Protective mechanism for padlock

• US 6,813,914 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2003
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Min-Hui Chen
• Original Assignee: Min-Hui Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Min-Hui
• Primary Examiner(s): Gall, Lloyd A.
• Application Number:
  US10/644,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20040055342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 70/50--56, 704/23--28, 704/55, 70D/IG.43, 70D/IG.56
• US Class Current: 70/50
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/002 Weather or dirt protection E05B15/029, E05B17/14 take precedence; for vehicle locks E05B77/34
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 67/38 Auxiliary or protective devices weather protection E05B17/002; armoured cases E05B67/04
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/485 With seal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/489 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/496 Sheaths
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/498 Shields or canopies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7955 Keyhole guards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8649 Keyhole covers

Abstract

A protective device for a padlock. The device includes a casing having a connecting member at either top or bottom, a cover formed at the top of the casing and a base formed at the bottom of the casing being connected to the top and bottom of the connecting member by soldering respectively, so that the casing, the cover and the base are adapted to enclose a body of the padlock. The base includes an opening having an annular downwardly extended flange for receiving a keyhole of the padlock, and an extension member having a recessed enlargement at one open end for being hingedly coupled to one side of the base, so that a pivotal movement of the extension member toward the base will snap the enlargement into and seal the opening.

Claims

1. A protective mechanism for a padlock, comprising:

a casing for enclosing a body of the padlock, the casing including top and bottom connecting members;

a cover formed at the top of the casing for being connected to the top connecting member by soldering, the cover comprising two spaced holes;

a base formed at the bottom of the casing for being connected to the bottom connecting member by soldering so that the cover, the base, and the casing are adapted to enclose the body of the padlock, the base comprising an opening having an annular, downwardly extended flange for receiving a keyhole of the padlock, and an extension member hingedly coupled to one side of the base, the extension member including a recessed enlargement at one open end so that a pivotal movement of the extension member toward the base will snap the enlargement into and seal the opening; and

two flexible sleeves disposed in respective ones of the holes of the cover wherein a bent link of the padlock is sealed by the sleeves when the link is locked in the holes of the cover and two top second holes of the padlock, and the sleeves are secured between the cover and the top connecting member.

2. The protective mechanism of claim 1, wherein each sleeve comprises an upper annular, external flange proximate the cover so that the upper flanges will be urged against the cover for fastening the sleeves for preventing the sleeves from moving toward the body while inserting the link into the hole and the second hole.

3. The protective mechanism of claim 1, wherein each sleeve comprises a lower annular, external flange distal from the cover so that the lower flanges will urge against the cover for fastening the sleeves for preventing the sleeves from moving toward the body while inserting the link into the hole and the second hole.

4. The protective mechanism of claim 1, wherein each sleeve comprises an upper annular, external flange proximate the cover and a lower annular, external flange distal from the cover.

5. The protective mechanism of claim 3, further comprising a connecting plate for connecting the lower flanges together, the connecting plate being tightly fitted under the cover.

6. The protective mechanism of claim 4, further comprising a connecting plate for connecting the lower flanges together, the connecting plate being tightly fitted under the cover.

7. The protective mechanism of claim 1, wherein the casing further comprises a bent section downwardly extended from a bottom side of the body toward the extension member to partially lap over the extension member.

8. The protective mechanism of claim 1, wherein the extension member further comprises at least one aperture opposite the enlargement, and the base further comprises at least one tab so that the extension member and the base are adapted to secure together by snapping the tab into the aperture.

9. The protective mechanism of claim 1, wherein an inner diameter of at least one of the sleeves is smaller than an outer diameter of the link.

10. The protective mechanism of claim 1, wherein a bore of at least one of the sleeves is increased gradually from a top above the cover toward a bottom under the cover so as to form a conic inner surface around the bore of the sleeve, and an inner diameter of the conic inner surface at a top proximate a top of the cover is smaller than the outer diameter of the link.

11. The protective mechanism of claim 1, further comprising an upper annualar tapered projection and a lower annular tapered projection around a bore of at least one of the sleeves.