GB2269625A - Bag lock - Google Patents

Abstract

A combination handbag lock includes a slide block (3) fastened inside a casing and controlled by a knob (7) to move a lock key (32) into unlocking position as the narrow notch (421) on the control wheel (42) of the respective number wheel (44) assembly is aligned with the respective bottom pin (33) on the slide block, and a spring (5) fastened inside the casing to move the slide block upwards as the knob is released, causing the look key (32) to be retained in locking position after the narrow notch on the control wheel of the respective number wheel assembly has been deviated from the respective bottom pin. The number wheel assemblies include each an actuating member (43) received in a triangular opening (422) on the respective control wheel, which actuating member has a top projecting point (432) meshed with an internal gear on the respective number wheel, which top projecting point is disengaged from the internal gear for changing the designated combination as the slide block is moved downwards by the knob. <IMAGE>

Description

BAG LOCK The present invention relates to handbag locks and relates more particularly to a combination handbag lock which uses two number wheels and a knob to control the movement of a slide block in holding a lock key in locking position or moving it from locking to unlocking position.

Various types of locks are known and widely used for locking a variety of handbags. These handbag locks include snap button locks, snap fasteners, spring latch controlled locks, and combination locks. A snap button lock is generally comprised of a male button fastened to the body of a handbag, and a female button fastened to the cover panel of the handbag. The cover panel is secured to the body of the handbag when the male and female buttons are connected together. The disadvantage of this structure of snap button lock is that the female button may be disconnect from the male button easily. A handbag snap fastener is generally comprised of two opposed round-head bolts respectively fastened to the two opposite parts of a handbag. By closing the two opposed round-head bolts together, the two opposite parts of the handbag are closed together.

While opening or closing the round-head bolts, the fingers may be jammed or hurt easily. Furthermore, the round-head bolts are difficult to open with a wet hand.

A spring latch controlled handbag lock is generally comprised of casing fastened to the body of a handbag and a loop fastened to the cover panel of the handbag.

Inserting the loop into a lock hole on the casing causes the loop to be automatically locked by a spring latch.

The casing has a knob on the outside and moved to release the spring latch from the loop. This structure of handbag lock can be easily opened by a thief, and therefor it provides less protection. A combination handbag lock is comprised of a set of number wheels rotated to control a mechanism in carrying a lock latch into locking or unlocking position. The internal mechanism of a conventional combination handbag lock is very complex and may be damaged easily.

The present invention eliminates the aforesaid disadvantages. According to the preferred embodiment, a combination handbag lock is comprised of a casing covered with a cover to hold a slide block, and two number wheel assemblies. The number wheel assemblies are each comprised of a spring coil, a control wheel, an actuating member and a number wheel mounted on a respective post on the casing in proper order, wherein the control wheel has a triangular opening extended to the peripheral edge thereof tlirough a narrow notch; the actuating member is received in the triangular opening on the respective control wheel, having a back rod inserted in the narrow notch on the respective control wheel and a top projecting point meshed with an internal gear on the respective number wheel.The lock key on the slide block is moved into unlocking position by the knob ds the narrow notch on the control wheels is aligned with the respective bottom pin on the slide block, or moved back into locking position by a spring retained between a stop plate on the casing and a stop plate on the slide block as the knob is released. The top projecting point of each actuating member is disengaged from the internal gear of the respective number wheel for changing the designated combination as the slide block is moved downwards by the knob.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a combination handbag lock embodying the present invention; Fig. 1A is a front view of the slide block thereof; Fig. 1B is an elevational back view of a number wheel according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is an elevational view thereof; Fig. 3 is a plain view showing the operation of the combination handbag lock; Fig. 3A is a sectional side view showing the positioning of the number wheel assembly on the respective post relative to the bottom pins of the slide block and the knob;; Fig. 3B is another sectional side view taken of Fig. 3A showing that moving the knob downwards cases the bottom pins to squeeze the respective actuating member in disengaging from the internal gear of the respective number wheel; and Fig. 4 is a front view of a number wheel assembly according to the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, IA, 1B and 2, a combination handbag lock is generally comprised of a casing 2, a slide block 3, two number wheel assemblies 4, a spring 5, a cover 6 and a knob 7. The casing 2 comprises two parallel sliding ways 21 at two opposite sides, two spaced posts 22 at right angles to hold the number wheel assemblies 4, an elongated groove 72 above the posts 22 at the middle for holding the spring 5, and a stop plate 73 on the elongated groove 23 at the bottom at right angle.The slide block 3 comprises two projecting rods 31 moved to slide in the sliding ways 21 respectively, a lock key 32 on a top edge thereof between the two projecting rods 31, two spaced bottom pins 33, a pin hole 34 at a suitable location, an elongated groove 35 on the back side thereof matching the elongated groove 23 on the casing 2 for holding the spring 5, and a stop plate 351 on the elongated groove 35 at the top at right angle (as shown in Fig. IA).

The number wheel assemblies 4 are each comprised of a spring coil 41, a control wheel 42, an actuating member 43, and a number wheel 44. The number wheel 4 is marked with numbers around the front face thereof and has an internal gear 41 on the back face thereof (see Fig.lB). The control wheel 42 has a triangular opening 422 extended to the outside through a narrow notch 421 for holding the actuating member 43. The actuating member 43 has a back rod 431 inserted into the narrow notch 421, and a top projecting point 432 inserted into the pitch between either two adjacent teeth on the internal gear 441 of the respective number wheel 44 (see Fig. 4).The cover 6 has a lock hole 61 into which the loop on the cover flap of the handbag is inserted and locked in place by the lock key 32, and a through hole 62 through which the knob 7 is inserted and fastened to the pin hole 34 on the slide block 3 and controlled to move the slide block 3. When assembled, the spring 5 is received in the elongated grooves 23,35 and retained between the stop plate 231 on the casing 2 and the stop plate 351 on the slide block 3.

The operation of the present invention is described hereinafter with reference to Figs. 3, 3A and 3B. Rotate each number wheel 4 to let the narrow notch 421 be aligned with the respective bottom pin 33 on the slide block 3, and press the knob 7 downwards.

Pressing the knob 7 downwards causes the sliding block 3 to be moved downwards, and therefore the bottom pins 25 are respectively inserted into the respective narrow notch 421 on each number wheel 4. As the slide block 3 was moved downwards, the lock key 32 is released from the loop of the cover flap of the handbag permitting the loop to be removed from the lodk hole 61 (see the dotted line in Fig. 3), and therefore the handbag is opened.

As the knob 7 was released from the hand, the spring 5 automatically push the slide block 3 back to its original position, and therefore the lock key 32 is moved back to "locking position" (see the real line in Fig. 3 and see also Fig. 3A). The number wheel assemblies 8 are respectively rotated to change the position of the narrow notch 421 of the respective control wheel 42, causing the respective bottom pin 33 to be stopped against the peripheral edge of respective control wheel 42, and therefore the slide block 3 becomes stopped in place again, and the lock key 32 is firmly retained in "locking position".

For changing the designated combination, the knob 7 is moved downwards to carry the bottom pins 33 into the narrow notch 421 on the respective control wheel 42 (from the real line position to the dotted line position as shown in Fig. 3) after the number wheels 44 have been properly rotated according to the designated combination, at the same time, the bottom pins 33 are forced to squeeze the back rod 431 of the respective actuating member 43 causing the top- projecting point 432 of the respective actuating member 43 to be disengaged from the teeth on the internal gear 441 of the respective number wheel 44, and therefore the number wheels 44 run idle for changing the setting.

In addition to the general statements set out in the introduction to the specification, there may also be provided in a broad aspect of the invention a bag lock including a slide block fastened inside a casing and controlled by a knob to move a lock key into unlocking position as a notch on the control wheel of a respective number wheel assembly is aligned with a respective bottom pin on the slide block, and a spring fastened inside the casing to move the slide block upwards as the knob is released, causing the lock key to be retained in locking position after the notch on the control wheel of the respective number wheel assembly has been deviated from the respective bottom pin, the number wheel assemblies each including an actuating member received in a triangular opening on the respective control wheel, which actuating member has a tdp projecting point meshed with an internal gear on the respective number wheel, which top projecting point is disengaged from the internal gear for changing the designated combination as the slide block is moved downwards by the knob.

Claims (3)

1. A combination handbag lock comprising: a casing fastened to a first part of a handbag, said casing having two parallel sliding ways at two opposite sides, two spaced posts at right angles, an elongated groove above between said sliding ways and said posts, and a stop plate; a cover covered on said casing, said cover having a lock hole into which a loop may be inserted, and an opening; a slide block movably fastened inside said casing and said cover, said slide block having two projecting rods moved to slide in said sliding ways respectively, a lock key on a top edge thereof between said two projecting rods, two spaced bottom pins, a pin hole, an elongated groove on a back side thereof, and a stop plate at right angle;; a knob having a pin inserted through the opening on said cover into the pin hole on said slide bloc, said knob being controlled to move said slide block; a spring received in the elongated grooves on said casing and said slide block and retained between the stop plate on said casing and the stop plate on said slide block to give an upward pressure to said slide block;; two number wheel assemblies fastened inside said casing and said cover below the bottom pins of said slide block, said number wheel assemblies comprising each a spring coil, a control wheel, an actuating member and a number wheel mounted on either post on-said casing in proper order said number wheel having a front face divided into ten equal ones marked with respective numbers and a back face fastened with an internal gear, said control wheel having a triangular opening extended to a narrow notch on a peripheral edge thereof, said actuating member being received in said triangular opening and having a back rod inserted into the narrow notch on the respective control wheel and a top projecting point meshed with the internal gear on the respective number wheel;; wherein the lock key on said slide block is moved into unlocking position by said knob as the narrow notch on said control wheels is aligned with the respective bottom pin on said slide block, or moved back into locking position by the spring retained between the stop plate on said casing and the stop plate on said slide block as said knob is released; moving said slide block downwards by said knob simultaneously causes said bottom pins of said slide block to squeeze the back rod of the respective actuating member in disengaging the top projecting point of the respective actuating member from said internal gear permitting said number wheels to run idle for changing the combination.

2. A bag lock including a slide block fastened inside a casing and controlled by a knob to move a lock key into unlocking position as a notch on the control wheel of a respective number wheel assembly is aligned with a respective bottom pin on the slide block, and a spring fastened inside the casing to move the slide block upwards as the knob is released, causing the lock key to be retained in locking position after the notch on the control wheel of the respective number wheel assembly has been deviated from the respective bottom pin, the number wheel assemblies each including an actuating member received in a triangular opening on the respective control wheel, which actuating member has a top projecting point meshed with an internal gear on the respective number wheel, which top projecting point is disengaged from the internal gear for changing the designated combination as the slide block is moved downwards by the knob.

3. A bag lock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.