LOCKING DEVICE

• US 20100032967A1
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Otsuka, Taiyo
• Granted Patent: US 8,511,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/240
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/01583 locking on transversal elements on the vehicle floor or rail, e.g. transversal rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2205/20 Measures for elimination or compensation of play or backlash
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1039 Swinging and camming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure

Abstract

A locking device includes a locking mechanism and a striker. The locking mechanism has a base plate, a hook, a pawl, a release lever, a thrust member, a locking spring and a thrust spring. The hook, when rotated, is capable of forming a locked condition in which the striker is held or an unlocked condition. The pawl is rotatably supported via a support shaft as a first shaft and is capable of rotating to a position in which the pawl can engage the hook. The release lever is rotatably supported via a support shaft as a second shaft. The release lever, when applied with a manipulation force for unlocking, is capable of rotating the pawl from the engageable position in a non-engaging direction. The thrust member is rotatably supported via the support shaft and is capable of further pressing the hook in the locked condition toward a locking direction. Further, the support shaft is positioned beyond the support shaft as viewed from an input point of the manipulation force to the release lever.

Claims

1. A locking device, comprising:

a locking mechanism provided on one of two members to be engaged with each other; and

a striker provided on the other of the two members,

wherein the locking mechanism comprises a base plate, a hook, a pawl, a release lever, a thrust member, a locking spring and a thrust spring,

wherein the base plate has a recess that is capable of receiving the striker,

wherein the hook is rotatably supported on the base plate, further wherein the hook, when rotated, is capable of forming a locked condition in which the striker is held between the hook and the recess of the base plate or an unlocked condition in which the hook is spaced away from the striker,

wherein the pawl is rotatably supported on the base plate via a first shaft, further wherein the pawl is capable of rotating to a position in which the pawl can engage the hook and maintaining the hook in the locked condition,

wherein the release lever is rotatably supported on the base plate via a second shaft, further wherein the release lever, when rotated by a manipulation force for unlocking applied thereto, is capable of rotating the pawl from the position in which the pawl can engage the hook in a non-engaging direction,

wherein the thrust member is rotatably supported via the first shaft similar to the pawl, further wherein the thrust member is capable of further pressing the hook in the locked condition toward a locking direction and is capable of rotating as the pawl is rotated in the non-engaging direction,

wherein the locking spring is capable of biasing the hook and the pawl such that the hook and the pawl are stabilized in the locked condition or the unlocked condition,

wherein the thrust spring is capable of biasing the thrust member so as to press the hook in the locking direction, and

wherein the second shaft supporting the release lever is positioned beyond the first shaft supporting the pawl and the thrust member as viewed from an input point of the manipulation force to the release lever.

2. The locking device as defined in claim 1, wherein when the release lever is rotated about an axis of the second shaft by the manipulation force for unlocking applied thereto, the pawl rotates about an axis of the first shaft via engagement of an engagement hole of the release lever and an engagement protrusion of the pawl, and wherein the engagement of the engagement hole and the engagement protrusion can be released when the pawl rotates to the unlocked condition.

3. The locking device as defined in claim 2, wherein when the pawl rotates about the axis of the first shaft from the position in which the pawl can engage the hook in the non-engaging direction, the engagement protrusion of the pawl contacts the thrust member, so as to rotate the thrust member about the axis of the first shaft in the same direction.

4. The locking device as defined in claim 1 further comprising a cooperating member that is attached to the second shaft supporting the release lever, so as to rotate with the release lever thereabout, wherein the pawl rotates from the position in which the pawl can engage the hook in the non-engaging direction.

5. The locking device as defined in claim 4, wherein when the release lever and the cooperating member are rotated about an axis of the second shaft by the manipulation force for unlocking applied thereto, the pawl rotates about an axis of the first shaft via engagement of an engagement hole of the cooperating member and an engagement protrusion of the pawl, and wherein the engagement of the engagement hole and the engagement protrusion can be released when the pawl rotates to the unlocked condition.