Patent Application
20050246874
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a carabiner, and more particular to a carabiner with improved gate structure, in which the control and use of a cylindrical latching arrangement can be easier and safer by allowing a orient ball bearing to slide to fit within a slotted guide, providing easier access to multiple-stage control.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Accordingly, the generating of the carabiner is to ensure the safety of operating personnel. Various carabiners with different shape and size are generated in accordance with different using environment and conditions to meet the needs of different usage. There are various types of carabiners, which can be distinguished into three categories according to their shape:
Oval Carabiners: the Earliest Shape of Carabiners.
The internal part of such carabiners has larger space to hang a number of devices without congestion. Also, the design of smooth bending side allows ropes not to be displaced with ease. Thus, such carabiners is the best choice for climbing up with hands. When using a carabiner in the event of a fall, it is better to choose Oval carabiners for operating. In addition, a Oval carabiner with two opposite open portions can be used in place of a safety carabiner. Nevertheless, such carabiners can afford the littlest strength among all carabiners.
The gate structure as described above is the movable part in the carabiner. In conventional appliances, nearly all devices have to been put into or token out from a carabiner through a gate. In order to increase security, a locking mechanism is usually installed on the gate. Such carabiners are usually used in places that particularly need to ensure security, such as in the event of a fall, ensuring security, or used at the first ensured points in long-distance climbing.
Many patents have been issued to improve the carabiner with locking mechanism on a gate structure, such as recent U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,076. Unfortunately, conventional carabiners cause many inconvenience to both manufacturers and users.
As shown in
However, such a structure may bring much inconvenience to manufacturers or users. The problems include the internal space of the cylindrical locking element is too narrow to load a screw-type spring, and loading a screw-type spring defined on a vertical elongated slot is not easy. Aside from these, since the cylindrical locking element is locked and released only by the elasticity of the screw-type spring, the screw-type spring may lose its elasticity, which further affects users' safety.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made with long time effort to solve the above-mentioned problems occurred in the prior art.
Accordingly, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a carabiner with improved gate structure. The carabiner with improved gate structure according to the present invention includes a metal hook and a locking mechanism. The metal hook is generally designed as a C-shaped or D-shaped body, in which a body portion is disconnected as a gate loaded with a locking mechanism.
Provided locking mechanism is composed of a safety latch, a tip, an inwardly and outwardly compressed spring, and a cylindrical latching arrangement. Wherein, the safety latch is a shaft with a recessed notch having an inwardly compressed spring and a tip, which is pivotally attached to the fixed end of the metal hook and against the fixed end at one time in order to control the largest sway movement of the locking mechanism. Another end of the safety latch is a clip-in end, in which a axial punch cooperates with a bar for the hook-up of the metal hook end. Whether the safety latch 31 and metal hook 21 is hooked up or not can be controlled by the cylindrical latching arrangement 4. When the cylindrical latching arrangement is sleeved to the outer part of the safety latch, it is push by a compressed spring loaded on the outer part of the safety latch. A tilting slotted guide on interior wall of the cylindrical latching arrangement is used to fit with the orient ball bearing predetermined on the safety latch wall. Therefore, users can easily clip the outer part of the cylindrical latching arrangement with fingers, and then rotate and displace it pivotally, which makes the opening of said gate easier and more convenient. When locking said gate, after the locking mechanism is returned to its original position, the cylindrical latching arrangement can be pushed backward to a fixed position with little force through compressed springs, which accelerates the control and use of said locking mechanism.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a carabiner with improved gate structure, wherein the cylindrical latching arrangement and the safety latch is operated by allowing the orient ball bearing to slide and fit within the slotted guide, which permits easier control and facilitates assembling.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a carabiner with improved gate structure, in which the life of the cylindrical latching arrangement and safety latch can be increased by allowing a orient ball bearing to be slid to fit within a slotted guide.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a carabiner with improved gate structure, wherein varying slotted guides defined in the interior wall of the cylindrical latching arrangement can be designed for multiple-mode control suitable for various place use.
The above purposes and structure of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In the carabiner with improved gate structure of the present invention, as shown in
Referring to
Another end of said safety latch 31 is a clip-in end, by which a axial punch 36 cooperates with bar 37 for hook-up of the metal hook. Once hook up, locking can be secured by sleeving the cylindrical latching arrangement 4 on the outer part of the safety latch. Therefore, whether the safety latch 31 and metal hook 21 is hooked up or not can be controlled by the cylindrical latching arrangement 4.
Before the cylindrical latching arrangement 4 is sleeved to the outer part of a safety latch 31, an outwardly compressed spring 34 needs to be loaded on the outer part of the safety latch 31, one end of said outwardly compressed spring 34 is against toward the outer flange of safety latch 38. After the cylindrical latching arrangement 4 is sleeved to the outer part of a safety latch, another end of the outwardly compressed spring 34 is then against toward the interior ring of the cylindrical latching arrangement 4. Accordingly, when said cylindrical latching arrangement 4 is pivotally displaced, the outwardly compressed spring 34 is stressed to store up its backward elasticity.
As shown in the illustrated example, the surface of the cylindrical latching arrangement 4 has a predetermined pattern to facilitate users' clip and control with fingers. A open portion 41 is formed on the hook end of the metal hook. In general locking position, the open portion is located on the lateral side of the metal hook end so that said safety latch cannot sway to be displaced. When the open portion is exactly located ahead the metal hook end, said safety latch can sway to be displaced and the purpose of locking can be achieved.
As shown in the illustrated example, a tilting slotted guide 42 is defined on the interior wall of the cylindrical latching arrangement 4. A upward extending upwardly vertical stage slot 421 and a downward extending downwardly vertical stage slot 422 are provided on the slotted guide 42, which is appropriately fit with a orient ball bearing 39 predetermined on exterior wall of the safety latch. As such, when users clip the cylindrical latching arrangement 4 with fingers, they first pull it down and then rotate it. As a result, the cylindrical latching arrangement 4 is rotated by making the internal slotted guide 42 and the orient ball bearing 39 on exterior wall of the safety latch slide towards each other to change the orientation of the open portion 41. Thus, the purpose of controlling locking and unlocking can be achieved.
As to the sliding movement between the slotted guide on the interior wall of cylindrical latching arrangement and the orient ball bearing,
The slotted guide defined on the interior wall of the cylindrical latching arrangement described above can be designed in various shapes and types to enable multi-level control, which is suitable for more places. As shown in
As described above, the control of the carabiner with improved gate structure of the present invention, through providing a cylindrical latching arrangement and safety latch in which a orient ball bearing is slid to fit within a slotted guide, can be easier, which facilitates the assembling and increases carabiner life. Also, the present invention has not yet opened to public, it is then complied with the conditions of allowable patents.
It should be noted here, although the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention have been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.
