Lock fastener

Abstract: A lock fastener (10) for attachment to a bag (B) or the like comprises a socket member (11) and a plug member (12) releasably engageable therewith. A slide member (23) has resilient means (25,25 and 26,26) for supporting the slide member (23) resiliently movably within the socket member (11). The socket member (11) and the slide member (23) are provided with respective circular apertures (18) and (24) of substantially equal diameter which are brought out of registry to lock and into registry to unlock the plug member (12) relative to the socket member (11).

Description: This invention relates to a lock fastener for bags and other receptacles adapted to be closed by a cover or flap. There is known a variety of lock fasteners of the type mentioned for use in opening and closing bags, suitcases or the like. A typical example of such a lock fastener in and relating to which the present invention contemplates improvements is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 2-39373 which introduces a button-like fastener comprising a hook member having a locking head on a front web of a handbag body and a grommet having a slide on a flap or cover, the arrangement being that the locking head is releasably received in a guide slot formed in the slide and the slide is moved forward in one direction to lock and backward in the opposite direction to unlock the hook member relative to the grommet. The above prior art device is somewhat tedious in operation as the slide has to be moved in one direction to ensure anchoring of the locking head in a mating hole formed in the slide and in the opposite direction to release the locking head. Another drawback is that the slide as it is projecting above the grommet, is liable to catch some ambient objects and thereby move unintentionally to unlock the bag. GB-A-2 161 532 relates to a blind latching device for securing a door to a cabinet body. This latching device comprises a socket member having a first aperture and a plug member releasably engageable with the socket member and having a locking head for releasable engagement with the socket member. It further comprises a slide member having a second aperture and disposed in the socket member. A resilient means supports the slide member resiliently movably within the socket member. The locking head is adapted to releasably engage through said first and second apertures and lock the plug member in position relative to the socket member. EP-A-0 466 446 discloses a rigid arm which limits flexing of two elastically-deformable longitudinal lateral arms. Furthermore, rigid arm cooperates with guide elements. These guide elements and arm facilitate introduction of the male portion into the female portion of the detachable buckle. The present invention seeks to provide a lock fastener comprising component parts which are simple to assemble and easy to operate. As claimed the lock fastener of the invention comprises a socket member having a first aperture, a plug member releasably engageable with the socket member and having a locking head for releasable engagement with the socket member, and a slide member having a second aperture and disposed in the socket member. A resilient means is provided for supporting the slide member resiliently movably within the socket member. The locking head is adapted to releasably engage through said first and second apertures and lock the plug member in position relative to the socket member. According to the invention, the slide member has the resilient means symmetrically formed thereon, the resilient means being provided for a biassed engagement with the socket member. Further the resilient means comprises a biassed finger pair which anchors the slide member against backward movement beyond the anchoring position, and further comprises a finger pair biassed against tapered surfaces of the socket member which urges the slide member in the backward direction. The socket member is provided with a prong extending inwardly toward the first aperture and the slide member is provided with an indent for receptive engagement with the prong. A further feature of the lock fastener according to the invention is the provision of two sets of elastic finger pairs. One finger pair is provided with nails which are brought into biassed, hooked engagement with corresponding ribs of the socket member. Accordingly, the function of the finger pair is anchoring the slide member in the socket member against movement in the backward direction. The other finger pair is provided for urging the aligned slide member back into the dis-aligned position, for which purpose the fingers have nails engaging with tapered surfaces of the socket member. The above and other objects, fasteners and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example a preferred embodiment. In the drawings: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a lock fastener embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view, partly broken away, of a socket member constituting a female part of the fastener and a slide member associated therewith; Figure 3 is a plan view, partly broken away, of the socket member and the slide member joined together; Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of each of the socket member secured to a flap of a handbag (Figure 7) and a plug member; e.g.male part of the fastener, secured to a front web of the handbag; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the socket and plug members coupled together; Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of a modified form of lock fastener according to the invention; Figure 7 is a sectional plan view of a modified plug member; Figure 8 is a sectional plan view of the modified lock fastener of Figure 6 shown assembled; Figure 9 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on the line IX-IX of Figure 8; Figure 10 is a longtudinal cross-sectional view taken on the line X-X of Figure 8; Figure 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a modified form of socket member; and Figure 12 is a perspective view of a handbag attached with the lock fastener of the invention. Like reference numerals refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views. Referring now to the drawings and Figure 1 in particular, there is shown a lock fastener 10 constructed in accordance with the invention which essentially comprises a socket or female member 11 and a plug or male member 12 releasably engageable therewith. The socket member 11 is generally in the form of a rectangular box having an upper plate lla and a lower plate llb joined together in spaced relation by a pair of side flanges llc, llc to define therebetween a chamber 13, a rear end wall lld closing the chamber 13 and a front end wall 11e. An elongated opening 14 is formed in the front end wall 11e in communication with the chamber 13. An extension llf of the upper plate lla extends rearwardly from the rear end wall lld and has a pair of mounting bolts 15, 15 extending downwardly therefrom for engagement in corresponding holes 16, 16 formed in a mounting plate 17. A circular aperture 18 is formed centrally in the upper plate 11a in communication with the chamber 13 for receptive engagement with the plug member 12 in a manner hereinafter to be described. A pair of openings 19, 19 are formed in the side flanges llc, llc in communication with the chamber 13. On opposite sides of each of the openings 19, 19 are formed an anchoring rib 20 integral with the flange llc and having a surface 20' slanted downwardly with respect to the transverse axis of the socket member 11 and a projection 21 extending from the rear end wall 11d and having a tapered surface 21' as better shown in Figures 2 and 3. A prong 22 extends centrally from the rear end wall 11d inwardly toward the circular aperture 18 as also shown in Figures 2 and 3. Designated at 23 and as better shown in Figure 2 is a slide member having formed centrally therein a circular aperture 24 equal in diameter with the circular aperture 18 of the socket member 11. A pair of first resilient engaging fingers 25, 25 having respective outwardly directed nails 25', 25' and a pair of second resilient engaging fingers 26, 26 having respective outwardly directed nails 26',26' are formed symmetrically on opposite sides of the slide member 23. The first and second fingers 25, 25, and 26, 26 are spaced apart with the nails 26', 26' of the second fingers 26, 26 disposed above the nails 25', 25' of the first fingers 25, 25 such that the first fingers 25, 25 and the second fingers 26, 26 engage with the anchoring ribs 20, 20 and the projection 21, 21, respectively, of the socket member 11 as better shown in Figure 3 in a manner hereinafter to be described. The slide member 23 is also provided at its front end between the pair of the second engaging fingers 26, 26 with an indent 27 for receptive engagement with the prong 22 of the socket member 11 and at its rear end with an arcuate handle portion 28 for manipulating the slide member 23 relative to the socket member 11, as also shown in Figure 3. The plug member 12 has a base 29 and a locking head 30 projecting upwardly therefrom for engagement with the socket member 11. The locking head 30 includes an annular flange 30a larger in diameter than the circular apertures 18 and 24, a fitting ring 30b slightly smaller in diameter than and adapted for fitting engagement with the circular apertures 18 and 24 and a retaining ring 30c similar in diameter to the fitting ring 30b but separated therefrom by a reduced neck 30d. Extending downwardly from the base 29 of the plug member 12 are a pair of mounting bolts 31, 31 for fitting engagement in corresponding holes 32, 32 formed in a mounting plate 33 to be attached to the bag. In assembling the lock fastener 10, the slide member 23 is inserted through the opening 14 into the chamber 13 of the socket member 11, in which instance with advancement of the slide member 23 the first engaging fingers 25, 25 flex inwardly toward each other until their respective nails 25', 25' are brought into hooked engagement with the slanted surfaces 20', 20' of the anchoring ribs 20, 20, while at the same time the nails 26', 26' of the second engaging fingers 26, 26 abut resiliently against the tapered surfaces 21', 21' of the projections 21, 21, with the prong 22 received in the indent 27 to hold the slide member 23 in place against lateral displacement as illustrated in Figure 3. With the slide member 23 thus mounted in the socket member 11, the circular opening 18 of the socket member 11 is displaced relative to or held out of registry with the circular opening 24 of the slide member 23, that is, with part of the peripheral edge 24' of the opening 24 disposed outwardly slightly beyond the peripheral edge 18' of the opening 18 as better shown in Figure 3. The socket member 11 is secured to the flap F of the handbag B with the aid of the mounting plate 17 and the bolts 15, 15 which may be fastened with nuts or the like, welded or adhesively secured in place as shown in Figure 12. The plug member 12 is secured to the front web W of the handbag B also in a manner similar to the socket member 11. In operation of the lock fastener 10, the plug member 12 is brought into coupling engagement with the socket member 11 by inserting the locking head 30 through the two circular apertures 24 and 18, in which instance with advancement of the plug member 12 the retaining ring 30c comes first into abutting engagement peripherally partly with the aperture 24 of the slide member 23 and urges the latter to move slightly upward as the second engaging fingers 26, 26 are caused to slide upwardly along the tapered surfaces 21', 21' of the projections 21, 21 until the two apertures 18 and 24 are registered. As the plug member 12 is fully inserted with its reduced neck 30d aligned with the aperture 24, the slide member 23 is urged by the resilient bounce back action of the second fingers 26, 26 to move back downwardly until the peripheral edge 24' of the aperture 24 is captured fittingly by the reduced neck 30d, thereby locking the plug member 11 as shown in Figure 5, in which position the two apertures 18 and 24 are held out of registry with each other as depicted in Figure 3. The plug member 12 is easily released from the socket member 11 by simply moving (by the handle portion 28) the slide member 23 slightly upwardly until the two apertures 18 and 24 of the socket and slide members, respectably, are brought into registry with each other to allow the locking head 30 to move apart therefrom. Reference to Figure 6 through 10 inclusive shows a modified form of lock fastener 10' which is basically similar in terms of structure and function to the lock fastener 10 herein above described in connection with Figures 1-5 but which is provided with such certain different and additional features that will be described in the following. The socket member 11' is in the form of a transversely enlongated or widened block having an arcuate front end wall 11e' in which the elongate opening 14 is formed. The mounting plate 17' for the socket member 11' is likewise transversely elongated with opposite ends inwardly directed for the formation of mounting holes 16, 16 engageable with the bolts 15, 15. A slit 41 is formed in the peripheral edge 24' of the opening 24 in alignment with the indent 27 of the slide member 23 as shown in Figure 6. A pair of diammetrically opposed engaging ribs 42, 42 are formed in the periphery of the locking head 30 of the plug member 12 as better shown in Figure 7, either of which ribs 42, 42 are adapted to engage fittingly in the slit 41 of the slide member 23 thereby to ensure positional stability of the plug member 12 relative to the socket member 11 particularly in the lateral direction of the lock fastener 10' when the latter is coupled together as shown in Figures 8-10. Designated at 43 is cavity formed in the upper plate lla of the socket member 11 and dimensioned to fittingly receive the retaining ring 30c of the locking head 30 to provide an increased locking effect.

Claims: lock fastener comprising a socket member (11) having a first aperture (18), a plug member (12) releasably engageable with the socket member (11) and having a locking head (30) for releasable engagement with the socket member (11), a slide member (23) having a second aperture (24) and disposed in the socket member (11), a resilient means (25, 25, 26, 26) supporting the slide member (23) resiliently movably within the socket member (11), wherein the locking head (30) is adapted to releasably engage through said first and second apertures (18, 24) and lock the plug member (12) in position relative to the socket member (11), characterised in that the slide member (23) has the resilient means (25, 25, 26, 26) symmetrically formed thereon, the resilient means (25, 25, 26, 26) being provided for a biassed engagement with the socket member (11), wherein the resilient means comprises a biassed finger pair (25, 25) which anchors the slide member (23) against backward movement beyond the anchoring position, and further comprises a finger pair (26, 26) biassed against tapered surfaces (21') of the socket member (11) which urges the slide member (23) in the backward direction, the socket member (11) is provided with a prong (22) extending inwardly toward the first aperture (18) and the slide member (23) is provided with an indent (27) for receptive engagement with the prong (22). A lock fastener (10) according to claim 1 characterized in that said socket member (11) has an anchoring rib (20) and a tapered inner surface (21'), and said resilient means (25, 25 and 26,26) comprise a plurality of engaging fingers resiliently engageable with said anchoring rib (20) and said tapered inner surface (21'), respectively. A lock fastener (10) according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said circular apertures (18) and (24) are held out of registry with each other when said plug member (12) is locked relative to said socket member (11). A lock fastener (10) according to any of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that said socket member (11) and said plug member (12) are provided with mounting plates (17) and (33) to be secured to a bag or the like (B). A lock fastener (10, 10') according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein said slide member (23) has a slit (41) aligned with said indent (27) and said plug member 12 has an engaging rib (42) engageable in said slit (41). A lock fastener (10,10') according to any of claims 1 to 5 wherein said socket member (11) has a cavity (43) formed in the upper plate (11a) and dimensioned to fittingly receive said locking head (30).

Inventors: MURAI RYUKICHI, MURAI, RYUKICHI
Applicants: YKK CORP, YKK CORPORATION
Application year: 1993
Main classification: E05B65
IPC codes: A45C13, E05B65, E05B15, E05C1