GB2152127A

GB2152127A - Sliding bolt fastening

Info

Publication number: GB2152127A
Application number: GB8428978A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Torsten Look
Original assignee: BRACKE MEKAN AB
Current assignee: BRACKE MEKAN AB
Priority date: 1983-11-22
Filing date: 1984-11-16
Publication date: 1985-07-31
Also published as: NL8403523A; GB2152127B; FI79674C; DE3442415A1; FI844567A0; SE435263B; NO155687C; SE8306445D0; FI79674B; NO844629L; NO155687B; FR2555235A1; FI844567L; GB8428978D0; FR2555235B1

Abstract

A fastening particularly for securing the flaps of a vehicle platform comprises a main bolt (7) which is associated with a flap (1) of a vehicle platform and which is movable into and out of a hole associated with a post (2), by means of an operating mechanism (9, 10, 10'). The bolt (7) has a hook (11) which projects laterally from it and whose width plus the width of the bolt is less than the width of the hole. The operating mechanism includes an auxiliary bolt (8) which is adapted, in the securing operation, to be moved into the hole alongside the main bolt and which has a width exceeding the difference between the width of the hole and the total width of the main bolt and the hook element in order, when engaged in the hole, to lock the hook element behind an abutment (12) defining the hole. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A locking device particularly for locking the flaps of a vehicle platform Technical field of the invention The present invention relates to a locking device for locking a part, for instance the flap of a vehicle platform, which is movable, in particular pivotal relative to another, suitably fixed part, for instance a post, comprising a locking bolt which is associated with the movable part and provided with a laterally projecting hook element and movable into and out of a hole associated with the other, fixed part, by means of an operating mechanism with a handle portion which is connected to said bolt by at least one articulated link serving to transform a pivotal movement of the handle portion into a movement of displacement of the bolt.

Background of the invention Folding flaps of vehicle platforms of different types are generally pivotally connected to the vehicle platform at their lower edges and, in the vicinity of their upper edges, have special locking devices which are each intended to lock a flap when in a raised position to a stationary member mounted on the platform, generally in the form of a post. Conventional locking devices of this type, e.g. as disclosed in SE Patent Specifications 199,448 and 227,637, comprise a more or less complicated operating mechanism provided with a handle, and a clamping loop which is movable by means of the operating mechanism and adpated to be swung into engagement with a hook or a projection on the post.The operating mechanism and the pertaining clamping loop may be disposed in a trough or trough-like member which is recessed in the very flap so as not to project therefrom for reasons of safety. Such locking devices barely serve their purpose in the cases where the flaps consist of boards or other wooden material since said troughs can readily be recessed in such flaps. However, in flaps composed of aluminium profiles construction which is being used to an increasing extent on the vehicle market - there will be substantial problems in mounting conventional flap locks.

Thus, such flaps are made up of a desired number of suitably standardized profiles which at their short ends are held together by transverse upright U-profiles whose webs engage the end surfaces of the flap profiles and the two side flanges of which engage the outer sides of the flap profiles. In order to make it possible to move the pivoted clamping loop of the conventional locks into and out of engagement, respectively, with the hook on the pertaining post, it is necessary that not only the web of the joining U-profile but also one side flange thereof be provided with a recess to make room for both the trough and the clamping loop which, in the locking position, must be disposed inwardly of the plane represented by the outer side of the flap.Thus making a recess in one side flange of the U-profile dramatically reduces the strength of the profile and makes the construction poorly suited for its purpose.

Another drawback of conventional locks is that unintentional unlocking may easily occur.

A locking device for platform flaps of the type mentioned by way of introduction is previously known from EP Patent Application 81107494.7 (Publication No.: 0075038).

However, this known lock has an unreliable locking function since the locking bolt can be brought out of its engagement with the hole in that the handle portion of the operating mechanism is unintentionally swung outward.

Further, the entire lock is complicated and expensive to manufacture.

Brief account of the inventive concept The present invention primarily aims at eliminating the above-mentioned problems by providing a locking device which can be readily and conveniently mounted on any type of platform flaps and which yields an extremely reliable locking function. According to the invention, this is achieved by a locking device in which the handle portion, by a first articulation, is pivotally connected to a second locking bolt or auxiliary bolt adapted, in the locking operation, to be moved into the hole beside the first-mentioned bolt or main bolt and having a width exceeding the difference between the width of the hole and the total width of the main bolt and the hook element in order, when introduced in the hole, to lock the hook element behind an abutment or the like defining the hole, and that said link is connnected to the handle portion by a second articulation located at a distance from the first articulation, and to the main bolt by a third articulation in order to permit displacement of the main bolt from a starting position in which it does not engage in the hole, into said hole by pivotment of the handle portion from a starting position in which it is substantially parallel to the main bolt, to a swung-out position in which the handle portion is at an angle, suitably substantially at right angles, to the main bolt, the auxiliary bolt, after the hook element has been caused to engage the abutment, being movable into the hole by pivoting the handle portion from said swungout position back to the starting position, and the two bolts being releasable from the hole only after actuation of the handle portion in two stages, namely a first stage in which the handle portion is swung out from the starting position to said swung-out position and in which the auxiliary bolt is moved out of engagement with the hole, and a second stage in which the handle portion is intention ally swung from the swung-out position back to the starting position and in which the main bolt, after the hook element has let go of the abutment, is moved out of engagement with the hole.

Although, in actual practice, the locking device according to the invention is particularly well suited precisely for locking platform flaps, it is understood that it may also be used within any other technical fields with high demands on a reliable locking function.

Further description of prior art SE Patent Specifications 125,152 and 311,295 disclose locking devices which use both a main bolt and an auxiliary bolt which can be concurrently brought into engagement with a hole. However, it is here not a matter of displacing the bolts by means of a single operating mechanism which is common to the bolts and which requires intentional actuation in two stages to release both the auxiliary bolt and the main bolt. On the contrary, the main bolt is freely movable out of the hole as soon as the auxiliary bolt has been disengaged therefrom.

Brief description of accompanying drawings In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the locking device according to the invention when mounted on the flap of a vehicle platform of which only a minor portion is shown, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the locking device shown in a starting position, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal partsectional view of the same locking device in a second state, Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the locking device in a third state, Fig. 5 is an end view of the locking device as seen from the right to the left in Fig. 2 with the components of the platform flap removed, and Figs. 6-8 are views illustrating an alternative embodiment of the locking device according to the invention.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention In Fig. 1, a flap generally designated 1 is assumed to be pivotally connected to a vehicle platform by means of one or more articulations (not shown) disposed at the lower edge of the flap. The vehicle platform also comprises a fixed part in the form of a vertical post 2. The flap 1 is composed of a plurality of profiles 3, 3' etc. which are suitably made of aluminium and which, at opposite ends, are held together by U-profiles 4. Each such Uprofile includes a web 4' which engages the ends of the flap profiles 3, 3' etc., and two side flanges 4" which engage the outer sides of the flap profiles. At the inner side of the post 2, a strip or rail 5 is welded or fixed in any other suitable way. The rail 5 serves as an abutment for the flap 1 so that it cannot be swung in over the platform.A locking device according to the invention, generally designated 6, is arranged for locking the flap 1 with respect to the post 2. As will have been appreciated from the above, the flap 1, upon release of the locking device 6 shown in its locking position, can be swung outward and downward from the position shown in Fig. 1 to a position in which it is hanging down from the above-mentioned articulations.

Reference is now had to Figs. 2-5 which, in combination with Fig. 1, illustrate the different components of the locking device 6.

As appears from the drawings, said locking device comprises a first locking bolt or main bolt 7 and a second locking bolt or auxiliary bolt 8. These two bolts are connected to an operating mechanism which, in addition to a handle portion 7, comprises two links 10, 10'.

The forward end of the main bolt 7 has a hook-shaped portion or element 11 which, in the locking position of the bolt, is adapted to engage an abutment 1 2 at the inner side of the post 2 which is designed as a box profile.

In the locking state, both the main bolt 7 and the auxiliary bolt 8 extend into the post 2 through a hole or gap 1 3 in the wall of the box profile 2 facing the flap. This hole is partly defined by the abutment 12. In order that the main bolt should be freely insertable through the hole 13, this has a width which is at least slightly greater than the total width or thickness of the main bolt and the hook element 11, as best appears from Fig. 3.

The auxiliary bolt 8 has a width which exceeds the difference between the width of the hole 1 3 and the total width of the main bolt and the hook element, which guarantees that the hook element 11 will be efficiently retained behind the abutment 1 2 as soon as the auxiliary bolt 8 has been introduced through the hole 1 3 alongside the main bolt.

as shown in Fig. 4.

The handle portion 9 is disposed in a per se known manner in a trough or trough-like member generally designated 14, which includes a bottom 15, two longitudinal side walls 16, 16', and an end wall 1 7 located at the rear end of the trough. At its forward end facing the post 2 and at its side facing away from the flap, the trough is however open. At the inner sides of the side walls 16, 16', Lshaped guide strips or rails 18, 18' are provided. The projecting flanges of the guide rails serve to retain feet 19, 19' which are formed integrally with the auxiliary bolt 8. The auxiliary bolt is designed as a punched metal sheet having two legs 20 on which said feet 19, 19' are formed, and two cross-pieces 21 which are bent at right angles to the general plane of the metal bolt sheet at the rear end of the bolt.

The handle portion 9 is in the form of a plate whose width but slightly falls below the width of the trough 14 and which has two side flanges 22, 22' bent inwardly towards the bottom of the trough. At its forward end, the handle is articulated or pivotally connected to the auxiliary bolt 8 by means of first articulations 23 provided on the two legs 20 of the auxiliary bolt 8. By means of second articulations 24 located at a distance rearwardly of the first articulations 23 on the side flanges 22, 22', the handle 9 is pivotally connected to the two links 1 0, 10' which, in turn, by means of a third, common articulation 25, are pivotally connected to the main bolt 7, more precisely the rear end thereof.

At the bottom 1 5 of the trough 14, there are disposed two separate stops, namely a first stop 26 disposed relatively close to the forward end of the flap and a second stop 27 disposed at a substantial distance behind the first stop. Between the first stop 26 and the two cross-pieces 21 of the auxiliary bolt 8, there are provided two compression springs 28 which constantly tend to urge the auxiliary bolt rearwards away from the forward end of the flap. The freedom of the auxiliary bolt 8 to move rearwardly is limited by the second stop 27. It should be noted that the first stop 26 has two projections 26' which protrude on either side of the main bolt 7 and which guide the bolt laterally.Further, it should be noted that none of the main bolt 7, the auxiliary bolt 8 or the handle 9 are connected by articulations to the trough 1 4. The retention of the illustrated operating mechanism and of the bolts with respect to the trough 14 is thus effected exclusively by the feet 19, 19' which engage underneath the guide rails 1 8, 18' at the inner side of the side walls 1 6, 1 6' of the trough.

With reference to Fig. 4, it should finally be pointed out that the above-mentioned articulations 24 between the handle 9 and the links 10, 1 0' in the locking position of the locking device are located closer to the bottom of the trough 1 4 than is the articulation 25, with the links 10, 10' being inclined in a direction rearwardly-outwardly from the articulations 24. From the springs 28 and through the handle portion 9, an elastic force will thus be applied to the articulations 24. This elastic force tends, in the locking position, to urge the articulations 24 and, hence, the handle portion 9 in a direction inwardly towards the bottom of the trough so that the handle portion is automatically retained therein. Thus, swinging the handle portion 9 to the position shown in Fig. 3 must be carried out against the action of the springs 28.

Operation of the locking device of the invention In the starting position shown in Fig. 2, the two bolts 7, 8 are retracted through an associated opening 29 in the U-profile 4 of the platform flap, and the handle 9 is in a swungin position in the trough 14. When the flap should be locked with respect to the post 2, the flap is swung to a position in which the main bolt 7 is substantially opposite the hole 1 3 in the post, whereupon the handle 9, in a first stage, is swung out to the position shown in Fig. 3.Since the rear cross-pieces 21 of the auxiliary bolt 8 abut on the stop 27 such that the articulation 23 cannot be moved further to the left than is shown in Fig. 3, the handle 9 by the links 10 will move the main bolt 7 to the right into the hole 1 3 of the post 2, and more precisely so far that the hook portion 11 is located behind the abutment 1 2. The flap is thereafter pressed against the abutment 5 and the handle portion 9 is swung back to the position shown in Fig. 4.

During this pivotal movement of the handle, the hook element 11 with its bevelled surface has engaged a similarly bevelled surface of the abutment 12, whereby the main bolt cannot be moved to the left in the drawing. In other words, the articulation 25 is stationary in this state. Therefore, as the handle 9 is thus swung back, the articulations 23 and, hence, the auxiliary bolt 8 will be moved to the right in the drawing so as finally to reach the locking position shown in Fig. 4. Since the width or thickness of the auxiliary bolt exceeds the difference between the width of the hole 1 3 and the total width of the main bolt 7 and the hook portion 11, this hook portion will be retained most efficiently in the locking position as long as the auxiliary bolt 8 occupies the position shown in Fig. 4.

To release the locking device, the reverse procedure is adopted. The handle 9 is swung out to the position shown in Fig. 3 whereby the auxiliary bolt is moved out of its engagement with the hole 1 3. The flap can then be swung a slight distance away from the abutment 5 such that the hook portion 11 comes clear of the abutment 12, whereupon the main bolt 7 is returned to the starting position shown in Fig. 2 in that the handle 9 is swung back to the parallel position with respect to the trough.

It should be observed that even unintentional pivotment of the handle 9 to the position shown in Fig. 3 does not mean that the flap can be unintentionally released from the post 2 and swivel to its swung-down position since the main bolt 7 still remains in the hole 1 3. The locking main bolt can be disengaqed from the post 2 only after intentional actuation of the handle 9, i.e. by returning the handle to the position shown in Fig. 2.

In Figs. 6-8, there is shown an embodiment which differs from that illustrated in Figs. 1-5, for example in that the guides 18, 18' are disposed on the bottom 1 5 of the trough 14 and the feet 19, 19' of the two legs or side members 20 of the auxiliary bolt 8 are bent inwardly instead of outwardly.

Conceivable modifications of the invention It goes without saying that the invention is not restricted only to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings.

Thus, it is conceivable, between the handle and the main bolt, to use a single link instead of two, as preferred in the illustrated example.

Further, it is possible to use a single spring instead of two. In fact, the entire operating mechanism for moving the two bolts 7, 8 may be modified in several ways without departing from the basic concept of the invention. As stated by way of introduction, the inventive concept is applicable not only to flaps of vehicle platforms but generally also to the locking of one movable part with respect to another, fixed or movable part.

Claims

1. A locking device for locking a part (1), for instance the flap of a vehicle platform, which is movable, in particular pivotal relative to another, suitably fixed part (2), for instance a post, comprising a locking bolt (7) which is associated with the movable part (1) and provided with a laterally projecting hook element (11) and movable into and out of a hole (13) associated with the other fixed part (2), by means of an operating mechanism with a handle portion (9) which is connected to said bolt (7) by at least one articulated link (10, 10') serving to transform a pivotal movement of the handle portion into a movement of displacement of the bolt, characterised in that the handle portion (9), by a first articulation (23), is pivotally connected to a second locking bolt or auxiliary bolt (8) adapted, in the locking operation, to be moved into the hole (13) beside the first-mentioned bolt or main bolt (7) and having a width exceeding the difference between the width of the hole and the total width of the main bolt and the hook element in order, when introduced in the hole, to lock the hook element (11) behind an abutment or the like (12) defining the hole, and that said link (10, 10') is connnected to the handle portion (9) by a second articulation (24) located at a distance from the first articulation (23), and to the main bolt (7) by a third articulation (25) in order to permit displacement of the main bolt from a starting position in which it does not engage in the hole (13), into said hole by pivotment of the handle portion from a starting position in which it is substantially parallel to the main bolt, to a swung-out position in which the handle portion is at an angle, suitably substantially at right angles, to the main bolt, the auxiliary bolt (8), after the hook element (11) has been caused to engage the abutment (12), being movable into the hole by pivoting the handle portion (9) from said swung-out position back to the starting position, and the two bolts (7, 8) being releasable from the hole (13) only after actuation of the handle portion in two stages, namely a first stage in which the handle portion is swung out from the starting position to said swung-out position and in which the auxiliary bolt (8) is moved out of engagement with the hole, and a second stage in which the handle portion is intentionally swung from the swung-out position back to the starting position and in which the main bolt (7), after the hook element (11) has let go of the abutment (12), is moved out of engagement with the hole.

2. Locking device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the auxiliary bolt (8) is actuated by one or more springs (28) which constantly tend to return said bolt to a starting position out of engagement with the hole (13).

3. Locking device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the handle portion (9) and the bolts (7, 8) are arranged in a trough or trough-like member (14) comprising a bottom (1 5) and at least two walls in the form of side walls (16, 16') separated from each other, and that the main bolt (7) is disposed between the auxiliary bolt (8) and the bottom (15) of the trough, the inner sides of the side walls (16, 16') being provided with protruding guides (18, 18'), such as strips or rails, adapted to cooperate with feet (19, 1 9') projecting from the auxiliary bolt (8) and located between the guides and the bottom (15) of the trough with a view to retaining the auxiliary bolt and, hence, the operating mechanism in its entirety with respect to the trough.

4. Locking device as claimed in claims 2 and 3, characterised in that two stops (26, 27) provided on the bottom (15) of the trough are spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the bolts, said springs (28) being disposed between, on the one hand, a first stop (26) closest to the free ends of the bolts and, on the other hand, two cross-pieces (21) which are associated with the auxiliary bolt (8) and which, in turn, are located between the springs and the second stop (27).

5. Locking device as claimed in claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the handle portion (9) is in the form of a plate whose width but slightly falls below the width of the trough (14) and which is provided with two side flanges (22, 22') bent inwardly or oriented towards the bottom of the trough and accommodating said first and second articulations (23, 24).

6. Locking device as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the second articulation (24), in the locking and/or starting position of the operating mechanism, is located closer to the bottom (15) of the trough than the third articulation (25) with the link (10, 10') extending between said articulations inclined rearwardly-outwardly with a view to imparting to the second articulation (24), from the springs (28) and through the handle portion (9), an elastic force which in the locking and the starting position, respectively, tends to move the second articulation (24) and, hence, the handle portion (9) inwardly towards the bottom of the trough with the handle portion (9) being automatically retained in the trough.

7. Locking device as claimed in any one of claims 3-6, characterised in that the free end of the handle portion (9) directed rearwardly away from the articulations is disposed at a distance from a rear end wall (17) of the trough (14) to permit inserting one or more fingers in the space therebetween.