Latching device for vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9346374-B2
Application number	US-201214125708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2012
Priority date	Jun 17, 2011
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A latching device ( 1 ) for vehicles capable of engaging with and disengaging from a rod-like portion (P 1 ) to lock and unlock the latching device ( 1 ) includes: a casing ( 2 ) at least partly formed by a first member made of a first material and having an insertion groove ( 2 A) for allowing the rod-like portion to be inserted thereinto; and a second member (latch ( 30 ) or reinforcement plate ( 20 )) made of a second material and configured to contact the rod-like portion (P 1 ). The second material has a higher specific gravity and a higher modulus of elasticity than the first material. For example, the first material is resin, whereas the second material is metal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A latching device for vehicles capable of engaging with and disengaging from a rod-like portion to lock and unlock the latching device, the latching device comprising:
a casing at least partly formed by a first member made of a first material and having an insertion groove for allowing the rod-like portion to be inserted thereinto;
a second member made of a second material and configured to contact the rod-like portion; and
a latch received in and rotatably supported by the casing and having a hook-like portion engageable with the rod-like portion,
wherein the second material has a higher specific gravity and a higher modulus of elasticity than the first material,
the hook-like portion of the latch is made of the second material,
the first material is resin and the first member forms a resinous casing,
the second material is metal,
the resinous casing has an integrally-formed first shaft which protrudes inward of the resinous casing, and wherein the latch has a first hole through which the latch is fitted onto the first shaft, and the latch is rotatably supported by the resinous casing by an engagement of the first shaft and the first hole, and
the first shaft is shaped as a circular tube, and wherein the latching device further comprises a first fixing member made of metal and configured to penetrate through an inner region of a tube of the first shaft and fix the latching device to another device.

2. The latching device for vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein the second member forms a reinforcement plate configured to reinforce the resinous casing.

3. The latching device for vehicles according to claim 2 , wherein the casing comprises the resinous casing and the reinforcement plate, and the insertion groove is formed in the reinforcement plate.

4. The latching device for vehicles according to claim 2 , further comprising a resinous load-receiving member having a load-receiving portion configured to receive a load from the rod-like portion, wherein the resinous casing has an engagement hole engageable with the load-receiving member, wherein the reinforcement plate is made of sheet metal and has a support portion configured to support a force applied from the rod-like portion and received by the load-receiving member, and wherein the load-receiving member is configured to hold the reinforcement plate and has an engagement projection engageable with the engagement hole of the resinous casing.

5. The latching device for vehicles according to claim 4 , wherein the support portion is provided at a recess portion of a contour of the reinforcement plate.

6. The latching device for vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein the first member constitutes a wall of the casing located at one side in a direction of an axis of rotation of the latch, and the second member constitutes at least an outer side of a wall of the casing located at the other side, and wherein the second member is located outside when the latching device is attached to another device by a fixing member, and serves as a bearing surface for receiving a fixing force of the fixing member.

7. The latching device for vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein the resinous casing is formed as a box-like shape by assembling two members together, and the two members are molded together with a hinge connecting the two members.

8. The latching device for vehicles according to claim 1 , wherein the resinous casing has a first rib provided around the first shaft and protruding inward of the resinous casing.

9. The latching device for vehicles according to claim 1 , further comprising a metal ratchet received in and rotatably supported by the resinous casing and configured to engage with the latch to maintain a closed state in which the latch is engageable with the rod-like portion and an open state in which the latch is disengageable from the rod-like portion, wherein the resinous casing has an integrally-formed second shaft which protrudes inward of the resinous casing, and wherein the ratchet has a second hole through which the ratchet is fitted onto the second shaft, and the ratchet is rotatably supported by the resinous casing by an engagement of the second shaft and the second hole, and
wherein the second shaft is shaped as a circular tube, and wherein the latching device further comprises a second fixing member made of metal and configured to penetrate through an inner region of a tube of the second shaft and fix the latching device to another device.

10. The latching device for vehicles according to claim 9 , wherein as viewed from a direction in which a load is applied from the rod-like portion, a load-receiving portion configured to receive a load from the rod-like portion is provided between the first fixing member and the second fixing member.

11. The latching device for vehicles according to claim 9 , wherein the second member forms a reinforcement plate configured to reinforce the resinous casing.

12. The latching device for vehicles according to claim 11 , wherein the resinous casing has holes for allowing the first fixing member and the second fixing member to penetrate therethrough, and a fringe of each hole is provided with a positioning projection extending outward from the resinous casing, and wherein the reinforcement plate has positioning holes fitted onto the corresponding positioning projections.

13. The latching device for vehicles according to claim 9 , wherein the resinous casing is formed as a box-like shape by assembling two members together, and the two members are molded together with a hinge connecting the two members.

14. A latching device for vehicles capable of engaging with and disengaging from a rod-like portion to lock and unlock the latching device, the latching device comprising:
a casing at least partly formed by a first member made of a first material and having an insertion groove for allowing the rod-like portion to be inserted thereinto;
a second member made of a second material and configured to contact the rod-like portion;
a latch received in and rotatably supported by the casing and having a hook-like portion engageable with the rod-like portion,
wherein the second material has a higher specific gravity and a higher modulus of elasticity than the first material,
the hook-like portion of the latch is made of the second material,
the first material is resin and the first member forms a resinous casing, and
the second material is metal; and
a metal ratchet received in and rotatably supported by the resinous casing and configured to engage with the latch to maintain a closed state in which the latch is engageable with the rod-like portion and an open state in which the latch is disengageable from the rod-like portion, wherein the resinous casing has an integrally-formed second shaft which protrudes inward of the resinous casing, and wherein the ratchet has a second hole through which the ratchet is fitted onto the second shaft, and the ratchet is rotatably supported by the resinous casing by an engagement of the second shaft and the second hole,
wherein the second shaft is shaped as a circular tube, and wherein the latching device further comprises a second fixing member made of metal and configured to penetrate through an inner region of a tube of the second shaft and fix the latching device to another device.

15. The latching device for vehicles according to claim 14 , wherein the resinous casing is formed as a box-like shape by assembling two members together, and the two members are molded together with a hinge connecting the two members.

16. A latching device for v

Assignees

• Sayama Tatsuo
• Kizawa Yutaka
• Ts Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sayama Tatsuo
• Kizawa Yutaka

Classifications

• B60J5/107

  constructional details, e.g. about door frame, panels, materials used, reinforcements · CPC title

• Y10T292/1047

  Closure · CPC title

• B60N2/01516

  with locking mechanisms · CPC title

• B60N2/366 Primary

  characterised by the locking device · CPC title

• B60N2/01583

  locking on transversal elements on the vehicle floor or rail, e.g. transversal rods · CPC title