CN210342953U - Latch lock - Google Patents

Abstract

A latch according to the present application is used to lock a first object to a second object. The latch includes a housing coupled to the first item, the housing being rotatable relative to the first item to have a locked position and an unlocked position. The housing has a window to allow viewing of the interior thereof. The housing includes an indicator having a first position and a second position corresponding to the locked position and the unlocked position of the housing, respectively. The indicator has a first indicator portion and a second indicator portion disposed along a sliding direction of the indicator, the first indicator portion of the indicator corresponding to the window when the indicator is in its first position, and the second indicator portion of the indicator corresponding to the window when the indicator is in its second position. The latch also includes a bracket attachable to the first object and loaded into the second object, and one end of the bracket is rotatably connected to the fixed end of the housing. The indicator is biased to the first position by the bracket or the second object.

Description

Latch lock

Technical Field

The present application relates to a latch, and more particularly to a latch with a lock indicator.

Background

Latches are a common means of securing or locking that is used to secure or lock one object to another. Latches are widely used in many fields such as machines, electrical appliances, instruments, daily necessities, and the like. The latch typically has a locked state and an unlocked state. In the locked state, the items involved in the latch cannot be disengaged from each other, and in the unlocked state, the items involved in the latch can be freely disengaged.

In certain applications of latches, it is desirable for the latch to function as a lock indicator. For example, certain components of the latch can give a distinct indication so that the user can immediately notice that the latch is or is not already in the locked condition. In this way, it is advantageously possible to avoid the user from malfunctioning, for example failing to lock the latch successfully, or being confused that an actually unlocked latch is already in the locked state. Moreover, it is desirable that such a locking indicator have a simple structure and a small number of parts to facilitate reducing the complexity and manufacturing costs of the latch.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The present application proposes a latch which is able to solve at least partially the above problems.

A latch according to the present application is used to lock a first object to a second object. The latch includes: a housing elongated and rotatably coupled to a first object, the housing having: a fixed end rotatably mounted to the first object and a free end opposite to the fixed end, the housing being rotatable relative to the first object about an axis parallel to a width direction thereof at the fixed end to a locked position in which the first object is locked to the second object by the latch and an unlocked position in which the first object and the second object are in an unlocked state, and a window at a position between the fixed end and the free end to allow an inside thereof to be viewed from an outside of the housing; an indicator at least partially disposed in the housing, rotatable with the housing, and slidable along a length of the housing to a first position corresponding to a locked position of the housing or a second position corresponding to an unlocked position of the housing, wherein the indicator has: a first indicating portion and a second indicating portion arranged along a sliding direction of the indicator, the first indicating portion of the indicator corresponding to the viewing window when the indicator is in its first position, the second indicating portion of the indicator corresponding to the viewing window when the indicator is in its second position, and a contact portion at an end of the indicator, the contact portion being retractable in the housing when the indicator is in its first position, the contact portion at least partially protruding outside the housing when the indicator is in its second position; and a bracket attachable to the first object and fitted to the second object, and one end of the bracket is rotatably connected to the fixed end of the housing. Wherein the second object is provided at a side wall corresponding to the incorporated holder with a corresponding portion which urges the indicator to its first position when the housing is in its locked position; or wherein the bracket is provided with a bracket pressing portion near a fixed end connected to the housing, the bracket pressing portion pressing the indicator to its first position against the contact portion of the indicator when the housing is in its locked position.

In one embodiment, the first and second indicator portions of the indicator are in different colors or patterns to present different display effects.

In one embodiment, the indicator extends along the length direction of the housing and is bent, a first end of the indicator along the length direction is a rod-shaped sliding portion, the sliding portion is inserted into the housing so as to slide along the housing, a second end of the indicator along the length direction is opposite to the first end, and the second end forms a slope or a curved surface to interact with the indicator pressing portion.

In one embodiment, the latch further has an indicator spring located inside the housing and exerting a biasing force on the indicator toward the second position of the indicator; the indicator has an intermediate section extending in the height direction of the housing between the first end and the second end thereof, and the intermediate section has an indicator elastic member engaging portion thereon to be engaged to the indicator elastic member.

In one embodiment, the indicator is located near a fixed end of the housing; and accordingly the viewing window is arranged close to the fixed end.

In one embodiment, the housing has a foot at its fixed end that is insertedly engaged to the second object when the housing is in its locked position.

In one embodiment, the latch further comprises a button and a strike; the button is coupled to the free end of the housing, is rotatable relative to the housing about another axis parallel to the width direction of the housing, and has a trigger portion and a finger portion extending from the other axis in approximately perpendicular directions, respectively, the trigger portion being located outside the housing, the finger portion extending to the inside of the housing; the bolt is at least partially located in the free end of the housing and is slidable along the length of the housing under the action of the fingers so as to be in its extended and retracted positions; wherein rotation of the trigger causes the finger to rotate and pull the bolt such that the bolt moves from its extended position to its retracted position.

In one embodiment, when the latch is in its locked position and the strike is in its extended position, the strike is insertedly engaged to the second object to retain the housing in its locked position.

In one embodiment, a stent includes a stent body that is an L-shaped sheet member for attachment to a first object; the indicator has a hole penetrating in a height direction thereof to have a hollow structure, and the hole is covered by a transparent cover plate.

In one embodiment, the respective portion of the second item is an edge of the second item at a side wall corresponding to the loaded rack; the holder pressing portion is formed by bending the holder body, and/or by providing a protrusion toward the locking position of the housing.

Drawings

Embodiments of the present application will be described in further detail below with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a top view of a latch according to the present application, and FIGS. 1B-1D are front, bottom, perspective views with the bracket removed to more clearly show other components of the latch;

fig. 2A is an exploded perspective view of a latch according to the present application, and fig. 2B is an exploded perspective view of a latch according to the present application with a bracket removed;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a housing of a latch according to the present application;

4A-4D are front, rear, top, and perspective views, respectively, of an indicator of a latch according to the present application;

5A-5E are front, side, top, bottom, and perspective views, respectively, of a button of a latch according to the present application;

6A-6E are front, rear, top, perspective view from one perspective, perspective view from another perspective, respectively, of a strike plate of a latch according to the present application;

FIGS. 7A-7B are front and side views, respectively, of an applied state of a latch according to the present application with the strike in an extended position and the indicator in a first position (indicating that the latch is in an unlatched position), FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 7B, and FIG. 7D is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 7B;

8A-8B are front and side views, respectively, of an applied condition of a latch according to the present application with the deadbolt in a retracted position and the indicator in a second position (indicating that the latch is in a latched position), FIG. 8C is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 8B, and FIG. 8D is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of FIG. 8B;

FIG. 9 shows a bracket of a latch according to the present application;

FIG. 10 shows a schematic view of the bracket and housing of a latch according to the present application rotated at an angle relative to each other;

11A-11B illustrate at different angles how a latch according to the present application is assembled to a second object;

12A-12C are front, right and left side views, respectively, of the latch assembled to a second object, and FIG. 12D is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E in FIG. 12C;

fig. 13A to 13B are a top view and a bottom view, respectively, of the latch assembled to the second object, and fig. 13C is a sectional view taken along line F-F in fig. 13A.

List of reference numerals:

100 latch

110 casing

111 casing shaft hole

112 press-button shaft hole

113 window

114 foot section

120 indicator

121 sliding part

122 contact part

123 first indication part

124 second indicator

125 indicator spring mounting

126 middle section

130 push button

131 button shaft mounting hole

132 pulling part

133 finger

140 locking bolt

141 bolt contact surface

142 tongue

143 bolt elastic piece mounting part

151 cover plate

152 housing shaft

153 push-button shaft

154 housing elastic member

155 indicator elastic piece

156 bolt elastic piece

160 support

161 support body

162 bracket connecting part

163 support pressing part

164 slide block

165 inner liner

200 second object

210 sliding groove

220 edge portion

Detailed Description

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications may be made in the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the invention.

The directions of "front", "back", "upper", "lower", etc. referred to herein are only for convenience of understanding, and the present invention is not limited to these directions, but may be modified according to the actual situation.

A latch 100 according to the present application is first generally described with reference to fig. 1A-1D and 2A-2B. 1A-1D are top, front, bottom, and perspective views, respectively, of a latch according to the present application, with the bracket removed to more clearly show the other components of the latch in FIGS. 1B-1D; fig. 2A is an exploded perspective view of a latch 100 according to the present application; fig. 2B is an exploded perspective view of a latch according to the present application with the bracket removed.

As shown, the latch 100 includes a housing 110, an indicator 120, a button 130, a latch tongue 140, a cover plate 151, a housing shaft 152, a button shaft 153, a housing elastic member 154, an indicator elastic member 155, a latch tongue elastic member 156, and a bracket 160. Wherein, the indicator 120 and the latch tongue 140 are assembled in the housing 110 and can slide relative to the housing 110. The button 130 is assembled to the housing 110 and is rotatable with respect to the housing 110. The bracket 160 is a member for attaching to the first article, and one end of the bracket 160 is assembled to one end of the housing 110, i.e., the end of the housing 110 is pivotally connected to the bracket 160, and is a fixed end with respect to the first article.

The overall function of the latch 100 is to lock and unlock a first item (e.g., a circuit board or hard disk) to and from a second item (e.g., a server or cabinet). In particular, the latch 100 can provide a lock indication to allow a user to easily notice that the latch 100 has locked or failed to lock the first object to facilitate user operation and reduce the possibility of malfunction. In this embodiment, the indicator 120 may appear differently colored or colored to provide a distinct visual signal when the housing 110 of the latch 100 is in the latched and unlatched positions to draw the attention of the user and achieve the above-described objectives.

The housing 110 will now be described in detail with reference to fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the housing 110 of the latch 100 according to the present application. As shown, the housing 110 is elongated and has opposite fixed and free ends along its length. The housing 110 has a hole or hollow interior therethrough and open upper and lower surfaces, and has two sidewalls. The case 110 is provided near the free end thereof with a case shaft hole 111 penetrating the case 110 in the width direction of the case 110, and a foot 114 extending in the length direction of the case 110. A button shaft hole 112 penetrating the case 110 in the width direction of the case 110 is provided near the free end of the case 110, and an accommodating space is provided to accommodate the latch 140. A window 113 is provided between the fixed end and the free end of the housing 110. In one embodiment, a window 113 is near the fixed end and on the upper surface of the housing 110, the window 113 being transparent or penetrating the surface of the housing 110 so that a user can view the indicator 120 inside the housing 110 through the window 113.

The button shaft hole 112 of the case 110 extends in parallel to the width direction of the case 110. The housing 110 is connected to the first article by a housing shaft 152 passing through a housing shaft hole 111 thereof so as to be rotatable relative to the first article about an axis parallel to a width direction thereof to be in a locked position and an unlocked position. In one embodiment, the first item is located substantially below the lower surface of the housing 110. A transparent cover 151 may be further provided at a lower surface of the housing 110 to allow a user to view the first object through the housing 110.

For example, in the locked position of the housing 110, the entirety of the housing 110 is attached to the first article. The latch tongue 140 mounted on the fixed end of the housing 110 may be coupled to the second object at this time, and only the fixed end of the housing 110 is connected to the first object and the other portion of the housing 110 is distant from the first object at the unlocked position of the housing 110. When the housing 110 is in its locked position, the foot 114 at the fixed end of the housing 110 is mated to the second item, while the tongue 140 at the free end of the housing 110 may also be mated to the second item (to another location of the second item). In this way, both ends of the housing 110 are fitted to the second object so as to lock the housing 110 to the second object, thereby locking the first object connected to the housing 110 to the second object. When the housing 110 is in the unlocked position, the foot 114 at its fixed end does not engage the second object, nor does the tongue 140 at the free end, and thus the housing 110 (and the first object) is unlocked from the second object.

In one embodiment, a housing spring 154 is disposed in the housing 110. Both ends of the housing elastic member 154 abut against the housing 110 and the second object, respectively, so as to bias the housing 110 toward the unlock position.

The indicator 120 will now be described in detail with reference to fig. 4A-4D. Fig. 4A-4D are front, rear, top, and perspective views, respectively, of an indicator 120 of a latch 100 according to the present application. As shown in the figure, the indicator 120 includes a sliding portion 121, a contact portion 122, a first indicating portion 123, a second indicating portion 124, an indicator elastic member mounting portion 125, and an intermediate portion 126. The indicator 120 is at least partially disposed in the housing 110 and is capable of rotating with the housing 110 while sliding along the length of the housing 110 to assume a first position corresponding to the locked position of the housing 110 and a second position corresponding to the unlocked position of the housing 110. The indicator 120 is automatically slidable to the respective first and second positions as the housing 110 is rotated between the locked and unlocked positions. The user can easily know the position of the housing 110 by observing the position of the indicator 120 through the window 113 of the housing 110.

Specifically, the indicator 120 is substantially in the shape of a dogleg and extends along the length direction of the housing 110 (i.e., the sliding direction of the indicator 120). A first indicator portion 123 and a second indicator portion 124 are provided along the sliding direction of the indicator 120, the first indicator portion 123 of the indicator 120 corresponding to the window 113 when the indicator 120 is in its first position, and the second indicator portion 124 of the indicator 120 corresponding to the window 113 when the indicator 120 is in its second position. The first and second indicators 123 and 124 may have different colors or patterns so that the user can easily observe the position of the indicator 120. The indicator 120 also has a contact portion 122, and when the housing 110 is mounted to the second object 200 and rotated toward the locked position, the indicator 120 is slidable from its second position to its first position by the contact portion 122 abutting a corresponding portion of the second object 200, such as an edge portion 220 (as best shown in fig. 13C). In one embodiment, the edge portion 220 of the second object 200 is an edge thereof corresponding to a sidewall of the bracket 160. For example, in one embodiment, the contact portion 122 of the indicator 120 extends from the housing 110 along the length of the housing 110.

In one embodiment, the indicator 120 extends along the length direction of the housing 110 and is bent, a first end of the indicator 120 along the length direction is a rod-shaped sliding portion 121, the sliding portion 121 is inserted into a corresponding supporting portion in the housing 110 so as to slide along the housing 110, a second end of the indicator 120 along the length direction is opposite to the first end, and the second end is formed with a slope or a curved surface so as to interact with the bracket pressing portion 163.

The latch 100 also has an indicator spring 155 located inside the housing 110 and exerting a biasing force on the indicator 120 toward the second position of the indicator 120. The indicator 120 has an intermediate section 126 extending in the height direction of the housing 110 between the first and second ends thereof, and the intermediate section 126 has an indicator elastic member 155 engaging portion thereon to be engaged to the indicator elastic member 155.

Indicator 120 is located near the fixed end of housing 110; and accordingly, the window 113 is disposed adjacent to the fixed end of the housing 110.

An indicator spring 155 is provided in the housing 110 in one embodiment to bias the indicator 120 toward the first position, i.e., a position indicating that the housing 110 is in the unlocked position.

The button 130 will now be described in detail with reference to fig. 5A-5E. Fig. 5A-5E are front, side, top, bottom, and perspective views, respectively, of the button 130 of the latch 100 according to the present application. As shown, the button 130 includes a trigger 132, a finger 133, and a button shaft mounting hole 131. The button 130 is coupled to a free end of the housing 110, is rotatable with respect to the housing 110 about another axis parallel to a width direction of the housing 110, and has a wrench portion 132 and a finger portion 133 extending from the other axis in approximately perpendicular directions, respectively, the wrench portion 132 being located outside the housing 110, and the finger portion 133 extending to an inside of the housing 110. The button shaft mounting hole 131 penetrates the button 130 in a direction parallel to the width direction of the housing. Such that the button 130 is rotatable relative to the housing 110 about an axis parallel to the housing 110. In one embodiment, the trigger 132 of the button 130 is located at the upper surface of the housing 110 and is flush with the upper surface of the housing 110.

Deadbolt 140 is now described in detail with reference to fig. 6A-6E. Fig. 6A-6E are front, rear, top, perspective view from one perspective, and perspective view from another perspective, respectively, of a strike 140 of a latch 100 according to the present application. As shown, the latch bolt 140 includes a bolt contact surface 141, a plurality of tongue portions 142, and a bolt elastic member mounting portion 143. The latch tongue 140 is located at least partially in the free end of the housing 110 and is slidable along the length of the housing 110 under the action of the fingers 133 so as to be in its extended and retracted positions. Finger 133 of button 130 abuts strike interface 141 of strike 140 such that rotation of toggle 132 of button 130 causes finger 133 to rotate and pull strike 140, thereby causing strike 140 to move from its extended position to its retracted position. In one embodiment, a strike spring 156 is provided in the housing 110 of the latch 100 to bias the strike 140 toward the extended position.

The bracket 160 will now be described in detail with reference to fig. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 shows a bracket of a latch according to the present application; fig. 10 shows a schematic view of the bracket and housing of a latch according to the present application rotated at an angle relative to each other. As shown in the drawings, the holder 160 includes a holder body 161, a holder connecting portion 162, a holder pressing portion 163, a slider 164, and a packing 165. The bracket body 161 is a portion that attaches the bracket 160 to the first article, and the bracket body 161 is shown as an L-shaped sheet. It will be readily appreciated that in other embodiments, the stent body 161 may take on other shapes that fit to the first article. The bracket coupling portion 162 is located at one end of the bracket 160 and has a mounting hole to rotatably couple the bracket 160 to the housing 110 by a rotation shaft (e.g., the housing shaft 152). As such, since the bracket 160 is attached to the first article and the housing 110 is rotatably connected to the bracket 160, the housing 110 is rotatably mounted to the first article through the bracket 160. However, it should be understood that the housing 110 may also be directly rotatably mounted to the first article. The arrow in fig. 10 indicates the rotational direction in which the housing 110 moves relative to the bracket 160 from the unlocked position to the locked position.

A bracket pressing portion 163 is provided at a position of the bracket 160 near the mounting connection portion 162. The holder pressing portion 163 may be formed by bending the holder 160, or may be a portion protruding toward the locking position of the housing 110, or may be formed by both of them, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the embodiment as shown in the drawings, the holder pressing part 163 is formed in a narrow plate shape so that the holder pressing part 163 does not contact the contact part 122 of the indicator 120 when the housing 110 is at any position. When the housing 110 is rotated to its locked position, the contact portion 122 abuts against the second object 200 to retract the indicator 120 into the housing 110. In another embodiment, the holder pressing part 163 may also be formed in a wide plate shape such that when the housing 110 is rotated to its locking position, the holder pressing part 163 abuts against the contact part 122 of the indicator 120 located in the housing 110, thus so as to press the indicator 120 at its second position. The slider 164 is a feature for fitting to the second object 200, which may be changed accordingly according to a corresponding shape (e.g., an elongated slot shown in fig. 11B) provided on the second object in practical use, which will be described later. The liner 165 is a layer of material, which may be softer, for example, affixed to the inside of the stent body 161. The first object (not shown in the figures, for example, a rectangular electronic device) is protected from damage by the pad 165 abutting against the support 160.

The application of the latch 100 will now be described with reference to fig. 7A-8D. Fig. 7A-7B are front and side views, respectively, of an applied state of the latch 100 according to the present application with the strike 140 in an extended position and the indicator 120 in a first position (indicating that the latch 100 is in an unlocked position), fig. 7C is a cross-sectional view taken along line a-a of fig. 7B, and fig. 7D is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of fig. 7B. In the state as shown in the drawing, since the housing 110 is in the unlock position, the second object 200 (or the cradle pressing part 163) fails to abut against the contact part 122 of the indicator 120. Thus, the indicator 120 is in the first position, and the first indicating portion 123 of the indicator 120 corresponds to the window 113 of the housing 110. The user can see the position of indicator 120 through window 113 to see that housing 110 of latch 100 is in the unlocked position.

It should be understood that although deadbolt 140 is shown in the extended position and indicator 120 is in the first position in fig. 7A-7D, the positions of the two need not be correlated. That is, the position of the locking tongue 140 is controlled by the button 130, and the position of the indicator 120 is controlled by the position of the housing 110. For example, when the locking bolt 140 is in the extended position, the indicator 120 may also be in the second position.

Fig. 8A-8B are front and side views, respectively, of an applied state of the latch 100 according to the present application with the strike 140 in a retracted position and the indicator 120 in a second position (indicating that the latch 100 is in a locked position), fig. 8C is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of fig. 8B, and fig. 8D is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of fig. 8B. When the user rotates the latch 100 such that the housing 110 rotates relative to the first article (and the bracket 160) to its locked position, the second article 200 (or the bracket pressing portion 163) abuts the contact portion 122 of the indicator 120 such that the indicator 120 slides to the second position as shown. Thus, the indicator 120 is in the second position, and the second indicator portion 124 of the indicator 120 corresponds to the viewing window 113 of the housing 110. The user can see the position of indicator 120 through window 113 to see that housing 110 of latch 100 is in the latched position.

It should be understood that although locking bolt 140 is shown in the retracted position and indicator 120 is in the second position in fig. 8A-8D, the positions of the two need not be correlated. For example, when the locking bolt 140 is in the retracted position, the indicator 120 may also be in the first position.

The mating relationship between the latch 100 and the second object 200 according to the present application is now described with reference to fig. 11A-13C. It should be understood that the second object 200 and the fitting relationship between the latch 100 and the second object 200 shown in the present embodiment are merely examples to facilitate understanding of the structure and function of the latch 100. The second object 200 may vary depending on the application, and the structural features of the latch 100 for mating to the second object 200 may vary accordingly.

In this embodiment, the second item 200 is a generally rectangular box with its top open to facilitate insertion of the latch 100 and the first item (not shown) attached to the latch 100. The side wall of the second object 200 is opened with a sliding groove 210. The bracket 160 of the latch 100 is provided with a slider 164, and the slider 164 is inserted into the sliding slot 210 of the second object 200 to limit the sliding movement of the bracket 160 and the first object carried thereby. A plurality of latches 100 and the first article attached thereto may be inserted side by side in the second article 200, and only one latch 100 is shown in the drawings for simplicity of the drawings.

In use, a first item may be attached to the bracket 160 for being fed into a second item 200 by the latch 100. In the state shown in fig. 11A to 11B, the housing 110 is approximately aligned with the bracket 160, and the indicator 120 in the housing 110 is biased by the indicator elastic member 155 such that the contact portion 122 of the indicator 120 protrudes outside the housing 110. In this state, the first indication portion 123 of the indicator 120 corresponds to the window 113 of the housing 110.

The latch 100 is inserted into the second object 200 by inserting the slider 164 of the bracket 160 into the sliding groove 210 of the second object 200 and sliding along the sliding groove 210. When the slider 164 moves to the end of the sliding slot 210, the bracket 160 is fixed relative to the second object 200, and the housing 110 may be rotated relative to the bracket 160 (i.e., relative to the first and second objects 200) to reach the state shown in fig. 12A-13C.

As shown in fig. 12A-13C, the cradle 160 has been inserted into the second object 200, and a first object (not shown) attached to the cradle 160 is thus inserted into the second object 200. The housing 110 has been rotated to its locked position relative to the stand 160 and the housing 110 closes the top opening of the second object 200. At this time, the foot 114 of the housing 110 and the latch tongue 140 are respectively fitted into corresponding indentations of both sidewalls of the second object 200, so as to fix the housing 110 to the second object 200. In such a state, due to a certain angle between the housing 110 and the holder 160, the second object 200 (or the holder pressing part 163 of the holder 160) abuts against the contact part 122 of the indicator 120 in the housing 110, so that the indicator 120 is retracted into the housing 110 against the biasing force of the indicator elastic member 155. The second indication portion 124 of the indicator 120 corresponds to the window 113 of the housing 110 at this time. The user can observe the second indicator 124 through the window 113. Since the second indicator 124 has a different visual characteristic, such as a different color or pattern, than the first indicator 123, the user can quickly and clearly confirm that the housing 110 is in the locked position.

In summary, the present application provides a latch 100 having a lock indicator 120 that provides an intuitive visual indication to a user to easily understand whether the latch 100 is in a locked state or an unlocked state, thereby advantageously preventing malfunction. Moreover, the lock indicator 120 of the latch 100 of the present application is simple in construction, involving only a small number of parts, which is advantageous in reducing manufacturing costs.

While preferred embodiments have been shown and described herein, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example only. Numerous modifications, changes, and substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

1. A latch for locking a first object to a second object, the latch comprising:

a housing elongated and rotatably coupled to the first article, the housing having:

a fixed end rotatably mounted to the first article and a free end opposite to the fixed end, the housing being rotatable relative to the first article about an axis parallel to a width direction thereof at the fixed end in a locked position in which the first article is locked to the second article by the latch and an unlocked position in which the first article and the second article are in an unlocked state, and

a window located at a position between the fixed end and the free end to allow viewing of an interior of the housing from an exterior thereof;

an indicator at least partially located in the housing, rotatable with the housing, and slidable along a length of the housing to a first position corresponding to a locked position of the housing or a second position corresponding to an unlocked position of the housing, wherein the indicator has:

a first indicator portion and a second indicator portion disposed along a sliding direction of the indicator, the first indicator portion of the indicator corresponding to the window when the indicator is in its first position, the second indicator portion of the indicator corresponding to the window when the indicator is in its second position, and

a contact portion at one end of the indicator, the contact portion being retractable within the housing when the indicator is in its first position, the contact portion at least partially protruding outside the housing when the indicator is in its second position; and

a bracket attachable to the first object and loaded into the second object, and having one end rotatably connected to a fixed end of the housing,

wherein the second object is provided at a side wall corresponding to the received bracket with a respective portion that urges the indicator to its first position when the housing is in its locked position; or wherein the bracket is provided with a bracket pressing portion near a fixed end connected to the housing, the bracket pressing portion abutting against the contact portion of the indicator to urge the indicator to its first position when the housing is in its locked position.

2. The latch according to claim 1, wherein:

the first indication part and the second indication part of the indicator are in different colors or patterns so as to present different display effects.

3. The latch according to claim 1, wherein:

the indicator is along the length direction extension of casing and be the form of buckling, the edge of indicator the length direction's first end is the shaft-like sliding part, the sliding part inserts in so that follow in the casing slides, the edge of indicator the length direction's second end with first end is relative, the second end forms inclined plane or curved surface, in order with the mutual action of indicator splenium.

4. The latch according to claim 3, wherein:

the latch also has an indicator spring located inside the housing and exerting a biasing force on the indicator toward the second position of the indicator;

the indicator has a middle section extending in a height direction of the housing between the first end and the second end thereof, and the middle section has an indicator elastic member engaging portion thereon to be engaged to the indicator elastic member.

5. The latch according to claim 1, wherein:

the indicator is located near the fixed end of the housing; and correspondingly, the window is arranged close to the fixed end.

6. The latch according to claim 1, wherein:

the housing has a foot at its fixed end that is insertedly engaged to the second object when the housing is in its locked position.

7. The latch according to claim 1, wherein:

the latch further comprises a button and a tongue;

the button is coupled to a free end of the housing and is rotatable relative to the housing about another axis parallel to a width direction of the housing, and has a trigger portion and a finger portion extending from the other axis in approximately perpendicular directions, respectively, the trigger portion being located outside the housing, the finger portion extending to an inside of the housing;

the bolt is at least partially located in the free end of the housing and is slidable along the length of the housing under the action of the fingers so as to be in its extended and retracted positions;

wherein rotation of the trigger causes the finger to rotate and pull the bolt such that the bolt moves from its extended position to a retracted position.

8. The latch according to claim 7, wherein:

when the latch is in its locked position and the deadbolt is in its extended position, the deadbolt is insert engaged to the second object to hold the housing in its locked position.

9. The latch according to claim 1, wherein:

the holder includes a holder body which is an L-shaped sheet member for attachment with the first object;

the indicator has a hole penetrating in a height direction thereof to have a hollow structure, the hole being covered by a transparent cover plate.

10. The latch according to claim 1, wherein:

the respective portion of the second object is an edge of the second object at a side wall corresponding to the loaded rack;

the holder pressing portion is formed by bending the holder body, and/or is formed by providing a protrusion toward a locking position of the housing.

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