CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority to German Patent Application Nos. 10 2009 013 783.1, filed Mar. 18, 2009, and 10 2009 018 658.1, filed Apr. 23, 2009, which are both hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY
The present disclosure relates to a locking device for a lid (also referred to herein as a lid locking device) used, for example, with a transporting container.
A generic locking device for a lid used with a transporting container requires enhancement in that the opened lid of the transporting container may inadvertently close due to an insufficient locking mechanism when loading and unloading the container, which results in a risk of injury.
It is therefore an object underlying the present disclosure to provide a locking device for a lid used with a transporting container that enables a reliable arrest of the opened lid.
The lid locking device of the present disclosure provides a flexible locking spring at the bottom of one of the hinge-joint portions and enables therewith that a bracket member or arm is guided to, and retained at, a locking position corresponding to the opened position of the lid by this locking spring.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further details, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be evident from the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a locking device for a lid.
FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view along the lines I-I in FIG. 1 of a partially cut-away side view of the locking device.
FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view along the lines I-I in FIG. 1 of a side view of the locking device.
FIG. 4 shows an elevational view of a second hinge-joint portion of another embodiment of the locking device.
FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the second hinge-joint portion of FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In FIG. 1, a perspective view of an embodiment of a lid locking device (or locking device for a lid) 1 is shown. As is discernible from FIG. 1, this lid locking device 1 comprises a first half-shell 2 and a second half-shell 3, which are formed like bowls, as well as a pivoting bracket 4 which is arranged on a bottom portion 2a of the first half-shell 2 and a bottom portion 3a of the second half-shell 3. Further, a hinge-joint 5 is arranged at the upper side of the first and second half-shells 2, 3, said hinge-joint comprising a first hinge-joint portion 6 and a second hinge-joint portion 7, the first hinge-joint portion 6 being attached to the first bottom portion 2a and the second hinge-joint portion 7 being attached to the second bottom portion 3a.
As is further discernible from FIG. 1, a nose 7a is formed at the lower side of the second hinge-joint portion 7, said nose protruding toward the bottom portion 3a of the second half-shell 3 and retaining a second bracket arm 10 of the pivoting bracket 4 pivotally at the face side of the bowl-shaped second half-shell 3.
As is discernible from FIG. 2, a locking spring 8 is attached at the lower side of the first hinge-joint portion 6, which spring comprises a substantially V-shaped flexible retainer portion 12 which is arranged between a first fixing portion 13 and a second fixing portion 14, at which portions the locking spring 8 is attached to the first hinge-joint portion 6. As is further discernible from FIG. 2, two drain bevels 11 protrude from the bottom portion 2a of the first half-shell 2 toward the inside of the first half-shell 2, wherein only one drain bevel 11 is visible in this cut depiction.
With reference to FIG. 3, the function of the lid locking device 1 is described as follows. Whereas FIG. 1 shows a closed position of the hinge-joint 5, FIG. 3 shows a position of the lid locking device 1 in which the second hinge-joint portion 7 and the second half-shell 3 attached thereto are pivoted counter-clockwise by an angle of at least 90° from the horizontal (i.e., closed) position of the hinge-joint 5 shown in FIG. 1. In the opening position of the lid locking device 1 shown in FIG. 3, a first bracket arm 9 of the pivoting bracket 4 is positioned and locked between the bottom portion 2a of the first half-shell 2 and the retainer portion 12 of the locking spring 8.
When closing the lid of the transporting container (i.e., pivoting back the joint-hinge portions 6, 7 to the position shown in FIG. 1), the second bracket arm 10 of the pivoting bracket 4 retained by the nose 7a of the second hinge-joint portion 7 is pivoted clockwise and downward. Further, the opposite or first bracket arm 9 of the pivoting bracket 4 is pulled from the locked position—between the bottom portion 2a of the first half-shell 2 and the retainer portion 12 of the locking spring 8—toward the second half-shell 3. Consequently, the bracket arm 9 deforms the flexible retainer portion 12 of the locking spring 8 and moves, during the subsequent course of motion, beyond the drain bevel(s) 11 toward a final position on the bottom portion 2a, which corresponds to the closed position of the lid locking device 1 shown in FIG. 1.
Accordingly, the locking device for a lid of the present disclosure is thus able to securely lock the lid of a transporting container in an opened position as to prevent the lid from closing inadvertently when loading and unloading the container. When closing the lid of the transporting container, the arrest of the pivoting bracket 4 can be released without any large effort.
Moreover, some embodiments of the present disclosure comprise a locking device for a lid 1 used in a transporting container, comprising a first half-shell 2 and a second half-shell 3, a pivoting bracket 4, a hinge-joint 5 including a first hinge-joint portion 6 at which the first half-shell 2 is attached and a second hinge-joint portion 7 at which the second half-shell 3 is attached, and which pivotally retains the pivoting bracket 4 at the second half-shell 3, wherein a locking spring 8 is arranged at the first hinge-joint portion 6, which spring co-operates with a first bracket arm 9 of the pivoting bracket 4, said first bracket arm being arranged opposite to a second bracket arm 10 retained by the second hinge-joint portion 7.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show another embodiment of the locking device 1. Like components are indicated with same reference numerals as in the first embodiment. As can be seen from the elevational view in FIG. 4 of the second hinge-joint portion 7, and the perspective view in FIG. 5, the second hinge-joint portion 7 comprises no nose 7a for retaining the second bracket arm 10 of the pivoting bracket 4 at the bottom portion 3a of the second half-shell 3 in this embodiment of the locking device 1. Instead the second half-shell 3 in this embodiment includes two recesses 15a and 15b protruding inwardly at the bottom portion 3a thereof (see FIG. 5). The front side 19 of the second half-shell 3 forms a first substantially perpendicular wall portion 21 and the recesses 15a and 15b form a second wall portion 22, shaped like a segment of a circle, and a third horizontal wall portion 23, respectively.
The second hinge-joint portion 7 located above the second half-shell 3 comprises two recesses 16a and 16b that are located to be offset from the recesses 15a and 15b in the second half-shell 3. Regarding the plane of the hinge-joint portion 7, these recesses 16a and 16b comprise a first wall portion 24 slanting downwardly, a second substantially horizontal wall portion 25 and a third wall portion 26 slanting upwardly, respectively.
The first, second and third wall portion 21, 22 and 23 in the bottom portion 3a of the second half-shell 3 and the first, second and third wall portion 24, 25 and 26 of the recesses 16a and 16b in the second hinge-joint portion 7 form a receiving space 20 in which the second bracket arm 10 of the pivoting bracket 4 is retained stationary and rotatably. The before described configuration of the second half-shell 3 can be combined with the first half-shell 2 described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 3.
It will be appreciated that the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 could additionally, or alternatively, include the nose 7a of FIGS. 1-3 for retaining the second bracket arm 10 if so desired.
The locking device of the present disclosure may include the following concepts:
- A. A locking device for a lid (1) used in a transporting container, comprising a first half-shell (2) and a second half-shell (3); a pivoting bracket (4); a hinge-joint (5) including a first hinge-joint portion (6) at which the first half-shell (2) is attached and a second hinge-joint portion (7) at which the second half-shell (3) is attached, and which pivotally retains the pivoting bracket (4) at the second half-shell (3); characterized in that a locking spring (8) is arranged at the first hinge-joint portion (6), which spring co-operates with a first bracket arm (9) of the pivoting bracket (4), said first bracket arm being arranged opposite to a second bracket arm (10) retained by the second hinge-joint portion (7).
- B. The locking device for a lid according to paragraph A, characterized in that the locking spring (8) comprises a substantially V-shaped, flexible retainer portion (12).
- C. The locking device for a lid according to paragraph B, characterized in that the retainer portion (12) is arranged between a first fixing portion (13) and a second fixing portion (14).
- D. The locking device for a lid according to paragraphs A or B, characterized in that two inwardly protruding drain bevels (11) are formed in the bottom portion (2a) of the first half-shell (2).
- E. The locking device for a lid according to paragraph A or B, characterized in that two inwardly protruding recesses (15a, 15b) are formed in the bottom portion (3a) of the second half-shell (3).
- F. The locking device for a lid according to paragraph E, characterized in that two recesses (16a, 16b) are formed at the second hinge-joint portion (7), including wall portions (24, 25, 26) that pivotally retain the second bracket arm (10) of the pivoting bracket (4) at the bottom portion (3a) of the second half-shell (3) along with wall portions (21, 22, 23) between the recesses (15a, 15b) and a front side (19) of the second half-shell (3).
Patent Application
20100237076
