Back to results
US 6,669,243 B2Granted
Side lock assembly for storage bin
AssigneesPiolax, Inc., Kanto Auto Works, Ltd.
InventorsKouichi Katoh, Noboru Niikura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A storage bin side lock assembly is disclosed including a storage bin B mounted to a support body P for an opening and closing capability, with the storage bin B being attached with a housing 8, 70 encompassing a pair of right and left latches 5, 5, 40, 40 which are biased toward lock apertures Pa, Pa formed in the support body P by a spring member 6, 6, 50, 50 and distal ends of which are retracted from the lock apertures of the support body against the biasing force of the spring member responsive to pivotal operation of an operating handle 3, 30. Pivotal operation of the operating handle is converted to lateral motions of the latches 5, 5, 40, 40 which are consequently retracted in an unlocked condition.
Claims16
A side lock assembly, for locking a storage bin to a support body, comprising:
- a support body;
- a storage bin received in the support body;
- and
- an opening and closing mechanism operatively mounted on the storage bin for operating the storage bin in a locked position and an unlocked position relative to the support body, the opening and closing mechanism including;
- an operating member pivotally mounted on the storage bin to move selectively between the locked position and the unlocked position;
- a rotatable connecting member integrally rotatable with the operating member to move selectively between the locked position and the unlocked position;
- a latch member engaged to or disengaged from the support body through the storage bin, the latch member being movable inward along a rotational axis of the rotatable connecting member and normally biased outward to lock the storage bin to the support body in the locked position;
- and
- a latch release member having one element connected to the latch member and another element connected to the rotatable connecting member to apply an axial force to the latch member, the latch release member being operative to move the latch member inward along the rotational axis against the axial force to disengage the latch member from the support body in the unlocked position in response to an unlocking external force applied to the operating member,
- wherein the latch member includes a pair of latches, and the rotatable connecting member includes a connecting bar having a central portion operatively connected to the operating member to be integrally movable therewith and distal ends operatively connected to the pair of latches for pivotal and sliding movements thereof.
7 more elements
A side lock assembly for locking a storage bin to a support body, comprising:
- a support body;
- a storage bin received in the support body;
- and
- an opening and closing mechanism operatively mounted on the storage bin for operating the storage bin in a locked position and an unlocked position relative to the support body, the opening and closing mechanism including:
- an operating member pivotally mounted on the storage bin to move selectively between the locked position and the unlocked position;
- a rotatable connecting member integrally rotatable with the operating member to move selectively between the locked position and the unlocked position;
- a latch member engaged to or disengaged from the support body through the storage bin, the latch member being movable inward along a rotational axis of the rotatable connecting member and normally biased outward to lock the storage bin to the support body in the locked position;
- a latch release member having one element connected to the latch member and another element connected to the rotatable connecting member to apply an axial force to the latch member, the latch release member being operative to move the latch member inward along the rotational axis against the axial force to disengage the latch member from the support body in the unlocked position in response to an unlocking external force applied to the operating member;
- and
- at least one spring member cooperating with the rotatable connecting member and normally biasing the latch member toward the support body along the rotational axis of the rotatable connecting member to lock the storage bin to the support body in the locked position,
- wherein the latch member includes a pair of latches, and the rotatable connecting member includes a rotatable shaft having a base portion fixed to the operating member and pivotally supported with the storage bin for integral pivotal movement therewith, and a pair of guide sleeves laterally extending from opposing ends of the base portion, and wherein the latch release member includes a pair of first cam elements formed in the guide sleeves, respectively, and a pair of second cam elements connected to the latches, respectively, to selectively engage or disengage the first cam elements, respectively, to allow the lateral movements of the pair of latches along the rotational axis of the rotatable connecting member.
8 more elements
A side lock assembly for locking a storage bin to a support body, comprising:
- a support body;
- a storage bin received in the support body;
- and
- an opening and closing mechanism operatively mounted on the storage bin for operating the storage bin in a locked position and an unlocked position relative to the support body, the opening and closing mechanism including:
- an operating member pivotally mounted on the storage bin to move selectively between the locked position and the unlocked position;
- a rotatable connecting member integrally rotatable with the operating member to move selectively between the locked position and the unlocked position;
- a latch member engaged to or disengaged from the support body through the storage bin, the latch member being movable inward along a rotational axis of the rotatable connecting member and normally biased outward to lock the storage bin to the support body in the locked position;
- a latch release member having one element connected to the latch member and another element connected to the rotatable connecting member to apply an axial force to the latch member, the latch release member being operative to move the latch member inward along the rotational axis against the axial force to disengage the latch member from the support body in the unlocked position in response to an unlocking external force applied to the operating member;
- and
- at least one spring member cooperating with the rotatable connecting member and normally biasing the latch member toward the support body along the rotational axis of the rotatable connecting member to lock the storage bin to the support body in the locked position,
- wherein the latch member includes a pair of latches, and the rotatable connecting member includes a rotatable sleeve member connected to the operating member for supporting the pair of latches for sliding and rotating movements thereof, and wherein the latch release member includes a pair of first cam elements formed in the rotatable sleeve member, and a pair of cam guide portions extending from the latches, respectively, for pivotal and sliding movements in the rotatable sleeve member and formed with a pair of second cam elements, respectively, to selectively engage or disengage the first cam elements formed in the rotatable sleeve member to allow the lateral movements of the pair of latches.
8 more elements
A side lock assembly for locking a storage bin to a support body, comprising:
- a support body having a pair of lock apertures;
- a storage bin received in the support body;
- and
- an opening and closing mechanism operatively mounted on the storage bin for operating the storage bin in a locked position and an unlocked position relative to the support body, the opening and closing mechanism including:
- an operating handle pivotally mounted on the storage bin to move selectively between the locked position and the unlocked position;
- a rotatable connecting bar integrally rotatable with the operating handle to move selectively between the locked position and the unlocked position;
- a pair of latches connected to opposing ends of the rotatable connecting bar for integral rotation therewith, the pair of latches being movable inward along a rotational axis of the rotatable connecting bar;
- at least one spring member normally biasing the pair of latches toward the lock apertures of the support body along the rotational axis of the rotatable connecting bar to lock the storage bin to the support body in the locked position;
- and
- a latch release member including a cam member connected to at least one of the pair of latches, the cam member being normally inoperative to allow the spring member to bias the pair of latches toward the lock apertures of the support body and operative to move the pair of latches inward along the rotational axis of the rotatable connecting bar against the biasing force of the spring member to disengage the pair of latches from the support body in the unlocked position in response to an external unlocking force applied to the operating handle.
7 more elements
A side lock assembly for locking a storage bin to a support body, comprising:
- a support body having a pair of lock apertures;
- a storage bin received in the support body for a closed condition and an opened condition;
- and
- an opening and closing mechanism operatively mounted to the storage bin for operating the storage bin in a locked position and an unlocked position relative to the support body to permit the storage bin to be actuated in the closed condition and the opened condition, respectively, the opening and closing mechanism including;
- an operating handle disposed in the storage bin and operative to actuate the opening and closing mechanism in the unlocked position;
- a rotatable member integrally movable with the operating handle and operative to move selectively between the locked position and the unlocked position;
- a pair of latches connected to the rotatable member for sliding movements along a rotational axis of the rotatable member;
- at least one spring member cooperating with the rotatable member to normally bias the pair of latches outward to cause the same to engage the lock apertures of the support body in the locked position;
- and
- a latch release member including a cam member cooperating with the pair of latches and the rotatable member, the cam member being normally inoperative to allow the spring member to bias the pair of latches toward the lock apertures of the support body and operative to move the pair of latches inward along the rotational axis of the rotatable member against the biasing force of the spring member to disengage the pair of latches from the support body in the unlocked position in response to an external unlocking force applied to the operating handle,
- wherein the rotatable member comprises a guide sleeve member which is operatively connected to the pair of latches for sliding movements along the rotational axis of the guide sleeve member, wherein the cam member comprises a first cam element fixed to at least one of the pair of latches, and a second cam element formed on the guide sleeve member, and wherein the first and second cam elements cooperate with one another to normally allow the spring member to cause the pair of latches to engage the lock apertures of the support body for thereby locking the storage bin thereto while permitting the pair of latches to move inward along the rotational axis of the guide sleeve member to disengage from the lock apertures of the support body in the unlocked position in response to an external unlocking force applied to the operating handle.
8 more elements
A side lock assembly for locking a storage bin to a support body, comprising:
- a support body having a pair of lock apertures;
- a storage bin received in the support body for a closed condition and an opened condition;
- and
- an opening and closing mechanism operatively mounted to the storage bin for operating the storage bin in a locked position and an unlocked position relative to the support body to permit the storage bin to be actuated in the closed condition and the opened condition, respectively, the opening and closing mechanism including:
- an operating handle disposed in the storage bin and operative to actuate the opening and closing mechanism in the unlocked position;
- a rotatable member integrally movable with the operating handle and operative to move selectively between the locked position and the unlocked position;
- a pair of latches connected to the rotatable member for sliding movements along a rotational axis of the rotatable member;
- at least one spring member cooperating with the rotatable member to normally bias the pair of latches outward to cause the same to engage the lock apertures of the support body in the locked position;
- and
- a latch release member including a cam member cooperating with the pair of latches and the rotatable member, the cam member being normally inoperative to allow the spring member to bias the pair of latches toward the lock apertures of the support body and operative to move the pair of latches inward along the rotational axis of the rotatable member against the biasing force of the spring member to disengage the pair of latches from the support body in the unlocked position in response to an external unlocking force applied to the operating handle,
- wherein the rotatable member comprises a rotatable sleeve member which is operatively connected to the pair of latches for sliding movements along the rotational axis of the rotatable sleeve member, wherein the cam member comprises a first cam portion formed on at least one of the pair of latches, and a second cam portion formed on the rotatable sleeve member, and wherein the first and second cam portions cooperate with one another to normally allow the spring member to cause the pair of latches to engage the lock apertures of the support body for thereby locking the storage bin thereto while permitting the pair of latches to move inward along the rotational axis of the rotatable sleeve member to disengage from the lock apertures of the support body in the unlocked position in response to an external unlocking force applied to the operating handle.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.