HK1231941B - Padlock with fully integrated dual locking mechanism with a lost code defining system - Google Patents

Description

Padlock with fully integrated double-locking mechanism and lost password definition system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to padlocks, and more particularly to padlocks having dual locking mechanisms.

Background

Many padlock structures have been developed and widely used to prevent unauthorized access to any particular item or area that has been closed and locked. While many locks are configured to be opened by a key, a number of combination lock configurations have been developed that open by specific combination knowledge.

Combination locks have become very popular because of their ease of use, and one particular type of combination lock uses a plurality of rotatable independent dials, each of which forms one of the indicia, usually a number or letter, that includes a combination for releasing the lock. Typically, combination locks have a mode or position where the user can set or reset the desired combination sequence.

In air travel, new regulations and requirements allow customs officials or transit security personnel to break virtually any padlock to obtain luggage that is considered suspicious. According to these new safety regulations, all baggage must be scanned or inspected to prevent the transport of potentially dangerous goods or products that are considered undesirable. Currently, padlocks may have two separate and independent locking systems, where the two locking systems are capable of independently causing a single shackle to be released and/or lockingly engaged. In this way, the padlock can be opened by using the key activation zone or the combined activation zone. The key activation zone allows security personnel to unlock the padlock with a master key and then re-lock the padlock in place after the inspection is complete.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention is directed to a padlock with a dual locking mechanism enclosed in a locking body or housing. A double-locking padlock has a combination locking mechanism operated by a combination code and an override mechanism activated by a key. The housing has a spacer as its top, and the stacked clutches form a middle portion and a bottom portion having a hole to receive a screw from the spacer to secure the housing. A dial is rotatably mounted on the clutch for changing the combination code. The housing has a spindle with a channel for storing the heel of the shackle. The upward movement of the spindle allows the shackle to be pulled upward to unlock the padlock. When the correct combination code is used or the overlay mechanism is activated with a key, the spindle is allowed to move up. With the override mechanism, if the user forgets the combination code, the user can unlock the padlock with the spare key and then reset the dials to the new combination code.

Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention is a padlock operable in a locked mode and an open mode, comprising:

a shackle having a heel and a toe;

a lock housing configured to store the shackle heel, wherein the shackle may be partially released from the lock housing from a first shackle position to a second shackle position, the lock housing including a top portion, a stacked clutch forming a middle portion and a bottom portion, the middle portion having a generally cylindrical outer surface;

a plurality of dials movably mounted on the cylindrical outer surface to form a combination code;

a spindle disposed within the housing and configured to provide a combination locking mechanism configured to hold the padlock in a locked mode based on the combination code; and is

A cover mechanism disposed relative to the spindle, the cover mechanism activatable to cause the padlock to operate in the open mode, and wherein when the padlock operates in the locked mode, the shackle is in the first shackle position, and when the padlock operates in the open mode, the shackle is in the second shackle position.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the spindle comprises one or more recesses and the top of the lock housing comprises one or more holes for receiving one or more fasteners, which are arranged to pass through the recesses in the spindle and to the bottom in order to secure the bottom to the top.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the spindle comprises:

a channel for storing a heel of a shackle; and is

A latch disposed relative to the channel, the latch having a prong configured to engage the heel and the spindle to prevent the shackle from moving from the first shackle position to the second shackle position.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the spindle is movably mounted on the bottom of the lock housing and the spindle is movable in a vertical movement from the bottom upwards to change from a first spindle position to a second spindle position, wherein a stack of clutches is arranged to control the vertical movement of the spindle, the clutches providing a cylindrical outer surface, and wherein the dial is mounted on the cylindrical outer surface in cooperation with the clutches such that when the combination code matches the predetermined code, the clutches allow the vertical movement of the spindle such that the shackle can be moved from the first shackle position to the second shackle position.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the covering mechanism may be activated by a key, enabling the fork of the latch to disengage the heel of the shackle from the spindle, thereby allowing the shackle to move from the first shackle position to the second shackle position when the spindle is in the first spindle position.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the stacked clutches comprise a first clutch and a last clutch, the last clutch being arranged on a top end of the bottom of the lock housing, and wherein the top of the lock housing further comprises a spacer arranged on the top end of the first clutch and the spindle, wherein the spacer comprises:

a spacing hole communicating with the channel so as to allow a heel of the shackle to be placed in the channel, an

A cutout area allowing the spindle to move from a first spindle position to a second spindle position.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the top further comprises a top body having a plurality of expansion clips, and the spacer comprises a plurality of locking channels arranged to receive the expansion clips of the top body in order to secure the top body to the spacer.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the top part further comprises a top cover mounted on the top part body, the top cover comprising a first hole communicating with the spacing hole and a second hole arranged to receive the toe of the shackle when the shackle is in the first shackle position.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the top cover further comprises:

a protrusion located opposite the second hole; and is

A plurality of cap clips located on an outer peripheral surface of the top cap, and wherein the spacer further comprises a protrusion receiving aperture sized to receive the protrusion of the top cap, and wherein the top body further comprises a plurality of clip receiving slots configured to receive the cap clips such that the top cap and the top body are in the locked position when the shackle is in the first shackle position.

According to an embodiment of the invention, each clutch comprises an open gap and the spindle comprises a plurality of expanded protrusions to align the open gaps of the clutches to allow the spindle to move from the first spindle position to the second spindle position.

According to an embodiment of the invention, each clutch includes a plurality of external teeth receiving slots and each dial includes a plurality of gear teeth to engage with the external teeth receiving slots of the clutch to control rotational movement of the clutch.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the heel of the shackle has an end portion with a larger diameter than the remainder of the shackle, and the channel of the spindle has a channel portion (channel section) wider than the remainder of the channel, said wider channel portion being dimensioned to store the end portion of the heel, and wherein the prongs of the latch are placed on the top end of the end portion of the heel in order to engage the heel and the spindle.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the wider channel portion of the channel has a section edge (section edge) such that the tip of the end of the heel contacts the section edge of the wider channel portion when the shackle is in the second shackle position.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the heel of the shackle has a shackle protrusion and the spacing hole comprises a partial ring with a shackle protrusion groove, the shackle protrusion groove being dimensioned to receive the shackle protrusion when the shackle is in the first shackle position and to move upwards and away from the shackle protrusion groove when the shackle is in the second shackle position, such that the shackle is prevented from moving downwards when the shackle is rotated to move the shackle protrusion away from the shackle protrusion groove.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the top further comprises a top body mounted on the spacer, the top body comprising a first hole and a second hole, the first hole communicating with the spacing hole to allow placing the heel of the shackle in the channel, and the second hole arranged to receive the toe of the shackle, and wherein the receiving hole of the spacer comprises a screw hole, and the second hole of the top body comprises a further hole for receiving a fastener arranged to fasten into the screw hole of the spacer to secure the top body to the spacer.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the top body can be removed from the spacer by removing the fastener from the screw hole when the shackle is in the second shackle position to allow a user to remove the dial from the cylindrical outer surface to change the combination code.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the shackle is in the second shackle position, the top cap may be removed from the top body by disengaging the cap clip of the top cap from the clip receiving slot of the top body, and the top body may be removed from the spacer by disengaging the expansion clip of the top body from the locking channel of the spacer to allow a user to remove the dial from the cylindrical exterior surface to change the combination code.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the heel of the shackle has an end and a neck of smaller diameter than the end, wherein the prongs of a latch (latch) are placed on the neck and the top of the end in order to engage the heel and the spindle.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the dial may be removable from the cylindrical outer surface when the shackle is in the second shackle position to allow a user to change the combination code.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the top portion comprises a top body having a toe hole to receive a toe of the shackle when the shackle is in the first shackle position, and the spindle comprises a plurality of expanded projections, and each dial comprises a plurality of gear teeth, and wherein a stack of clutches is rotatably mounted on the lock housing to provide a cylindrical outer surface, each clutch comprising:

an opening gap arranged to engage with the expanded projection of the main shaft, and

a plurality of external tooth receiving slots disposed to engage gear teeth of the dial, and wherein the dial is removed from the cylindrical surface by aligning an open gap of the clutch with the enlarged protrusion of the spindle to allow the spindle to move upward when the shackle moves upward;

moving the shackle upward to change the shackle from a first shackle position to a second shackle position;

removing the top body from the top; and is

The teeth of the dial are disengaged from the external teeth receiving grooves of the clutch.

The invention features a lost code definition system implemented in a padlock. In normal operation, travelers expect to use the combined features of the lock and the key operated mechanism allows Transport Security Administration (TSA) officers to check luggage if necessary. If the traveler forgets the combination code, the lost code definition system allows the user to unlock the padlock using the backup key and then reset the dial to the new combination.

Another feature of the invention is that the dials are as large as the lock bodies, which is advantageous for people with vision problems.

Drawings

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken together with the accompanying figures wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a padlock according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the padlock;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the padlock shown in FIG. 1, with the shackle in a locked mode;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the padlock shown in FIG. 1 in an unlocked mode, wherein a key is used to unlock the padlock;

figures 5A, 5B are exploded perspective views of the parts forming the padlock;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the padlock shown in FIG. 1 in an unlocked mode, wherein the combination code is used to unlock the padlock;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the padlock in the unlocked mode with the dials and the top cover removed from the lock housing;

fig. 8A, 8B are perspective views of the dial;

FIGS. 9A-9C are perspective views of the clutch;

10A-10C are perspective views of parts of the spindle of the padlock;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a shackle of a padlock, according to the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the latch of the padlock;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the ratchet plate of the padlock;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the cover plate of the padlock;

15A, 15B are perspective views of the spacer of the padlock;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the bottom body of the padlock;

17A, 17B are perspective views of the top cover of the padlock;

18A, 18B are perspective views of the top body of the padlock;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the cylinder of the padlock;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a projection of the padlock;

FIG. 21 is a side view of another embodiment of a shackle of a padlock according to the present invention, and

figure 22 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a padlock according to the present invention with the top body detached from the rest of the padlock.

Detailed Description

The invention relates to a padlock with a double locking mechanism: a combination locking mechanism and a cover mechanism. The padlock has a lock housing for storing a heel of the shackle, wherein the shackle portion is released when the padlock changes from the locked mode to the open mode. The padlock has a spindle in the lock housing to operate the combination locking mechanism based on the combination code. The combination locking mechanism can be overridden by the key operated mechanism. The cipher locking mechanism and the cipher key covering mechanism are both arranged in the lock shell.

The padlock 10 has a bottom body 130, a plurality of clutches are stacked and mounted on the top end of the bottom body 130, and a spacer or top 110 is mounted on the top end of the clutch 50 to form a lock case 15 (see fig. 7). The clutch 50 forms a generally cylindrical outer surface of the lock housing 15. Padlock 10 also has a spindle 60 which is located within lock housing 15. The spindle 60 has a channel 62 for storing the heel 71 of the shackle 70, and the spindle 60 is movably mounted on the bottom body 130 for vertical movement, which is controlled by the clutch 50. The spacer 100 has a spacing hole 117a communicating with the passage 62 to allow the heel 71 to move up and down. The padlock 10 has a plurality of dials 40 to form a combination code 20. The dials 40 are each rotatably mounted on the cylindrical outer surface of the lock case 15 to change the combination code. The dial 40 is arranged to engage the clutch 50 for moving the clutch 50 when the dial 40 is rotated. Heel 71 of shackle 70 has an end 75 that is larger in diameter than the remainder of shackle 70, thereby forming a step 72 between the larger diameter and the smaller diameter. The channel 62 has a channel portion 62a that is wider than the remainder of the channel 62, and the wider channel portion 62a has an upper edge 69. The wider channel portion 62a is arranged to store a larger end 75 of the heel 71. The channel 62 also has a latch slot 62b for rotatably mounting the latch 80. One end of the latch slot 62b cuts into the wider channel portion 62a of the channel 60 to place the prongs 82 of the latch 80 at the step 72 on the larger end 75 on the heel 71. Likewise, when padlock 10 is in the locked mode or opened by a combination code, latch 80 always engages the heel of shackle 70 and spindle 60 so that the pulling or pushing of all shackles 70 will be translated directly to spindle 60. The main shaft 60 has a row of enlarged projections 61 and each clutch 50 has an open gap 51 on the inner clutch surface for receiving the enlarged projections 61. Thus, the spindle 60, along with the clutch 50 and latch 80, provide a combination code based key locking mechanism. The key lock mechanism is controlled by the dials 40 such that when all of the dials 40 are rotated to a preset unlock lock combination, the opening gap 51 of each clutch 50 will align with the corresponding extension projection 61 of the spindle 60. This allows the user to pull shackle 70 up along main shaft 60. As the shackle 70 is pulled upwardly, the shackle 70 is free to swing while a portion of the heel 71 remains in the channel 62 of the spindle 60.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the clutch 50 has one or more fault notches 57. The fault notch 57 allows the extended projection of the spindle 60 to contact so that it makes the padlock more difficult to select.

Locked mode and locked configuration (FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 8A-20):

the main shaft 60 has 2 bodies screwed together or fitted together with rivets to form a single piece. The spindle 60 has 2 straight grooves 66 along the surface of the spindle. The bottom end 64 of the main shaft 60 has 2 arcuate slots 65 extending from a straight recess 66. Each arcuate slot 65 is sized to receive an arcuate receiving recess 131 of the base body 130. The arc-shaped receiving groove 131 is placed in the arc-shaped slot 65, and the main shaft 60 has no rotational movement with respect to the bottom body 130, which restricts the main shaft 60 to have only a vertical movement. Spindle 60 has ratchet slots 67 for receiving ratchet plate 90 having a row of ratchet tips 91. Each clutch 50 has a plurality of ratchet receiving grooves 52 on an inner surface thereof. The ratchet receiving slot 52 is sized to receive the ratchet tip 91 of the ratchet plate 90 such that rotational movement of the clutch 50 relative to the spindle 60 will provide a ratcheting (clicking) feel. The spindle 60 also has a cover plate 100, the cover plate 100 being attached to the top end 68 of the spindle 60 with rivets 63 for permanently securing the ratchet plate 90 to the spindle 60. After the main shaft 60 is placed inside the stacked clutch 50, a spacer 110 is placed on top of the clutch 50 and the main shaft 60. The spacer 110 has one or more screw/rivet holes 111 to allow one or more screws 200 (or rivets) to pass through the straight recess 66 on the main shaft 60 and thread into one or more screw holes 134 of the bottom body 130. After the screw 200 or rivet is tightened, the clutch 50 can rotate in the horizontal direction but cannot move vertically. The clutch 50 cannot move upward because the top surface 55 of the top clutch 50 is in contact with the flat surface 112 of the spacer 110. The clutch 50 cannot move downward because the bottom surface 54 of the final clutch 50 is in contact with the flat surface 132 of the bottom body 130. The spacer 110, clutch 50 and bottom body 130 form the housing 15 of the padlock 10. The stacked clutch 50 provides a cylindrical surface on the lock housing 15 for mounting the dial 40. The spacer 110 has a cutout area 113 that allows the spindle 60 to move upward from the bottom body 130 in a vertical motion only when all of the opening gaps 51 of the clutch 50 are aligned with the expanded projections 61 of the spindle 60.

To complete assembly of the padlock 10, the dial 40 is mounted over the clutch 50 according to a preset combination code 20. Each clutch 50 has a plurality of gear tooth receiving grooves 53 on an inner surface thereof. Each dial 40 has a matching number of gear teeth 41 on its inner surface. The gear teeth 41 of the dial 40 are provided to be inserted into the gear teeth receiving grooves 53 of the clutch 50. In this way, the rotational movement of the dial 40 will be transferred to the clutch 50. When the one or more dials 40 are rotated, the user is able to get a ratcheting feel. After the dial 40 is installed, the top body 150 is placed on top of the spacer 110 and the top cap 140 is combined with the top body 150. Each top body 150 has a plurality of expansion clips 151 on an inner surface thereof. The spacer 110 has a matching number of channels 115, each of which expands into a quiescent zone 116. When the top body 150 is placed on top of the spacer 110, the expansion clip 151 on the top body 150 is pushed through the channel 115 of the spacer 110 and then the top body 150 is rotated until the expansion clip 151 engages at the resting area 116. Thus, the channel 115 and the rest area 116 together function as a locking channel. The top cap 140 is guided through the short leg toe 73 and a portion of the long leg heel 71 through the heel hole 141 until the protrusion 143 below the locking hole 144 is placed in the receiving hole 117 on the top end of the spacer 110. The top cap 140 has a plurality of extension clips 142 configured to engage clip receiving slots 152 of the top body 150. Once the toe 73 of shackle 70 is placed in locking hole 144 of top cap 140 as shackle 70 is pushed down, shackle 70, top cap 140, and top body 150 are locked in place. The dial 40 cannot be removed from the lock housing 15.

One or more of the dials 40 can be rotated in order to create a misalignment between at least one opening gap 51 of the clutch 50 and one expansion projection 61 of the spindle 60. The misalignment prevents the spindle 60 from being pulled upward. Because the shackle 70 is engaged with the spindle 60 at the step 72 by the latch 80, the shackle 70 cannot be pulled upward. Thus, the toe 73 of the shackle 70 is locked in the locking hole 144 of the top cover 140. To unlock the padlock, the user must either use the correct combination code or use a key override mechanism.

The key overlay mechanism 30 is located inside the main axis 60 relative to the wider channel portion 62a of the channel 60. The key cover mechanism 30 has a cylindrical member 160 and a projection 170 provided on the top end of the cylindrical member 160. The cylindrical member 160 has a plurality of wafers 180 on its partially cylindrical body. The cylindrical member 160 has an expanded projection 161 at its upper end. The projection 170 has a projection hole 172 sized to receive the expansion projection 161 of the cylindrical member 160. On the top end of the projection 170, an extension pin 171 is provided to engage the groove 81 of the latch 80. When padlock 10 is in the locked mode, fork 82 of latch 80 engages heel 71 of shackle 70 and spindle 60. The wafer 180 and associated pins prevent the cylindrical member 160 from rotating unless a spare key is used. When the cylindrical member 160 is not rotated, the projection 170 cannot rotate and the latch 80 is in the locked position. Thus, the prongs 82 of the latch 80 limit downward movement of the end 75 of the heel 71 to release the toe 73 from the locking hole 144 of the top cap 140. In this case, the shackle 70 is said to be in a clamped, locked position.

Unlocking by combination code (fig. 5A, 5B,6 and 7):

to unlock the padlock 10 with the combination code, the user must align the combination code 20 formed by the dials 40 with the indicator lines 153/133 on the top and bottom bodies 150, 130. The user must also perform the following steps:

A) disengaging the toe from the locking aperture

When the combination code 20 is aligned, the indicator marks 56 of the clutch 50 are aligned in the same manner. The opening gap 51 of each clutch 50 is immediately aligned with the expanded projection 61 of the main shaft 60. With shackle 70 in the clamped, locked position, the user is able to immediately pull shackle 70 up along spindle 60. When the shackle 70 is pulled upward, the toe 73 of the shackle 70 disengages from the locking hole 144 of the top cover 140.

B) Rotating shackle

When shackle 70 is moved upward, shackle 70 pulls spindle 60 upward until tip 68 of spindle 60 strikes edge 114 of spacer 100. As can be seen in fig. 15A, the spacing hole 117a has a partial ring member 119 with a hook ring protrusion groove 118. Shackle protrusion slots 118 are sized to receive shackle protrusions 74. When shackle 70 is moved upward, shackle protrusion 74 of shackle 70 moves out of shackle protrusion slot 118 and rests on the surface of partial ring 119 of spacer 110. When the shackle 70 is released, the user can rotate the shackle 70. When the shackle 70 is rotated, the shackle protrusion 74 of the shackle 70 is held on the surface of the partial ring 119. This prevents the shackle from moving downward. This is important because the protrusion 61 of the spindle 60 will always engage the opening gap 51 of the clutch 50 in alignment after the shackle is pulled upward and prevented from backing out. In this way, clutch 50 is prevented from having any rotational movement while padlock 10 is in the open mode until unlocked by the combination code.

Unlock by key authority mode (fig. 4):

the key overlay mechanism 30 is controlled by a cylindrical member 160, which is a wafer cylinder (wafer cylinder). The user can unlock padlock 10 using the spare key.

C) Releasing shackle from latch

The user can insert the correct key 190 into the key cover mechanism 30 and rotate the cylindrical member 160. Because the expansion projection 161 of the cylindrical member 160 is engaged with the hole 172 of the projection 170, the projection 170 can also rotate together with the cylindrical member 160. Further, the extension pin 171 of the protrusion 170 engages with the groove 81 of the latch 80. The rotational movement of the cylindrical member 160 is converted into a horizontal movement of the latch 80 by the projection 170. The horizontal movement of the latch 80 causes the fork 82 of the latch 80 to move away from the channel 62 of the main shaft 60, allowing the tip 75 of the heel 71 to move upwardly relative to the main shaft 60 until the tip 75 hits the upper edge 69 of the wider channel portion 62a of the channel 62. Thus, shackle protrusion 74 of shackle 70 moves out of shackle protrusion slot 118 of spacer 110 and toe 73 disengages from locking hole 144 of top cap 140. The shackle 70 is now free to swing.

It should be noted that the main shaft 60 does not have vertical movement because the opening gap 51 of the clutch 50 is not perfectly aligned with the enlarged projection 61 of the main shaft 60. It should be noted that the key 190 may be a spare key, particularly suited for certain key cover mechanisms 30 or master keys. The spare key is provided to the user of padlock 10 and the master key is provided to security personnel or the Traffic Safety Administration (TSA).

Lost code definition mechanism (FIGS. 4 and 5A-5B)

If the user loses or forgets the combination code, the user can immediately unlock the lock using the spare key 190 described above. When toe 73 of shackle 70 is no longer in locking hole 144, top cover 140 can be pulled out of top body 150 using gap 154 provided by top body 150, for example. The user may also remove the cap 140 from the shackle 70.

D) Removing the top body

When the top cap 140 is removed from the top body 150, the top body 150 can be rotated counterclockwise (relative to fig. 4) to release the expansion clip 151 of the top body 150 from the resting area 116 of the spacer 110. Top body 150 may then be pulled upward and away from the rest of padlock 10.

E) Alignment clutch

The user can move all of the dials 40 out of the lock housing 15 at once and then rotate the clutches 50 so that the indicator marks 56 on each clutch 50 are aligned with the mark lines 133 on the base body 130. The clutches 50 are now positioned such that the opening gap 51 of each clutch 50 is aligned with the enlarged projection 61 of the main shaft 60.

F) Recombined drive plate

After the clutch 50 is aligned, the user can push the dial 40 back onto the clutch 50 with the desired combination code. Without interfering with the clutch 50, the user can place the dials 40 on the clutch 50 such that each number forming the desired combination is aligned with the marking line 133 of the bottom body 130.

G) Reconstitution top body and overcap

After placing the dial 40, the user can replace the top body 150 by pushing the expansion clip 151 of the top body 150 through the channel 115 of the spacer 110 and then rotating the top body 150 until the expansion clip 151 is located in the resting area 116 of the spacer 110. The user then replaces the top cap 140 by aligning the protrusions 143 of the top cap with the holes 117 of the spacer 110. The user can immediately rotate shackle 70 and lock toe 73 in locking hole 144 of top cover 140.

After the key 190 is pulled out of the cylindrical member 160 and the combination code is scrambled, the user can unlock the lock again using the new combination code.

Reset by combination code (fig. 6 and 7):

to reset the combination code, the user must open the padlock 10 by using the combination code 20 and align the dials 40 with the indicator lines 153/133 on the top and bottom bodies 150, 130. The user may disengage the toe 73 of the shackle 70 from the locking hole 144 of the top cover 140 as per step (a). The user may then remove shackle 70 as per step (B). The user can now remove the cap 140 so that the protrusions 143 disengage from the holes 117 of the spacer 110. The top cover 140 can be immediately slid along shackle 70 and removed from the rest of padlock 10. The user may remove the top body 150 according to step (D). The user can move all of the dials 40 out of the clutch 50 and then push the dials 40 back onto the clutch 50 with the user's own desired combination code. Without interfering with the clutch, the user places the dials on the clutch such that each number forming the desired combination is aligned with the marking line 133 on the bottom body 130. The user may then reassemble top body 150 and top cap 140 according to step (G) above.

Another embodiment of the shackle (fig. 21)

As shown in FIG. 21, shackle 70 has a toe portion 73 and a heel portion 71 with shackle protrusions 74. Instead of having a larger diameter tip (see fig. 11), heel 71 has a tip 77 behind a narrower neck 76. According to this embodiment, when padlock 10 is in the locked mode, fork 82 of latch 80 will engage neck 76 (see fig. 12). When the fork 82 is moved away from the channel 62 of the spindle 60, the shackle 70 can move vertically upward, similar to when the padlock is unlocked by the key cover mechanism described above.

Integrated double lock with lost code definition system (FIG. 22)

In one embodiment of the invention, both the top cap 140 and the top body 150 are integrated into the unitary top body 310. The one-piece top body 310 has a toe hole 311 for receiving the toe 73 of the shackle 70 and has a heel hole 312 that communicates with the spacing hole 117a to allow placement of the heel 71 in the channel 62. The carabineer unitary top body 310 also includes screw holes 313 located inside the toe holes 311. Screw hole 313 allows screw 320 to be fastened to screw hole 117b of spacer 110.

After the integrated top body 310 is mounted to the top end of the spacer 110, the screw 320 can be fastened in the screw hole 313 of the integrated top body 310 and the screw hole 117b of the spacer 110. When the padlock is in the locked mode, the unitary top body 310 cannot be removed from the rest of the padlock. With the unitary top body 310, the reset function is easier to operate than the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. In the reduction mode, the user can simply pull the shackle 70 upward and swing the shackle 70 away from the toe hole 311, and then remove the screw 320 from the screw hole 117b of the spacer 110 and the screw hole of the unitary top body 310. The user can then remove the one-piece top body 310 away from the spacer 110 and move the dial 40 out. After reorganizing the dials 40 in a desired combination, the user can place the one-piece top body 310 back to the spacer 110 and secure the screws 320 in place.

Thus, while the invention has been described with respect to one or more embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and various other changes, omissions and deviations in the form and detail thereof may be made without departing from the scope of this invention.

Claims (20)

1. A padlock operable in a locked mode and an open mode, comprising:

a shackle having a heel and a toe;

a stacked clutch;

a plurality of dials, each dial having a substantially cylindrical outer surface;

a lock housing configured to store the shackle heel, wherein the shackle is partially releasable from the lock housing from a first shackle position to a second shackle position, the lock housing including a top portion, a bottom portion, and an intermediate portion having a generally cylindrical outer surface formed by the stacked clutches, the plurality of dials movably mounted on the cylindrical outer surface of the intermediate portion of the lock housing so as to expose an entire cylindrical outer surface of each of the plurality of dials to form a combination code;

a plurality of dials movably mounted on the cylindrical outer surface to form a combination code;

a spindle disposed within the housing and arranged to provide a combination locking mechanism configured to hold a padlock in a locked mode based on the combination code; and is

A cover mechanism disposed relative to the spindle, the cover mechanism being activatable to cause the padlock to operate in an open mode, and wherein the shackle is in the first shackle position when the padlock operates in a locked mode, and the shackle is in the second shackle position when the padlock operates in an open mode.

2. The padlock of claim 1, wherein the spindle comprises one or more recesses and the top of the lock housing comprises one or more holes to receive one or more fasteners disposed through the recesses on the spindle and to the bottom to secure the bottom to the top.

3. The padlock of claim 1, wherein the spindle comprises:

a channel for storing a heel of the shackle; and is

A latch disposed relative to the channel, the latch having a prong configured to engage the heel and the spindle to prevent the shackle from moving from the first shackle position to a second shackle position.

4. The padlock of claim 3, wherein the spindle is movably mounted on a bottom of the lock housing and the spindle is movable upwardly from the bottom in a vertical motion to change from a first spindle position to a second spindle position, wherein the stacked clutches are arranged to control the vertical motion of the spindle, the clutches providing the cylindrical outer surface, and wherein the dial is mounted on the cylindrical outer surface in cooperation with a clutch such that when the combination code matches a predetermined combination, the clutch allows the vertical motion of the spindle to enable the shackle to move from the first shackle position to a second shackle position.

5. The padlock of claim 4, wherein the cover mechanism is activatable by a key such that a fork of the latch can disengage a heel of the shackle from the spindle such that the shackle is allowed to move from a first shackle position to a second shackle position when the spindle is in the first spindle position.

6. The padlock of claim 4, wherein the stacked clutches comprise a first clutch and a last clutch disposed on a top end of a bottom of the lock housing, and wherein a top of the lock housing further comprises a spacer disposed on a top end of the first clutch and a spindle, wherein the spacer comprises:

a spaced aperture in communication with said channel to allow placement of said shackle heel in said channel, an

A cutout area to allow the spindle to move from the first spindle position to a second spindle position.

7. The padlock of claim 6, wherein the top further comprises a top body having a plurality of expansion clips, and the spacer comprises a plurality of locking channels configured to receive the expansion clips of the top body to secure the top body to the spacer.

8. The padlock of claim 7, wherein the top portion further comprises a top cap mounted on the top body, the top cap comprising a first aperture in communication with the spacing aperture and a second aperture configured to receive the toe of the shackle when the shackle is in the first shackle position.

9. The padlock of claim 8, wherein the top cap further comprises:

a protrusion positioned relative to the second aperture; and is

A plurality of cap clips are located on an outer peripheral surface of the top cap, and wherein the spacer further comprises a protrusion receiving aperture sized to receive a protrusion of the top cap, and wherein the top body further comprises a plurality of clip receiving slots arranged to receive the cap clips such that the top cap and the top body are in a locked position when the shackle is in the first shackle position.

10. The padlock of claim 4, wherein each of the clutches includes an open gap and the spindle includes a plurality of enlarged protrusions to align the open gaps of the clutches to allow the spindle to move from a first spindle position to a second spindle position.

11. The padlock of claim 10, wherein each of the clutches comprises a plurality of outer tooth receiving slots, and each of the dials comprises a plurality of gear teeth to engage with the outer tooth receiving slots of the clutches to control rotational movement of the clutches.

12. The padlock of claim 5, wherein a heel of the shackle has an end with a diameter greater than a remainder of the shackle, and the channel of the spindle has a channel portion wider than the remainder of the channel, the wider channel portion being sized to store the end of the heel, and wherein a prong of the latch is placed on a top of the end of the heel in order to engage the heel and the spindle.

13. The padlock of claim 12, wherein the wider channel portion of the channel has a cross-sectional edge such that a tip of an end of the heel contacts the cross-sectional edge of the wider channel portion when the shackle is in the second shackle position.

14. The padlock of claim 6, wherein a heel of the shackle has a shackle protrusion, and the spacing hole comprises a partial ring having a shackle protrusion groove sized to receive the shackle protrusion when the shackle is in a first shackle position, and when the shackle is in a second shackle position, the shackle protrusion moves upward and out of the shackle protrusion groove such that when the shackle is rotated to move the shackle protrusion away from the shackle protrusion groove, the shackle is prevented from moving downward.

15. The padlock of claim 6, wherein the top further comprises a top body mounted on the spacer, the top body comprising a first hole and a second hole, the first hole in communication with the spacing hole to allow placement of a heel of the shackle in the channel and a second hole arranged to receive a toe of the shackle, and wherein the receiving hole of the spacer comprises a screw hole and the second hole of the top body comprises another hole for receiving a fastener arranged to fasten into the screw hole of the spacer to secure the top body to the spacer.

16. The padlock of claim 15, wherein the top body is removable from the spacer by removing the fastener from the screw hole when the shackle is in the second shackle position to allow a user to remove the dial from the cylindrical outer surface to change a combination code.

17. The padlock of claim 9, wherein when the shackle is in the second shackle position, the cap is removable from the top body by disengaging the cap clip of the cap from the clip receiving slot of the top body, and the top body is removable from the spacer by disengaging the extension clip of the top body from the locking channel of the spacer to allow a user to remove the dial from the cylindrical outer surface to change the combination code.

18. The padlock of claim 5, wherein a heel of the shackle has an end and a neck of smaller diameter than the end, wherein the prongs of the latch are placed on the neck and a top of the end to engage the heel and the spindle.

19. The padlock of claim 1, wherein the dial is removable from the cylindrical outer surface when the shackle is in a second shackle position to allow a user to change a combination code.

20. The padlock of claim 19, wherein the top portion comprises a top body having a toe hole for receiving a toe of the shackle when the shackle is in a first shackle position, and the spindle comprises a plurality of expansion projections, and each of the dials comprises a plurality of gear teeth, and wherein the stacked clutches are rotatably mounted on the lock housing to provide the cylindrical outer surface, each of the clutches comprising:

an open gap arranged to engage with the expanded projection of the main shaft, and

a plurality of external tooth receiving slots disposed to engage gear teeth of the dial, and wherein the dial is removed from the cylindrical surface by aligning an open gap of the clutch with an expanding protrusion of the spindle to allow the spindle to move upward when the shackle moves upward;

moving the shackle upward to change the shackle from a first shackle position to a second shackle position;

removing the top body from the top; and is

Disengaging the gear teeth of the dial from the external teeth receiving slots of the clutch.