locked position. Figures 13 to 17 In the implementation scheme, the extensions 33 and 34 of the spring insert 30 press against the abutment grooves 77 and 78 to press the spring insert outward, causing the abutment hook 95 to press the spring insert into the locked position. To open the gap 94, the user uses a method sufficient to overcome... Figure 19The outward spring force shown presses the spring insert 30 inward to allow an object to be clamped into the device 90. When the object is in the appropriate position, the user simply releases the spring insert 30 and the spring insert 30 moves back to its original position. Figure 20 The locking position is shown in the figure.

[0061] At once Figures 1 to 12 and Figures 13 to 17 In one embodiment, the device 90 is further equipped with a protrusion 99 on the distal end of the guide rail 97 to hold the spring insert in place at the distal end. Additional protrusions may also be supplied for further securing. Another protrusion 990 is provided at the proximal end of the guide rail 97 to prevent excessive deformation of the components from stresses from an object (not shown) clamped to the device 90 or from the rope 80. This other protrusion 990... Figures 1 to 12 and Figures 13 to 17 The protrusion shown in the implementation scheme is similar.

[0062] To secure the rope 80 to the device 90, a rope securing device 920 can be pivotally attached to the device 90 via a post 930 connected to the top section 93. The rope securing device 920 is in the form of an open rectangle with a rope receiving groove 940. Other types and shapes of devices may also be used.

[0063] The present invention provides a simple and robust method for providing a locking system in which the spring plate can resist deformation even under large loads.

[0064] Therefore, although only a few embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A fixture, characterized in that include: The main body has a first sidewall and a second sidewall; A top section, the top section being connected to the body at the first sidewall, and wherein a gap is formed between the distal end of the top section and the second sidewall, wherein the top section has a guide rail extending longitudinally through the top section, the guide rail having an opening to a space leading to the outside of the top section; A hook, the hook being formed on the second sidewall facing the first sidewall; A spring insert, the spring insert being in the shape of an overlapping ring at the ends, the spring insert being configured to be assembled with the body by inserting the spring insert into the guide rail and sliding the spring insert to the far end of the guide rail; The spring insert is configured to press into the hook in a resting position to lock the gap between the second sidewall and the top section, and the gap is opened by pressing the spring insert inward to release it from the hook.

2. The fixture of claim 1, wherein The top section also includes a groove for receiving ropes, wherein the groove has an opening leading to the space between the sidewalls.

3. The fixture of claim 1, wherein At the distal end of the guide rail, there is at least one protrusion extending into the guide rail to retain the spring insert at the distal end of the guide rail.

4. The fixture of claim 3, wherein It also includes a reinforcing protrusion that extends into the guide rail at one end opposite to the at least one protrusion.

5. The fixture of claim 1, wherein The end portion of the spring insert has an extension that is perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the spring insert and extends in opposite directions.

6. The fixture of claim 5, wherein The top section includes a groove communicating with the guide rail, the groove being configured to receive the extension of the spring insert when the spring insert is positioned at the distal end of the guide rail, such that a force on the top section away from the body presses the extension deeper into the groove to prevent the spring insert from opening.

7. The fixture of claim 2, wherein The guide rail is connected to the slot at an angle relative to the longitudinal extension of the guide rail.

8. The fixture of claim 2, wherein It also includes a rope passing through the groove and extending around the top section, wherein tension on the rope away from the body presses against the top section and compresses the guide rail.

9. The fixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spring insert is formed of metal wire.

10. The fixture of claim 1, wherein It also includes a rope retainer pivotally connected to the top section, the rope retainer having a central groove for receiving rope.

11. The fixture of claim 1, wherein The guide rail has a curved shape.

12. The fixture of claim 11, wherein, The guide rail is formed by a top section and a support rod, the top section extending toward the first sidewall, the support rod extending from the first sidewall toward the opening and parallel to the top section, and wherein the space between the top section and the support rod leads to the guide rail.

Images