Locking device of a closure with a housing

• US 7,029,040 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2001
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eppendorf AG
• Original Assignee: Eppendorf AG
• Inventors: Lippoldt, Roland, Uhlendorf, Rüdiger, Baudisch, Hans-Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Glessner, Brian E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lugo, Carlos
• Application Number:
  US09/814,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20010024039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,854 Days
• Field of Search: 292/DIG.22, 292/122, 292/123, 292/126, 292/96, 292/97, 292/207, 292/222, 292/223, 292/199, 292/DIG.12, 292/DIG.11, 292/112, 292/113, 292/109, 292/110, 292/51, 292/56, 292/95, 292/107, 292/129, 292/144, 292/280, 292/64, 292/201
• US Class Current: 292/201
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 7/06 Safety devices ; Regulating
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/0025 Devices for forcing the wing firmly against its seat or to initiate the opening of the wing E05B15/022, E05B65/0817, E05B81/20, E05C19/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0021 Geared sectors or fan-shaped gears
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0025 in the form of grooves
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0012 with rotary electromotors actuators with rotary electromotors per se H02K7/06, H02K23/68
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 5/00 Fastening devices with bolts moving otherwise than only rectilinearly and only pivotally or rotatively E05C9/1883, E05C19/009, E05B63/125, E05B63/126, E05B63/127 take precedence; pivotally-mounted hooks-like fastenings with toggle action E05C19/14; bayonet-type locks E05B63/125; locks for sliding wings, with additional movement E05B65/0817
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/08 in connection with the locking of doors, covers, guards, or like members giving access to moving machine parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/11 Cover fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/22 Inertia operated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0928 Operating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0929 Link and lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0932 Lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1054 Link and cam
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1055 Link and lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1077 Cam
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor

Abstract

A device for locking a closure (2) with a housing includes at least one swiveling lever (8), a drive (19) for pivoting the at least one swiveling lever 98) about an axis of rotation and having teeth (20) which interact with teeth (10) provided on the marginal area of the swiveling lever extending around the axis of rotation, at least one catch hook (12) supported on the swiveling lever (8) and having a cam segment (14) concentric to the pivot axis (11) of the at least one catch hook and into which a guide element (9) provided on the swiveling lever (8) engages, and a spring (17) for biasing the at least one catch hook in a closing direction.

Claims

1. A device for locking a closure (2) with a housing of a laboratory centrifuge, the locking device comprising:

at least one swiveling lever (8) pivotally supported about an axis of rotation (7) in the housing (1) and including a projecting guide element (9);

at least one drive (19) for pivoting at least one swiveling liver (8) about the axis of rotation (7);

at least one catch hook (12) supported on the swiveling lever (8) at a distance from the axis of rotation (7) on a pivot axis (11) and having at a radial distance from the pivot axis (11), a cam segment (14) concentric thereto, into which the guide element (9) of the swiveling lever (8) engages, the cam segment (14) forming opposite first final stop (14′

) and second final stop (14″

); and

at least one spring means (17) for biasing the at least one catch hook (12) in a closing direction thereof,

wherein the closure (2) has at least one closing edge (4) which is gripped upon the closure being locked with the housing (1) by the at least one catch hook (12), wherein with the at least one swiveling lever (8) being pivoted in the closing direction, the at least one spring means (17) pull the at least one catch hook (12) to a position in which the first final stop (14′

) lies on the guide element (9) to provide for pivoting the at least one catch hook in the closing direction thereof with the at least one swiveling lever (8), wherein with the at least one catch hook (12) impinging on the closing edge (4) and with the swiveling lever (8) still being pivoted in the closing direction until the guide element (9) moves within the cam segment (14) to the second final stop (14″

) thereof, the at least one swiveling lever (8) moves the pivot axis (11) with the at least one catch hook (12) in the closing direction, with the at least one catch hook (12) pulling the closure (2) into a closing position thereof, and wherein the at least on swiveling lever (18) has on a marginal area extending around the axis of rotation and having a circle arc shape, a series of teeth (10) which interact with a series of teeth (20) of the at least one drive (19) for pivoting the at least one swiveling lever (8) about the axis of rotation (7).

2. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one swiveling lever (8) has substantially a circle segment shape.

3. The locking device according to claim 2, wherein the axis of rotation (7) is disposed in an inner angular range of the circle segment-shaped lever (8), and wherein the pivot axis (11) of the at least one hook (12) is disposed in vicinity of a lateral limitation of the circle segment-shaped swiveling lever (8).

4. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein the guide element (19) is formed as a guide pin.

5. The locking device according to claim 4, wherein the guide pin (9) is defined by an extension of the axis of rotation (7) of the at least one swiveling lever (8).

6. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one drive (19) comprises an electric motor.

7. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one swiveling catch hook (12) has a widened base (13) in which the pivot axis (11) of the at least one hook is supported and in which, between the pivot axis and an adjoining neck with hook end (15), the cam segment (14) is arranged.

8. The locking device according to claim 7, wherein the at least one catch hook (12) has a fixing point (16) for a spring element (17) between the cam segment (14) and the hook end (15).

9. The locking device according to claim 8, wherein the spring element (17) is held at another end thereof, on the housing (1).

10. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one catch hook (12) is adapted to be moved through a slot-shaped aperture (5) in an upper side of the housing (1) which enables the at least one catch hook (12) to be displaced perpendicular to the upper side of the housing (1) and parallel thereto.

11. The locking device according to claim 10, wherein the at least one catch hook (12), does not substantially project beyond the upper side of the housing (1).

12. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one catch hook (12) impinges with a hooked end (15) thereof on the closing edge (4) in a pivoted position of the closure (2) which amounts to a few angular degrees.

13. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein the pivot axis (11) of the at least one catch hook (12) in the closing position, has been moved beyond a straight line extending through a point of rest of a hooked end (15) on the closing edge (4) and through the guide element (9) to cause a self-locking action.

14. The locking device according to claim 1, comprising several catch hooks.