Inner-lock foldable joint

ABSTRACT

An inner-lock foldable joint has two base plates. One side of each base plate is articulated with the other base plate by way of a hinge. When a user rotates a lever to lock the two base plates, a braking mechanism drives a latching block to move forward, and two flanges of the latching block are inserted into a groove within a depression on one or both of the base plates.

INFORMATION

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification.

The use of a letter in association with a reference number is intended to show alternative embodiments or examples of the item to which the reference number is connected.

Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. . In the present invention, an inner-lock foldable joint comprises two base plates , ; a latching block , and a breaking mechanism .

The two base plates , are respectively connected to two bars , , and one side of each base plate is articulated with the other base plate by way of a hinge , so the two base plates , can be in an open state as shown in FIG. 1, or in a closed state as shown in FIG. .

Two depressions , are separately present on opposing sides of the two base plates , , and two grooves , are disposed along corresponding edges of the two depressions , . Furthermore, a latching block is moveably mounted in one of the depressions , , and in this embodiment is disposed in the depression . One side of the latching block comprises two flanges , . The two flanges , of the latching block can be inserted into the grooves , of the two base plates , , which also means the shape of the two flanges , are matched to the shape of the grooves ,

The main purpose of the braking mechanism is to move the latching block . By controlling the position of the latching block , the two base plates , can be in an open and unlatched condition, as shown in FIG. 1, or in a closed and latched condition as shown in FIG. .

In this embodiment, the braking mechanism comprises a push rod , a stop plate , a reposition spring , an eccentric wheel and a lever . One end of the eccentric wheel is connected to one end of the lever . One end of the push rod is connected to the latching block , and another end touches the eccentric wheel . The stop plate is fixed on the depression , and the reposition spring is fixed on the push rod between the stop plate and the eccentric wheel . When the lever is pressed down, the eccentric wheel pushes the push rod to move toward to the grooves , of two base plates , , so the two flanges , of the latching block respectively insert into the grooves , of the two base plates , , as in the closed and latched state shown in FIG. and FIG. . When the lever is pulled up (the eccentric wheel leaves the push rod ), the reposition spring pulls back the push rod so the two flanges , of the latching block leave the grooves , , as depicted in the open state shown in FIG. .

Please refer to FIG. and FIG. . In a second embodiment, the operating principle is similar to that in the first embodiment, the only difference being that a breaking mechanism in the second embodiment has a different structure. A lever of the breaking mechanism is placed on one side of the base plates , and is connected to the eccentric wheel via a link rod . The eccentric wheel pushes against the latching block . Furthermore, two reposition springs are connected between two stop plates and the latching block . By operating the lever , the eccentric wheel pushes the latching block towards the grooves , , as shown in FIG. 4, or the reposition springs pull the latching block out of the grooves , , as shown in FIG. .

Please refer to FIG. 6 to FIG. 8. A third embodiment utilizes the same operating principle as the other two embodiments with regards to the positional relationship between the latching block and the grooves to provide the latched and unlatched states. However, in the third embodiment, two grooves , are disposed along two sides of the base plate , and two grooves , are disposed along two sides of the base plate . Additionally, a breaking mechanism is somewhat changed. A lever of the breaking mechanism is connected to a rotatable bar via an axel . Additionally, two link bars , are respectively connected to either end of the rotatable bar . The two link bars , are also connected by their other ends to two latching blocks , . When the user rotates the lever , which causes the rotatable bar and the two link bars , to line up in parallel, the two latching blocks , move into the grooves , , , , as shown in FIG. 7, or the two latching blocks , separate from the grooves , , , , as shown in FIG. .

Please refer to FIG. and FIG. 10. A fourth embodiment continues to utilize the same operational principle of the other three embodiments. The fourth embodiment is similar to the third embodiment. Two latching blocks each have two guide troughs , and two pins , , and two ends of the rotatable bar are moveably connected to the two latching blocks , . When the user rotates the lever, the rotatable bar and the latching blocks , are perpendicular to each other, and so the two latching blocks , move towards the grooves , , , , as shown in FIG. 9, or the two latching blocks , separate from the grooves , , , , as shown in FIG. .

Please refer to FIG. and FIG. . In the fifth embodiment, the lever of the braking mechanism utilizes a rotating pin to eccentrically articulate with respect to an edge of the base plate in opposition to the hinge shaft . An auto-rotating shaft pin is placed near the rotating pin , and a pull rod is fixed thereon. An end of the pull rod is connected to the latching block . When the lever is pulled, the shaft pin drives the pull rod and latching block to move within the depression . As in the above description, the lever can drive the latching block into or out of the groove (not shown in FIG. and FIG. ). The main purpose of this embodiment is to show that the lever can be on a side that is different from that of the hinge shaft (they are on the same side in the first embodiment), and that the groove can be placed on the same side as the hinge shaft (the grooves , are on opposite sides of the hinge shaft in the first embodiment).

The invention has been described using exemplary preferred embodiments. However, for those skilled in this field the preferred embodiments can be easily adapted and modified to suit additional applications without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Thus, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements based upon the same operating principles. The scope of the claims, therefore, should be accorded the broadest interpretations so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.

Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an inner-lock foldable joint according to the present invention, which shows two base plates in an open condition.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the inner-lock foldable joint according to the present invention, which shows two base plates in a lock-up condition.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional drawing of the first embodiment of the inner-lock foldable joint according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a structure schematic drawing of a second embodiment which shows a latching block moving into a groove.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional drawing of the second embodiment which shows a latching block leaving the groove.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a structure schematic drawing of a third embodiment according to the present invention which shows a latching block moving into the groove.

FIG. 8 is a structure schematic drawing of a third embodiment according to the present invention which shows a latching block leaving the groove.

FIG. 9 is a structure schematic drawing of a fourth embodiment according to the present invention which shows a latching block moving into the groove.

FIG. 10 is a structure schematic drawing of a fourth embodiment according to the present invention which shows a latching block leaving the groove.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a structure schematic drawing of a fifth embodiment according to the present invention.

CLAIMS

1. An inner-lock foldable joint comprising: two base plates rotatably connected by a hinge, each base plate having a depression; at least one groove disposed along an edge of one of the depressions; at least one latching block moveably mounted in one of the depressions; a braking mechanism attached to the latching block for driving the latching block into or out of the groove; wherein when the latching block moves into the groove, the two base plates are in a latched state, and the latching block is not in the groove, the two base plates are in an unlatched state; and wherein a groove is placed on two sides of the depression within the base plate, and the braking mechanism has one latching block capable of moving along the groove.

2. The inner-lock foldable joint as claimed in claim 1 wherein the latching block has two flanges which are of a matched shape with the groove.

3. The inner-lock foldable joint as claimed in claim 1 wherein the groove is placed on an opposite side from the hinge.

4. The inner-lock foldable joint as claimed in claim 1 wherein the groove is placed on the same side of the hinge.

5. The inner-lock foldable joint as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one groove is placed on two sides of the depression within the base plate, and the braking mechanism has two slidable latching blocks.

6. The inner-lock foldable joint as claimed in claim 1 wherein the braking mechanism further comprises: a lever; an eccentric wheel connected to one end of the lever; a push rod, one end of the push rod connected to the latching block and another end abutting the eccentric wheel; a stop plate fixed within the depression; and a reposition spring placed on the push bar between the stop plate and the eccentric wheel; wherein the eccentric wheel is capable of pushing the push rod to move towards the groove so that the two base plates are in the latched state, and when the eccentric wheel moves away from the push rod, the reposition spring pulls back the push rod so that the latching block separates from the groove and the two base plates are in the unlatched state.

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