Patent Publication Number: US-2006017293-A1

Title: Lock particularly for cases, trunks and the like

Description:
The present invention relates to a lock particularly for cases, such as luggage boxes and luggage items in general, suitcases, trunks and the like.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Various fields, including non-professional fields, use cases, trunks or other similar portable containers constituted by two half-shells, which are mutually articulated and have respective edges that, when the case is closed, are pressed against each other by the locking action applied by one or more locks, so as to provide substantial tightness with respect for example to water or impurities; for this purpose, special perimetric gaskets are often also provided which are fitted along said edges.  
      It is known that particular applications and uses require increasingly perfect and reliable sealing conditions, which must of course be ensured by the action of the locks: said locks must in fact produce a slight compressive deformation of the edges (or of the gaskets) against each other.  
      Accordingly, especially in order to open the locks of the case, the manual action to be applied thereto is rather demanding and awkward, since said locks have to be released from the locking position in which they press the edges against each other elastically: it is evident that especially for large cases or trunks, the user must apply a considerable release force, and this may constitute an intolerable drawback in certain situations.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The aim of the present invention is to obviate the cited drawback, by providing a lock, particularly for cases, trunks and the like, that is suitable to be opened quickly and easily, i.e., by applying a very modest manual release action.  
      Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a lock, particularly for cases, trunks and the like, that is absolutely versatile and applicable to any type of portable container, particularly to containers in which it is necessary to achieve effective closure tightness.  
      Another object of the present invention is to provide a structure that is simple, relatively easy to provide in practice, safe in use, effective in operation, and has a relatively low cost.  
      This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by the present lock, particularly for cases, trunks and the like, for fastening hermetically against each other the first half-shell and the second half-shell of the case, characterized in that it comprises at least one clamp, which is articulated to said first half-shell and forms a substantially folded end portion, which can rotate from an angular position for closing the case, in which said folded end portion is engaged with a snap action under the edge of said second half-shell in order to keep it in contact with said first half-shell, to an angular position for freely opening the case, in which said folded end portion is disengaged from said edge, said clamp being provided with means for rapid release of the lever type, which are actuated manually and are suitable to disengage said folded end portion from said edge so as to move said clamp into said angular position for freely opening said case. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Further characteristics and advantages will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a lock for cases, trunks and the like according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a case equipped with two locks according to the invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a partially sectional detail side elevation view of said case, with the clamp in the angular position for freely opening the case;  
       FIG. 3  is a partially sectional detail side elevation view of the lock according to the invention, with the clamp in the angular position for closing the case;  
       FIG. 4  is a detail perspective view of the lock according to the invention;  
       FIG. 5  is another detail perspective view, taken from a different angle, of said lock;  
       FIG. 6  is an exploded detail perspective view of the lock;  
       FIG. 7  is another exploded detail perspective view, taken from a different angle, of said lock. 
    
    
      In the embodiment that follows, individual characteristics may actually be interchanged with other different characteristics that exist in other embodiments.  
      Moreover, it is noted that anything found to be already known during the patenting process is understood not to be claimed and to be the subject of a disclaimer.  
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      With reference to  FIG. 1 , the reference numeral  1  generally designates a lock, particularly for cases, trunks and the like according to the invention. In particular, in  FIG. 1  two locks  1  according to the invention are fitted on a case, generally designated by the reference numeral  2 , which is constituted by a first upper half-shell  3  and a second lower half-shell  4 , which are mutually articulated at two or more hinges and are kept in contact with each other, in the closure configuration, by said locks; the case  2  is further provided at the front with a grip handle  5 . It is specified here that the case can be of any type or size; likewise, locks according to the invention can be provided on a trunk or equally on other types of portable container.  
      The lock advantageously comprises, according to the invention, at least one clamp  6 , which is pivoted, in an elongated articulation portion  7 , to the first upper half-shell  3  at a first articulation axis  8  and forms an internal surface  9 . The first articulation axis  8  is preferably located at the perimetric border  10  of the first half-shell  3 , and sealing gaskets can be provided conveniently along the border  10 ; the clamp  6  conveniently has a substantially C-shaped transverse cross-section and forms a substantially folded end portion  11  provided with an expanded rim  12 . The clamp  6  further forms two lateral curved portions  13  and  14  ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ), at which the folded end portion  11  forms two respective lateral extensions  15  and  16 . The clamp  6  can rotate, about the first articulation axis  8 , from an angular position for closing the case  2 , shown in  FIG. 3 , in which the folded end portion  11  is engaged below the edge  17  of the second half-shell  4 , in order to keep it in hermetic contact with the perimetric border  10  of the first half-shell  3 , to an angular position for freely opening the case  2  ( FIG. 2 ), in which the folded end portion  11  is substantially disengaged from the edge  17 , so as to allow to space the first half-shell  3  from the second half-shell  4 . In particular, in the angular closure position of the clamp  6  the expanded rim  12  is engaged with a snap action below the edge  17  of the second half-shell  4 .  
      According to the invention, the clamp  6  is provided advantageously with lever-type quick-release means that are actuated manually, are generally designated by the reference numeral  18 , and are suitable to disengage easily and without effort the folded end portion  11  from the edge  17  of the second half-shell  4 , so as to move the clamp  6  into the angular position for freely opening the case  2 .  
      The lever-type quick-release means  18  conveniently comprise at least one lever  19 , which is articulated to the clamp  6  at a second articulation axis  20 , which is located at a substantially central portion and is preferably constituted by an optionally removable pivot ( FIGS. 6 and 7 ). The lever  19  forms a first end  21  for manual actuation and a second end  22 , said ends being mutually opposite; the lever  19  can rotate about the second articulation axis  20 , by applying manually a modest opening torque to the first end  21 , from an angular position for locking the case  2  (shown in broken lines in  FIG. 2 ), in which the second end  22  is substantially retracted along the internal surface  9  of the clamp  6 , to an angular position for releasing the clamp  6 , in which the second end  22  protrudes substantially from the internal surface  9  of the clamp  6 , so that it can apply a pressing action against the edge  17  and generate by reaction, on the clamp  6 , a torque that is opposite to the torque applied manually, i.e., suitable to disengage the folded end portion  11  from the edge  17 .  
      The lever  19  has a substantially C-shaped transverse cross-section. In particular, the first end  21  has a profile that is substantially concave in a lower region in order to facilitate the placement of the fingers in opening the lock. The second end  22  instead has a substantially wedge-shaped transverse cross-section and forms a flat surface  23  that is suitable to abut against the edge  17  with the lever  19  in the angular position for locking the case  2 .  
      Conveniently, the lever  19  is affected in an upper region by a sort of rectangular recess  24 , which forms two parallel arms  25  and  26 , each of which is affected by respective holes  27  and  28  for inserting the pivot  20  for articulation to the clamp  6 , each forming a respective second end  22  for pressing on the edge  17 .  
      The parallel arms  25  and  26  are conveniently accommodated at the respective curved portions  13  and  14 ; the lateral extensions  15  and  16  of the folded end portion  11  conveniently constitute respective stops for the rotation of the two arms  25  and  26  in the angular position for locking the lever  19  (reference should be made in particular to  FIGS. 4 and 5 ).  
      The operation of the lock according to the invention is intuitive. Assuming initially that the clamp  6  is in the angular position for closing the case  2  and the lever  19  is in the angular locking position (the situation shown in broken lines in  FIG. 2 ), in order to open the lock the user has to apply a truly very small torque to the first end  21  of the lever  19 , so as to turn it, about the second axis  20 , from the angular locking position to the angular release position of the clamp  6  (the situation shown in solid lines in  FIG. 3 ). As mentioned, this rotation causes the onset of a thrust by the second end  22  on the edge  17 ; by reaction, an opposite torque is generated accordingly on the clamp  6  about the first articulation axis  8 , causing the disengagement of the folded end portion  11  (particularly of its enlarged rim  12 ) from the edge  17  (the situation shown in broken lines in  FIG. 3 ), allowing to separate the first half-shell  3  from the second half-shell  4 .  
      To close the lock again, it is instead necessary, starting from the situation shown in solid lines in  FIG. 2  (i.e., with the clamp  6  in the angular position for freely opening the case  2 ), to rotate said clamp, by acting on the lever  19 , until the folded end  11  engages with a snap action below the edge  17 , applying a pressure that causes the edge  17  to adhere to the perimetric border  10  (also compressing the gaskets against each other, if present).  
      It has thus been shown that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects.  
      The hinge according to the invention certainly allows easier, faster and simpler opening of the case, while being constructively extremely simple and cheap.  
      The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.  
      All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent ones.  
      The embodiment of the present invention shall be carried out in the most scrupulous compliance with the statutory and regulatory provisions related to the products of the invention or correlated thereto and following any required authorization of the corresponding competent authorities, with particular reference to regulations related to safety, environmental pollution and health.  
      In practice, the materials used, as well as the shapes and the dimensions, may be any according to requirements without thereby abandoning the protective scope of the appended claims.  
      The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. BO2004A000455 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.