Induction type padlock

An induction type padlock includes a shell, a lock bolt, a shackle, a driving unit, a light-emitting component, and an induction control unit. The lock bolt slides in the shell and has a recess. The shackle is inserted into the shell through the lock bolt and has a latch portion being able to be latched by the lock bolt. The driving unit rotates the position limiter in the recess; the position limiter has a wide portion and a narrow portion. The induction control unit is electrically connected to the driving unit and the light-emitting component. The induction control unit senses a signal to select the wide or the narrow portion of the position limiter to be disposed in the recess and controls the light-emitting component. Therefore, the time delay problems of unlocking and locking can be solved and the distinguishable lighting indications of unlocking and locking can be obtained.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a padlock and in particular to an induction type padlock with an unlocking method of non-contact and induction.

Description of Prior Art

Regarding the structure of the padlock, a lock bolt is disposed in the lock body of the padlock and a U-shaped shackle having a hook end is pivoted from the outside of the lock body. The hook end can be inserted into a lock hole. The user uses a key to turn the lock bolt to configure a locked state or an unlocked state between the lock bolt and the hook end.

A key is required to unlock traditional mechanical padlock. If the key is damaged or lost, a new copy of the key needs being remade or the whole lock needs replacement, which causes inconvenience to the user. Thus, an induction type padlock is developed to overcome the issues associated with the key.

The existing induction type padlock controls the transverse back-and-forth movement of the lock bolt by induction to lock or unlock the padlock. However, the existing induction type padlock uses a motor shaft to rotate a gear which is engaged with the gear threads of the lock bolt. Consequently, the motor has to drive the rotating shaft many turns such that the lock bolt can move a sufficient distance for locking or unlocking, which causes an annoying problem of a slow response to inductive locking or inductive unlocking.

In view of this, the inventor pays special attention to research with the application of related theory and tries to improve and overcome the above disadvantages regarding the above related art, which becomes the improvement target of the inventor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide an induction type padlock, which can improve the responses to unlocking and locking to solve the time delay problems of unlocking and locking. Besides, the distinguishable lighting indications of unlocking and locking can be obtained.

To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides an induction type padlock which is used to sense a signal to be actuated. The induction type padlock comprises a shell, a lock bolt, a shackle, a driving unit, a light-emitting component, and an induction control unit. The lock bolt slides in the shell and is provided with a recess; the lock bolt is provided with at least one latch member. The shackle is inserted into the shell through the lock bolt; the shackle is provided with at least one latch portion latched by the at least one latch member correspondingly. The driving unit is disposed in the shell to rotate a position limiter disposed in the recess; the position limiter has at least one wide portion corresponding to the width of the recess and at least one narrow portion shorter than the width of the recess. The light-emitting component is disposed in the shell and emits light outward through the shell. The induction control unit is disposed in the shell and is electrically connected to the driving unit and the light-emitting component; the induction control unit senses the signal to control the driving unit to drive the position limiter to select the wide portion or the narrow portion to be disposed in the recess and controls the lighting of the light-emitting component.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following effects. The responses to unlocking and locking are improved. The time delay problems of unlocking and locking are solved. The distinguishable lighting indications of unlocking and locking are obtained.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The detailed description and technical details of the present invention will be explained below with reference to accompanying figures. However, the accompanying figures are only for reference and explanation, but not to limit the scope of the present invention.

The present invention provides an induction type padlock, which controls the locking and unlocking according to a sense signal emitted from an electronic component (not shown). The electronic device may be any device able to emit the sense signal. The sense signal may be a signal emitted from a noncontact induction device such as a Near Field Communication (NFC) device or a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device. The type of the noncontact induction device is not limited in the present invention.

As shown inFIGS. 1-4, the induction type padlock of the present invention comprises a shell1, a lock bolt2, a shackle3, a driving unit4, an induction control unit5, and a light-emitting component7. Preferably, the induction type padlock further comprises a power supply6and a USB connector8.

The shell1may be an integral structure (not shown) or a combined structure. As shown inFIG. 1, the shell1is a combined structure comprising a first shell11and a second shell12. If the shell1is an integral structure, the shell1is provided with a transverse groove13such that an opening (not labeled, referring toFIG. 1) is formed on one side of the shell1. Besides, two insertion holes17are spaced longitudinally in the shell1such that two openings (not labeled, referring toFIG. 1) are formed on the top side of the shell1. As shown inFIG. 4, each of the two insertion holes17penetrates through and communicates with the groove13.

A first elastic part15is disposed at the inner end of the groove13. One of the insertion holes17longitudinally communicates with a guide groove18(referring toFIG. 4); a flexible part14is disposed in the guide groove18, sliding longitudinally corresponding to the guide groove18. The flexile part14comprises a second elastic part143and two support parts141,142which individually contact two ends of the second elastic part143. The guide groove18has two open ends (not labeled) from which the two support parts141,142individually protrude for contact; the two open ends are individually disposed on the top and the bottom of the guide groove18, opposite to each other.

The shell1further comprises a transparent portion111through which the light is allowed to be emitted outward. Preferably, a transparent cover16is disposed to cover the transparent portion111correspondingly to allow the light to be emitted outward through the transparent cover16. Specifically, the transparent portion111may be disposed on the first shell11(referring toFIG. 1) or/and on the second shell12(not shown).

The lock bolt2can slide back and forth in the groove13. The lock bolt2is provided with two throughholes22and a recess21disposed between the two throughholes22. The two throughholes22are individually disposed corresponding to the insertion holes17. The inner wall of each of the two throughholes22protrudes radially to form a latch member23.

The press portion25is disposed at the outer end of the lock bolt2. The first elastic part15is flexibly supported between the inner end of the lock bolt2and the inner wall of the groove13in which a part of the press portion25remains protruding out of the outer end of the groove13by means of the flexible support of the first elastic part15, convenient for the press by the user's finger.

The shackle3comprises two insertion portions31,32and a curved portion33connected between the two insertion portions31,32. The shackle3is shaped roughly like a letter of “U”.

The two insertion portions31,32are not equal in length. The longer one, the insertion portion31, is inserted into one of the insertion holes17and confined in the shell1. The shorter one, the insertion portion32, can be inserted into or withdrawn from the other of the insertion holes17. The two insertion portions31,32are individually provided with the latch portions311,321latched by the latch members23correspondingly. The longer insertion portion31further has a rod end314and a stop portion312. The stop portion312is disposed between the latch portion311and the rod end314.

Two insertion portions31,32of the shackle3are individually inserted into the insertion holes17of the shell1correspondingly and the throughholes22of the lock bolt2correspondingly such that the latch members23individually latch the latch portions311,321correspondingly. The flexible part14is flexibly compressed by the press of the rod end314of the insertion portion31and then is longitudinally and properly shifted. Besides, a longitudinal insertion path (not labeled) is formed by the insertion portion31inserted in the shell1. The guide groove18is disposed on and parallel with the insertion path.

The driving unit4is disposed in the shell1and has a shaft41. The shaft41preferably has an eccentric shape (referring toFIG. 1), which is easier to drive the position limiter42to rotate. The position limiter42is disposed in the recess21of the lock bolt2. Specifically, the recess21has a transverse width. The word “transverse” here means the direction of the lock bolt2moving back and forth in the groove13.

The position limiter42has a pair of wide portions421with a length roughly equal to the transverse width of the recess21and a pair of narrow portions422shorter than the pair of the wide portions421. Preferably, the two wide portions421and the two narrow portions422are alternatively connected to each other (referring toFIG. 1). In this way, when the driving unit4drives the position limiter42to rotate, the position limiter42will place the wide portions421or the narrow portions422in the recess21. When the wide portions421are disposed in the recess21, the lock bolt2is restricted by the position limiter42and cannot move transversely such that the latch members23of the lock bolt2can individually latch the latch portions311,312of the shackle3correspondingly. Thus, the padlock cannot be unlocked (referring toFIG. 4). When the narrow portions422are disposed in the recess21, a gap is formed between the narrow portions422and the recess21. As a result, the lock bolt2is no longer restricted by the position limiter42and can move transversely, which causes the latch members23of the lock bolt2not to latch the latch portions311,312of the shackle3. Thus, the padlock can be unlocked (referring toFIGS. 5 and 6).

The induction control unit5is disposed in the shell1and comprises a control circuit51and an inductive antenna52electrically connected to the control circuit51. The driving unit4is also electrically connected to the control circuit51such that the control circuit51can control the driving unit4to rotate the position limiter42. The inductive antenna52is used to sense the signal emitted from the above-mentioned electronic device (not shown).

The light-emitting component7is disposed in the shell1and electrically connected to the control circuit51such that the control circuit51can control the light-emitting component7to emit light outward and in particular to emit light outward through the transparent portion111or the transparent cover16. Thus, the current state of the padlock of the present invention, an unlocked state or a locked state, can be indicated. The light-emitting component7may be a light-emitting device (LED) and the type of the light-emitting component7is not limited by the present invention.

Moreover, the induction control unit5further comprises a switch53having an actuating member531. The switch53is electrically connected to the control circuit51and disposed on the above-mentioned insertion path. Specifically, the switch53is located at the lower open end of the guide groove18such that the support part142can actuate the actuating member531of the switch53through the lower open end of the guide groove18. In other words, two ends of the flexible part14individually press against the rod end314of the shackle3and the switch53.

Therefore, when the two insertion portions31,32of the shackle3are pressed back into the shell1by the user, the rod end314will push the flexible part14to actuate the actuating member531such that the switch53is conducted to generate a control signal. Then, the control circuit51controls the driving unit4according to the control signal to drive the position limiter42to rotate reversely. In this way, the position limiter42places the wide portions421again in the recess21and the locked state of the lock bolt2latching the shackle3is recovered such that the padlock cannot be unlocked. In other words, the locking by induction performed through the electronic device is not necessary.

The power supply6is disposed in the shell1and electrically connected to the control circuit51to supply power to the driving unit4, the inductive antenna52, the switch53, and the light-emitting component7. The power supply6may be a Lithium-ion battery61, for example.

The USB connector8is electrically connected to the control circuit51and is exposed out of the shell1for connection of the USB cable to charge the Lithium-ion battery61.

A stop flange131is preferably disposed in one of the two insertion holes17of the shell1, corresponding to and stopping the stop portion312of the insertion portion31, which can prevent the insertion portion31inserted into the insertion hole17from complete separation. Also, the shackle3can rotate around the insertion portion31.

Please refer toFIGS. 4 and 5. When the padlock is in a locked state as shown inFIG. 4, it will be unlocked by means of the following process. The inductive antenna52senses the signal emitted from the above-mentioned electronic device; the induction control unit5controls the position limiter42to rotate such that the narrow portions422are disposed in the recess21to let the lock bolt2reversely slide back to its original position. At this moment, as long as the user presses the press portion25manually, the lock bolt2will reversely slide back to its original position and two latch members23will move out of the two latch portions311,321to break the latching (referring toFIG. 5).

Please refer toFIG. 6. Then, by the user pulling the shackle3upward or by the spring recovery force of the flexible part14, the shackle3will move upward to release the insertion portion32originally inserted into the insertion hole17. However, the other insertion portion31is not released due to the stop portion312being stopped by the stop flange131. Thus, the unlocked state is reached in which the rod end314is away from the actuating member531of the switch53.

If the user wants to lock the padlock again, as long as the two insertion portions31,32are pushed into the shell1reversely, the rod end314will contact the actuating member531to turn on the switch53(referring toFIG. 5). Further, by means of the control signal generated by the actuated switch53, the position limiter42automatically rotates to place the wide portions421again in the recess21. Meanwhile, the lock bolt2is driven to slide transversely such that the two latch members23individually latch the latch portions311,321correspondingly. Thus, the padlock returns to the locked state without the induction locking by the electronic device.

Besides, there is no limitation on the numbers of the latch members and latch portions. The numbers can be two or one. For example, only one latch member23is disposed corresponding to a single latch portion311. Alternatively, only one latch member23is disposed corresponding to another latch portion321.

In summary, compared with the prior art, the present invention has the follow effects. Only directly rotating the position limiter42to place its narrow portions422in the recess21of the lock bolt2is required to unlock the padlock at the moment of induction, which improves the responses to unlocking and locking and solves the time delay problems of unlocking and locking. Also, the distinguishable lighting indications of unlocking and locking through the light-emitting component7are obtained.

Moreover, the present invention further has other effects. It is very convenient to chare the power supply6of the padlock of the present invention through the USB connector8. Two insertion portions31,32of the shackle3can be simultaneously latched by the lock bolt2to enhance the locking strength and locking stability of the padlock (For a traditional padlock, only one insertion portion is latched). The two insertion portions31,32can slide reversely back into the shell1by pressing the shackle3to smoothly actuate the switch53and further to automatically control the position limiter42to rotate reversely. At the same time, the lock bolt2is pushed to slide to latch the shackle3again to reach the locked state. In this way, the electronic device is no longer required to perform the induction locking; moreover, such an automatic locking can also achieve the effect of instant locking.

The embodiments disclosed in the above description are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, but not to limit the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention should be embraced by the accompanying claims and includes all the equivalent modifications and not be limited to the previous description.