Latching device for multipart housings
AssigneeHARTING Electric GmbH & Co. KG
InventorsMartin Schmidt, Frank Quast, Klaus Olejarz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A latching device for at least two housing parts, in which a snap-on connection as well as a latching connection between the housing parts is produced by a correspondingly designed rotary knob/pushbutton function. The actuating button preferably is respectively arranged on two opposing sidewalls of an upper housing part, wherein the actuating button respectively acts upon a spring lever that is arranged on the inner wall of the upper housing part. During assembly of the upper housing part and a lower housing part, a forced snap-on connection between the two housing parts is produced and can only be disengaged again by exerting pressure upon the actuating buttons on both sides.
Claims9
A latching device for a two-part housing that features an upper housing part with sidewalls and a corresponding suitable lower housing part, wherein an externally operated moveable and lockable actuating button is respectively arranged within circular integral structures on one of two opposing sidewalls of the upper housing part, the actuating button is engaged with a spring lever that is arranged in an interior of the upper housing part, and the actuating button is in the form of a combined rotary knob/pushbutton, wherein the circular integral structures comprise an outer bead and a smaller inner bead arranged within the outer bead, wherein a slot-shaped opening communicating with a circular opening is provided in the center of the inner bead, wherein the spring lever features a keyhole opening, into which a shaft of the actuating button is hooked between a toggle and a locking hook when the shaft extends through the circular opening, wherein the spring lever produces a snap-on connection and/or a latching connection between the two housing parts in dependence on the state of the actuating button, and wherein the actuating button has an essentially T-shaped structure with a thrust washer, with an axial integral structure that is attached in the form of a collar and contains a peripheral groove, an end of the shaft contains said locking hook with said toggle spaced apart therefrom, wherein within the inner bead, the upper housing part includes a cruciform structure that is defined by three planes, said three planes comprising a first outer plane, a central plane, and a third lower plane, said first outer plane being defined by non-connected cross arms with portions of the central plane being located between adjacent cross arms of the non-connected cross arms and vertically aligned relative to the circular opening, and said third lower plane being horizontally located relative to the portions of the central plane, said three planes cooperate with an elevated X-shaped locking contour on an end of the collar of the actuating button to guide the actuating button between an unlocked state and a locked state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.