Abstract:
A snap hook is equipped with an arched body, a gate, a trigger and a shield. The arched body includes an opening defined between two ends thereof. The gate is pivoted to close and open the opening of the arched body. The trigger is pivoted to lock and release the gate. The shield is used for protecting the trigger.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a snap hook and, more particularly, to a reliable snap hook. 
         [0003]    2. Related Prior Art 
         [0004]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a conventional snap hook  100  includes a body  10 , a gate  30  and a trigger  40 . The body  10  is pivotally connected to both of the gate  30  and the trigger  40 . The trigger  40  includes a slot  46 . The slot  46  includes a transverse section and a longitudinal section. The terms, “transverse” and “longitudinal”, are given with reference to the trigger  40 . The longitudinal section of the slot  46  is much longer than the transverse section. The gate  30  is connected to a pin  29  that extends through the slot  46 . The trigger  40  is pivoted between a locking position and a releasing position. In the locking position, the pin  29  is abutted against an edge of the transverse section of the slot  46  to prevent the gate  30  from substantially opening the body  10 . In the releasing position, the pin  29  is allowed to move into the longitudinal section of the slot  46  from the transverse section to allow the gate  30  to open the body  10 . However, the trigger  40  could easily be pivoted into the releasing position from the locking position by mistake since it is exposed to external objects. 
         [0005]    Therefore, the present invention is intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a reliable snap hook. 
         [0007]    To achieve the foregoing objective, the snap hook includes an arched body, a gate, a trigger and a shield. The arched body includes a first end, a second end, a middle section between the first and second ends, and an opening between the first end and the middle section. The gate includes a first end for abutment against the first end of the arched body and a second end pivotally connected to the arched body. The trigger includes a first end pivotally connected to the middle section of the arched body, a second end opposite to the first end thereof, and a slot near the second end thereof. The pin is movable along the slot and connected to the second end of the gate. The shield includes a rectilinear section extending from the arched body and an arched section extending from the rectilinear section beyond the second end of the trigger. 
         [0008]    Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of two embodiments referring to the drawings wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a snap hook according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the snap hook shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a trigger of the snap hook of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a partial side view of the snap hook shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a partial side view of the snap hook in another position than shown in  FIG. 4 ; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a snap hook according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 through 5 , a reliable snap hook includes an arched body  10 , a gate  30  for closing and opening the arched body  10 , a trigger  40  for locking and releasing the gate  30 , and a shield  60  for protecting the trigger  40  according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The arched body  10  includes a first end  13 , a second end  14 , a middle section  11  between the first end  13  and the second end  14 , and an opening  19  between the first end  13  of the arched body  10  and the middle section  11  of the arched body  10 . The arched body  10  further includes an aperture (not numbered) near the second end  14 . The arched body  10  further includes an internal edge  16  directed to the opening  19  and an external edge  17  opposite to the internal side  16 . The arched body  10  further includes a fin  12  formed on the internal edge  16 , in the vicinity of the first end  13  of the arched body  10 . 
         [0017]    The gate  30  includes a front strip  31  extending between two lateral strips  34  extending parallel to each other. Each lateral strip  34  is in the form of a long triangle. Each lateral strip  34  includes a corner (the “first corner”) far from two other corners (the “second corner” and the “third corner”). The front strip  31  includes a first end located between the first corners of the lateral strips  34  and a second end located between the second corners of the lateral strips  34 . A cutout  32  is made in the first end of the front strip  31 . 
         [0018]    The second corners of the lateral strips  34  are pivotally connected to a portion of the arched body  10  near the second end by a fastener  28  such as a threaded bolt, a pin, a rivet or any other proper element. Thus, the first end of the front strip  31  is located in the vicinity of the first end  13  of the arched body  10 . 
         [0019]    The trigger  40  includes a back strip  41  extending between lateral strips  42  extending parallel to each other. Each lateral strip  42  is made with an aperture (not numbered) near a first end and a slot  46  near a second end. The slot  46  includes a transverse section  47  and a longitudinal section  48 . The terms, “transverse” and “longitudinal”, are given with reference to the trigger  40 . The longitudinal section of the slot  46  extends in an arched path. The first ends of the lateral strips  42  extend beyond a first end of the back strip  41  and the second ends of the lateral strips  42  extend beyond a second end of the back strip  41 . A cutout  43  is made in the second end of the back strip  41 . 
         [0020]    The first ends of the lateral strips  42  are pivotally connected to the middle section  11  by a fastener  27  such as a threaded bolt, a pin, a rivet or any other proper element inserted in the apertures made therein. The lateral strips  42  of the trigger  40  are pivotally connected to the lateral strips  34  of the gate  30  by a pin  29  such as a threaded bolt, a pin, a rivet or any other proper element. The pin  29  extends through the slots  46 , with two ends inserted in the third corners of the lateral strips  34 . Thus, the pin  29  is moved along the slots  46  when the trigger  40  is pivoted relative to the gate  30 . 
         [0021]    The shield  60  includes a rectilinear section  62  transversely extending from the second end of the arched body  10  and an arched section  64  extending from the rectilinear section  62 . The shield  60  further includes a fin  61  extending on and along a centerline of a concave face  66  of the shield  60  that is directed towards the trigger  40 . The concave face  66  is shaped in compliance with lower edges of the lateral strips  42 . 
         [0022]    In use, a section of rope (not shown) is inserted through the aperture near the second end  14  of the arched body  10 . The trigger  40  can be pivoted between a locking position and a releasing position. 
         [0023]    In the locking position, the pin  29  is abutted against an edge of the transverse section  47  of the slot  46  of each lateral strip  42  to keep the first end of the front strip  31  of the gate  30  against the first end  13  of the arched body  10 . Thus, the trigger  40  locks the gate  30  that closes the opening  19 . The fin  12  is inserted in the cutout  32  to keep the gate  30  in position laterally relative to the first end  13  of the arched body  10 . 
         [0024]    In the releasing position, the pin  29  is allowed to move in and along the slot  46  of each lateral strip  42  to allow the first end of the front strip  31  of the gate  30  to move from the first end  13  of the arched body  10 . Thus, the trigger  40  releases the gate  30  that can be pivoted to open the opening  19 . 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the shield  60  extends beyond the trigger  40 . In detail, the arched section  64  of the shield  60  is located beyond the second end of the back strip  41  of the trigger  40  and the second ends of the lateral strips  42  of the trigger  40 . That is, the lower end of the trigger  40  is located between the arched section  64  of the shield  60  and the arched body  10 . Hence, the trigger  40  is protected by the shield  60 , and the risk of the trigger  40  pivoted into the releasing position from the locking position by mistake is reduced. Referring to  FIG. 5 , the fin  61  is inserted in the cutout  43  to keep the trigger  40  in position laterally relative to the shield  60 . 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , there is a snap hook according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is identical to the first embodiment except for including a security device  50  in addition. 
         [0027]    The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.