Tubular-member lock mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9958098-B2
Application number	US-201515125365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2015
Priority date	Mar 17, 2014
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A tubular-member lock mechanism includes a cylindrical housing to which a tubular member having an engagement portion at one end is mounted, and a lock member for engaging or releasing the housing and the tubular member. The housing includes a lock-member guide wall turnably guiding the lock member, at least two sliding surfaces with different inclinations wherein a tip portion of the lock member slides by turning the lock member, and a slit through which one portion of the lock member passes to engage the engagement portion of the tubular member mounted to the housing. The lock member, at a standby/lock position, engages the engagement portion formed on an outer periphery of the tubular member, and the lock member, at a release position where a rotational load is applied, spreads by the sliding surfaces having the different inclinations releases the engagement portion of the tubular member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tubular-member lock mechanism, comprising:
a tubular member having an engagement portion formed on an outer periphery of the tubular member;
a cylindrical housing of which the tubular member is engaged at at least one end; and
a lock member through which the housing and the tubular member are locked to or released from each other,
wherein the housing includes a lock-member guide wall turnably guiding the lock member, at least two sliding surfaces symmetrically arranged at two sides of the housing, each of the at least two sliding surfaces including a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface, the first surface and the second surface having different inclinations, and a slit through which one portion of the lock member passes to engage the engagement portion of the tubular member mounted to the housing; and
when the one portion of the lock member engages the engagement portion of the tubular member, the tubular member is locked to the housing by an elastic force of the lock member, and
when the lock member is rotated on the lock-member guide wall of the housing by a rotational load, one tip portion of the lock member slides on the first surface of one of the at least two sliding surfaces, and another tip portion of the lock member slides on the second surface of another of the at least two sliding surface to spread the lock member to be released from the engagement portion of the tubular member, and the tubular member is released from the housing.

2. A tubular-member lock mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein when the rotational load is applied to the lock member to be spread, the lock member abuts against an end portion of the slit to spread the lock member.

3. A tubular-member lock mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the lock member includes a bent portion bent in an axis direction of the housing, and the rotational load is applied to the bent portion to operate so as to spread the lock member.

4. A tubular-member lock mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein the lock-member guide wall includes a gap controlling a turning range of the bent portion of the lock member at one portion thereof.

5. A tubular-member lock mechanism according to claim 4 , further comprising a falling prevention member covering the gap of the lock-member guide wall from above with a predetermined interval to prevent the lock member from falling off.

6. A tubular-member lock mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein when the rotational load is released, the lock member is returned by the elastic force.

7. A tubular-member lock mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the lock member is formed by a metal wire material having elasticity.

8. A tubular-member lock mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two sliding surfaces include a first sliding surface arranged at one side of the two sides of the housing and a second sliding surface arranged at another side of the two sides of the housing, and the first surface of each of the first and second sliding surfaces has an inclination angle larger than that of the second surface of each of the first and second sliding surfaces;
the first surface of the first sliding surface is positioned at a position lower than the second surface thereof, and the first surface of the second sliding surface is positioned at a position lower than the second surface thereof; and
when the one tip of the lock member slides on the first surface of the first sliding surface, the another tip of the lock member slides on the second surface of the second sliding surface; and when the one tip of the lock member slides on the second surface of the first sliding surface, the another tip of the lock member slides on the first surface of the second sliding surface.

9. A tubular-member lock mechanism according to claim 8 , wherein the lock member includes a bent portion bent in an axis direction of the housing, connection portions outwardly extending from outer ends of the bent portion along an outer periphery of the housing, leg portions linearly extending from outer ends of the connection portions in a direction from the lock-member guide wall to the first and second sliding surfaces, and the tip portions extending from lower ends of the respective leg portions in a direction same as the bent portion; and
the lock-member guide wall is arranged at an upper portion of the housing to turnably support the bent portion, the first and second sliding surfaces are arranged at a lower portion of the housing to contact the tip portions, the slit is arranged between the lock-member guide wall and each of the first and second sliding surfaces to pass the leg portions therethrough.

10. A tubular-member lock mechanism according to claim 9 , further comprising a flange sandwiching the lock member with the lock-member guide wall,
wherein when the rotational load is applied to the bent portion, the connection portion abuts against the flange as a supporting point to slide the one tip portion of the lock member on the first surface of the first sliding surface, and the leg portion abuts against an end edge of the slit as another supporting point to slide the another tip portion of the lock member on the second surface of the second sliding surface.

Assignees

• Nifco Inc

Inventors

• Nezu Mikio

Classifications

• F16L37/0885 Primary

  with access to the split elastic ring from a radial or tangential opening in the coupling · CPC title

• F16B2/248

  of wire · CPC title

• F16L37/1225

  using a retaining member the extremities of which, e.g. in the form of a U, engage behind a shoulder of both parts · CPC title

• F16B7/0406

  for rods or tubes being coaxial (F16B7/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16L37/14

  Joints secured by inserting between mating surfaces an element, e.g. a piece of wire, a pin, a chain · CPC title