SNAP HOOK

• US 20130219673A1
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DB Industries LLC (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: DB Industries LLC (3M Company)
• Inventors: Perner, Judd J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,752,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 24/375
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 45/02 Hooks with pivoting or elastically bending closing member
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 45/023 the closing member pivoting about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the hook
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 45/026 and including a coil type spring
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 45/028 the position-locking means being pivotally connected
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3492 Snap type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45257 Snap with cavity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45277 Entire projection member forms loop or ring when interlocked
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4534 and position locking-means for gate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45361 having position locking-means for gate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45366 Locking-means pivotally connected
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45372 Locking-means slidably mounted

Abstract

A snap hook is provided. A body of the snap hook includes a generally hooked shaped mid portion positioned between a nose portion and a connection portion. The body further has an opening to an inner edge that is positioned between the nose end and the connection portion. A gate has a first end pivotally coupled proximate the connection portion of the body and a second end configured and arranged to engage the nose portion of the body to selectively close an opening in the body. A locking member has a first end that is selectively received in a slot in the nose portion of the body. A trigger has an end that engages a second end of the locking member to disengage the first end of the locking member from the slot of the nose portion of the body.

Claims

1. A snap hook comprising:

a body having a width defined by an inner edge and an opposed outer edge, the body including a generally hooked shaped mid portion positioned between a nose portion and a connection portion, the nose portion terminating in a nose end, the body further having an opening to the inner edge that is positioned between the nose end and the connection portion, the nose portion including a slot;

a gate having a first end pivotally coupled proximate the connection portion of the body and a second end configured and arranged to engage the nose portion of the body to selectively close the opening to the inner edge of the body, wherein the gate has a closed position when positioned across the opening and an open position when the opening is unobstructed by the gate;

a locking member operationally connected to the gate, the locking member having a first end configured and arranged to be selectively received in the slot in the nose portion of the body to selectively couple the gate to the nose portion of the body; and

a trigger having a first end pivotally coupled to the body, the trigger having a second end configured and arranged to engage a second end of the locking member to disengage the first end of the locking member from the slot of the nose portion of the body.

2. The snap hook of claim 1, wherein the slot of the nose portion extends into the body from the inner edge of the body.

3. The snap hook of claim 2, wherein the slot in the nose portion of the body further having a receiving slot that extends in from the inner edge of the body in generally a parallel fashion in relation to the nose end of the nose portion and a holding slot extending from the receiving slot towards the nose end of the nose portion.

4. The snap hook of claim 3, further comprising:

the first end of the locking member including a holding portion configured and arranged to be selectively received in the holding slot in the nose portion to lock the gate in the closed position; and

the second end of the gate having a receiving portion configured and arranged to be received in the receiving slot of the nose portion when the gate is in the closed position.

5. The snap hook of claim 4, further comprising:

the locking member having a locking passage proximate the first end of the locking member, the locking passage and the first end of the locking member forming the holding portion of the locking member; and

the gate having a gate passage proximate the second end of the gate, the gate passage and the second end of the gate forming the receiving portion of the gate, the gate passage of the gate selectively aligning with the locking passage of the locking member.

6. The snap hook of claim 1, wherein the locking member further has a second end pivotally coupled proximate the connection portion of the body.

7. The snap hook of claim 6, wherein the locking member further comprises:

at least one leg portion proximate the second end of the locking member, the at least one leg portion having a connection slot;

the gate having at least one gate pivot connection aperture proximate the first end of the gate;

the connection portion of the body including a pivot connection aperture; and

a rivet received in the at least one gate pivot connection aperture of the gate, the connection slot of the locking member and the pivot connection aperture of the connection portion to pivotally couple the gate and locking member to the connection portion of the base.

8. The snap hook of claim 1, further comprising:

a gate biasing member configured and arranged to bias the gate in the closed position in relation to the body;

a locking biasing member configured and arranged to bias the locking member to selectively couple the gate to the nose portion of the body when the gate is in the closed position; and

a trigger biasing member configured and arranged to bias the second end of the trigger away from the second end of the locking member.

9. The snap hook of claim 1, further comprising:

the connection portion of the body having a radially extending surface, the locking member having a portion that rides along the radially extending surface when the locking member is not selectively coupling the gate to the nose portion of the body; and

the connection portion further having a stop positioned to prevent movement of the locking member when the locking member couples the gate to the nose portion of the body.

10. The snap hook of claim 1, further comprising:

a center bridge positioned within the slot to strengthen the nose portion of the body; and

the first end of the locking member having a gap to selectively receive the center bridge when the gate is in the closed position.

11. A snap hook comprising:

a body having a width defined by an inner edge and an opposed outer edge, the body including a generally hook shaped mid portion positioned between a nose portion and a connection portion, the nose portion terminating in a nose end, the body further having an opening to the inner edge that is positioned between the nose end and the connection portion, the nose portion including at least one slot formed in the inner edge of the body;

a gate having a first end pivotally coupled proximate the connection portion of the body and a second end configured and arranged to be received in the at least one slot of the nose portion of the body to selectively close the opening to the inner edge of the body, wherein the gate is in a closed configuration when positioned across the opening and in an open configuration when the opening is unobstructed by the gate;

a trigger having a first end pivotally coupled to the body; and

a locking member operationally connecting the gate and the trigger such that movement of the trigger causes the gate to be selectively locked and unlocked within the at least one slot of the body when the gate is in the closed configuration.

12. The snap hook of claim 11, wherein the at least one slot includes at least a first slot portion and a second slot portion that forms at least one catch in the nose portion of the body.

13. The snap hook of claim 12, wherein movement of the locking member moves a portion of the second end of the gate into the at least one second slot portion such that the second end of the gate is retained in the nose portion of the body by the at least one catch.

14. The snap hook of claim 12, wherein movement of the locking member moves a portion of the locking member into the at least one second slot such that the second end of the gate is retained in the nose portion of the body by the at least one catch retaining the portion of the locking member in the at least one second slot portion.

15. The snap hook of claim 11, further comprising:

the locking member being generally U-shaped having a first side portion and a second side portion, the locking member configured to receive a portion of the body between the first and second side portions, each of the first and second side members having aligned central fulcrum apertures that pivotally couple the locking member to the body via a fulcrum rivet passing through the aligned central fulcrum apertures and a body fulcrum aperture in the body, each of the first and second side portions further having an extending knob that is configured and arranged to be received in a respective shaped slot in the trigger, each first and second side members further having aligned locking member apertures that are configured and arranged to pivotally couple the locking member to the gate via a gate rivet passing through connection apertures in the gate and the locking member apertures.

16. The snap hook of claim 11, wherein the nose portion of the body further includes a bridge portion that divides the at least one slot in half.

17. The snap hook of claim 15, wherein the gate further includes first and second side portions and a middle portion, the middle portion extending between edges of the first and second side portions to form a generally U-shaped gate, a first holding tab extending generally perpendicular from a first end of the first side portion and a second holding tab extending generally perpendicular from a first end of the second side portion such that the first holding tab and the second holding tab extend toward each other, each of the first and second holding tabs ending in a termination end, the termination ends forming a gap, the gap configured and arranged to receive the bridge portion of the nose portion of the body when the gate is in the closed configuration.

18. A snap hook comprising:

a body having a width defined by an inner edge and an opposed outer edge, the body including a generally hook shaped mid portion positioned between a nose portion and a connection portion, the nose portion terminating in a nose end, the body further having an opening to the inner edge that is positioned between the nose end and the connection portion, the nose portion including at least one slot formed in the inner edge of the body;

a gate having a first end pivotally coupled proximate the connection portion of the body and a second end configured and arranged to be received in the at least one slot of the nose portion of the body to selectively close the opening to the inner edge of the body, wherein the gate is in a closed configuration when positioned across the opening and in an open configuration when the opening is unobstructed by the gate;

a locking member operationally connected to the gate, the locking member having a first end configured and arranged to be selectively received in the slot in the nose portion of the body to selectively couple the gate to the nose portion of the body; and

a trigger having a first end pivotally coupled to the body, the trigger having a second end configured and arranged to engage a second end of the locking member to disengage the first end of the locking member from the slot of the nose portion of the body.

19. The snap hook of claim 18, further comprising:

the slot in the nose portion of the body further having a receiving slot that extends in from the inner edge of the body in generally a parallel fashion in relation to the nose end of the nose portion and a holding slot extending from the receiving slot towards the nose end of the nose portion.

20. The snap hook of claim 19, further comprising:

the first end of the locking member including a holding portion configured and arranged to be selectively received in the holding slot in the nose portion to lock the gate in the closed position; and

the second end of the gate having a receiving portion configured and arranged to be received in the receiving slot of the nose portion when the gate is in the closed position.

21. The snap hook of claim 20, further comprising:

the locking member having a locking passage proximate the first end of the locking member, the locking passage and the first end of the locking member forming the holding portion of the locking member; and

the gate having a gate passage proximate the second end of the gate, the gate passage and the second end of the gate forming the receiving portion of the gate, the gate passage of the gate selectively aligning with the locking passage of the locking member.

22. The snap hook of claim 20, further comprising:

a center bridge positioned within the slot to strengthen the nose portion of the body;

the first end of the locking member having a locking member gap to selectively receive the center bridge when the gate is in the closed position; and

the second end of the gate having a gate gap to selectively receive the center bridge when the gate is in the closed position.

23. The snap hook of claim 18, further comprising:

the connection portion including a connection passage that is semi-circular.