Combination and key operated padlock with indicator

• US 7,363,782 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2006
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US11/519,753
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 70/21, 70/25, 702/84, 702/85, 70432-437, 70 26- 30
• 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: E05B 65/5261 with simultaneously operating double bolts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/415 Combination and/or key-controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/424 Sliding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7141 Combination and key
• 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 lock having a combination mechanism and a key mechanism that can be opened by using either mechanism, and having an indicator that changes position to alter the visual appearance of the lock in response to use of the key mechanism, wherein the change of position of the indicator can be reversed to restore the visual appearance of the lock only after a combination has been set using the combination mechanism.

2. A lock having a first member that can be moved to set a combination to unlock the lock, a second member that can be moved by a key to unlock the lock, and a third member that moves to change a state of appearance of the lock in response to movement of the second member, wherein the third member can be moved to restore the state of appearance of the lock only after the combination has been set.

3. A lock having a housing, a first member that can be moved relative to the housing to set a combination to unlock the lock, a second member that can be moved relative to the housing by a key to unlock the lock, and a third member that moves relative to the housing to change an appearance feature of the lock from a first state to a second state only in response to movement of the second member, wherein the third member can be moved to restore the state of appearance of the lock only after the lock has been unlocked by setting said combination.

4. A lock that can be opened either by setting a combination or by a key, having an indicator that moves from a first position to a second position to change an appearance feature of the lock as the result of the lock being opened by the key, wherein the indicator is resettable from the second position to the first position only after the combination has been set.

5. A lock that can be opened either by setting a combination or by a key, having an indicator for indicating whether the lock has been opened by the key, wherein the indicator moves from a first position to a second position to change a visual appearance feature of the lock from a first state to a second state as the result of the lock being opened by the key, and wherein the indicator is resettable from the second position to the first position to restore the visual appearance feature from the second state to the first state only after the combination is set.

6. A lock having a combination mechanism and a key mechanism that each can be used independently of the other to unlock the lock, and having an indicator that moves from a first position enabling the lock to display a first appearance state, to a second position enabling the lock to display a second appearance state that differs from the first appearance state to thereby indicate that the lock has been unlocked by the key mechanism, wherein the indicator can be moved from the second position to the first position to thereby restore the lock to the first appearance state only in response to the combination mechanism being used to unlock the lock.

7. A lock having a combination mechanism that can unlock the lock, and a key mechanism that can unlock the lock, and having an indicator that moves to change the appearance of the lock from a first state to a second state to indicate, at least at a time after the lock has been relocked, that the lock has been unlocked by the key mechanism, wherein the indicator can move to change the appearance of the lock from the second state to the first state only at a time after the lock has been unlocked by the combination mechanism.

8. A lock having a combination mechanism capable of unlocking the lock in response to manual movement of at least one element of the combination mechanism to set a combination, having a key mechanism capable of unlocking the lock in response to an element of the key mechanism being moved by a key, and having an indicator that moves from a first position to a second position to visibly alter a feature of appearance of the lock from a first state to a second state in response to the element of the key mechanism being moved by the key, wherein the indicator can be moved from the second position to the first position to restore the feature of appearance of the lock from the second state to the first state only after the combination has been set.

9. A lock having a first member that can be manually moved to set a combination to unlock the lock, having a second member that can be moved by a key to unlock the lock, and having a third member that moves to alter the appearance of the lock from a first state of appearance to a second state of appearance in response to the second member being moved by the key, wherein the third member can be moved to restore the appearance of the lock from the second state of appearance to the first state of appearance only after the first member has been manually moved to set the combination.

10. A padlock having both a combination mechanism and a key mechanism that can be opened by either mechanism, having an indicator that moves to change the appearance of the padlock from a first state to a second state if the padlock is opened by the key mechanism, wherein the indicator can move to restore said appearance from the second state to the first state only after the padlock is opened by the combination mechanism.

11. A padlock having both a combination mechanism and a key mechanism that can be unlocked by either mechanism, having a color indicator that moves to alter a color displayed by a region of the padlock from a first color state to a second color state in response to the padlock being unlocked by the key mechanism.

12. The padlock of claim 11 wherein the color indicator can be moved to alter the color displayed by the region of the padlock from the second color state to the first color state only after the padlock has been unlocked by the combination mechanism.

13. A padlock having a combination mechanism and a key mechanism that each can be used independently of the other to open the padlock, and having an indicator that moves, in response to the padlock being opened by the key mechanism, from a first position causing the padlock to display a first appearance state to a second position causing the padlock to display a second appearance state which differs from the first appearance state, wherein the indicator can be moved from the second position to the first position to enabling the padlock to display the first appearance state only after the padlock has been opened by using the combination mechanism.

14. A padlock comprising:

a) a combination mechanism that can be used to unlock the padlock by setting a combination;

b) a key mechanism that can be used to unlock the padlock with a key;

c) an indicator movable from a first position enabling the padlock to exhibit a first appearance state to a second position enabling the padlock to exhibit a second appearance state in response to the padlock being unlocked with the key; and

,

d) a reset mechanism configured to move the indicator from the second position to the first position at a time after the padlock has been unlocked as the result of setting the combination to thereby restore the padlock to exhibiting the first appearance state.

15. A padlock having a combination mechanism and a key mechanism that are usable independently to open the padlock, and having an indicator which moves from a normal position in response to opening of the padlock by use of the key mechanism to provide the padlock with a change of appearance indicating that the padlock has been opened by use of the key mechanism, wherein the indicator can only be reset to the normal position when the padlock is opened by use of the combination mechanism.

16. A combination operated lock that also can be opened by a key wherein the lock includes an indicator element that moves from a first position to a second position in response to opening of the lock by said key to alter the appearance of the lock to indicate that the lock has been opened by said key, and wherein the indicator element can only be reset to the first position at a time after the lock has been opened by use of a predetermined combination.

17. A combination lock having both a combination mechanism and a key mechanism each being usable independently to unlock the lock, and having a color indicator that visibly alters the appearance of the lock once the lock has been unlocked by the key mechanism.

18. A lock having both a combination mechanism and a key mechanism each being usable independently to open the lock, and having an indicator that moves to alter the appearance of the lock when opened by the key mechanism and that is movable to restore the appearance of the lock only after the lock has been opened using the combination mechanism.

19. In a lock, a resettable, reusable indicator movable relative to a housing to visually signal that a key has moved in an opening of the housing, wherein the housing is releasable from a locked condition by setting a combination and, alternatively, by moving the key in the opening, and wherein the indicator can be reset after setting the combination.

20. An indicator of a lock movable relative to a housing of the lock to provide a visual signal in response to movement of a key in a key mechanism of the lock that can be used as an alternative to setting a combination on the lock to release a locked condition of the lock, wherein the indicator is resettable after the combination is set.

21. An indicator movable on a lock housing to signal visually that a key has moved in an opening of the housing, and a mechanism on the housing and adapted to release the housing from a locked condition in response to the key being moved in the opening and, alternatively, in response to setting a combination on the housing, wherein the indicator can be reset once the combination is set.

22. A key movement responsive mechanism and a combination setting responsive mechanism that are connected to a lock housing and that each can be used independently of the other to release the housing from a locked condition, and an indicator movable on the housing in response to use of the key movement responsive mechanism to provide a visual signal that can be reset after the combination is set.

23. A key mechanism and a combination mechanism supported by a lock housing each being usable independently to release a locked condition of the housing, and an indicator movable relative to the housing to visually signal use of the key mechanism and being resettable only after the locked condition is released by use of the combination mechanism.

24. A visual signal indicator movable on a lock housing in response to a key being moved in a key opening of the housing and being resettable only after a combination has been set on the housing, wherein the housing is releasable from a locked condition by setting the combination and, alternatively, by moving the key in the key opening.

25. A lock having a combination mechanism and a key mechanism each being independently capable of unlocking the lock, and having a member that moves in response to use of the key mechanism to alter the visual appearance of the lock, with the member being resettable to restore the appearance of the lock after use of the combination mechanism.

26. An indicator on a lock housing adapted to signal visually in response to use of a key in a key opening of the housing and being resettable once a combination is set on the housing, wherein the housing is adapted to release from a locked condition in response to the use of the key and, alternatively, in response to the setting of the combination.

27. A lock adapted to release in response to use of a key in a key mechanism of the lock and, alternatively, in response to the use of a combination mechanism of the lock, and having an indicator on the housing that moves to visually signal in response to use of the key mechanism, and is resettable after the use of the combination mechanism.

28. A first lock member and a second lock member that can be released from a lock condition to move relative to each other by setting a combination on the first lock member or, alternatively, by moving a key in an opening defined by a selected one of the first and second lock members, and an indicator movable on a chosen one of the first and second lock members that responds to movement of the key in the opening by providing a visual signal which can be reset once the lock members are released by setting the combination.

29. A lock having a first member that can be moved to set a combination to unlock the lock, a second member that can be moved in response to use of a key in an opening of the lock to unlock the lock, and a third member that moves to change a state of appearance of the lock in response to use of the key in the opening and that can be reset to restore the state of appearance once the combination is set.

30. A combination lock having both a combination mechanism and a key mechanism each being usable independently to open the lock, and having an indicator that moves in response to use of the key mechanism to provide a visual signal that is resettable after use of the combination mechanism to open the lock.

31. A combination lock having both a combination mechanism and a key mechanism each being usable independently to unlock the lock, and having a color indicator that visibly alters the appearance of the lock as the result of use of the key mechanism.

32. A lock having a combination mechanism and a key mechanism each capable of independently unlocking the lock, and having a member that moves from a normal position in response to use of the key mechanism to display a color change in a selected area of the lock.