SE1951486A1

SE1951486A1 - A lock arrangement for a container

Info

Publication number: SE1951486A1
Application number: SE1951486A
Authority: SE
Inventors: Anders Helander
Original assignee: Hydro Extruded Solutions As
Priority date: 2019-12-18
Filing date: 2019-12-18
Publication date: 2021-03-09
Also published as: SE543489C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a lock arrangement (100) for a container (10), the lock arrangement (100) comprising: a first body (20) configured to be attached to a first part (12) of the container (10); and a second body (40) configured to be pivotally connected to the first body (20), wherein the first body (20) comprises a curved portion (22) forming a groove (23) and the second body (40) comprises an engagement portion (41) and a lock portion (42), the engagement portion (42) being configured to be connected with a second part (14) of the container (10), the lock portion (42) comprising a first leg (44) and a second leg (48) extending longitudinally essentially in parallel, wherein the first leg (44) is resilient and has a pivot section (46) pivotally arranged in the groove (23) of the first body (20), and the second leg (48) is configured to abut an outside of the curved portion (22) of the first body (20) in the locked position, so that the first (44) and second (48) legs apply a clamping force on the first body (20).

Description

A lock arrangement for a container TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a lock arrangement, a container comprising such alock arrangement, use of such a container for sterilising components, a method ofmanufacturing such a lock arrangement and a method for mounting such a lockarrangement on a container. Specificaiiy, the present invention relates to a lock arrangement for a container having two halves.

BACKGROUND Containers having two halves or parts that need to be firmly held together typicallyuses some sort of latch or lock mechanisms. Different types of latches, handles andlocks are known and many of the known solutions involve latches or locks thatrequire a plurality of components or even a specific configuration of thecontainer/case in order to function. Thus, the container itself may form part of thelatch/lock mechanism. This is for example shown in document WO 2019/092304 A1which discloses a plastic enclosure for enclosing industrial components. Theenclosure comprises a case and a lid with a monolithic lug, configured to interactwith a latch device for locking the lid to the case. Another example is disclosed indocument US 2005/0001435 A1 showing a latch mechanism for a case. The latchmechanism comprises a first body pivotally mounted on one part of the case and asecond body pivotally mounted on the first body. The first body comprises a hookelement for engagement with a formation on a second part of the case.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONDespite known solutions in the field, there is still a need to develop a lock arrangement for a container, which lock arrangement overcomes or alleviates at least some of the drawbacks of the prior art.

An object of the present invention is therefore to achieve an advantageous lockarrangement for a container, which facilitates manufacturing, reduces costs and iseasier to mount on the container. Another object of the present invention is toachieve an advantageous lock arrangement for a container, which is Iightweight andcompact.

These objects are achieved by a lock arrangement, a container comprising such alock arrangement, a method of manufacturing such a lock arrangement and amethod for mounting such a lock arrangement on a container according to the independent claims.

Hence, according to an aspect of the present invention a lock arrangement for acontainer is provided. The lock arrangement comprises a first body configured to beattached to a first part ofthe container; and a second body configured to be pivotallyconnected to the first body, such that the second body is selectively moveablebetween a locked position and an open position, wherein the first body comprises acurved portion forming an elongated groove and the second body comprises anengagement portion and a lock portion, the engagement portion being configured tobe connected with a second part of the container in the locked position, and the lockportion comprising a first leg and a second leg extending longitudinally essentiallyin parallel, wherein the first leg is resilient and has a pivot section configured to bepivotally arranged in the groove of the first body, and the second leg is configuredto abut an outside of the curved portion of the first body in the locked position, sothat the first and second legs apply a clamping force on the curved portion of thefirst body.

According to another aspect, a container comprising a lock arrangement asdisclosed herein is provided. According to another aspect, use of such a containerfor sterilising components is provided.

According to yet another aspect, a method of manufacturing a lock arrangement asdisclosed herein is provided. The method comprises forming a first profile with a predetermined cross-section for the first body; forming a second profile with a predetermined cross-section for the second body; forming the first body by cuttingthe first profile into a first predetermined length; and forming the second body cuttingthe second profile into a second predetermined length.

According to a further aspect, a method for mounting a lock arrangement asdisclosed herein on a container is provided. The method comprises attaching thefirst body to the first part of the container; and connecting the second body to thefirst body by sliding the pivot section of the second body into the groove of the firstboy.

By means of the lock arrangement according to the invention, a first part and asecond part of a container can be locked and held together in an easy way. Theflexibility of the first leg of the lock portion allows the first leg to spring/bend/move inrelation to the second leg when the second body is moved towards the lockedposition. This way, a tension arises in the first leg and the first leg will thereby applya force on the first body in the locked position. Together with the force applied bythe second leg abutting the first body, a clamping force is achieved on the first body,which retains the second body in the locked position. The lock arrangementaccording to the present invention comprises fewer components, which facilitatesmanufacturing as well as lowers the costs. The configuration of the first body andthe second body means that the second body is pivotally connected to the first bodysimply by arranging the pivot section in the groove. No separate pivot pin or hingesolution is thus required. Mounting the lock arrangement is thereby facilitated.Furthermore, the lock arrangement according to the present invention can beattached to any container, irrespective of how the container is configured. Thecontainer does not have to be configured in a special way in order to functiontogether with the lock arrangement. This means that the lock arrangement can be used on a variety of containers.

Further objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will becomeapparent to one skilled in the art from the following details, and also by putting theinvention into practice. Whereas embodiments of the invention are described below, it should be noted that it is not restricted to the specific details described. Specialists having access to the teachings herein will recognise further applications,modifications and incorporations within other fields, which are within the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Forfuller understanding of the present invention and further objects and advantagesof it, the detailed description set out below should be read together with theaccompanying drawings, in which the same reference notations denote similar items in the various drawings, and in which: Figure 1a-b schematically illustrate a lock arrangement according toan example; Figure 2a-b schematically illustrates details of a lock arrangementaccording to an example; Figure 3 schematically illustrates a lock arrangement according toan example; Figure 4 schematically illustrates a lock arrangement according toan example; Figure 5 schematically illustrates a container according to anexample; Figure 6 schematically illustrates a block diagram of a method ofmanufacturing a lock arrangement according to anexample; and Figure 7 schematically illustrates a block diagram of a method for mounting a lock arrangement on a container according toan example.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To facilitate manufacturing and mounting, a lock arrangement, a containercomprising such a lock arrangement, a method of manufacturing such a lockarrangement and a method for mounting such a lock arrangement on a container according to the present disclosure has been developed.

Hence, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, a lock arrangement for acontainer is provided, the lock arrangement comprising: a first body configured tobe attached to a first part of the container; and a second body configured to bepivotally connected to the first body, such that the second body is selectivelymoveable between a locked position and an open position, wherein the first bodycomprises a curved portion forming an elongated groove and the second bodycomprises an engagement portion and a lock portion, the engagement portion beingconfigured to be connected with a second part of the container in the locked position,and the lock portion comprising a first leg and a second leg extending longitudinallyessentially in parallel, wherein the first leg is resilient and has a pivot sectionconfigured to be pivotally arranged in the groove of the first body, and the secondleg is configured to abut an outside of the curved portion of the first body in thelocked position, so that the first and second legs apply a clamping force on thecurved portion of the first body.

The second body may be pivotally connected to the first body, such that pivoting thesecond body downwards will move the engagement portion closer to the secondpart of the container. Similarly, pivoting the second body upwards may move theengagement portion away from the second part of the container. ln the lockedposition, the engagement portion will be connected with the second part of thecontainer and the first part and the second part of the container will thereby belocked together.

The longitudinal extension of the first body may be referred to as the length of thefirst body. Similarly, the longitudinal extension of the second body may be referredto as the length of the second body. The length of the first body may be similar orequal to the length of the second body. Alternatively, the length of the first body maybe longer than the length of the second body. The first body may have a heightextending perpendicularly to the length of the first body. The second body maysimilarly have a height extending perpendicularly to the length second body. Theheight of the second body may be the distance from the lock portion to theengagement portion.

The first body may comprise an attachment portion and the curved portion. Thecurved portion may be at a top end of the first body. The attachment portion may beessentially flat. The attachment portion may comprise attachment holes forattachment to the first part of the container. The attachment holes may be configuredto receive fasteners inserted through the attachment holes. The curved portion maybe bent downwards towards the attachment portion. Thus, the first body may beseen as a flat strip with a curved top end. The curved portion may be configured,such that the groove is somewhat facing the attachment portion. The groove mayalso be referred to as a channel. When the first body is attached to the first part ofthe container, the groove may at least partly face towards the second part of thecontainer. The groove may have an essentially circular cross-section. The curvedportion may be configured, such that the groove has a smaller longitudinal openingthan the size/diameter of the pivot section. This way, the pivot section cannot fallout of the groove. This also means that the pivot section will have to be inserted intothe groove by sliding it in from the side. The pivot section may thus be inserted viaany of the end openings of the groove. The length of the groove may be the sameas the length of the first body. The curved portion may be configured, such that aconvex surface of the curved portion is facing away from the container when the firstbody is attached on the container.

The lock portion of the second body may be configured to interact with the curvedportion of the first body to achieve and maintain the locked position of the secondbody. The lock portion may be configured to achieve a clamping force on the firstbody and thereby retain the second body in the locked position. The first leg may becurved and thereby be flexible/resilient. Alternatively, the first leg may be essentiallystraight and flexible/resilient. The first leg being resilient means that the first leg isconfigured, such that it can temporarily spring/move/bend and subsequentlyautomatically return to its natural/original state. Thus, the first leg may be configured,such that resilience/flexibility is achieved without risking permanent deformation ofthe first leg. The first leg will this way enable engagement of the second leg and thecurved portion of the first body and provide the clamping force applied in the lockedposition. The first leg may be configured, such that the first leg is in its natural/original state in the open position. The configuration of the first leg may allow the second body to stay in the open position, unless a force is applied in directiontowards the second part of the container. When the second body is moved towardsthe locked position, the second leg will abut the curved portion of the first body andthe first leg will thereby spring/move/bend to increase the distance between the pivotsection of the first leg and the second leg. This way, a tension arises in the first legand the first leg will thereby apply a force on the first body. The force applied by thefirst leg and the second leg will retain the second body in the locked position until aforce is applied in the opposite direction. The first leg may be configured, such thata predetermined tension arises in the locked position and thus such that a desiredforce is applied in the locked position.

The first leg may comprise a curved section and the pivot section. The curvedsection may be curved with a first radius. The first radius may be chosen, such thata desired resilience/flexibility is achieved without risking permanent deformation ofthe first leg. The curved section may be curved, such that a convex side of thecurved section faces the second leg and a concave side of the curved section facesthe first body and the container when the lock arrangement is arranged on thecontainer. Alternatively, the first leg comprises a straight section and the pivotsecüon.

The pivot section of the first leg may extend in direction towards the second leg. Thepivot section may thus be inclined towards the second leg. The pivot section maybe arranged with an angle to the curved section or the straight section to enable thesecond body to be in the open position. ln the open position, the straightsection/curved section of the first leg may abut the curved portion of the first body.The pivot section may be referred to as a lip, rim or edge. The pivot section may beessentially cylindrical. This way, the pivot section will function as a pivot pin. Thepivot section may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the groove of the firstbody. ln one example, the length of the pivot section is shorter than the length of thecurved/straight section of the first leg. This is specifically the case when the length of the first body is the same as the length of the second body. The length of the pivot section may be shorter than the length of the first body and thus the length of thegroove of the first body. The lock arrangement may be configured, such that thepivot section of the lock portion should be slid into the groove from the side duringmounting of the lock arrangement. The pivot section and thus the second body willthereby be pivotally connected to the first body. However, in order to prevent |atera|movement of the pivot section/second body in relation to the first body, and therebyprevent that the second body unintentionally is disconnected from the first body, thelock arrangement may comprise stop members configured to be arranged at eachlongitudinal end of the groove. ln order for the stop member so fit inside the groove,the pivot section should be shorter than the groove. The stop members will thusprevent |atera| movement of the pivot section inside the groove. The stop membersmay be rivets or similar. ln the event that the length of the second body is shorterthan the length of the first body, the pivot section may have the same length as thecurved/straight section and the stop member will still fit inside the groove. The stopmembers may be comprised of the same material as the first and second body orthe stop members may be comprised ofa different material. The stop members maybe configured to be inserted into the groove at each end thereof, and thereby restrict|atera| movement of the second body. According to another example, the stopmembers may be integrated with the first body. The stop members may be bendableor deformable protrusions, which may be bent/deformed, such that they at leastpartly cover the groove ends when the second body/pivot section has been arrangedin the groove. This way, separate stop members are not required.

The second leg may be straight/flat. The second leg is arranged outvvardly of thefirst leg, in respect to the container and the first body of the lock arrangement. Thus,the second leg may be arranged further away from the first body and the containerthan the first leg. The second leg may be arranged at a distance from the first leg.The second body may be configured, such that at least part of the curved portion ofthe first body fit between the first leg and the second leg. When the second body isin the open position, the second leg may not abut the curved portion of the first body.However, when the second body is pivoted to the locked position, the curved portionof the first body will engage with the second leg. The first leg and the second leg will thereby apply a clamping force on the curved portion of the first body and the second body will be held in place. ln one example, the curved portion of the first body comprises a protrusion. Theprotrusion may extend away from the curved portion. The protrusion may extendtowards the second leg of the second body. The protrusion may extend substantiallyperpendicularly to the attachment portion of the first body. Thus, the second leg maybe configured to abut an outside of the protrusion of the curved portion in the lockedposition. ln the locked position, the second leg will in this case apply a force on theprotrusion and the first leg will apply a force on the curved portion from the groove.The protrusion of the curved portion may be hook shaped or it may be straight. Thecurved/straight section of the first leg may in one example abut the protrusion in the open position of the second body.

The second leg of the lock portion may comprise a recess configured to receive theprotrusion of the curved portion of the first body in the locked position. The recessand the protrusion may thus have corresponding shapes. Thus, when the secondbody is pivoted to the locked position, the second leg will move along thecircumference of the curved portion of the first body and in the locked position, theprotrusion of the curved portion will snap into place into the recess of the secondleg. The recess will thereby ensure that the second body is retained in the lockedposition. The recess may be formed by means of a shoulder or a ridge on the secondleg. Thus, when the second body is pivoted towards the locked position, theshoulder of the second leg will first abut the curved portion/protrusion of the firstbody and eventually the protrusion/curved portion will pass the shoulder and bepositioned in the locked position. Alternatively, the second leg may comprise splinesor ribs configured to interact with the curved portion/protrusion in the locked position.

According to an example of the present disclosure, the engagement portion isconfigured to engage with the second part of the container in the locked position.The engagement portion may be configured to engage with a bottom of the secondpart of the container. This way, vertical movement of the second body is prevented and the first part and the second part of the container are firmly pressed together.

By configuring the second body, such that it engages with the second part of thecontainer, the second part of the container does not have to be prepared orphysically affected by the lock arrangement. That is, no components have to beattached/screwed/adhered to the second part of the container. Mounting of the lockarrangement is thereby facilitated. The engagement portion may be configured tobe in form fit engagement with the second part of the container in the locked position.Thus, the engagement portion may have a shape corresponding to the shape of thesecond part of the container. The engagement portion may be hook shaped with aradius corresponding to a curvature of the second part of the container. Alternatively,the engagement portion may be essentially L-shaped. Depending on theconfiguration of the container for which the lock arrangement in used, the engagement portion may be shaped differently.

According to another example of the present disclosure, the lock arrangementfurther comprises a third body configured to be attached to the second part of thecontainer, wherein the engagement portion of the second body is configured toengage with the third body in the locked position. Thus, in the locked position thesecond body is connected to the second part of the container via the third body. Thisexample is particularly advantageous when the second part of the container is verydeep/high. Thus, instead of using a second body with a very large height in order toengage with the bottom of the second part of the container, the third body is attachedto the second part of the container and the second body engages with the third body.The height of the second body can this way be smaller. The third body may beessentially L-shaped or F-shaped with a horizontal portion extending away from thesecond part of the container when the third body is attached to the container. Theengagement portion may be configured to engage with the horizontal portion of thethird body.

The second body may further comprise an intermediate portion connecting the lockportion and the engagement portion. The lock portion and the engagement portionmay extend in opposite directions from the intermediate portion. At least a part ofthe intermediate portion may be configured to abut the attachment portion of the first body in the locked position. The intermediate portion may be essentially C-shaped 11 with a vertical section and two horizontal sections, wherein the vertical section isconfigured to be arranged closest to the container in the locked position. Theintermediate portion may comprise a slot extending along the length of the secondbody. Suitably, information cards, labels or similar may be removably arranged inthe slot. Known containers typically comprise a lock arrangement and a separatelabel holder or similar for displaying what is in the container. With the solutionaccording to the present disclosure, the lock arrangement comprises an integratedlabel holder by means of the intermediate portion. This way, less components arerequired. ln one example, the second body further comprises a manoeuvring portion. Themanoeuvring portion may be arranged at least partly in parallel with the engagementportion. Alternatively, the manoeuvring portion may be an extension of theengagement portion. The manoeuvring portion may extend from the intermediateportion in the same direction as the engagement portion. The manoeuvring portionmay be arranged in the same plane as the second leg of the lock portion. Themanoeuvring portion may be configured as a third leg extending away from theintermediate portion and the lock portion. The manoeuvring portion may beconfigured to enable a person to grip the second body and pivot the second portionto and from the locked position. Suitably, the manoeuvring portion may be arrangedsuch that there is a gap between the manoeuvring portion and the second part ofthe container when the lock arrangement is attached to the container and thesecond body is in the locked position. The gap may correspond to an average sizedfinger or similar. This way, a hand or fingers can easily fit between the manoeuvringportion and the container and it is easy to pivot the second body and thereby unlockthe lock arrangement.

The first body and the second body may be comprised of aluminium. The first bodyand the second body may be manufactured by means of extrusion. The third bodymay also be comprised of aluminium and/or may be manufactured by means ofextrusion. This way, the lock arrangement is lightweight but yet durable. Also, bymanufacturing the lock arrangement by means of extrusion, manufacturing is relatively easy and costs can be reduced. lt is to be understood that the lock portion, 12 the intermediate portion, the engagement portion and the manoeuvring portion ofthe second body together form a single unit. The different bodies of the lockarrangement may alternatively be comprised of another metals, polymers orceramics. The bodies of the lock arrangement may be manufactured by means ofcasting, molding or additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing, fused deposition modeling or similar.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a container comprising a lockarrangement as disclosed herein is provided. The container may thus comprise afirst part and a second part, and a lock arrangement for holding the two partstogether. The container may be any type of container for accommodating any typeof components. ln one example, the container may be used for sterilisingcomponents. Thus, the container may be configured to accommodate medicalinstruments and similar, wherein the container is configured to be subject to asterilization process. By means of a plurality of openings in the container, thecomponents inside the container will be thereby be sterilized. ln this example, boththe container and the lock arrangement are configured to withstand high temperatures and chemicals.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of manufacturing alock arrangement for a container as disclosed herein is provided. The methodcomprises: forming a first profile with a predetermined cross-section for the firstbody; forming a second profile with a predetermined cross-section for the secondbody; forming the first body by cutting the first profile into a first predeterminedlength; and forming the second body by cutting the second profile into a secondpredetermined length. Thus, the first profile will comprise a curved portion formingan elongated groove, and the second profile will comprise an engagement portionand a lock portion, the lock portion comprising a first leg and a second leg extendinglongitudinally essentially in parallel, wherein the first leg is curved and has a pivotsection configured to be pivotally arranged in the groove of the first body. When theprofiles have been formed, they are cut into suitable sizes/lengths and the first bodyrespectively the second body is achieved. The predetermined length of the first 13 profile and the second profile may be adapted to the measurements of the container on which the lock arrangement should be used.

Forming the first profile and/or forming the second profile may be performed byextrusion, casting or additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing, fused deposition modeling or similar.

The lock arrangement may be comprised of aluminium and the profiles may thus bealuminium profiles. However, the profiles may be profiles of other metals, polymers, ceramics or similar.

The method may further comprise forming attachment holes in the first body forattachment to the first part of the container. The attachment holes may be formed inthe attachment portion of the first body. The attachment holes may be formed by means of drilling or punching. ln the event that the lock arrangement comprises the third body, the method maycomprise forming a third profile with a cross-section corresponding to the third body;and forming the third body by cutting the third profile into a predetermined length.The method may also comprise forming attachment holes in the third body. Formingthe third profile may be performed by extrusion, casting or additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing, fused deposition modeling or similar.

Furthermore, the method may comprise embossing at least two protrusions in thesecond body. The at least two protrusions may be embossed on the intermediateportion. Thus, the intermediate portion may comprise at least two protrusions. Theprotrusions may project in direction away from the container, when the lockarrangement is arranged on the container. The protrusions may be arranged at adistance from each other. The protrusions may be arranged to prevent any label orcard from moving out from the slot in the intermediate portion. Thus, the protrusions may be arranged to prevent lateral movement of any label or card. 14 According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided formounting a lock arrangement as disclosed herein on a container. The methodcomprises: attaching the first body to the first part of the container; and connectingthe second body to the first body by arranging the pivot section of the second bodyin the groove of the first body. Attaching the first body to the first part of the containermay be performed by means of fasteners, such as bolts, screws or rivets. Arrangingthe pivot section of the second body in the groove of the first body may comprises|iding the pivot section into the groove. An easy mounting of the lock arrangementis thereby achieved.

The method may further comprise arranging stop members in association with thegroove, in order to prevent lateral movement of the second body in relation to thefirst body. The method may comprise inserting stop members at each end of thegroove. The method may further comprise attaching the third body to the secondpart of the container. Attaching the third body to the second part of the container may be performed by means of fasteners.

The present disclosure will now be further illustrated with reference to the appendedfigures.

Figures 1a-b schematically illustrate a lock arrangement 100 for a container 10according to an example. Figure 1a shows the lock arrangement 100 in an openposition and Figure 1b shows the lock arrangement in a locked position. The lockarrangement 100 comprises a first body 20 configured to be attached to a first part12 of the container 10; and a second body 40 configured to be pivotally connectedto the first body 20, such that the second body 40 is selectively moveable betweena locked position and open positions. The first body 20 comprises a curved portion22 forming an elongated groove 23. The second body 40 comprises an engagementportion 41 and a lock portion 42, the engagement portion 41 being configured to beconnected with a second part 14 of the container 10 in the locked position asillustrated in Figure 1b. ln this example, the engagement portion 41 is configured to engage with the secondpart 14 of the container 10 in the locked position as shown in Figure 1b. Theengagement portion 41 may be configured to engage with a bottom of the secondpart 14 of the container 10. The engagement portion 41 may be configured to be inform fit engagement with the second part 14 of the container 10 in the lockedposition. Thus, the engagement portion 41 may have a shape corresponding to theshape of the second part 14 of the container 10. The engagement portion 41 maybe hook shaped with a radius corresponding to a curvature of the second part 14 ofthe container 10.

The lock portion 42 comprises a first leg 44 and a second leg 48 extendinglongitudinally essentially in parallel. The first leg 44 is resilient. The first leg 44 is inthis example curved and has a pivot section 46 configured to be pivotally arrangedin the groove 23 of the first body 20. The second leg 48 is configured to abut anoutside of the curved portion 22 of the first body 20 in the locked position, so thatthe first 44 and second 48 legs apply a clamping force on the curved portion 22 ofthe first body 20. This is illustrated in Figure 1b. ln the locked position, theengagement portion 41 will be connected with the second part 14 of the container10 and the first part 12 and the second part 14 of the container 10 will thereby belocked together.

The second body 40 may be pivotally connected to the first body 20, such thatpivoting the second body 40 in direction downwards will move the engagementportion 41 closer to the second part 14 of the container 10. Similarly, pivoting thesecond body 40 upwards will move the engagement portion 41 away from thesecond part 14 of the container 10.

The first body 20 and the second body 40 may be comprised of aluminium. The firstbody 20 and the second body 40 may be manufactured by means of extrusion,casting, molding, or additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing, fused depositionmodeling or similar. The first body 20 and the second body 40 will be furtherdescribed with regard to Figure 2a-b and Figure 3. 16 Figures 2a-b schematically illustrate details of a lock arrangement 100 for acontainer 10 according to an example. The lock arrangement 100 may be configuredas disclosed in Figures 1a-b. Figure 2a illustrates and example of the first body 20and Figure 2b illustrates an example of the second body 40. Figure 2a shows thelongitudinal extension/length L1 and the height H1 of the first body 20 and Figure2b shows the longitudinal extension/length L2 and the height H2 of the second body40. The length L1 of the first body 20 may be similar or equal to the length L2 of thesecond body 40.

The first body 20 as illustrated in Figure 2a may comprise the curved portion 22forming a groove 23 and an attachment portion 24. The attachment portion 24 maybe essentially flat. The attachment portion may comprise attachment holes 25 forattachment to the first part 12 of the container 10. The curved portion 22 may bebent downwards towards the attachment portion 24. When the first body 20 isattached to the first part 12 of the container 10, as disclosed in for example Figure1a, the groove 23 may at least partly face towards the second part 14 of thecontainer 10. The groove 23 may have an essentially circular cross-section. Thecurved portion 22 and the groove 23 are configured, such that the pivot section 46of the second body 40 will have to be inserted into the groove 23 by sliding it in sideways.

The curved portion 22 may comprise a protrusion 26. The protrusion 26 may extendsubstantially perpendicularly to the attachment portion 24. The lock portion 42 of thesecond body 40 may in this case be configured to interact with the protrusion 26 inthe locked position. ln Figure 2b, the second body 40 is illustrated. The first leg 44 comprises a curvedsection 45 and the pivot section 46. The curved section 45 may be curved, such thata convex side of the curved section 45 faces the second leg 48 and a concave sideof the curved section 45 faces the first body 20 and the container 10 when the lockarrangement 100 is arranged on the container 10. The pivot section 46 of the firstleg 44 is arranged with an angle to the curved section 45 and extends in direction towards the second leg 48. The pivot section 46 may be essentially cylindrical. The 17 pivot section 46 may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the groove 23 ofthe first body 20. ln this example, the length of the pivot section 46 is shorter than the length of thecurved section 45 of the first leg 44. The length of the pivot section 46 is thus shorterthan the length L2 of the second body 40 as well as shorter than the length of thegroove 23 of the first body 20. This way, stop members (28 shown in Figure 5) canbe inserted into the groove 23 at each end thereof, and thereby restrict lateral movement of the second body 40.

The second leg 48 of the lock portion 42 may comprise a recess 49 configured toreceive the protrusion 26 of the curved portion 22 of the first body 20 in the lockedposition. The recess 49 and the protrusion 26 may thus have corresponding shapes.Thus, when the second body 40 is pivoted to the locked position, the second leg 48will move along the circumference of the curved portion 22/protrusion 26 and in thelocked position, the protrusion 26 will snap into place into the recess 49 of thesecond leg 48. The recess 49 will thereby ensure that the second body 40 is retainedin the locked position. The recess 49 may be formed by means of a shoulder or a ridge on the second leg 48.

The second body 40 may further comprise an intermediate portion 50 connectingthe lock portion 42 and the engagement portion 41. The lock portion 42 and theengagement portion 41 may extend in opposite directions from the intermediateportion 50. The intermediate portion 50 may comprise a slot 52 extending along thelength L2 of the second body 40. Information cards, labels or similar may beremovably arranged in the slot 52. The intermediate portion 50 may comprise atleast two protrusions 54 (here seen from behind). The protrusions 54 are arrangedat a distance from each other. The protrusions 54 are arranged to prevent any labelor card from moving out from the slot 52. Thus, the protrusions 54 may be arranged to prevent lateral movement of any label or card.

The second body 40 further comprises a manoeuvring portion 56. The manoeuvring portion 56 may be arranged at least partly in parallel with the engagement portion 18 41. The manoeuvring portion 56 may be arranged in the same plane as the secondleg 48 of the lock portion 42. The manoeuvring portion 56 may be configured as athird leg extending away from the intermediate portion 50 and the lock portion 42.The manoeuvring portion 56 may be configured to enable a person to grip thesecond body 40 and pivot the second portion 40 to and from the locked position.

Figure 3 schematically illustrates a lock arrangement 100 for a container 10according to an example. The lock arrangement 100 may be configured as disclosedin Figure 1a-b with the difference that the lock arrangement 100 further comprisesa third body 60 configured to be attached to the second part 14 of the container 10,and that the engagement portion 41 of the second body 40 is configured to engagewith the third body 60 in the locked position. Thus, in the locked position as shownin the figure, the second body 40 is connected to the second part 14 of the container10 via the third body 60. ln this figure, the third body 60 is essentially L-shaped butthe third body may have any other shape. Furthermore, in this example the manoeuvring portion 56 is an extension of the engagement portion 41.

Figure 4 schematically illustrates a lock arrangement 100 for a container 10according to an example. The lock arrangement 100 may be configured as disclosedin Figure 1-b, 2a-b or 3 with the difference that the first leg 44 comprises a straightsection 47 instead of the curved section 45. Thus, the first leg 44 comprises astraight section 47 and the pivot section 46. The straight section 47 is configured torender the first leg 44 resilient. The pivot section 46 of the first leg 44 is arrangedwith an angle to the straight section 47 and extends in direction towards the secondleg 48.

Figure 5 schematically illustrates a container 10 according to an example. Thecontainer 10 comprises a lock arrangement 100. The lock arrangement 100 may beconfigured as disclosed in Figure 1a-b, Figure 2a-b, Figure 3 or Figure 4. Thecontainer 10 may be used for sterilizing components. Thus, the container 10 maybe configured to accommodate medical instruments and similar, wherein the container is subject to a sterilization process. 19 Figure 6 schematically illustrates a block diagram of a method of manufacturing alock arrangement 100 according to an example. The method may re|ate to themanufacturing of a lock arrangement 100 as disclosed in Figure 1a-b, Figure 2a-b,Figure 3 or Figure 4. The method comprises: forming s101 a first profile with apredetermined cross-section for the first body 20; forming s102 a second profile witha predetermined cross-section for the second body 40; forming s103 the first body20 by cutting the first profile into a first predetermined length L1; and forming s104the second body 40 by cutting the second profile into a second predetermined lengthL2. Thus, the first profile will comprise a curved portion 22 forming an elongatedgroove 23, and the second profile will comprise an engagement portion 41 and alock portion 42, the lock portion 42 comprising a first leg 44 and a second leg 48extending longitudinally essentially in parallel, wherein the first leg 44 is resilient andhas a pivot section 46 configured to be pivotally arranged in the groove 23 of thefirst body 20.

The steps of forming s101 the first profile and forming s102 the second profile maycomprise forming the first profile and the second profile by means of extrusion,casting or additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing, fused deposition modeling or similar.

The method may further comprise forming s105 attachment holes 25 in the first body20 for attachment to the first part 12 of the container 10. The attachment holes 25may be formed in the attachment portion 24 of the first body 20. The attachment holes 25 may be formed by means ofdrilling or punching.

Furthermore, the method may comprise embossing s106 at least two protrusions 54in the second body 40. The at least two protrusions 54 may be embossed on the intermediate portion 50.

The method may further comprise forming s107 a third profile with a predeterminedcross-section for the third body 60; and forming s108 the third body 60 by cuttingthe third profile into a third predetermined length. The step of forming s107 the third profile may comprise forming the third profile by means of extrusion, casting oradditive manufacturing, such as 3D printing, fused deposition modeling or similar.

Figure 7 schematically i||ustrates a block diagram of a method for mounting a lockarrangement 100 on a container 10 according to an example. The method mayrelate to mounting a lock arrangement 100 as disclosed in Figure 1a-b, Figure 2a-bor Figure 3. The method comprises attaching s201 the first body 20 to the first part12 of the container 10; and connecting s202 the second body 40 to the first body 20by arranging the pivot section 46 of the second body 40 in the groove 23 of the firstbody 20.

The step of attaching s201 the first body 20 to the first part 12 of the container 10may be performed by means of fasteners, such as bolts, screws or rivets. The stepof arranging s202 the pivot section 46 of the second body 40 in the groove 23 of thefirst body 20 may comprise sliding the pivot section 46 into the groove 23 sideways.

The method may optionally comprise arranging s203 stop members 28 inassociation with the groove 23, in order to prevent lateral movement of the secondbody 40 in relation to the first body 20. The method may further comprise attachings204 the third body 60 to the second part 14 of the container 10. The step ofattaching s204 the third body 60 to the second part 14 of the container 10 may beperformed by means of fasteners.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention isprovided for illustrative and descriptive purposes. lt is not intended to be exhaustiveor to restrict the invention to the variants described. Many modifications andvariations will obviously be apparent to one skilled in the art. The embodiments havebeen chosen and described in order best to explain the principles of the inventionand its practical applications and hence make it possible for specialists tounderstand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications appropriate to the intended use.

Claims

21 Claims

1. A lock arrangement (100) for a container (10), the lock arrangement (100)comprising: a first body (20) configured to be attached to a first part (12) of thecontainer (10); and a second body (40) configured to be pivotally connected to the first body(20), such that the second body (40) is selectively moveable between a lockedposition and open positions, wherein the first body (20) comprises a curved portion (22) forming anelongated groove (23) and the second body (40) comprises an engagement portion(41) and a lock portion (42), the engagement portion (42) being configured to beconnected with a second part (14) of the container (10) in the locked position, andthe lock portion (42) comprising a first leg (44) and a second leg (48) extendinglongitudinally essentially in parallel, wherein the first leg (44) is resilient and has apivot section (46) configured to be pivotally arranged in the groove (23) of the firstbody (20), and the second leg (48) is configured to abut an outside of the curvedportion (22) of the first body (20) in the locked position, so that the first (44) andsecond (48) legs apply a clamping force on the curved portion (22) of the first body(20).

2. The lock arrangement (100) according to claim 1, wherein the second leg (48) ofthe lock portion (42) comprises a recess (49) configured to receive a protrusion (26)of the curved portion (22) of the first body (22) in the locked position.

3. The lock arrangement (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the engagementportion (41) is configured to engage with the second part (14) of the container (10)in the locked position.

4. The lock arrangement (100) according to claim 3, wherein the engagementportion (41) is configured to be in form fit engagement with the second part (14) of the container (10) in the locked position.

5. The lock arrangement (100) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: 22 a third body (60) configured to be attached to the second part (14) ofthe container (10),wherein the engagement portion (41) of the second body (40) is configured to engage with the third body (60) in the locked position.

6. The lock arrangement (100) according to any one of the preceding claims,wherein the second body (40) further comprises an intermediate portion (50) connecting the lock portion (42) and the engagement portion (41 ).

7. The lock arrangement (100) according to any one of the preceding claims,wherein the second body (40) further comprises a manoeuvring portion (56).

8. The lock arrangement (100) according to any one of the preceding claims,wherein the first body (20) and the second body (40) are comprised of aluminium.

9. A container (10) comprising a lock arrangement (100) according to any one ofclaims 1-8.

10. Use of a container (10) according to claim 9 for sterilising components.

11. A method of manufacturing a lock arrangement (100) according to any one ofclaim 1-10, the method comprising: - forming (s101) a first profile with a predetermined cross-section for the first body(20): - forming (s102) a second profile with a predetermined cross-section for the secondbody (40); - forming (s103) the first body (20) by cutting the first profile into a first predeterminedlength (L1); and - forming (s104) the second body (40) by cutting the second profile into a secondpredetermined length (L2).

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: 23 - forming (s105) attachment holes (25) in the first body (20) for attachment to thefirst part (12) of the container (10).

13. The method according to c|aim 11 or 12, further comprising:- embossing (s106) at least two protrusions (54) in the second body (40).

14. A method for mounting a lock arrangement (100) according to any one of c|aim1-10 on a container (10), the method comprising: - attaching (s201) the first body (20) to the first part (12) of the container (10); and - connecting (s202) the second body (40) to the first body (20) by arranging the pivotsection (46) of the second body (40) in the groove (23) of the first body (20).

15. The method according to c|aim 14, further comprising: - arranging (s203) stop members (28) in association with the groove (23) of thefirst body (20) to prevent |atera| movement of the second body (40) in relation tothe first body (20).