LOCKING ASSEMBLY AND BOX HAVING LOCKING ASSEMBLY

A locking assembly includes a first locking member, a rotating shaft for driving the first locking member to move, and a shell member. The first locking member is movably coupled to the shell member. An elastic element is coupled between the first locking member and the shell member. A first protruding portion is provided on an outer peripheral side of the rotating shaft. One end of the first locking member is provided with a first abutting portion. The first protruding portion abuts against the first abutting portion. The elastic element is used to maintain mutual contact between the first protruding portion and the first abutting portion. The first protruding portion rotates along with the rotating shaft to drive the first locking member to extend from or retract into the shell member.

FIELD

The subject matter herein generally relates to locking assemblies, and more particularly to a locking assembly for locking a box.

BACKGROUND

Generally, a locking assembly includes a rotating part to drive a locking part to move to achieve the function of locking or unlocking. Additional transmission components, such as gear sets or multiple transmission rods, need to be coupled between the rotating part and the locking part. Therefore, a structure and installation process of the transmission components are relatively complicated, which decreases production efficiency of the locking assembly and increases production costs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS. 1-3, in one embodiment, a box200includes a housing201and a locking assembly100. The locking assembly100is movably arranged in the housing201to lock or unlock the housing201.

The locking assembly100includes a first locking member10, a rotating shaft20, and a shell member30. The first locking member10is movably coupled to the shell member30. The rotating shaft20is used to drive the first locking member10to move. An elastic element40is coupled between the first locking member10and the shell member30. One end of the first locking member10includes a first abutting portion11facing the rotating shaft20, and an outer peripheral side of the rotating shaft20is provided with a first protruding portion21. The first protruding portion21abut the first abutting portion11. The elastic element40is used to maintain mutual contact between the first protruding portion21and the first abutting portion11. Specifically, one end of the elastic element40is coupled to the first locking member10, and another end of the elastic element40is fixed to the shell member30. When the elastic member40is in a stretched state, the first locking member10and the shell member30maintain a relative motion trend, and the first protruding portion21of the rotating shaft20abuts a side of the first abutting portion11facing the elastic element40, so that the first abutting portion11and the first protruding portion21abut against each other under the action of elastic tension. The first protruding portion21is used to rotate together with the rotating shaft20to drive the first locking member10to extend out or retract into the shell member30. When the first locking member10extends out of the shell member30, the housing201is engaged with the first locking member10, and the locking assembly100locks the housing201. When the first locking member10is retracted into the shell member30, the first locking member10is separated from the housing201, and the locking assembly100unlocks the housing201.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 3, the housing30includes a first side plate31, a second side plate32and a cover plate33. The first side plate31and the second side plate32are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the cover plate33and are substantially perpendicular to the cover plate33. The first locking member10is movably coupled to the first side plate31. Specifically, the first locking member10is provided with a first through slot12, and the first side plate31is provided with a first through hole311(shown inFIG. 6) corresponding to the first through slot12. Along a length direction of the first locking member10, a length of the first through slot12is greater than a length of the first through hole311. The length direction of the first locking member10is indicated by arrow A inFIG. 2. The locking assembly100further includes a first connecting member50. One end of the first connecting member50is fixed in the first through hole311, and another end of the first connecting member50protrudes from the first through slot12and is movably arranged in the first through slot12. One end of the elastic element40is coupled to the first connecting member50, and another end of the elastic element40is coupled to the first locking member10, so that the elastic element40is coupled between the first locking member10and the shell member30through the first connecting member50. Taking the viewing angle ofFIG. 3as an example, when the rotating shaft20rotates to drive the first locking member10to move up and down relative to the first side plate31, the first through slot12moves relative to the first connecting member50, a length of the elastic element40changes relative to the movement of the first locking member10, and the first protruding portion21remains in contact with the first abutting portion11under the action of elastic tension, so that the first locking member10and the rotating shaft20move synchronously.

Referring toFIG. 4, the first locking member10is further provided with a hook14. One end of the elastic element40is coupled to the end of the first connecting member50that protrudes from the first through slot12, and another end of the elastic element40is detachably coupled to the hook14, so that the hook14can be easily replaced in in the latch assembly100. The first protruding portion21of the rotating shaft20abuts on the side of the first abutting portion11facing the elastic element40. When the locking assembly100is in an initial state, the end of the first locking member10away from the rotating shaft20extends out of the shell member30, the first connecting member50is located at a bottom end of the first through slot12toward the hook14, and the elastic element40is in a naturally extended or stretched state. When the rotating shaft20rotates and the first protruding portion21presses the first abutting portion11to drive the first locking member10to move down, the first connecting member50is moved upward relative to the first locking member10, the elastic element40is stretched, and the first abutting portion11keeps abutting against the first protruding portion21under the action of elastic force. When the first connecting member50is located at a top end of the first through slot12away from the hook14, the first locking member10is completely retracted into the shell member30.

The first connecting member50is substantially in the shape of a rivet and includes a first flange51, a second flange52, and a third flange53coaxially spaced apart. The first flange51abuts against a side of the first side plate31facing away from the first locking member10and is used for positioning the first connecting member50and the first side plate31to prevent the connecting member50from separating from the first side plate31. The second flange52abuts against a side of the first locking member10facing away from the first side plate31to limit a movement of the first locking member10along an axial direction of the first connecting member50to prevent the first locking member10from shaking while moving up and down, thereby preventing the first locking member10from failing to enter a locked position on the box200correctly. The elastic element40is coupled between the second flange52and the third flange53to prevent parts from falling or shifting during movement.

Referring toFIGS. 4 and 6, the first locking member10is further provided with a second through slot13, and the first side plate31is further provided with a second through hole312corresponding to the second through slot13. Along the length direction of the first locking member10, the second through slot13is arranged colinearly with the first through slot12, and the second through hole312is arranged colinearly with the first through hole311. The locking assembly100further includes a second connecting member60. One end of the second connecting member60is fixedly arranged in the second through hole312, and another end of the second connecting member60is movably arranged in the second through slot13. When the first locking member10moves relative to the first side plate31, the second connecting member60moves synchronously with the first connecting member50to stabilize the movement of the first locking member10, thereby reducing shaking of the first locking member10and ensuring accuracy of the locking assembly100.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 4, the locking assembly100further includes a second locking member70. A structure of the second locking member70is substantially the same as a structure of the first locking member10. The second locking member70is movably coupled to the second side plate32of the shell member30. The outer peripheral side of the rotating shaft20is further provided with a second protruding portion22. The second protruding portion22is arranged on an opposite side of the rotating shaft20as the first protruding portion21. An end of the second locking member70includes a second abutting portion71facing the rotating shaft20to abut against the second protruding portion22. The first locking member10and the second locking member70are arranged substantially in parallel, and installation directions of the first locking member10and the second locking member20are opposite. When the rotating shaft20rotates, the first locking member10and the second locking member70are driven to move in opposite direction, so that the locking assembly100realizes a function of two-way locking and improves stability of locking. The outer peripheral side of the rotating shaft20is further provided with a limiting portion23. The limiting portion23is spaced apart from the first protruding portion21and the second protruding portion22. The first abutting portion11is located between the limiting portion23and the first protruding portion21and abuts against a side of the first protruding portion21toward the limiting portion23. The second abutting portion71abuts against a side of the second protruding portion22away from the limiting portion23. The limiting portion23is used to limit a rotation range of the rotating shaft20, maintain mutual contact between the rotating shaft20and the first locking member10and the second locking member70, and prevent the first protruding portion21and the second protruding portion22from respectively separating from the first abutting portion11and the second abutting portion71due to excessive rotation of the rotating shaft20.

The cover plate33is provided with a mounting hole331, and the rotating shaft20is rotationally mounted in the mounting hole331. The locking assembly100further includes a knob assembly80. The knob assembly80is arranged on an outer side of the cover plate33and is coupled to the rotating shaft20for driving the rotating shaft20to rotate. The knob assembly80includes a knob81, a sleeve82, a connecting shaft83, and a fastener84. The sleeve82is fixedly coupled to the knob81. The rotating shaft20is substantially a hollow structure with open ends. One end of the connecting shaft83is fixedly arranged in the sleeve82, and another end of the connecting shaft83is inserted into the rotating shaft20and fixedly coupled to the rotating shaft20to cause the rotating shaft20to move synchronously with the knob81. Referring toFIGS. 4 and 5, an inner wall of a central hole of the rotating shaft20is provided with a positioning groove24and a positioning flange25. An outer peripheral side of the connecting shaft83is provided with a positioning protrusion831. The positioning protrusion831is received in the positioning groove24to prevent relative rotation between the connecting shaft83and the rotating shaft20. An end of the connecting shaft83inserted into the rotating shaft20and the fastener84are respectively located on opposite sides of the positioning flange25. The fastener84and the connecting shaft83are threadedly coupled together and held against the positioning flange25to fix the rotating shaft20and the connecting shaft83together, thereby preventing the rotating shaft20from separating from the end of the connecting shaft83. The connecting shaft83and the fastener84are coupled together inside the rotating shaft20, which makes a structure of the knob assembly80and the rotating shaft20more compact, which is beneficial to reduce a size of the locking assembly100.

Referring toFIG. 7, the housing201of the box200includes a top wall2011, a bottom wall2012, a first side wall2013, and a second side wall2014. The first side wall2013and the second side wall2014are coupled to the top wall2011and the bottom wall2012. Each of the top wall2011and the bottom wall2012is provided with a locking slot2015, and the two locking slots2015correspond to the first locking member10and the second locking member70, respectively. The first side plate31of the housing30is arranged facing the first side wall2013, and the second side plate32is arranged facing the second side wall2014. A width of the cover plate33is less than or equal to a distance between an inner side of the first side wall2013and an inner side of the second side wall2014, so that an open side of the housing201is closed. A matching relationship between the shell member30and the housing201makes a structure of the box200compact and simple, without the need for additional components to close the housing201.

When the locking assembly100locks the housing201, the first locking member10and the second locking member70respectively protrude from the upper and lower ends of the shell member30and engage with the corresponding locking slot2015. An end of the first locking member10away from the rotating shaft20is further provided with an inclined surface15. When the locking assembly100is pushed into the housing201, a side of the top wall2011presses against the inclined surface15to press the first locking member10into the shell member30, and when the first locking member10is aligned with the through slot2015, the first locking member10extends out of the end of the shell30and enters into the through slot2015to lock the shell201to the locking assembly100. The arrangement of the inclined surface15simplifies a locking process between the housing201and the locking assembly100. The locking assembly100is simply pushed into the housing201to lock the locking assembly100and the housing201together without turning the knob81.