TWM573090U - Hood latch - Google Patents

Abstract

A latch having a cup, a slider, a lever, a first travel stop and a second travel stop. The slider is mounted to the cup and configured to be movable relative to the cup along a slider movement direction, between an unlatched position and a latched position. The lever is pivotally mounted to the cup to be movable between an open position and a closed position, the lever being operably connected to the slider and configured to move the slider to the unlatched position when the lever is in the open position and to the latched position when the lever is in the closed position. The first travel stop is on the slider. The second travel stop is on the cup and positioned at a location along the movement direction of the slider at a location where the second travel stop is spaced from the first travel stop when lever is not in the open position, and is in contact with the first travel stop when the lever is in the open position to prevent the lever from moving beyond the open position.

Description

Shield latch

This creation relates to the field of connector systems for locking an outer cover to an underlying structure, and in particular, to a shroud latch for locking a shroud to a device housing and the like.

It is a common need to provide connectors for locking the cover to package or partially package a variety of devices. For example, computer and electronic devices are typically mounted in a box-like housing having one or more removable covers that cover a portion of the housing. These shrouds are often locked by a connector mounted on a shroud that engages a pin that extends from the housing. The connector engages the pin and, for example, by pulling the edge of the shroud under the corresponding edge of the housing, the connector closes to exert a pulling force on the pin, thereby pulling the shroud to lock it with the housing.

One example of a connector of this type is shown in Figures 1 through 3C, which show a latch 100 having a cup 102, a slider 104, and a lever 106. The slider 104 is movably mounted to the cup 102 to enable the slider 104 to move between a latched position and an unlocked position (Fig. 2). The slider 104 is movably mounted to the slider holder 108 (eg, pin, rib or the like) that is confined to the bottom surface of the cup 102 and extends from the sidewall of the cup to Cup 102, but other configurations can be used. The lever 106 is pivotally mounted to the cup 102 by one or more lever pins 110 that fit into corresponding holes 112 in the lever 106 and corresponding holes 114 in the cup 102 . The lever pins 110 form a pivotal connection that enables the lever 106 to rotate between an open position and a closed position.

The lever 106 is operatively coupled to the slider 104 by one or more slider pins 116. The slider pin 116 is fixed to the lever 106 at a position offset from the rotational axis of the lever pin 110 (eg, at the hole 119) and passes through the slot 118 in the slider 104. This provides a drive connection between the lever 106 and the slider 104, in which the rotation of the lever 106 between the open position and the closed position causes the slider 104 to be in the unlocked position and latch along the cup 102. Move between lock positions. Other operative connections (e.g., cam surfaces or the like) may be used in other embodiments.

The cup 102 is structurally designed to be mounted to a shroud, door or other enclosed structure. For example, the cup 102 can have a lower surface 120, a sidewall 122 that extends upwardly from the lower surface 120, and a flange 124 that is at the top of the sidewall 122. (It should be understood that terms referring to relative positions in space, such as "lower" and "upper" are used merely to help explain the embodiments, and are not intended to require that the embodiments have a particular orientation in the space. The flange 124 can have one or more threaded holes 126 for securing the cup 102 to the shroud, although other connections between the cup 102 and the shroud can be used. In one embodiment, the cup 102 is mounted to the underside of the shroud (eg, a plurality of screws pass up through the threaded holes 126 to lock the cup 102 to the shroud above the cup 102) . In another embodiment, the flange 124 can be disposed on the upper side of the shroud while the remainder of the cup 102 protrudes through the opening in the shroud.

The cup 102 has a first opening 128 to receive the pin 130. The pin 130 is locked to the structure to which the shield is attached (e.g., the frame of the housing for holding electronic components or the like). The slider 104 also includes a pin opening 132 that is sized to receive the pin 130. When the pin 130 is in the pin opening 132, the movement of the slider 104 causes the entire latch 100 to move back and forth relative to the fixed pin 130.

3A-3C illustrate how the mechanism 300 can be used to lock the shield 300 to the housing 302. The shroud 300 has a first shroud edge 304 and a second shroud edge 306 opposite the first shroud edge 304. Similarly, the housing 302 has an opening formed between the first housing edge 308 and the second housing edge 310, the second housing edge 310 being positioned opposite the first housing edge 308. The latch 100 is secured to the shroud 300 adjacent the second shroud edge 306, while the pin 130 is secured to the housing 302 proximate the second housing edge 308. The latch 100 can be locked to the inner surface of the shroud 300 or the outer surface of the shroud 300, while the cup portion of the latch can be integrally formed as part of the shroud 300. By placing the first shroud edge 304 behind the first housing edge 308 and sliding the shroud 300 toward the first housing edge 308 (Fig. 3A), the shroud 300 is then tilted downward to The cover edge 306 is positioned to abut the second housing edge 310 (Fig. 3B) to mount the shield 300. At this point, the pin 130 will pass through the first opening 128 of the cup and into the pin opening 132 of the slider. Next, the lever 106 is moved to the closed position, thus pulling the slider 104 to the latched position. As the slider 104 moves to the latched position, the pin opening 132 creates a force that pulls against the pin 130. This force causes the latch 100 and shroud 300 to slide in the direction of the second housing edge 310, thus pulling the second shroud edge 306 below the second housing edge 310 (Fig. 3C). Thus, the latch 100 is used to lock the shield 300 to the housing 302. Removal of the shield 300 is accomplished by performing the foregoing steps in reverse order.

According to a first embodiment, a latch is provided having a cup member, a slider, a lever, a first stroke stop and a second stroke stop. The slider is mounted to the cup and is configured to be movable relative to the cup in a slider movement direction between an unlocked position and a latched position. The lever is pivotally mounted to the cup, thereby being movable between an open position and a closed position, the lever being operatively coupled to the slider and configured to be when the lever is in the open The slider moves the slider to the unlocked position and moves the slider to the latched position when the lever is in the closed position. The first travel stop is located on the slider. The second stroke stop is located on the cup and is positioned along the moving direction of the slider at a position at which the second stroke stop is not when the lever is not in the open position Separating from the first travel stop, and when the lever is in the open position, the second travel stop contacts the first travel stop to prevent the lever from moving out of the open position.

In another aspect, a housing assembly is provided having a housing, a shroud, and a latch. The housing has a first housing edge, a second housing edge spaced from the first housing edge, and an opening between the first housing edge and the second housing edge And a pin located within the opening. The shield has a first shroud edge and a second shroud edge spaced from the first shroud edge. The latch is mounted to the shroud between the first shroud edge and the second shroud edge. The latch includes a cup member, a slider, a lever, a first stroke stop, and a second stroke stop. The slider is mounted to the cup and is configured to be movable relative to the cup in a slider movement direction between an unlocked position and a latched position. The lever is pivotally mounted to the cup, thereby being movable between an open position and a closed position, the lever being operatively coupled to the slider and configured to be in the open position when the lever is in the open position The slider is moved to the unlocked position and the slider is moved to the latched position when the lever is in the closed position. The first travel stop is located on the slider. The second stroke stop is located on the cup and is positioned along the moving direction of the slider at a position at which the second stroke stop is not when the lever is not in the open position Separating from the first travel stop, and when the lever is in the open position, the second travel stop contacts the first travel stop to prevent the lever from moving out of the open position.

Or the cup may have a cavity and the slider may be positioned within the cavity. A flange can surround the cavity.

The lever can be mounted to the cup by one or more lever pins such that the lever rotates between the open position and the closed position about the one or more lever pins. The lever can be operatively coupled to the slider by one or more slider pins. The one or more slider pins can be secured to the lever, and the slider can have one or more slots in which the one or more slider pins are mounted.

The cup may include a cup-shaped opening formed through a wall of the cup, and the slider may have a protrusion extending through the opening, and the first stroke stop It can be located on the protrusion. The first travel stop can be a recessed portion of the projection. The second travel stop can be an edge of the cup opening that fits within the recessed portion of the projection when the slider is in the latched position.

The first stroke stop can be one end surface of the slider. The second stroke stop can be an inner surface of the cup. The end surface of the slider and the inner surface of the cup are perpendicular to the direction of movement of the slider.

The cup may include a cup-shaped pin opening that is positioned to receive a pin, and the slider may include a slider pin opening that is located in the pin opening with the cup Adjacent and positioned to receive the pin.

Although the present invention has been illustrated and described herein with reference to a particular embodiment, the present invention should not be limited to the details shown. On the contrary, various modifications may be made within the scope and equivalents of the scope of the patent application and without departing from the invention.

The creator has discovered that the known shroud latching mechanism is defective. In particular, in the latch 100 of Figures 1-2, the lever 106 can be pivoted far enough beyond the open position that the upper surface 200 of the lever 106 contacts the edge 202 of the cup 102 or contacts an adjacent cup. A portion of the shroud of the edge 202 of the piece 102. This contact can occur in the area indicated by circle 204 in FIG. This contact can cause several problems. For example: contact may bend the lever 106, may scratch off the protective lacquer, decorative lacquer or surface coating, may bend the cup 102, and the like. When the latch 100 is mounted to the underside of the shroud (e.g., the flange 124 is located below the surface of the shroud), the lever 106 can also directly contact the shroud, which can cause similar scratching and bending problems. Various embodiments of the present invention address these and other issues.

FIG. 4 illustrates an illustrative embodiment of the present invention's latch 400. The latch 400 has a cup 402, a slider 404, and a lever 406. The slider 404 is movably mounted to the cup 402 such that the slider is movable between a latched position and an unlocked position. The slider 404 is movably mounted to the cup shape by being restrained between the bottom surface of the cup 402 and a slider holder 408 (e.g., pin, rib or the like) extending from the side wall of the cup. Item 402, but other configurations can be used. The lever 406 is pivotally mounted to the cup 402 by one or more lever pins 410 that fit into corresponding holes 412 in the lever 406 and corresponding holes 414 in the cup 402 . The lever pins 410 form a pivotal connection that enables the lever 406 to rotate between an open position and a closed position.

The lever 406 is operatively coupled to the slider 404 by one or more slider pins 416. The slider pin 416 is secured to the lever 406 at a position offset from the axis of rotation of the lever pin 410 (eg, the aperture 419), and the slider pin 416 passes through the slot 418 in the slider 404. This provides a drive connection between the lever 406 and the slider 404, in which rotation of the lever 406 between the open position and the closed position causes the slider 404 to follow the cup 402 in the unlocked position and latch. Move between lock positions. Other operative connections (e.g., cam surfaces or the like) may be used in other embodiments.

The cup 402 is structurally designed to be mounted to a shroud, door or other enclosed structure. For example, the cup 402 can have a lower surface 420, a sidewall 422 extending upwardly from the lower surface 420, and a flange 424 at the top of the sidewall 422. (It should be understood that terms referring to relative positions in space, such as "lower" and "upper" are used merely to help explain the embodiments, and are not intended to require that the embodiments have a particular orientation in the space. The flange 424 can have one or more threaded holes 426 for securing the cup 402 to the shroud, although other connections between the cup 402 and the shroud can be used. In one embodiment, the cup 402 is mounted to the underside of the shroud (see, for example, Figures 5A and 5B). In another embodiment, the flange 424 can be disposed on the upper side of the shroud while the remainder of the cup 402 protrudes through the opening in the shroud.

The cup 402 has a first opening 428 to receive a pin, such as the pin 130 described above. The slider 404 also includes a pin opening 432 that is sized to receive the pin. The latch 400 operates in substantially the same manner as the latch 100 described above. That is, rotating the lever 406 between the open position and the closed position causes the slider 404 to move between the unlocked position and the latched position, and the pin opening 432 exerts a pulling force on the pin to move the shield onto the housing. Lock position. Reversing the movement causes the slider to push the pin, thereby moving the shield to an unlatched position in which the shield can be removed from the housing.

The latch 400 also includes one or more features to prevent the lever 406 from rotating past the open position and possibly causing damage to the lever 406, the cup 402, or the shield. For example, in this embodiment, the slider 404 includes a first travel stop 434 that is configured to contact the corresponding second travel stop 436 when the lever 406 is in the open position. And prevents the lever 406 from moving out of the open position. The first stroke stop 434 is located on a projection 438 that projects from the underside of the slider 404. This projection 438 is located within the second cup opening 440 through the lower surface 420 of the cup 402 when the components are assembled. The second stroke stop 436 is located at one end of the second cup opening 440 and preferably includes the edge of the second cup opening 440.

As shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the lever 406 can be moved from the closed position (Figure 5A) to the open position (Figure 5B). During this movement, the slider pin 416 presses one side of the slot 418 to move the slider 404 from the latched position (Fig. 5A) to the unlocked position (Fig. 5B). When the slider 404 reaches the unlocked position, the first travel stop 434 contacts the second travel stop 436 to prevent further movement of the slider 404 and further rotation of the lever 406 beyond the open position. Thus, the lever 406 cannot contact the cup 402 or the adjacent shroud 500.

6 is a detail view of a portion of FIG. 5B showing how the first stroke stop 434 contacts the second stroke stop 438. In this example, the first travel stop 434 includes a notched portion of the projection 438 and the second travel stop 436 includes one of the edges of the second cup opening 440. When the slider 404 reaches the unlocked position (and the lever reaches the open position), the second stroke stop 436 fits within the notched first travel stop 434. This notch shape helps prevent the component from creating a reaction, thereby causing the projection 438 to deflect upwardly and out of the second cup opening 440, which helps reduce the likelihood of failure. This notch shape is beneficial, but not required in all embodiments. For example, in another embodiment, the first travel stop 434 and the second travel stop 438 can comprise two parallel surfaces, or two complementary surfaces (eg, a concave surface and a convex surface that fits the concave surface) ).

Figure 7 is a bottom isometric view of the latch 400 when the lever 406 is in the open position. This view also shows how the first stroke stop 434 contacts the second stroke stop 436.

The foregoing embodiments are useful for preventing excessive rotation of the lever 406 and can be conveniently applied to existing prior art latches by replacing the slider with a slider having a first travel stop 434. However, other embodiments may use different configurations of the first and second travel stops 434, 436. For example, the slider 404 can include a first travel stop at one end 502 of the slider 404, and the cup 402 can include a second travel stop 504 at the inner surface of the cup 402. . In this embodiment (similar to the previous embodiment), the end 502 of the slider 404 will contact the second travel stop 504 when the slider reaches the unlocked position and the lever reaches the open position. The slider end 502 and the second stroke stop 504 may comprise flat parallel surfaces that extend perpendicular to the sliding direction of the slider 404 so that contact between the surfaces does not create a possible slider The force vector that moves up and out of the cup. Other variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of this disclosure.

Although a number of preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that these embodiments are provided by way of example only. Many variations, modifications, and alternatives will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the appended claims is intended to cover all such modifications that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

100‧‧‧Latch

102‧‧‧ cups

104‧‧‧ Slider

106‧‧‧Leverage

108‧‧‧ Slider holder

110‧‧‧Landning pin

112‧‧‧ hole

114‧‧‧ hole

116‧‧‧Slide pin

118‧‧‧ slots

119‧‧‧ hole

120‧‧‧lower surface

122‧‧‧ side wall

124‧‧‧Flange

126‧‧‧ screw holes

128‧‧‧ first opening

130‧‧ ‧ sales

132‧‧‧ pin opening

200‧‧‧ upper surface

202‧‧‧ edge

204‧‧‧ Round

300‧‧‧ hood

302‧‧‧Shell

304‧‧‧First shroud edge

306‧‧‧ second shield edge

308‧‧‧First shell edge

310‧‧‧Second shell edge

400‧‧‧Latch

402‧‧‧ Cups

404‧‧‧ Slider

406‧‧‧Leverage

408‧‧‧ Slider holder

410‧‧‧Lifting pin

412‧‧‧ hole

414‧‧‧ hole

416‧‧‧Slide pin

418‧‧‧ slot

419‧‧‧ hole

420‧‧‧ lower surface

422‧‧‧ side wall

424‧‧‧Flange

426‧‧‧ screw holes

428‧‧‧ first opening

432‧‧ ‧ pin opening

434‧‧‧First stroke stop

436‧‧‧Second stroke stop

438‧‧‧ protruding parts

440‧‧‧Second cup opening

500‧‧‧Shield

502‧‧‧ Slider end

504‧‧‧First stroke stop

The above and other aspects and features of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art in the <Desc/Clms Page number> Latch, which is shown in an exploded view; FIG. 2 shows the prior art latch of FIG. 1 shown in a cross-sectional view in an open position; FIGS. 3A-3C show a latch that connects the shroud to the housing, showing three Different locations. 4 is an exploded view of an exemplary latch of the present invention. 5A and 5B show the latch of Fig. 4 when the lever is in the open position and the closed position, respectively. Figure 6 is a detailed view of Figure 5B. Figure 7 is a partial isometric view of the latch of Figure 4 shown with the lever in the open position.

Claims (27)

A latch comprising: a cup member; a slider mounted to the cup and configured to be movable relative to the cup between an unlocked position and a latched position in a slider movement direction Movement of the member; a lever pivotally mounted to the cup, thereby being movable between an open position and a closed position, the lever being operatively coupled to the slider and configured to be When the lever is in the open position, the slider is moved to the unlocked position, and when the lever is in the closed position, the slider is moved to the latched position; a first stroke stop is located at the slider And a second stroke stop member located on the cup and positioned along the moving direction of the slider at a position at which the first lever is not in the open position a second stroke stop is spaced from the first stroke stop, and when the lever is in the open position, the second stroke stop contacts the first stroke stop to prevent the lever from moving out of the opening Outside the location. The latch of claim 1, wherein the cup defines a cavity and the slider is positioned within the cavity. A latch of claim 2, wherein the cup comprises a flange surrounding the cavity. The latch of claim 1, wherein the lever is mounted to the cup by one or more lever pins such that the lever rotates between the open position and the closed position about the one or more lever pins . The latch of claim 4, wherein the lever is operatively coupled to the slider by one or more slider pins. The latch of claim 5, wherein the one or more slider pins are fixed to the lever, and the slider includes one or more slots, the one or more slider pins being assembled to the one or more Inside the slot. The latch of claim 1, wherein: the cup defines a cup-shaped opening formed through a wall of the cup; the slider includes a protrusion extending through the opening; A first stroke stop is located on the projection. The latch of claim 7, wherein the first travel stop comprises a notched portion of the projection. The latch of claim 8, wherein the second stroke stop comprises an edge of the cup opening, and the edge of the cup opening fits over the protrusion when the slider is in the unlocked position Within the recessed portion. The latch of claim 1, wherein the first travel stop comprises an end surface of the slider. The latch of claim 10, wherein the second travel stop comprises an inner surface of the cup. The latch of claim 11, wherein the end surface of the slider and the inner surface of the cup are perpendicular to the direction of movement of the slider. The latch of claim 1, wherein: the cup includes a cup pin opening, the cup pin opening is positioned to receive a pin; and the slider includes a slider pin opening, the slider pin opening Located adjacent the cup pin opening and positioned to receive the pin. A housing assembly comprising: a housing having: a first housing edge; a second housing edge spaced from the first housing edge; an opening in the first housing Between the edge and the edge of the second housing; and a pin located within the opening; a shield having a first shroud edge and a second shroud edge spaced from the first shroud edge And a latch mounted to the shroud, the latch comprising: a cup-shaped member; a slider mounted to the cup and configured to be between an unlocked position and a latched position Moving relative to the cup along a direction of movement of a slider; a lever pivotally mounted to the cup, thereby being movable between an open position and a closed position, the lever being operatively Connected to the slider and configured to move the slider to the unlocked position when the lever is in the open position, and to move the slider to the latched position when the lever is in the closed position; a stroke stop member on the slider; and a second a stroke stop located on the cup and positioned along the direction of movement of the slider in a position at which the second stroke stop is when the lever is not in the open position The first travel stop is spaced apart, and when the lever is in the open position, the second travel stop contacts the first travel stop to prevent the lever from moving out of the open position. The outer casing assembly of claim 14, wherein the cup is integrally formed with the shield. The outer casing assembly of claim 14, wherein the cup defines a cavity and the slider is positioned within the cavity. The outer casing assembly of claim 16, wherein the cup comprises a flange surrounding the cavity. The outer casing assembly of claim 14, wherein the lever is mounted to the cup by one or more lever pins such that the lever is between the open position and the closed position about the one or more lever pins Rotate. The outer casing assembly of claim 18, wherein the lever is operatively coupled to the slider by one or more slider pins. The housing assembly of claim 19, wherein the one or more slider pins are secured to the lever, and the slider includes one or more slots, the one or more slider pins being mounted to the one or more Inside the slot. The outer casing assembly of claim 14, wherein: the cup defines a cup opening formed through a wall of the cup; the slider includes a projection extending through the opening; A first stroke stop is located on the projection. The outer casing assembly of claim 21, wherein the first travel stop includes a notched portion of the projection. The outer casing assembly of claim 22, wherein the second travel stop includes an edge of the cup opening, and the edge of the cup opening fits over the protrusion when the slider is in the unlocked position Inside the notched portion of the portion. The housing assembly of claim 14, wherein the first stroke stop comprises an end surface of the slider. The outer casing assembly of claim 24, wherein the second stroke stop comprises an inner surface of the cup. The outer casing assembly of claim 24, wherein the end surface of the slider and the inner surface of the cup are perpendicular to the direction of movement of the slider. The outer casing assembly of claim 14, wherein: the cup includes a cup shaped pin opening, the cup pin opening is positioned to receive a pin; and the slider includes a slider pin opening, the slider pin An opening is located adjacent the cup pin opening and is positioned to receive the pin.