JPS5814549B2 - plastic latch unit - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to a latch unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the complexity of the manufacturing and assembly process of conventional latching mechanisms that consist of multiple metal parts.

The latch unit of the present invention is a unitary unit that utilizes a flexible portion made of an elastic plastic material. a latch provided on one of the barrels by means of a hinge-like coupling means, and a button similarly provided on the other barrel via a hinged portion, the button being adapted to abut both barrels. It is structured so that the latch that is in the locked state is automatically unlocked by folding it and pushing it into a hole drilled in the door or its panel to fix it, and then pressing a button. be.

Specifically, when both bodies are folded to form a single body, the interior is hollow, the latch is parallel to the axis of the body, and the button is partially parallel to the opening of the body. The latch and the button each have a cam surface oriented perpendicularly to the axis and in direct contact at a portion thereof.

The latch unit of the present invention is used for a door that is provided with a spring-opening force by a spring or the like, such as a so-called glove box door that is normally installed on the dashboard in the driver's seat of an automobile or on the passenger seat side. It is convenient.

Although the following explanation assumes that it is used for a glove box door, it can be used in a variety of other fields, and can also be used for doors that do not have a spring force of their own.

Note that the latch unit is installed by fitting it into a through hole provided in the door panel surface, but if the door itself is relatively thin, it can be used as a panel-ready door, and on the other hand, if it is thick, it can be fitted. In some cases, the hole is not a through hole, but a puncture hole or a blind hole.

In any case, the latch unit of the present invention can be used for any type of door as long as the door has a hole or a space for incorporating the latch unit of the present invention.

However, if the latch unit is constructed as described above, simply pressing the button will cause the latch to retract and lose its function as an opening stop, allowing the glove box door, etc. It will open automatically depending on the opening force.

An embodiment illustrating the latch unit of the present invention will be described in detail below.

As seen in the drawings, the latch unit of this embodiment is integrally molded from plastic, and its structure is generally such that the unit is housed in a hole (hereinafter assumed to be a through hole) made in a panel. At the time, a flange 10.12 contacts the front side of the panel along the outer periphery of the through hole, at least one flexible jaw acts as a hook and touches the outer periphery of the through hole from the back side so as to sandwich the panel, and a hinge 14 , a launch 16 having an inclined cam surface 18, and a button 20 also having an inclined cam surface 22.

The plastic material used for integral molding is suitably flexible, such as nylon 6 or the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the body portion 24 provided between the flange 10 and the hinge 14 is hollow in the shape of a semi-truncated conical column, and of course, no matter where the vertical section is taken, the body portion 24 is hollow. The radius is different, but they are the same semicircle.

Similarly, the body 26 between the flange 12 and the hinge 14 has the same shape.

Each body becomes thicker toward its corresponding flange, so that the bottoms of the truncated semi-conical columns are placed on the flange side and the tops face each other.

The latch 16 is on the body 24 and the button 20 is on the hinge 3.
2 to the body 26, respectively.

In the case of this embodiment, each jaw that rises outward from the truncated conical surface of each body has notches on three sides, and rises from only one side as a fulcrum, so it has elasticity radially inward as described below. It can be bent to a certain extent.

Figure 1 shows the state after the molding process or its completion, so to speak, with the latch unit not functioning as a unit in an operational sense. The body 26 may be rotated 180° counterclockwise in the drawing and brought into abutment with the body 24.

When the head is replaced, the torso parts 24 and 26 will be folded to match, but before they are completely aligned, push the button 20 down from the position shown in Figure 1, and the final result will be as shown in Figure 2. Insert the latch 1 into the flange 10 and attach it to the latch 1.
A part of it should be sandwiched between 6 and 6.

In this folded state, both body parts 24 and 26 are combined to form one hollow body 24 and 26, and if the length direction is taken as the axial direction, the lunch 16 is axially aligned and the button 20 is oriented in the axial direction. They are respectively disposed in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction while covering at least a portion of the barrels 24 and 26.

Also, the cam surface 18 of the latch 16 and the cam surface 2 of the button 20
2 are in direct pressure contact with each other and perform the actions described below,
As long as the barrels are folded to form barrels 24 and 26, the button 20 has the barrel 2 so that the rebound force of the latch and button itself will not cause them to separate.
A shoulder 31 for hooking is provided on the back surface of the flange 10 of No. 4.

However, the elasticity of the hinge portion 320 allows the button 20 to be pushed into the barrels 24, 26 so that it literally functions as a button.

In addition, the shape and dimensions of each part are such that when the flanges 10 and 12 are aligned, the cam surface 22 rides on the cam surface 18, and the latch 16 moves slightly into the body from the position it should be relative to the hinge 14 (as shown in the drawing). , clockwise) and deflected.

After the latch unit is assembled as described above, it is pushed into a through hole formed in a panel surface of, for example, a glove box door (not shown).

Following the steps, if you first insert the hinge 14 side into the hole and push it in from the flange side, the latch 16 will bend into the body while hitting the edge of the hole, and then the jaws 28 and 30 will move in the same way. is also bent into the torso.

Then, when the valley jaw reaches the thickness of the door or panel surface, it will bounce back and firmly sandwich the panel between it and the flange.

Therefore, in practical use, the distance between the flange and the jaw should be set according to the thickness of the door or its panel.

FIG. 2 also shows the latch unit in an assembled state.

Note that the line 1--2 in FIG. 1 is the center or axis of the latch unit in the unfolded state, and each component is designed to have this as the center of symmetry.

FIG. 4 shows its use with a glove box door 42 hinged to a dashboard 40, with the latch 16
is caught on the edge of the hole in the dashboard 40 from behind to prevent the door from opening.

To open the door, the button 20 can be pressed with a finger or the like.

Then, the cam surface 22 moves in the direction of further riding on the cam surface 18 and presses the cam surface 18 downward, so the latch 16 also inevitably sinks into the body and functions as a lock for opening the door. You will lose.

Simply put, pressing the button 20 causes the latch 16 to disengage from the dashboard receptacle and the door to open under its own spring force.

When the finger is then released, the cam 18 and therefore the latch 16 recover by their own elasticity, and the button 20 also springs back until the shoulder 31 catches on the underside of the 77-inch 10.

In this case, even if the restoring force of the button 20 is weak, the cam surface 18
The shoulder 31 of the button 20 may be pressed against the back surface of the flange 10 by compensating with zero spring force, and the above-mentioned cam surface 22
Taking into account the effect of the cam surface 18 on the cam surface 18, it can be said that the two act on each other.

Thus, even when the door is open, the latch unit is in the state shown in FIG. 2, but it will be easily understood that to close the door again, it is sufficient to simply push the door in.

Although detailed above has been described, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but should be understood from a broader perspective as a technical idea.

Therefore, there are many possible secondary changes such as the external shape of the flange.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the latch unit of the present invention during its molding process and in the unfolded state after molding, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the center line 1 in Fig. 1 after the latch unit is assembled. , Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the left hand part of Fig. 1, especially the vicinity of the button, seen from a different direction from Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 shows the latch unit attached to the door and the door closed. In the longitudinal cross-sectional view, 10.12 is a flange, 14 is a hinge,
16 is a latch, 20 is a button, and 24.26 is a body.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. One end is joined by a hinge, and by folding and abutting this hinge, it becomes one hollow body, and it can be assembled on the panel surface by pushing one end with the hinge into a hole facing the panel of a door, etc. two body parts, a latch that is hinged on one of the two body parts, provided in the axial direction of the body part and protrudes from the outside of the body part, and a hinge receiver on the other end of the other of the two body parts. and a button that can cross the hollow part perpendicularly to the axial direction, the button has a shoulder that hooks on the body part with the latch, and the button and the latch are made by folding the two bodies with a hinge and butting them together. and has cam surfaces that come into contact with each other when the shoulder is hooked on the upper part having the latch, and when the button is pressed, the cam surface of the button pushes the cam surface of the latch and the latch is retracted from the body. A single, durable latch unit made of elastic plastic.