Fastener for securing a cargo container

A fastener for securing a cargo container includes a first fastener component, a second fastener component, and a lock assembly. The first fastener includes a pair of rods which bridge a first and a second fixed body. The lock assembly is disposed between and slidable along the pair of rods. A rotary member is disposed in the lock assembly and rotatable relative to the lock assembly within a limited angular distance, the rotary member having a non-circular locking hole. The second fastener component extends between the pair of rods through a screw hole formed in the first fixed body, and has a locking portion of non-circular cross section extending into and engaging the locking hole of the rotary member.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority of Taiwanese Invention Patent Application No. 93132953 filed Oct. 29, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a fastener, more particularly to a fastener for securing a container on the deck of a cargo vessel or ship in which the components of the fastener can be easily and smoothly assembled and ineffective fastening can be avoided.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, when containers are being transported in a cargo vessel or ship, in order to prevent undesired movement or toppling down of the containers11stacked on the ship as shown inFIG. 1, lashing ropes2and fastening assemblies3are used to secure the containers11to deck fittings (not shown) on a deck12of the ship. The conventional fastening assembly3includes a connecting member31and a connecting rod32that are connected in threaded engagement. However, when the ship pitches and rolls in a stormy sea, the threaded connection may be loosened thus resulting in disengagement of the connecting member31from the connecting rod32and, hence, ineffective fastening.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,634 proposes a “Positioning assembly for positioning a container on a platform,” which was intended to overcome the aforesaid drawback of the conventional fastening assembly. The positioning assembly includes a limiting seat formed with a limiting hole, and a platform-connecting rod that engages threadedly a container-connecting unit and that has an engaging stud portion for engaging the limiting hole to arrest rotation of the platform-connecting rod, thereby preventing undesired disengagement of the platform-connecting rod from the container-connecting unit.

In the conventional fastener described above, however, it is found that the process of attaching the platform-connecting rod to the limiting seat with the engaging stud of the platform-connecting rod engaging the limiting hole of the limiting seat cannot be performed smoothly, particularly due to the non-circular cross sectional shape of both the engaging stud and the limiting hole. The present invention is directed to such drawback.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide an improvement over the conventional fasteners in terms of enhancing the smoothness of operation in the process of engagement of the locking components of such fasteners.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a fastener for fastening a cargo container which comprises a first and a second fastener component, a lock assembly and a rotary member. The first fastener component includes a first fixed body and a second fixed body, and a pair of rods bridging the first and second fixed bodies, the first fixed body having a screw hole. The lock assembly is disposed between and slidable along the rods of the first fastener component. The rotary member is disposed in the lock assembly and rotatable relative to the lock assembly within a limited angular distance, the rotary member having a non-circular locking hole. The second fastener component extends threadedly through the screw hole toward the second fixed body and has a locking portion of a non-circular cross section extending into and engaging the locking hole of the rotary member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference toFIGS. 2 and 3, a fastener for a cargo container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention generally comprises a first fastener component4, a second fastener component5, a lock assembly6and a rotary member7.

The first fastener component4includes a pair of rods41bridging a first fixed body43and a second fixed body42. A screw hole431is provided between the two opposing ends of the first fixed body43.

The second fastener component5is externally threaded and extends through the screw hole431of the first fixed body43. The second fastener component5has an upper end provided with a non-circular locking portion51. In this embodiment, the locking portion51is toothed and has a plurality of radially projecting teeth512and a plurality of recesses511.

The lock assembly6is mounted on the rods41for sliding movement along the rods41so as to move away or toward the second fixed body42as shown inFIG. 3. With reference toFIG. 4, the lock assembly6in the preferred embodiment is configured as a two-piece body formed by a pair of stacked lock members61,62of symmetrical construction. That is, the lock members61,62each have two opposite ends611,621abutting respectively against the rods41, a through-hole612,622formed between the opposite ends611,621, and a pair of circumferential grooves613,623. The through-holes612,622are defined by inner walls614,624, respectively. The paired grooves613(only one is shown) are formed on the inner wall614substantially opposite to each other in a diametrical direction of the locking hole612. Similarly, the paired grooves623are formed in an inner wall624in two diametrically opposite positions.

The lock members61,62may be joined together by means well known in the art, such as by bolts65, such that the two opposite ends611, through-hole621and pair of grooves613of one lock member61are aligned with the two opposite ends621, through-hole622and pair of grooves623of the other lock member62. The grooves613are connected to the respective grooves623adjacent the opposite inner faces615,625of the lock members61,62which face each other.

The rotary member7includes a non-circular locking hole74and a pair of circumferential projections71formed substantially opposite each other at an outer peripheral surface of the rotary member7thereby dividing the rotary member7into an upper portion72and a lower portion73. In this embodiment, the locking hole74is toothed and has a plurality of radially projecting recesses741defining a plurality of teeth742. Each projection71is slidably received in the interconnected two grooves613,623, of the stacked lock members61,62. The upper portion72and lower portion73of the rotary member7extend into the locking holes612,622, respectively, of the lock members61,62.

The rotary member7is rotatable relative to the lock assembly6within a limited angular distance as dictated by the dimension of the interconnected grooves613,623which cooperatively receive the projections71therein. The distance that each projection71displaces within the corresponding groove613or623is about one pitch of the teeth742.

The fastener of the present invention is assembled as shown inFIG. 3. When the fastener of the present invention is used in conjunction with a lashing rope8, to which the first fastener component4is connected, to secure a cargo container to a deck fitting (not shown in the drawings), the second fastener component5is threaded into the screw hole431to a certain depth and the lock assembly6mounted on the rods41is pressed lightly to slide downward along the rods41, aided by its own weight, until the locking portion51of the second fastener component5is positioned and engaged in the locking hole74of the rotary member7. The threaded depth of the second fastener component5in the screw hole431may be further adjusted to provide the desired tension of the rope8.

In the process of fitting the locking portion51in the locking hole74described above, the lock assembly6is slid along the rods41until the locking hole74reaches the locking portion51. At this point, if the radially projecting recesses741and teeth742of the locking hole74are exactly aligned with the radially projecting teeth512and recesses511of the locking portion51, respectively, then the locking portion51can be fitted directly and smoothly into the locking hole74, as shown inFIG. 6.

On the other hand, if in the process of fitting the locking portion51into the locking hole74, the recesses741and teeth742of the locking hole74are misaligned with the teeth512and recesses511of the locking portion51as shown inFIG. 5, since the teeth512of the locking portion51contact the respective teeth742of the locking hole74, the pressing downward of the lock assembly6will urge the rotary member7to rotate to and fro within a limited distance until the teeth512and742are fitted into the recesses741and511, respectively.

It is worthwhile to mention that, because the teeth512and742are generally rounded, when the teeth742are urged against the teeth512, the smoothness of the rotation of the rotary member7is enhanced. Moreover, since the rotary member7can only rotate in a one-pitch distance, the occurrence of loosening of the first fastener component4from the second fastener component5can be prevented, thereby the container can be stably secured on the deck of the ship.

It can be appreciated, from the foregoing, that the process of fitting the locking portion51into the locking hole74can be performed smoothly and conveniently by virtue of the rotary member7being rotatable relative to the lock assembly6within a limited angular distance such that the locking hole74can adjust itself automatically to align the teeth512and742with the recesses741and511, respectively, and receive the locking portion5.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment. For instance, the lock assembly6may be configured as a one-piece body including a single lock member. Furthermore, while the described embodiment is configured to include a pair of grooves613,623on the lock members61,62and a corresponding pair of projections71on the rotary member7, it should be apparent that providing only one of such grooves613or623and only one of such projections71would still achieve the intended objective of the present invention. Therefore, the true scope and spirit of the invention reside in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.