Lock Having Locker Interiorly Formed Therein

A lock includes a lock body lockable on a fixed object or place, and a locker formed in the lock body, with the locker consisting of at least one locking chamber formed in the lock body for hiding, storing or locking a privacy or valuable thing in the locking chamber of the lock for security.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of a Taiwanese patent application, 104217292, filed on Oct. 29, 2015, the specification of which is incorporated here by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A privacy thing or valuable may always be locked in a drawer or safe. Such a privacy thing may include lover's pledge, token gift, or valuable diamond, which once locked in the safe or drawer, will not be easily moved or transported. When the privacy or valuable thing is required to be exchanged, it is especially inconvenient since the thing is locked in the heavy safe or a drawer secured in a table or cabinet.

It is therefore expected to invent a lock having a locker formed in itself for locking such privacy or valuable things in the locker in the lock.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a lock including a lock body lockable on a fixed object or place, and a locker formed in the lock body, with the locker consisting of at least one locking chamber formed in the lock body for hiding, storing or locking a privacy or valuable thing in the locking chamber of the lock for security.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown inFIGS. 1, 2 and 6, the present invention, a lock having locker interiorly formed therein, comprises: a lock body10, a lock core20, a shackle30which may be a U-shaped shackle and is lockable on a fixed object or place, a cover40, and a locking element50. The lock body10includes a locker having at least a locking chamber11formed in the lock body10. The locking chamber11is normally covered by a the cover40, which is secured to the lock body10by the locking element50, and is adapted for storing privacy matters, important or memorial letters or documents or any valuable things or small items P in the locking chamber11for security protection. The locking element50is normally concealed in the lock body10when locked by the shackle30to prevent from any unexpected intrusion trying to drive the locking element50in order to open the cover40to take away the valuable things as kept in the locking chamber11.

As shown inFIGS. 1-7, the lock of the present invention comprises: a lock body10, a locker including a locking chamber11recessed in the lock body10and having an access port110communicated with the locking chamber11for inserting or storing the privacy or valuable things P into the locking chamber11; a lock core20mounted in the lock body10and having a locking tongue21formed on the lock core20to be cooperatively actuated by the lock core20when locked or unlocked; a shackle30movably mounted on the lock body10and operatively locked by the locking tongue21when locked; a cover40adjacent to the access port110for covering the access port110of the locking chamber11; and a locking element50movably secured in the lock body10for fixing the cover40on the lock body10for normally closing the locking chamber11for safely protecting the privacy things P as stored in the locking chamber11, with said locking element50being concealed and locked within the lock body10by the shackle30when the lock of the present invention is locked to thereby prevent the locking element50from being dismantled or removed from the lock body for opening the cover40. Upon unlocking of the present invention, a key (not shown) is inserted into the lock core20through a key hole42formed through the cover40for unlocking the lock core20for disengaging the shackle30from the locking tongue21to move the shackle30away from the lock body10in order to operate the locking element50to dismantle the cover40, thereby taking the things P out from the locking chamber11or storing things P in the chamber11.

The lock core20includes a plug20brotatably mounted in an outer cylinder20asecured in the lock body10; a locking tongue21formed on the plug20a;a locking mechanism (not shown, and generally including a pin tumbler, a latch or any other locking elements) formed between the outer cylinder20aand the plug20b, normally being locked for retarding the rotation of the plug20bwithin the outer cylinder20a,and operatively unlocked when inserting a key into the plug20bfor rotating the plug20bwithin the outer cylinder20afor disengaging the locking tongue21from the shackler30for opening the lock of the present invention. The locking tongue21is formed on an upper portion of the plug20band is movably sliding in a notch20c(FIG. 1) cut in an upper portion (or sliding on an upper portion) of the outer cylinder20aand a guiding slot16(FIG. 7) formed in the lock body10for locking the shackle30. InFIG. 12, the locking tongue21ais, however, resiliently mounted in the lock core20to be a modification of the locking tongue21, not limited in the present invention.

As shown inFIGS. 8 and 9, when the lock core20is unlocked, the locking tongue21is no longer engaged with the shackle30so that the shackle30can be removed (pulled upwardly and then rotated about the first leg31(in first leg hole13) to reveal the locking element50as fixed in the screw hole17. Then a tool T may be inserted into the second leg hole14to unscrew or unlock the locking element50in order to unfasten the cover40. Upon opening of the cover40, the things P may then be taken out or away from the locking chamber11. Or, the things P including privacy letter, pledge matter or valuable items may be stored into the locking chamber11. The cover40will then be re-closed onto the lock body10.

As shown inFIGS. 1-9, the lock body10is recessed or formed with a locking chamber11and a core cavity12in a first end portion10aof the lock body10for mounting the lock core20in the core cavity12. In a second end portion10bof the lock body10, a first leg hole13and a second leg hole14are respectively formed in the second end portion10b,adapted for inserting a first leg31of the U-shaped shackle30into the first leg hole13and for inserting the second leg32of the shackle30into the second leg hole14. The second leg hole14is communicated with the core cavity12so as to protrude the locking tongue21into the second leg hole14in order to engage with a locking groove321recessed in the second leg32for locking the second leg32in the second leg hole14of the lock body10as shown inFIGS. 7 and 5. The first leg31includes a narrow neck portion311having a diameter of the narrow neck portion311smaller than a diameter of the first leg31and a retainer311aformed on a bottom end of the first leg31, whereby a limiting pin15is inserted laterally, through a pin hole formed through a side portion of the lock body10, into the first leg hole13to be engaged with the narrow neck portion311of the first leg31of the shackle30for rotatably limiting the first leg31in the first leg hole13without being withdrawn or removed outwardly from the first leg hole13of the lock body10as shown inFIGS. 7 and 8.

As shown inFIG. 10, the shackle30includes a first leg31aas modified from the first leg31as shown inFIG. 1and connected in the lock body10, a second leg32opposite to the first leg31aand inserted into the second leg hole14, having a locking groove321formed in the second leg32to be locked by the locking tongue21, and a flexible member33selected from a wire, a rope, a chain or a band connected between the two legs31a,32.

As shown inFIG. 11, the locking tongue21aof the lock core20is resiliently held in the lock body10adjacent to a top of the core cavity12and normally protruding outwardly, through a guiding slot16formed in the lock body10, into the second leg hole14to be engaged with the locking groove321of the shackle30for locking the lock of the present invention; and the locking tongue21ais operatively retracted inwardly in the lock body10for pulling the shackle30upwardly when unlocking the lock of the present invention.

The lock body10includes a screw (or bolt) hole17longitudinally formed through the lock body10just beneath the second leg hole14to thereby communicate the second leg hole14. The screw hole17is adapted to be fixed with a locking element (or screw)50, which is fixed in the screw hole17to be engaged with a cover screw hole41formed in an inner surface portion of the cover40so that the cover40will be secured to the lock body10to close the locking chamber11as formed in the lock body10for safely locking the privacy things P in the locking chamber11. When the present invention is locked, the locking element50is concealed in the lock body10as locked by the second leg32and the cover40as shown inFIGS. 7, 11, 12, etc. Such a locking element or screw50can not be dismantled from outside of the lock since the locking element50as been safely locked in the second leg hole14as aforementioned, thereby enforcing the security of the present invention.

As shown inFIGS. 1, 5 and 9, a core-limiting pin60is provided in between the lock body10and the lock core20to prevent from a self-rotation of the outer cylinder20aof the lock core20within the core cavity12in the lock body10. For instance, the core-limiting pin60is engaged in a body recess121of the lock body10and a core recess211of the lock core20, especially as shown inFIGS. 9 and 5.

In practical applications, the present invention includes a padlock, a combination lock, a locking chain or any decorative pendent articles (locks), not limited in the present invention. When inserting a key (not shown) through a key hole42formed through the cover40to unlock the lock core20, the locking tongue21will be retracted to be disengaged from the locking groove321of the shackle30to thereby allow the shackle30be pulled outwardly or upwardly and then rotated about the first leg31in order to remove the second leg32from the second leg hole14, thereby revealing the locking element50as fixed in the screw hole17. By the way, a tool T such as a driver (FIGS. 8, 9) may be applied to unlock the locking element50from the hole17and dismantle the cover40from the lock body10so as to take the things P out from the locking chamber11or to store or hide the things P into the locking chamber11. Such things P including letter, pledge, token, diamond or other privacy items may be stored safely in the locking chamber11.

As shown inFIGS. 13˜16, the lock of the present invention comprises: a lock body10′, a lock core12formed or recessed in a first end10aof the lock body10′, a first leg hole13′ longitudinally formed in a first side of the lock body10′ having a shoulder portion131annularly formed in the first leg hole13′, a second leg hole14longitudinally formed in a second side of the lock body10′ opposite to the first leg hole13′, a guiding slot16arcuately radially recessed in an upper portion of the core cavity12to be communicated with the second leg hole14, a screw hole17longitudinally recessed in the second leg hole14through the lock body10′, a shackle30having a first leg31inserted into the first leg hole13′ and a second leg32inserted into the second leg hole14, a lock core20having an outer cylinder20afixed in the core cavity12and a plug20brotatably mounted in the outer cylinder20a,a locking tongue21formed on an upper portion of the plug20band slidably rotatably engaged in the guiding slot16to be locked with a locking groove321recessed in the second leg32for locking the shackle30into the lock body10′, a cover40having a key hole42formed through a central portion of the cover40for inserting a key through the key hole42for unlocking the lock core20and having a screw hole41formed in an inside surface portion of the cover40to be engaged with a locking element (or screw)50fixed in the screw hole17to allow the cover40to close the lock core20and the locking chamber11as recessed in the first end10aof the lock body10.

The definition of “longitudinal” or “longitudinally” as above-mentioned means a direction being parallel to the X-axis as shown inFIG. 14; while the “radial” or “radially” indicates a radial direction perpendicular to the X-axis such as Y-axis as shown inFIG. 14.

The shoulder portion131formed in the first leg hole13′ may limit a bottom end of the first leg31, having a retainer312fixed on a bottom end of the first leg31to prevent from a withdrawal or removal of the first leg31and the shackle30from the lock body10′.

When the locking tongue21is rotatably slidably moved along the guiding slot16to be engaged with the locking groove321of the second leg32, a stopper (not shown) may be formed in the guiding slot16in order to precisely engage the locking tongue21with the groove321of the second leg32.

As shown in the drawings, the retainer312may be a C-shaped retainer. However, the retainer is not limited in the present invention and may be formed as a nut, a ring or a protrusion on a bottom end of the first leg31.

As shown inFIGS. 13 and 14, a longitudinal groove18is formed in the lock body10as radially recessed in the core cavity12and is upwardly communicated with the guiding slot16formed in an upper portion of the lock body10. During the assembly of the present invention, the lock core20may be presented in a configuration as that as shown inFIG. 13, namely, the locking tongue21formed on the plug20bis rotated or oriented to be aligned with a limiting protrusion22longitudinally formed on the outer cylinder20aand the assembled lock core20is inserted into the core cavity12and the longitudinal groove18from the first end10aof the lock body10. More essentially speaking, the outer cylindrical surface of the lock core20is engaged with the core cavity12, while the tongue21and the protrusion22as aligned are engaged with the groove18, thereby implementing the whole lock core20snugly into the lock body10. Upon rotation of the plug20b,the locking tongue21will be engaged with the locking groove321of the second leg32of the shackle30as shown inFIG. 15for locking the lock.

The limiting protrusion22as formed with the outer cylinder20aof the lock core20, once being engaged with the longitudinal groove18in the lock body10, will prevent the lock core20from its free rotation within the core cavity12.

As shown inFIGS. 13˜16, a retainer312is formed on a bottom end of the first leg31to limit the removal of the leg31and shackle30since the retainer312will be upwardly retarded against the shoulder portion131formed in the first leg hole13′. Such a retainer312may be a nut or stopper having female threads formed therein to be engaged with the male threads formed on the bottom end of the first leg31. By the way, the production or processing steps and cost may be reduced in comparison with the embodiment as aforementioned. For example, the retainer311a as integrally formed on the neck portion311of first leg31as shown inFIG. 1should require a limiting pin15, inserted through the lock body10, to retard the retainer311ato prevent withdrawal of the shackle30from the lock body10, thereby increasing a production complexity and cost. So, the embodiment as shown inFIGS. 13˜16will simplify the production of the lock since the retainer312is assembled onto the leg31of the shackle30without drilling the pin hole for pin15, thereby saving mechanical processing and finishing treatment including surface grinding, polishing or electroplating for saving cost.

As shown inFIG. 17, the cover40is formed with a checking hole43through the cover40to be projectively aligned with the first leg hole13′, while the checking hole43is diametrically aligned with the cover screw hole41as formed in the upper or inner surface of the cover40(FIG. 13) adapted for fixing the locking element or screw50in the cover screw hole41. When aligning the checking hole43with the first leg hole13′, it means that the cover screw hole41is axially aligned with the locking element50and the screw hole17formed in the lock body10. This may help a precise and quick assembly of the locking element50into the hole41of the cover40for quickly precisely mounting the cover40onto the lock body10. Besides, the checking hole43as formed in the cover40may be aligned with a sensing hole (not shown) formed in the lock body10at a suitable location. However, such a checking hole43or sensing hole should each be pre-determined for a specific angle as separated from the cover screw hole41or the screw hole17.

As shown inFIG. 17, when the lock of the present invention is locked, a bottom end310of the first leg31is protruded into the checking hole43and may be coplanar to a bottom level of the check hole43. In addition, the checking hole43provides a drainage to the lock.

The lock body10may be formed as spherical shape, or parallelepiped shape as shown inFIGS. 18 and 19, or cylindrical shape as shown inFIG. 20, or any other shapes.

The present invention provides a lock for locking purpose as usual, and also provides at least a locking chamber11for hiding, storing or locking things P therein, including letter, pledge, token, privacy or personal information, lover's exchange items, time capsule, or valuables including diamond. Once locked at a proper location, the lock with its inner stored things will not be easily lost. Meanwhile, the lock of the present invention may be easily carried, portable or moved for convenient uses. Therefore, the lock of the present invention plays plural roles, especially the novel “locker-in-lock”, to increase its commercial value, novelty, creativity and uses.

The present invention may be further modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.