Combination and key operated padlock with indicator

• US 7,007,521 B1
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eastern Company The
• Original Assignee: Eastern Company The
• Inventors: Misner, Michael O., Lu, Jian-Bing
• Primary Examiner(s): BARRETT, SUZANNE LALE DINO
• Application Number:
  US11/098,205
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: 70 25- 29, 704/32, 704/35, 704/37, 704/39, 704/41, 70 52- 56, 70/21
• US Class Current: 70/21
• 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 37/0034 actuated by either
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 37/0058 by axial disengagement between hub and rim of tumbler discs or rings
• 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: Y10T 70/415 Combination and/or key-controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/424 Sliding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7407 Operating indicators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8027 Condition indicators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8108 Padlock
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8162 Padlock

Abstract

A padlock for luggage that can be operated by setting a combination or by inserting and turning a key is provided with an indicator that normally displays a first state when the lock being used in a normal way as a combination operated padlock, but which displays a second state if the padlock has been opened by utilizing a key.

Claims

1. A padlock having both a combination mechanism that can open the padlock and a key mechanism that can open the padlock, and having an indicator for indicating at least at a time after the padlock has been relocked whether the padlock was opened by the key mechanism wherein the indicator includes an indicator member that moves from a first position displaying to view a normal first state to a second position displaying to view a second state as the result of the padlock being opened by the key mechanism.

2. The padlock of claim 1 wherein the indicator displays the first state and the second state to view through a window of the padlock.

3. The padlock of claim 1 wherein the indicator is resettable from displaying the second state to displaying the first state only after the padlock is opened by the combination mechanism.

4. The padlock of claim 1 additionally including a housing and a shackle that is movable relative to the housing between a locked position and an unlocked position when the padlock is opened by using a key to operate the key mechanism or by setting a combination to operate the combination mechanism, wherein the indicator member is connected to the housing for movement between the first and second positions and is capable of displaying a first surface that is viewable through a window of the housing when the indicator member is in the first position, and of displaying a second surface through the window when in the second position, with the first and second surfaces differing in appearance one from the other.

5. The padlock of claim 4 wherein the first and second surfaces are of different colors.

6. The padlock of claim 4 wherein the first surface displays the color green, and the second surface displays the color red.

7. The padlock of claim 4 wherein the shackle also is movable relative to the housing to an indicator reset position after the shackle has been opened by setting said combination, and wherein the indicator is resettable from displaying the second surface to displaying the first surface only by opening the shackle by setting said combination, and by moving the shackle to the indicator reset position.

8. The padlock of claim 7 wherein the shackle also is movable relative to the housing to a combination reset position after the shackle has been opened by setting said combination, and wherein the combination that is set to open the padlock can be reset from a first combination to a second combination by opening the shackle by setting the first combination, and by moving the opened shackle relative to the housing to the combination reset position.

9. The padlock of claim 4 additionally including means for biasing the indicator member toward at least a selected one of the first and second positions.

10. The padlock of claim 4 wherein an indicator reset member is movably supported within the interior of the housing for movement between a normal position of the reset member and reset position of the reset member, and the indicator reset member is adapted to be moved from the normal position of the reset member to the reset position of the reset member for resetting the indicator member from the second position to the first position in response to the shackle being depressed into the housing.

11. A padlock having a combination mechanism and a key mechanism carried by a housing, and having a shackle movable relative to the housing between a locked position and an unlocked position wherein the shackle can be opened for movement from the locked position to the unlocked position by operating either mechanism, and having an indicator capable of displaying a normal first color until the indicator is switched to displaying a second color only as the result of the shackle being released by the key mechanism for movement from the locked position to the unlocked position, with a display of the second color being maintained by the indicator at a time after the shackle of the padlock was returned to the locked position after being released by operation of the key mechanism.

12. The padlock of claim 11 wherein the indicator is resettable from displaying the second color to displaying the first color only if the shackle is opened by setting a combination to operate the combination mechanism.

13. The padlock of claim 12 wherein the shackle also is movable relative to the housing to an indicator reset position after the shackle has been opened by setting said combination, and wherein the indicator is resettable from displaying the second color to displaying the first color only by opening the shackle by setting said combination and by moving the shackle to the indicator reset position.

14. The padlock of claim 13 wherein the shackle also is movable relative to the housing to a combination reset position after the shackle has been opened by setting said combination, and wherein the combination that is set to open the padlock can be reset from a first combination to a second combination by opening the shackle by setting the first combination, and by moving the opened shackle relative to the housing to the combination reset position.

15. The padlock of claim 11 wherein the housing has an interior region and has a window that opens through a wall of the housing into the interior region, wherein the indicator includes an indicator member supported in the interior region for movement between a first color position and a second color position, with a first surface of the indicator member being displayed in the window of the housing when the indicator is in the first color position so as to display said first color, and with a second surface of the indicator member being displayed in the window of the housing when the indicator is in the second color position so as to display said second color.

16. The padlock of claim 11 wherein said first color is green and wherein said second color is red.

17. The padlock of claim 15 additionally including means for biasing the indicator member toward at least a selected one of said first color position and said second color position.

18. The padlock of claim 17 wherein the indicator member is supported by the housing for pivotal movement through an arc of travel between the first color position and the second color position, and wherein the means for biasing the indicator member functions to bias the indicator member toward the first color position when the indicator member has moved along the arc of travel so as to be located nearer to the first color position than to the second color position, and to bias the indicator member toward the second color position when the indicator member has moved along the arc of travel so as to be located nearer to the second color position than to the first color position.

19. The padlock of claim 15 wherein the shackle has a leg that extends through an interior portion of the housing, wherein the padlock additionally includes a plurality of indicia bearing dials that are connected to said leg within said interior portion of the housing, with said dials projecting through at least one opening defined by the housing so that exterior surface portions of the dials can be accessed for rotating the dials to set a combination to operate the combination mechanism to open the padlock.

20. The padlock of claim 19 wherein said leg of the shackle extends along an imaginary axis about which the dials may be rotated to set said combination, and said leg of the shackle can be depressed into the housing as by moving said leg axially along said axis to cause the indicator member to move from the second color position to the first color position to reset the indicator in response to said axial movement.

21. The padlock of claim 20 wherein said leg of the shackle carries means for cooperating with at least one formation of the housing to permit said leg of the shackle from being depressed into the housing and moved along said axis to cause the indicator member to be reset only when the shackle is rotated about said axis relative to said housing to a reset position of the shackle.

22. The padlock of claim 20 wherein an indicator reset member is movably supported within the interior of the housing for movement between a normal position of the reset member and reset position of the reset member, and the indicator reset member is adapted to be moved from the normal position of the reset member to the reset position of the reset member for resetting the indicator from the second color position to the first color position in response to the shackle being depressed into the housing and moved along said axis.

23. The padlock of claim 22 additionally including means for biasing the indicator reset member toward the normal position of the reset member and for opposing movement of the reset member from the normal position of the reset member toward the reset position of the reset member.

24. The padlock of claim 23 wherein the reset member is configured to be engaged by a slide member that is connected to the housing for movement within the interior of the housing between a normal position of the slide member and a key unlocked position of the slide member, wherein the housing defines a keyhole for receiving said key which is configured to be inserted through the keyhole and turned to open the padlock, wherein a cylinder member 1) is supported for rotation by the housing within the interior of the housing at a location adjacent the keyhole, 2) is configured to be engaged by and rotated by the key when the key is inserted through the keyhole and turned, 3) is configured to move the slide member from the normal position of the slide member wherein the slide prevents the shackle from being opened except when a correct combination is set to open the padlock to the key unlocked position of the slide member wherein the slide member permits the shackle to be opened without setting a correct combination to open the padlock, and 4) is configured to engage the indicator member so as to move the indicator member from the first color position to the second color position as the slide member is moved from the normal position of the slide member to the key unlocked position of the slide member.

25. The padlock of claim 24 wherein a one-way driving connection is provided between the cylinder member and the slide member that permits rotation of the cylinder member by the key to move the slide member between the normal position of the slide member and the key unlocked position of the slide member, but does not permit movement of the slide member between the normal position of the slide member and the key unlocked position of the slide member to cause rotation of the cylinder.

26. The padlock of claim 25 wherein the one-way driving connection includes a spiral groove formed on a portion of the slide member that extends into a tubular portion of the cylinder member along an imaginary axis about which the cylinder member rotates relative to the housing when the key is inserted through the keyhole and turned, and includes a steel ball that is carried in a hole formed through a wall of the tubular portion of the cylinder member, with the ball extending into the spiral groove to drivingly connect the slide member to the cylinder so the slide member will move between the normal position of the slide member and the key unlocked position of the slide member in response to insertion and turning of the key.

27. A padlock having a housing and a shackle that is movable relative to the housing between a locked position and an unlocked position, a locking mechanism for retaining the shackle in the locked position, a combination mechanism including dial means for causing the locking mechanism to release the shackle for movement from the locked position to the unlocked position in response to entry of a predetermined combination, key mechanism including key responsive means for causing the locking mechanism to release the shackle for movement from the locked position to the unlocked position in response to insertion and turning of a correctly configured key, and an indicator connected to the key responsive means for indicating by a change of color, at least at a time after the shackle was relocked after being released by insertion and turning of said key, that the shackle was released for movement from the locked position to the unlocked position in response to insertion and turning of said key.

28. The padlock of claim 27 wherein the housing defines an aperture, and wherein the indicator is visible through the aperture to indicate if the shackle has been released for movement from the locked position to the unlocked position in response to said insertion and turning of said key.

29. The padlock of claim 28 wherein the indicator provides a first color surface that is viewable through the aperture when the indicator is in a first position, and a second color surface that is viewable through the aperture when the indicator is in a second position, with the first color surface being viewable through the aperture when the shackle has been released for movement from the locked position to the unlocked position in response to said entry of said predetermined combination, and with the second color surface being viewable through the aperture when the shackle has not been released for movement from the locked position to the unlocked position in response to said insertion and turning of said key.

30. The padlock of claim 29 wherein the first color surface is green and second color surface is red.

31. The padlock of claim 27 additionally including means for resetting the indicator after the shackle has been released for movement from the locked position to the unlocked position in response to said entry of said predetermined combination.

32. The padlock of claim 31 wherein the means for resetting the indicator is configured to cause the indicator to be reset in response to depressing the shackle into the housing after the shackle has been released for movement from the locked position to the unlocked position in response to said entry of said predetermined combination.

33. A padlock having both a combination mechanism and a key mechanism that can be opened by either mechanism, having a color indicator for indicating whether the padlock was opened by the key mechanism.