A LOCKING DEVICE AT LOADING FLAPS FOR VEHICLES OR THE LIKE

Abstract: A locking device (1) at loading flaps (2) for vehicles or the like. The device (1) has a locking components (3) arranged to co-operate with a lock fitting (5) at a vehicle part (4) adjacent to the flap (2), and which locking component (3) is attached to an elongated slide (7), which is displaceable in a groove (6) in the flap (2) by means of a lever (8). The slide (7) has at least one guide channel (9), along which a guide member (10) arranged at the first end of the lever (8) is arranged to be pushed. The guide channel (9) is delimited at each end thereof by a stop (11), which stops are arranged to transfer a pushing movement to teh slide (7), and thereby to the locking component (3), in a direction coincident with a prolongation of the guide channel (9). At the lever (8) there is an arm (12) pivotally mounted, the opposite end of which is pivotally mounted at the groove (6). A spring (13) is arranged at the arm (12) and arranged to hold the lever (8) in the respective end position thereof.

Description: A LOCKING DEVICE AT LOADING FLAPS FOR VEHICLES OR THE LIKE DESCRIPTION TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a locking device at loading flaps for vehicles or the like. THE BACKGROUND OF THE INNENTION AND THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM Already known locking devices at loading flaps for vehicles or the like have levers for manoeuvring locking components. In some cases the levers stop in positions which are not desired, for example straight outwards from the loading flap or obliquely outwards. This means that the levers may hook on passing persons and cause personal injuries. Furthermore, in these positions, when the vehicle is moved, the levers may hit persons or objects and cause serious injuries. Furthermore, the locking devices already known are difficult to manage, require a great force in manoeuvring and a big space in the flap. THE OBJECT OF THE INVENTION AND THE SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM The object of the invention is to solve some of the above mentioned problems. This is obtained by a device according to the claim 1. The dependent claims describe further preferred embodiments of the invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS With reference to the appended drawings, the invention will be described more closely in examples of embodiment. Fig. 1 shows schematically a lateral view of a locking device according to the invention having an inserted lever. Fig. 2 shows schematically a lateral view of the locking device according to the invention having the lever pulled out. Fig. 3 shows schematically a lateral view of the locking device according to the invention having the lever in a raised position. Fig. 4 shows schematically a front view of the locking device according to the invention having the lever inserted. Fig. 5 shows schematically a perspective view of the locking device according to the invention. DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES OF EMBODIMENTS A locking device 1 at a vehicle or the like for locking loading flaps 2 has a locking component 3. At a vehicle part 4, for example a post or another flap, adjacent to the first flap, there is a lock fitting 5, with which the locking component 3 co-operates and thereby the flap 2 and the vehicle part 4 are held together. The flap has a groove 6, in which an elongated slide 7 is displaceable. A lever 8 is displaceably connected in a first end thereof with the slide and arranged to push the slide and thereby also the locking component, when being effected, so that the locking device is opened or closed. The slide 7 has two guide channels 9 arranged at the sides of the slide and thereby also at the sides of the groove. The lever 8 has two guide members 10 in the first end thereof, which are arranged to be pushed in their respective guide channel 9. The guide channels 9 are delimited at the ends thereof by a respective stop 11. Furthermore, the guide channels 9 are shorter than the movement path of the guide members 10, and consequently the whole slide 7 may be displaced by means of the lever 8 when the guide members 10 are in contact to one of the stops 11. Thus, in this position a movement of the lever is transferred to the locking component 3 via the slide 7 and thereby the locking device may be opened or locked. An arm 12 is pivotally mounted in the first end 12b thereof at the lever 8 and in the other end 12a thereof it is pivotally mounted at the flap 2 at the lower part of the groove 6. However, in another embodiment said end 12a may be journalled in another position at the flap 2. A spring 13 is arranged at the arm 12 and arranged to hold the lever 8 in the respective end position thereof, see fig. 1 and 3. Thus, the spring 13 acts to move the lever 8 toward the lowered position thereof when the lever is pulled out less than an angle α=90° and in the case the lever is pulled out more than an angle α=90° the spring 13 acts to move the lever 8 toward the raised position thereof. hi the 90 degrees-position of the lever, the force exerted by the arm and acting upon the lever is directed perpendicularly to the guide channels and also a small friction force between the guide channels and the guide members could cause the lever to stay in the 90 degrees-position thereof. To prevent this the guide channels and the guide members have low friction. Furthermore, the guide channels 9 are somewhat angled according to an angle β which is arranged so that during a movement of the lever the guide members 10 pass the apex of the angle β substantially in the 90 degrees- position of the lever. The apex of the angle β is obtuse and is directed outwards toward the lever 8. This means that during a movement of the lever the manoeuvring force increases momentarily when the guide members 10 are in positions before the angle β and decreases when the guide members 10 are in positions after the angle β, independent of the movement direction of the lever. Thus, this increase of the force and decrease of the force, respectively, co-operate with the spring 13 and thereby the movement of the lever 8 toward respective end position is facilitated. The lever 8 is arranged to be pivoted substantially 180° about the first end 12b of the arm, which end in such a pivoting describes a movement from the groove 6, out a portion from the groove and thereafter back to the groove 6. In the lowered position according to fig. 1 the lever 8 placed in the groove 6 and in the raised position the lever 8 is in, or substantially in the groove 6, see fig. 3 or 4. The combination of the slide 7 and the arm 12, in the first end 12b thereof the lever 8 is pivotally mounted, thus results in the advantage that the lever 8 may be in substantially the same position in the raised position as in the lowered position relative to the longitudinal direction of the groove 6. This have advantages, inter alia because in this way it may be avoided that the lever 8 in the raised position requires space above the groove 6 and possibly stick out above the upper edge of the flap 2. Accordingly, the device enables that the length of the lever 8 may be maximized, which is favourable when the lever is to be manoeuvred. In an alternative embodiment the arm 12 is pivotally mounted in the middle of the lever 8 and in this case the lever 8 may be totally pivoted 180° and in the both end positions thereof lay completely in the groove 6. Thus, in a locked position the lever 8 is lowered and the locking component 3 and the slide 7 are in the uppermost positions thereof. In an open position, when the lever 8 is raised, the locking component 3 and the slide 7 are in the lowest positions thereof. Since the lever 8 effects only the position of the slide 7, and thereby the position of the locking component 3, during a part of the pivoting phase of substantially 180° of the lever 8, and since the lever 8 and the arm 12 work as a gear mechanism so that a force which acts on the lever 8 is increased when it is transferred to the locking component 3, the locking device 1 will be easy to manoeuvre. The guide channels 9 also result in that a movement of the lever 8 from any of the end positions thereof is facilitated since the slide 7 is not connected until the lever 8 is pulled out. This means that during the main part of the movement of the lever 8 between the both end positions thereof the movement of the lever may be performed by using a relatively small force as a result of low friction, since the lever is manoeuverable without any considerable effect from the slide 7 and/or the locking component 3. In this case also the advantage that the spring 13 may be dimensioned for a relatively low friction resistance may be obtained. At the other end of the lever 8 there is a snap lock 14, which together with the spring 13 is arranged to hold the lever 8 on one side of a locking shoulder 15. Thus, if the lever 8 lays in the groove 6 the snap lock 14 has to be opened to enable the lever 8 to be moved outwards and to pass the locking shoulder 15 and if the lever 8 is pulled out also in this case the snap lock 14 has to be opened to enable the lever 8 to be moved back to the groove 6. The invention is not to be apprehended as delimited by the examples described above, but may be modified within the scope of the claims, and for example the angled part of the guide channel 9 may be firmly connected with the groove 6 so that the position of the guide member 10 at the obtuse apex of the angle coincidents with the straight pulled out position of the lever 8, i.e. α= ** 90 o independent of the position of the slide 7. COMPILATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 1 locking device 2 flap 3 locking component 4 vehicle part 5 lock fitting 6 groove 7 slide 8 lever 9 guide channels 10 guide members 11 stops 12 arm 13 spring 14 snap lock 15 locking shoulder lever angle β guide channel angle

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A locking device (1) at loading flaps (2) for vehicles or the like, comprising a locking component (3) at a flap (2) which locking component is arranged to co-operate with a lock fitting (5) at a vehicle part (4) adjacent to the flap (2), and which locking component (3) is attached to an elongated slide (7), which is displaceable in a groove (6) in the flap (2) by means of a lever (8), characterized in that the slide (7) has at least one guide channel (9), along which a guide member (10) arranged at a first end of the lever (8) is arranged to be pushed, said guide channel (9) being delimited at each end thereof by a stop (11), which stops (11) are arranged to transfer a pushing movement to the slide (7), and thereby to the locking component (3), in a direction coincident with a prolongation of the guide channel (9) when being in contact with the guide member, that the end positions of the slide correspond to a lowered and a raised position, respectively, of the lever (8), and that the lever (8) is pivotally mounted in a first end (12b) of an arm (12), the opposite end of which is pivotally mounted at the groove (6) and at which arm (12) a spring (13) is arranged to hold the lever (8) in the lowered and raised end position, respectively. 2. A locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the slide (7) has two parallel guide channels (9). 3. A locking device according to any preceding claim, characterized in that at least one arm (12) has a first part pivotally attached at the groove and a second part pivotally attached at the lever (8), which together constitute a double-armed lever. 4. A locking device according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the guide channel (9) has an angle (β) with the apex directed toward the lever (8). 5. A locking device according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the total distance of movement of the guide member (10) is substantially equal to the sum of the length of the guide channel (9) and the pushing distance for the slide (7). 6. A locking device according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the spring (13) is arranged between the flap (2) and the arm (12). 7. A locking device according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the lever (8) is arranged to be pivoted by the spring (13) toward the lowered position when being in a position less than 90° (α). 8. A locking device according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the lever (8) is arranged to be pivoted by the spring (13) toward the raised position when being in a position greater than 90° (α). 9. A locking device according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the arm (12) has two parallel parts, which are pivotally mounted on each side of the lever (8). 10. A locking device according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the lever (8) in the other end thereof has a snap lock (14), which is arranged to fix the lever (8) in the groove (6). 11. A locking device according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the lever (8) is maneuverable between said lowered position and said raised position by means of a pivoting motion of substantially 180°. 12. A locking device (1) at loading flaps (2) for vehicles or the like, comprising a locking component (3) at a flap (2) which locking component is arranged to co-operate with a lock fitting (5) at a vehicle part (4) adjacent to the flap (2), and which locking component (3) is attached to an elongated slide (7), which is displaceable in a groove (6) in the flap (2) by means of a lever (8), characterized in that the slide (7) has at least one guide channel (9), along which a guide member (10) arranged at a first end of the lever (8) is arranged to be pushed, said guide channel (9) being delimited at each end thereof by a stop (11), which stops (11) are arranged to transfer a pushing movement to the slide (7), and thereby to the locking component (3), in a direction coincident with a prolongation of the guide channel (9) when being in contact with the guide member, that the end positions of the slide correspond to a lowered and a raised position, respectively, of the lever (8), and that the lever (8) is pivotally mounted in a first end (12b) of an arm (12), the opposite end of which is pivotally mounted at the flap (2) and at which arm (12) a spring (13) is arranged to hold the lever (8) in the lowered and raised end position, respectively.

Inventors: ROSEN GOERAN, ROSEN, GOERAN
Applicants: ROSEN GORAN, ROSEN, GOERAN
Application year: 2001
Main classification: B62D33
IPC codes: B62D33