Interlockable lock

• US 4,884,419 A
• Filed: 12/29/1988
• Issued: 12/05/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sinox Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Sinox Company Limited
• Inventors: Ling, Chong-Kuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolfe, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US07/291,664
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 70/68, 70/2, 70/3, 70/4, 70/5, 70/312, 24/381, 24/382, 24/386, 24/418, 24/419
• US Class Current: 70/4
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 19/301 at the end of their upward travel with any suitable device, e.g. pull member combined with a press-button, a hook, a key-operated lock
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 37/12 with tumbler discs on several axes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/317 Hasp-carried
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5053 Interengageable slide fastener type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7305 Manually operable

Abstract

An interlockable lock includes: a lock body pivotally secured to a first slider of a zipper fastener having a lock casing formed with a slot in in its bottom cover, a latch resiliently held in the lock body normally protruding toward the slot operatively engageable with a loop or hook formed on a second slider of the zipper fastener when rotating the lock body to allow the poking of the loop or hook into the bottom slot, and a longitudinal actuator depressible for retracting the latch to disengage from the second slider to open the lock. The longitudinal actuator may be locked by a locking mechanism formed in the lock body to retard a depression of the actuator to prevent a disengagement of the latch from the slider loop or hook.

Claims

1. An interlockable lock comprising:

a lock body pivotally secured to a first slider of a zipper fastener and having a latch operatively engageable with an eyelet formed in a second slider of the zipper fastener for locking the lock body on the second slider for closing two sliders of the zipper fastener, the lock body comprising;

a first cover generally formed as a rectangular shape composed of a first longitudinal side wall, a second longitudinal side wall opposite to said first side wall, a bottom transverse side wall formed on a bottom portion between the first and second side walls, and an upper transverse side wall formed on an upper portion between the first and second side walls opposite to said bottom side wall;

a second cover having a rectangular shape corresponding to said first cover and combinable with said first cover to form a lock casing having a latching slot formed therein;

a plurality of dials pivotally mounted on said first cover proximate to said first longitudinal side wall each sleeve having a divergent notch formed therein;

a plurality of sleeves resiliently retained on said dials each said sleeve rotatably engageable with each said dial;

a lateral detent means transversely formed on said first cover resiliently tensioned against said second longitudinal said wall towards the first longitudinal side wall;

a longitudinal actuator slidably formed on said detent means proximate to said second longitudinal side wall having a depression plate resiliently protruding outwardly from said upper side wall;

an interlockable latching means having the latch normally biased by a restoring spring to poke into the slot in said second cover for operatively engaging the eyelet formed in said second slider of the zipper fastener; and

a sliding coupler means generally formed as an elongate plate having a plurality of sleeve holes each sleeve hole having a taper extension engageable with said divergent notch of each said sleeve, said elongate plate normally resiliently retained towards said bottom side wall having a side notch operatively engageable with a detent extension of said detent means;

said longitudinal actuator having a recess portion formed on a side wall thereof operatively engaged with said detent means for preventing the depression of said depression plate for locking said lock body, when the coupler means disengages from the sleeves to disengage the side notch of the coupler means from the detent extension of the detent means;

said longitudinal actuator having a bottom angled block tangentially biasing another angled block formed on said latching means to retract said latch to disengage from the second slider for opening the lock.

2. An interlockable lock according to claim 1, wherein said lateral detent means includes a flat portion movably guided between two lateral extensions transversely formed on a base surface of said first cover, a vertical portion protruding upwardly from said flat portion operatively engaged with said recess portion of said longitudinal actuator, and a detent extension selected from a wedge portion or a semi-circular portion tapered towards said sliding coupler means protruding from said vertical portion, and a first restoring spring tensioning said detent means towards said coupler means.

3. An interlockable lock according to claim 1, wherein said longitudinal actuator generally formed as a flat plate slidably laid on said flat portion of said detent means includes said depression plate reformed with a socket for storing a tensioning spring, retained on one said lateral extension of said detent means, for tensioning said depression plate outwardly through an opening in said upper side wall, and the angled block formed on a bottom portion thereof having a first sloping surface tapered towards said first longitudinal side wall and said bottom transverse side wall.

4. An interlockable lock according to claim 1, wherein said interlockable latching means includes said angled block formed under said latch having a second sloping surface tapered towards said second longitudinal side wall, and a second restoring spring resiliently biasing a lever of said latching means towards said slot of said second cover, said lever being pivotally mounted on a stem on said first cover.

5. An interlockable lock according to claim 1, wherein said sliding coupler means includes an elongate plate having a spring plate integrally formed on its bottom portion embedded in a bottom socket formed in the bottom side wall normally tensioning said elongate plate towards said bottom side wall, a central slot formed in said elongate plate for slidably mounting said elongate plate on a guide rod formed on said first cover, and said side notch formed as a triangular or a semi-circular shape diverging outwardly towards and engageable with said wedge portion of said detent means.

6. An interlockable lock according to claim 5, wherein a taper extension of said sliding coupler means engageable with said divergent notch of said sleeve has an arcuate surface formed on a lower portion of the taper extension operatively engageable with a perimeter of said sleeve.

7. An interlockable lock according to claim 4, wherein said latch of said interlockable latching means has a sloping surface tangentially depressible by an eyelet extension of said second slider of the zipper fastener.

8. An interlockable lock according to claim 3, wherein said longitudinal actuator is movably defined between a central extension formed on said first side wall and said second longitudinal side wall, having a finger-tip recess portion formed in said depression plate adapted for a finger depression operation by a user.

9. An interlockable lock according to claim 1, wherein said second cover has a connector formed on its bottom portion pivotally secured to an eyelet extension formed on said first slider.

10. A lock according to claim 1, wherein each said dial pivotally mounted on each pivot formed on the first cover is formed with a plurality of recesses in its bottom surface rotatively engageable with a plurality of protrusions radially disposed around each said pivot, said protrusions of said dial being formed on a protrusion platform shaped as a round disk slightly positioned above a bottom surface of the first cover, said protrusion platform having a perimeter smaller than a perimeter circumferentially defined by a plurality of numerals formed on the bottom side of the dial to prevent wearing of the dial numerals by the bottom surface of the first cover.

11. An interlockable lock comprising:

a lock body pivotally secured to a first base mounted on a first member and having a latch operatively engageable with an eyelet formed in a second base mounted on a second member for locking the first member with the second member, the lock body comprising;

a first cover generally formed as a rectangular shape composed of a first longitudinal side wall, a second longitudinal side wall opposite to said first side wall, a bottom transverse side wall formed on a bottom portion between the first and second side walls, and an upper transverse side wall formed on an upper portion between the first and second side walls opposite to said bottom side wall;

a second cover having a rectangular shape corresponding to said first cover and combinable with said first cover to form a lock casing having a latching slot formed therein;

a plurality of dials pivotally mounted on said first cover proximate to said first longitudinal side wall each sleeve having a divergent notch formed therein;

a plurality of sleeves resiliently retained on said dials each said sleeve rotatably engageable with each said dial;

a lateral detent means transversely formed on said first cover resiliently tensioned against said second longitudinal side wall towards said first longitudinal side wall;

a longitudinal actuator slidably formed on said detent means proximate to said second longitudinal side wall having a depression plate resiliently protruding outwardly from said upper side wall;

an interlockable latching means having the latch normally biased by a restoring spring to poke into the slot in said second cover for operatively engaging the eyelet formed in said second base of the second member; and

a sliding coupler means generally formed as an elongate plate having a plurality of sleeve holes each sleeve hole having a taper extension engageable with said divergent notch of each said sleeve, said elongate plate normally resiliently retained towards said bottom side wall having a side notch operatively engageable with a detent extension of said detent means;

said longitudinal actuator having a recess portion formed on a side wall thereof operatively engaged with said detent means for preventing the depression of said depression plate for locking said lock body, when the coupler means disengages from the sleeves to disengage the side notch of the coupler means from the detent extension of the detent means;

said longitudinal actuator having a bottom angled block tangentially biasing another angled block formed on said latching means to retract said latch to disengage from the second base for opening the lock.

12. An interlockable lock according to claim 11, wherein said first member is selected from a door frame, a luggage casing or a container;

and said second member is selected from a door, a luggage cover or a container cover respectively corresponding to said first member.