Pointer padlock

A padlock includes a housing, a shackle having a pivoting portion pivotally passing through a first top hole of the housing into an accommodation chamber of the housing and a locking end passing through a second top hole of the housing, a retaining device disposed in the accommodation chamber and having at least two driving wheels for controlling an axial movement of the pivoting portion of the shackle, and at least two pointers located above a dial of the housing and respectively driven by the driving wheels to point to one of figures of the dial. When both of the pointers point to correct figures, the pivoting portion of the shackle is axially moveable relative to the housing under the control of the driving wheels, such that locking end of the shackle is moveable away from the second top hole of the housing to unlock the padlock.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to locks, and more specifically to a pointer padlock that provides a safety burglarproof effect.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventional locks generally include a key controlled lock, which needs a correct key to unlock it, and a combination controlled lock, which needs a correct permutation of numbers or symbols to unlock it.

When a user would like to buy a lock, the burglarproof effect of the lock is the most important concern for the user. As far as the combination controlled lock is concerned, it can provide better burglarproof effect than the key controlled lock by means of rotating numbered wheels to show the correct permutation of numbers or symbols. However, the conventional combination controlled lock generally has three or four numbered wheels and therefore the permutation of numbers is finite and may be easily unscrambled by someone. If the number of the numbered wheels is increased, the permutation of numbers showed by the numbered wheels will be too complex to be remembered by the user and the structure of the combination controlled lock will be too complicated, limiting the outline design of the combination controlled lock.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above-noted circumstances. It is one objective of the present invention to provide a padlock, which has pointers to provide a safety burglarproof effect.

To achieve this objective of the present invention, the padlock comprises a housing, a shackle, a retaining device, and at least two pointers. The housing has an accommodation chamber, a first top hole in communication with the accommodation chamber, a second top hole in communication with the accommodation chamber, and a dial mounted on a top side thereof and provided with a plurality of figures. The shackle has a pivoting portion pivotally passing through the first top hole of the housing into the accommodation chamber of the housing and axially movable relative to the housing, and a locking end insertable into the second top hole of the housing. The retaining device is disposed in the accommodation chamber of the housing and has at least two driving wheels for controlling an axial movement of the pivoting portion of the shackle. The pointers are located above the dial of the housing and respectively driven by the driving wheels of the retaining device to point to one of the figures. When both of the pointers point to correct figures, the pivoting portion of the shackle is axially moveable relative to the housing under the control of the driving wheels of the retaining device, such that the locking end of the shackle is moveable away from the second top hole of the housing to unlock the padlock.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 3, a padlock10in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing20, a shackle30, a retaining device40, a first pointer50, a second pointer52, a third pointer54, and an adjusting member60.

The housing20includes a top lid22and a base24coupled to the top lid22so as to define an accommodation chamber202, a first top hole204in communication with the accommodation chamber202, and a second top hole206in communication with the accommodation chamber202. The housing20has a dial26mounted on a top side of the top lid22and provided with a plurality of figures262, which are embodied as Arabic numerals 1 to 12 in this embodiment, and a transparent cover28covered on the dial26.

The housing30has a pivoting portion32passing through the first top hole204of the housing20into the accommodation chamber202of the housing20and axially movable and pivotable relative to the housing20, a block portion34provided at a bottom end of the pivoting portion32, and a hook portion36integrally connected with the pivoting portion32and having a locking end362insertable into the second top hole206of the housing20.

The retaining device40includes a latch41, a block member42, three driving wheels43a-43c, a first transmission wheel44, a second transmission wheel45, a third transmission wheel46, three retaining wheels47, and an elastic member48.

The latch41is mounted in the accommodation chamber202of the housing20and movable relative to the housing20. The latch41is provided at a bottom thereof with three insertion portions412, each of which is formed as a trapezoid having two first beveled surfaces414, as shown inFIG. 2. The latch41further includes an inclined groove416at a middle thereof with a top end defining with the pivoting portion32of the shackle30a distance that is longer than a distance defined between a bottom end of the inclined groove416and the pivoting portion32of the shackle30, as shown inFIG. 4, and a recess418at a rear side thereof.

The block member42has a block end424and a connection end422inserted into the inclined groove416of the latch41and slidable between the two ends of the inclined groove416of the latch41, as shown inFIGS. 6 and 7, such that the block end424can approach or leave the pivoting portion32of the shackle30.

The driving wheels43a-43care rotatably mounted in the accommodation chamber202of the housing20and partially extend out of the housing20for user's operation. Each of the driving wheels43a-43chas twelve indentations432a-432con the periphery thereof.

The first transmission wheel44has a first gear441engaged with the indentation432aof the driving wheel43asuch that the first transmission wheel44can be driven by the driving wheel43ato rotate and a first shaft443extending from a center of the first gear441, as shown inFIG. 2, and penetrating through the top lid22of the housing20and projecting out of the dial26of the housing20, as shown inFIG. 5.

The second transmission wheel45has a second gear452engaged with the indentations432bof the driving wheel43bsuch that the second transmission wheel45can be driven by the driving wheel43bto rotate, and a second shaft454coaxially sleeved onto the first shaft443of the first transmission wheel44and penetrating through the top lid22of the housing20and projecting out of the dial26of the housing20. The second shaft454is shorter in length than the first shaft443such that a distal end of the first shaft443is protruded out of a distal end of the second shaft454, as shown inFIG. 5.

The third transmission wheel46has a third gear462engaged with the indentation432cof the driving wheel43csuch that the third transmission wheel46can be driven by the driving wheel43cto rotate, and a third shaft464coaxially sleeved onto the second shaft454of the second transmission wheel45and penetrating through the top lid22of the housing20and projecting out of the dial26of the housing20. The third shaft464is shorter in length than the second shaft454such that a distal end of the second shaft454is protruded out of a distal end of the third shaft464, as shown inFIG. 5.

The retaining wheels47are respectively sleeved onto the first shaft443of the first transmission wheel44, the second shaft454of the second transmission wheel45, and the third shaft464of the third transmission wheel46so as to be respectively rotated with the first transmission wheel45, the second transmission wheel46, and the third transmission wheel47. Each retaining wheel47has a notch472with two second beveled surfaces474matched up with the first beveled surfaces414of the latch41.

The elastic member48is mounted in the accommodation chamber202of the housing20and has two ends respectively stopped against a periphery of the accommodation chamber202of the housing20and the latch41for providing an elastic force to push the latch41toward the retaining wheels47.

The first pointer50, the second pointer52, and the third pointer54are respectively connected to the first shaft443of the first transmission wheel44, the second shaft454of the second transmission wheel45, and the third shaft464of the third transmission wheel46and located above the dial26of the housing20, as shown inFIG. 5, such that the first pointer50, the second pointer52, and the third pointer54can be respectively driven by the first transmission wheel44, the second transmission wheel45, and the third transmission wheel46to point to one of the figures262. When all of the first pointer50, the second pointer52, and the third pointer54point to predetermined correct figures262, the insertion portions412of the latch41are inserted into the notches472of the retaining wheels47, as shown inFIG. 6, such that the connection end422of the block member42moves to the top end of the inclined groove416of the latch41and the block end424of the block member30leaves the block portion34of the shackle30, resulting in that the pivoting portion32of the shackle30can be axially moved and therefore the locking end362of the shackle30can be moved away from the second top hole206of the housing20to unlock the padlock10. On the contrary, when one of the first pointer50, the second pointer52, and the third pointer54points to an incorrectfigure 262, the insertion portions412of the latch41and the notches472of the retaining wheels47are staggered, as shown inFIG. 7, such that the connection end422of the block member42moves to the bottom end of the inclined groove416of the latch41and the block end424of the block member42blocks the block portion34of the shackle30, resulting in that the pivoting portion32of the shackle30cannot be axially moved and therefore the locking end362of the shackle30cannot be moved away from the second top hole206of the housing20.

The adjusting member60is mounted in the accommodation chamber202of the housing20, including a tab62and a linking member64, as shown inFIG. 2. The tab62has a protrusion622coupled to the linking member64and a bottom side exposed out of the base24of the housing20for enabling the tab62to be driven by an external force to make the adjusting member60move between a first position where the protrusion622of the tab62is disengaged from the recess418of the latch41, as shown inFIG. 6, and therefore the latch41can be moved upwards, and a second position where the protrusion622of the tab62is engaged with the recess418of the latch41, as shown inFIG. 9, and therefore the latch41cannot be moved upwards

When a user would like to unlock the padlock10and the code to unlock the padlock10is set to two o'clock and fifty minutes as an example, he/she can rotate the driving wheel43cto move the third pointer54to point to Arabic numeral 2 through the third transmission wheel46, and then rotates the driving wheel43bto move the second pointer52to point to Arabic numeral 10 through the second transmission wheel45, and then rotates the driving wheel43ato move the first pointer50to point to Arabic numeral 12, as shown inFIG. 3. As a result, the insertion portions412of the latch41are inserted into the notches472of the retaining wheels47, as shown inFIG. 6, and the connection end422of the block member42moves to the top end of the inclined groove416of the latch41such that the block end424of the block member30leaves the block portion34of the shackle30. Therefore, the user can pull upwards the hook portion36of the shackle30to enable the locking end362of the shackle30to leave the second top hole206of the housing20and enable the pivoting portion32of the shackle30to pivot relative the housing20, thereby unlocking the padlock10.

When the user would like to lock the padlock10, he/she can press the hook portion36of the shackle30to make the locking end362of the shackle30insert into the second top hole206of housing20, and then rotates the driving wheels43a-43cto drive the retaining wheels47to rotate. At this time, the second beveled surfaces474of the notches472of the retaining wheels47will push upwards the first beveled surfaces414of the insertion portions412of the latch41to force the insertion portions412of the latch41to leave the notches472of the retaining wheels47, as shown inFIG. 7. Accordingly, the block member42will approach the block portion34of the shackle30such that the connection end422of the block member42moves to the bottom end of the inclined groove416of the latch41and the block end424of the block member42blocks the block portion34of the shackle30, resulting in that the pivoting portion32of the shackle30cannot be axially movable.

The code to unlock the padlock10can be changed according to the user's requirement. In the code changing processes, the user can rotate the driving wheels43a-43cto move the first pointer50, the second pointer52, and the third pointer54to point to the previously set correct figures262first for enabling the insertion portions412of the latch41to be inserted into the notches472of the retaining wheels47, and then forces the tab62to move to the second position where the protrusion622of the tab62is engaged with the recess418of the latch41, as shown inFIG. 8andFIG. 9, and then rotates the driving wheels43a-43cto drive the first transmission wheel44, the second transmission wheel45, and the third transmission wheel46to rotate. At this time, the retaining wheels47cannot force the latch41to move upwards due to the engagement of the protrusion622and the recess418and cannot be rotated with the first transmission wheel44, the second transmission wheel45, and the third transmission wheel46due to the engagement of the insertion portions412and the notches472. In this situation, when the driving wheels43a-43care rotated, the first transmission wheel44, the second transmission wheel45, and the third transmission wheel46will run idly relative to the retaining wheels47. Therefore, as long as the user rotates the driving wheels43a-43cto move the first pointer50, the second pointer52, and the third pointer54to set a new code and then forces the tab62to move to the first position, the code changing process of the padlock10is completed.

As shown inFIG. 10, the padlock10can include a band70with one end connected with a bottom of the housing20and the other end curvedly extending such that the padlock10can be worn on the user's wrist for convenience of use and decoration.

By means of the aforesaid design, the padlock is designed as a watch, i.e. the first pointer, the second pointer, and the third pointer are respectively regarded as a second hand, a minute hand, and an hour hand. Thus, the user has to rotate all of the pointers to point to the correct time for unlocking the padlock such that the padlock of the invention has a safety burglarproof effect and uncomplicated structure. Besides, the padlock of the invention can be made like an alarm clock or a bomb as long as the padlock can be unlocked by rotating the pointers. In addition, the padlock of the invention can be made with various kinds of design. For example, the number of the driving wheels, the transmission wheels, and the retaining wheels is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment as long as the driving wheels, the transmission wheels, and the retaining wheels are equivalent in amount. Further, the figures are not limited to Arabic numerals but can be presented in English letters or other symbols.