Patent ID: 7780383

Claim:
A locking system for locking a container to a vehicle, the vehicle including a chassis and a hoist frame liftable and lowerable to load and unload the container, the locking system comprising: a locking assembly comprising: at least one hook for hooking over a portion of the container, the hook having a center of mass located to bias the hook to an unlocked position, and including an outer edge and a notch, the notch including a surface angled downwardly from horizontal when the hook is in a locked position, and a mounting mechanism for pivotably mounting the locking assembly to the hoist frame; and a striker assembly comprising: a striker element comprising an upstanding plate mountable to the chassis, an upper edge of the plate disposed to strike the hook at a location along the outer edge of the hook to move the hook against the bias of the hook's center of mass to a locked position in which the hook is hooked over the portion of the container, a striker biasing element disposed for biasing the striker element into contact with the hook, a positive mechanism disposed for exerting a downward force on the at least one hook to overcome a binding force between the hook and the container when the container is lifted up, the positive mechanism comprising a round member mounted on the upstanding plate below the upper edge to contact the notch in the hook during lifting of the container, and a mounting mechanism for mounting the striker assembly to the vehicle chassis.