EP0227507A1 - Safety lock, object, especially a piece of luggage, and an installation for applying it - Google Patents

Abstract

A closing device includes a keeper provided with a retaining element for retaining a bolt in the keeper in a closed position of the device. The retaining element is mounted to be pivotable about and to be axially movable on a rod provided in the keeper and is resiliently biased to both axially slide on and pivot about the rod in such manner that, in an active position, the retaining element projects into an extension of an opening into which the bolt is capable of entering so as to close the device, and it is brought to a retracted position by axially sliding along the rod while being automatically returned to its active position from its retracted position as soon as the bolt is extracted from the keeper under the effect of the resilient force exerted by a spring.

Description

The present invention relates to locking devices, in particular for luggage, intended to immobilize between them, two members, at least one of which is movable relative to the other, comprising a bolt intended to be fixed on one of said members and a strike intended to be fixed on the other of said members, the strike comprising retractable means for retaining the bolt in the closed or locked position of the device.

Locking devices are known for luggage of the aforementioned type, comprising a latch commonly known as a toad, fixed on the luggage cover and a keeper fixed on the part of this luggage which delimits its housing. The toad is provided with a loop which, in the closed position, is introduced into the opening of the strike where it is retained by a finger secured to this strike and which crosses the loop.

The opening of such a device is conventionally carried out by means of a button which controls the withdrawal of the finger from the loop, the toad being associated with elastic means which automatically extract the loop from the keeper as soon as the finger is retracted.

To close the luggage, the user must first fold down the cover and then introduce by pressing on the toad, the loop in the opening of the strike, the finger provided in the latter retracting elastically under the pressure of the 'introduction of the loop to retain it as soon as it is introduced into the keeper and thus close the device.

The opening and closing of a baggage with such a device, therefore require various manipula tions which consist, on the one hand, in acting on the control means to release the toad and, on the other hand, to fold down the cover then the toad to finally force the introduction inside the keeper of the loop carried by the latter.

The invention aims to remedy this drawback by providing a locking device whose number of manipulations it requires to operate the opening or closing, for example of the luggage on which it is arranged, is very reduced.

The subject of the invention is therefore a locking device immobilizing between them two members, one of which is movable relative to the other, comprising a bolt intended to be fixed on one of the members and a keeper fixed on the other member, the keeper comprising a retractable retaining member provided with means for hooking the bolt and a control member, the retaining member being mounted sliding along an axis against an elastic member for returning to a disarmed position , characterized in that, in addition, the retaining member, when released, is mounted oscillating about the axis under the action of the elastic return member and in that the bolt, as long as it is found in the strike, constitutes a means of axial abutment for the retaining member in the disarmed position after oscillation of the latter around the axis, the bolt also constituting, when it is released from the strike, a means of automatic reset of the retaining member.

The subject of the invention is also an article, in particular luggage, comprising two body parts, characterized in that it comprises at least one locking device as defined above, each bolt being fixed to one of said body parts and each respective keeper being fixed to the other body part.

According to another characteristic of this baggage:
- There is provided on at least part of the periphery of the corresponding edge of at least one of the body parts, an elastic gasket intended to be compressed elastically when the or each locking device is closed.

The subject of the invention is also a closing installation, in particular of a building opening, comprising a panel mounted to slide approximately parallel to a second panel, characterized in that it comprises at least one locking device as defined above, each bolt being fixed to one of said panels and each associated keeper being fixed to the other of said panels.

• - la Fig.1 est une vue d'ensemble en pers­pective d'une mallette entrouverte, équipée de deux dispositifs de verrouillage conformes à l'invention;
• - la Fig.2 est une vue à plus grande échel­le, en perspective éclatée, du dispositif de verrouil­lage de l'invention ;
• - la Fig.3 est une vue en élévation avec ar­rachement, à plus grande échelle, d'un dispositif de verrouillage de la Fig.1 à partir de l'intérieur de la mallette, ce dispositif étant en position fermée et condamnée ;
• - la Fig.4 est une vue en coupe suivant la ligne 4-4 de la Fig. 3 ;
• - la Fig. 5 est une vue analogue à celle de la Fig.3, le dispositif étant décondamné et les moyens de retenue du dispositif étant en position escamotée ou désarmée derrière le pêne ;
• - la Fig.6 est une vue en coupe suivant la ligne 6-6 de la Fig.5 ; et
• - la Fig.7 est une vue analogue aux Fig.4 et 6, les moyens de retenue étant en position active ou armée dans le dispositif ouvert.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description of an embodiment given by way of example, and made with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

• - Fig.1 is an overall perspective view of a ajar case, equipped with two locking devices according to the invention;
• - Fig.2 is an enlarged view, in exploded perspective, of the locking device of the invention;
• - Fig.3 is an elevational view with cutaway, on a larger scale, of a locking device of Fig.1 from the inside of the case, this device being in the closed and locked position;
• - Fig.4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;
• - Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3, the device being unlocked and the means for retaining the device being in the retracted or disarmed position behind the bolt;
• - Fig.6 is a sectional view along line 6-6 of Fig.5; and
• - Fig.7 is a view similar to Fig.4 and 6, the retaining means being in the active or armed position in the open device.

The case illustrated in Fig.1 includes a cover 1 hinged on a part 2 which defines the actual housing of the case. On the side of this case opposite to that where the cover 1 and the part 2 are hinged together, two closure devices according to the invention, are each arranged in the vicinity of one end of this side of the case.

We can see in this same Figure that each closing device comprises a keeper 3 fixed on part 2 of the case and a bolt 4 fixed inside the cover 1 of this case using two screws 4 a (Fig .3), this bolt being intended to penetrate into an opening 5 of the keeper 3 associated when the device is closed.

Each keeper 3 further comprises a box 6 delimiting the opening 5, fixed inside the case and a front plate 7 fixed outside the case by means of three screws 8 a which pass through the box 6 and the corresponding wall of part 2 of the case to be screwed into threaded studs 8 (FIG. 2), thus ensuring the joint fixing of the housing 6 and the associated front plate 7.

It will be noted that each closing device is equipped with means for controlling the opening of this device in the form of a push button 9 which, in the closed position of the device, crosses the bottom of a cavity 10 provided on the plate. front 7 to protrude outside the case.

In order to be able to lock each device in the closed position, each front plate 7 is provided with a cylinder lock 11 arranged in the vicinity of the cavity 10.

We will now refer more particularly to Fig.2, 3 and 5 where the internal structure of the keeper 3 is illustrated in detail.

The push button 9 is in the form of a tube closed at its outer end. This button is movably mounted in rotation and translation on a sleeve 9 is supported by a retainer 12 of the associated bolt 4. The button 9 is further provided at its inner end, adjacent to the retaining member, with an annular flange 9 b extending radially outwards, this annular flange 9 b being intended to abut against the periphery of the orifice formed at the bottom of the cavity 10 and crossed by the push-button so that the latter cannot be separated from the keeper 3 by pulling on its part which projects beyond the latter.

The sleeve 9 a and the retention element 12 are mounted mobile in rotation and in translation on a rod 13 provided inside the housing 6, the retainer being traversed by said rod so that the latter, the sleeve 9 a and the push button 9 extend along the same axis. A helical spring 14 is further wound around the rod 13 between the retaining member 12 and the wall adjacent to the housing, this spring 14 being mounted on the one hand, axially compressed so as to bias the retaining member 12 and the sleeve 9 is in the direction of the front plate 7 and, on the other hand, compressed in torsion to bias the 'retaining member 12 in the active or armed position in the extension of the opening 5 (Fig. 7).

To carry out this torsional tensioning of the spring 14, one end 14 a of the latter is retained by a boss 15 inside the housing 6 intended to be crossed by a fixing screw of the keeper, its other end 14 b being introduced into a slot 16 provided in the retaining member 12 and bears on the field of this slot.

To allow the retaining member 12 and the associated bolt 4 to cooperate positively in the closed position of the device, the retaining member 12 and the bolt 4 are each provided with a hook, respectively 17, 18 intended to fit together. 'one inside the other (Fig.3), when the case is closed.

The bolt 4 and the retaining member 12 are also each provided with a ramp, respectively 19, 20, these ramps being intended, by cooperating with each other, to allow the rotation of the retaining member 12 around the axis of the rod 13 when the bolt 4 is introduced into the strike 3 so as to cause the hooks 17 and 18 to fit into one another and thus close the device.

The inner end of the barrel lock 11 is provided with a tab 21 intended to come, by rotation of the barrel under the control of a key, to be placed behind the retaining member 12 so as to condemn the opening of the locking device preventing any sliding of this retaining member 12 to its disarmed position.

The arrangement of the push button rotatably mounted on the sleeve 9 has advantageously prevents, when the locking device is ordered by the lug 21 disposed behind the retention element 12 to rotate the latter by turning the portion of the knob 9 which extends outside the keeper and therefore spreads the hooks 17 and 18 to release the bolt 4.

The different stages of the operation of the locking device of the invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7.

In the closed position of the device (Fig. 3 and 4), the bolt 4 is introduced into the keeper 3 through the opening 5 of the latter and the hook 17 of the retaining member is fitted into the hook 18 provided at the 'corresponding end of the bolt 4 to retain the latter and keep the device closed. In this position, the tab 21 of the cylinder lock 11 can be interposed between the housing 6 and the retaining member 12 as illustrated in FIG. 4 to thus condemn any sliding of the push button 9. It will be noted that in this case, where the retaining member 12 is in the active position, the length of the push button 9 and the depth of the cavity 10 are such that this button does not protrude outside the cavity 10 of the front plate 7 so that although offering a projecting part capable of being pressed by a user, this push button is entirely retracted into the volume of the cavity 10 and therefore does not risk being hooked inadvertently.

The device of the invention is opened in two stages illustrated respectively on Figs. 5, 6 and 7.

In the first step, the user optionally unlocks the device by rotation of the barrel lock 11 and presses the push-button 9 against the elastic force exerted by the spring 14 in the axial direction of the rod 13. The pressing the button 9 causes the retaining member 12 to slide on the rod 13 thereby separating the hooks 17 and 18 from this retaining member and the bolt 4. The retaining member 12 which then extends between the bolt 4 and the wall next to the housing (Fig. 5 and 6) is made to oscillate in the direction of the bolt under the action of the torsional force exerted by the spring 14, to be disposed in the retracted position between the bolt 4 and the neighboring face of the keeper's housing 6 while abutting, on the one hand, against the bolt 4 against the axial force exerted by the spring 14 and, on the other hand, against the torsional force exerted by this same spring 14 using a part 22 (Fig. 5) of the retaining member 12 which abuts against the b housing 6. The push-in stroke of the push button 9 in the keeper 3 to bring the retaining member 12 into the retracted position is such that this push button 9 is itself fully retracted in the keeper 3 (Fig.6 ) thus, no longer protrude into the cavity 10 of the front plate 7, this cavity 10 having roughly the shape of a spherical cap, shape which advantageously adapts to the end of a finger of a user when the latter presses the push button to open his case.

From this retracted or disarmed position of the retaining member 12, the bolt 4 can then be freely extracted from the keeper 3 by lifting the cover 1 of the case. The extraction of bolt 4 then removes the axial stop made with respect to the spring 14, which therefore brings back simultaneously-as soon as the bolt is released from the strike, the retaining member 12 in the active position (Fig. 7).

In this active position, the hook 17 of this retaining member projects in line with the opening 5 of the keeper 3, the retaining member being in axial abutment against the corresponding wall of part 2 of the case and angularly , against the torsional force exerted by the spring 14, against the casing 6 of the keeper 3 by its stop part 22.

From this active or armed position of the retaining member (Fig. 7), the device can be closed again by simply folding down the cover 1 of the case, which has the effect of engaging the bolt 4 in the opening 5 of the corresponding keeper 3 of the closing device. During the penetration of this bolt 4 in the strike, the ramp 19 provided on the bolt slides on the ramp 20 provided on the retaining member which is thus caused to oscillate on the rod 13 of the strike against the angular torsional force exerted by the spring 14 until the hooks 17 and 18 provided respectively on the retaining member and the bolt 4 interpenetrate under the effect of this same torsional force exerted by the spring 14 ( Figs. 3 and 4).

This locking device of the invention advantageously allows thanks to the arrangement of its retaining means and the control member, easy handling for opening or closing, for example of a baggage with which it is associated. It suffices to effect this opening by simply pressing the push-button to disarm the means retainers which remain in this position until the luggage is opened, the fact of folding the cover thus introducing the bolt into the corresponding keeper automatically causing the closure of the device and therefore of the luggage. The opening of the latter is then carried out with one hand in two stages and its closing with one hand in one stage,

To further simplify the handling of each locking device for opening the luggage and reduce them to a single operation carried out with one hand, it is possible to provide that at least part of the corresponding peripheral edge of the cover 1 and / or of part 2 of the case associated with the device of the invention is provided with an elastic lining, for example, made of elastomer, intended to be compressed between cover 1 and part 2 in the closed position of the case, so that as soon as the user retracts the retaining member 12 of each device of the invention provided on the case, the latter opens spontaneously to cause each bolt 4 to be extracted from the keeper 3 associated under the effect of the relaxation elastic of the gasket, which avoids the user to lift the cover 1 to extract the or each bolt 4 out of the corresponding keeper.

Although the invention has just been illustrated with reference to the description of a case in which the two body parts hinged together are intended to be immobilized relative to one another by means of locking devices of the invention, the latter can be used in general to immobilize between them two members, at least one of which is movable relative to the other.

Thus, the locking device can be applied to any article comprising two body parts articulated to each other or at least one of which is slidably mounted approximately parallel to the other, such as luggage, in particular a suitcase or a trunk, or a piece of furniture, for example a piece of furniture comprising at least one flexible or rigid sliding panel, intended to close an opening. The or each bolt provided is fixed in the vicinity of an edge of a first panel and the or each corresponding keeper is fixed in the vicinity of the corresponding edge of a second panel so that by sliding the or each panel to form the opening, each keeper cooperates with the associated bolt to immobilize these two panels together.

Certain pieces of furniture, an opening of which is adapted to be closed by one or two sliding curtains, in particular a secretary, can also be equipped with at least one locking device for immobilizing the or each curtain in its closed position. In these articles, an elastic lining or another equivalent elastic means to be provided on the corresponding edge of at least one of the panels or curtains to spontaneously separate the latter from each other when the opening or of each locking device.

If the invention relates to the aforementioned articles, it also relates to the closing installations in particular of an opening of a building separating two rooms from the latter, comprising a flexible or rigid panel, mounted to slide roughly parallel to another flexible panel. or rigid and possibly mounted itself sliding approximately parallel to the first panel.

As described above, the or each bolt of the locking device is fixed in the vicinity of an edge of a panel and the or each corresponding keeper is fixed in the vicinity of the corresponding edge of the second panel in such a way that by sliding the or of each panel, each keeper cooperates with the respective bolt to immobilize these two panels between them. An elastic gasket or other equivalent means may also be provided on the corresponding edge of at least one of the panels to spontaneously separate them from one another when the or each locking device is opened.

Claims (11)

1. Locking device, intended to immobilize between them two members (1, 2) at least one of which is movable relative to the other, comprising a bolt (4) intended to be fixed to one of said members and a keeper (3) intended to be fixed on the other of said members, the keeper comprising a retractable retaining member (12) provided with means for hooking the bolt (17) and a control member (9), the member retainer (12) being slidably mounted along an axis against an elastic return member (14) towards a disarmed position, characterized in that, in addition, the retainer, when released, is mounted oscillating around said axis under the action of said elastic return member and in that said bolt, as long as it is in the keeper (3), constitutes an axial abutment means for said retaining member in the disarmed position after oscillation of the latter around said axis, said bolt also constituting, when it is released from the keeper, a means of self-resetting material of the retaining member (12). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the retaining member (12) comprises a portion (22) of oscillation limitation. 3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastic member is a helical spring (14) mounted axially compressed and tensioned in torsion. 4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control member comprises a push button (9) adapted to extend projecting outside the keeper, at least in the closed position of the device. 5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that a bushing (9 a ) is provided, integral with the retaining member, mounted movable in rotation and in translation on a rod (13) fixed to the keeper, the push button (9) being itself same rotatably mounted on said sleeve (9 a). 6. Device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the push button crosses the bottom of a cavity (10) formed on an outer face of the keeper, the length of the push button and the depth of the cavity being such that in the active position of the retaining means, the push button does not protrude outside the cavity. 7. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that means are provided for locking the retaining means in the closed position of the device. 8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the locking means comprise a lock controlling the movement of a tab (21) intended to oppose in the locked position, the sliding of the retaining member (12) towards its retracted position. 9. Article, in particular luggage, comprising two body parts (1, 2), characterized in that it comprises at least one locking device as claimed according to any one of the preceding claims, each bolt being fixed on the one of said body parts and each respective keeper being fixed to the other body part. 10. Article according to claim 9, characterized in that there is provided on at least part of the periphery of the corresponding edges of at least one of the body parts, an elastic lining intended to be compressed elastically during closing the or each locking device. 11. Closure installation, in particular of a building opening, comprising a panel mounted to slide approximately parallel to a second panel, characterized in that it comprises at least one locking device as claimed in any one of previous claims, each bolt being fixed on one of said panels and each associated keeper being fixed on the other of said panels.

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