Lock for a slide fastener of a suitcase or similar receptacle

• US 5,136,864 A
• Filed: 03/08/1991
• Issued: 08/11/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sudhaus Schloss- und Beschlagetechnik GmbH & Company
• Original Assignee: Firma Sudhaus Schloss- und Beschlagtechnik GmbH & Company
• Inventors: Rekuc, Richard J., Spiekermann, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke, Renee S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARRETT, SUZANNE LALE DINO
• Application Number:
  US07/667,304
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 70/68, 70/312, 70/69-76, 70/67
• US Class Current: 70/68
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 19/301 at the end of their upward travel with any suitable device, e.g. pull member combined with a press-button, a hook, a key-operated lock
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5053 Interengageable slide fastener type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7305 Manually operable

Abstract

A lock for a slide fastener of an article of luggage has a post onto which the gripper flap of the slider of the slide fastener is placed so that the post passes through a hole in the flap. A manually shiftable keeper member on the lock housing has an edge which engages over the gripper flap and is biased against the post by a first spring. A second spring surrounding the post can eject the gripper flap when the keeper member is manually retracted against the force of the first spring. The edge of the keeper member adjacent the post is beveled to facilitate pressing of the gripper flap between the post and the keeper member.

Claims

1. A lock for a receptacle having a slide fastener with a slider with a gripping flap provided with a hole, said lock comprising:

a housing;

a post fixed to said housing and projecting from said housing and positioned to project through said flap upon placing of said flap over said post;

a keeper member displaceable on said housing in a direction generally transverse to said post for engaging over said flap in a retention position to retain said flap on said post and for releasing said flap for withdrawal from said post upon temporary displacement into a release position, said keeper member being formed with an inclined surface at a portion of said keeper member proximal to said post for camming by said flap away from said post to permit fitting of said flap over said post, said portion of said keeper member engaging radially said post and being in contact therewith in said retention position; and

a spring braced between said housing and said keeper member for continuously biasing said keeper member yieldably into said retention position and resisting camming by said flap away from said post, said keeper member being shaped to enable manual shifting of said keeper member against a force of said spring away from said post to release said flap.

6. The lock defined in claim 1 wherein said post has a free end formed with an inclined surface guiding said flap between said post and said keeper member.

7. The lock defined in claim 1 wherein said spring is at least one shank formed on said keeper member and engaged on said housing.

8. The lock defined in claim 1, further comprising a key-operated mechanism for immobilizing said keeper member on said housing in said retention position.

9. The lock defined in claim 1, further comprising a combination-lock mechanism for immobilizing said keeper member on said housing in said retention position.

10. The lock defined in claim 1, further comprising a recess formed on said housing and shaped to receive said flap when said flap is retained by said keeper member on said post.

2. A lock for a receptacle having a slide fastener with a slider with a gripping flap provided with a hole, said lock comprising:

a housing;

a post projecting from said housing and positioned to project through said flap upon placing of said flap over said post;

a keeper member displaceable on said housing in a direction generally transverse to said post for engaging over said flap in a retention position to retain said flap on said post and for releasing said flap for withdrawal from said post upon displacement into a release position, said keeper member being formed with an inclined surface at a portion of said keeper member proximal to said post for camming by said flap away from said post to permit fitting of said flap over said post;

a spring braced between said housing and said keeper member for biasing said keeper member yieldably into said retention position and resisting camming by said flap away from said post, said keeper member being shaped to enable manual shifting of said keeper member against a force of said spring away from said post to release said flap; and

another spring at said post bearing against said flap and urging said flap off said post upon movement of said keeper member into said release position.

3. The lock defined in claim 2 wherein said other spring is a coil spring surrounding said post and seated against said housing, said coil spring having a free end formed with a split washer adapted to engage said flap.

4. The lock defined in claim 3 wherein said split washer has a circumferentially extending opening facilitating fitting of said washer around said post.

5. The lock defined in claim 2 wherein said post has a free end provided with an abutment edge limiting displacement of said other spring and maintaining said other spring under precompression.

11. A closure assembly for a receptacle, said closure assembly comprising:

at least one slide fastener closing an opening of said receptacle and having two slide-fastener sliders each formed with a respective flap having a generally circular hole therein; and

a lock for said receptacle positioned between said sliders and comprising;

a housing,

a post fixed to and projecting from said housing and positioned to project through said flaps upon placing of said flaps from opposite sides over said post,

a keeper member displaceable on said housing in a direction generally transverse to said post for engaging over said flaps in a retention position to retain said flaps on said post and for releasing said flaps for withdrawal from said post upon displacement into a release position, said keeper member being formed with an inclined surface at a portion of said keeper member proximal to said post for camming by said flaps away from said post to permit fitting of said flaps over said post, and

a spring braced between said housing and said keeper member for biasing said keeper member yieldably into said retention position and resisting camming by said flaps away from said post, said spring urging said keeper member to engage radially said post in said retention position of said keeper member by said portion thereof, said keeper member being shaped to enable manual shifting of said keeper member against a force of said spring away from said post to release said flaps.

12. A closure assembly for a receptacle, said closure assembly comprising:

at least one slide fastener closing an opening of said receptacle and having two slide-fastener sliders each formed with a respective flap having a generally circular hole therein; and

a lock for said receptacle positioned between said sliders and comprising;

a housing,

a post projecting from said housing and positioned to project through said flaps upon placing of said flaps from opposite sides over said post,

a keeper member displaceable on said housing in a direction generally transverse to said post for engaging over said flaps in a retention position to retain said flaps on said post and for releasing said flaps for withdrawal from said post upon displacement into a release position, said keeper member being formed with an inclined surface at a portion of said keeper member proximal to said post for camming by said flaps away from said post to permit fitting of said flaps over said post,

a spring braced between said housing and said keeper member for biasing said keeper member yieldably into said retention position and resisting camming by said flaps away from said post, said keeper member being shaped to enable manual shifting of said keeper member against a force of said spring away from said post to release said flaps, and

another spring at said post bearing against said flaps and urging said flaps off said post upon movement of said keeper member into said release position.

13. The assembly defined in claim 12 wherein said other spring is a coil spring surrounding said post and seated against said housing, said coil spring having a free end formed with a split washer adapted to engage said flaps.

14. The assembly defined in claim 13 wherein said split washer has a circumferentially extending opening facilitating fitting of said washer around said post.

15. The assembly defined in claim 14 wherein said post has a free end provided with an abutment edge limiting displacement of said other spring and maintaining said other spring under precompression.

16. The assembly defined in claim 15 wherein said post has a free end formed with an inclined surface guiding said flap between said post and said keeper member.

17. The assembly defined in claim 15 wherein the first-mentioned spring is at least one shank formed on said keeper member and engaged on said housing.

18. The assembly defined in claim 15, further comprising a key-operated mechanism for immobilizing said keeper member on said housing in said retention position.

19. The assembly defined in claim 15, further comprising a combination-lock mechanism for immobilizing said keeper member on said housing in said retention position.

20. The assembly defined in claim 15, further comprising symmetrical recesses formed on said housing and shaped to receive said flaps when said flaps are retained by said keeper member on said post.