Abstract:
The invention relates to a plug-in lock for the detachable connection of two belt ends for a climbing harness having a lock part and an insertion part, wherein the lock part has an end on the insertion side for inserting the insertion part, and an end on the belt side for fastening a belt, wherein the insertion part has a snap-in pin, which engages into a first latch mechanism in the lock part upon inserting the insertion part into the lock part such that the insertion part is secured against being pulled out of the lock part (in the direction opposite of the insertion direction in the lock part. The first latch mechanism is configured manually non-detachable, and a second manually detachable latch mechanism is arranged and configured such that the insertion part can be detached from the lock part by sliding out the same in the insertion direction.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a National stage application based on PCT/EP2007/007837, filed Sep. 7, 2007, and which claims priority to German patent application No. DE 20 2006 016 188.0, filed Oct. 23, 2006. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a plug-in lock for the releasable connection of two belt ends, in particular for a climbing harness, safety belt or life belt, having a lock part and a plug-in part, wherein the lock part has a plug-in end, into which the plug-in part can be plugged, and a belt end, for fastening a belt, wherein the plug-in part has a latching tongue which, when the plug-in part is plugged into the lock part in a plug-in direction, latches with a first latching mechanism in the lock part such that the plug-in part is locked in the lock part against being pulled out of the lock part counter to the plug-in direction, and wherein the plug-in direction is oriented from the plug-in end of the lock part in the direction of the belt end of the lock part, according to the claims. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    Plug-in closures for belts and straps are known, for example, from the automotive sector. In the case of harnesses, the closures have to be designed such that they do not open unintentionally during use. This is achieved, for example, by two buttons having to be actuated simultaneously for opening purposes. Such a plug-in lock is known, for example, from DE 196 47 631 A1. In order to make the connection, a plug-in part is plugged into a lock part, latching elements being provided in order to make a latching connection between the plug-in part and the lock part. Two actuating elements are provided, and these move corresponding latching elements into a disengagement position and have to be pushed in simultaneously in order to release the plug-in part from the lock part. It is characteristic of plug-in locks here that, for release purposes, the plug-in part is pulled out of the lock part in the direction counter to that in which it is plugged into the lock part. Although, under loading, a relatively large force is necessary in order for the latching elements to be moved into the disengagement position by means of the actuating elements, it is not completely out of the question for the plug-in lock to open unintentionally if the actuating elements are subjected to an appropriately large force. 
         [0006]    An alternative to this, with a higher level of reliability against unintentional opening, is provided by closures in which a hook-in part is hooked into the lock part. Such a hook-in lock is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6 802 109 B2. The special feature resides in the fact that hooking in takes place in the same direction in which the lock parts are subjected to force during use. The force to which the lock parts are subjected thus always pulls the lock in the closing direction. For opening purposes, or in order to release the hook-in part from the lock part, it is necessary to actuate an unlocking means and to move the hook-in part relative to the lock part counter to the hooking-in direction. 
         [0007]    DE 20 2004 017 043 U1 discloses a lock for climbing harnesses in which the locking mechanism is designed with two actuating elements for releasing the locking means such that the actuating elements cannot be pushed into the release position when the lock is subjected to a force in the direction counter to the plug-in direction. However, intended release or opening of the lock is a laborious task to perform since, for this purpose, the lock part and the plug-in part have to be retained in relation to one another and, at the same time, the two actuating elements have to be pushed in. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The object of the invention is to improve a plug-in lock of the above-mentioned type in respect of functional reliability and ease of use. In particular, it is intended to improve the safeguarding against unintentional opening of the plug-in lock. 
         [0009]    This object is achieved according to the invention by a plug-in lock of the above-mentioned type having the features characterized in claim  1 . Advantageous configurations of the invention are described in the rest of the claims. 
     
    
     
         [0010]    The invention will be explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference to the drawing, in which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a plug-in lock in the open state, and 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view, in detail form, of a plug-in part of the plug-in lock according to  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    In the case of a plug-in lock of the above-mentioned type, it is provided according to the invention that the first latching mechanism is designed such that it cannot be released manually once the plug-in part and lock part have been latched in, and a second, manually releasable latching mechanism is arranged in the lock part and designed such that this second latching mechanism, in a locked state, blocks the plug-in part which has been plugged into the lock part from moving relative to the lock part in the plug-in direction and, in an unlocked state, allows the plug-in part which has been plugged into the lock part to move relative to the lock part in the plug-in direction, in which case the plug-in part can be released from the lock part by being pushed out in the plug-in direction. 
         [0014]    This has the advantage, that despite the connection between the plug-in part and lock part easily being made by the plug-in part being plugged straightforwardly into the lock part, it is not possible for the plug-in part to be released under loading counter to the plug-in direction, in which case unintentional opening of the plug-in lock under loading is effectively avoided. At the same time, provision is made for the plug-in part and lock part to be released as in the case of a hook-in lock. The novel plug-in lock thus combines the advantages of a plug-in lock, namely the quick and straightforward closure of the lock by plugging in in the plug-in direction, with the advantages of a hook-in lock, namely the complete avoidance of the situation where the plug-in part and lock part are released counter to the plug-in direction under loading, without the disadvantage of the more laborious hooking-in operation, as in the case of a hook-in lock, having to be accepted. 
         [0015]    In a preferred embodiment, the first latching mechanism has at least one latching nose arranged on the latching tongue, in particular two such latching noses, and the latching nose can be pivoted in each case about a pivot pin, wherein the latching nose is forced in the direction of a locking position by an elastic pre-stressing force and can be deflected in an elastically resilient manner out of this locking position by being pivoted about the respective pivot pin counter to the pre-stressing force, and wherein a rigid latching hook is designed and arranged on the lock part for each latching nose such that, once the plug-in part has been plugged into the lock part, a respective latching nose interacting with an associated latching hook makes a latching connection. 
         [0016]    Automatic deflection of the latching nose counter to the elastic pre-stressing force when the plug-in part is plugged into the lock part is achieved by the latching nose having a respective oblique surface which rises up in the direction counter to the plug-in direction. 
         [0017]    In a particularly preferred embodiment, two latching noses are arranged on the plug-in part and two latching hooks are arranged on the lock part, wherein the two latching hooks are designed as respective U-shaped elevations at the plug-in end of the lock part. 
         [0018]    In order to provide sufficient clearance for the plug-in part when it is pushed out of the lock part in the plug-in direction, a respective leg of the U-shaped elevations has a free end, wherein the legs of the U-shaped elevations with a free end are spaced apart from one another such that a spacing between these legs of the U-shaped elevations is greater than or equal to a width of the latching tongue of the plug-in part. 
         [0019]    The plug-in part is plugged into the lock part without either tilting in relation to the other in that the latching tongue has an elevation running parallel to the plug-in direction and the lock part has a groove running parallel to the plug-in direction, wherein the elevation and the groove are arranged and designed such that, when the plug-in part is plugged into the lock part, the elevation engages in the groove and thus guides the plug-in part relative to the lock part. 
         [0020]    For automatic locking of the second latching mechanism, the second latching mechanism is forced in the direction of the locking position by an elastic spring pre-stressing force. The second latching mechanism is arranged and designed here such that it can be moved manually into the unlocked state counter to the elastic spring pre-stressing force. 
         [0021]    The preferred embodiment of a plug-in lock according to the invention which is illustrated in  FIG. 1  comprises a lock part  10  and a plug-in part  12 , which is designed for plugging into the lock part  10  and has a latching tongue  14 . 
         [0022]    The lock part  10  comprises a punched and bent part  16 , a plastic housing  18 , a plug-in end  20 , into which the plug-in part  12  can be plugged, and a belt end  22 , which has a belt opening  24  for fastening a belt (not illustrated). A plug-in direction  36 , i.e. a direction in which the plug-in part  12  is plugged into the lock part  10 , is directed from the plug-in end  20  of the lock part  10  in the direction of the belt end  22  of the lock part  10 . 
         [0023]    The plug-in part  12  comprises a belt opening  26  with belt-securing means  27  and also punched parts  28  and latching noses  30 , which are arranged opposite one another on the latching tongue  14  and can be pivoted toward one another in each case, about a pivot pin  32 , out of a locking position, which is illustrated in  FIG. 1 , counter to an elastic spring force. Each latching nose  30  has an oblique surface  34  which rises up in the direction counter to the plug-in direction  36 , i.e. such that it increasingly projects beyond the width of the latching tongue  14 . 
         [0024]    In order to guide the plug-in part  12  as it is plugged into the lock part  10 , the plug-in part  12  has an elevation  38  running parallel to the plug-in direction  35  and the lock part  10  has a guide groove  40 , wherein, when the plug-in part  12  is plugged into the lock part  10 , the elevation  38  engages in the guide groove  40  and guides the plug-in part  12  relative to the lock part  10 . 
         [0025]    Two U-shaped elevations  42 , each with a respective free leg  44 , are formed at the plug-in end  20  of the lock part  10 . The U-shaped elevations  42  are arranged and designed such that, when the plug-in part  12  is plugged into the lock part  10 , they act, in the first instance, on the oblique surfaces  34  and thus pivot the latching noses  30  about the pivot pins  32 . As soon as the latching noses  30  have passed the U-shaped elevations  42 , they spring back, under the action of the elastic spring force, into the latching position illustrated in the figure and latch into the U-shaped elevations  42 . In other words, the latching noses  30  and the U-shaped elevations  42  interact so as to prevent the plug-in part  12  from being unplugged from, or pulled out of, the lock part  10  in the direction counter to the plug-in direction  36 . 
         [0026]    The first latching mechanism, which is made of the latching noses  30  and U-shaped elevations  42 , thus secures the plug-in part  12  in the lock part  10 , wherein there are no release means provided in order to release the latching between the latching noses  30  and the U-shaped elevations  42 . It is not possible for the plug-in part  12  to be unplugged from, or pulled out of, the lock part  10  in the direction counter to the plug-in direction  36 . Consequently, it is also the case that unintentional release of the plug-in part  12  from the lock part  10  in the direction counter to the plug-in direction  36  is always ruled out. 
         [0027]    According to the invention, a second latching mechanism  46  is additionally provided on the lock part  10 , and this second latching mechanism, in a latching position or locking position, prevents the plug-in part  12  which has been plugged into the lock part  10  from moving relative to the lock part in the plug-in direction  36 , in which case the plug-in part  12  is fixed to the lock part  10 . The second latching mechanism  46  is designed and arranged such that, in a release position or unlocking position it allows the plug-in part  12  which has been plugged into the lock part  10  to move relative to the lock part in the plug-in direction  36 . At the same time, the clearance formed between the free legs  44  of the U-shaped elevations  42  is sufficient to allow the latching tongue  14  to pass through this clearance. Consequently, upon adjustment of the second latching mechanism  46  into the release position, it is possible for the plug-in part  12  to be disengaged from the lock part  10  in the plug-in direction  36  and thus to be released from the lock part  10 . The second latching mechanism  46  is forced in the direction of the latching position or locking position by an elastic spring force, in which case it moves automatically into the latching position. 
         [0028]    The only possibility of releasing the plug-in part from the lock part  10  therefore resides in the plug-in part  12  moving relative to the lock part  10  in the plug-in direction  36 , i.e. in the direction counter to a pulling direction to which the plug-in lock is subjected during use. In other words, with the plug-in lock being subjected to loading, a pulling direction acts counter to an opening direction. 
         [0029]    Overall, the plug-in lock according to the invention thus combines the advantages of a plug-in lock, with quick connection between the plug-in part  12  and lock part  10  by a straightforward plug-in action, with the advantages of a hook-in lock, in which the force to which the lock is subjected acts counter to the opening direction. Conversely, a disadvantage of the hook-in lock, namely the operation of connecting the lock parts to one another, which is more laborious than the equivalent operation in the case of the plug-in lock, is avoided. The special feature of the plug-in lock according to the invention resides in the fact that, in order to release the plug-in part  12  from the lock part  10 , the plug-in part  12  is pushed out of the lock part  10  in the plug-in direction  36 . The operations of connecting and releasing the lock part  10  and plug-in part  12  thus take place by way of movement of the plug-in part relative to the lock part in the same direction, namely the plug-in direction  36 . 
         [0030]    The embodiment illustrated is given merely by way of example. In an alternative embodiment, it is also possible for the moveable latching noses to be arranged on the lock part  10  and for corresponding rigid latching hooks, which interact with the moveable latching noses, to be arranged on the plug-in part  12 . 
         [0031]    While the present invention has been particularly described, in conjunction with a specific preferred embodiment, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will embrace any such alternatives, modifications and variations as falling within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.