초록 ▼

Example methods, apparatus, system, and articles of manufacture for releasably locking components that are moveable relative to one another are disclosed herein. A disclosed example locking apparatus includes a locking device mountable to a first component and including at least one locking member.

Example methods, apparatus, system, and articles of manufacture for releasably locking components that are moveable relative to one another are disclosed herein. A disclosed example locking apparatus includes a locking device mountable to a first component and including at least one locking member. The example system also includes a catch member mountable to a second component. The catch member has a plurality of substantially similarly formed catches. The locking member is engageable with at least one catch in a plurality of predetermined catching positions in at least one of a releasable, form-locking manner or a releasable, force-locking manner. The example system also includes a force member to produce a relative movement between the locking member and the at least one catch. In at least a partial region of the catch member, at least a first catching position, a second catching position and a third catching position are traversable by the locking member. At least a first distance between the first catching position and the second catching position and a second distance between the second catching position and the third catching position have different lengths.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A locking apparatus for releasably locking components movable relative to each other, comprising: a locking device mountable to a first component and including at least one locking member;a catch member mountable to a second component, the catch member having a plurality of substantially similarl

1. A locking apparatus for releasably locking components movable relative to each other, comprising: a locking device mountable to a first component and including at least one locking member;a catch member mountable to a second component, the catch member having a plurality of substantially similarly formed catches, the locking member engageable with at least one catch in a plurality of predetermined catching positions in at least one of a releasable, form-locking manner or a releasable, force-locking manner;a force member to produce a relative movement between the locking member and the at least one catch; andin at least a partial region of the catch member, at least a first catching position, a second catching position and a third catching position traversable by the locking member, at least a first distance between the first catching position and the second catching position and a second distance between the second catching position and the third catching position have different lengths, wherein the catch member is one of (1) a perforated rail or (2) a toothed rack and the catches are teeth, wherein the locking member has at least one tooth to engage the teeth of the toothed rack. 2. The locking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the catch member includes a second partial region in which a third distance between two adjacent catches and a fourth distance between another two adjacent catches are the same, and includes a third partial region in which a fifth distance between two adjacent catches and a sixth distance between another two adjacent catches are different, wherein length values of distances between adjacent catches along a length of the catch member increase or decrease. 3. The locking apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: the first component is connected to a third component, andthe second component is connected to a fourth component, the first component being displaceable relative to the second component by first movements to move the locking member from the first catching position to at least one of the second catching position or the third catching position, the third catching position being adjacent to at least one of the first catching position or the second catching position, at least two of the first, second, or third catching positions being in the third partial region, and second movements of the third component relative to the fourth component being effected based on the first movements, the catches corresponding to the catching positions being spaced from each other such that the first movements have different lengths and the second movements have the same lengths, and the first movements and the second movements being substantially perpendicular to each other. 4. The locking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the first component is connected to a third component, andthe second component is connected to a fourth component, the first component being displaceable relative to the second component by first movements in which the locking member is moved from the first catching position to at least one of the second catching position or the third catching position, the third catching position being adjacent to at least one of the first catching position or the second catching position, and second movements of the third component relative to the fourth component being effected based on the first movements, the catches corresponding to the catching positions being spaced from each other such that the first movements have different lengths and the second movements have the same lengths, and the first movements and the second movements being substantially perpendicular to each other. 5. A lifting platform including the locking apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first component is a scissors bar, the second component is a bracket for the catch member, the third component is a garage floor or a base plate, and the fourth component is a rail. 6. The locking apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a guide unit in contact with the catch member such that the locking member is selectively catchable in the catches of the catch member at predetermined catching positions. 7. The locking apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the guide unit includes an outer contour, the locking member including an actuation means to engage the outer contour of the guide unit at predetermined positions to prevent catching between the locking member and the catch member at the predetermined positions. 8. The locking apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the locking member includes at least a first tooth or a second tooth, both of which are structured to engage a first catch unit and a second catch unit, and the guide unit configured to prevent undesired engagement of the first tooth with the second catch unit. 9. The locking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the locking mechanism includes a housing connected to the locking member via a pivot joint, anda first end region of the force member is in contact with the locking member and a second end region of the force member is in contact with the housing. 10. The locking apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit to cause a drive assembly to produce relative movement between the locking mechanism and the catch member, a first movement in a first direction causing a first predetermined position to be reachable and, after reaching the first predetermined position, a second movement in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction causing a second predetermined position to be reachable. 11. The locking apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when reaching the second predetermined position, the control unit drives the force member to engage the locking member with one of the catches of the catch member in at least one of a form-locking manner or a force-locking manner, the second predetermined position corresponding to a locking position. 12. The locking apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control unit is further to drive the drive assembly to release the engagement between the locking member and the catch to produce a third movement in the first direction and, subsequently, produce a fourth movement in the second direction substantially opposite to the first direction, wherein after the third movement and before the fourth movement, the control unit is to drive the force member to release the at least one of the form-locking engagement or the force-locking engagement of the locking member with the catch of the catch member. 13. A lifting platform including the locking apparatus of claim 1. 14. A method to releasably lock components movable relative to each other, comprising: moving a locking device mounted to a first component along a length of a catch member mounted to a second component, the catch member having a plurality of substantially similarly formed catches;engaging a locking member to at least one catch of a plurality of predetermined catching positions in at least one of a releasable, form-locking manner or a releasable, force-locking manner;operating a force member to produce a relative movement between the locking member and the at least one catch; andin at least a partial region of the catch member, moving the locking member along at least a first catching position, a second catching position and a third catching position, at least a first distance between the first catching position and the second catching position and a second distance between the second catching position and the third catching position have different lengths, wherein the catch member is one of (1) a perforated rail or (2) a toothed rack and the catches are teeth, wherein the locking member has at least one tooth to engage the teeth of the toothed rack. 15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: moving the locking device along a second partial region of the catch member having two adjacent catches separated by a third distance and another two adjacent catches separated by a fourth distance, the third and fourth distances being the same; andmoving the locking device along a third partial region of the catch member having two adjacent catches separated by a fifth distance and another two adjacent catches separated by a sixth distance, the fifth and sixth distances being different from one another, and wherein length values of distances between adjacent catches along the length of the catch member increase or decrease. 16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: moving the first component relative to the second component using first movements causing the locking member to move from the first catching position to at least one of the second catching position or the third catching position, the third catching position being adjacent to at least one of the first catching position or the second catching position; andmoving a third component connected to the first component relative to a fourth component connected to a second component using second movements effected by the first movements, the catches corresponding to the catching positions being spaced from each other such that the first movements have different lengths and the second movements have the same lengths, and the first movements and the second movements being substantially perpendicular to each other. 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first component is a scissors bar, the second component is a bracket for the catch member, the third component is a garage floor or a base plate, and the fourth component is a rail. 18. The method according to claim 14, further comprising operatively coupling a guide unit to the catch member to cause the locking member to selectively catch the catches of the catch member at predetermined catching positions.