EP2229079A1

EP2229079A1 - Hook lock

Info

Publication number: EP2229079A1
Application number: EP09700491A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Philip Sauer; Jens Johansson; Håkan BERGKVIST
Original assignee: Babybjorn AB
Current assignee: Babybjorn AB
Priority date: 2008-01-11
Filing date: 2009-01-09
Publication date: 2010-09-22
Also published as: WO2009088352A9; WO2009088352A1; SE0800067L; AU2009203217A1; SE531905C2; JP2011509140A

Abstract

Hook lock (10) comprising a sleeve unit (11) and a hook unit (12), the hook unit being provided with a gripping body (20) and a hook finger, which can be inserted in the sleeve unit (11) in an insertion direction, the hook finger being provided with a manually operable locking means intended to come into engagement with a recess in the sleeve unit (11) to lock the hook finger in its in the hook unit inserted position, the locking means being biased towards a locking position. A release key (21) is formed as a displaceable part of the gripping body (20) and adapted to be displaced in a first direction so that the release key (21) come into engagement with the locking means, and then in a second direction different from the first direction, whereby the locking means being released from engagement with the recess and the hook finger can be released from the sleeve unit (11).

Description

HOOK LOCK

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a hook lock of the kind described in the preamble of claim 1.

Background of the invention

Thus, the invention relates to a hook lock of the general kind disclosed in SE 516108 C2.

Such previously known hook locks are particularly suitable for carrying devices, such us child-carrying devices, of the kind which is known from SE 530395 C2, for instance.

The child-carrying device described in the above-mentioned patent comprises a harness that is worn by a user' s upper body and that carries a child-carrying pocket, the lower central part of which is connected to a stiff plate. The child- carrying pocket has side edge portions which are disposed in the vicinity of respective side edge of the plate and are releasable attached to the plate by fittings, preferably hook locks. The child-carrying pocket has a lower central band- shaped part that is turned upwards against the plate and attached to the plate in a transversally central position by means of fittings, which has a plurality of vertically spaced apart alternative attachments on the plate for raising and lowering, respectively, of the bottom of the folded over front piece.

The carrying device of the above-mentioned type is primarily adapted to be carried on the users back why it is not possible to have any control about what a child placed in the child- carrying pocket is doing, i.e. if the child is trying to open the fittings by which the child-carrying pocket are attached to the stiff plate. Thus, the aim is to achieve fittings in the form of locks/mountings which are difficult to open or tamper proof for a child, particularly hook locks which are difficult to open or tamper proof for a child.

Moreover, the fittings/hook lock should be easy to open and lock when one wishes to release or attach one or several parts of the child-carrying pocket to/from the plate or any other carrying devices.

Moreover, the hook finger should be easy to hook into or release from a sleeve unit, i.e. the length of the hook finger should be short.

Summery of the invention

One object of the invention is to achieve at a carrying device of the above-mentioned type a hook lock which is difficult to open/tamper proof for a child.

A further object is to achieve such a hook lock having improved locking function of a hook unit to a sleeve unit.

Still a further object is to achieve such a hook lock provided with a defector for preventing unintentional hooking/fastening of the hook unit to some part of the carrying device other than the sleeve unit.

The objects are entirely or partly attained by the invention as defined in the appending independent claim.

Embodiments of the invention are defined in the appending dependent claims .

Short description of drawings The invention is described more closely with reference to the appended drawings, on which

- Figure 1 is a front view of a hook lock according to the invention attached to a schematically shown carrier,

- Figure 2 is a perspective view obliquely from behind of the hook lock in Figure 1,

- Figure 3 is a perspective view obliquely from behind of the hook unit of the hook lock,

- Figure 4 is a view obliquely from the front of the hook unit attached to the sleeve unit, but with certain parts of the hook unit removed,

- Figure 5 is a front view of the sleeve unit of the hook lock,

- Figure 6 is a view from above of the hook lock in Figure 1, and

- Figure 7 is a view from below of the hook lock in Figure 1.

Description of preferred embodiments

In the description below of the hook lock according to the invention, the hook lock is described for fastening a child- carrying pocket to a child-carrying device of the type described in the above-mentioned patent SE 530395 C2. It is obvious for the man skilled in the art that the hook lock according the invention can be used at other types of child- carrying harnesses/devices which do not comprise a stiff plate, whereby the hook lock can be attached to a strap or similar means. Moreover, the child-carrying pocket can be replaced by a carrying pouch, for instance, preferably using the same hook lock and other fittings for fastening of the carrying pouch to the plate or any corresponding carrier. In the last-mentioned case a type of rucksack with detachable carrying pouch is obtained.

Figure 1 shows a view from the front of the hook lock 10 attached to a schematically shown stiff plate 1 of a child- carrying device not shown. More particularly a sleeve unit 11 of the hook lock 10 is attached to one side of the ridge plate 1, and a carrying harness, not shown, is attached to the opposite side. In one embodiment of the child-carrying device, not shown, the sleeve unit 11 may be attached to a carrying strap of the carrying harness.

As can be seen from Figure 2, the hook lock 10 comprises also a hook unit 12. At the side of the hook unit 12 opposite to the sleeve unit 11 attachment ears 13 are provided, to which the side edge portions of a child-carrying pocket, not shown, are intended to be attached.

The hook unit 12 comprises a gripping body 20 provided at its side directed towards the sleeve unit 11 with a release key 21 or any similar means having release function, which is displaceable in two different directions. Even if the directions described in the description below and shown on the drawings are linear of almost linear, it is obvious for the man skilled in the art that the displacement of the release key 21 can be made in at least one non-linear direction, for instance in the form of a circular arc.

The hook unit 12 shown in Figure 3 comprises a hook finger 22 intended to be inserted in a corresponding opening in the sleeve unit 11. The hook finger 22 extends essentially in a negative z-direction, as defined in Fig. 3, which in the description below is termed insertion direction. Moreover, an x- and y-direction is defined in this Figure. The hook finger 22 is attached by means of an upper portion 23 to the gripping body 20. The hook finger 22 is provided with a manual operable, preferably bevelled, locking means 24 adapted to be in engagement with a recess 27 provided in the sleeve unit 11 (Figure 5) to prevent the hook finger 22 from being released from the sleeve unit 11, when the hook unit 12 is effected by a force in a direction opposite to the insertion direction. The locking means 24 is biased to its locking position by a spring 25 (Figure 4) or any other suitable means.

The hook finger 22 is relatively short which means that the hook finger does not have to be lifted so high for hooking the hook finger into the sleeve unit or for releasing the hook finger from the sleeve unit. This has great advantage when using the above-mentioned child-carrying device for carrying children from about 6 months up to a weight of about 18 kilos. If the child is heavy it will be difficult to lift the hook finger 22 with the attached child-carrying pocket out of the sleeve unit 11. The length of a hook finger is moreover important of an other aspect, viz. the opening between the plate and the child-carrying pocket formed when the hook finger is released must not be to large so that a risk can excist that a child may fall out of the child carrying device.

By means of the release key 21 the looking means 24 may be released since the release key is formed as a displaceable part of the gripping body 20, more precisely as a displaceable part of a back piece of the gripping body, and adapted to be displaced in a first direction, i.e. in the x-direction which is different from the insertion direction of the hook finger into the sleeve unit 11. In this direction a pin 28 arranged in connection with the release key 21 is adapted to be inserted in an opening, for instance, in the locking means 24. Then the release key 21 is displaced in another direction, i . e . in the y-direction, for instance, which is different from the first direction, preferably due to the fact that the back piece of the gripping body is arranged elastically flexible. In this position the looking means 24 is able to be released from engagement with the recess 27 in the sleeve unit 11, and the hook finger 22 can be removed out of the sleeve unit 11.

From Figure 4 it can be inferred that the release key 21 is biased by a spring 30 or any other suitable means in the opposite direction to the above-mentioned direction for releasing the looking means 24 out of engagement with the recess 27, i.e. and the negative y-direction. The release key is provided also with a protrusion 31 which prevent the release key 21 from being displaced in the y-direction until it comes in line with an opening or recess 32 in the gripping body 30 positioned on the opposite side of the gripping body in relation to the release key 21. Even if it has been described above that the release key 21 is provide with the protrusion 31 for cooperation with the opening or recess 32 in the gripping body, it is obvious that the gripping body 20 can be provided with the protrusion 31 and the release key 21 with the opening or recess 32.

Due to the fact that the release key 21 is first moved in first direction and then in a second direction, different from the first direction, i.e. in two of each other independent direction, it is achieved that it will be difficult for a child to open the hook lock 10, yet the hook lock should be easy to open by an adult person. This is particularly important when the hook lock is intended for attaching a child-carrying pocket to a child-carrying harness intended to be worn on the back of a person.

From Figure 5 it can be seen that the sleeve unit 11 has an opening 38 formed as a slit, the length which essentially corresponds to the attachment length of the hook finger to the gripping body 20. The slit formed opening 38 has a shape essentially corresponding to that of the upper portion 23 of the hook finger, whereby the hook finger is effectively guided by the slit formed opening, and a torsion resistant connection is achieved between them.

Figures 6 and 7 show the hook lock from above and from below, respectively, with the hook unit 12 inserted in the sleeve unit 11.

As can be seen from Figures 3 and 6, a wedge formed hook means 33 is arranged in the upper part of the upper portion 23 of the hook finger 22. This hook means 33 is intended to, when the hook finger 22 is inserted in insertion direction into the opening, not shown, of the sleeve unit 11, come into engagement with a complementary shaped seat 34 (see Figures 4 and 5) in the sleeve unit 11. Since a substantial portion of the upper portion 23 of the hook finger 22 is fixedly connected to the gripping body 20 of the hook unit 12, and since the attachment ears 13 on the side of the gripping body 20 opposite to the hook finger extend a long a major portion of the length of the gripping body, this will lead to that a substantial moment can arise at the upper portion 23 for fastening the hook finger 22 to the hook unit 12. The wedge formed hook means 33 has the purpose of improving the locking strength formed between the hook finger 20 of the hook unit 12 and the opening in the sleeve unit 11. To ensure that the wedge formed hook means 33 will come to a safe engagement with the seat 34 an inclined ledge 35 (Figure 5) is formed at a lower portion of the sleeve unit 11. This inclined ledge 35 is intended to cooperate with an inclined surface 36 at a lower portion of the gripping body 20, as seen in Figure 3. When the hook finger 22 is inserted in the insertion direction into the opening in the sleeve unit 11 the inclined surface 35 will at the end of this insertion abut against the inclined ledge 34. When the hook finger is further advanced into the opening the wedge formed hook means 33 will therefore be urged successfully more powerful against the sleeve unit 11 and will, at the final point of insertion of the hook finger in the opening, be in a safe engagement with the seat 34, as clearly seen from Figure 6. From Figure 7 it can be seen that the inclined surface 36 abut against the inclined ledge 35.

At the lower end of the gripping body 20, as seen in Figure 2 a so called deflector is arranged. The purpose of this deflector 40 is to prevent that the hook unit 12 by mistake is hooked to some protruding part other than the sleeve unit 11. The deflector 40 protrudes preferably from the gripping body 20 so far that its outermost end is in line with the hook finger 22 and is positioned at the outermost tip 37 of the hook finger.

Claims

1. Hook lock (10) comprising a sleeve unit (11) and a hook unit (12) , the hook unit being provided with a gripping body

(20) and a hook finger (22), which can be inserted in the sleeve unit (11) in an insertion direction, the hook finger

(22) being provided with a manually operable locking means

(24) intended to come into engagement with a recess (27) in the sleeve unit (11) to lock the hook finger (22) in its in the hook unit inserted position, the locking means (24) being biased towards a locking position, characterized in that a release key (21) is formed as a displaceable part of the gripping body (20) and adapted to be displaced in a first direction so that the release key (21) come into engagement with the locking means (24), and then in a second direction different from the first direction, whereby the locking means

(24) being released from engagement with the recess (27) and the hook finger (22) can be released from the sleeve unit

(H) •

2. The hook lock according to claim 1, characterized in that either of the first direction or the second direction is different from the insertion direction of the hook finger (22) in the sleeve unit (11) .

3. The hook lock according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of said directions is linear or non- linear.

4. The hook lock according to any of claims 1 - 3, characterized in that the release key (21) is provided with a protrusion (31) , which extends principally in the second direction, and adapted to fit in a corresponding opening (32) in the gripping body (20) for enabling the displacement of the releasing key (21) in the second direction.

5. The hook lock according to any of claims 1 - 3, characterized in that the gripping body (20) is provide with a protrusion, which extends principally in the second direction, and adapted to fit in a corresponding opening in the release key (21) so that the release key (21) can be displaced in the second direction.

6. The hook lock according to any of claims 1 - 5, characterized in that the release key (21) is provided with a pin (28) adapted to be in engagement with a recess (29) in the locking means (28), when the release key is displaced in the first direction.

7. The hook lock according to any of claims 1 - 6, characterized in that the end of the locking means

(24) intended to be in engagement with the recess (27) in the sleeve unit (11) has a bevel cut edge.

8. The hook lock according to any of claims 1 - 7, characterized in that the hook finger (22) is attached to the gripping body (20) along a substantial part of the hook finger in its insertion direction, and that the hook unit has a slit formed opening (38), the length of which essentially corresponds to the attachment length of the hook finger to the gripping body (20) .

9. The hook lock according to any of claims 1 - 8, characterized in that the hook finger (22) has a wedged formed hook means (33) at an end opposite to the end intended to be inserted in the sleeve unit (11) , that the sleeve unit (11) has a seat (34) which is shaped complementary to the corresponding wedge formed hook means (33) , and that the wedge formed hook means (33) is adapted to, in the locked position of the hook finger in the sleeve unit, cooperate with the seat (34) to improve the locking strength of the hook unit (12) to the sleeve unit (11) .

10. The hook lock according to claim 9, characterized in that the sleeve unit (11) is provided with a ledge (35) having an inclined surface at a lower portion of the sleeve unit opposite to the slit formed opening (38) and directed towards the hook unit (12) and adapted to cooperate with a corresponding inclined surface (34) of the hook unit (12), and that, when the hook finger (22) is successively introduced in the hook unit (11), the inclined surfaces are pressed successively more powerful against each other so as to facilitate the insertion of the wedge formed hook means (33) into the seat (34) .

11. The hook lock according to anyone of claims 1 - 10, characterized in that the gripping body (20) is provided with a deflector (40) to prevent the hook unit (12) from being by mistake hooked to any protruding portion other than the sleeve unit (11) .