Hasp

Abstract

A hasp cooperable wit a latching member of a latching device employs a convexly shaped spring member to automatically eject or separate the hasp from the latching device when the latching member is moved from latched to unlatched position. The spring member is formed with means for connecting it to the portion of the hasp adapted to receive the latching member in its latched position.

Description

The invention is directed to improvements in hasps made to automatically separate or lift the hasp away from a latching device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As known in the art, hasp assemblies have been constructed so that the part of the assembly cooperable with a latching member of a latching device will automatically be separated or moved away from the latching device when the latching member is retracted to unlatched position. One type of hasp assembly which has long been in commercial use is disclosed in Gehrie U.S. Pat. No. 3,416,338, Dec. 17, 1968. A base or body portion is provided with means for connecting the hasp assembly to a luggage case section or the like. The base portion is formed so that a tongue may be hinged or pivotally connected thereto by a pivot pin. The tongue is provided on its underside with a substantially U-shaped portion to provide an eye or opening which is adapted to receive a retractable latching member constituting part of a latching device, or a latching device provided with locking means. A coiled spring is mounted on the pivot pin and has its respective ends bearing upon the base portion and the tongue to normally urge the tongue toward the up position. When the latching member is retracted from within the eye or aperture on the tongue, the spring causes the tongue to rotate away from the latching device.

A hasp assembly as above described requires a suitable support to enable the connection of the base portion thereto. There are certain applications of a latching device and its essential cooperable hasp which do not afford a suitable support for the base part of the described hasp assembly, for example, where a wire link is required to connect the slider of a slide fastener to a hasp, the hasp in turn being cooperable with a latching device or lock having the retractable latching member.

To furnish a hasp having the automatic disconnecting function for applications of the type wherein a suitable support cannot be provided for the base portion of the hasp assembly, it has been proposed to provide a leaf spring which is riveted at one end to a tongue. The opposite end of the leaf spring is provided with an opening through which the eye or U-shaped hook is extended. The construction requires the use of a rivet, and involves a riveting operation; also, operations are required to form the openings in both the tongue and the leaf spring through which the rivet is extended. Also, the tongue is formed with a hooklike portion for connection to the part to which the hasp is to be attached.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide a hasp of the automatic ejecting type having a simplified construction, and which requires a minimum of manufacturing operations, thereby affording a functionally suitable product which is inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved automatic ejecting type of hasp which is suitable for the applications where the prior art devices cannot be used and if useable, are more expensive to manufacture than the hasp of the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A hasp made in accordance with the invention comprises a body member having a substantially U-shaped portion or eye projecting from its underside to provide an opening adapted to receive a latching member of a latching device, and a convexly shaped spring member connected to the U-shaped portion to furnish the automatic ejection function for the hasp when the latching member is retracted. The convexly shaped spring member has an aperture through which the substantially U-shaped member is extended. The central portion of the convexly shaped spring member normally is located adjacent the base which connects the spaced arms of the U-shaped portion. The convexly shaped spring member is formed with integral means to enable its connection to the hasp body by simply pressing the sides of the spring member, the sides on each side of the aperture, over and beyond the base between the arms of the substantially U-shaped portion.

The hasp of the invention is inexpensive to manufacture; it has but two essential parts. It is functionally suitable for a variety of applications, including applications where the pivoted, spring-mounted tongue type of hasp assembly cannot be used. Also, the hasp of the invention is particularly suitable for mounting upon a flexible member such as a strap of a brief case, or a flexible support in a garment bag or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial, top plan view of a pair of sections of a container having a latching device secured to one section and cooperable with a hasp made in accordance with the invention which is connected to the opposite case section;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the hasp;

FIG. 3 is a transverse, vertical cross section taken approximately in the plane of line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view taken in the direction of line 4-4 of FIG. 1, this view showing parts broken way and in cross section;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the hasp shown in FIGS.1-4;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the spring member which is associated with the body member of the hasp;

FIG. 7 is a partial view of a brief case showing the hasp of the invention mounted upon the connecting strap and related to a latching device;

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the hasp of FIG. 7 and its relationship to the connecting strap to which it is secured; and

FIG. 9 is a cross section taken approximately in the plane of line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1--6, a hasp H made in accordance with the invention is shown related to a latching device L to keep or latch the latching member 10 (FIG. 4) thereto. As illustrated, the latching device L is a combination lock and the hasp H is connected to the lug 12 of a slider 14 of a slide fastener closure for a luggage case, garment bag, or other container by an intermediate wire link 16.

It will be understood that any kind of latching device or lock having a retractable latching member may be used. The hasp of the invention may be related to any articulated member or mounted upon a flexible support. As shown, and where the latching device and cooperable hasp are used for a soft-side luggage case or the like, the latching device is secured by suitable means to one case section A and the hasp is related to the opposite case section A' for alignment with the latching device.

The hasp H comprises a body member 18 having a substantially U-shaped portion 20 projecting from its underside to provide an opening 22. The opening is adapted to receive the retractable latching member 10 of the latching device L as shown in FIG. 4. The body member preferably is made by diecasting, whereby the U-shaped portion is formed as an integral part thereof. As best shown in FIG. 5, the substantially U-shaped portion comprises the spaced arms 24 and the longitudinally extending base 26 between the arms.

A convexly shaped spring member 28 is connected to the substantially U-shaped portion 20. The spring member is preferably rectangular in outline, and has an aperture 30 through which the substantially U-shaped portion 20 is extended. As shown in FIG. 5, the central area or portion 32 of the spring member normally is located adjacent and under the base 26 of the substantially U-shaped portion in the spring member's assembled relationship with the body member.

As shown in FIG. 6, the aperture 30 of the spring member is defined by opposite longitudinally extending sides 34 and longitudinally spaced ends 36 which connect the sides. As shown in FIG. 5, the ends 36 of the spring member are adjacent the body portion 18 for sliding engagement therewith when pressure is applied to the central portion 32 to flatten the convexly shaped spring member. The aperture 30 of the spring member has a length and width greater than the length and thickness of the substantially U-shaped portion 20, except midway of the aperture's length. At such area, the sides 34 are formed to provide opposed, inwardly projecting tabs 38, thereby reducing the width of the aperture at such area. The distance x (FIG. 6) between the tabs is slightly less than the thickness y (FIG. 4) of the base 26 of the substantially U-shaped portion 20. As also shown in FIG. 4, the base 26 has a substantially semicircular cross section to thereby present a curved or beveled surface 40 terminating in a flat surface 42 which, in thickness, provides the aforementioned dimension y.

The convexly shaped spring member 28 is assembled with the body portion 18 of the hasp by positioning the spring member 28 upon the base 26 of the substantially U-shaped portion 20, and applying pressure to the sides 34 to cause the tabs 38 to be sprung apart slightly until the tabs are positioned under the surface 42. The resilient character of the part at the tabbed area causes the tabs 38 to spring back under the surface 42 to complete the connection of the parts. The beveled surface 40 of the base 26 facilitates the connection of the parts.

Where the hasp H is to be connected to a slider by a link as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the body member may be cast with a recess 44 to receive the arms of the wire link 16. The connection of the link to the hasp is completed by positioning an apertured plate 46 in a surrounding larger recess 48. The hasp body 18 may be provided with an integral connecting stud 50 extended through the aperture in the plate 46, and the end of the stud is then headed over. Also, the body member may be cast with a small projecting boss 52 to level the cover plate 46.

In the embodiment of the invention disclosed in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 the hasp, designated H', is shown connected to the flexible strap 54 of a brief case. Any suitable latching device or lock L', such as the illustrated combination lock, is secured to the container portion 56 of the case. The concavely shaped spring member and its relationship to the body member and the substantially U-shaped portion of the body member is essentially the same as hereinbefore described in connection with the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1--6. Like reference characters refer to like parts or elements.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 7--9, the hasp H', which also preferably is made as a diecasting, is formed with a recess 58 on the underside of the body member. The recess is dimensioned to accommodate the end of the strap 54. The strap is provided with a cutout 60 so that the strap may lie in the recess and clear the substantially U-shaped portion 20 having the concavely shaped spring member 28 connected thereto. The body member 61 is provided with a pair of spaced, integral connecting studs 62 which are extended through aligned openings provided in the strap 54, the ends of the connecting studs being headed over to connect the hasp to the strap.

Both embodiments of the hasp H and H', operate in the same manner. When the hasp is to be connected to a latching device, manual pressure upon the hasp causes the base 26 of the U-shaped portion to bear against a curved or beveled surface provided by latching member 10. As is common in the art, the latching member is spring-mounted, and is automatically retracted when engaged under pressure by the base 26, and then will spring forward into the opening 22 provided by the substantially U-shaped portion 20. As the hasp is being pushed down to the position shown for example in FIG. 4, the convexly shaped spring member 28 is flattened, that is, its sides 34 are deformed or flattened against the latching device and the adjoining surface provided by the case section. The flattened sides 34 are substantially parallel to and adjacent the surface of the body member at its juncture with the arms 24. The ends 36 of the spring member are free to slide on the adjacent surface of the body member as the spring is deformed from its normally convex shape to the flattened condition. When the latching member 10 is retracted to unlatched position, the spring member returns its bowed or normally convex shape, thereby causing the hasp to be automatically ejected or separated from the latching device.

It is believed that the advantages and improved results provided by the simplified hasp connection as hereinbefore illustrated and described will be apparent from the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. A hasp cooperable with a latching member of a latching device, the hasp comprising a body member having a substantially U-shaped portion projecting from its underside to provide an opening adapted to receive a latching member in its latched position, and a convexly shaped spring member connected to the substantially U-shaped portion, said spring member having an aperture through which the substantially U-shaped portion is extended, the ends of the spring member being free to slide on the adjacent surface of the body member when the spring member is deformed from its normally convex shape.

2. A hasp according to claim 1, wherein the convexly shaped spring member is provided with integral means connecting the spring member to the substantially U-shaped portion.

3. A hasp according to claim 1, wherein the aperture in the convexly shaped spring member is defined by a pair of longitudinally extending, opposite sides and longitudinally spaced ends, the sides being provided with opposed, inwardly projecting tabs substantially midway of the length of the aperture, the distance between the tabs being slightly less than the thickness of the base of the substantially U-shaped portion and being sprung over the base to connect the spring to the substantially U-shaped portion.

4. A hasp according to claim 3, wherein the sides of the base are beveled to facilitate the connection of the spring member to the substantially U-shaped portion.

5. A hasp according to claim 1, including integral means provided by the body member for the connection of the hasp to a support.

6. A hasp according to claim 1, wherein the body member is provided with a recess on the underside thereof adjacent the substantially U-shaped portion, said recess being adapted to receive supporting means for the hasp, and integral, spaced connecting studs extending from the underside of the body member for connection of the hasp to the supporting means.

7. A hasp according to claim 3, wherein the body member is provided with a recess on the underside thereof adjacent the substantially U-shaped portion, said recess being adapted to receive supporting means for the hasp, and integral, spaced connecting studs extending from the underside of the body member for connection of the hasp to the supporting means.

8. A hasp according to claim 3, wherein the longitudinally spaced ends of the concavely shaped spring member are adjacent the juncture with the body member of the arms of the substantially U-shaped portion.

9. A hasp according to claim 7, wherein the longitudinally spaced ends of the concavely shaped spring member are adjacent the juncture with the body member of the arms of the substantially U-shaped portion.