EP3760387B1 - Locking box - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a locking box for enclosing objects, in particular keys, comprising an upwardly open, in particular cuboid-shaped, container for the objects, a lid which is fastened to the container on one side via a joint so as to be pivotable between a closed position and an open position about a pivot axis defined by the joint, wherein the lid is provided on its upper side with a carrying handle for the locking box, wherein a plurality of securing openings are provided in the lid and the container for attaching a plurality of locking elements, in particular padlocks, in order to fix the lid to the container in the closed position, and wherein a closure is provided which enables the locking box to be carried by the carrying handle in the closed position of the lid even when the locking elements are not attached.

A lockout box of the type mentioned above, also known as a "lockout box," is primarily used for a so-called group lockout in connection with the maintenance, repair, or cleaning of a machine or system, when several employees involved in the maintenance, repair, or cleaning must isolate one or more energy sources on the machine or system. To minimize the time required for the lockout and the number of necessary safety locks, each individual energy source is locked with a single safety lock during a group lockout. The keys for these locks are then locked in the lockout box. Outside, each employee hangs their personalized lock in designated security openings. and locks it so that the lock box can no longer be opened. This means that each employee does not have to attach their own lock to each excluded energy source, but only once to the lock box, without compromising the intent of the lockout or the security achieved thereby. The energy sources can only be activated again once all employees have removed their locks from the lock box after completing their work, as the lock box can only then be opened again and the keys stored therein can be removed to unlock the locks on the energy sources.

A locking box of the type mentioned above is known from the document EP 2 944 437 A1 known. In order to be able to support the locking box in the closed position of the lid even when the padlocks are not attached, a closure is additionally provided. This closure has a first closure part attached to the inside of the lid and, with a spring-loaded second closure part attached to the inside of a side wall of the container, forms a snap connection for closing the lid to the container in the closed position of the lid. The two closure parts are designed in the form of two interacting snap hooks. A push button is arranged on the outside of the side wall of the container and is supported on the second closure part via a bolt or the like. When the push button is pressed, the second closure part is pushed inward away from the side wall, releasing the snap connection with the first closure part, so that the lid can be opened or opens automatically due to a preload caused by springs. While such a closure is already comparatively simple in construction, it nevertheless requires several components attached and interacting in the manner described.

From the document US 7,360,380 B2 A locking box with a container and a lid is known, in which a lock is provided that is slidably mounted on the inside of the lid. If the lock is moved to its locked position when the lid is closed, the lid can no longer be opened. The locking box can then be carried using a carrying handle provided on the lock. However, such a lock is complex to produce.

Another example of a locking box is also from the US2017/113856A1 known.

A locking box according to the preamble of claim 1, in which the cover is attached to the hinge via an adjustment mechanism so as to be linearly displaceable between a retracted position and an extended position in a direction perpendicular to the pivot axis, is known from the document US 2010/0147853 A1 known.

The object of the present invention is to provide a locking box of the type mentioned at the outset which offers a simple and cost-effective way of enabling the locking box to be carried by the carrying handle in the closed position of the lid, even when the padlocks are not attached.

This object is achieved by a closure box having the features of claim 1 and in particular in that the closure comprises that on the side of the lid opposite the hinge a closure part with an engagement section which, in the closed position of the lid, engages in a closure receptacle of the container when the lid assumes the retracted position, wherein the engagement is released when the lid assumes the extended position, whereby pivoting of the lid into the open position is optionally blocked or enabled, and that the engagement section and the closure receptacle are designed in such a way that in the closed position they prevent displacement of the lid from the retracted position into the extended position when the lid rests on the container and prevent it by form-fitting when the lid is lifted relative to the container.

According to the invention, it was therefore recognized that, in order to enable the locking box to be carried by the carrying handle in the closed position of the lid, even when padlocks are not attached, a secured closure, as known from the prior art cited above, in which pressing a push button is essential to release the closure, is not required. Rather, it is sufficient if the closure is secured against loosening when the locking box is carried by the carrying handle. In the state in which the lid rests on the container, in particular due to gravity, however, no protection against such loosening is required at all.

This is achieved in that the lid is arranged so as to be linearly displaceable, whereby the lid and the container are engaged with one another in the retracted position and disengaged in the extended position. When the lid is resting on the container, the lid can easily be moved from the retracted position to the extended position. The closure between the retracted lid and the container is therefore not secured in this state. If, on the other hand, the closure box is carried by the carrying handle with the lid retracted, whereby the lid is in particular slightly lifted relative to the container, a positive connection is created in the direction of displacement of the lid between the engagement section of the closure part of the lid and the closure receptacle of the container, which positive connection prevents the lid from moving into the extended position. According to the invention, the closure is therefore only secured against loosening when the closure box is carried by the carrying handle.

The closure of the closure box according to the invention is less complex than the one from the prior art, particularly due to the small number of components and the low complexity of the underlying mechanism. This closure is known from the prior art and is therefore particularly cost-effective to manufacture. The required sliding of the lid can be achieved without significant additional effort. Furthermore, the closure box according to the invention is particularly simple and intuitive to operate.

It is preferred if the joint comprises at least one, in particular rolled, hinge, in particular an internal hinge, with two wings, wherein the container, in particular a side wall of the container, is attached to one wing and the lid is attached to the other wing of the respective hinge. Hinges are particularly simple and cost-effective to manufacture.

It is preferred if the adjustment mechanism comprises a slotted hole arrangement, wherein the lid is attached to the other wing of the respective hinge via the slotted hole arrangement in a linearly displaceable manner. The slotted hole arrangement allows the lid to be displaced relative to the container in a particularly simple manner.

In this case, it is again preferred if the slot arrangement comprises one or more slots formed in the other wing of the respective hinge and/or running parallel to one another. By forming the slots on the hinge side, it can be achieved that the slots are concealed by the cover, so that the adjustment mechanism is protected and thus less vulnerable. The linear displaceability of the cover can be easily ensured by several slots running parallel to one another.

Preferably, the closure part is attached to an inner side of the lid, in particular to a collar of the lid that overlaps the container in the closed position. This allows the engagement of the engaging portion into the closure receptacle of the container to be realized in a particularly simple manner.

According to a preferred embodiment, the closure part is designed as a flat sheet metal part, in particular a flat sheet metal strip, with an angled end portion, which forms the engagement portion and is particularly horizontally oriented in the closed position of the lid and/or points in the direction of displacement toward the retracted position. A sheet metal part is particularly simple and cost-effective to manufacture and easy to attach to the lid.

Furthermore, the closure receptacle can be designed as an engagement opening formed in a side wall of the container, in particular a horizontal engagement slot, through which the engagement portion of the closure part can be passed when the lid is moved from the extended position to the retracted position. Such an engagement opening is particularly simple and thus particularly cost-effective to produce. An engagement opening formed as an engagement slot can be provided in particular in a closure part formed as a sheet metal part, as explained above.

The positive connection between the engagement section and the closure receptacle can then be achieved in particular in that the engagement section, in particular on its upper side, comprises an elevation, i.e. an upwardly directed projection, which in the retracted position of the lid engages behind the inside of the side wall of the container when the lid is lifted relative to the container.

Preferably, the elevation is produced by a sheet metal forming process of the engagement section made of sheet metal, in particular by means of a stamp. In particular, the elevation is then formed as an indentation on the opposite side, in particular the underside, of the engagement section. Such an elevation is particularly simple and cost-effective to produce. In particular, it can be provided that the elevation extends only over a part of the width of the engagement section, in particular, is provided only centrally in the width direction of the engagement section. When the cover is moved between the retracted position and the extended position, the non-deformed area of the engagement section can rest on the lower edge of the engagement opening formed as a horizontal engagement slot and can therefore be retracted or extended without jamming.

In particular, it is provided that the engagement portion points in the displacement direction towards the retracted position and/or that the engagement portion has a height which is smaller than the height of the engagement opening or is equal to the height of the engagement opening.

Furthermore, it can be provided that, in the closed position of the lid, the securing openings provided in the lid and the container only overlap each other when the lid is retracted. In the extended position, the securing openings of the container are then covered by the lid material at least to the extent that it is not possible to pass the shackle of padlocks through. This indicates to a user of the locking box that the lid is not in the retracted position, i.e., the lock is released and the lid can swing freely into the open position, so that the locking box should not be lifted by the carrying handle in this state.

Preferably, the lid is pivotally mounted on one of two lateral side walls of the container, wherein the lateral side walls have a smaller width than a rear and a front side wall of the container. In particular, the rear and front side walls can each have a width at least twice, in particular at least two and a half times, greater than the lateral side walls. A lid that is displaced along its greater extent can be guided particularly well on the container.

The locking holes can only be provided on the rear side wall and the front side wall of the container and the corresponding sides of the lid. The locking box then has no locking holes on the two sides where the hinge and the lock are located. The lock can thus be designed independently of any restrictions due to locking holes or padlocks suspended within them. Locking holes are not required on the hinge side anyway.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Ausführungsform eines erfindungsgemäßen Verschlusskastens mit geschlossenem Deckel,

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Ansicht des Verschlusskastens aus Fig. 1 mit geöffnetem Deckel,

Fig. 3

einen mittigen Längsschnitt durch den Verschlusskasten aus Fig. 1 im Bereich eines Verschlusses für den Deckel,

Fig. 4

den Längsschnitt gemäß Fig. 3 in einer anderen Ansicht und im Bereich eines Verstellmechanismus für den Deckel,

Fig. 5

den Deckel gemäß Fig. 3 in einer ausgefahrenen Position,

Fig. 6

den Verschluss gemäß Fig. 3 bei ausgefahrenem Deckel,

Fig. 7

den Verschluss gemäß Fig. 3 bei eingefahrenem Deckel, wenn der Deckel auf dem Behälter aufliegt, und

Fig. 8

den Verschluss gemäß Fig. 3 bei eingefahrenem Deckel, wenn der Deckel gegenüber dem Behälter angehoben wird.

The invention will now be described by way of example using an advantageous embodiment with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1

a perspective view of an embodiment of a locking box according to the invention with closed lid,

Fig. 2

a perspective view of the locking box Fig. 1 with the lid open,

Fig. 3

a central longitudinal section through the locking box Fig. 1 in the area of a closure for the lid,

Fig. 4

the longitudinal section according to Fig. 3 in a different view and in the area of an adjustment mechanism for the lid,

Fig. 5

the lid according to Fig. 3 in an extended position,

Fig. 6

the closure according to Fig. 3 with the lid extended,

Fig. 7

the closure according to Fig. 3 when the lid is retracted, when the lid rests on the container, and

Fig. 8

the closure according to Fig. 3 when the lid is retracted, when the lid is raised relative to the container.

The one in the Fig. 1 to 8 The closure box 11 shown has a cuboid-shaped container 13 with an upwardly open receiving space 15. The container 13 is formed by a container base 17, a rear side wall 19, a front side wall 21, a left side wall 23, and a right side wall 25. The container base 17 and the side walls 19, 21, 23, and 25 define or surround the receiving space 15. In the closure box 11 shown, a lid 27 is pivotally attached to the left side wall 23 of the container 13 via a joint, namely a hinge 29, in particular an internal hinge.

As the Fig. 1 and 2 show, the cover 27 is from a closed position (cf. Fig. 1 ), in which the receiving space 15 is closed, into an open position (cf. Fig. 2 ), in which the receiving space 15 is open, is adjustable. Furthermore, a carrying handle 31 is arranged on the outside of the lid 27, which is firmly attached to the outside of the lid 27 in order to conveniently transport the locking box 11.

The lockout box 11 is a group lockout box, also known as a group lockout box. The lockout box 11 is used for a so-called group lockout, in which several employees involved in the maintenance, repair, or cleaning of a machine, system, or other facility must secure or exclude one or more energy sources. In order to minimize the time required for the exclusion of such energy sources and the number of locks required to exclude the energy sources, the individual energy sources are each secured with only one The keys of these locks are then locked in the lock box 11. In particular, the lock box 11 has two intersecting insertion slots 33 on the lid 27 for inserting keys into a lock box 11 that is already or still locked.

The locking box 11 has several security openings 35 in the lid 27 and in the container 13 into which padlocks can be inserted. In a group lockout, each participating employee inserts their personalized padlock into a set of three corresponding security openings 35 with the lid 27 closed, thus locking the lid 27 in the closed position on the container 13. Thus, not every employee needs to attach their lock to each excluded energy source, but only once on the locking box 11, without compromising the intention of the lockout and the security achieved by the lockout.

The energy sources can only be activated again once all employees have completed their work and removed their padlocks from the locking box 11, thereby releasing the cover 27. The cover 27 can then be returned to the open position to remove the enclosed keys of the safety locks attached to the energy sources.

As in particular the Fig. 1 and 2 can be removed, the rear or front side wall 19, 21 is the longer side compared to the left or right side wall 23, 25. The rear or front side wall 19, 21 thus has a greater width than the lateral side walls 23, 25. The lid 27 is therefore hinged to a short side of the container 13. When the lid 27 is opened, its long sides pivot upward.

When a padlock is hooked into a set of security openings 35, there is normally a slight play between the shackle of the padlock and the three security openings 35. To prevent this play from creating an air gap between the cover 27 and the side walls 19, 21, 25, through which a key could fall out, the cover 27 has a collar 37 which is pulled downwards on the right-hand edge and on the front and rear edges of the cover 27 and covers an upper region of the side walls 19, 21 and 25 when the cover 27 is closed.

In the locking box 11, no security openings 35 for attaching padlocks are provided on the left side wall 23, which has the hinge 29, on the right side wall 25, and on the corresponding adjacent cover sections. However, security openings 35 are formed in the rear side wall 19 and on the front side wall 21 and on the corresponding adjacent cover sections to allow a total of twelve padlocks to be attached to the locking box 11.

In order to enable the locking box 11 to be carried by the carrying handle 31 in the closed position of the cover 27 even when the padlocks are not attached, a lock 39 (cf. Fig. 3 ) is provided. The closure 39 comprises a closure part 41 with an engagement portion 43, which, in the closed position of the lid 27, can selectively engage in an engagement opening in the form of a horizontal engagement slot 45 formed in the right side wall 25 of the container 13 and forming a closure receptacle. To enable the selective engagement, the lid 27 is adjustable by means of an adjustment mechanism 47 (cf. Fig. 4 ) is mounted on the hinge 29 in a direction perpendicular to its pivot axis of the cover 27, ie the cover 27 can be moved between a retracted position as shown in Fig. 1 shown, and an extended position as shown in Fig. 5 shown.

The closure part 41 is attached to the inside of the collar 37 of the lid 27 (see also Fig. 2 ) and designed as a flat sheet metal strip with an angled end portion, wherein the end portion forms the engagement portion 43 which is horizontally aligned in the closed position of the cover 27 and which engages in the engagement slot 45 when the cover 27 is closed and in the retracted position of the cover 27, so that pivoting of the cover 27 into the open position is blocked. If, however, the closed cover 27 assumes the extended position, the engagement between the engagement portion 43 and the engagement slot 45 is released, so that the cover 27 is released for pivoting into the open position.

In order to secure the lid 27 in the retracted position when the padlocks are not attached when the locking box 39 is carried on the carrying handle 31, the engagement section 43 and the engagement slot 45 are designed such that, in the closed position, a displacement of the lid 27 from the retracted position into the extended position is prevented by a positive connection between the engagement section 43 and the engagement slot 45 which only occurs when the lid 27 is lifted relative to the container 13.

For this purpose, the engagement section 43 has an upwardly directed elevation 49 (cf. Fig. 6 ), which is produced by forming, in particular pressing in, the engagement section 43 made of sheet metal from below with a stamp. The elevation 49 is therefore accompanied by a corresponding indentation on the underside of the engagement section 43. In the retracted position of the lid 27, when the lid 27 is lifted relative to the container 13, the elevation 49 engages behind the inside of the right side wall 25 of the container 27, so that a displacement of the lid 27 from the retracted position into the extended position is positively prevented (cf. Fig. 8 ). If the cover 27 is opposite However, if the container 13 is not lifted but merely rests on the container 13, this form fit does not exist (cf. Fig. 7 ).

The elevation 49 is provided in particular only centrally in the horizontal width direction of the engagement section 43, i.e., on both sides of the elevation 49, there is a region of the engagement section 43 that is not deformed compared to the strip-shaped design of the closure part 41. When the cover 27 is moved between the retracted position and the extended position, the engagement section 43 can then rest with the undeformed regions of the engagement section 43 on the lower edge of the engagement slot 45 and can be moved there without snagging.

As is particularly evident from Fig. 4 As can be seen, the hinge 29 has two wings 53, 55, wherein the hinge 29 is fastened with one wing 53 to the left side wall 23 of the container 13 and with the other wing 55 to the collar 37 of the lid 27. The adjustment mechanism 47 for providing the lid 27 with the above-explained displaceability consists in the lid 27 being fastened to the other wing 55 of the hinge 29 via a slotted hole arrangement 57 in a linearly displaceable manner. The slotted hole arrangement 57 has two slots 59 (of which in Fig. 4 due to the selected longitudinal section, only one slot 59 is shown), which run parallel to each other and are formed in the other wing 55 of the hinge 29. The cover 27 is connected to the hinge 29 by two pins 61 (of which Fig. 4 due to the selected longitudinal section, only one pin 61 is also shown), each of which is fixedly attached to the cover 27 on the one hand and is guided longitudinally displaceably in one of the two elongated holes 59 on the other hand, is attached to the hinge 29.

When the lid 27 is closed, the securing openings 35 provided in the lid 27 and the container 13 overlap each other only in the retracted position of the lid 27 (cf. Fig. 1 ), but not in the extended position of the lid (cf. Fig. 6 ), so that padlocks can only be hooked into the securing openings 35 when the cover 27 is in the retracted position. This makes it immediately apparent to an operator when the cover 27 is not in its retracted position, and that lifting the locking box 11 by the carrying handle 31 could then result in the locking box 11 opening unintentionally.

List of reference symbols

11

Lock box

13

container

15

recording room

17

Container bottom

19

rear side wall

21

front side wall

23

left side wall

25

right side wall

27

Lid

29

hinge

31

Carrying handle

33

Insertion slot

35

Safety opening

37

collar

39

closure

41

closure part

43

Intervention section

45

Access slot

47

adjustment mechanism

49

Survey

53

wing

55

wing

57

Slot arrangement

59

slot

61

Pen

Claims (12)

1. A lockout box (11) for locking in objects, in particular keys, comprising an upwardly open container (13) for the objects; and

   a cover (27) which is pivotably movably fastened to the container (13) at one side via a joint (29) between a closed position and an open position about a pivot axis defined by the joint (29),

   wherein the cover (27) is provided with a carry handle (31) for the lockout box (11) at its upper side;

   wherein a plurality of securing openings (35) are provided in the cover (27) and in the container (13) for the attachment of a plurality of locking elements, in particular padlocks, in order to fix the cover (27) to the container (13) in the closed position;

   wherein a closure (39) is provided that enables a carrying of the lockout box (11) at the carry handle (31) in the closed position of the cover (27) even when locking elements are not hung in, and

   wherein the cover (27) is linearly displaceably attached to the joint (29) via an adjustment mechanism (47) between a retracted position and an extended position in a direction perpendicular to the pivot axis,

   characterized in that

   the closure (39) comprises that, at the side disposed opposite the joint (29), the cover (27) has a closure part (41) having an engagement section (43) which engages into a closure receiver (45) of the container (13) in the closed position of the cover (27) when the cover (27) adopts the retracted position, with the engagement being released when the cover (27) adopts the extended position, whereby a pivoting of the cover (27) into the open position is selectively blocked or made possible; and

   in that the engagement section (43) and the closure receiver (45) are configured such that, in the closed position, they allow a displacement of the cover (27) from the retracted position into the extended position when the cover (27) lies on the container (13) and prevent a displacement of the cover (27) from the retracted position into the extended position by means of a form fit when the cover (27) is raised with respect to the container (13).
2. A lockout box according to claim 1,
   characterized in that
   the joint (29) comprises at least one hinge (29), in particular an inner hinge, having two wings (53, 55), with the container (13), in particular a side wall (23) of the container (13), being fastened to the one wing (53) and the cover (27) being fastened to the other wing (55) of the hinge (29), in particular of the respective hinge (29).
3. A lockout box according to claim 2,
   characterized in that
   the adjustment mechanism (47) comprises an elongate hole arrangement (57), with the cover (27) being linearly displaceably fastened to the other wing (55) of the hinge (29), in particular of the respective hinge (29), via the elongate hole arrangement (57).
4. A lockout box according to claim 3,
   characterized in that
   the elongate hole arrangement (57) comprises one or more elongate holes (59) which are formed in the other wing (55) of the hinge (29), in particular of the respective hinge (29), and/or which extend in parallel with one another.
5. A lockout box according to any one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the closure part (41) is attached to an inner side of the cover (27), in particular of a collar (37) of the cover (27) that engages over the container (13) in the closed position.
6. A lockout box according to any one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the closure part (41) is configured as a planar sheet metal part, in particular as a planar sheet metal strip, having an angled end section which is in particular horizontally oriented in the closed position of the cover (27) and which forms the engagement section (43).
7. A lockout box according to any one of the preceding claims,
   characterized in that
   the closure receiver (45) is configured as an engagement opening formed in a side wall (25) of the container (13), in particular as an engagement slot which is in particular horizontal, through which engagement opening the engagement section (43) of the closure part (41) can be led when the cover (27) is displaced from the extended position into the retracted position.
8. A lockout box according to claim 7,
   characterized in that
   the form fit between the engagement section (43) and the closure receiver (45) is achieved in that the engagement section (43) comprises an elevated portion (49) which, in the retracted position of the cover (27), engages behind the side wall (25) of the container (13) at an inner side when the cover (27) is raised with respect to the container (13).
9. A lockout box according to claims 6 and 8,
   characterized in that
   the elevated portion (49) is produced by a sheet metal shaping process of the engagement section (43) manufactured from sheet metal, with provision in particular being made that the elevated portion (49) only extends over a part of the width of the engagement section (43).
10. A lockout box according to any one of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that,
    in the closed position of the cover (27), the securing openings (35) provided in the cover (27) and in the container (13) only mutually overlap in the retracted position of the cover (27).
11. A lockout box according to any one of the preceding claims,
    characterized in that
    the cover (27) is pivotably movably fastened to one of two lateral side walls (23, 25) of the container (13), with the lateral side walls (23, 25) having a smaller width than a rear and a front side wall (19, 21) of the container (13).
12. A lockout box according to claim 11,
    characterized in that
    the securing openings (35) are only provided at the rear side wall (19) and at the front side wall (21) of the container (13) and at the corresponding sides of the cover (27).