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Combined padlock housing and acoustic notification device

  • US 7,325,425 B1
  • Filed: 10/24/2005
  • Issued: 02/05/2008
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2005
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A padlock housing assembly for providing an audible warning signal when a padlock is biased to an open position, said padlock housing assembly comprising:

  • a padlock housing having a plurality of monolithically formed walls sized and shaped for defining a rectangular cavity for cradling an existing padlock therein, a top one of said walls being provided with an annular aperture for receiving a U-shaped shank of an existing padlock therethrough, front and rear ones of said walls being provided with substantially U-shaped openings equidistantly registered with a centrally aligned vertical axis passing through said padlock housing, another one of said walls being provided with a notch formed therein and situated subjacent said aperture such that the shank slidably adjoins said notch when interfitted through said aperture, said shank maintaining a static relationship with said padlock housing when said shank is passed through said aperture and engaged with the existing padlock to a closed position, said shank being exposed above said padlock housing during operating conditions;

    audio means for playing an audio file when the shank is biased to an open position, said audio means being housed within said padlock housing in such a manner that the operator cannot tamper or alter said audio means without dismantling said padlock housing walls, said audio means housing a predetermined quantity of audio files; and

    trigger means for selectively transmitting a power input signal to said audio means when said shank is biased to an open position, said trigger means cooperating with said audio means such that the audio file will be automatically discontinued when said shank is biased to the closed position;

    wherein said trigger means generates and sends said power input signal to said audio means for instructing said audio means to generate and transmit an output signal associated with a predetermined one of said audio files;

    wherein said trigger means comprisesan actuator arm offset from a vertical axis and disposed within said notch, said actuator arm having top and bottom ends directly abutted against top and bottom walls of said notch respectively,a ball-bearing operably and directly engaged with said actuator arm wherein said ball bearing is intercalated between said actuator arm and a vertical travel path of the shank such that said ball bearing maintains continuous contact with the shank when the shank is funneled through said aperture and biased to the closed position,a deformably resilient spring member having a longitudinal axis aligned orthogonal to the vertical axis wherein said spring member has opposed end portions conjoined to said actuator arm and laterally disposed away therefrom, said ball bearing being spaced from said spring member,a plurality of electrically conductive contacts engageable with said actuator arm when the shank is removed from said aperture and thereby disengaged from said ball bearing, andan internal power supply source having positive and negative terminals electrically mated directly to said audio means and electrically mateable directly with said contacts for closing a conductive path when the shank is removed from said aperture to thereby power said audio device;

    wherein said audio means comprisesa signal interface circuit receiving said power input signal, said interface circuit being electrically and directly coupled to said trigger means;

    an audio play-back device and a memory electrically coupled thereto, said audio play-back device being electrically and directly coupled to said signal interface circuit wherein said power input signal instructs said audio play-back device to access and play said one audio file; and

    a speaker and an amplifier electrically and directly coupled thereto, said amplifier further being directly coupled to said audio play-back device, said amplifier receiving said output signal and increasing a voltage level associated with said output signal such that said one audio file can be played back at a sufficient volume for notifying the operator that the existing padlock is biased to the open position.

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