Patent Publication Number: US-2023137704-A1

Title: Panel lock

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202111266141.4, filed on Oct. 28, 2021, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present application relates to the technical field of locks, and in particular to a panel lock. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Panel locks are widely used in various industries, such as Marine ships and boats, Industrial Generators, HVAC, Construction Equipment, Transportation vehicles, trucks, caravans, etc. The panel lock generally includes a handle that is installed in a groove of a panel, or in a shell mounted onto the panel. The handle may be pulled out from the groove by hand to rotate to unlock or lock and has a folded state that is folded into the groove of the panel and flushes with the panel. 
     Such panel locks are described in the related art, such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,526,660, 6,454,321B1, 4,706,478 and 7,748,246B1, in which the handle is in a free state and unlockable in the folded position; or, such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,532,778 B2, 6,952,940 B2, 8,770,635 B2 and US 2004/0007031A1, in which the handle may be in a free state or alternatively locked by a cylinder connected to a shell in the folded position. 
     The related panel locks have the following characteristics: after the handle is folded, the handle is in a free state unless it is further locked with a key through a lock core or a padlock, and for some large applications, the users are required to access multiple latches to lock multiple panels, which will increase considerably the time for the locking operation. Furthermore, when the panel lock is installed on a moving vehicle, the handle may shake and make noise if not locked in its folded position. In extreme cases, for example, under high acceleration or when encountering a bump on the road, the handle may be completely lifted under the action of inertial moment, which may cause undesirable consequences, for example, the latch member may be completely disengaged from the frame and released, such unstable state will eventually lead to premature failure of the latch, the worst case scenario, would be the door will then self-open. For those applications that require the handle to be folded and the latch member always compressed to seal the panel for waterproof requirements, the compression loss caused by the uncontrolled lifting of the handle will cause accelerated failure of the weather sensitive components inside the enclosure. In addition, once the handle is lifted at a certain angle, it forms a sharp protrusion sticking out of the panel and whether the panel lock is installed on a static equipment or a mobile vehicle, the handle becomes a serious safety hazard to passing by objects or people. 
     SUMMARY 
     Regarding the abovementioned potential technical problems or safety hazards in the related art, an object of an embodiment of the present application is to provide a panel lock to overcome those issues. 
     To achieve the above purpose, an embodiment of the present application provides a panel lock including a shell, a rotating shaft, a locking tab, a handle, a latch hook and a first elastic spring. The rotating shaft is rotatably mounted in the shell. The locking tab is connected to and rotates along with the rotary shaft to realize unlocking and locking. The handle is rotatably mounted to the rotating shaft and has a first position being folded relative to the shell and a second position being lifted at a preset angle relative to the shell during rotation about a first axis perpendicular to the rotating shaft. The handle includes a latching groove and a guiding portion arranged at a side of the latching groove. The latch hook is rotatably mounted in the shell. The first elastic spring is arranged between the latch hook and the shell. When the handle is at the first position, the latch hook engages into the latching groove under the driving of the first elastic member to prevent the handle from leaving the first position; and during rotation of the handle from the second position to the first position, the guiding portion stretches the latch hook and guides the latch hook into the latching groove. 
     For the panel lock provided by the embodiments of the present application, automatic locking of the handle can be realized during the movement of the handle from the second position to the first position, thereby preventing the handle from disengaging and ensuring the reliability and safety of the panel lock. In addition, locking of the handle is realized synchronously in folding process, and no other locking action is required, which has better convenience and saves time. 
     In some embodiments, the latch hook has a third position, a fourth position and a fifth position during rotation, and wherein the latch hook at the third position is pressed into the latching groove under the driving of the first elastic member and makes the handle be fixed at the first position; the latch hook at the fourth position disengages from the latching groove and makes the handle be capable of disengaging from the first position; the latch hook rotates from the fourth position to the fifth position under the driving of the first elastic member when the handle is lifted, the fifth position is the same as the third position except the latch hook disengages from the latching groove and is below the latch groove; and during rotation of the handle from the second position to the first position, the guiding portion stretches the latch hook and guides the latch hook moving from the fifth position back to the third position. 
     In some embodiments, the panel lock further includes an unlocking member and a drive mechanism connected to the unlocking member, the unlocking member being movably mounted in the shell and driving the latch hook to move from the third position to the fourth position through the drive mechanism. 
     In some embodiments, the unlocking member includes a locking core which rotates under the driving of a key, and the drive mechanism includes a driven member rotating along with the locking core, a first slider slidably mounted in the shell and a first conversion unit arranged between the driven member and the first slider, the driven member drives the first slider to slide through the first conversion unit during rotation of the driven member, and the first slider drives the latch hook to move from the third position to the fourth position during sliding of the first slider. 
     In some embodiments, the latch hook includes a hook portion and a protrusion arranged around a rotating portion thereof, the hook portion matches with the latching groove, and the first slider pushes the protrusion during sliding of the first slider. 
     In some embodiments, the drive mechanism further includes a second elastic member, and the first slider is located at a position away from the latch hook under the action of the second elastic member. 
     In some embodiments, the first conversion unit includes a rotation protrusion and a slot, the rotation protrusion is formed on one of the driven member and the first slider, the slot is defined in the other one of the driven member and the first slider, and the rotation protrusion cooperates with the slot to implement the transformation from rotation to linear motion. 
     In some embodiments, the first conversion unit includes a gear and rack, the gear is mounted on one of the driven member and the first slider, the rack is mounted on the other one of the driven member and the first slider, and the gear meshes with the rack to implement the transformation from rotation to linear motion. 
     In some embodiments, the unlocking member includes an unlocking button being slidably mounted in the shell, and the drive mechanism includes a second slider and a second conversion unit, the second slider is slidably mounted in the shell, the second conversion unit is arranged between the unlocking button and the second slider, the unlocking button drives the second slider to slide through the second conversion unit, and the second slider drives the latch hook to move from the third position to the fourth position during sliding of the second slider. 
     In some embodiments, the second conversion unit includes an inclined face provided on the second slider and a driving end provided on the unlocking button, and the inclined face and the driving end are in sliding contact with each other to realize conversion of sliding directions of the unlocking button and the second slider. 
     In some embodiments, the unlocking member further includes a locking core which rotates under the driving of a key, and a locking member prevents the unlocking button from sliding when the locking core rotates to a target position. 
     In some embodiments, the latch hook is provided with a protrusion at a position surrounding a rotating portion thereof, an unlocking shaft is mounted in the shell, the unlocking shaft includes a cam portion for driving the latch hook to unlock the handle through the protrusion during rotation of the unlocking shaft, and the unlocking shaft includes an exposed external interface. 
     In some embodiments, at least one of the handle and the shell is provided with an ejection device, and the ejection device drives the handle which is disengaged from the latch hook to move to a middle position between the first position and the second position. 
     In some embodiments, the ejection device includes a first ejection mechanism, and the first ejection mechanism includes a mounting base arranged on the handle, a third elastic member, a spring cap and a boss formed on the shell, the spring cap is slidably mounted to the mounting base, the third elastic member is arranged between the spring cap and the mounting base and drives the spring cap to move to an outside of the mounting base, and the boss abuts against the spring cap when the handle moves to the first position. 
     In some embodiments, the ejection device further includes a second ejection mechanism, and the second ejection mechanism includes a spring bracket rotatably mounted to the handle and an ejecting spring mounted to the spring bracket, one end of the ejecting spring abuts against the handle, the other end of the ejecting spring abuts against the spring bracket, and the spring bracket abuts against the rotary shaft and compress the spring when the handle moves to the first position. 
     In some embodiments, when the handle at the second position rotates about the rotary shaft, the rotary shaft and the latching tab are driven to rotate from a locking position to an unlocking position to realize unlocking, or are driven to rotate from the unlocking position to the locking position to realize locking. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order to illustrate technical solutions of embodiments of the present application more clearly, drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly described below. It is obvious that the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings may be obtained from the drawings without any creative work to those skilled in the art, which should be in the scope of this application. In the following description, the same reference numerals refer to the same members. 
         FIG.  1    is a cross sectional view of a panel lock provided by an embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG.  2   a    is a schematic view of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application with a handle thereof at a first position. 
         FIG.  2   b    is a schematic view of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application with the handle at a second position. 
         FIG.  3    is a schematic view of a guide rail of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG.  4    is a schematic view of the handle of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG.  5    is a schematic view of a latch hook of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG.  6   a    is a cross sectional view of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application with the latch hook at a third position. 
         FIG.  6   b    is a cross sectional view of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application with the latch hook at a fourth position. 
         FIG.  6   c    is a cross sectional view of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application with the latch hook at a fifth position. 
         FIG.  7    is a cross sectional view of the latch hook engaged into a latching groove of the handle. 
         FIG.  8    is a schematic view of a first unlocking assembly of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG.  9    is a schematic view of the first unlocking assembly at a rear side of a shell. 
         FIG.  10   a    is a schematic view of a driven member of the first unlocking assembly of  FIG.  8   . 
         FIG.  10   b    is a side view of the driven member of  FIG.  10     a.    
         FIG.  10   c    is another side view of the driven member of  FIG.  10     a.    
         FIG.  11   a    is a schematic view of a first slider of the first unlocking assembly of  FIG.  8   . 
         FIG.  11   b    is a top view of the first slider of  FIG.  11     a.    
         FIG.  12    is a cross sectional view showing a working state of the first unlocking assembly of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG.  13    is a schematic view of the first unlocking assembly of the panel lock provided by another embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG.  14   a    is a cross sectional view showing a first working state of the first unlocking assembly of  FIG.  13   . 
         FIG.  14   b    is a cross sectional view showing a second working state of the first unlocking assembly of  FIG.  13   . 
         FIG.  15    is a schematic view of a second unlocking assembly and a first sealing ring of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG.  16    is a schematic view of a portion of the shell corresponding to the second unlocking assembly. 
         FIG.  17    is a cross sectional view showing a working state of the second unlocking assembly of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG.  18    is an assembled view of the panel lock and an external module. 
         FIG.  19    is a schematic view of the rear side of the shell of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG.  20    is a schematic view of the rear cover of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG.  21    is a schematic view of a second sealing ring of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG.  22    is a schematic view of the second ejection mechanism of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG.  23   a    is a schematic view of a spring bracket of the second ejection mechanism of  FIG.  22   . 
         FIG.  23   b    is a side view of the spring bracket of  FIG.  23     a.    
         FIG.  24   a    is a cross sectional view showing a working state of the second ejection mechanism of  FIG.  22   . 
         FIG.  24   b    is a cross sectional view showing another working state of the second ejection mechanism of  FIG.  22   . 
         FIG.  25    is a schematic view of a sleeve of the lock panel provided by the embodiment of the present application. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     For better illustrating the technical means, creative features, objects and effects of the present application, detailed description will be given for the embodiments provided by the present application with reference to the append drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments, and not all of the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without any creative work should be in the scope of this application. 
     It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being “fixed to” or “disposed in/at” another element, it may be directly or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being “connected to” another element, it may be directly or indirectly connected to the other element. 
     It should be understood that oriental or positional relationships indicated by terms “length”, “width”, “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inner”, “outer” and the like are only intended to facilitate the description of the present disclosure and simplify the description based on oriental or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, not to indicate or imply that the apparatus or element referred must have a specific orientation, is constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present disclosure. 
     In addition, terms “first” and “second” are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined with “first” and “second” may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of these features. In the description of the present disclosure, “a plurality of” refers to two or more than two, unless otherwise particularly defined. 
       FIG.  1    is a cross sectional view of a panel lock provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in  FIG.  1   , the panel lock includes a shell  1 , a first locking assembly  2 , a handle  3 , a second locking assembly  4  and a first unlocking assembly  5 . The panel lock includes two opposite sides, i.e. the front side and the rear side. After the installation of the panel lock, the rear side of the panel lock is close to the door, while the front side of the panel lock faces towards the user for operation. The shell  1  defines a first groove  101  in a side thereof facing to the front side of the panel lock, and a second groove  104  is defined at a bottom of the first groove  101 . 
     The first locking assembly  2  is used to realize locking and unlocking of the door on which the panel lock is installed. The first locking assembly  2  includes a first rotary shaft  201  and a locking tab  202 . The first rotary shaft  201  is rotatably mounted in the shell  1  about its longitudinal axis and extends through the shell  1 . The locking tab  202  is connected to a portion of the first rotary shaft  201  extending to the rear side of the shell  1 . The first locking assembly  2  realizes locking and unlocking of the door on which the panel lock is installed through rotation of the locking tab  202 . 
     The handle  3  is mounted onto a portion of the first rotary shaft  201  extending to the front side of the shell  1 , and is rotatably mounted to an end of the first rotary shaft  201  about a first axis  303 . The first axis  303  is perpendicular to the first rotary shaft  201  and its longitudinal axis. The handle  3  may rotate about the first axis  303  relative to the first rotary shaft  201 , or may rotate along with the first rotary shaft  201  about its longitudinal axis. Referring to  FIG.  2   a    and  FIG.  2   b   , during rotation of the handle  3  about the first axis  303 , the handle  3  may move to a first position that the handle  3  is folded in the first groove  101  (as shown in  FIG.  2   a   ) and a second position that the handle is lifted to a certain angle with respect to the shell  1  (as shown in  FIG.  2   b   ). The handle  3  at the second position may be collinear with the first rotary shaft  201 , facilitating a twisting operation of the handle  3  together with the first rotary shaft  201 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  1    and  FIG.  3   , the locking tab  202  may be an adjustable locking tab, and includes a guide rail  203  and a locking shaft  204 . The locking shaft  204  is vertically installed on the guide rail  203 . The guide rail  203  includes a slide body  2031  and a fixing ring  2032  mounted around the first rotary shaft  201 . The guide rail  203  is used to adjust in a sliding way an installation position of the locking shaft  204  in the longitudinal direction of the first rotary shaft  201 . Such design makes the panel lock applicable to doors with different thicknesses, which increases the versatility of the present panel lock. 
     In one embodiment, the guide rail  203  further includes a threaded shaft mounted on the slide body  2031 , and an end of the locking shaft  204  on the slide body  2031  is provided with a thread matching with the threaded shaft, which allows the locking shaft  204  to move along the guide rail  203  in a sliding way when the rotating threaded shaft is mounted loose. When the position of the locking shaft  204  is adjusted and need to be set at such position, the threaded shaft can be twisted and tightened, locking conveniently the locking shaft  204  into that position. 
     During the use of the panel lock, the user firstly grabs the handle  3  to lift it from the first position, i.e., folded in the first groove  101 , to the second position, i.e., at a certain angle with respect to the shell  1 , and then rotates the handle  3  to drive the first rotary shaft  201  to rotate, thereby driving the locking tab  202  to rotate to realize locking or unlocking. In order to facilitate user&#39;s operation, the handle  3  may be any structure that is convenient for holding and rotating, such as T-shaped or an L-shaped. In this embodiment, a T-shaped handle is taken as an example. 
       FIG.  4    is a schematic view of the handle of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application. Referring to  FIG.  1    to  FIG.  4   , the handle  3  is generally T-shaped, and includes a first handle portion  31  and a second handle portion  32 . Both the first handle portion  31  and the second handle portion  32  are elongated. The longitudinal direction of the first handle portion  31  is perpendicular to the first axis  303 . One end of the first handle portion  31  along the longitudinal direction thereof defines a first axle hole  3031  therein, and the other end of the first handle portion  31  along the longitudinal direction thereof is connected to the second handle portion  32 . The first handle portion  31  is rotatably mounted to the first rotary shaft  201  through the first axle hole  3031  and the first axis  303  extending through the first axle hole  3031 . The longitudinal direction of the second handle portion  32  is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first handle portion  31 , and the first handle portion  31  is connected to a middle portion of the second handle portion  32 , thereby forming the T-shaped handle. For facilitating hand-holding operation, the second handle portion  32  may be curved along the longitudinal direction thereof. 
     The handle  3  includes opposite inner side and outer side. In this specification, a side of the handle  3  adjacent to the shell  1  during movement of the handle  3  between the first position and the second position is defined as the inner side, and a side of the handle  3  opposite to the inner side is defined as the outer side. 
     The handle  3  includes a latching groove  301  and a guiding portion  302 . The latching groove  301  has an aperture communicating with the outside, and an open direction is substantially parallel to an extending direction of the first handle portion  31 . The guiding portion  302  is located at a side of the latching groove  301  close to the shell  1 . That is, a portion of the handle  3  between a periphery of the latching groove  301  and the inner side of the handle  3  is the guiding portion  302 . During movement of the handle  3  from the second position to the first position, the guiding portion  302  is capable of pushing a latch hook  401  to move against an elastic member and guiding the latch hook  401  into the latching groove  301  (details are described below). 
     The second locking assembly  4  is used to lock the handle  3  at the first position, and includes the latch hook  401  and a first elastic member  402 . The latch hook  401  is rotatably mounted in the shell  1  through a second rotary shaft  10  (as shown in  FIGS.  6   a  to  6   c   ). The second rotary shaft  10  is perpendicular to the first rotary shaft  201 . It should be noted that since the position of the first axis  303  changes during the rotation of the first rotary shaft  201 , the first axis  303  may be parallel to the second rotary shaft  10  when the handle  3  is at the first position. 
     The first elastic member  402  is arranged between the latch hook  401  and the shell  1 . In some embodiments, the first elastic member  402  may be a torsion spring sleeved on the second rotary shaft  10 . One end of the first elastic member  402  is connected to the shell  1 , and the other end of the first elastic member  402  is connected to the latch hook  401 . Under the action of the first elastic member  402 , the latch hook  401  rotates about the second rotary shaft  10 . 
       FIG.  5    is a schematic view of the latch hook of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application. As shown in  FIG.  5   , the latch hook  401  is a hook-like structure, and includes a second axle hole  4013  for mounting the second rotary shaft  10 , a first protrusion  4017 , a second protrusion  4016 , a third protrusion  4014  and a hook portion  4018  connected to the first protrusion  4017 . The first protrusion  4017 , the second protrusion  4016  and the third protrusion  4014  are convex structures extending along a radial direction of the second axle hole  4013 , and are arranged around the second axle hole  4013  and evenly spaced from each other. 
     The hook portion  4018  extends from a top end of the first protrusion  4017  towards the second protrusion  4016  to form the hook-like structure. The hook portion  4018  includes a first lateral side  4011  and a second lateral side  4012 , wherein the first lateral side  4011  is closer to the second protrusion  4016  than the second lateral side  4012 . That is, for the hook-like structure, the first lateral side  4011  is an inner surface, and the second lateral side  4012  is an outer surface. A mounting groove  4015  is defined in a side of the third protrusion  4014  interacting with the torsion spring, i.e., the first elastic member  402 . 
     The latch hook  401  is rotatably mounted in the shell  1 , and may be rotated to a third position, a fourth position and a fifth position.  FIGS.  6   a    to  6 C are cross section views of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application with the latch hook at different positions. As shown in  FIG.  6 A , the first elastic member  402  is arranged between the latch hook  401  and the shell  1 , driving the latch hook  401  to move to the third position. When the latch hook  401  is at the third position, the hook portion  4018  is pressed into the latching groove  301  by the first elastic member  402 , which makes the handle  3  be fixed at the first position and maintained securely in a folded state. 
     As shown in  FIG.  6 B , the latch hook  401  at the third position rotates clockwise around the second rotary shaft  10  until it disengages from the latching groove  301 , which makes the handle  3  disengage from the first position and move freely between the first position and the second position. A position of the latch hook  401  at this time is defined as the fourth position. 
     As shown in  FIG.  6 C , when the handle  3  is lifted from the first position, the latch hook  401  rotates counterclockwise about the second rotary shaft  10  to the fifth position under the driving force of the first elastic member  402 . The fifth position of the latch hook  401  is the same as the third position. The latch hook  401  is engaged into the latch groove  301  when the latch hook  401  at the third position, in contrast to the latch hook  401  is disengaged from the latch groove  301  and is below the latch groove  301  when the latch hook  401  at the fifth position. 
     After the user has locked or unlocked the door, and to complete the operation of the panel lock, the handle  3  needs to be rotated and folded from the second position to the first position. When the handle  3  moves from the second position to the first position, and before it contacts the latch hook  401 , the latch hook  401  is maintained at the fifth position under the action of the first elastic member  402 . As soon as the handle  3  contacts the latch hook  401  and under the pressure of the guiding portion  302  of the handle  3 , the latch hook  401  is forced to rotate reversely towards the fourth position against the elastic force of the first elastic member  402 . As the handle  3  continues to move towards the first position, the latch hook  401  rides on the guiding portion  302  until it reaches a point that it can finally enter the latching groove  301  under the driving force of the first elastic member  402 , realizing the secure locking of the handle  3 . 
       FIG.  7    is an assembled view of the latch hook and handle of  FIG.  6   a   . As shown in  FIG.  7   , the hook portion  4018  of the latch hook  401  extends into the latching groove  301  of the handle  3 , realizes the locking of the handle  3  by the latch hook  401  by means of an engagement of a groove wall  3011  of the latching groove  301  and the first lateral side  4011  of the hook portion  4018 . 
     During the reverse rotation of the latch hook  401  pushed by the handle  3 , the guiding portion  302  abuts against the second lateral side  4012  of the latch hook  401  and moves smoothly along the second lateral side  4012  while remaining in contact. Due to the arc shape of the second lateral side  4012 , the guiding portion  302  of the handle  3  pushes away the latch hook  401  from the fifth position to the fourth position when the second lateral side  4012  is pressed down, thereby driving the latch hook  401  to rotate reversely. To facilitate this motion, the guiding portion  302  may be designed to be an arc-shaped structure which induces less resistance to the second lateral side  4012  during movement. Similarly, the second lateral side  4012  may be an arc surface to reduce the friction force between the guiding portion  302  and the second lateral side  4012 . 
     It can be seen from the above description that with the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application, automatic locking of the handle  3  can be realized during the movement of the handle  3  from the second position to the first position, thereby preventing the handle  3  from disengaging from the first groove  101 , and ensuring the reliability and safety of the panel lock. In addition, locking of the handle  3  is realized synchronously in folding process, and no other locking action is required, which has better convenience and saves time. 
     When the handle  3  is locked by the second locking assembly  4 , the handle  3  needs to be unlocked if it needs to be used again. In view of this, the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application further includes an unlocking device, which can drive the latch hook  401  to rotate reversely to move from the third position to the fourth position, so that the hook portion  4018  of the latch hook  401  is disengaged from the latching groove  301  of the handle  3  to realize unlocking of the handle  3  by the latch hook  401 . 
     For the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application, the second locking assembly  4  cooperates with the handle  3  to lock the handle  3 , and the unlocking device cooperates with the locking assembly  4  to unlock the handle  3 . Such design enables the handle  3  to be stably locked in the first groove  101  and the second groove  104  of the shell  1  in the nonworking state, which avoids the influence of unstable environment on the shaking of the handle  3  and enhances the safety of the panel lock, meeting the requirements of locks under different working conditions. Further, the unlocking device is provided to ensure normal use of the panel lock. 
     The unlocking device includes the first unlocking assembly  5 , which includes an unlocking member  501  and a drive mechanism  502  connected to the unlocking member  501 . The unlocking member  501  is movably mounted in the shell  1  to drive the drive mechanism  502  to move. The moving drive mechanism  502  acts on the third protrusion  4014  of the latch hook  401 , driving the latch hook  401  to rotate reversely about the second rotary shaft  10  by means of pushing the third protrusion  4014 , thereby the latch hook  401  moving to the fourth position to realize unlocking of the latch hook  401 . The unlocking member  501  includes an operation end exposed toward the front side of the shell  1 , and the user can unlock the handle  3  by operating the operation end. 
     After unlocking of the handle  3 , the user can lift the handle  3  to the second position and rotate the handle  3  to drive the first rotary shaft  201  to rotate, the first rotary shaft  201  drives the locking tab  202  to rotate to realize locking and unlocking of the panel lock. In one embodiment, when the user lifts the handle  3  from the first position to the second position, the locking tab  202  moves downward to release the pressure on the door, and when the handle  3  is rotated around the first rotary shaft  201  axis, it drives the first rotary shaft  201  to rotate as well which in turn, drives the locking tab  202  to rotate, so that the locking tab  202  is moved to the unlocking position, thereby realizing a switch between the locking position and the unlocking position of the panel lock. 
       FIG.  8    is a schematic view of the first unlocking assembly of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application, and  FIG.  9    is a schematic view of the first unlocking assembly at the rear side of the shell. As shown in  FIG.  8    and  FIG.  9   , the unlocking member  501  includes a locking core  503 , and the drive mechanism  502  includes a driven member  504 , a first slider  505  and a first conversion unit. The locking core  503  is vertically mounted on the front surface of the shell  1 , and can rotate under the action of a key  506 . The driven member  504  is arranged at a bottom of the locking core  503 , and can rotate along with the locking core  503 . The first slider  505  is slidably mounted in the shell  1 , and contacts the third protrusion  4014  of the latch hook  401  during the sliding process, and pushes the latch hook  401  to move to the fourth position against the force of the first elastic member  402 . 
     The first conversion unit is arranged between the driven member  504  and the first slider  505 , and converts the rotation of the driven member  504  to the sliding motion of the first slider  505 . The latch hook  401  moves to the fourth position under the driving action of the first slider  505 . 
       FIG.  10   a    is a schematic view of the driven member of the first unlocking assembly of  FIG.  8   ;  FIG.  10   b    is a side view of the driven member of  FIG.  10   a   ;  FIG.  10   c    is another side view of the driven member of  FIG.  10   a   ;  FIG.  11   a    is a schematic view of a first slider of the first unlocking assembly of  FIG.  8   ; and  FIG.  11   b    is a top view of the first slider of  FIG.  11   a   . As shown in  FIG.  8    to  FIG.  11   b   , the first conversion unit includes a rotation protrusion  5041  protruding from the driven member  504  and a slot  5051  defined in the first slider  505 . The rotation protrusion  5041  and the slot  5051  cooperate with each other to implement the transformation from rotation to linear motion. 
     Obviously, positions of the rotation protrusion  5041  and the slot  5051  can be interchanged. In addition, the first conversion unit can be any rotation-linear motion conversion structures, which will not be listed here. For example, the first conversion unit may include a gear provided on one of the driven member  504  and the first slider  505 , and a rack provided on the other one of the driven member  504  and the first slider  505 . The gear and rack mesh with each other to implement the transformation from rotation to linear motion. 
       FIG.  12    shows a working state of the first unlocking assembly of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application. As shown in  FIG.  12   , the working principle of the first unlocking assembly  5  is: the key  506  is inserted in the locking core  503  and then turned by the user, the driven member  504  at the bottom of the locking core  503  is driven to rotate along with the locking core  503 , and rotation of the driven member  504  is converted to straight movement of the first slider  505  under the action of the first conversion unit, the first slider  505  thus slides to contact the third protrusion  4014  of the latch hook  401  and pushes the latch hook  401  to move to the fourth position against the force of the first elastic member  401  to realize unlocking of the handle  3 . 
     The drive mechanism  502  further includes a restoring spring  507 , which is preferably a torsion spring and sleeved on the driven member  504  to provide torque to restore the rotated driven member  504  to the initial position. Since the locking core  503  and the driven member  504  are designed in linkage, the restoring spring  507  can restore the released locking core  503  to the initial position through the driven member  504 . 
       FIG.  13    is a schematic view of the first unlocking assembly of the panel lock provided by another embodiment of the present application.  FIG.  14   a    and  FIG.  14   b    show the first unlocking assembly of  FIG.  13    in different working states. For the first unlocking assembly  5  shown in  FIG.  13   ,  FIG.  14   a    and  FIG.  14   b   , the unlocking member  501  includes a locking core  503  and an unlocking button  510 , and the drive mechanism  502  includes a second slider  508  and a second conversion unit. 
     The unlocking button  510  is provided with a sliding protrusion  5101  on an outer circumferential surface thereof, and is arranged in the shell  1  and slidably along the first axis by the sliding protrusion  5101 . The locking core  503  is inserted into the unlocking button  510 , i.e., the unlocking button  510  is mounted around the locking core  503 . The locking core  503  can rotate around the central axis parallel to the first rotary shaft  201  in the unlocking button  510 , and can slide along with the unlocking button  510  through internal mating structures. 
     The bottom of the locking core  503  is provided with a limiting protrusion  5031 , and the shell  1  defines a limiting groove  110  corresponding to the limiting protrusion  5031 . The limiting protrusion  5031  is aligned with the limiting groove  110  after rotating to a preset angle along with the locking core  503 . The limiting protrusion  5031  aligned the limiting groove  110  can enter the limiting groove  110  and slide along the first axis in the limiting groove  110 . Before the limiting protrusion  5031  rotates to the preset angle, the limiting protrusion  5031  deviates from the limiting groove  110  and cannot enter the limiting groove  110 , thus the limiting protrusion  5031  is restricted above the limiting groove  110 . The shapes of the limiting protrusion  5031  and the limiting groove  110  may be elongated strip, cross, square, triangle, etc. 
     A compression spring  509  is provided between the bottom of the locking core  503  and the shell  1 . The compression spring  509  drives the limiting protrusion  5031  to move to a position disengaged from the limiting groove  110 . In other words, when the limiting protrusion  503  aligns with the limiting groove  110  and enters the limiting groove  110 , the elastic force of the compression spring  509  needs to be overcome. 
     The second slider  508  is slidably mounted in the shell  1 , and contacts the third protrusion  4014  of the latch hook  401  during the sliding process, so as to push the latch hook  401  to move to the fourth position against the elastic force of the first elastic member  402 . 
     The second conversion unit is arranged between the second slider  508  and the unlocking button  510  to convert the sliding motion of the unlocking button  510  into the sliding motion of the second slider  508 . In this embodiment, the second conversion unit includes an inclined face  5081  provided on the second slider  508  and a driving end provided at the bottom of the unlocking button  510 . The inclined face  5081  is a slope inclined along the sliding direction between the second slider  508  and the unlocking button  510 , and the driving end of the unlocking button  510  abuts against the inclined face  5081 . During the movement of the unlocking button  510 , conversion is completed by the cooperation of the driving end and the inclined face  5081 . Obviously, to reduce the friction force with the inclined face  5081 , the driving end may be a smooth curved surface structure or an inclined surface structure corresponding to the inclined face  5081 . In addition, the inclined face and the driving end may be replaced by matching curved surfaces. 
     The working principle of the first unlocking assembly  5  is as follows: please refer to  FIG.  14   a   , the limiting groove  110  and the limiting protrusion  5031  are not aligned in general, and thus the limiting protrusion  5031  cannot move if the unlocking button  510  is pressed. Referring to  FIG.  14   b   , after the locking core  503  is rotated by the key  506  to make the limiting groove  110  be aligned with the limiting protrusion  5031 , the unlocking button  510  is pressed to make the locking core  503  to move downward along with the unlocking button  510 . The driving end of the unlocking button  510  drives the second slider  508  to slide toward the latch hook  401  through the inclined face  5081 , and the second slider  508  contacts the third protrusion  4014  of the latch hook  401  and pushes the latch hook  401  to move to the fourth position against the force of the first elastic member  402 , thereby realizing unlocking of the handle  3 . After unlocking of the handle  3 , the unlocking button  510  is released, and the compression spring  509  drives the limiting protrusion  5031  to disengage from the limiting groove  110 . 
     In the above embodiments, the locking core  503  acts as the unlocking member, or the locking core  503  and the unlocking button  510  cooperatively act as the unlocking member. Obviously, the unlocking member may be formed by the unlocking button  510 , without the locking core  503 . In this way, the unlocking operation of the handle  3  can be realized without rotating the key, making the operation quicker and more convenient for those units that do not require secure access. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the unlocking device of the panel lock may further include a second unlocking assembly  8 .  FIG.  15    is a schematic view of the second unlocking assembly of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application,  FIG.  16    is a schematic view of a portion of the shell corresponding to the second unlocking assembly, and  FIG.  17    shows a working state of the second unlocking assembly of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application. As shown in  FIG.  15    to  FIG.  17   , the second unlocking assembly  8  includes an unlocking shaft  801  and a first sealing ring  802 . The unlocking shaft  8  is rotatably mounted in the shell  1  about a third axis. That is, the unlocking shaft  8  is parallel to the rotation direction of the latch hook  401 . 
     The unlocking shaft  8  is a shaft-shaped structure extending along the cam axis  8011 , and includes a cam portion  8012 , a sealing groove  8014  and a driving joint  8013  arranged along the cam axis  8011 . During assembly, the cam portion  8012  is at a position that can contact the second projection  4016  of the latch hook  401  during rotation. The cam portion  8012  drives the latch hook  401  to rotate through the action onto the second projection  4016  to realize disengagement of the latch hook  401  from the latching groove  301  of the handle  3 , thereby unlocking the handle  3 . 
     The driving joint  8013  extends beyond the shell  1 , and a first sealing ring  802  is accommodated in the sealing groove  8014  to seal a connection positon of the shell  1  and the unlocking shaft  8 , ensuring the tightness of the panel lock. The driving joint  8013  includes an external interface for connecting an external module  9 . 
       FIG.  18    is an assembled view of the panel lock and the external module. By docking the external module  9  with the first drive joint  8013 , the external module  9  can drive the unlocking shaft  8  to rotate, so that the latch hook  401  is driven to rotate reversely through the cooperation of the cam portion  8012  and the second projection  4016 , so as to realize disengagement of the latch hook  401  from the latching groove  301  of the handle  3  and complete the unlocking of the handle  3 . It can be seen that the panel lock provided in the embodiments of the present application reserves the external interface for installing the external module  9 , which can realize remotely controlled, mechanical or electronic unlocking of the handle  3 . 
     The rear side of the shell  1  is provided with a mounting post  103  for inserting the external module  9 . An interface of the driving joint  8013  is a hole defined in an end of the unlocking shaft  8 , and a first alignment label  8015  is formed at a periphery of the hole. The shell  1  forms a second alignment label  105  corresponding to the first alignment label  8015 . The alignment of the external module  9  and the shell  1  is obtained by the first alignment label  8015  and the second alignment label  105 . 
     The panel lock provided in the embodiment of the present application includes the external module  9 , so that the handle  3  of the panel lock can be unlocked by external related equipment. The external module  9  just needs to drive the unlocking shaft  8  to rotate to unlock the handle  3  after assembled with the mounting post  103 , which increases the expandability of the panel lock. 
     In addition, by providing the first sealing ring  802 , a sealing performance of the panel lock is ensured while retaining the external interface. 
     Further, the unlocking shaft  8  may also be provided with a position sensor for feeding back a rotation angle of the unlocking shaft  8  to the external module  9 . The external module  9  can adjust the state of the unlocking shaft  8  in real-time according to the rotation angle of the unlocking shaft, so as to avoid that too large or too small rotation angle of the unlocking shaft  8  influences the opening or closing of the panel lock. 
     It should be noted that the first unlocking assembly  5  and the second unlocking assembly  8  can work separately. Therefore, in other embodiments, the panel lock may only include the first unlocking assembly  5 , or only include the second unlocking assembly  8 , or include both the first unlocking assembly  5  and the second unlocking assembly  8 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  19    to  FIG.  21   , the shell  1  of this embodiment includes a shell body and a rear cover  106 . The shell body opens backwardly, and the rear cover  106  is in snap-fit connection with the shell body to realize to seal of the shell  1 . The shell body is provided with a first sealing surface  1062 , and the first sealing surface  1062  is elliptic-shaped and surrounds the aperture. The rear cover  106  is provided with a second sealing surface  1061  corresponding to the first sealing surface  1062 . A second sealing ring  107  is arranged between the first sealing surface  1062  and the second sealing surface  1061  to realize the sealing effect and improve the sealing performance. 
     The panel lock provided in the embodiment of the present application further includes an ejection device. The ejection device is arranged between the handle  3  and the shell  1 , and ejects the handle  3  to a middle position between the first position and the second position after the handle  3  is unlocked. 
     The ejection device includes a first ejection mechanism  6  which includes a third elastic member  601 , a mounting base  602 , and a spring cap  603 . The mounting base  602  is disposed inside the handle  3  and located at a side of the handle  3  facing to the shell  1 . One end of the third elastic member  601  is mounted in the mounting base  602 , and the spring cap  603  is mounted to the other end of the third elastic member  601 . 
     In this embodiment, the first ejection mechanism  6  can eject the handle  3  with the preset angle when the latch hook  401  is disengaged from the latch groove  301  of the handle  3  and the user needs to lift the handle  3  to the second position. It can be seen that this ejection device can make the handle  3  eject with the preset angle before the user holds the handle  3 , so that there is enough space to insert user&#39;s fingers to hold the handle  3 , which makes it easier to hold the handle  3  and enhances the operability of the panel lock, especially when the user wears thick gloves. In addition, thanks to the ejection device, it is not necessary to set the first groove deep, which improves the aesthetics of the panel lock. 
     In this embodiment, the panel lock has three usage statuses. When the panel lock needs to be locked, the first locking assembly  2  locks the panel lock with the door, and the second locking assembly  4  fix the handle  3  in the first groove  101  and the second groove  104  of the front side of the shell  1 , thereby preventing the handle  3  from shaking due to external unstable factors, this is defined as a locked status. When the panel lock needs to open, the second locking assembly  4  unlocks the handle  3 , and the first ejection mechanism  6  ejects the handle  3  with the preset angle for user&#39;s holding, this is defined as an ejection status. The handle  3  is lifted to the second position then rotated by the user to drive the first rotary shaft  201  to rotate, driving the locking tab  202  of the first locking assembly  2  to rotate together, thereby opening the panel lock and realizing unlock, this is defined as an unlocked status. 
     In an alternative embodiment, referring to  FIG.  1   , the first ejection mechanism  6  further includes a limiting screw  604 , and the second groove  104  of the shell  1  is provided with a boss  102  at a position thereof corresponding to the first ejection mechanism  6 . 
     The limiting screw  604  is installed beside a sidewall of the mounting base  602 , and is parallel to the sidewall of the mounting base  602 . A head of the limiting screw  604  extends beyond the sidewall of the mounting base  602  to limit a moving range of the spring cap  603  in the mounting base  602 . The limiting screw  604  adjusts the ejection angle of the handle  3  to a desired value by restricting the maximum movement of the spring cap  603 . For example, the ejection angle of the handle  3  may be adjusted to a value between 0 and 10 degrees. 
     The boss  102  cooperates with the first ejection mechanism  6  to eject the handle  3  with the preset angle. Generally, the preset angle is about 10 degrees. In this situation, the handle  3  will not pop up too much to occupy space, nor does it pop up too low to be difficult to hold. 
     The ejection device may further include a second ejection mechanism.  FIG.  22    is a schematic view of the second ejection mechanism of the panel lock provided by the embodiment of the present application,  FIG.  23   a    is a schematic view of a spring bracket of the second ejection mechanism of  FIG.  22   , and  FIG.  23   b    is a side view of the spring bracket of  FIG.  23   a   .  FIGS.  24   a  and  24   b    show working states of the second ejection mechanism of  FIG.  22   . Refer to  FIG.  22    to  FIG.  24   b   , the second ejection mechanism  7  is arranged at a position where the handle  3  is close to the first rotary shaft  201 , and includes a spring bracket  702  and an ejecting spring  701 . The spring bracket  702  is rotatably mounted to the handle  3  about a second axis. That is, the rotation axis of the spring bracket  702  with respect to the handle  3  is parallel to the rotation axis of the handle  3  with respect to the first rotation shaft  201 . The ejecting spring  701  is preferably a torsion spring, one end of the ejecting spring  701  abuts against the handle  3 , and the other end of the ejecting spring  701  is connected to the spring bracket  702 . 
     The handle  3  is provided with a second axle hole  7031  at a position close to the first axle hole  3031 . A bracket shaft  703  is mounted in the second axle hole  7031  and parallel to the handle shaft  303 . A third axle hole  7023  is defined in the spring bracket  702 . The spring bracket  702  is rotatably mounted to the handle  3  through the bracket shaft  703  which is inserted in the third axle hole  7023  and the second axle hole  7031 . 
     The spring bracket  702  includes a first limiting surface  7021  and a second limiting surface  7022  which surround the third axle hole  7023 . During the movement, the spring bracket  702  rotates about the bracket shaft  703  under the action of the ejecting spring  701 , and abuts against a blocking surface  3041  of the handle  3  through the first limiting surface  7021 . During approaching of the handle  3  towards the first rotary shaft  201 , a first surface  2011  of the first rotary shaft  201  adjacent to the spring bracket  702  abuts against the second limiting surface  7022 , and drives the spring bracket  702  to rotate, so that the first limiting surface  7021  moves away from the blocking surface  3041 . 
     The working principle of the second ejection mechanism  7  is: after the handle  3  at the first position is released, the first surface  2011  interacts with the second limiting surface  7022 , and ejects a certain angle under the action of the ejecting spring  701  until the first limiting surface  7021  contacts the blocking surface  3041 . 
     The second ejection mechanism  7  may be used in conjunction with the first ejection mechanism  6  or may be used separately. In addition, by adjusting an angle between the first limiting surface  7021  and the second limiting surface  7022 , the ejection angle of the handle  3  under the action of the second ejection mechanism  7  can be adjusted, for example, to a value between 0 and 10 degrees. 
     In an alternative embodiment, referring to  FIG.  1   , the panel lock further includes an adjusting spring  205  and a fixing ring  2032  arranged on the first rotary shaft  201 . The first rotary shaft  201  is slidably mounted in the shell  1  along the first axis. The adjusting spring  205  is sleeved on the first rotary shaft  201  and is sandwiched between the shell  1  and the fixing ring  2032 , and drives the first rotary shaft  201  to slide toward the rear side of the shell  1  through the fixing ring  2032 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  22   , an end of the handle  3  connected to the first rotary shaft  201  includes the first axle hole  3031  and third and fourth limiting surfaces  306 ,  307  surrounding the first axle hole  3031 . A distance between the third limiting surface  306  and the first axle hole  3031  is less than a distance between the fourth limiting surface  307  and the first axle hole  3031 . The fourth limiting surface  307  abuts against the shell  1  when the handle  3  at the first position, and the third limiting surface  306  against the shell  1  when the handle  3  at the second position. 
     In an alternative embodiment, a wear pad may be inserted between the shell  1  and the handle  3  to reduce the friction therebetween. 
     Since the first rotary shaft  201  and the handle  3  are rotatably connected through the handle shaft  303 , when the adjusting spring  205  pushes the fixing ring  2032  downwardly, the force is transmitted to the handle  3  through the first rotary shaft  201 , and the handle  3  will press the shell  1  at the position of the handle shaft  303 . When the handle  3  moves from the first position to the second position, the contacting surface between the handle  3  and the shell  1  is switched from the fourth limiting surface  307  to the third limiting surface  306 . The distance between the third limiting surface  306  and the first axle hole  3031  is less than the distance between the fourth limiting surface  307  and the first axle hole  3031 , and a difference may be 4 mm, thus the first rotary shaft  201  and the locking tab  202  move a short distance, such as 4 mm, towards the rear side of the shell  1  under the driving of the adjusting spring  205 , which makes the locking tab  202  move away from the surface of the locking position, reduce the friction force during rotation of the locking tab  202 , finally the handle is easier to twist or swing and the panel lock is easier to unlock. 
     In an alternative embodiment, referring to  FIG.  1    and  FIG.  25   , the panel lock further includes a sleeve  206 , which is mounted on a hinge portion of the first rotary shaft  201  and the handle  3 . The sleeve  206  is generally a plastic cover for decorative purposes. By surrounding the rotating position of the first rotary shaft  201  and the handle  3 , the sleeve  206  can prevent dust and debris from entering the panel lock. In addition, the sliding range of the first rotary shaft  201  and the locking tab  202  under the driving of the adjusting spring  205  can be adjusted. 
     In an alternative embodiment, referring to  FIG.  24   a    and  FIG.  24   b   , the end of the handle  3  connected to the first rotary shaft  201  is provided with a fifth limiting surface  305  parallel to the first axle hole  3031 . The first rotary shaft  201  includes a third surface opposite to the first surface  2011 . The third surface defines a rotation limiting groove  2012 . After the handle  3  is rotated to the second position, the fifth limiting surface  305  enters the rotation limiting groove  2012 , and the rotation limiting groove  2012  cooperates with the fifth limiting surface  305  to prevent the handle  3  from further rotating. 
     In an alternative embodiment, an outer surface of the handle  3  is below the highest point of the periphery of the first groove  101 . Such design makes the handle  3  be lower than the outer surface of the shell  1  when the handle  3  in the locked status, and avoids to occupy too much space and some unnecessary rubbing. 
     The above merely provides the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, which is illustrative, rather than restrictive, to the present disclosure. However, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that, many variations, modifications even substitutions that do not depart from the spirit and scope defined by the present disclosure, shall fall into the extent of protection of the present disclosure.