Tooth ratchet type container twist lock capable of being locked

Abstract

The invention provides a lockable tooth type ratchet wheel type container twist lock. The lockable tooth type ratchet wheel type container twist lock comprises two lock heads, two shells, two positioning blocks, a middle shaft, four fixing screws and two stop screws. The left end and the right end of the middle shaft penetrate through the shell and the lock head, the lock head is located on the outer side of the shell, the middle shaft is movably sleeved with the shell, the middle shaft is sleeved with the lock head in a threaded mode, the upper end and the lower end of the shell are connected with the positioning blocks, the left end and the right end of each positioning block are connected with the shell, and the shell is connected with the positioning blocks through fixing screws. The positioning block is connected with the middle of the middle shaft, and the middle of the positioning block is in threaded connection with the stop screw. The bolt has the beneficial effects that pre-tightening force is generated, gaps are eliminated, and the bolt has an anti-loosening function and has the capacity of transmitting pull pressure and bending torque.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of container equipment, and in particular relates to a lockable toothed ratchet container twist lock. Background Technology

[0002] In practical applications, a standard twist lock connects the top and bottom corner fittings of two containers. However, the locked bottom corner fittings, twist lock, and top corner fittings cannot be pressed together to generate pre-tension force; gaps exist between them to facilitate the traditional twist lock's rotational locking operation. Because of these gaps between the container corner fittings and the twist lock, during container transport, vibrations and impacts cause slight displacement between the connected corner fittings and the twist lock, resulting in continuous minor collisions, impacts, and friction.

[0003] When the goods transported inside a container are highly sensitive to friction and vibration, such phenomena are unacceptable, and traditional center torsion locks cannot meet the requirements. In this case, a center torsion lock is needed that can eliminate gaps between the top corner fittings, the torsion lock, and the bottom corner fittings, while also generating pre-tensioning force between them. If the products transported inside the container are sensitive to impact and friction, traditional torsion locks cannot generate pre-tensioning force, and their gap-filling structural characteristics cannot suppress the mutual slippage, friction, and minor impacts between the three components caused by vibration and impact during transportation, thus failing to meet the requirements of special products. Currently, there are no products on the market that meet these special requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention aims to propose a lockable toothed ratchet container twist lock to solve the problems of existing technology, such as the inability to generate preload, the existence of gaps, and the inability to suppress mutual slippage, friction and slight impact between the three components caused by vibration and impact during transportation.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is implemented as follows: A lockable toothed ratchet container twist lock includes two lock heads, two housings, two positioning blocks, a central shaft, four fixing screws, and two anti-loosening screws; The central shaft extends through both the housing and the lock head at both ends. The lock head is located on the outside of the housing. The housing is movably sleeved onto the central shaft. The lock head is threaded onto the central shaft. Both the upper and lower ends of the housing are connected to the positioning block. Both the left and right ends of the positioning block are connected to the housing. The housing and the positioning block are connected by fixing screws. The positioning block is connected to the middle of the central shaft. The middle of the positioning block is threadedly connected to the anti-loosening screw. The positioning block includes a main structural block, a pawl, a pin, and a compression spring. The pawl and the compression spring are both located in the bottom cavity of the main structural block. The pawl and the main structural block are both penetrated by the pin. The pawl is movably connected to the main structural block through the pin. The top of the pawl is connected to the bottom of the compression spring. The top of the compression spring is connected to the bottom of the anti-loosening screw. The left and right ends of the main structural block are connected to the housing through fixing screws.

[0006] Furthermore, the central shaft includes a shaft, a disc, and a key. The disc is fitted onto the middle part of the shaft, and grooves are formed at the fitting parts of both. The two grooves overlap to form a slot, and the key is placed in the slot.

[0007] Furthermore, the central axis includes a shaft and a disk, with the disk located in the middle of the shaft, and the shaft and the disk being an integral structure.

[0008] Furthermore, a plurality of circular holes are formed along the circumference of the outer side of the disk, and a toothed ratchet is formed along the circumference of the outer side of the disk.

[0009] Furthermore, external threads are provided at both ends of the shaft, and the external threads at the left and right ends of the shaft are left-hand threads and right-hand threads, respectively.

[0010] Furthermore, the pawl engages with the toothed ratchet of the disc.

[0011] Furthermore, the lock head has an internal thread, and the internal thread of the lock head is adapted to the external thread of the shaft.

[0012] Furthermore, the lock head has an interface hole for the corner fitting, and the side of the lock head near the housing has a rectangular structure, which allows the lock head to be secured in the corner fitting hole.

[0013] Furthermore, the cross-section of the housing near the lock head is adapted to the bottom hole of the corner piece, the housing is locked in the corner piece hole, and a through hole is opened in the middle of the housing, the through hole being penetrated by the central axis.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the lockable toothed ratchet container twist lock of the present invention has the following advantages: (1) It still has the basic function of traditional center twist lock, that is, to connect and fix the upper corner piece and the lower corner piece together, and all dimensions meet the standard corner piece size requirements.

[0015] (2) When tightening and locking, the toothed ratchet twist lock can achieve a small gradient locking and has high anti-vibration and anti-loosening capabilities.

[0016] (3) The upper corner piece, lower corner piece and twist lock can be locked together, which can generate a large preload force.

[0017] (4) After the preload is generated, it has an anti-loosening function and the preload can be maintained.

[0018] (5) After pre-tightening, the upper corner piece, lower corner piece, and middle torsion lock become a whole, which has the ability to transmit tensile and bending torque.

[0019] (6) The locking and anti-loosening operation tools are unified, and the locking and anti-loosening are achieved with extremely simple tools, making the operation simple. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the torsion lock structure described in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the lock head structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a top view of the shell structure described in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a bottom view of the shell structure described in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the central shaft structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the split-type central shaft structure described in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning block structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the toothed ratchet double pawl multi-stage anti-loosening mechanism described in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the overall structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Central shaft; 2. Housing; 3. Lock head; 4. Positioning block; 41. Main structural block; 42. Pawl; 43. Pin; 44. Compression spring; 5. Fixing screw; 6. Anti-loosening screw. Detailed Implementation

[0022] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0023] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, 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, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., 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.

[0024] 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 will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0025] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0026] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown, a lockable toothed ratchet container twist lock includes two lock heads 3, two housings 2, two positioning blocks 4, a central shaft 1, four fixing screws 5 and two anti-loosening screws 6.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, both ends of the central shaft 1 penetrate the housing 2 and the lock head 3. The lock head 3 is located outside the housing 2. The housing 2 is movably sleeved with the central shaft 1, and the lock head 3 is threadedly sleeved with the central shaft 1. Both the upper and lower ends of the housing 2 are connected to the positioning block 4, and both the left and right ends of the positioning block 4 are connected to the housing 2. The housing 2 and the positioning block 4 are connected by fixing screws 5, and the middle part of the positioning block 4 is threadedly connected to the anti-loosening screw 6. In this embodiment, the middle positioning block 4 connects, supports, and fixes the housing 2 at both ends. The fixing screws 5 connect and fix the middle positioning block 4 to the housing 2 together, and the anti-loosening screw 6 controls whether the central shaft 1 can rotate, thus preventing loosening.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the central shaft 1 includes a shaft, a disk, and a key. The disk is fitted onto the middle portion of the shaft, and grooves are formed at the fitting portions of both. Two grooves overlap to form a retaining groove, and the key is placed in the retaining groove. In this embodiment, the central shaft 1 adopts a discrete structure. By placing the key into the retaining groove to lock the shaft and the disk, relative sliding or rotation between the shaft and the disk is prevented. The discrete structure can reduce costs.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the central shaft 1 includes a shaft and a disk, the disk being disposed in the middle of the shaft, and the shaft and the disk being an integral structure. In this embodiment, the central shaft 1 adopts an integral structure, which simplifies the operation steps in practical applications.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the positioning block 4 includes a main structural block 41, a pawl 42, a pin 43, and a compression spring 44. The pawl 42 and the compression spring 44 are both located in the bottom cavity of the main structural block 41. The pawl 42 and the main structural block 41 are both penetrated by the pin 43. The pawl 42 is movably connected to the main structural block 41 through the pin 43. The top of the pawl 42 is connected to the bottom of the compression spring 44. The top of the compression spring 44 is connected to the bottom of the anti-loosening screw 6. The left and right ends of the main structural block 41 are connected to the housing 2 through fixing screws 5. The pawl 42 meshes with the toothed ratchet of the disc. In this embodiment, the compression spring 44 provides pressure to the pawl 42, adjusting the force of the pawl 42 engaging the ratchet teeth and eliminating manufacturing errors. When it is necessary to loosen, simply loosen the anti-loosening screw 6 on the compression spring 44 to release the pressure of the compression spring 44, and then slightly rotate the central shaft 1 in the forward direction to release the engagement between the ratchet teeth and the pawl 42, thereby realizing the unlocking and loosening operation of the torsion lock. The torsion lock can use either a single pawl 42 or a double pawl 42. By adjusting the number of ratchet teeth, the two pawls 42 cannot engage with the ratchet teeth at the same time, further reducing the locking distance and achieving micro-gradient locking.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of circular holes are formed along the circumference of the outer side of the disc, and a toothed ratchet is formed along the circumference of the outer side of the disc. In this embodiment, a rod-shaped tool can be inserted into the circular holes and rotated around the axis to achieve locking and loosening operations. The toothed ratchet engages with the pawl 42 in the positioning block 4, which can prevent the central shaft 1 from rotating relative to the positioning block 4, thereby preventing the central shaft 1 from loosening.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, both ends of the shaft are provided with external threads, and the external threads at the left and right ends of the shaft are left-hand threads and right-hand threads, respectively; the lock head 3 is provided with internal threads, and the internal threads of the lock head 3 are adapted to the external threads of the shaft. In this embodiment, when the central shaft 1 rotates, the two lock heads 3 can move in opposite directions along the central shaft 1 simultaneously, thereby locking and loosening the two corner pieces.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lock head 3 adapts to the interface hole of the corner fitting. The lock head 3 has a rectangular structure on the side near the housing 2, and the lock head 3 is secured in the corner fitting hole through the rectangular structure. The cross-section of the housing 2 on the side near the lock head 3 adapts to the bottom hole of the corner fitting, and the housing 2 is secured in the corner fitting hole. A through hole is opened in the middle of the housing 2, and the through hole is penetrated by the central shaft 1. In this embodiment, the envelope length, width, and height of the lock head 3 match the interface hole size of the standard corner fitting. When the lock head 3 is fully inserted into the corner fitting hole, it rotates 90°, and the rectangular cross-section is precisely secured in the corner fitting hole. When the central shaft 1 rotates, the lock head 3 will not rotate. When the central shaft 1 is tightened, the rotation of the lock head 3 is still restricted and will not self-rotate. The lock head 3 itself achieves anti-loosening. When the central shaft 1 rotates, the housing 2 will not rotate.

[0034] The working principle of this invention is as follows: Locking principle: Locking is achieved using the screw and nut principle; Anti-loosening principle: Anti-loosening is achieved using a toothed ratchet.

[0035] The structural features of this invention are as follows: The components have a simple structure; the structure matches the standard corner pieces well; the screws are standard parts; and the tools for tightening and loosening are simple.

[0036] The advantages and beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: (1) It still has the basic function of traditional center twist lock, that is, to connect and fix the upper corner piece and the lower corner piece together, and all dimensions meet the standard corner piece size requirements.

[0037] (2) When tightening and locking, the toothed ratchet twist lock can achieve a small gradient locking and has high anti-vibration and anti-loosening capabilities.

[0038] (3) The upper corner piece, lower corner piece and twist lock can be locked together, which can generate a large preload force.

[0039] (4) After the preload is generated, it has an anti-loosening function and the preload can be maintained.

[0040] (5) After pre-tightening, the upper corner piece, lower corner piece, and middle torsion lock become a whole, which has the ability to transmit tensile and bending torque.

[0041] (6) The locking and anti-loosening operation tools are unified, and the locking and anti-loosening are achieved with extremely simple tools, making the operation simple.

[0042] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lockable toothed ratchet-type container twist lock, characterized in that: It includes two lock heads (3), two housings (2), two positioning blocks (4), a central shaft (1), four fixing screws (5) and two anti-loosening screws (6); The central shaft (1) has its left and right ends passing through the housing (2) and the lock head (3). The lock head (3) is located outside the housing (2). The housing (2) is movably sleeved with the central shaft (1). The lock head (3) is threadedly sleeved with the central shaft (1). The upper and lower ends of the housing (2) are connected to the positioning block (4). The left and right ends of the positioning block (4) are connected to the housing (2). The housing (2) and the positioning block (4) are connected by a fixing screw (5). The positioning block (4) is connected to the middle part of the central shaft (1). The middle part of the positioning block (4) is threadedly connected to the anti-loosening screw (6). The positioning block (4) includes a main structural block (41), a pawl (42), a pin (43), and a compression spring (44). The pawl (42) and the compression spring (44) are both located in the bottom cavity of the main structural block (41). The pawl (42) and the main structural block (41) are both penetrated by the pin (43). The pawl (42) is movably connected to the main structural block (41) through the pin (43). The top of the pawl (42) is connected to the bottom of the compression spring (44). The top of the compression spring (44) is connected to the bottom of the anti-loosening screw (6). The left and right ends of the main structural block (41) are connected to the housing (2) through fixing screws (5).

2. A lockable toothed ratchet container twist lock according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central shaft (1) includes a shaft, a disc, and a key. The disc is fitted into the middle of the shaft, and grooves are provided at the fitting parts of both. The two grooves overlap to form a slot, and the key is placed in the slot.

3. A lockable toothed ratchet container twist lock according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central shaft (1) includes a shaft and a disk, the disk being located in the middle of the shaft, and the shaft and the disk being an integral structure.

4. A lockable toothed ratchet container twist lock according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The outer side of the disk has several circular holes along its circumference, and the outer side of the disk has a toothed ratchet along its circumference.

5. A lockable toothed ratchet container twist lock according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The shaft has external threads at both ends, and the external threads at the left and right ends of the shaft are left-hand threads and right-hand threads, respectively.

6. A lockable toothed ratchet container twist lock according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pawl (42) engages with the toothed ratchet of the disc.

7. A lockable toothed ratchet container twist lock according to claim 5, characterized in that: The lock head (3) has an internal thread, and the internal thread of the lock head (3) is adapted to the external thread of the shaft.

8. A lockable toothed ratchet container twist lock according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lock head (3) is adapted to the interface hole of the corner piece. The lock head (3) has a rectangular structure on the side near the housing (2). The lock head (3) is locked in the corner piece hole through the rectangular structure.

9. A lockable toothed ratchet container twist lock according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cross section of the housing (2) near the lock head (3) is adapted to the bottom hole of the corner piece. The housing (2) is inserted into the corner piece hole. A through hole is opened in the middle of the housing (2). The through hole is penetrated by the central shaft (1).

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