Locking device

Abstract

The invention discloses a locking device. The locking device comprises a shell; the column is inserted into the shell and can move between a locking position and an unlocking position relative to the shell in the vertical direction, and at least part of the column is located outside the shell at the locking position; the sliding block at least partially accommodates the column and can move between a free position and an acting position relative to the shell in the longitudinal direction; the first end of the connecting rod is pivotally connected to the column, and the second end of the connecting rod is pivotally connected to the sliding block, so that the movement of the sliding block is converted into the movement of the sliding block through the connecting rod.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a locking device, in particular to a sliding locking device. Background Art

[0002] A locking device is a common device used to fix a first object to a second object or unlock a first object from a second object. In the use environment, there is a constant pursuit of miniaturization and modularization of locking devices. This requires continuous optimization of the structure of each component of the locking device and the connection relationship between the components on the basis of satisfying the necessary locking function and necessary strength of the locking device. Therefore, there are new challenges for the design of locking devices. Summary of the invention

[0003] A locking device according to the present application is characterized in that the locking device includes: a shell; a column, which is inserted into the shell and can move vertically relative to the shell between a locked position and an unlocked position, and the column is at least partially located outside the shell at the locked position; a slider, which at least partially accommodates the column and can move longitudinally relative to the shell between a free position and an active position; and a connecting rod, a first end of the connecting rod is pivotally connected to the column, and a second end of the connecting rod is pivotally connected to the slider, so that the movement of the slider is converted into the movement of the slider through the connecting rod.

[0004] In one embodiment, the pivot axis of the first end of the connecting rod and the pivot axis of the second end of the connecting rod are both substantially perpendicular to the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction.

[0005] In one embodiment, when the column is in each position, the first end of the connecting rod is closer to the unlocking position in the vertical direction and closer to the acting position in the longitudinal direction than the second end of the connecting rod.

[0006] In one embodiment, the slider includes: a bottom wall; two side walls opposite to each other, extending vertically from two side edges of the bottom wall respectively; wherein a receiving groove is formed between the bottom wall and the side walls to accommodate the connecting rod, the second end of the connecting rod is located in the receiving groove, and when the column is in the locking position, the first end of the connecting rod is at least partially located in the receiving groove.

[0007] In one embodiment, each of the side walls is respectively provided with: a side wall hole, located close to the bottom wall, allowing the second end of the connecting rod to be pivotally connected to the slider; a positioning portion, located at the top end of each side wall and extending along the longitudinal direction, constructed to abut against the first end of the connecting rod.

[0008] In one embodiment, each of the side walls is further provided with: a tapered groove extending from each of the side wall holes to the top of the slider, and the vertical dimension of the tapered groove gradually increases from the side wall hole to the top.

[0009] In one embodiment, the connecting rod includes: a connecting rod body, the first end and the second end are respectively located at two ends of the connecting rod body; the first end includes two forked portions spaced apart in the transverse direction, the head of the column is inserted between the two forked portions, and a pin pivotally connects the head to the first end.

[0010] In one embodiment, a thickened portion is respectively provided on the outer side of each fork portion of the first end, the thickened portion surrounds the pin and has a thickness greater than that of the connecting rod body; the extension range of the pin does not exceed the thickened portion.

[0011] In one embodiment, when the post is in the locked position, the thickened portion abuts against a positioning portion of a side wall of the slider.

[0012] In one embodiment, a pivot shaft is provided at the second end of the connecting rod, and the pivot shaft extends outward in the transverse direction from both sides of the second end and is inserted into the side wall hole of the side wall; the pivot shaft is integrally formed with the connecting rod or is an independent component inserted into the connecting rod.

[0013] In one embodiment, the shell includes: an upper surface, in which a shell hole is opened, and the column passes through the shell hole, so that the column can move along the vertical direction relative to the shell but cannot rotate; a lower surface, in which an elastic member accommodating portion is opened, in which an elastic member is accommodated, and the elastic member biases the column toward the locking position relative to the shell.

[0014] In one embodiment, the bottom wall of the sliding block abuts against the upper surface of the housing and slides along the upper surface.

[0015] In one embodiment, the column includes: a head, which is close to the unlocking position and pivotally connected to the first end of the connecting rod; a tail, which is close to the locking position, and the tail has a size larger than the head in a cross-section perpendicular to the vertical direction, so that the head can pass through the shell hole and the tail can enter the elastic member accommodating portion but cannot pass through the shell hole; one end of the elastic member abuts against the top end of the elastic member accommodating portion, and the other end abuts against the tail. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figures 1A to 1F They are respectively a front view, a rear view, a left view, a right view, a top view, and a bottom view of the locking device according to the present application, Figure 1G and Figure 1HThey are three-dimensional images of the locking device at different angles;

[0017] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the locking device;

[0018] Figure 3A and Figure 3B They are three-dimensional views of the housing of the locking device at different angles;

[0019] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a column of the locking device;

[0020] Figure 5A and Figure 5B They are three-dimensional images of the slider of the locking device at different angles;

[0021] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B They are three-dimensional views of the connecting rod of the locking device at different angles;

[0022] Fig. 7A is a top view of the locking device in a locked state;

[0023] Figure 7B is corresponding to Fig. 7A State side view;

[0024] Figure 7C is along Fig. 7A The cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

[0025] Fig. 8A is a top view of the locking device in an unlocked state;

[0026] Figure 8B is corresponding to Fig. 8A State side view;

[0027] Figure 8C is along Fig. 8A Cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG.

[0028] List of reference numerals:

[0029] 100 Locking device

[0030] 110 Housing

[0031] 111 Upper surface

[0032] 112 Shell hole

[0033] 113 Lower surface

[0034] 114 elastic member receiving portion

[0035] 115 Installation

[0036] 120 columns

[0037] 121 Head

[0038] 122 tail

[0039] 123 post hole

[0040] 130 Sliders

[0041] 131 bottom wall

[0042] 133 Sidewall

[0043] 134 Sidewall holes

[0044] 135 Conical groove

[0045] 136 Positioning Department

[0046] 137 Pushing part

[0047] 138 Hollow

[0048] 139 Storage Tank

[0049] 140 Connecting rod

[0050] 141 First End

[0051] 142 Second End

[0052] 143 Connecting rod body

[0053] 144 bifurcation

[0054] 145 Thickening

[0055] 146 Pivot shaft

[0056] 150 Pins

[0057] 160 Elastic parts DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] While the invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to particular embodiments, the invention should not be limited to the details shown, rather various modifications may be made to the details within the range and scope of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the invention.

[0059] The descriptions of directions such as “front”, “back”, “up” and “down” in this document are only for the convenience of understanding. The present invention is not limited to these directions but can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0060] Reference Figures 1A to 2The locking device 100 according to the present application is described as a whole. The locking device 100 includes: a housing 110, a column 120, a slider 130, a connecting rod 140, a pin 150, and an elastic member 160. The housing 110 is used to install the locking device 100 to a first object (not shown), and the column 120 can extend from the housing 110 to engage with a second object (not shown) or retract into the housing 110 to disengage from the second object, so that the first object is locked to the second object or unlocked from the second object.

[0061] More specifically, the column 120 is inserted into the housing 110 and can move between a locked position and an unlocked position relative to the housing 110 in a vertical direction. The column 120 is at least partially located outside the housing 110 at the locked position so as to be engaged with a second object. The slider 130 at least partially accommodates the column 120 and can move between a free position and an active position relative to the housing 110 in a longitudinal direction. The first end 141 of the connecting rod 140 is pivotally connected to the column 120, and the second end 142 of the connecting rod 140 is pivotally connected to the slider 130, so that the movement of the slider 130 is converted into the movement of the slider 130 through the connecting rod 140. The pin 150 is used to pivotally connect the column 120 to the connecting rod 140. The elastic member 160 is used to bias the column 120 toward the locked position. The specific structure and operation mode of each component will be described in detail below.

[0062] For ease of understanding, the moving direction of the column 120 is referred to as the vertical direction, the moving direction of the slider 130 is referred to as the longitudinal direction, and the extending direction of the pivot axis 146 of the connecting rod 140 is referred to as the transverse direction. However, it should be understood that the names of these directions do not limit the position and installation direction of the locking device 100 of the present application. Moreover, the vertical, longitudinal and transverse directions do not have to be strictly perpendicular to each other, but can be at a certain angle.

[0063] Reference FIG. 3A to FIG. 3B The specific structure of the housing 110 is described.

[0064] The housing 110 is in the shape of a column extending vertically, and has an upper surface 111 and a lower surface 113. A housing hole 112 is provided in the upper surface 111, and the column 120 passes through the housing hole 112, so that the column 120 can move vertically relative to the housing 110 but cannot rotate. For example, the housing hole 112 can be set as a non-circular hole, and the head 121 of the column 120 has a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the housing hole 112 ( Figure 4 The lower surface 113 of the housing 110 defines an elastic member receiving portion 114 in which an elastic member 160 is received, so that the elastic member 160 biases the column 120 toward a locking position relative to the housing 110 .

[0065] The cross-sectional area of ​​the elastic member accommodating portion 114 on a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction can be larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the housing hole 112, so that the elastic member accommodating portion 114 forms a space with a large opening at the lower end and a small opening at the upper end. The housing 110 can also be provided with a mounting portion 115, which is specifically, for example, arranged around the elastic member accommodating portion 114 and extending downward from the lower surface 113. The mounting portion 115 is used to mount the housing 110 to a first object (not shown). The mounting portion 115 can be a riveted edge, or a plug-in portion, a welding portion, etc. According to actual installation requirements, the position and form of the mounting portion 115 can be changed accordingly.

[0066] In the present embodiment, the side surface of the housing 110 is formed as a cylindrical surface. However, in other embodiments, the side surface of the housing 110 may also be formed as an elliptical, prismatic surface, etc.

[0067] In this embodiment, the upper surface 111 and the lower surface 113 of the housing 110 are parallel to each other. However, in other embodiments, the upper surface 111 and the lower surface 113 of the housing 110 may be inclined relative to each other or may be formed as a curved surface.

[0068] Reference Figure 4 The specific structure of the pillar 120 is described.

[0069] The column 120 is in the shape of a rod extending substantially in the vertical direction, and includes a head 121 and a tail 122. The head 121 is close to the upper end (i.e., the unlocked position) and is pivotally connected to the first end 141 of the connecting rod 140. A column hole 123 is provided at the head 121 to allow the pin 150 to pivotally connect the head 121 to the first end 141 of the connecting rod 140. The tail 122 is close to the lower end (i.e., the locked position). The tail 122 has a size greater than the head 121 in a cross section perpendicular to the vertical direction, so that the head 121 can pass through the housing hole 112, and the tail 122 can enter the elastic member receiving portion 114 but cannot pass through the housing hole 112.

[0070] Reference Figure 5A and Figure 5B The specific structure of the slider 130 is described below. The slider 130 includes a bottom wall 131 , side walls 133 opposite to each other, a pressing portion 137 , and a hollow portion 138 .

[0071] The bottom wall 131 is located at the lower end of the slider 130. Two side walls 133 extend vertically upward from two side edges of the bottom wall 131. An accommodating groove 139 is formed between the bottom wall 131 and the side walls 133 to accommodate the connecting rod 140.

[0072] Each side wall 133 is respectively provided with a side wall hole 134 and a positioning portion 136. The side wall hole 134 is located near the bottom wall 131, allowing the second end 142 of the connecting rod 140 to be pivotally connected to the slider 130. The positioning portion 136 is located at the top end of each side wall 133 and extends in the longitudinal direction, and is configured to accommodate the first end 141 of the connecting rod 140.

[0073] More specifically, the positioning portion 136 is located at one end of the receiving groove 139 close to the action position (i.e. Figure 5A The side wall hole 134 is close to the end of the accommodating groove 139 close to the free position, and can be set as a through hole penetrating the side wall 133 or a blind hole located only inside the side wall 133. The positioning portion 136 is used to abut against the first end 141 of the connecting rod 140, more specifically, against the thickened portion 145 at the first end 141 (see Fig. 6A , Figure 6B ), so as to prevent the first end 141 and the column 120 connected to the first end 141 from moving beyond the locking position. In the present embodiment, the positioning portion 136 is configured as a groove recessed into the side wall 133. However, it should be understood that according to different settings of the locking position of the column 120, the positioning portion 136 may have different vertical depths, may be flush with the side wall 133 in the vertical direction, or may even extend vertically upward from the side wall 133 to form a protrusion.

[0074] Each side wall 133 may also be provided with a tapered groove 135. The tapered groove 135 extends from each side wall hole 134 to the top of the slider 130, and the vertical dimension of the tapered groove 135 gradually increases from the side wall hole 134 to the top. The tapered groove 135 is used to insert the second end 142 of the connecting rod 140 into the slider 130.

[0075] The slider 130 may have an end wall at the end near the free position, and a push portion 137 may be formed on the outer side of the end wall for operation. A hollow portion 138 may be formed between the push portion 137 and the receiving groove 139 to reduce weight.

[0076] Reference FIG. 6A to FIG. 6B The specific structure of the connecting rod 140 is described. The connecting rod 140 includes a connecting rod body 143, a first end 141, and a second end 142.

[0077] The connecting rod body 143 is generally rod-shaped. The first end 141 and the second end 142 are located at the two ends of the connecting rod body 143. The first end 141 includes two bifurcated portions 144 spaced apart in the transverse direction, and each bifurcated portion 144 is provided with a pin 150 hole. The head 121 of the column 120 is inserted between the two bifurcated portions 144, and the pin 150 pivotally connects the head 121 to the first end 141 (refer to Fig. 7A , Figure 7CThus, since the column 120 is located between the two bifurcated portions 144 in the lateral direction, the space occupied by the column 120 in the lateral direction can be reduced.

[0078] The outer side of each fork portion 144 of the first end 141 of the connecting rod 140 is respectively provided with a thickened portion 145, which surrounds the pin 150 and has a thickness greater than that of the connecting rod body 143. The extension range of the pin 150 does not exceed the thickened portion 145. When the column 120 is in the locked position, the thickened portion 145 abuts against the positioning portion 136 of the side wall 133 of the slider 130 (see Fig. 7A In this way, the side wall 133 of the slider 130 provides support for the connecting rod 140 and reduces the space occupied by the pin 150 in the lateral direction.

[0079] A pivot shaft 146 is disposed at the second end 142 of the connecting rod 140. The pivot shaft 146 extends outwardly from both sides of the second end 142 and is inserted into the side wall hole 134 of the side wall 133. The pivot shaft 146 is integrally formed with the connecting rod 140 or is an independent component inserted into the connecting rod 140.

[0080] The connection relationship between the various components of the locking device 100 according to the present application and the operation of the locking device 100 are now described.

[0081] First refer to FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C , which shows the locking device 100 in a locked state. The shell 110 is arranged vertically so that the upper surface 111 of the shell 110 is in the longitudinal and transverse planes. The slider 130 is arranged above the shell 110 and is adjacent to the upper surface 111 of the shell 110. The column 120 passes through the shell 110 vertically, and the tail 122 of the column 120 extends from the bottom of the shell 110 to engage with a second object (not shown). The elastic member 160 is disposed in the elastic member accommodating portion 114 of the shell 110, and specifically can be disposed in the closed space formed by the elastic member accommodating portion 114 of the shell 110 and the tail 122 of the column 120. The elastic member 160 abuts against the tail 122 of the column 120 to bias the column 120 toward the locked position ( FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C The head 121 of the column 120 extends from the top of the housing 110, extends into the receiving groove 139 of the slider 130, and is pivotally connected to the first end 141 of the connecting rod 140 through the pin 150. The second end 142 of the connecting rod 140 is pivotally connected to the side wall hole 134 of the slider 130.

[0082] Due to the shape matching between the elastic member receiving portion 114 of the housing 110 and the tail portion 122 of the column 120, the column 120 is limited to be able to move vertically relative to the housing 110, but cannot move horizontally or longitudinally relative to the housing 110. Figure 3A) and the column 120, the column 120 is limited to be unable to rotate relative to the housing 110.

[0083] Since the column 120 is biased downward by the elastic member 160, the head 121 of the column 120 drives the connecting rod 140 downward, and the connecting rod 140 in turn drives the slider 130 downward, so that the slider 130 abuts against the upper surface 111 of the housing 110. Since the connecting rod 140 is connected to the column 120 and the slider 130 respectively through the laterally extending pin 150 and the pivot shaft 146, the column 120, the connecting rod 140 and the slider 130 cannot move laterally relative to each other or swing around a vertical axis. Therefore, the slider 130 is limited to only move in the longitudinal direction.

[0084] The connecting rod 140 extends in an inclined direction, and the second end 142 thereof is closer to the locking position (7A to 7B) than the first end 141. Figure 7C below) and free position (7A to Figure 7C ), so the connecting rod 140 biases the slider 130 toward the free position under the action of the column 120. In the absence of external force, the slider 130 tends to move toward the free position. The first end 141 of the connecting rod 140 (specifically, the thickened portion 145 at the first end 141) abuts against the positioning portion 136 of the slider 130, so that the first end 141 is at least partially accommodated in the accommodating groove 139 of the slider 130 to reduce the volume of the connecting rod 140 and the column 120 exposed to the outside. In some embodiments, when the locking device 100 is in the locked position, the column 120 and the connecting rod 140 can be completely accommodated in the slider 130.

[0085] When the locking device 100 is in the locked state, the thickened portion 145 of the connecting rod 140 abuts against the positioning portion 136, preventing the column 120 from moving further toward the locked position and also preventing the slider 130 from moving further toward the free position. Therefore, the matching relationship between the thickened portion 145 and the positioning portion 136 can be used to limit the displacement stroke of the slider 130.

[0086] Continue to refer to FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C When the user needs to change the locking device 100 to the unlocked state, the user pushes the pushing portion 137 of the slider 130, so that the slider 130 overcomes the biasing force transmitted by the connecting rod 140 and moves toward the working position ( FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C ) moves to the left side, so that the locking device 100 transitions to FIG. 8A to FIG. 8CThe unlocked state is shown. During this process, the slider 130 drives the second end 142 of the connecting rod 140 to move leftward. Since the first end 141 of the connecting rod 140 is connected to the head 121 of the column 120 and cannot move in the longitudinal direction, the first end 141 of the connecting rod 140 moves upward, so that the connecting rod 140 rotates from the inclined angle to the vertical angle. The first end 141 of the connecting rod 140 drives the column 120 to move upward to overcome the biasing force of the elastic member 160, so that the column 120 moves to the unlocked position.

[0087] Reference FIG. 8A to FIG. 8C , wherein the locking device 100 is shown in an unlocked state. Compared to the locking device 100 in the locked state, the slider 130 has moved to the left (acting position), and the column 120 has moved upward (unlocked position), so that the tail 122 of the column 120 is retracted into the accommodation space of the housing 110, thereby disengaging from the second object (not shown).

[0088] When the user needs to switch the locking device 100 from the unlocked state to the locked state, he only needs to release the slider 130, and the column 120 moves downward under the biasing force of the elastic member 160, so that the first end 141 of the connecting rod 140 moves downward and the second end 142 of the connecting rod 140 moves rightward, so that the slider 130 moves rightward, thereby returning to the locked state. FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C Lock status shown.

[0089] In summary, the present application provides a locking device, which has a structure that is simplified and compact as much as possible, and the various components cooperate with each other to limit each other, so that the locking device has good stability.

[0090] Although preferred embodiments have been shown and described herein, it should be understood that these embodiments are provided as examples only. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many modifications, changes and substitutions will not deviate from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A locking device, characterized in that: The locking device (100) comprises: A housing (110); A column (120) is inserted into the housing (110) and is movable vertically relative to the housing (110) between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein the column (120) is at least partially located outside the housing (110) at the locked position; a slider (130) at least partially accommodating the column (120) and movable in a longitudinal direction relative to the housing (110) between a free position and an active position; and A connecting rod (140), wherein a first end (141) of the connecting rod (140) is pivotally connected to the column (120), and a second end (142) of the connecting rod (140) is pivotally connected to the slider (130), so that the movement of the slider (130) is converted into the movement of the slider (130) through the connecting rod (140).

2. The locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pivot axis (146) line of the first end (141) of the connecting rod (140) and the pivot axis (146) line of the second end (142) of the connecting rod (140) are both substantially perpendicular to the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction.

3. The locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the column (120) is in each position, the first end (141) of the connecting rod (140) is closer to the unlocking position in the vertical direction and closer to the acting position in the longitudinal direction than the second end (142) of the connecting rod (140).

4. The locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The slider (130) comprises: bottom wall(131); Two side walls (133) opposite to each other, extending from two side edges of the bottom wall (131) along the vertical direction respectively; A receiving groove (139) is formed between the bottom wall (131) and the side wall (133) to receive the connecting rod (140), the second end (142) of the connecting rod (140) is located in the receiving groove (139), and when the column (120) is located in the locking position, the first end (141) of the connecting rod (140) is at least partially located in the receiving groove (139).

5. The locking device according to claim 4, characterized in that: Each of the side walls (133) is respectively provided with: a side wall hole (134) located near the bottom wall (131) to allow the second end (142) of the connecting rod (140) to be pivotally connected to the slider (130); A positioning portion (136) is located at a top end of each of the side walls (133) and extends along the longitudinal direction, and is configured to abut against the first end (141) of the connecting rod (140).

6. The locking device according to claim 5, characterized in that: Each of the side walls (133) is also provided with: A tapered groove (135) extends from each of the side wall holes (134) to the top of the slider (130), and the vertical dimension of the tapered groove (135) gradually increases from the side wall hole (134) to the top.

7. The locking device according to any one of claims 5 to 6, characterized in that: The connecting rod (140) comprises: A connecting rod body (143), wherein the first end (141) and the second end (142) are respectively located at two ends of the connecting rod body (143); The first end (141) includes two bifurcated portions (144) spaced apart in a transverse direction, the head (121) of the column (120) is inserted between the two bifurcated portions (144), and a pin (150) pivotally connects the head (121) to the first end (141).

8. The locking device according to claim 7, characterized in that: A thickened portion (145) is provided on the outer side of each forked portion (144) of the first end (141), and the thickened portion (145) surrounds the pin (150) and has a thickness greater than that of the connecting rod body (143); The pin (150) does not extend beyond the thickened portion (145).

9. The locking device according to claim 8, characterized in that: When the column (120) is located at the locking position, the thickened portion (145) abuts against the positioning portion (136) of the side wall (133) of the slider (130).

10. The locking device according to claim 7, characterized in that: A pivot shaft (146) is provided at the second end (142) of the connecting rod (140), and the pivot shaft (146) extends outward in a transverse direction from both sides of the second end (142) and is inserted into the side wall hole (134) of the side wall (133); The pivot shaft (146) is integrally formed with the connecting rod (140) or is an independent component inserted into the connecting rod (140).

11. The locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing (110) comprises: An upper surface (111) is provided with a housing hole (112), and the column (120) passes through the housing hole (112), so that the column (120) can move along the vertical direction relative to the housing (110) but cannot rotate; The lower surface (113) is provided with an elastic member accommodating portion (114) in which an elastic member (160) is accommodated. The elastic member (160) biases the column (120) toward the locking position relative to the housing (110).

12. The locking device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The bottom wall (131) of the sliding block (130) abuts against the upper surface (111) of the housing (110) and slides along the upper surface (111).

13. The locking device according to claim 12, characterized in that: The column (120) comprises: A head (121) adjacent to the unlocked position and pivotally connected to the first end (141) of the connecting rod (140); a tail portion (122) close to the locking position, the tail portion (122) having a size greater than the head portion (121) in a cross section perpendicular to the vertical direction, so that the head portion (121) can pass through the housing hole (112), and the tail portion (122) can enter the elastic member accommodating portion (114) but cannot pass through the housing hole (112); One end of the elastic member (160) abuts against the top end of the elastic member accommodating portion (114), and the other end abuts against the tail portion (122).

Images