Patent Publication Number: US-2012042487-A1

Title: Double locking snap hook device background of the invention

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a safety snap hook device, and more particularly to a safety snap hook device including a double locking structure for safely locking the hinged gate of the snap hook device and for preventing the hinged gate of the snap hook device from being opened inadvertently and for allowing the snap hook device to be easily manufactured and operated. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Typical snap hook devices comprise a hinged gate or latch member pivotally coupled to a hook body for openably closing a hook throat opening. However, the hinged gate or latch member may be depressed and actuated to open the hook throat opening inadvertently, and the strap or the belt connection will also be disengaged from the hook throat opening of the hook body inadvertently. 
     For safely securing or locking the strap or the belt connection to the hook body, a safety latching mechanism or locking structure may be provided and attached or coupled to the hook body for safely locking the latching mechanism or locking structure to the hook body and for preventing the snap hook from being opened inadvertently. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,953 to Petzl et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,025 to Maurice et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,264 to Choate, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,076 to Choate disclose four of the typical snap hook devices each also comprising a finger or gate pivotally coupled to a hook body for openably closing a hook throat opening, and a safety latching mechanism or locking structure attached or coupled to the hook body for safely locking the latching mechanism or locking structure to the hook body and for preventing the snap hook from being opened inadvertently. 
     However, the safety latching mechanisms or locking structures normally include a tiny size or dimension or structure that may not be easily operated by the user, such that the typical snap hooks may not be easily operated by the user. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional safety snap hook devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a safety snap hook device including a double locking structure for safely locking the hinged gate of the snap hook device and for preventing the hinged gate of the snap hook device from being opened inadvertently and for allowing the snap hook device to be easily manufactured and operated. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a snap hook device comprising a hook member including a hook throat opening formed therein and defined by a base portion and a hook portion and a shank, and including a compartment formed therein and located opposite to the hook throat opening of the hook member, a hinged gate pivotally coupled to the base portion of the hook member with a pivot pin for openably closing the hook throat opening of the hook member, the hinged gate including a lock member extended therefrom, a first spring biasing member disposed between the hinged gate and the hook member for biasing and forcing the hinged gate to close the hook throat opening of the hook member, and arranged to allow the hook throat opening of the hook member to be selectively opened when the hinged gate is depressed onto the spring biasing member and forced toward the shank of the hook member, a latch member pivotally coupled to the shank of the hook member with a pivot axle for openably closing the compartment of the hook member, the latch member including an anchor member extended therefrom, and a second spring biasing member disposed between the latch member and the hook member for biasing and forcing the latch member to close the compartment of the hook member, and arranged for allowing the compartment of the hook member to be selectively opened when the latch member is depressed onto the spring biasing member and forced toward the shank of the hook member, the second spring biasing member being provided for biasing and forcing the anchor member of the latch member to be engaged between the lock member of the hinged gate and the base portion of the hook member and to lock the hinged gate to the hook member, and to prevent the hinged gate from being depressed and actuated and forced toward the shank of the hook member and to prevent the hook throat opening of the hook member from being opened inadvertently before the anchor member of the latch member is disengaged from the lock member of the hinged gate. 
     The anchor member of the latch member includes a lower portion for selectively engaging with the base portion of the hook member, and includes an upper portion for selectively engaging with the lock member of the hinged gate and for locking the hinged gate to the hook member. 
     The hinged gate includes a pair of lock members extended therefrom, and the lock members include a relatively decreased distance for engaging into the latch member and for engaging with the upper portion of the anchor member, and for snugly engaging with the shank of the hook member. 
     The latch member includes a relatively narrowed upper portion for snugly engaging with the shank of the hook member. The hook member includes a tongue extended from the hook portion, and the hinged gate includes an orifice formed therein for engaging with the tongue and for anchoring and positioning a free end of the hinged gate to the hook portion of the hook member. 
     The hook member includes a stem extended from the shank, and an eye device rotatably coupled to the stem of the hook member. The eye device includes a loop member, and a base ring provided on the loop member, and the base ring includes a bore formed therein for rotatably receiving and engaging with the stem of the hook member. 
     The eye device includes a gasket engaged into the bore of the base ring and engaged with the stem of the hook member and secured to the stem of the hook member with a lock nut. The eye device includes a spring ring engaged with the stem of the hook member. 
     The hook member includes a peripheral indicating member provided around the stem and covered and shielded by the base ring before the spring ring is compressed, and the peripheral indicating member of the hook member is exposed and to be seen by a user when the spring ring is compressed. 
     Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a partial exploded view of a safety snap hook device in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the safety snap hook device; 
         FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of the safety snap hook device; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial cross sectional view of the safety snap hook device; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged partial cross sectional view of the safety snap hook device; and 
         FIG. 6  is a further partial cross sectional view similar to  FIG. 4 , illustrating the operation of the safety snap hook device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, and initially to  FIGS. 1-4 , a safety snap hook device in accordance with the present invention comprises a hook member  10  including a hook throat opening  11  formed therein and formed or defined by a hook portion  12  and a shank  13  and a base portion  14 , and including two notches or compartments  15 ,  16  formed in the shank  13  and located opposite to the hook throat opening  11  and the hook portion  12  and located below and above a middle portion  17  of the shank  13  or of the hook member  10 , and including a stem  18  extended downwardly from the base portion  14  of the shank  13  or of the hook member  10 , in which the stem  18  includes a threaded segment or an outer thread  19  formed or provided on the outer portion of the stem  18 . 
     A finger or hinged gate  30  includes a lower portion or one end  31  pivotally coupled to the hook member  10 , such as pivotally coupled to the base portion  14  of the shank  13  or of the hook member  10  with a pivot pin  32  for openably closing the hook throat opening  11  of the hook member  10  ( FIGS. 2-4 , and  6 ), a spring biasing member  33  is attached or engaged onto the pivot pin  32  and/or disposed between the hinged gate  30  and the base portion  14  of the shank  13  or of the hook member  10  for biasing or forcing the hinged gate  30  to block or to close the hook throat opening  11  of the hook member  10  ( FIGS. 2-4 ), and arranged for allowing the hook throat opening  11  of the hook member  10  to be selectively opened when the hinged gate  30  is depressed onto the spring biasing member  33  and forced or moved toward the shank  13  or the hook member  10  ( FIG. 6 ). 
     The hinged gate  30  includes an orifice  34  formed in the upper portion or the other end or free end  35  thereof for engaging with the tongue  20  that is extended from the hook portion  12  of the hook member  10  ( FIGS. 3 ,  4 ) and for stably anchoring and positioning the lower portion or one end  31  of the hinged gate  30  to the hook portion  12  of the hook member  10 , and includes an extension or lock member  36  extended therefrom, such as extended from the middle or lower portion  31  thereof, and extended toward or into the compartment  15  that is formed in the shank  13  and located close to the base portion  14  of the hook member  10 . 
     A finger or handle or latch member  40  includes a lower or middle portion  41  pivotally coupled to the hook member  10 , such as pivotally coupled to the middle portion  17  of the shank  13  with a pivot axle  42  for openably closing the compartment  16  of the hook member  10 , or for allowing the latch member  40  to be pivoted or rotated relative to the hook member  10  and to be pivoted and engaged into the compartment  16  of the hook member  10 , another spring biasing member  43  is attached or engaged onto the pivot axle  42  and/or disposed between the latch member  40  and the shank  13  or the hook member  10  for biasing or forcing the latch member  40  to block or to close the compartment  16  of the hook member  10  ( FIGS. 2-4 ). 
     The latch member  40  and the hook member  10  are arranged for allowing the compartment  16  of the hook member  10  to be selectively opened when the latch member  40  is depressed onto the spring biasing member  43  and forced or moved toward the shank  13  or the hook member  10  ( FIG. 6 ). The latch member  40  includes an extension or anchor member  44  extended therefrom, such as extended from the middle or lower portion  45  thereof, and arranged to be engaged into the lower compartment  15  of the hook member  10  ( FIGS. 4 ,  5 ), and arranged to be engaged with or between the lock member  36  of the hinged gate  30  and the base portion  14  of the hook member  10 . 
     As also shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the anchor member  44  includes a lower portion  46  for selectively engaging with the base portion  14  of the hook member  10 , and an upper portion  47  for selectively engaging with the lock member  36  of the hinged gate  30  and for locking the hinged gate  30  to the hook member  10  and for preventing the hinged gate  30  from being depressed or actuated onto the spring biasing member  33  and for preventing the hinged gate  30  from being forced or moved toward the shank  13  or the hook member  10  and thus for preventing the hook throat opening  11  of the hook member  10  from being opened inadvertently by children or the like. 
     In operation, as shown in  FIG. 6 , when the latch member  40  is depressed or actuated onto the spring biasing member  43 , the anchor member  44  of the latch member  40  may be moved or disengaged from the lock member  36  of the hinged gate  30 , at this moment, the hinged gate  30  is released and may be depressed or actuated onto the spring biasing member  33  and may be forced or moved toward the shank  13  or the hook member  10  in order to open the hook throat opening  11  of the hook member  10  and for allowing the strap or the belt connection (not shown) to be engaged into or disengaged from the hook throat opening  11  of the hook member  10 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2-4 , when the latch member  40  is released, the latch member  40  will be biased by the spring biasing member  43  to block or to close the compartment  16  of the hook member  10 , and to engage the anchor member  44  of the latch member  40  between the lock member  36  of the hinged gate  30  and the base portion  14  of the hook member  10 , and thus to lock the hinged gate  30  to the hook member  10  and in order to prevent the hinged gate  30  from being depressed or actuated or forced or moved toward the shank  13  or the hook member  10  and thus for preventing the hook throat opening  11  of the hook member  10  from being opened inadvertently by children or the like. 
     It is preferable that the hinged gate  30  includes a pair of lock members  36  extended therefrom, and the lock members  36  include a relatively decreased space or distance for allowing the lock members  36  of the hinged gate  30  to be selectively engaged into the latch member  40  and engaged with the upper portion  47  of the anchor member  44  of the latch member  40 , and for allowing the lock members  36  of the hinged gate  30  to be snugly or smoothly engaged with the shank  13  of the hook member  10 . The latch member  40  includes a relatively decreased or narrowed upper portion  48  for snugly or smoothly engaging with the shank  13  of the hook member  10 . 
     The snap hook device further includes an eye device  5  having a ring or loop member  50 , and a base ring  51  formed integral or attached or provided on the upper portion of the loop member  50 , and the base ring  51  includes a bore  52  formed therein for pivotally or rotatably receiving or coupling or engaging with the stem  18  of the hook member  10 , and includes a peripheral recess or shoulder  53  formed or provided therein and communicating with the bore  52  of the base ring  51  for engaging with a ball bearing device or gasket  54  and for rotatably and smoothly coupling the loop member  50  of the eye device  5  to the stem  18  of the hook member  10 . The gasket  54  is engaged into the bore  52  and the peripheral shoulder  53  of the base ring  51  stably anchoring and positioning the base ring  51  of the eye device  5  to the stem  18  of the hook member  10 . 
     The gasket  54  is also pivotally or rotatably coupled or engaged with the stem  18  of the hook member  10  and mounted or secured to the stem  18  of the hook member  10  with a fastener or lock nut  55 , and includes a ring-shaped spring biasing member or a spring ring  57  engaged onto or with the stem  18  of the hook member  10  for providing a spring biasing force between the stem  18  or the base portion  14  of the hook member  10  and the base ring  51  of the eye device  5 , and includes a circular or peripheral indicating member  56  provided and attached or mounted or secured onto or around the root portion of the stem  18  and having a high-visibility color different from that of the shank  13  and the stem  18  and offered as an increased visual aid to verify whether the indicating member  56  of the stem  18  is exposed or not. 
     In operation, when the spring ring  57  is still in good order or has not been compressed or deformed or damaged, the spring ring  57  may be maintained or engaged in and covered or shielded by the base ring  51  of the eye device  5  for preventing the indicating member  56  from being seen by the users. When a great over weight has been applied to the hook member  10  and when the spring ring  57  may not sustain the weight, at this moment, the spring ring  57  will be deformed or damaged and compressed, and the indicating member  56  may then be exposed and seen by the users, and for allowing the high-visibility color of the indicating member  56  to offer as an increased visual aid to verify whether the spring ring  57  has been compressed or deformed or damaged or not, and for allowing the spring ring  57  to be changed or replaced with the new ones. 
     Accordingly, the safety snap hook device in accordance with the present invention includes a double locking structure for safely locking the snap hook device and for preventing the snap hook device from being opened inadvertently and for allowing the snap hook device to be easily manufactured and operated. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.