CN218207352U - Locking device - Google Patents

Abstract

A locking device according to the application, comprising: a mount fixed to a second object, the mount including a bottom wall and two side walls extending from the bottom wall and laterally opposite to each other; a locking member disposed between both side walls of the mount base, movable in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the lateral direction with respect to the mount base so as to move between a locking position to lock the first object with respect to the second object and an unlocking position to unlock the first object, the locking member including a top plate covering a top end of the mount base opened in a vertical direction perpendicular to the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction; and a spring disposed between the mounting seat and the locking member, biasing the locking member toward the locking position; and a mounting member which passes through a mounting hole provided in the mounting seat to fix the mounting seat to the second object, at least one elastic retaining portion extending from an inner periphery of the mounting hole toward an inside of the mounting hole to retain the mounting member in the mounting seat.

Description

Locking device

Technical Field

The present application relates to a locking device.

Background

A locking device is a common device used to secure or unlock a first object to or from a second object.

Electronic devices such as servers often require a locking mechanism in order to lock or unlock the circuit board. In such a use environment, the locking device is required to have the characteristics of simple structure, convenience in operation and small size, and on the basis, the locking device is required to be stable and reliable in operation and not easy to disassemble. Moreover, the locking device is also required to have a neat appearance to avoid scratches with other objects.

Therefore, new challenges exist with regard to the design of the locking device.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

A locking device according to the present application for locking a first article to a second article, the locking device comprising: a mount fixed to the second object, the mount including a bottom wall and two side walls extending from the bottom wall and laterally opposite to each other; a lock member disposed between both side walls of the mount base, movable relative to the mount base in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the lateral direction so as to move between a lock position to lock the first article relative to the second article and an unlock position to unlock the first article, the lock member including a top plate covering a top end of the mount base opened in a vertical direction perpendicular to the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction; and a spring disposed between the mount and the locking member, biasing the locking member toward the locked position; and a mounting member which passes through a mounting hole provided on the mounting seat to fix the mounting seat to the second object, wherein at least one elastic retaining part extends from the inner periphery of the mounting hole towards the inner part of the mounting hole to retain the mounting member in the mounting seat.

In one embodiment, the bottom wall extends beyond the side wall in the longitudinal direction, and the mounting hole is disposed at a portion of the bottom wall beyond the side wall and vertically penetrates through the bottom wall.

In one embodiment, the mount comprises: a head portion positionable in the mounting hole; a fastening portion that is fixable to the second object through the mounting hole; and a neck connected between the head and the fastening portion, the neck having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the head and the diameter of the fastening portion, thereby forming an internal recess between the head and the fastening portion.

In one embodiment, the resilient retaining portion is cantilevered in a sector extending radially from an inner periphery of the mounting hole toward a center of the mounting hole, the resilient retaining portion being sandwiched between the second object and the head when the mounting member is fastened to the second object.

In one embodiment, the elastic holder includes: a pair of first holding portions extending axially symmetrically to each other into the inner recess without contacting the neck portion, end surfaces of the pair of first holding portions facing each other being arc-shaped; and a pair of second holding portions that are circumferentially displaced by 90 degrees from the pair of first holding portions, that extend axially symmetrically to each other into the recessed portion, and that do not contact the neck portion, and that have arc-shaped end surfaces facing each other.

In one embodiment, the surfaces of the first and second holding portions facing the first object each have at least one step portion such that the inner diameter of the mounting hole is gradually reduced in the insertion direction of the mount.

In one embodiment, the first holding portion and the second holding portion are respectively provided on a side of the bottom wall close to the second object; the side of each of the first holding portion and the second holding portion facing the first object is stepped with a periphery close to the first object and a center far away from the first object; and a side of each of the first holding portion and the second holding portion facing the second object is flat and has a first gap from a bottom surface of the mount in a vertical direction.

In one embodiment, a surface of the second holding portion facing the second object is formed into an approximately fan-shaped concave portion which is vertically inwardly concave and radially outwardly expanded with respect to the mounting hole, so that two radial edges of the concave portion and an edge of a free end form a rib portion, and end surfaces of the second holding portion which are opposite to each other are arc-shaped; each rib and the mounting seat are vertically provided with a second gap from the bottom surface of the mounting seat; and the arcuate radius of the second retaining portion is approximately the same as the arcuate radius of the first retaining portion.

In one embodiment, the mount further comprises: two first guide portions provided at longitudinal front ends of the two side walls, respectively, and extending laterally inward from the respective side walls, respectively; and two second guide portions provided at longitudinal rear ends of the two side walls, respectively, and extending laterally inward from the respective side walls, respectively. The locking piece further comprises: two first sliders connected to a lower side of a front end of the top plate and slidably disposed below the two first guide portions; and two second sliders respectively connected below the rear ends of the top plates and slidably disposed below the two second guide portions.

In one embodiment, the two first guide portions, the two second guide portions, the two first sliders and the two second sliders are respectively arranged symmetrically along the transverse direction.

In one embodiment, each of the second sliders includes: a second slider back wall and a second slider side wall extending vertically downward from the top plate, respectively, the second slider back wall being located at a back end of the top plate; and the second slider bottom wall, the second slider rear wall and the second slider side wall together form a space open to the front and the outside.

In one embodiment, the first guide portion and the second guide portion located on the same side are aligned in the longitudinal direction; and the first slider and the second slider which are positioned on the same side are aligned along the longitudinal direction.

In one embodiment, the two first guide portions, the two second guide portions, the two first sliders and the two second sliders are respectively arranged asymmetrically along the transverse direction; the first guide part and the second guide part which are positioned on the same side are staggered along the longitudinal direction; and the first sliding block and the second sliding block which are positioned at the same side are staggered along the longitudinal direction.

In one embodiment, a longitudinally extending chute is formed at the approximate longitudinal center of each side wall of the mounting seat; the locking piece further comprises: two insertion portions respectively inserted in the two slide grooves to restrict longitudinal movement of the locking piece.

In one embodiment, each of the insertion portions includes: a support rod extending vertically downward from a top plate of the locking member; and a plug extending laterally outward from a lower end of the support bar and inserted into the sliding groove.

In one embodiment, the inner side of each side wall of the mounting seat is provided with a concave insertion groove, and the insertion groove extends from the rear end of the sliding groove to the top end of the side wall along the vertical direction and is connected with the rear end of the sliding groove for mounting the insertion part.

In one embodiment, the locking member further comprises: a spring mounting portion provided as a rod extending in the lateral direction at substantially a longitudinal center of the top plate; a spring abutting part extending downwards from the top plate along the vertical direction and positioned in front of the spring mounting part; the spring is the torsional spring, and includes: a spring first end abutting against the spring abutting portion; a second end of the spring abutting against the inner side of an end plate of the mounting seat, the end plate being located between the rear ends of the two side walls; and the coil spring part is sleeved on the spring mounting part.

In one embodiment, the mount further comprises: the locking platform is positioned at the front end of the mounting seat and is in a semi-cylindrical shape; the locking piece further comprises: a locking part extending forward from a front end of the top plate, being semicircular and having a tapered top surface; when the locking piece is in the locked position, the locking portion is located vertically above the locking table so that the first object can be clamped between the locking portion and the locking table.

Drawings

Fig. 1A to 1F are front, rear, left, right, top and bottom views, respectively, of a locking device according to the present application; FIGS. 1G to 1K are perspective views of the locking device at different angles, respectively;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a locking device according to the present application;

fig. 3A and 3B are perspective views of the locking member of the locking device at different angles, respectively;

FIGS. 4A-4B are perspective views of the mounting seat of the locking device at different angles, respectively;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the resilient member of the locking device;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a mounting member of the locking device;

FIGS. 7A-7C are top, side, and perspective views, respectively, ofbase:Sub>A locking device applied to first and second objects inbase:Sub>A locked position, and FIG. 7D isbase:Sub>A cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 7A;

fig. 8A to 8C are a top view, a side view, and a perspective view of a locking device applied to first and second objects, respectively, in an unlocked position, and fig. 8D is a sectional view taken along line B-B in fig. 8A.

List of reference numbers:

100. locking device

110. Locking piece

111. Top board

112. First slide block

113. Second slide block

113a second slider back wall

113b second slider sidewall

113c second slider bottom wall

114. Insertion part

114a support rod

114b plug

115. Locking part

116. Operation part

117. Spring mounting part

118. Spring abutting part

120. Mounting seat

121. Side wall

122. First guide part

123. Second guide part

124. Sliding chute

125. Inserting slot

126. Locking table

127. End plate

128. Positioning part

129. Bottom wall

129a first holding portion

129b second holding part

129c mounting hole

129c' channel

129d counterbore portion

129e recess

129f rib

130. Spring (elastic component)

131. First end of spring

132. Second end of spring

133. Coil spring part

140. Mounting member

141. Head part

142. Fastening part

143. Neck part

200. First article

300. Second object

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 lock device 100 according to the present application is first described in its entirety with reference to fig. 1A to 2. The lock device 100 includes: mount 120, locking member 110, spring 130, and mount 140.

The mount 120 is fixed to a second object 300 such as a circuit board. The locking member 110 is provided on the mount 120, is at least partially inserted in the mount 120, and can lock or unlock a first article 200 such as another circuit board with respect to a second article 300 (the first and second articles 200 and 300 refer to fig. 7). A spring 130 is disposed between the mount 120 and the locking member 110 to bias the locking member 110 toward the locked position. The mount 140 is used to mount the mount 120 to the second object 300.

For convenience of description, a direction in which the locking member 110 moves with respect to the mounting seat 120 is referred to as a longitudinal direction (front-rear direction), a direction in which the mounting seat 120 is inserted onto the second object 300 is referred to as a vertical direction, and a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction is referred to as a lateral direction herein.

A specific structure of the locking member 110 will now be described with reference to fig. 3A to 3B. The lock member 110 includes a top plate 111, a first slider 112, a second slider 113, an insertion portion 114, a locking portion 115, an operation portion 116, and a spring mounting portion 117.

The top plate 111 of the locking member 110 has a substantially square shape extending in the longitudinal and lateral planes, covering the top end of the mounting seat 120. More specifically, when the locking member 110 is in the locked position, the top panel 111 is generally aligned with the bottom panel of the mounting seat 120. Thus, the locking member 110 and the mounting seat 120 together form a closed, generally square box-like structure. The entire locking device 100 has few components extending beyond the box-like structure other than the locking portion 115 and the locking table 126 for locking the first article 200, thereby avoiding interference with other articles nearby as much as possible, which is advantageous in a compact installation environment.

The two first sliders 112 are connected to the lower side of the front end of the top plate 111 and slidably disposed below the two first guide portions 122. The two second sliders 113 are connected to the lower side of the rear end of the top plate 111 and slidably disposed below the two second guide portions 123.

The positions of the first and second sliders 112 and 113 and the longitudinal lengths of the first and second guide portions 122 and 123 may be set such that the first and second guide portions 122 and 123 vertically restrict the locking member 110, that is, block above the first and second sliders 112 and 113, respectively, when the locking member 110 is located at the locking position. However, when the locking member 110 is located at the unlocking position, the first guide portion 122 and the second guide portion 123 do not vertically restrict the locking member 110, that is, do not block above the first slider 112 and the second slider 113. Such a structure of the first guide portion 122 and the second guide portion 123 allows the locking device 100 to be assembled in a vertical direction. Since the assembly direction (vertical direction) of the locking member 110 is different from the moving direction (longitudinal direction) of the locking-unlocking motion, the locking member 110 is not easily separated from the mounting seat 120 during the locking-unlocking process. That is, stable operation of the locking device 100 is ensured with the number of parts saved as much as possible.

Due to the provision of the two first sliders 112, the two second sliders 113, the two first guide portions 122, and the two second guide portions 123, there are up to 4 locking points between the locking member 110 and the mounting seat 120, and the 4 locking points are distributed along the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction of the locking device 100. Thanks to the above-described arrangement of the locking points, when the locking member 110 is in the locking position and clamps the first article 200, such as a circuit board, it is possible to overcome the vertical displacement of the first article 200 when it is subjected to impacts or vibrations, thus providing a locking function that is as stable and reliable as possible with a minimum of parts and allowing a quick assembly.

More specifically, in the present embodiment, the two first sliders 112 and the two second sliders 113 are respectively disposed symmetrically in the lateral direction. The first slider 112 and the second slider 113 located on the same side are aligned in the longitudinal direction. However, it should be understood that, according to actual requirements, the two first sliders 112 and the two second sliders 113 may be disposed asymmetrically in the lateral direction, for example, the first slider 112 on one side may be located more forward or more backward than the first slider 112 on the other side. The first slider 112 and the second slider 113 located on the same side may also be staggered in the longitudinal direction, for example, the first slider 112 located on the same side may be disposed closer to the lateral inner side or the lateral outer side than the second slider 113.

Each of the second sliders 113 may include a second slider rear wall 113a and a second slider side wall 113b, which respectively extend vertically downward from the top plate 111. Wherein the second slider rear wall 113a is located at the rear end of the top plate 111, and the second slider bottom wall 113c forms a space open to the front and the outside together with the second slider rear wall 113a and the second slider side wall 113b. Thus, the second slider bottom wall 113c is supported by the second slider rear wall 113a and the second slider side wall 113b from two different directions, which is advantageous for stable positioning of the second slider bottom wall 113c and prevents it from shaking. Also, when the locking member 110 is in the locking position, the second slider rear wall 113a abuts against the second guide member in the longitudinal direction, preventing the locking member 110 from continuing to slide forward beyond the locking position.

As described previously, the two insertion portions 114 of the locking member 110 are respectively inserted into the two slide grooves 124 of the mounting seat 120 to define the longitudinal movement of the locking member 110.

More specifically, each insertion portion 114 includes a support rod 114a and a plug 114b. A support rod 114a extends vertically downward from the top plate 111 of the locking member 110 and a plug 114b extends laterally outward from the lower end of the support rod 114a and is inserted into the slide groove 124. The support bar 114a has a certain elasticity. When the locking member 110 is vertically assembled to the mounting seat 120, the support rod 114a is elastically deformed laterally inward to allow the plug 114b to be snapped into the slide groove 124 along the slot 125.

The locking portion 115 extends forward from the front end of the top plate 111, is semicircular in shape, and has a tapered top surface. When the lock 110 is in the locked position, the lock 115 is vertically above the lock table 126 so that the first article 200 can be clamped between the lock 115 and the lock table 126. The cross-sectional shape of the locking portion 115 may correspond to the cross-sectional shape of the locking land 126, or may have a shape other than the locking land 126, such as square, trapezoidal, oval, and the like.

When the first article 200 is vertically mounted to the second article 300, the first article 200 may abut against the tapered top surface of the lock 115, so that the lock 115 moves to the unlocked position against the biasing force of the spring 130, thereby simplifying the mounting operation of the first article 200.

The upper surface of the top plate 111 may be provided with an operating portion 116, and the operating portion 116 may be formed in a shape to increase friction so that a user pushes the locking member 110 in a longitudinal direction. The user may push the locking member 110 backward, thereby allowing the first article 200 to move away from the second article 300.

The spring mounting portion 117 is provided as a rod extending in the lateral direction at substantially the longitudinal center of the top plate 111. The spring abutting portion 118 extends vertically downward from the top plate 111 and is located in front of the spring mounting portion 117. Due to the structure of the spring mounting portion 117 and the spring abutment 118, the spring 130 is more easily positioned on the lock 110 and is less likely to shift or even disengage from the lock 110.

A specific structure of the mount 120 will now be described with reference to fig. 4A and 4B. As shown, the mount 120 includes: side wall 121, first guide part 122, second guide part 123, chute 124, slot 125, locking platform 126, end plate 127, positioning part 128 and bottom wall 129.

Two side walls 121 of the mount 120 extend from the bottom wall 129 and are laterally opposite, defining a side appearance of the lock device 100. That is, the two sidewalls 121 of the mount 120 are located at the outermost sides of the locking device 100, so that the locking device 100 has a neat appearance.

The two first guide portions 122 are disposed at longitudinal front ends of the two side walls 121, respectively, and extend laterally inward from the respective side walls 121, respectively. Two second guide portions 123 respectively provided at longitudinal rear ends of the two side walls 121 and respectively extending laterally inward from the respective side walls 121.

The first guide portion 122 and the second guide portion 123 are protrusions protruding inward at the front end and the rear end, respectively. When the locking member 110 slides in the longitudinal direction with respect to the mounting seat 120, the first and second guide portions 122 and 123 guide and restrict the locking member 110 at the front end and the rear end, respectively, so that the sliding of the locking member 110 is smoother and the disengagement from the mounting seat 120 is less likely.

More specifically, in the present embodiment, the two first guide portions 122 and the two second guide portions 123 are respectively disposed symmetrically in the lateral direction. The first guide portion 122 and the second guide portion 123 located on the same side are aligned in the longitudinal direction. However, it should be understood that, according to actual requirements, the two first guide portions 122 and the two second guide portions 123 may be disposed asymmetrically in the lateral direction, for example, the first guide portion 122 on one side may be located more forward or more backward than the first guide portion 122 on the other side. The first guide part 122 and the second guide part 123 on the same side may also be staggered in the longitudinal direction, for example, the first guide part 122 on the same side may be disposed more laterally inward or more laterally outward than the second guide part 123.

The slide groove 124 opens at substantially the longitudinal center of each side wall 121 of the mount base 120 and extends in the longitudinal direction. The slide groove 124 provides a sliding track for the plug 114b of the locking member 110 so that the locking member 110 slides more smoothly and is less likely to disengage from the mounting seat 120.

More specifically, the inner side of each side wall 121 of the mounting seat 120 has a female-formed insertion groove 125, and the insertion groove 125 vertically extends from the rear end of the slide groove 124 to the top end of the side wall 121 and meets the rear end of the slide groove 124 for installation of the insertion portion 114 (fig. 4A to 4B) of the locking member 110. In this way, the insertion portion 114 of the locking member 110 is allowed to be vertically inserted into the slide groove 124. Moreover, the insertion portion 114 is snapped into the slide groove 124 along the insertion groove 125 by itself being elastically deformed, which cannot easily exit the slide groove 124 in the vertical direction (of course, it is more difficult to exit the slide groove 124 in the longitudinal direction). In this way, accidental disassembly of the locking device 100 is further prevented.

An end plate 127 of the mount 120 is located between the rear ends of the two side walls 121, which substantially closes the rear end of the mount 120 and provides an abutment surface for the spring 130.

The locking platform 126 is located at the front end of the mounting base 120 and is semi-cylindrical. The locking table 126 abuts against the lower surface of the first article 200 to secure the first article 200. In other embodiments, the locking table 126 may also have a different cross-sectional shape, such as square, trapezoidal, oval, and the like.

The positioning part 128 is located at the bottom surface of the mount 120, protruding downward therefrom so as to be fixed to the second object 300. The shape and position of the positioning part 128 may be adjusted according to actual conditions.

In one embodiment, the bottom wall 129 extends longitudinally beyond the side wall 121, and the mounting hole 129c is provided at a portion of the bottom wall 129 beyond the side wall 121 and vertically penetrates the bottom wall 129.

It should be understood that in other embodiments, the bottom wall 129 may take on other shapes. For example, the bottom wall 129 may extend laterally and diagonally beyond the side wall 121. In the present embodiment, there is only one mounting hole, however, in other embodiments, the mounting hole 129c may be opened in plural, for example, two mounting holes 129c may be opened on the bottom wall 129 side by side in the transverse direction.

At least one elastic retaining portion extends from the inner periphery of the mounting hole 129c toward the inside of the mounting hole 129c to retain the mounting member 140 in the mounting seat 120. The resilient retaining portion is cantilevered in a sector extending radially from the inner periphery of the mounting hole 129c toward the center of the mounting hole 129c, and is sandwiched between the second object 300 and the head 141 when the mounting member 140 is fastened to the second object 300.

The resilient retention portion serves to resist inadvertent loosening of the mounting member 130. When the mount 140 mounts the mount base 120 to the second object 300, the elastic holder abuts against the lower surface of the head 141, thereby generating a frictional force between the elastic holder and the head 141 to prevent rotation of the head 141. Due to the elastic holding portion, the use of additional anti-loosening members is avoided, the number of parts of the locking device 100 is reduced, and the mounting operation is simplified. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments the resilient retention portion may be replaced by other anti-loosening elements or portions, for example by an anti-loosening ring.

In the present embodiment, the elastic holding portion includes a pair of first holding portions 129a and a pair of second holding portions 129b. The first holding portions 129a extend axially symmetrically with respect to each other into the inner concave portion of the neck portion 143 of the mounting member 140 without contacting the neck portion 143, and end surfaces of the pair of first holding portions 129a facing each other are arc-shaped. The second holding portions 129b are circumferentially displaced by 90 degrees from the pair of first holding portions 129a, axially symmetrically extend into the inner recess of the neck portion 143 of the attachment piece 140 without contacting the neck portion 143, and the end surfaces of the pair of second holding portions 129b facing each other are arc-shaped.

Due to the above-described shapes of the first holding portion 129a and the second holding portion 129b, the end portions of the four elastic holding portions are enclosed in the mounting hole 129c as a passage 129c' having a diameter smaller than that of the mounting hole 129 c. Referring to fig. 4A, wherein the larger dashed circle represents the approximate extent of mounting hole 129c and the smaller dashed circle represents the approximate extent of channel 129c'. In the process of mounting the mount 120 to the second object 300 using the mounting member 140, the fastening part 142 of the mounting member 140 having a large diameter passes through the passage 129c' by elastic deformation of the first and second holding parts 129a and 129b. Therefore, the design of the elastic holding portion in this embodiment does not interfere with the installation of the mounting member 140, and since the elastic holding portion covers the installation hole 129c as much as possible, the friction area between the elastic holding portion and the head 141 is increased, which is advantageous for preventing the accidental loosening of the mounting member 140. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments more or fewer resilient retaining portions may be provided, for example only one pair of resilient retaining portions, or more than two pairs of resilient retaining portions.

Thanks to the design of the resilient retaining portion, the mounting member 140 can be retained in the mounting seat 120 without adding additional components to retain the mounting member 140. In addition to the above-described arrangement form of the protection part, the elastic holding part may be designed in other forms having elasticity, such as an elastic rubber ring, etc., to allow the fastening part 142 of the mounting part 140 to pass through by elastic deformation, but to prevent the loosening of the mounting part 140.

The surfaces of the first and second holding portions 129a and 129b facing the first article 200 respectively have at least one stepped portion such that the inner diameter of the mounting hole 129c is gradually reduced along the insertion direction of the mounting member 140.

The first holding portion 129a and the second holding portion 129b are respectively provided on the side of the bottom wall 129 close to the second object 300, and the second holding portion 129b is closer to the second object 300 than the first holding portion 129 a.

In the present embodiment, the side of each of the first holding portion 129a and the second holding portion 129b facing the first article 200 is stepped such that the periphery is close to the first article 200 and the center is far from the first article 200. The side of each of the first and second holding portions 129a and 129b facing the second object 300 is flat and vertically has a first gap from the bottom surface of the mount 120. The above-described shape of the first and second holding portions 129a and 129b is advantageous in increasing the frictional force between each holding portion and the mounting member 140. When the fastening part 142 of the mounting member 140 passes through the holding parts, the above-described first gap allows each of the holding parts to be easily elastically deformed to allow the fastening part 142 to pass through.

The surface of the second holding portion 129b facing the second object 300 forms an approximately fan-shaped recess portion 129e that is recessed in the vertical direction and expands radially outward with respect to the mounting hole 129c, so that both radial edges of the recess portion 129e and the edge of the free end form a rib portion 129f. The end surfaces of the second holding portions 129b facing each other are arc-shaped. The arcuate radius of the second holding portion 129b is approximately the same as the arcuate radius of the first holding portion 129 a. Each rib portion 129f has a second gap with the mount 120 in the vertical direction from the bottom surface of the mount 120. The second gap may be smaller than the first gap. The above arrangement of the rib portion 129f allows the holding portion to be easily elastically deformed to allow the fastening portion 142 of the mounting member 140 to pass therethrough when the fastening portion 142 passes through the holding portion. The rib portion 129f can increase the pressure on the fastening portion 142 after the mounting member 140 passes through the holding portion, thereby preventing loosening of the mounting member 140.

The above-described shapes of the first and second holding portions 129a, 129b facilitate the first and second holding portions 129a, 129b to better conform to the head 141 of the mounting member 140. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the first and second holding portions 129a and 129b may have other shapes, such as rectangular shapes. Further, the first holding portion 129a and the second holding portion 129b may have the same shape.

The mounting hole 129c is opened at an upper surface in the longitudinal direction with a diameter-enlarged hole portion 129d to receive the head portion 141 of the mounting member 140.

A specific structure of the spring 130 is described with reference to fig. 5. The spring 130 is a torsion spring, and includes: a first spring end 131, a second spring end 132, and a coil spring portion 133. The spring first end 131 abuts against the rear side of the spring abutment 118 of the locking member 110. The spring second end 132 abuts the inside of an end plate 127 of the mounting block 120, the end plate 127 being located between the rear ends of the two side walls 121. The coil spring 133 is fitted over the spring mounting portion 117 of the lock 110. As previously described, the spring 130 is preloaded to bias the lock 110 toward the locked position.

The effect of the torsion spring as compared to the compression spring 130 is to allow a greater spring force to be provided in a shorter stroke. Also, by increasing or decreasing the number of turns of the coil spring part 133, the elastic force of the torsion spring can be easily adjusted according to actual needs.

A specific structure of the mounting member 140 is described with reference to fig. 6.

The mounting member 140 includes a head 141, a fastening portion 142, and a neck 143. The head 141 can be seated in the mounting hole 129 c. The fastening portion 142 can be fixed to the second object 300 through the mounting hole 129 c. And a neck portion 143 connected between the head portion 141 and the fastening portion 142, the neck portion 143 having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the head portion 141 and the diameter of the fastening portion 142, thereby forming an inner recess between the head portion 141 and the fastening portion 142.

In the present embodiment, the fastening portion 142 is a threaded portion. In other embodiments, the fastening portion 142 may be in other forms, such as a snap-fit portion.

The operation of the locking device 100 is described with reference to fig. 7A to 8D.

As shown in fig. 7A to 7D, when the lock device 100 is in the lock position, the plug 114b of the insertion portion 114 is located at the front end of the slide groove 124, the lock portion 115 is located above the lock table 126, and the entire lock device 100 has a box-like structure. As shown in fig. 8A to 8D, when the lock device 100 is in the unlock position, the plug 114b of the insertion portion 114 is located at the rear end of the slide groove 124, and the lock portion 115 is away from above the lock table 126.

Fig. 7A to 8D illustrate an example in which the locking device 100 is applied to the first and second objects 200 and 300. In this example, the second object 300 is a larger panel located below and the first object 200 is a smaller panel located above. When the first article 200 is mounted to the second article 300, one end (right end in the drawing) of the first article 200 is first inserted onto the second article 300, and then the other end (left end in the drawing) of the first article 200 is engaged to the lock device 100 in the top-down direction and fixed to the second article 300 by the lock device 100.

It should be understood that the shapes and positions of the first and second objects 200 and 300 are only examples. The locking device 100 of the present application can be applied to the first and second objects 200 and 300 in any position and shape.

As shown in fig. 7D, when the locking device 100 is in the locking position, the locking portion 115 is positioned above the first article 200. When the locking device 100 is in the unlocked position, the locking member 115 is clear of the top of the first article 200, as shown in fig. 8D.

As shown in fig. 7D and 8D, when the mount 140 mounts the mount base 110 to the second object 300, the elastic holding portion (the second holding portion 129c shown in fig. 7D and 8D) abuts against the lower surface of the head portion 141, thereby preventing the loosening of the mount 140.

Although the present invention is described and illustrated with respect to a glove box of a vehicle, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be applied to any other type of lock structure.

While preferred embodiments have been shown and described herein, it should be understood that these embodiments are given 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 (18)

1. A locking device (100) for locking a first article (200) to a second article (300), the locking device (100) comprising:

a mounting base (120) fixed to the second object (300), the mounting base (120) including a bottom wall (129) and two side walls (121) extending from the bottom wall (129) and laterally opposite to each other;

a lock (110) disposed between two side walls (121) of the mount (120), movable relative to the mount (120) in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the transverse direction, so as to move between a locked position locking the first article (200) relative to the second article (300) and an unlocked position unlocking the first article (200), the lock (110) including a top plate (111), the top plate (111) covering a top end of the mount (120) that is open in a vertical direction perpendicular to the transverse direction and the longitudinal direction; and

a spring (130) disposed between the mount (120) and the locking member (110) biasing the locking member (110) toward the locking position;

a mounting member (140) for fixing the mounting base (120) to the second object (300) through a mounting hole (129 c) provided on the mounting base (120), at least one elastic retaining portion extending from an inner periphery of the mounting hole (129 c) toward an inside of the mounting hole (129 c) for retaining the mounting member (140) in the mounting base (120).

2. The locking device (100) of claim 1, wherein:

the bottom wall (129) extends beyond the side wall (121) in the longitudinal direction, and the mounting hole (129 c) is provided at a portion of the bottom wall (129) beyond the side wall (121) and vertically penetrates through the bottom wall (129).

3. The locking device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that:

the mount (140) comprises:

a head (141) positionable in the mounting hole (129 c);

a fastening portion (142) that is fixable to the second object (300) through the mounting hole (129 c); and

a neck portion (143) connected between the head portion (141) and the fastening portion (142), the neck portion (143) having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the head portion (141) and the diameter of the fastening portion (142) to form an internal recess between the head portion (141) and the fastening portion (142).

4. The locking device (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that:

the resilient retaining portion is in the form of a sector-shaped cantilever extending radially from an inner periphery of the mounting hole (129 c) towards a center of the mounting hole (129 c), the resilient retaining portion being clamped between the second object (300) and the head (141) when the mounting piece (140) is fastened to the second object (300).

5. The locking device (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that:

the elastic holding portion includes:

a pair of first holding portions (129 a) extending axially symmetrically to each other into the inner recess without contacting the neck portion (143), end surfaces of the pair of first holding portions (129 a) facing each other being arc-shaped;

and a pair of second holding portions (129 b) which are circumferentially displaced by 90 degrees from the pair of first holding portions (129 a), which extend axially symmetrically to each other into the recessed portion without contacting the neck portion (143), and which have arcuate end surfaces facing each other at the pair of second holding portions (129 b).

6. The locking device (100) of claim 5, wherein:

the surfaces of the first holding portion (129 a) and the second holding portion (129 b) facing the first object (200) respectively have at least one stepped portion so that the inner diameter of the mounting hole (129 c) is gradually reduced along the insertion direction of the mounting piece (140).

7. The locking device (100) of claim 6, wherein:

the first holding portion (129 a) and the second holding portion (129 b) are respectively provided on a side of the bottom wall (129) close to the second object (300);

the side of each of the first and second holders (129 a, 129 b) facing the first article (200) is stepped with a periphery close to the first article (200) and a center away from the first article (200); and

the side of each of the first holding portion (129 a) and the second holding portion (129 b) facing the second object (300) is flat in shape and has a first gap from the bottom surface of the mount (120) in the vertical direction.

8. The locking device (100) of claim 7, wherein:

a surface of the second holding portion (129 b) facing the second object (300) forms an approximately fan-shaped concave portion (129 e) which is recessed in a vertical direction and is formed to expand radially outward with respect to the mounting hole (129 c), so that both radial edges and a free end edge of the concave portion (129 e) form a rib portion (129 f), and end surfaces of the second holding portion (129 b) which face each other are arc-shaped;

each rib portion (129 f) and the mounting seat (120) have a second gap with the bottom surface of the mounting seat (120) along the vertical direction; and

the second holding portion (129 b) has an arc-shaped radius approximately the same as that of the first holding portion (129 a).

9. Locking device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that:

the mount (120) further comprises:

two first guide portions (122) respectively provided at longitudinal front ends of the two side walls (121) and respectively extending laterally inward from the respective side walls (121); and

two second guide portions (123) respectively provided at longitudinal rear ends of the two side walls (121) and respectively extending laterally inward from the respective side walls (121);

the lock (110) further comprises:

two first sliders (112) connected to the lower side of the front end of the top plate (111) and slidably provided below the two first guide portions (122); and

and two second sliders (113) which are connected to the lower side of the rear end of the top plate (111) and are slidably disposed below the two second guide portions (123).

10. The locking device (100) according to claim 9, characterized in that:

the two first guide parts (122), the two second guide parts (123), the two first sliding blocks (112) and the two second sliding blocks (113) are respectively arranged along the transverse direction symmetrically.

11. The locking device (100) of claim 10, wherein:

each of the second sliders (113) includes:

a second slider rear wall (113 a) and a second slider side wall (113 b) each extending vertically downward from the top plate (111), the second slider rear wall (113 a) being located at a rear end of the top plate (111); and

the second slider bottom wall (113 c) forms a space open to the front and the outside together with the second slider rear wall (113 a) and the second slider side wall (113 b).

12. The locking device (100) according to claim 9, characterized in that:

the first guide (122) and the second guide (123) located on the same side are aligned in the longitudinal direction; and is provided with

The first slider (112) and the second slider (113) located on the same side are aligned in the longitudinal direction.

13. The locking device (100) according to claim 9, characterized in that:

the two first guide parts (122), the two second guide parts (123), the two first sliding blocks (112) and the two second sliding blocks (113) are respectively arranged along the transverse direction asymmetrically;

the first guide part (122) and the second guide part (123) which are positioned on the same side are staggered along the longitudinal direction; and is

The first sliding block (112) and the second sliding block (113) which are positioned on the same side are staggered along the longitudinal direction.

14. Locking device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that:

a sliding groove (124) extending longitudinally is formed in the approximate longitudinal center of each side wall (121) of the mounting seat (120);

the lock (110) further comprises:

two insertion portions (114) respectively inserted in the two slide grooves (124) to limit longitudinal movement of the locking member (110).

15. The locking device (100) of claim 14, wherein:

each of the insertion portions (114) includes:

a support rod (114 a) extending vertically downward from a top plate (111) of the locking member (110); and

a plug (114 b) extending laterally outward from a lower end of the support rod (114 a) and inserted into the chute (124).

16. The locking device (100) according to claim 15, characterized in that:

the inner side of each side wall (121) of the mounting seat (120) is provided with a slot (125) formed in a concave mode, and the slot (125) extends from the rear end of the sliding chute (124) to the top end of the side wall (121) along the vertical direction and is connected with the rear end of the sliding chute (124) for mounting the inserting portion (114).

17. The locking device (100) according to claim 16, characterized in that:

the lock (110) further comprises:

a spring mounting portion (117) provided as a rod extending in the lateral direction at substantially a longitudinal center of the top plate (111);

a spring abutting portion (118) extending downward from the top plate (111) in the vertical direction and located in front of the spring mounting portion (117);

the spring (130) is a torsion spring and includes:

a spring first end (131) abutting against the spring abutment (118);

a spring second end (132) abutting against an inner side of an end plate (127) of the mount (120), the end plate (127) being located between rear ends of the two side walls (121); and

and a coil spring part (133) which is sleeved on the spring mounting part (117).

18. Locking device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that:

the mount (120) further comprises:

a locking platform (126) which is positioned at the front end of the mounting seat (120) and is of a semi-cylindrical shape;

the lock (110) further comprises:

a locking part (115) extending forward from a front end of the top plate (111), being semicircular and having a tapered top surface;

when the locking member (110) is in the locking position, the locking portion (115) is located vertically above the locking table (126) such that the first article (200) can be clamped between the locking portion (115) and the locking table (126).

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