Lock cover structure and vehicle apparatus with lock cover structure

Abstract

A lock cover structure and a vehicle apparatus with the lock cover structure are illustrated. The lock cover structure comprises a cover and a base. The external surface of the cover is equipped with two alignment adjustment pieces, with a top piece in between. Each adjustment piece has an axial hole and multiple tooth arranged in an arc around this axial hole's center. An outer ring surface of base matches the profile of an inner ring surface of the cover. The base includes two support ribs and a protrusion with axis between the two support ribs. The protrusion is positioned between the two adjustment pieces and interconnected through a shared axis, allowing the cover to pivot along this shared axis. The end of the support rib extends into a slot formed between adjacent tooth, with this end portion being spaced from the slot's bottom.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an improvement of a lock cover installed in the keyhole of a motor vehicle, and more particularly to a lock cover structure that can be progressively opened and closed, and a motor vehicle device having this lock cover structure. Prior Technology

[0002] A motorcycle key lock cover is an important protective accessory that effectively prevents rainwater, dust, and foreign objects from entering the keyhole, thus preventing rust or mechanical failure caused by moisture and impurities. However, most key lock covers only use a simple spindle structure without additional support design, which means that in some usage scenarios, the user must support the cover while inserting the key into the keyhole.

[0003] Commercially available keyhole covers typically secure themselves to the keyhole by threading a lock wire through the cover and tightening it by screws against the outer ring of the keyhole. While this method provides a secure hold, the relatively stiff lock wire can damage the keyhole, resulting in an unsightly appearance after the cover is removed. Furthermore, the screws on these keyhole covers are mounted on the inner ring, making disassembly difficult. Replacing the cover requires special tools to prevent the screws from contacting the keyhole, which is inconvenient and may hinder repair efficiency.

[0004] Furthermore, while some keyhole cover designs employ damping structures such as spring clips to support the cover after opening, the spring clips are made of different materials than the keyhole cover body, and they need to be embedded within the keyhole cover body. This approach makes manufacturing more complex and costly. Therefore, existing keyhole cover designs still have room for improvement in terms of ease of installation and replacement, manufacturing complexity, and manufacturing cost. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a lock cover structure to prevent the exposed keyhole from being damaged by rainwater, while also having a segmented opening function to prevent fingers from being pinched and to improve operational flexibility.

[0006] Based on the aforementioned objectives, the present invention provides a locking cover structure comprising a cover body and a base body. The outer surface of the cover body is provided with two mutually aligned adjusting members and a top plate located between the two adjusting members. Each adjusting member has a shaft hole and a plurality of toothed plates arranged in an arc shape with the shaft hole as the center. The base body has an outer ring surface that matches the contour of the inner ring surface of the cover body. The base body is provided with two protruding ribs and a central protrusion located between the protruding ribs. The central protrusion is located between the two adjusting members and is interconnected through a through-axis, allowing the cover body to swing along the axis. The end of each protruding rib extends into a groove formed between two adjacent toothed plates, and the end of the protruding rib is spaced at the bottom of the groove.

[0007] In addition, the present invention provides another locking cover structure, comprising a cover body, the outer surface of which is provided with an adjusting member and two top pieces located on both sides of the adjusting member and aligned with each other. The adjusting member has a shaft hole and a plurality of toothed pieces arranged in an arc shape with the shaft hole as the center. The cover body has an outer ring surface that matches the contour of an inner ring surface of the cover body. The cover body is provided with two axial protrusions and a rib located between the two axial protrusions. The two axial protrusions are located on both sides of the adjusting member and are connected by a shaft, allowing the cover body to swing along the shaft. One end of each rib extends into a groove formed between two adjacent toothed pieces, and the end of each rib is spaced at the bottom of the groove.

[0008] Preferably, the cover also includes a lifting flange, which is located at the edge of the cover and symmetrically arranged with respect to the two adjusting members.

[0009] Preferably, the upper end of the seat has a ring rib, the outer ring surface of which matches the contour of the inner ring surface of the cover, and the protruding rib is located below the ring rib.

[0010] Preferably, the outer ring surface of the ring rib is provided with a fastening element, and the inner ring surface of the cover is provided with a fastening groove, wherein the fastening element and the fastening groove are detachably connected.

[0011] Preferably, the axial protrusion has an arcuate surface and a stop surface extending from the boundary of the arcuate surface, and the top plate has an inclined abutment surface that abuts against the stop surface when the cover is opened to the maximum angle.

[0012] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the present invention provides a power vehicle device with a locking cover structure, the power vehicle device comprising any one of the aforementioned locking cover structures and a power vehicle, wherein the locking cover structure is installed in the key seat of the power vehicle.

[0013] Preferably, the power vehicle is a multi-wheeled locomotive or a multi-wheeled electric vehicle.

[0014] Preferably, the base is fitted onto the outer ring surface of the key seat.

[0015] Preferably, the base is fitted onto the outer ring of the key holder by setting a traceless adhesive strip on the inner ring surface of the base.

[0016] In summary, the lock cover structure provided by this invention, by being installed in the key socket of a motor vehicle, prevents dust and rainwater from entering the keyhole and damaging the internal mechanism. In addition, the synergistic effect of the teeth and the protruding ribs achieves segmented opening, providing users with the convenience of opening the cover and inserting the key to start the motor vehicle with one hand. At the same time, the arc-shaped arrangement of the teeth replaces the conventional spring setting, effectively reducing production costs and improving the operating efficiency of manufacturers. In the future, it can be widely used in various motor vehicles to optimize the overall product performance and user experience. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the locking cover of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 is an explosion diagram of the lock cover of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the locking cover of the present invention being opened.

[0020] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the lock cover of the present invention after it is opened.

[0021] Figure 5 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the power vehicle device with a locking cover structure according to the present invention.

[0022] Figure 6 is an explosion diagram of another locking cover of the present invention. Implementation

[0023] To make the description of this disclosure detailed and complete, specific embodiments and examples of the present invention are described. However, these are not the only forms of implementing or using the specific embodiments of the present invention. Other specific embodiments can be used to achieve the same or equivalent functions and steps. The descriptions of directions such as "front", "back", "up", "down", "left", and "right" mentioned in this document are only for convenience of understanding and are not limited to these directions.

[0024] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4, which illustrate the lock cover structure of the present invention, isolating the keyhole from the external environment. As an example, the keyhole can be located in the locomotive keyhole. The lock cover has a cover body 10 and a seat body 20. The upper end 20A of the seat body 20 has a ring rib 21, and the outer ring surface 21A of the ring rib 21 matches the contour of the inner ring surface 10B of the cover body 10. The lower end 20B of the seat body 20 forms a chamber 25, which surrounds the keyhole to prevent the exposed keyhole from being damaged by rainwater.

[0025] The outer surface of the cover 10 is provided with two mutually aligned adjustment members 11 and a top piece 12 located between the two adjustment members 11. The two adjustment members 11 have a shaft hole and a plurality of toothed pieces 11A arranged in an arc shape with the shaft hole as the center.

[0026] The base 20 has two protruding ribs 22 and a central protrusion 23 located between the two protruding ribs 22. During installation, the central protrusion 23 is located between the two adjusting members 11 and is interconnected through a through-axis 30, allowing the cover 10 to swing along the axis 30. The end 22A of the protruding rib 22 extends into a groove 11V formed between two adjacent toothed pieces 11A of the two adjusting members 11, but the end 22A of the protruding rib 22 is still spaced at the bottom of the groove 11V.

[0027] In this way, during the process of opening the cover 10, the two adjacent toothed pieces 11A are restricted by the end 22A of the protruding rib 22, so the cover 10 can rotate in segments along the axis 30, ensuring that the cover 10 can be stably and controlled to move during swinging. The cover 10 can be restricted to a specific angle during swinging, and after the torque of opening the cover disappears, the cover 10 will not sag due to gravity, so it will not pinch the user's hand, and it is also convenient for the user to insert and take the key into the keyhole with the same hand.

[0028] If the lock cover closes the keyhole located on the vertical surface, and the lock cover's pivot structure (the adjusting member 11, the pivot protrusion 23, and the pivot 30) faces upwards, the cover 10 will be configured to swing upwards. In inclement weather (such as rain), the open cover 10 can also cover the keyhole, ensuring that rainwater does not enter the lock cover's chamber 25.

[0029] Referring to Figure 6, in other embodiments, the outer surface of the cover 10 of the locking cover structure may be provided with an adjusting member 11 and two top pieces 12. The two top pieces 12 are respectively located on both sides of the adjusting member 11. The adjusting member 11 also has a shaft hole and teeth 11A arranged in an arc shape with the shaft center as the center. The base 20 of the locking cover structure is provided with two shaft protrusions 23 and a protruding rib 22 located between the two shaft protrusions 23. The two shaft protrusions 23 are located on both sides of the adjusting member 11 and are connected by a shaft 30. When the cover 10 swings, it achieves the same effect as the above embodiment. Since the situation is similar, it will not be repeated here.

[0030] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4. In the above embodiment, the cover 10 also includes a lifting flange 13, which extends outward from the edge of the outer circumferential surface 10A of the cover 10 and is symmetrically arranged with the two adjusting members 11. In this way, the torque of the user lifting the cover is evenly transferred to the entire hinge structure of the locking cover (the adjusting member 11, the pivot protrusion 23, and the pivot 30).

[0031] In the above embodiment, the outer ring surface 21A of the ring rib 21 is provided with a fastener 211, and the inner ring surface 10B of the cover 10 is provided with a fastening groove 14. The fastener 211 and the fastening groove 14 are detachably connected. This ensures stable engagement when the keyhole is closed.

[0032] In the above embodiment, the two adjusting members 11 first extend outward from the outer surface of the cover 10, and then extend downward to form an L-shape. The shaft hole of the adjusting member 11 is located in the downwardly extending part of the adjusting member 11. The protruding rib 22 and the axial protrusion 23 extend outward from the lower end 20B of the seat 20. The protruding rib 22 is located below the ring rib 21. Therefore, the cover 10 can completely cover the entire ring rib 21, ensuring that rainwater does not flow into the cover 10, and the ring rib 21 will not affect the engagement between the protruding rib 22 and the plurality of toothed pieces 11A. Compared with the conventional use of damping structures, such as springs, to achieve the effect of segmented positioning, the toothed pieces 11A of the present invention have a simpler structure, which effectively reduces the overall production cost and difficulty.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the axial protrusion 23 is provided with an arc surface 23A and a stop surface 23B extending from the boundary of the arc surface 23A. The top piece 12 has an inclined abutment surface 12A. The abutment surface 12A abuts against the stop surface 23B when the cover 10 is opened to the maximum angle, thereby limiting the opening angle of the cover 10.

[0034] Further description of the power vehicle device having a locking lid structure of the present invention, see FIG. Wherein, the power vehicle 40 may be a multi-wheeled locomotive or a multi-wheeled electric vehicle.

[0035] The lock lid structure of the invention provides the key hole protection function of the power vehicle, preventing water or dust from falling and accumulating into the key hole, affecting the mechanism to rust.

[0036] 10: cover body 10A: Outer ring surface 10B: Inner ring face 11: Adjustment piece 11A: Teeth 11V: Slot body 12: Top piece 12A: Resist surface 13: Lift the lid flanges 14: Buckle slot 20: Seat body 20A: Upper end 20B: Lower end 21: Ring ribs 21A;outer ring surface 211: Fastener 22: Protruding rib 22A: End 23: spindle bump 23A: Curved surface 23B: Barrier surface 25: Room 30: Axis 4-4: Section lines 40: Power cars 41: Key Holder

Claims

1. A locking cover structure, comprising: a cover body (10) having two mutually aligned adjusting members (11) and a top piece (12) located between the two adjusting members (11) on its outer surface, the two adjusting members (11) having a shaft hole and a plurality of toothed pieces (11A) arranged in an arc shape with the shaft hole as the center; and a base body (20) having an outer annular surface (21A) that matches the contour of an inner annular surface (10B) of the cover body (10), the base body (20) having two protruding ribs (22) and a shaft. The protrusion (23) is located between the two protruding ribs (22), the axial protrusion (23) is located between the two adjusting members (11), and they are connected to each other by a through shaft (30), so that the cover (10) swings along the shaft (30). One end (22A) of the protruding rib (22) extends into a groove (11V) formed between the two adjacent toothed pieces (11A), and the end (22A) of the protruding rib (22) is spaced at the bottom of the groove (11V).

2. The locking structure as described in claim 1, wherein the cover (10) further includes a lifting flange (13) located at the edge of the cover (10) and symmetrically arranged with respect to the two adjusting members (11).

3. The locking cover structure as described in claim 1, wherein the upper end of the seat (20) has an annular rib (21), an outer annular surface (21A) of the annular rib (21) matches the contour of the inner annular surface (10B) of the cover (10), and the protruding rib (22) is located below the annular rib (21).

4. The locking cover structure as described in claim 3, wherein the outer annular surface (21A) of the ring rib (21) is provided with a snap fastener (211), and the inner annular surface (10B) of the cover body (10) is provided with a snap fastener groove (14), wherein the snap fastener (211) and the snap fastener groove (14) are detachably connected.

5. The locking cover structure as described in claim 1, wherein the axial protrusion (23) is provided with an arc surface (23A) and a stop surface (23B) extending from the boundary of the arc surface (23A), and the top piece (12) has an inclined abutment surface (12A) that abuts against the stop surface (23B) when the cover (10) is opened to the maximum angle.

6. A locking cover structure, comprising: a cover body (10) having an adjusting member (11) on its outer surface and two top pieces (12) aligned with each other on two sides of the adjusting member (11), the adjusting member (11) having a shaft hole and a plurality of toothed pieces (11A) arranged in an arc shape with the shaft hole as the center; and a base body (20) having an outer ring surface (21A) that matches the contour of an inner ring surface (10B) of the cover body (10), the base body (20) having two axial protrusions (23) and two top pieces (12) located on the two sides of the adjusting member (11). A rib (22) between the two axial protrusions (23) is located on both sides of the adjusting member (11) and connected by a shaft (30) so that the cover (10) swings along the shaft (30). One end (22A) of each rib (22) extends into a groove (11V) formed between two adjacent toothed pieces (11A). The end (22A) of each rib (22) is spaced at the bottom of the groove (11V).

7. A power vehicle device having a locking cover structure, comprising: a locking cover structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 6; and a power vehicle (40) wherein the locking cover structure is mounted on a key seat (41) of the power vehicle (40).

8. The power vehicle device with a locking cover structure as described in claim 7, wherein the power vehicle (40) is a multi-wheeled locomotive or a multi-wheeled electric vehicle.

9. The power vehicle device with a locking cover structure as described in claim 7, wherein the seat (20) is fitted onto the outer circumferential surface of the key seat (41).

10. The motor vehicle device with a locking cover structure as described in claim 9, wherein the seat (20) is fitted onto the outer ring surface of the key seat (41) by providing a non-marking adhesive strip on the inner ring surface (10B) of the seat (20).

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