High security, dual-mode padlock construction

• US 8,511,118 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Sun Lock Company Ltd.
• Original Assignee: The Sun Lock Company Ltd.
• Inventors: Lai, Eric, Lai, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): BOSWELL, CHRISTOPHER J
• Application Number:
  US12/653,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20100095718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 70/20, 70/21, 70 24- 26, 70/38.A, 70/38.C, 70/38.R, 70/39, 702/84, 702/85
• 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 67/003 Chain, wire or cable locks alarms therefor E05B45/005; E05B69/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 67/24 with built- in cylinder locks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/415 Combination and/or key-controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7141 Combination and key
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7147 Combination or key

Abstract

By employing a deadbolt construction for virtually eliminating the ability of the shackle to be removed from the housing by the application of excessive force, an effective, easily produced, padlock is achieved which also incorporates two separate and independent locking systems formed in a single padlock. In the present invention, a single housing and a single shackle assembly are employed and are constructed for enabling the shackle to be released from locked engagement with the housing using either a rotatable dial combination construction or a key activated tumbler construction. Furthermore, the rotatable combination defining dials, which controls the release of the shackle using the preset combination, are coaxially aligned, peripherally surrounding the key controlled tumbler/cylinder. As a result, a compact construction is realized, as well as an efficient and effective release construction which is shared by both the combination controlled section as well as the key controlled section.

Claims

1. A padlock constructed for providing two separate and independent locking means in a single integrated construction, said padlock comprising:

(a) a housing constructed for retaining a combination controlled locking assembly and a key controlled locking assembly in cooperating, controlling relationship with a deadbolt locking member;

(b) a combination controlled locking assembly and a key controlled locking assembly mounted in the housing in coaxial, aligned relationship with each other, thereby establishing a dual mode locking construction configured and contained in a small, compact area;

(c) a shackle member mounted in the housing and movable between a first, housing engaged and locked position and a second, housing disengaged and unlocked position, each of said positions being controlled by activation of the combination controlled locking assembly or the key controlled locking assembly;

(d) said deadbolt locking member mounted in the housing in cooperating relationship with a control member and at least one end of the shackle member; and

(e) the control member

(i) mounted in the housing for arcuate, pivoting movement therein,

(ii) positioned in cooperative association with the deadbolt locking member for controlling the movement of the deadbolt locking member between a first shackle engaged position and a second shackle released position for causing such shackle member to move between its first housing engaged and locked position and its second, housing disengaged and unlocked position, and

(iii) responsive to the activation of the combination controlled locking assembly for causing the arcuate, pivoting movement thereof and the controlled movement of the deadbolt locking member with the shackle member and responsive to the activation of the key controlled locking assembly for causing the arcuate, pivoting movement thereof and the controlled movement of the deadbolt locking member with the shackle member;

whereby a padlock construction is attained which achieves a compact construction having a coaxially aligned combination controlled locking assembly and key controlled locking assembly, with both assemblies controlling the movement of said deadbolt locking member for locking and releasing a cooperating shackle member.

2. The padlock defined in claim 1, wherein the key controlled locking assembly is further defined as comprising a cylinder assembly incorporating a key receiving slot cooperatively associated with a plurality of tumblers for preventing the rotational movement of said cylinder whenever the designated key is not present and enabling rotational movement of the cylinder in response to the presence of the designated key for enabling activation of said control member, and the combination controlled locking assembly is further defined as comprising:

(i) a plurality of tumbler sleeves, each of said tumbler sleeves being rotationally mounted about the cylinder assembly of the key controlled locking assembly for rotational movement about the central axis of thereof, and

(ii) a plurality of dials, each of said dials peripherally surrounding a tumbler sleeve for cooperating therewith and establishing a predesignated combination for enabling activation of said control member.

3. The padlock defined in claim 2, wherein the deadbolt locking member is further defined as being movably mounted in the housing with one portion thereof being in cooperating relationship with the shackle member and a second portion thereof being in cooperating relationship with the control member, and

wherein the control member comprises a first curved recess and the shackle member is further defined as comprising a cutout zone formed in the outer surface thereof, said first curved recess being aligned with the cutout zone to enable the deadbolt locking member to move from engagement between the outer surface of the control member and the cutout zone of the shackle to disengagement from the cutout zone and engagement in the first curved recess as the control member arcuately pivots in the housing, thereby enabling the deadbolt locking member to alternately move into and out of engagement with one of said cutout zone and said first curved recess, thereby causing the shackle member to be alternately positioned in locked engagement with the housing or in unlocked, released cooperating relationship with the housing.

4. The padlock defined in claim 3, wherein the cylinder assembly comprises an upstanding finger member, axially extending from the top surface of said cylinder, with said finger being controllably engaged in the bottom end of the control member for causing the control member to arcuately pivot simultaneously with the arcuate movement of said cylinder.

5. The padlock defined in claim 4, wherein the control member is further defined as comprising cam surfaces formed on the lower end thereof constructed for cooperative following engagement with cam controlling elements and said padlock further comprising:

(f) an elongated, substantially hollow, cylindrically shaped sleeve member

(i) mounted in the housing,

(ii) positioned between the cylinder assembly of the key controlled locking member and the tumbler sleeves of the combination controlled locking assembly,

(iii) longitudinally movable relative to the housing in response to the combination controlled locking assembly being placed in its open position, and

(iv) comprising ramped, sloping, camming controlling elements formed on the upper end thereof for controllably engaging the cam surface formed on the lower end of the control member for causing control member to arcuately pivot whenever the sleeve member is axially advanced upwardly in the housing.

6. The padlock defined in claim 5, wherein said padlock further comprises a flat spring member mounted to the top surface of the control member with a first end of said flat spring member being controllably engaged with said control member and a second end of said flat spring member being affixed to the housing, whereby said flat spring member continuously exerts a rotational biasing force on the control member for attempting to cause said control member to return to its original, shackle locked position.

7. The padlock defined in claim 6, wherein said flat spring member is further defined as being formed as a continuous, spiral shaped member comprising a plurality of arcuately curved or circular shaped elements, with each successive element peripherally surrounding the previous element and having a greater diameter than the previous element.

8. The padlock defined in claim 5, wherein said padlock further comprises

an enlarged activation button securely affixed to the bottom edge of the sleeve member and constructed for enabling the controlled movement of said sleeve member both vertically and rotationally.

9. The padlock defined in claim 8, wherein said padlock further comprises a cylindrically shaped blocking member mounted in the lower end of the sleeve member in cooperating relationship with the sleeve member and the activation button, with said blocking member incorporating radially extending posts formed on the outer surface thereof position for cooperating with slots formed on an inside surface of the activation button, whereby axial movement of the sleeve member is capable of being achieved only when the radially extending posts are aligned for passage through the slots of the activation button.

10. The padlock defined in claim 9, wherein said activation button further comprises a holding ledge formed on an inside surface of the activation button directly adjacent to the slots for enabling the radially extending posts of the blocking member to pass through the slots and be engaged with the holding ledge upon rotation of said activation button, whereby the hollow, cylindrically shaped sleeve member is axially movable in the housing for extending partially outwardly therefrom and pivoted into a position for being retained in the outwardly extending position whenever the pre-designated combination has been entered.

11. The padlock defined in claim 10, wherein when said sleeve member is in said position for being retained in the outwardly extending position, said pre-designated combination for enabling activation of said control member can be changed to a new combination by rotating said plurality of dials to the new combination.

12. The padlock defined in claim 5, wherein said cylinder assembly of the key controlled locking assembly further comprises an intermediate section positioned between the cylinder and the control member with a first end thereof controllably engaging the control member, and the cylinder comprises an upstanding flange formed on the cylinder end opposite the key receiving slot, and the second end of the intermediate portion comprises a slot formed therein and constructed for mating engagement with the flange of the cylinder assembly thereby causing the intermediate portion to arcuately pivot in response to the arcuate pivoting of the cylinder member whenever the designated key is inserted in the key receiving slot, thereby causing the intermediate section and the control member to move simultaneously for controllably moving the deadbolt locking member.

13. The padlock defined in claim 5, wherein said padlock further comprises a collar member mounted in the housing in contact with the bottom edge of the sleeve member, with the collar member being cooperatively associated with a coil spring for normally biasing the collar member outwardly, said collar member being further constructed for contacting the lower edge of the sleeve member whenever the collar member is pressed inwardly, causing said sleeve member to move axially in the housing in response to the pre-set combination being employed, thereby causing the shackle to be released.

14. The padlock defined in claim 5, wherein said control member is further defined as comprising a second curved recess formed in a portion thereof longitudinally and arcuately spaced from the first curved recess for providing the deadbolt locking member with two alternate positions for enabling the movement of said deadbolt locking member.

15. The padlock defined in claim 5, wherein said key controlled locking assembly is constructed to provide a non-key captive capability wherein the designated key can be removed from the cylinder assembly whenever the shackle is in its unlocked position.

16. The padlock defined in claim 3, wherein the deadbolt locking member is further defined as comprising a shape selected from the group consisting of spheres, cylinders, ovals, ellipses, and rectangles.

17. The padlock defined in claim 1, wherein said padlock comprises two separate and independent deadbolt locking members mounted in the housing with each deadbolt locking member being positioned for cooperative controlled movement with the control member and locking/unlocking inter-engagement with both ends of the shackle.

18. A padlock constructed for providing two separate and independent locking means in a single integrated construction, said padlock comprising:

(a) a housing constructed for retaining a combination controlled locking assembly and a key controlled locking assembly in cooperating, controlling relationship with a deadbolt locking member;

(b) a combination controlled locking assembly and a key controlled locking assembly mounted in the housing in coaxial, aligned relationship with each other, thereby establishing a dual mode locking construction configured and contained in a small, compact area;

(c) a shackle member mounted in the housing and movable between a first, housing engaged and locked position and a second, housing disengaged and unlocked position, each of said positions being controlled by activation of the combination controlled locking assembly or the key controlled locking assembly;

(d) said deadbolt locking member mounted in the housing in cooperating relationship with a control member and at least one end of the shackle member; and

(e) the control member

(i) mounted in the housing for arcuate, pivoting movement therein,

(ii) positioned in cooperative association with the deadbolt locking member for controlling the movement of the deadbolt locking member between a first shackle engaged position and a second shackle released position for causing such shackle member to move between its first housing engaged and locked position and its second, housing disengaged and unlocked position, and

(iii) responsive to the activation of the combination controlled locking assembly for causing the arcuate pivoting movement thereof and the controlled movement of the deadbolt locking member with the shackle member and responsive to the activation of the key controlled locking assembly for causing the arcuate, pivoting movement thereof and the controlled movement of the deadbolt locking member with the shackle member;

wherein said combination controlled locking assembly further comprises a plurality of dials, each of said dials peripherally surrounding a tumbler sleeve for cooperating therewith and establishing a pre-designated combination for enabling activation of said control member, and

wherein said pre-designated combination can be changed to a new combination by rotating said dials to said new combination when a key is inserted into said key controlled locking assembly,

whereby a padlock construction is attained which achieves a compact construction having a coaxially aligned combination controlled locking assembly and key controlled locking assembly, with both assemblies controlling the movement of said deadbolt locking member for locking and releasing a cooperating shackle member.