Locking Mechanism and Foldable Fence

This application is based upon and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 2024210274115, filed on May 13, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to the field of foldable fences, and in particular to a locking mechanism and a foldable fence.

Existing foldable fences are usually assembled by using a snap-fit connection manner. For example, A detachable corner connecting structure for baby fences, with the publication number of CN 215604523 U, discloses a separate corner connecting member arranged at a first rod body and a second rod body, where the corner connecting member includes a fixing member and a connecting member, the fixing member is connected to the first rod body, and the connecting member is connected to the second rod body, and the fixing member and the connecting member are connected in a snap-fit manner. When the fence needs to be stored, the connecting member and the fixing member are required to be disconnected along a snap-fit direction, thereby realizing the storage of the first rod body and the second rod body. In this process, the friction force required for the snap-fit connection makes it inconvenient to disconnect the first rod body and the second rod body, lacking use convenience.

In view of the above problem, the present disclosure provides a locking mechanism and a foldable fence, which solves the problem of inconvenient use of the foldable fence when disconnection is needed.

To achieve the above objective, in the first aspect, the present disclosure provides a locking mechanism, including a shell, a locking cover, and a locking column. The shell includes a first cavity and at least one second cavity. The first cavity is not communicated with the second cavity. The first cavity is used to place a fixing member, and the second cavity is used to place a movable member. The shell is provided with a first pressing hole on an inner side wall where the first cavity is located. The locking cover is arranged on an outer side wall of the shell, and the locking cover has a first connecting end and a first covering end. The first connecting end is hinged with the shell, and the first covering end is used to cover the first pressing hole. The locking column is arranged on the fixing member, and an elastic member is further arranged between the locking column and the fixing member. The locking column can be placed in a locked position and an unlocked position. When the locking column is placed in the locked position, the elastic member is in a naturally extended state to enable the locking column to protrude out of the first pressing hole from the first cavity, and the first covering end covers the first pressing hole. When the locking column is placed in the unlocked position, the first covering end is separated from the first pressing hole, the elastic member is compressed by force, and the locking column retracts from the first pressing hole into the first cavity.

In some embodiments, the shell is further provided with a first protrusion, and the first protrusion is arranged at a hinge between the first connecting end and the shell and arranged on a rotation path of the first connecting end. The first connecting end is provided with a first groove of a first predetermined length, the groove body of the first groove extends corresponding to the rotation path of the first connecting end, and the first protrusion is adapted to the first groove.

In some embodiments, a torsion spring is further included. The torsion spring is sleeved on a hinge axis between the first connecting end and the shell. One end of the torsion spring is connected to the shell, and the other end of the torsion spring is connected to the locking cover.

In some embodiments, a first pressing plate is further included. One end of the first pressing plate is connected to an edge of the first pressing hole, and the other end of the first pressing plate extends toward the first pressing hole. The projection of the locking column in a pressing direction is placed in an area covered by the first pressing plate.

In some embodiments, an outer surface of the first pressing plate is provided with anti-slip protrusions distributed in a predetermined manner.

In some embodiments, the shell further includes a first opening and a second opening. The first opening is arranged toward a first direction and communicated with the second cavity. The second opening is arranged toward a second direction. There is a certain angle between the first direction and the second direction. The first opening and the second opening are communicated and arranged adjacent to each other.

In some embodiments, the shell further includes a third opening and a fourth opening. The third opening is arranged toward a third direction and communicated with the first cavity. The fourth opening is arranged opposite to the third opening and communicated with the first cavity.

In some embodiments, the number of the second cavity is multiple, a plurality of second cavities are distributed along a circumferential direction of the first cavity, and two adjacent second cavities are arranged at a predetermined angle.

In some embodiments, the predetermined angle is 90 degrees or 180 degrees.

In the second aspect, the present disclosure further provides a foldable fence, including a locking mechanism, a first fixing rod, and a first movable rod. The locking mechanism is the locking mechanism described in the first aspect. The first fixing rod is the fixing member in the locking mechanism. The first fixing rod is placed in the first cavity. The first fixing rod can move relative to the first cavity. The locking column is connected to the first fixing rod through the elastic member. The first movable rod is the movable member in the locking mechanism. One first movable rod is arranged in one second cavity, and an end of the first movable rod is hinged with the shell on a side wall where the second cavity is located. The first movable rod can rotate relative to the second cavity.

Different from the prior art, in the above technical solution, the locking mechanism includes the shell, the locking cover, and the locking column. The shell includes the first cavity and at least one second cavity. The first cavity is not communicated with the second cavity. The first cavity is used to place the fixing member, and the second cavity is used to place the movable member. The shell is provided with the first pressing hole on the inner side wall where the first cavity is located. The locking cover is arranged on the outer side wall of the shell, and the locking cover has the first connecting end and the first covering end. The first connecting end is hinged with the shell, and the first covering end is used to cover the first pressing hole. The locking column is arranged on the fixing member, and the elastic member is further arranged between the locking column and the fixing member. The locking column can be placed in a locked position and an unlocked position. When the locking column is placed in the locked position, the elastic member is in a naturally extended state to enable the locking column to protrude out of the first pressing hole from the first cavity, and the first covering end covers the first pressing hole. At this time, the fixing member remains fixed relative to the first cavity. When the locking column is placed in the unlocked position, the first covering end is separated from the first pressing hole, the elastic member is compressed by force, the locking column retracts from the first pressing hole into the first cavity, and the fixing member can be moved out of the first cavity. In the foldable fence, the first fixing rod is the fixing member, and the first movable rod is the movable member. Through this locking mechanism, it is only necessary to press the locking column to realize the movement operation of the first fixing rod relative to the first cavity, and meanwhile to achieve the bending operation of the first movable rod relative to the first fixing rod driven by the locking mechanism, thereby implementing the storage of the first fixing rod and the first movable rod without the need of separate disassembly or engagement. The entire fence is easily folded and convenient for use. At the same time, the locking cover provided can prevent the foldable fence from being accidentally touched during use, effectively ensuring the stability of the foldable fence during use.

The above-mentioned recitation related to the contents of the present disclosure is only a summary of the technical solutions of the present disclosure. In order to enable those skilled in the art to more clearly understand the technical solutions of the present disclosure and then to implement them according to the text of the specification and the contents recorded in the drawings, and to facilitate the understanding of the above-mentioned objectives as well as other purposes, features, and advantages of the present disclosure, the following is a description in combination with the specific embodiments and drawings of the present disclosure.

The reference numerals involved in the above figures are illustrated as follows:

To explain in detail the possible application scenarios, technical principles, specific schemes that can be implemented, and purposes and effects that can be achieved of the present disclosure, the following is a detailed description in combination with the listed specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described in the present disclosure are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure and therefore only used as examples, and cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

The “embodiment” mentioned in the present disclosure means that the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in combination with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The term “embodiment” appearing in various places of the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it specifically limit its independence or relevance with other embodiments. In principle, in the present disclosure, as long as there is no technical contradiction or conflict, various technical features mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any way to form the corresponding implementable technical solution.

Unless otherwise defined, the meaning of the technical terms used in the present disclosure is the same as the meaning generally understood by skilled persons in the art to which the present disclosure belongs; the use of relevant terms in the present disclosure is only for describing the specific embodiments, and is not intended to limit the present disclosure.

In the description of the present disclosure, the term “and/or” is an expression used to describe the logical relationship between objects, indicating that there may be three relationships, for example, A and/or B means: A exists, B exists, and A and B exist at the same time. In addition, the character “/” in the present disclosure generally indicates that the objects associated before and after are in an “or” logical relationship.

In the present disclosure, the terms such as “first”, “second”, and the like are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual quantity, priority, or order relationship between these entities or operations.

Without further restrictions, in the present disclosure, the expression “include”, “comprise”, “have/has”, or other similar expressions used in the sentence are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, and these expressions do not exclude that there may be other elements in the process, method, or product including the elements, so that the process, method, or product including a series of elements may include not only those limited elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also include elements inherent to such process, method, or product.

As having the same understanding in the Guidelines for Patent Examination, in the present disclosure, the expressions such as “greater than”, “less than”, “exceed”, and the like are understood to exclude the number; the expressions such as “above”, “below”, “within”, and the like are understood to include the number. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, “multiple/a plurality of” means more than two (including two), and similar expressions related to “multiple/a plurality of” are also understood in this way, such as “multiple/a plurality of groups”, “multiple/a plurality of times”, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically limited.

In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the space-related expressions used, such as “center”, “longitudinal”, “lateral”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “up”, “down”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “perpendicular”, “top”, “bottom”, “inside”, “outside”, “clockwise”, “counterclockwise”, “axial”, “radial”, “circumferential”, etc., indicate the orientation or position relationship based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the specific embodiments or drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the specific embodiments of the present disclosure or facilitating the understanding of the reader, rather than indicating or implying that the device or component referred to must have a specific position, a specific orientation, or be constructed or operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as restrictions to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, in the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the terms “install”, “connect”, “communicate”, “fix”, “arrange”, and the like used should be understood in a broad sense. For example, the “connection” can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated setting; alternatively, it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; or it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be an internal communication between two elements or an interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

Referring toto, in the first aspect, the present embodiment provides a locking mechanism, including a shell, a locking cover, and a locking column. The shellincludes a first cavityand at least one second cavity. The first cavityis not communicated with the second cavity. The first cavityis used to place a fixing member, and the second cavityis used to place a movable member. The shellis provided with a first pressing holeon the inner side wall where the first cavityis located. The locking coveris arranged on the outer side wall of the shell, and the locking coverhas a first connecting endand a first covering end. The first connecting endis hinged with the shell, and the first covering endis used to cover the first pressing hole. The locking columnis arranged on the fixing member, and an elastic memberis further arranged between the locking columnand the fixing member. The locking columncan be placed in a locked position and an unlocked position. When the locking columnis placed in the locked position, the elastic memberis in a naturally extended state to enable the locking columnto protrude out of the first pressing holefrom the first cavity, and the first covering endcovers the first pressing hole. When the locking columnis placed in the unlocked position, the first covering endis separated from the first pressing hole, the elastic memberis compressed by force, and the locking columnretracts from the first pressing holeinto the first cavity.

In the present embodiment, the shellhas the first cavityand the second cavity. The first cavityis used to accommodate the fixing member, and the second cavityis used to accommodate the movable member. It can be understood that the first cavityand the fixing member can be movably connected. In the first cavityshown in, the fixing member can reciprocate along the axial direction of the first cavityrelative to the shell. The second cavityand the movable member can also be movably connected. In the second cavityshown in, the second cavityis hinged with the movable member, and the movable member can rotate relative to the second cavity. The specific connection method can be set according to actual needs.

Referring to, the first pressing holeis also provided on the inner side wall where the first cavityis located. The first pressing holepenetrates through the shell, that is, a user can directly touch the fixing member placed in the first cavitythrough the first pressing hole. Further, the locking columnis provided on the fixing member. As shown in, the locking columnis elastically connected to the fixing member through the elastic member, so that the locking columncan reciprocate along the axial direction of the locking columnrelative to the fixing member. The elastic memberpushes the locking columnoutward when not subjected to a force, so as to keep the locking columnin the state of protruding out of the fixing member. When the locking columnprotrudes out of the fixing member, it corresponds to the position of the first pressing holeon the shell, that is, the locking columncan protrude out of the first pressing holethrough the first pressing hole.

When in use, the locking columnon the fixing member can be compressed by force, so that the fixing member can successfully penetrate into the first cavity. When the locking columnreaches the position of the first pressing hole, the force applied by the shellon the locking columndisappears, and the locking columnis driven by the elastic memberto protrude out of the first pressing hole, that is, the locking columnis placed in the locked position. At this time, the elastic memberis in the naturally extended state, and the locking columnprovides a limiting function for the fixing member in the first cavity, that is, making the fixing member and the first cavityremain relatively fixed. When unlocking is required, the user can directly press the locking columnthrough the first pressing hole, and the locking columnis compressed by force and cannot provide the limiting function for the fixing member. At this time, the user keeps the elastic memberin a compressed state and moves the fixing member out of the first cavity, that is, the locking columnis placed in the unlocked position.

Further, in order to prevent the locking columnin the first pressing holefrom being accidentally touched during use, the present embodiment adds the locking cover. As shown inand, the locking coverhas the first connecting endand the first covering end. The first connecting endis hinged with the shelland arranged adjacent to the edge of the first pressing hole. The first covering endcan cover the area where the first pressing holeis located without contacting the locking column. The first connecting endand the first covering endare two parts of the locking cover. The first connecting endand the first covering endcan be integrally formed. When the locking columnis placed in the unlocked position, the locking coverneeds to be rotated first, so that the first covering endof the locking coveris separated from the first pressing hole, followed by pressing the locking column.

In some optional embodiments, the outside of the locking covercan also be provided with a prompt graphic or text, such as an arrow, to indicate the unlocking direction, facilitating the use.

It can be understood that the fixing member and the movable member shown in the present embodiment can be any parts that need to be disassembled or slidably connected. For example, in the foldable fence described later, the movable member is a first movable rod, and the fixing member is a first fixing rod. Through this locking mechanism, it is only necessary to press the locking columnto realize the movement operation of the first fixing rodrelative to the first cavity, and meanwhile to achieve the bending operation of the first movable rodrelative to the first fixing roddriven by the locking mechanism, thereby implementing the storage of the first fixing rodand the first movable rodwithout the need of separate disassembly or engagement. The entire fence is easily folded and convenient for use. At the same time, the locking coverprovided can prevent the foldable fence from being accidentally touched during use, effectively ensuring the stability of the foldable fence during use.

Referring toand, in some embodiments, the shellis further provided with a first protrusion, and the first protrusionis arranged at the hinge between the first connecting endand the shelland arranged on the rotation path of the first connecting end. The first connecting endis provided with a first grooveof a first predetermined length, the groove body of the first grooveextends corresponding to the rotation path of the first connecting end, and the first protrusionis adapted to the first groove.

The shellis provided with the first protrusionarranged at the hinge between the first connecting endand the shell. The first protrusionis used to limit the rotation angle of the locking coverto prevent the user from over-rotating. As a preferred embodiment, the first grooveis provided on the first connecting end, and the length of the first groovecan be set according to actual needs. The groove body of the first grooveextends in an arc shape, that is, the first grooveis an arc-shaped long groove, the first predetermined length corresponds to the arc length, and the arc length can be obtained by converting the rotation angle of the first connecting end. In actual use, the magnitude of the first predetermined length can be adjusted according to actual needs, thereby realizing the restriction of the rotation angle of the first connecting endand the locking coveras a whole. The first protrusionis arranged in the first groove, making the joint between the locking coverand the shellmore attractive. The first protrusionis not exposed, which improves the visual beauty and realizes the rotation limiting function of the locking cover.

Referring to, in some embodiments, a torsion springis further included. The torsion springis sleeved on the hinge axis between the first connecting endand the shell. One end of the torsion springis connected to the shell, and the other end of the torsion springis connected to the locking cover. In the present embodiment, one end of the torsion springis connected to the shell. Specifically, an unthreaded hole can be opened on the shell, and the bent end of the torsion springis placed in the unthreaded hole to achieve a hinge connection with the shell. Similarly, the other bent end of the torsion springcan be placed in an unthreaded hole opened on the locking coverto achieve a hinge connection between the torsion springand the locking cover. The torsion springis sleeved on the hinge axis between the first connecting endand the shell. When the locking coveris rotated, the torsion springis compressed by force. When the user completes the unlocking, the torsion springreleases its elastic potential energy to drive the locking coverto return to its original position, that is, driving the locking coverto automatically cover the top of the first pressing hole, realizing the automatic reset function of the locking cover, facilitating the use.

Referring toand, in some embodiments, a first pressing plateis further included. One end of the first pressing plateis connected to the edge of the first pressing hole, and the other end of the first pressing plateextends toward the first pressing hole. The projection of the locking columnin the pressing direction is placed in the area covered by the first pressing plate. The first pressing platecan be integrally formed with the shell. As shown in, the first pressing platecovers the side where the locking columnprotrudes. In this configuration, the area of the locking columnwhere a force is applied can be increased. That is, the user can transfer the force to the locking columnby pressing the first pressing plate. At the same time, it avoids the problem of uncomfortable use caused by excessive local force during pressing due to too small diameter of the locking column.

Further, referring to, in some embodiments, the outer surface of the first pressing plateis provided with anti-slip protrusionsdistributed in a predetermined manner. The anti-slip protrusionscan be a plurality of short horizontal protrusions arranged at intervals as shown in, or can be scattered circular protrusions, annular protrusions, etc., and the specific shape of the anti-slip protrusionsis not limited in the present embodiment. The arrangement of the anti-slip protrusionscan further increase the friction force between the user's hand and the first pressing plate, avoiding slipping during the user's pressing process and improving the use comfort.

Referring to,, and, in some embodiments, the shellfurther includes a first openingand a second opening. The first openingis arranged toward a first direction a and communicated with the second cavity. The second openingis arranged toward a second direction b. There is a certain angle between the first direction a and the second direction b. The first openingand the second openingare communicated and arranged adjacent to each other. In the present embodiment, the first openingand the second openingare arranged adjacent to each other and both communicated with the second cavity. At the same time, the first openingand the second openingare communicated with each other. This arrangement can provide a relatively large rotation range for the movable member hinged in the second cavity. Specifically, the angle between the first direction a and the second direction b can be set according to different rotation ranges required by the movable member.shows the arrangement of the second cavity, the first opening, and the second openingwhen the angle between the first direction a and the second direction b is 90 degrees.shows the state of the movable member in the second cavityin actual use.

Referring to,, and, in some embodiments, the shellfurther includes a third openingand a fourth opening. The third openingis arranged toward a third direction c and communicated with the first cavity. The fourth openingis arranged opposite to the third openingand communicated with the first cavity. Further, in the present embodiment, the third openingand the fourth openingare included and are not communicated with each other, but the third openingis communicated with the first cavity, and the fourth openingis communicated with the first cavity. Specifically, the third direction c can be set according to actual needs. In the present embodiment, the third direction c is the direction opposite to the first direction a, as shown in; andshows the storage of the fixing member and the movable member under this structure.

Referring toand, in some embodiments, the number of the second cavityis multiple, a plurality of second cavitiesare distributed along the circumferential direction of the first cavity, and two adjacent second cavitiesare arranged at a predetermined angle.

In some embodiments, the predetermined angle is 90 degrees or 180 degrees.

In the present embodiment, the number of the second cavitycan be multiple. For example, when there are three second cavities, the second cavitiescan be distributed along the circumferential direction of the first cavity. It should be noted here that the multiple second cavitiescan be distributed along the circumferential direction of the first cavityat unequal intervals. As shown in, the number of the second cavityis two, and the predetermined angle between two adjacent second cavitiesis 180 degrees. In some embodiments, the locking mechanism is located at the corner of the foldable fence, and when the number of the second cavityis two, the predetermined angle is 90 degrees. Similarly, in some embodiments, when the number of the second cavityis three, there are three predetermined angles, two of which can be 90 degrees, and the rest one can be 180 degrees, and so on. The number of the second cavityand the specific angle value of the predetermined angle can be set according to actual needs.

Referring toand, in the second aspect, the present embodiment further provides a foldable fence, including a locking mechanism, a first fixing rod, and a first movable rod. The locking mechanism is the locking mechanism described in the first aspect. The first fixing rodis the fixing member in the locking mechanism. The first fixing rodis placed in the first cavity. The first fixing rodcan move relative to the first cavity. The locking columnis connected to the first fixing rodthrough the elastic member. The first movable rodis the movable member in the locking mechanism. One first movable rodis arranged in one second cavity, and the end of the first movable rodis hinged with the shellon the side wall where the second cavityis located. The first movable rodcan rotate relative to the second cavity. The present embodiment demonstrates the application of the locking mechanism in the foldable fence.is a schematic diagram showing the use of the locking mechanism in the foldable fence in a folded state. Similarly,is a schematic diagram showing the use state of the foldable fence.

In the above technical solution, the locking mechanism includes the shell, the locking cover, and the locking column. The shellincludes the first cavityand at least one second cavity. The first cavityis not communicated with the second cavity. The first cavityis used to place the fixing member, and the second cavityis used to place the movable member. The shellis provided with the first pressing holeon the inner side wall where the first cavityis located. The locking coveris arranged on the outer side wall of the shell, and the locking coverhas the first connecting endand the first covering end. The first connecting endis hinged with the shell, and the first covering endis used to cover the first pressing hole. The locking columnis arranged on the fixing member, and the elastic memberis further arranged between the locking columnand the fixing member. The locking columncan be placed in a locked position and an unlocked position. When the locking columnis placed in the locked position, the elastic memberis in a naturally extended state to enable the locking columnto protrude out of the first pressing holefrom the first cavity, and the first covering endcovers the first pressing hole. At this time, the fixing member remains fixed relative to the first cavity. When the locking columnis placed in the unlocked position, the first covering endis separated from the first pressing hole, the elastic memberis compressed by force, the locking columnretracts from the first pressing holeinto the first cavity, and the fixing member can be moved out of the first cavity. In the foldable fence, the first fixing rodis the fixing member, and the first movable rodis the movable member. Through this locking mechanism, it is only necessary to press the locking columnto realize the movement operation of the first fixing rodrelative to the first cavity, and meanwhile to achieve the bending operation of the first movable rodrelative to the first fixing roddriven by the locking mechanism, thereby implementing the storage of the first fixing rodand the first movable rodwithout the need of separate disassembly or engagement. The entire fence is easily folded and convenient for use. At the same time, the locking coverprovided can prevent the foldable fence from being accidentally touched during use, effectively ensuring the stability of the foldable fence during use.

Finally, it should be noted that although the above-mentioned embodiments have been described in the text and drawings of the present disclosure, the patent protection scope of the present disclosure cannot be limited thereby. All technical solutions generated by replacement or modification of equivalent structures or equivalent processes based on the essential concept of the present disclosure and using the contents recited in the text and drawings of the present disclosure, as well as directly or indirectly implementing the technical solutions of the above embodiments in other related technical fields, are included in the patent protection scope of the present disclosure.