Hook device

Abstract

A hook device 10 includes: a base 12 having a bottom part; a coil spring 16 disposed on the front side of the bottom part; a shaft 22 inserted into the coil spring 16; and a hook 14 biased by the coil spring 16 and rotatably supported by the shaft 22. The base 12 has a pedestal part erected from the bottom part toward the coil spring 16. The pedestal part extends along the axial direction of the shaft 22.

Description

Hook device

[0001] The present invention relates to a hook device having a coil spring that biases a hook.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle locking device including a housing fixed to a mounting member, a bracket disposed inside the housing, a crimping pin inserted into through holes in the housing and the bracket, a hook journaled on the crimping pin, and a coil spring into which the crimping pin is inserted. The coil spring biases the hook in the retracting direction.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-186849

[0004] In the vehicle locking device disclosed in Patent Document 1, during the assembly process, a crimping pin is inserted into a coil spring with a twisting load applied, but since the coil spring is easily deformed and moves when a load is applied, the process of inserting the crimping pin is difficult to work with.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a hook device that improves the ease of assembling a coil spring and a shaft.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a hook device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a base having a bottom, a coil spring disposed on the front side of the bottom, a shaft inserted into the coil spring, and a hook biased by the coil spring and rotatably supported on the shaft. The base has a pedestal extending from the bottom toward the coil spring. The pedestal extends along the axial direction of the shaft.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a hook device that improves the ease of assembling a coil spring and a shaft.

[0008] 4(a) is a perspective view of a hook device of an embodiment. FIG. 4(b) is a perspective view of the hook device in a state where it is fixed to a workpiece. FIG. 4(c) is an exploded view of the hook device. FIG. 4(a) is a top view of the base, and FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view of the base shown in FIG. 4(a) taken along line A-A. FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view of the hook device and workpiece shown in FIG. 2 taken along line B-B. FIG. 4(c) is a cross-sectional view of the hook device shown in FIG. 2 taken along line C-C. FIG. 4(c) is a diagram for explaining the assembly process of the hook device, and shows the process of inserting a shaft. FIG. 4(d) is a perspective view of a base of a modified example. FIG. 4(c) is a diagram for explaining the process of assembling a coil spring to a base of a modified example.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a hook device 10 according to an embodiment. Fig. 1(a) is a view of the hook device 10 as seen from the front side, and Fig. 1(b) is a view of the hook device 10 as seen from the back side. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the hook device 10 secured to a workpiece 24. The hook device 10 shown in Fig. 1 is in its shipping state, before being secured to a mounting hole in the workpiece 24.

[0010] The attachment member 24 to which the hook device 10 is fixed is a vehicle body panel, but it may also be an interior panel forming the vehicle interior. The hook device 10 is placed on the floor, side wall, or ceiling of the vehicle's luggage compartment. Also, while Figure 2 shows the hook device 10 resting on the attachment member 24 with its sides exposed, in the actual attachment state, the hook device 10 is embedded in a panel placed on the attachment member 24, and the sides of the hook device 10 are covered.

[0011] In the shipping state of the hook device 10 shown in Fig. 1(a), the lid 30 of the base 12 is open, exposing the coil spring 16, screw 20, and shaft 22. In the hook device 10 shown in Fig. 2, the lid 30 is closed, and the hook 14 is housed. The bottom surface of the hook device 10 is placed on and fixed to the mounting base 24.

[0012] The hook device 10 includes a base 12, a hook 14, a coil spring 16, a bracket 18, a screw 20, and a shaft 22. The base 12 is formed from a resin material and covers the coil spring 16, the screw 20, and the shaft 22. The hook 14, the coil spring 16, the bracket 18, the screw 20, and the shaft 22 are formed from a metal material.

[0013] Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the hook device 10. The base 12 will now be described with reference to a new drawing. Fig. 4(a) is a top view of the base 12, and Fig. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view of the base 12 taken along line A-A in Fig. 4(a).

[0014] The base 12 has a bottom 26, a flange 27, a side wall 28, a locking hole 29, a lid 30, a locking claw 32, a base 34, an insertion hole 36, an operation hole 38, a receiving portion 40, a pin 42, a protrusion 44, a hinge 46, and a notch 48.

[0015] The side wall portion 28 extends from the bottom portion 26 and forms the outer periphery of the base 12. The flange portion 27 is formed to protrude outward from the top of the side wall portion 28. The flange portion 27 hooks onto the edge of the opening in the interior panel.

[0016] The lid 30 is rotatably connected to the side wall 28 by a thin hinge 46. A locking claw 32 is formed on each side of the lid 30. The locking claws 32 lock into locking holes 29 formed in the bottom 26 to keep the lid 30 closed as shown in FIG. 2. The hinge 46 is disposed parallel to the shaft 22.

[0017] The insertion holes 36 are formed in the opposing side wall portions 28 and are arranged coaxially. Both ends of the shaft 22 are inserted into the pair of insertion holes 36. The operation hole 38 is formed in the bottom portion 26 and is configured so that a tool for rotating the screw 20 can be inserted therein.

[0018] The receiving portions 40 are formed as a pair of holes at the base portions of the side wall portions 28. The receiving portions 40 engage with the bracket 18. The notches 48 are formed as a pair of cutouts in the bottom portion 26, and are located below the insertion hole 36, i.e., on the bottom portion 26 side. The notches 48 are formed so that a portion of the bracket 18 can be inserted into them.

[0019] 1(b), the pin portion 42 is formed in a columnar shape protruding from the rear surface of the bottom portion 26. The cross section of the pin portion 42 is formed in a T-shape. The pin portion 42 functions to position the hook device 10 when attaching it to the workpiece 24, and can also withstand a load input to the hook device 10.

[0020] The pedestal portion 34 stands upright from the bottom portion 26 toward the coil spring 16 and supports the coil spring 16 when the coil spring 16 is assembled to the shaft 22. When the shaft 22 is inserted into the coil spring 16, the coil spring 16 is separated from the pedestal portion 34. The pedestal portion 34 is provided at a position offset to one side from the center position in the axial direction of the shaft 22.

[0021] The base 34 extends along the axial direction of the shaft 22. Because the coil spring 16 is also provided coaxially with the shaft 22, the base 34 extends along the central axis of the coil spring 16. Therefore, the base 34 can support the coil spring 16 before it is inserted into the shaft 22, making it easier to align the central axis of the coil spring 16 with the shaft 22. This improves workability when assembling the shaft 22. The base 34 can function as a tray for lubricant attached to the coil spring 16. If the hook 14 is suddenly opened or closed, the main body of the coil spring 16 may vibrate, and the base 34 can suppress excessive vibration of the coil spring 16.

[0022] The base portion 34 has a curved surface 34a on the surface facing the coil spring 16. The curved surface 34a may have a shape corresponding to the outer periphery of the coil spring 16. In other words, the curved surface 34a may have an arc corresponding to the radius of curvature of the outer periphery of the coil spring 16. This makes it possible to prevent the coil spring 16 from tipping over when the coil spring 16 is placed on the base portion 34, and makes it easier to insert the shaft 22 into the coil spring 16.

[0023] The protrusion 44 protrudes from the bottom 26 and is formed at a position axially spaced from the pedestal 34. The protrusion 44 is provided at approximately the center of the base 12 in the axial direction. The protrusion 44 hooks onto the first terminal portion 16 a of the coil spring 16 and receives the load from the coil spring 16.

[0024] Returning to Figure 3, the hook 14 is formed in a generally U-shape and is rotatably supported on the shaft 22. The hook 14 can be formed from a metal plate, making it inexpensive. A bearing portion 50 is formed at each end of the hook 14. The bearing portion 50 has a shaft hole portion 52 in the center, into which the shaft 22 can be inserted. The bearing portion 50 has an annular outer peripheral surface and is connected to the main body of the hook 14.

[0025] The protrusions 54 protrude radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the bearing portion 50, protruding in a direction away from the central axis of the shaft 22. The protrusions 54 function as a stopper that stops the rotation of the hook 14. One of the protrusions 54 receives the second terminal portion 16b of the coil spring 16 and receives a load from the coil spring 16. The bias of the coil spring 16 maintains the hook 14 in the housed state shown in FIG. 2 .

[0026] The coil spring 16 is disposed on the front side of the bottom portion 26 of the base 12 and biases the hook 14 in a direction to close. A first terminal portion 16a extends radially from the main body of the coil spring 16 and catches on a protrusion 44 of the base 12. A second terminal portion 16b extends radially from the main body of the coil spring 16 and catches on a protrusion 54 of the hook 14. The coil spring 16 is assembled in a twisted state and functions as a torsion spring.

[0027] The bracket 18 is formed by cutting and bending a metal plate material and has a bottom portion 56, an upright portion 58, a support hole portion 60, a rotation stop portion 62, a screw fixing hole 64, a protruding portion 66, and a bent portion 68.

[0028] The upright portions 58 are bent and erected from the bottom portion 56, and are formed as a pair facing each other. A support hole 60 is formed in each of the pair of upright portions 58. The pair of support holes 60 are formed coaxially and support the inserted shaft 22. As a result, the hook 14 is supported by the bracket 18 via the shaft 22, and the load pulling the hook 14 is input to the bracket 18.

[0029] The rotation stopper 62 is formed to protrude inward from the upright portion 58. When the rotation stopper 62 comes into contact with the protrusion 54 of the hook 14, it stops the hook 14 from rotating in the opening direction. The screw fixing hole 64 is formed in the bottom portion 56 so that the screw 20 can be inserted therethrough. The screw fixing hole 64 is smaller than the head of the screw 20. The bracket 18 is fixed to the workpiece 24 by the screw 20.

[0030] The pair of protruding portions 66 are formed to protrude. The protruding portions 66 are inserted into the receiving portions 40 of the base 12 to connect the bracket 18 and the base 12. The bent portion 68 is formed between the pair of protruding portions 66 and bends the bottom portion 56 to protrude toward the back side. The bent portion 68 is inserted into the insertion hole of the attached member 24.

[0031] The shaft 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is inserted into the insertion hole 36 of the base 12, the shaft hole portion 52 of the hook 14, and the coil spring 16. The shaft 22 has a large diameter portion 22a at one end thereof that serves as a retaining portion.

[0032] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the hook device 10 and the workpiece 24 taken along line BB shown in FIG. 2. The bracket 18 is placed on the workpiece 24, with the base 12 positioned on the front side of the bracket 18.

[0033] The screws 20 are inserted into and screwed into the screw holes 24b of the workpiece 24, thereby fixing the bracket 18 to the workpiece 24. After the screws 20 are tightened, the lid 30 covers the screws 20.

[0034] The pin portion 42 protrudes from the bottom portion 26 to the rear side and is inserted into the insertion hole 24a of the workpiece 24. The bent portion 68 protrudes from the bottom portion 56 to the rear side and is inserted into the insertion hole 24a of the workpiece 24. The pin portion 42 and the bent portion 68 are inserted into the same insertion hole 24a formed in the workpiece 24.

[0035] The shaft 22 is inserted into the coil spring 16 and is positioned above the base portion 34. The first terminal portion 16a is hooked onto the protrusion 44. The coil spring 16 is close to the base portion 34. The curved surface 34a is curved according to the outer periphery of the coil spring 16.

[0036] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the hook device 10 taken along line CC shown in Figure 2. The shaft 22 is inserted into the insertion hole 36, the support hole 60, the axial hole 52, the coil spring 16, the axial hole 52, the support hole 60, and the insertion hole 36, in that order from the right side of Figure 6.

[0037] The base portion 34 is provided in a position close to the main body of the coil spring 16 with a gap therebetween. In other words, the coil spring 16 is placed on the base portion 34 during assembly, but when assembly is complete, the coil spring 16 is supported by the shaft 22 and is floating above the base portion 34. This prevents the coil spring 16 from coming into contact with the base portion 34 when twisted, and stabilizes the elastic force of the coil spring 16.

[0038] The first terminal portion 16a is hooked onto the protrusion 44, and the second terminal portion 16b is hooked onto the protrusion 54. The first terminal portion 16a passes between the protrusion 44 and the base portion 34, and the second terminal portion 16b passes between the bearing portion 50 and the base portion 34. This limits the axial positional deviation of the coil spring 16. Note that it is sufficient that the axial movement of either the first terminal portion 16a or the second terminal portion 16b is limited. In other words, it is sufficient that the first terminal portion 16a passes between the protrusion 44 and the base portion 34, or the second terminal portion 16b passes between the bearing portion 50 and the base portion 34.

[0039] The protrusion 54 protrudes radially by a distance greater than the wire diameter of the second terminal portion 16b. The amount of radial protrusion of the protrusion 54 may be at least twice the wire diameter of the second terminal portion 16b. This allows the protrusion 54 to be sufficiently hooked onto the rotation stopper 62 of the bracket 18. The protrusion 54 has the function of supporting the second terminal portion 16b and the function of preventing rotation, thereby simplifying the structure around the bearing of the hook 14.

[0040] 7 is a diagram for explaining the assembly process of the hook device 10, showing the process of inserting the shaft 22. After the bracket 18 is attached to the base 12, the coil spring 16 is attached to the base 12. The coil spring 16 is placed on the pedestal 34, and the first terminal portion 16a is hooked onto the protrusion 44. When the coil spring 16 is placed on the pedestal 34, the main body of the coil spring 16 and the support hole 60 are aligned.

[0041] Next, the hook 14 is pushed in so that the protrusion 54 of the hook 14 is hooked onto the second terminal portion 16b, and the axial hole 52 is aligned with the support hole 60. When the hook 14 is pushed in, there is a possibility that the coil spring 16 will be twisted and move. Therefore, the jig 70 presses the coil spring 16 against the base portion 34, supports it so that it does not move, and maintains its alignment with the support hole 60. The tip surface of the jig 70 is curved along the outer periphery of the coil spring 16.

[0042] After the hook 14 is assembled, the shaft 22 is inserted into the insertion hole 36, the support hole portion 60, the axial hole portion 52, and the coil spring 16 while the coil spring 16 is supported by the jig 70. This completes the assembly of the hook device 10. In this way, the positioning of the coil spring 16 is facilitated, improving the ease of assembly.

[0043] Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modified base 112. The modified base 112 differs from the base 12 shown in Fig. 3 in the shape of the pedestal portion 134. While the curved surface 34a shown in Fig. 3 extends along the axial direction, the curved surface 134a extends in a direction inclined relative to the axial direction.

[0044] In addition to the curved surface 134a, the base portion 134 has a first side portion 134b and a second side portion 134c on both axial edges. The curved surface 134a extends from the first side portion 134b to the second side portion 134c, away from the central axis of the insertion hole 36. In other words, the curved surface 134a extends away from the central axis of the shaft 22 as it moves away from the protrusion 44 side.

[0045] 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining the process of assembling the coil spring 16 to the modified base 112. During the assembling process, the coil spring 16 is placed on the pedestal portion 134 and is inclined along the curved surface 134a.

[0046] The first terminal portion 16a is hooked onto the protrusion 44, and the second terminal portion 16b is located farther away from the side wall portion 45 along the axial direction than the first terminal portion 16a. Therefore, when the hook 14 is assembled after the coil spring 16, the protrusion 54 can easily fit between the second terminal portion 16b and the side wall portion 45, making it easier to hook onto the second terminal portion 16b. After the hook 14 is assembled, the coil spring 16 is shifted along the axial direction. This allows the coil spring 16 and hook 14 to be assembled easily.

[0047] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications such as design changes may be made to the embodiments based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and such modified embodiments may also be included within the scope of the present invention.

[0048] In the embodiment, the protrusion 44 protrudes from the bottom portion 26, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the protrusion 44 may protrude from the side wall portion 45 along the axial direction.

[0049] The present invention relates to a hook device having a coil spring that biases a hook.

[0050] 10 Hook device, 12 Base, 14 Hook, 16 Coil spring, 16a First terminal portion, 16b Second terminal portion, 18 Bracket, 20 Screw, 22 Shaft, 24 Mounting member, 26 Bottom portion, 27 Flange portion, 28 Side wall portion, 29 Locking hole portion, 30 Lid portion, 32 Locking claw portion, 34 Base portion, 34a Curved surface, 36 Insertion hole, 38 Operation hole, 40 Receiving portion, 42 Pin portion, 44 Protrusion portion, 45 Side wall portion, 46 Hinge portion, 48 Notch portion, 50 Bearing portion, 52 Shaft hole portion, 54 Protrusion portion, 56 Bottom portion, 58 Standing portion, 60 Support hole portion, 62 Rotation stop portion, 64 screw fixing hole, 66 protruding portion, 68 bending portion, 70 jig.

Claims

1. A hook device comprising: a base having a bottom; a coil spring arranged on the front side of the bottom; a shaft inserted into the coil spring; and a hook biased by the coil spring and rotatably supported on the shaft, wherein the base has a pedestal portion standing upright from the bottom toward the coil spring, and the pedestal portion extends along the axial direction of the shaft.

2. The hook device according to claim 1, wherein the base portion is provided in a position adjacent to the coil spring with a gap therebetween.

3. A hook device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the base portion has a curved surface facing the coil spring.

4. A hook device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the base has a protrusion that protrudes from the bottom and is formed at a position axially spaced from the pedestal portion, the hook has a bearing portion journalled on the shaft, and the coil spring has a first terminal portion extending from the main body of the coil spring and hooking onto the protrusion, and a second terminal portion extending from the main body and hooking onto the hook, the first terminal portion passing between the protrusion and the pedestal portion, or the second terminal portion passing between the bearing portion and the pedestal portion.

5. The hook device according to claim 4, characterized in that the hook has a protruding portion that protrudes in a direction away from the central axis of the shaft, and the second terminal portion is hooked onto the protruding portion.

6. The hook device according to claim 3, characterized in that the base has a protrusion for hooking the first terminal portion of the coil spring, and the curved surface extends so as to move away from the central axis of the shaft as it moves away from the protrusion side.

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