A lock tongue assembly and a lock

Abstract

The application discloses a lock tongue assembly and a lock, both of which comprise: a first shell, the first shell being provided with a dial wheel; a second shell, the second shell being telescopically arranged along the length direction of the first shell, and the end of the second shell away from the first shell being telescopically provided with a tongue body; and a driving assembly, the driving assembly being slidingly arranged between the first shell and the second shell, the driving assembly comprising a first driving member and a second driving member arranged along the sliding direction of the driving assembly, the first driving member and the second driving member being respectively connected with the dial wheel and the tongue body, the first driving member and the second driving member being connected through a telescopic adjusting mechanism to adjust the length size of the driving assembly, and the telescopic adjusting mechanism being capable of preventing the relative movement of the first driving member and the second driving member to shorten the length size of the driving assembly. The lock tongue assembly and the lock with the above structure adjust the length size of the driving assembly by using the telescopic adjusting mechanism to adjust the center distance of the lock tongue assembly, the adjustment convenience is high, and the lock tongue assembly is suitable for being used with a latch bolt and a dead bolt, and the universality is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of lock-related technology, and in particular to a bolt assembly and a lock. Background Technology

[0002] The latch assembly is the main mechanism that enables a door lock to open or close. Different center distances between the latch wheel and the latch body define different installation specifications for latch assemblies; currently, the commonly used center distances for latch assemblies are 60mm and 70mm. In existing latches, the length is generally fixed and cannot be adjusted, making it unsuitable for installations with varying center distance requirements.

[0003] Among them, the latch assembly has two types of tongues: beveled and fixed. To solve the problem of the non-adjustable center distance of the latch assembly, since the fixed tongue does not use a spring mechanism, an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the center distance of the fixed tongue has emerged in related technologies. This adjustment mechanism has a complex structure, often requiring professional personnel for installation and debugging, and the dimensional accuracy and stability of the length after center distance adjustment are relatively low. Moreover, because the beveled tongue uses a spring mechanism, this adjustment mechanism is often not compatible with beveled latch assemblies, resulting in low versatility. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, one objective of the present invention is to provide a locking bolt assembly that allows for convenient adjustment of the center distance and is applicable to both beveled and latched bolts, thereby improving versatility and ease of use; another objective is to provide a lock using the above-mentioned locking bolt assembly.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a latch assembly includes: a first housing, the first housing being rotatably provided with a dial; a second housing, which is telescopically disposed along the length direction of the first housing, and a tongue is telescopically disposed at one end of the second housing away from the first housing; and a drive assembly slidably disposed between the first housing and the second housing, the drive assembly including a first drive member and a second drive member arranged along its sliding direction, the first drive member and the second drive member being respectively connected to the dial and the tongue, the first drive member and the second drive member being connected by a telescopic adjustment mechanism to adjust the length of the drive assembly, and the telescopic adjustment mechanism being able to prevent the first drive member and the second drive member from moving relative to each other to shorten the length of the drive assembly.

[0006] A locking tongue assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0007] The first and second housings of the latch assembly described above can extend and retract relative to each other. By using the telescopic adjustment mechanism to connect the first drive component in the first housing and the second drive component in the second housing, the length of the drive assembly can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the distance between the latch body and the dial to adjust the center distance of the latch assembly. The adjustment is highly convenient. Moreover, since the first drive component and the second drive component are respectively connected to the dial and the latch body, it is suitable for adjusting the center distance of latch assemblies using angled latches and fixed latches, thus improving versatility.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the telescopic adjustment mechanism includes at least two stop slots spaced apart along the length direction of the drive assembly and a positioning member that engages with and separates from the stop slots. The stop slots are disposed in one of the first drive assembly and the second drive assembly, and the positioning member is movably disposed in the other of the first drive assembly and the second drive assembly. The positioning member is connected to an elastic member that drives it to engage with the stop slots.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the positioning member includes a swing arm rotatably disposed on the first driving member and a positioning post disposed on the swing arm, all the stop slots are spaced apart on the second driving member, the second driving member is provided with an adjustment guide groove that connects all the stop slots, the positioning post can slide back and forth along the adjustment guide groove to correspond to any of the stop slots, and the elastic member drives the swing arm to swing until the positioning post enters the corresponding stop slot.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the end of the stop groove near the tongue is provided with a stop surface perpendicular to the sliding direction of the drive assembly, and the other end of the stop groove is provided with an arc guide surface opposite to the stop surface. The arc guide surface and the stop surface of the other stop groove are connected through the adjustment guide groove. Anti-disengagement structures are provided between the first drive member and the first housing, and between the second drive member and the second housing.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the swing arm is circumferentially distributed with limiting grooves and positioning grooves at intervals around its rotation axis. The elastic member is an elastic pressure plate fixed at one end to the first driving member. The other end of the elastic pressure plate is provided with a hook. The hook can elastically contact the limiting groove and move within the limiting groove to allow the positioning post to enter and exit the stop groove. The hook can be engaged with the positioning groove to keep the positioning post in the adjusting guide groove and away from the stop groove.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the end of the adjusting guide groove away from the second driving member is provided with an unlocking groove, and the arcuate guide surface of the stop groove away from the second driving member is connected to the unlocking groove. The positioning post can move along the arcuate guide surface to the unlocking groove so that the hook is engaged with the positioning groove. The end of the adjusting guide groove near the second driving member is provided with an unlocking slope. When the positioning post moves along the adjusting guide groove to contact the unlocking slope, the hook disengages from the positioning groove and enters the limiting groove.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, the limiting groove is an L-shaped groove, and the positioning groove is a U-shaped groove. The L-shaped groove includes a short side planar segment pointing to the rotation axis of the swing arm and a long side planar segment orthogonal to the short side planar segment. The end of the long side planar segment is connected to one side of the U-shaped groove through an arc transition surface. The hook passes through the long side planar segment and the arc transition surface in sequence to enter the U-shaped groove, and the hook can move along the inner sidewall of the U-shaped groove to the arc transition surface.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the dial wheel includes a cylinder with a transmission groove in the middle and a cam portion that is approximately semi-circular on the outer peripheral wall of the cylinder. Both ends of the cam portion have coplanar driving planes. The first driving member has a contoured arc groove adapted to the outer peripheral wall of the cylinder. The side wall of the first driving member near the dial wheel can simultaneously contact two driving planes. A rotation-limiting structure is provided between the cylinder and the first housing, and a slip-limiting structure is provided between the first driving member and the first housing. The first driving member is connected to a long extension parallel to the sliding direction of the driving assembly. The swing arm is rotatably disposed at the end of the long extension. The second driving member includes a U-shaped groove. The long extension slides within the groove, and the swing arm is located within the groove. Each of the opposite side walls of the groove is provided with an adjustment guide groove and several corresponding stop grooves. The positioning pin passes through the opposite side walls of the groove.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, the tongue is a slanted tongue, and a spring member is connected between the second housing and the slanted tongue to drive the slanted tongue to extend out of the second housing. A rotating arm is rotatably disposed inside the second housing. One end of the rotating arm is movably connected to the slanted tongue, and the other end of the rotating arm is in contact with the end of the second driving member. The dial rotates to push the driving assembly to slide toward the slanted tongue, thereby driving the rotating arm to rotate and drive the slanted tongue to retract.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a lock includes a latch assembly employing any of the above-described technical solutions. Locks employing the above-described latch assemblies facilitate adjustment of the center distance of the latch assembly and are suitable for use with beveled latches and straight latches, thus improving versatility.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The above or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the locking tongue assembly of the present invention when the center distance is at its minimum and the assembly is in a locked state.

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structural breakdown of the embodiment;

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the latch assembly in the unlocked state according to the embodiment;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the locking tongue assembly of the present invention when the center distance is at its maximum value and the assembly is in a locked state.

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the latch assembly in the embodiment;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a structure of an embodiment combining a first driving member, a second driving member, and a telescopic adjustment mechanism.

[0025] Figure label:

[0026] First housing 100; dial wheel 200; cylinder 210; transmission groove 220; cam part 230; drive plane 231; second housing 300; tongue 400; drive assembly 500; first drive member 510; contoured arc groove 511; long strip extension 512; second drive member 520; adjustment guide groove 521; unlocking groove 522; unlocking slope 523; telescopic adjustment mechanism 600; stop groove 610; stop surface 611; arc guide surface 612; positioning member 620; swing arm 621; positioning post 622; limit groove 623; positioning groove 624; arc transition surface 625; elastic member 630; hook part 631; rotating arm 700; rotation limiting structure 810; slip limiting structure 820. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0028] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, features defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0029] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0030] Reference Figures 1 to 4According to an embodiment of the present invention, a latching tongue assembly includes: a first housing 100, wherein a dial 200 is rotatably provided on the first housing 100; a second housing 300, which is telescopically disposed along the length direction of the first housing 100, wherein a tongue 400 is telescopically disposed at one end of the second housing 300 away from the first housing 100; and a driving assembly 500, which is slidably disposed between the first housing 100 and the second housing 300. The driving assembly 500 includes a first driving member 510 and a second driving member 520 arranged along its sliding direction. The first driving member 510 and the second driving member 520 are respectively connected to the dial 200 and the tongue 400. The first driving member 510 and the second driving member 520 are connected by a telescopic adjustment mechanism 600 to adjust the length of the driving assembly 500, and the telescopic adjustment mechanism 600 can prevent the first driving member 510 and the second driving member 520 from moving relative to each other to shorten the length of the driving assembly 500.

[0031] The first housing 100 and the second housing 300 of the latch assembly described above can extend and retract relative to each other. By using the telescopic adjustment mechanism 600 to connect the first drive member 510 in the first housing 100 and the second drive member 520 in the second housing 300, the length of the drive assembly 500 can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the distance between the latch body 400 and the dial 200 to adjust the center distance of the latch assembly. The adjustment is highly convenient. Moreover, since the first drive member 510 and the second drive member 520 are respectively connected to the dial 200 and the latch body 400, it is suitable for adjusting the center distance of latch assemblies using oblique latches and rigid latches, thus improving versatility.

[0032] It should be noted that when the telescopic adjustment mechanism 600 extends or shortens the distance between the first driving member 510 and the second driving member 520, the relative position of the first driving member 510 within the first housing 100 does not need to change; that is, the connection between the first driving member 510 and the dial wheel 200 remains unchanged. Similarly, the relative position of the second driving member 520 within the second housing 300 does not need to change; that is, the connection between the second driving member 520 and the tongue 400 remains unchanged. After the telescopic adjustment mechanism 600 adjusts the length of the drive assembly 500, the door lock's drive lever drives the dial wheel 200 to rotate, thereby causing the first driving member 510 and the second driving member 520 to move together toward or away from the tongue 400. Then, the linkage structure between the second driving member 520 and the tongue 400 is used to retract the tongue 400 relative to the second housing 300, thus achieving the unlocking function. Furthermore, since the telescopic adjustment mechanism 600 can prevent the first drive member 510 and the second drive member 520 from moving relative to each other to shorten the length of the drive assembly 500, the second drive member 520 can maintain the length of the drive assembly 500 when applying force to the tongue 400, ensuring that the locking tongue assembly can always work normally.

[0033] Among them, see Figure 1 and Figure 4 In this embodiment, the second housing 300 is slidably disposed inside the first housing 100. When the length of the drive component 500 increases, the second housing 300 extends out of the first housing 100. When the length of the drive component 500 decreases, the second housing 300 retracts into the first housing 100.

[0034] See Figure 3 and Figure 5In some embodiments of the present invention, the telescopic adjustment mechanism 600 includes at least two stop slots 610 spaced apart along the length direction of the drive assembly 500 and a positioning member 620 that engages with and separates from the stop slots 610. The stop slots 610 are disposed in one of the first drive assembly 510 and the second drive assembly 520, and the positioning member 620 is movably disposed in the other of the first drive assembly 510 and the second drive assembly 520. The positioning member 620 is connected to an elastic member 630 that drives it to engage with the stop slots 610. Understandably, under the elastic force applied by the elastic member 630 to the positioning member 620, the positioning member 620 enters one of the stop grooves 610, thereby fixing the relative position between the first driving member 510 and the second driving member 520, thus forming a driving assembly 500 with a fixed length. When it is necessary to adjust the center distance of the latch assembly, it is only necessary to overcome the force of the elastic member 630 to make the positioning member 620 disengage from the stop groove 610 and move to another stop groove 610. Under the action of the elastic member 630, it re-engages with another stop groove 610, thereby forming a driving assembly 500 with a new length. Such a telescopic adjustment mechanism 600 is convenient to use and simple to operate. The combination of the positioning member 620 and each stop groove 610 corresponds to different center distance states of the latch assembly. Specifically, the inlet and outlet of the gear slot 610 face upwards, the drive assembly 500 is subjected to a reaction force from the dial wheel 200 and the tongue 400 in a generally horizontal direction, and the positioning member 620 abuts against the gear slot 610 and is not easily disengaged from the gear slot 610. Of course, in other embodiments, the telescopic adjustment mechanism 600 can also be replaced by a positioning pin or a fastening screw, which can be inserted into the first drive member 510 and the second drive member 520 to connect and fix the first drive member 510 and the second drive member 520.

[0035] See Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6In some embodiments of the present invention, the positioning member 620 includes a swing arm 621 rotatably disposed on the first driving member 510 and a positioning post 622 disposed on the swing arm 621. All the stop slots 610 are spaced apart on the second driving member 520. The second driving member 520 is provided with an adjustment guide groove 521 that connects all the stop slots 610. The positioning post 622 can slide back and forth along the adjustment guide groove 521 to correspond to any of the stop slots 610. The elastic member 630 drives the swing arm 621 to swing until the positioning post 622 enters the corresponding stop slot 610. Understandably, driven by the elastic element 630, the positioning post 622 on the swing arm 621 elastically abuts against one of the stop slots 610. When it is necessary to adjust the length of the drive assembly 500, the swing arm 621 is driven to swing so that the positioning post 622 leaves the stop slot 610 and enters the adjustment guide groove 521. Then, the positioning post 622 slides along the adjustment guide groove 521 to the vicinity of the other stop slot 610. At this time, no force is applied to the swing arm 621, and the swing arm 621 can be reset and swing under the action of the elastic element 630 so that the positioning post 622 enters the other stop slot 610, thereby realizing the quick adjustment of the length of the drive assembly 500. It should be noted that if the swing arm 621 is driven by external force to swing until the positioning post 622 leaves the stop groove 610, the following method can be used: the swing arm 621 is fixedly provided with a pivot, the swing arm 621 is rotatably provided on the first drive member 510 through the pivot, at least one end of the pivot extends out of the first housing 100 so that the user can rotate the pivot, and the first housing 100 is provided with an elongated through hole for the pivot to move through, the length direction of the elongated through hole is set along the sliding direction of the first drive member 510.

[0036] See Figure 5 and Figure 6In some embodiments of the present invention, the stop groove 610 is provided with a stop surface 611 perpendicular to the sliding direction of the drive assembly 500 at one end near the tongue 400, and the other end of the stop groove 610 is provided with an arc guide surface 612 opposite to the stop surface 611. The arc guide surface 612 and the stop surface 611 of the other stop groove 610 are connected through the adjustment guide groove 521. Anti-detachment structures are provided between the first drive member 510 and the first housing 100, and between the second drive member 520 and the second housing 300. It should be noted that when the drive lever of the door lock drives the dial 200 to rotate, the dial 200 rotates to push the drive assembly 500 to move toward the tongue 400. The tongue 400 reacts to the second drive member 520 so that the second drive member 520 has a tendency to move closer to the first drive member 510. At this time, the stop surface 611 can abut against the positioning post 622 to prevent the second drive member 520 and the first drive member 510 from getting close to each other, thus preventing the length of the drive assembly 500 from becoming shorter, thereby ensuring that the lock tongue assembly can unlock normally. Due to the presence of the anti-detachment structure, the first driving member 510 cannot completely detach from the first housing 100 while it can slide relative to the first housing 100, and the second driving member 520 cannot completely detach from the second housing 300 while it can slide relative to the second housing 300. When it is necessary to extend the length of the driving assembly 500, it is only necessary to drive the second housing 300 to stretch outward relative to the first housing 100, which will cause the second driving member 520 to extend relative to the first driving member 510. The positioning post 622 climbs upward along the arc guide surface 612 of the stop groove 610, the swing arm 621 swings upward, the positioning post 622 leaves the original stop groove 610 and slides along the adjustment guide groove 521 to align with the inlet and outlet of another stop groove 610. Under the action of the elastic member 630, the swing arm 621 swings downward to allow the positioning post 622 to enter the other stop groove 610, thereby realizing the extension adjustment of the length of the driving assembly 500. There is no need to manually unlock the angle position of the swing arm 621, which is very convenient to use and has a very ingenious structure.

[0037] See Figure 6In some embodiments of the present invention, the swing arm 621 is circumferentially distributed with limiting grooves 623 and positioning grooves 624 at intervals around its rotation axis. The elastic member 630 is an elastic pressure plate with one end fixed to the first driving member 510. The other end of the elastic pressure plate is provided with a hook 631. The hook 631 can elastically contact the limiting groove 623 and move within the limiting groove 623 to allow the positioning post 622 to enter and exit the stop groove 610. The hook 631 can be engaged with the positioning groove 624 to keep the positioning post 622 in the adjusting guide groove 521 and away from the stop groove 610. Understandably, when the length of the drive assembly 500 is extended, the second drive member 520 extends relative to the first drive member 510, the positioning post 622 climbs upward along the arc guide surface 612 of its location in the stop groove 610, the swing arm 621 swings upward, the positioning post 622 leaves its original location in the stop groove 610 and slides along the adjusting guide groove 521 to align with the inlet and outlet of another stop groove 610, and under the downward pressure of the elastic pressure plate, the positioning post 622 enters the other stop groove 610, thus extending the length of the drive assembly 500. Throughout the process, the hook 631 of the elastic pressure plate always moves within the limiting groove 623. When the swing arm 621 swings at a larger angle to make the hook 631 of the elastic pressure plate leave the limiting groove 623 and enter the positioning groove 624, the positioning post 622 remains away from all the stop grooves 610, preventing the positioning post 622 from accidentally falling into a stop groove 610 when sliding along the adjusting guide groove 521. This allows the positioning post 622 to move to the stop groove 610 closest to the tongue 400, thus shortening the length of the drive assembly 500 to its minimum size.

[0038] It should be noted that, in the aforementioned embodiments, although the length of the drive assembly 500 can be adjusted without manually unlocking the angle of the swing arm 621, manually unlocking and holding the angle of the swing arm 621 is required when shortening the length of the drive assembly 500, which is inconvenient to use. Therefore, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6In some embodiments of the present invention, the end of the adjusting guide groove 521 away from the second driving member 520 is provided with an unlocking groove 522, and the arcuate guide surface 612 of the stop groove 610 away from the second driving member 520 is connected to the unlocking groove 522. The positioning post 622 can move along the arcuate guide surface 612 to the unlocking groove 522 so that the hook 631 is engaged with the positioning groove 624. The end of the adjusting guide groove 521 near the second driving member 520 is provided with an unlocking slope 523. When the positioning post 622 moves along the adjusting guide groove 521 to contact the unlocking slope 523, the hook 631 disengages from the positioning groove 624 and enters the limiting groove 623. Specifically, the lowest height of the unlocking groove 522 is located above the lowest height of the adjusting guide groove 521. When the positioning post 622 is located in the stop groove 610 away from the second driving member 520, the center distance of the latch assembly is at its maximum. If it is necessary to adjust the center distance of the latch assembly to its minimum, simply continue to drive the second housing 300 to stretch outward relative to the first housing 100. When the positioning post 622 moves along the arc guide surface 612 to the unlocking groove 522, the swing arm 621 deflects at a large angle so that the hook 631 can be engaged in the positioning groove 624. At this time, the angle position of the swing arm 621 remains unchanged. Then, drive the second housing 300 to retract relative to the first housing 100. The positioning post 622 moves along the adjusting guide groove 521 to contact the unlocking slope 523. The swing arm 621 rotates so that the hook 631 disengages from the positioning groove 624. Under the action of the elastic pressure plate, the positioning post 622 can return to the stop groove 610 closest to the tongue body 400, and the center distance of the latch assembly is adjusted to its minimum.

[0039] See Figure 6 In some embodiments of the present invention, the limiting groove 623 is an L-shaped groove, and the positioning groove 624 is a U-shaped groove. The L-shaped groove includes a short side planar segment pointing to the rotation axis of the swing arm 621 and a long side planar segment orthogonal to the short side planar segment. The end of the long side planar segment is connected to one side of the U-shaped groove through an arc transition surface 625. The hook 631 passes through the long side planar segment and the arc transition surface 625 in sequence to enter the U-shaped groove, and the hook 631 can move along the inner sidewall of the U-shaped groove to the arc transition surface 625. When the second housing 300 moves away from the first housing 100, the second drive member 520 extends relative to the first drive member 510 to extend the length of the drive assembly 500. The positioning post 622 reciprocates between the adjusting guide groove 521 and each stop groove 610. The hook 631 is always located in the L-shaped groove. The long side plane section provides a sufficiently large contact area for the displacement of the hook 631. The arc transition surface 625 assists the hook 631 to smoothly enter the U-shaped groove and facilitates the hook 631 to return from the U-shaped groove to the L-shaped groove.

[0040] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some embodiments of the present invention, the dial 200 includes a cylinder 210, a transmission groove 220 in the middle of the cylinder 210, and a cam portion 230 in a generally semi-circular shape on the outer peripheral wall of the cylinder 210. Both ends of the cam portion 230 are respectively provided with coplanar driving planes 231. The first driving member 510 has a contoured arc groove 511 adapted to the outer peripheral wall of the cylinder 210. The side wall of the first driving member 510 near the dial 200 can simultaneously contact two driving planes 231. A rotation-limiting structure 810 is provided between the cylinder 210 and the first housing 100, and a slip-limiting structure 820 is provided between the first driving member 510 and the first housing 100. See also... Figure 5 and Figure 6 The first driving member 510 is connected to a long strip extension 512 parallel to the sliding direction of the driving assembly 500. The swing arm 621 is rotatably disposed at the end of the long strip extension 512. The second driving member 520 includes a U-shaped groove. The long strip extension 512 is slidably disposed in the groove and the swing arm 621 is located within the groove. Each of the opposite side walls of the groove is provided with an adjustment guide groove 521 and several corresponding stop grooves 610. The positioning post 622 passes through the opposite side walls of the groove. Understandably, when the tongue 400 extends, the first driving member 510 contacts both driving surfaces 231 near the side wall of the dial 200, preventing the dial 200 from rotating easily. When the driving rod on the lock, passing through the transmission groove 220, drives the dial 200 to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise, the cam 230 contacts one of the driving surfaces 231 to push the first driving member 510 and the second driving member 520 to move towards the tongue 400. The second driving member 520 retracts the tongue 400 through a linkage structure, and the dial 200 only needs to rotate a small angle to unlock. The elongated extension 512, slidably disposed in the groove, also serves as a guide during extension and retraction adjustment, and contributes to the compactness of the structural layout. The rotation limiting structure 810 is used to limit the rotation angle of the dial 200. In this embodiment, the rotation limiting structure 810 includes an arcuate hole axially disposed in the first housing 100 surrounding the cylinder 210 and a first guide portion disposed in the dial 200 and reciprocating within the arcuate hole. The sliding limiting structure 820 is used to limit the sliding stroke of the first driving member 510. In this embodiment, the sliding limiting structure 820 includes an oblong hole disposed in the first housing 100 and a second guide portion disposed in the first driving member 510 and reciprocating within the oblong hole. The rotation limiting structure 810 and the sliding limiting structure 820 are common structures in the art and will not be described further here.

[0041] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some embodiments of the present invention, the tongue 400 is a slanted tongue, and a spring member is connected between the second housing 300 and the slanted tongue to drive the slanted tongue to extend out of the second housing 300. A rotating arm 700 is rotatably disposed inside the second housing 300. One end of the rotating arm 700 is movably connected to the slanted tongue, and the other end of the rotating arm 700 is in contact with the end of the second driving member 520. The dial 200 rotates to push the driving assembly 500 to slide toward the slanted tongue, thereby driving the rotating arm 700 to rotate to drive the slanted tongue to retract. Specifically, the lower end of the rotating arm 700 hooks into the pre-set mounting slot of the latch, and the spring drives the latch to extend while the upper end of the rotating arm 700 abuts against the end of the second drive member 520. When the dial 200 rotates to push the first drive member 510 and the second drive member 520 to move together toward the latch, the second drive member 520 drives the rotating arm 700 to rotate so that the lower end of the rotating arm 700 drags the latch back, thereby unlocking.

[0042] The present invention also discloses a lock, including a latch assembly using the above-described method. Locks using this latch assembly facilitate adjustment of the center distance of the latch assembly and are suitable for use with both angled and straight latches, thus improving versatility.

[0043] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0044] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A locking tongue assembly, characterized in that, include: A first housing, wherein a dial is rotatably provided on the first housing; The second housing is telescopically provided along the length of the first housing, and a tongue is telescopically provided at the end of the second housing away from the first housing; A drive assembly is slidably disposed between the first housing and the second housing. The drive assembly includes a first drive member and a second drive member arranged along its sliding direction. The first drive member and the second drive member are respectively connected to the dial and the tongue. The first drive member and the second drive member are connected by a telescopic adjustment mechanism to adjust the length of the drive assembly. The telescopic adjustment mechanism can prevent the first drive member and the second drive member from moving relative to each other to shorten the length of the drive assembly. The telescopic adjustment mechanism includes at least two stop slots spaced apart along the length direction of the drive assembly and a positioning member that engages with and separates from the stop slots. The stop slots are located in one of the first drive assembly and the second drive assembly, and the positioning member is movably located in the other of the first drive assembly and the second drive assembly. The positioning member is connected to an elastic member that drives it to engage with the stop slot. The positioning element includes a swing arm rotatably mounted on the first driving element and a positioning post mounted on the swing arm. All the stop slots are spaced apart on the second driving element. The second driving element is provided with an adjustment guide groove that connects all the stop slots. The positioning post can slide back and forth along the adjustment guide groove to correspond to any of the stop slots. The elastic element drives the swing arm to swing until the positioning post enters the corresponding stop slot. The stop groove is provided with a stop surface perpendicular to the sliding direction of the drive assembly at one end near the tongue, and an arc guide surface opposite to the stop surface at the other end of the stop groove. The arc guide surface and the stop surface of the other stop groove are connected through the adjustment guide groove. Anti-disengagement structures are provided between the first drive member and the first housing, and between the second drive member and the second housing. The swing arm is circumferentially distributed with limiting grooves and positioning grooves at intervals around its rotation axis. The elastic element is an elastic pressure plate fixed at one end to the first driving element. The other end of the elastic pressure plate is provided with a hook. The hook can elastically contact the limiting groove and move within the limiting groove to allow the positioning post to enter and exit the stop groove. The hook can be engaged with the positioning groove to keep the positioning post in the adjusting guide groove and away from the stop groove.

2. A locking tongue assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end of the adjusting guide groove away from the second driving member is provided with an unlocking groove. The arc-shaped guide surface of the stop groove away from the second driving member is connected to the unlocking groove. The positioning post can move along the arc-shaped guide surface to the unlocking groove so that the hook is engaged with the positioning groove. The end of the adjusting guide groove near the second driving member is provided with an unlocking slope. When the positioning post moves along the adjusting guide groove to contact the unlocking slope, the hook disengages from the positioning groove and enters the limiting groove.

3. A locking tongue assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The limiting groove is an L-shaped groove, and the positioning groove is a U-shaped groove. The L-shaped groove includes a short side planar segment pointing to the rotation axis of the swing arm and a long side planar segment orthogonal to the short side planar segment. The end of the long side planar segment is connected to one side of the U-shaped groove through an arc transition surface. The hook passes through the long side planar segment and the arc transition surface in sequence to enter the U-shaped groove, and the hook can move along the inner sidewall of the U-shaped groove to the arc transition surface.

4. A locking tongue assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dial wheel includes a cylinder with a transmission groove in the middle and a cam portion on the outer peripheral wall. Both ends of the cam portion have coplanar driving planes. The first driving member has a contoured arc groove adapted to the outer peripheral wall of the cylinder. The side wall of the first driving member near the dial wheel can simultaneously contact two driving planes. A rotation-limiting structure is provided between the cylinder and the first housing, and a slip-limiting structure is provided between the first driving member and the first housing. The first driving member is connected to a long extension parallel to the sliding direction of the driving assembly. The swing arm is rotatably disposed at the end of the long extension. The second driving member includes a U-shaped groove. The long extension slides within the groove, and the swing arm is located within the groove. Each of the opposite side walls of the groove is provided with an adjustment guide groove and several corresponding stop grooves. The positioning pin passes through the opposite side walls of the groove.

5. A locking tongue assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tongue is a slanted tongue. A spring is connected between the second housing and the slanted tongue to drive the slanted tongue to extend out of the second housing. A rotating arm is rotatably disposed inside the second housing. One end of the rotating arm is movably connected to the slanted tongue, and the other end of the rotating arm is in contact with the end of the second driving member. The dial rotates to push the driving assembly to slide toward the slanted tongue, thereby driving the rotating arm to rotate and drive the slanted tongue to retract.

6. A lock, characterized in that, Includes a latch assembly according to any one of claims 1-5.

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