Abstract:
A hook seat tightening structure for ship covers comprises a body constituted by a seat and a housing, wherein two rollers, one turntable, one wheel, one lock bolt, and one lock member are located therein. A depressing piece and a tenon are located at two sides of the lock bolt respectively. The lock bolt can be rotated and elastically restored by the tenon, which is connected with a spring. The depressing piece is pressed against one-way ratchets on the turntable, and the lock bolt can be rotated subject to a control by a key. A rope enters and is reeved on the turntable and wheel, to constitute a tightening device permitting a one-way gliding of the rope. Accordingly, when the lock member is locked by rotating the key, the tenon on the lock member can be latched on the depressing piece of the lock bolt, thereby achieving a locking function.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (a) Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a hook seat tightening structure for ship covers, and more particularly to an improved structure for tightening a rope such that a cover will not be blown off by a strong wind after connecting the structure with the cover, and is provided with rollers for enabling a smooth gliding of the rope, and is provided with a locking function. The present invention can be applied to structure of tightening an opening of a bag or alike, and is especially used in a cover of an automobile, a yacht, or an aqua-bike. 
     (b) Description of the Prior Art 
     When a common vehicle such as a motorcycle, an automobile, a yacht, or an aqua-bike has to be parked and idle for a longer time, a dust-proof cloth or cover is usually used to cover it. This kind of cover can be used to prevent the vehicle from gaining dust or sand, and can prevent a casing of the vehicle from being cracked by exposure to outdoor sun. As far as a transportation vehicle is concerned, most commonly covers used include a dust cover for an automobile, and a ship cover for a yacht, which can prevent the vehicle from gaining dust or sand, or from an entry by a small animal such as a kitten or a doggy, in order to keep cleaning. On the other hand, a cover in a specific shape is also used for a motorcycle or an aqua-bike for covering in an idle situation. 
     However, as the dust cover is generally covered on an exterior of the motorcycle, automobile, or yacht; therefore, it is easily to be blown off and dropped accidentally due to a strong wind. Accordingly, an effect of tightly binding is imperative. Furthermore, the conventional cover is not provided with a protection function with a lock; therefore the vehicle is easily to be intruded illegally, which is the essential shortcoming. 
     As shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,281, the tightening device for a rope includes a one-way ratchet and a sheave located between an upper and lower housing. After a rope is reeved on the sheave, a one-way tightening device is constituted by engaging a projection with sprocket. On the other hand, when the ratchet mechanism is pivoted, the sheave is permitted to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, thereby permitting loosening of the rope. However, the tightening device disclosed is not provided with a burglar-proof function with a lock, which is harder to prevent from a theft. 
     Accordingly, an improved structure of tightening device is invented for providing a tightening to a rope without slipping, such that the automobile cover or ship cover will not to be blown off by a strong wind, and for providing a locking function to prevent from an illegal intrusion. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a hook seat tightening structure for ship covers, which can actually tighten a rope to cause a slip-proof fixing effect, so as to achieve a tightening function upon connecting to an automobile or ship cover, thereby preventing the cover from being blown off by a strong wind. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a hook seat tightening structure for ship covers, which can be locked and easily used. 
     Accordingly, the present invention includes primarily a body constituted by a seat and a housing, wherein two rollers, one turntable, one wheel, one lock bolt, and one lock member are located therein. A depressing piece and a tenon are located at two sides of the lock bolt which can be rotated and restored elastically by the tenon connected with a spring. The depressing piece is pressed against one-way ratchets of the turntable, and the lock bolt is connected to a knob outside of the housing for controlling the rotation. The lock member is provided with a key, such that the tightening device itself is provided With a one-way tightening of a rope without slipping, and can be locked and unlocked with the key. 
     To enable a further understanding of the said objectives and the technological methods of the invention herein, the brief description of the drawings below is followed by the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of compartments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows a side view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows a bottom view of a housing of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  shows a schematic view of motion of tightening a rope by rotating a wheel of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  shows as a schematic view of motion of loosening a rope by rotating a wheel of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  shows a schematic view of a usage condition of being locked of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  shows a schematic view of reeving a rope of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  shows a perspective view of a second implementation of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  shows a schematic view of reeving a rope of a second implementation of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  shows a schematic view of applying the present invention in a cover. 
         FIG. 12  shows a schematic view of applying the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  shows a schematic view of another usage condition. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , a tightening device  1  of the present invention comprises primarily a seat  10 , a housing  20 , a turntable  30 , a wheel  35 , a lock bolt  40 , and a lock member  50 , wherein a rope access  11  is located at a rear end of the seat  10 , and two bores  18  are located at two sides of the access  11 , respectively. The bores  18  allow for screws  19  to be penetrated from a bottom to a top, and two rollers  13  are located in the seat  10  for locking the screws  19  into the bores  28  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ) at the opposite housing  20 , so as to fix the rollers  13  at a left and a right side to the access  11  respectively, thereby preventing a rope  60  from being cracked by a friction in gliding. An indentation  12  is located at a central part in an interior of the seat  10 , and a hole  16  is located at a center of the indentation  12  for latching a central column  17 . A projection piece  15  is located at a front end of the seat  10 , and two latching pins  14  are located at two sides of a root part of the projection piece  15 , respectively. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 4 , the housing  20  can be covered with the seat  10  by matching their contours. A through-hole  21  is located on the housing  20 , and an access  22  is also located at a rear end of the housing  20 , whereas a projection piece  23  is located at a front end of the housing  20 . A rivet  24  can be inserted into a through-hole  25  on the projection piece  23  of the housing  20 , and is riveted to a hole on the projection piece  15  of the seat  10 . A lock hole  26  and a positioning column  27  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ) are located at specific positions of the housing  20 . A tube section of the through-hole  21  is protruded from a top surface of the housing  20 , with a knob  55  and a screw  56  installed above the through-hole  21 , so as to enable the screw  56  to pass through the knob  55  and to be locked on the lock bolt  40 . An indentation is also located at a bottom surface of the housing  20 , with a bottom end of the through-hole  21 , the lock hole  26 , the positioning column  26 , and a hole  29  being located in the indentation. A tube section is protruded from the lock hole  26 , a ring of groove  57  is located at an edge close to an end of the tube section, and a notch  58  is located at the tube section of the lock hole  26 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a through-hole  32  is located at a center of the turntable  30 , and a positioning hole  31  is located at a side of the through-hole  32 . Ridges  33  which are radially extended are located at a periphery of the through-hole  32 . 
     A hollow part  36  is located at a top surface of the wheel  35 , with one-way ratchets  37  being located at an edge of the hollow part  36 . On the other hand, a central column  39  having a through-hole and ridges  34  (as shown in  FIG. 3 ) which are radially extended are located at a bottom surface of the wheel  35 . A column head  38  is located at a side of the central column  39 . 
     A depressing piece  41  and a tenon  42  are located at two sides of the lock bolt  40 , respectively. The lock bolt  40  is provided with a bore at its top end, the tenon  42  is provided with a hole for holding one end of a spring  43 , a latching plane  44  is located on an exterior wall at a top end of the lock bolt  40 , and a bore  45  is located at a top end of the lock bolt  40 . 
     The lock member  50  is provided with a hexagonal inner hole  53 , and a tenon  51  is located at a side of the lock member  50 . On the other hand, a flange  54  is located at an exterior side of a lower end of the lock member  50 . 
     Accordingly, upon assembling, the two rollers  13  are fixed on the bores  18  at two sides of access  11  of the seat  10  with the screws  19 , the central column  17  is then put into the hole  16 , passed through the turntable  30  and the wheel  35 , and fixed in the hole  29  at the bottom surface of the housing  20 . The central column  39  of the wheel  35  is also put into the through-hole  32  at the center of the wheel  30 , and the column head  38  of the wheel  35  is latched into the positioning hole  31 . On the other hand, the top end of the lock bolt  40  is passed through the through-hole  21  of the housing  20 , with the through-hole  21  being sheathed by the knob  55  and locked into the bore  45  on the lock bolt  40  by the screw  56 , thereby forming an integral body. The latching plane  44  on the top end of the lock bolt  40  can be latched into a corresponding non-circular hole (not shown in the drawings) at a bottom surface of the knob  55 , so as to rotate the lock bolt  40  along with the knob  55 . On the other hand, another end of the spring  43  on the tenon  42  of the lock bolt  40  is connected to the positioning column  27  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ) at the bottom surface of the housing  20 , and the lock member  50  is fitted on the lock hole  26  of the housing  20  by the hexagonal inner hole  53 , so as to latch the flange  54  at the lower end of the lock member  50  into the ring of groove  57  (as shown in  FIG. 4 ) at the end of the lock hole  26 . Finally, the housing  20  is covered on the seat  10 , and these two casings are riveted into an integral body by passing the rivet  24  through the through-hole  25  and riveting the projection piece  23  of the housing  20  with the projection piece  15  of the seat  10 , thereby accomplishing an assembling of the tightening device  1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5  to  FIG. 7 , the rope  60  enters from the accesses  11 ,  12  of the tightening device  1  (as shown at an upper side of the drawing), is reeved counterclockwise on the ridges  33  of the turntable  30  and the ridges  34  of the wheel  35 , and passes out from the accesses  11 ,  12  (as shown at a lower side of the drawing), as shown in  FIG. 7 . When the knob  55  is not rotating (as shown in  FIG. 5 ), the depressing piece  41  of the lock bolt  40  is pressed against the one-way ratchets  37  of the wheel  35 ; therefore, the wheel  35  can only rotate in one direction (counterclockwise), and the depressing piece  41  will jump on each of the one-way ratchets  37 . Accordingly, the rope  60  can be only pulled out from a side A (as shown in  FIG. 5 ), and if the rope  60  is pulled at another side B, it cannot be pulled clockwise due to the fact that the depressing piece  41  has been pressed against the one-way ratchets  37 , thereby forming a glide-proof effect. Oh the other hand, when the knob  55  is manually rotated outside of the housing  20 , the depressing piece  41  will be moved upward and released from the one-way ratchets  37 ; therefore, the rope  60  can be pulled from the side B (as shown in  FIG. 6 ) instead. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 8 , when the key  52  is inserted into the lock hole  26 , a hexagonal rod  59  at a bottom end of the key  52  is inserted into them hexagonal inner hole  53 , so as to rotate the lock member  50  by rotating the key  52 , which moves the tenon  51  and enables it to be pressed against the depressing piece  41  of the lock bolt  40 . Accordingly, the key  52  cannot be retracted due to a stopping of the depressing piece  41  by the tenon  51 , such that the knob  55  cannot be rotated and thereby constituting a locking function. At this time, both sides of the rope  60  cannot be pulled. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10 , in another implementation of the present invention, a design of the seat  10  and housing  20 , is changed wherein two through-holes are located at the projection piece  15  at the front end of the seat  10 , the projection piece  23  is located at the front end of the housing  20 , and two rivets  24  can be used to rivet the seat  10  and housing  20  along these two through-holes. After covering the seat  10  with the housing  20 , an internal space  61  is formed. The rope  62  at a dragging end enters from the front ends of the seat  10  and housing  20 , and an end piece  63  is latched at the end of the rope  62 , so as to fix the rope  62  at the dragging end into the tightening device  1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 11 , a tightening device  1  can be applied to a dust cover  70  whose skirt rim can be sewed to constitute an interlining for hiding a rope. When applied, an end of the rope  60   a  is passed through a through-hole  71 , reeved on a turntable  30  and a wheel  35  of an internal compartment, and extended outside of the cover  70 . After another end of the rope  60   b  passes out of a through-hole  72 , its end is latched into an internal space of a projection piece of the tightening device  1  with an end piece. The cover  70  can be tightly bond after pulling the rope end  60   a  With strength. A decoration sheet  73  is sewed on an exterior of skirt rim of the cover  70 , a sticky belt  74  is located on the cover  70 , and a band of felt  75  is located on the decoration sheet  73 , so as to stick the decoration sheet  70  for hiding the tightening device  1  after folding the decoration sheet  70 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 12 , a dust cover  70  is covered on a yacht  80 , and a tightening device  1  is located at a straight section at a rear end of the yacht. When a movable end of a rope  60  is pulled, so as to enable an opening  76  of the dust cover  70  to tighten the yacht  80 , a skirt rim of the dust cover  70  can be provided with a tightening function due to a bondage of the rope by an association of the rope with the tightening device  1 , thereby preventing the cover  70  from being blown off by a strong wind. 
     Moreover, the tenon  51  of the lock member  50  is pressed against the depressing piece  41  of the lock bolt  40  by rotating the lock member  50  with the key  52 , which can prevent other people from freely lifting up the dust cover  70 . Referring to  FIG. 13 , in another implementation of the present invention, the tightening device  1  is combined with a dust cover to constitute an automobile cover, wherein a decoration sheet  73  is located at a side of the automobile cover, so as to prevent the dust cover  70  from being blown off by a strong wind, by tightening a skirt rim after covering the dust cover  70  on an automobile  81 , thereby providing a function of preventing the dust cover  70  from being blown off by the strong wind, as well as a simple burglar-proof function. 
     It is of course to be understood that the embodiments described herein is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.