Dual Custody Privacy Padlock

• US 20110079054A1
• Filed: 09/03/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STANTON CONCEPTS LLC
• Original Assignee: STANTON CONCEPTS LLC
• Inventors: Loughlin, Robert, Loughlin, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,186,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 70/21
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/0062 with destructive disengagement
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 35/105 Locks allowing opening by official authorities, e.g. master key opening of luggage locks by customs officials
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 37/025 in padlocks
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 39/00 Locks giving indication of authorised or unauthorised unlocking with key identification means E05B35/001; alarm locks E05B45/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 67/22 Padlocks with sliding shackles, with or without rotary or pivotal movement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 70/59 Lock with indicator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/415 Combination and/or key-controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/422 Rigid shackle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/424 Sliding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/426 Removable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/459 Both legs engaged
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/491 Shackles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7949 Yielding or frangible connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8027 Condition indicators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8216 Tampering detector
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8243 With seal

Abstract

A dual function lock having a body, a shackle and a frangible element extending from the body is disclosed. The dual function lock also includes a first locking mechanism within the body wherein when the first locking mechanism is locked, the shackle is in a first position where the toe of the shackle is located within the frangible element so that the shackle cannot be rotated and wherein when the first locking mechanism is unlocked, the shackle can be lifted from the first position so that the toe of the shackle is not within the frangible element so that the shackle can be rotated. Methods of using the lock and a refillable insert of frangible elements are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A dual function lock, comprising:

a body;

a shackle having a heel extending from the body and a toe;

a frangible element extending from the body, a portion of the frangible element nearer to the body having a smaller perimeter than a remainder of the frangible element outside the body;

a first locking mechanism within the body;

wherein when the first locking mechanism is locked, the shackle is in a first position where the toe of the shackle is located within the frangible element, and the shackle cannot be rotated or lifted; and

wherein when the first locking mechanism is unlocked, the shackle can be lifted from the first position so that the toe of the shackle is not within the frangible element, and can be subsequently rotated.

2. The dual function lock of claim 1, wherein when the frangible element is removed, the shackle can be rotated.

3. The dual function lock of claim 1, wherein the frangible element has a wall section that at least partially surrounds the toe of the shackle when the first locking mechanism is locked, and one or more tabs extending inwardly from the wall section.

4. The dual function lock of claim 1, wherein the first locking mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a combination lock, a keyed lock, and a robotic key cylinder.

5. The dual function lock of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more additional frangible elements within the body of the dual function lock and attached to the frangible element extending from the body; and

means for moving the one or more additional frangible elements within the body outside of the body one at a time.

6. The dual function lock of claim 5, wherein the one or more additional frangible elements are aligned with the frangible element extending from the body.

7. The dual function lock of claim 5, further comprising:

a dialer having a threaded hole, the rotatable dialer being mounted inside the body and having a portion accessible outside the body such that the dialer can be rotated by the portion accessible outside the body;

the one or more additional frangible elements each having a spiral groove that mates with the threaded hole such that when the dialer is rotated, one of the one or more additional frangible elements is advanced outside the body.

8. The dual function lock of claim 7, further comprising:

a locking plate having a ring, a notch extending from the ring and a portion extending from the ring;

the dialer having a toothed section, the ring being located around the toothed section;

the heel of the shackle having a notch that extends toward the toe of the shackle; and

a spring that biases the locking plate toward the heel of the shackle;

wherein the portion extending from the ring rests on the notch in the heel when the shackle toe is aligned with the frangible element and the notch extending from the ring is not located in the toothed section of the dialer thereby allowing the dialer to be rotated; and

wherein the portion extending from the ring rests on the heel when the shackle is not aligned with the body and the notch extending from the ring is located within the toothed section of the dialer thereby preventing the dialer from being rotated.

9. The dual function lock of claim 1, wherein the frangible element is completely walled.

10. The dual function lock of claim 1, wherein the frangible element is partially walled.

11. The dual function lock of claim 1, wherein the frangible element is walled around three-quarters of the cup.

12. The dual function lock of claim 1, wherein the shackle and the frangible element extend from the body in the same direction and the portion of the body where the heel extends from is higher than the portion of the body where the frangible element extends from.

13. A method of operating a dual function lock, comprising:

locking a first locking mechanism on the dual function lock so that a shackle extending from the body of the lock cannot be moved away from the body and such that a toe of the shackle is retained in place by a retaining element extending from the body of the lock, wherein the retaining element has a portion nearer to the body that has a smaller perimeter than a remainder of the retaining element outside the body; and

detaching the retaining element so that the shackle can be rotated.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising rotating a dial on the dual function lock to cause a new retaining element to extend from the body.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein when the shackle is in the locked position and the new retaining element has been fully extended from the body, the new retaining element retains the toe of the shackle.

16. A refill insert for a frangible dual function lock, comprising:

a plurality of cylindrical retaining structures linearly attached to each other to form a column of cylindrical structures, each of the plurality of cylindrical structures being at least partially walled;

a groove on an outer wall of at least some of the plurality of cylindrical structures, wherein the groove spirals down the column of cylindrical structures.

17. The refill insert of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of cylindrical structures is completely walled.

18. The refill insert of claim 16, wherein at least some of the plurality of cylindrical structures are numbered.

19. The refill insert of claim 16, wherein between each of the plurality of frangible elements a section of the column has a perimeter less than the perimeter of the frangible elements.

20. A dual function lock, comprising:

a body;

a shackle having a heel extending from the body and a toe;

a plurality of frangible elements linearly connected to each other, one of the plurality of frangible elements extending from the body while the remaining frangible elements are located inside the body, a line being marked at an interface between connected frangible elements;

a first locking mechanism within the body;

wherein when the first locking mechanism is locked, the shackle is in a first position where the toe of the shackle is located within the frangible element so that the shackle cannot be rotated; and

wherein when the first locking mechanism is unlocked, the shackle can be lifted from the first position so that the toe of the shackle is not within the frangible element so that the shackle can be rotated.