Patent Publication Number: US-2005132762-A1

Title: Padlock

Description:
This is a continuation-in-part application of the co-pending U.S. Ser. No. 10/671,659, application filed on Sep. 29, 2003, and also a continuation-in-part application of the co-pending U.S. Ser. No. 10/676,853, application filed on Sep. 30, 2003. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
      This invention relates generally to a padlock, in particular, to provide a padlock having a restriction button formed with a notch for being engageable with a free end of a shackle.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      A conventional padlock contains a lock body, a shackle and a locking means, which is a key operated locking means or a combination locking means. The shackle has a based end installed in one side of the lock body and a free end. The lock body has a concave at the other side thereof and the concave is provided for the engagement or the disengagement with the fee end of the shackle. The locking means is provided for determining vertical movement of the base end so as to determine the movements of the free end of the shackle. When the locking means is unlocked, the free end of the shackle is disengaged with the concave of the lock body.  
      Another conventional padlock contains a lock body, a shackle, a button member and a locking means, which comprises a key operated locking means and/or a combination locking means. The shackle has a base end installed in one side of the lock body and a free end. The button member is mounted to the lock body and has a button exposed and projected from a side of the lock body. The button of the button member is provided for the engagement or the disengagement with the free end of the shackle. The locking means is provided for determining movements of the base end and/or the button member so as to determine the movements of the free end of the shackle. When the locking means is unlocked, the free end of the shackle is disengaged with the button of the button member.  
      However, conventional padlocks with exposed and projected buttons are easily to be damaged by tools. Therefore, padlocks with secure button members and with favorable operating functions are in a great demand.  
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
      It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a padlock, which has an improved structure and characteristics of favorable operating functions.  
      The present invention, briefly summarized, in one embodiment discloses a padlock, which comprises a lock body, a restriction device, a shackle and a locking means. More particularly, the lock body has a side formed with a first hole and a recess portion, which has a surface formed with a second hole and a wall connected with the side and the surface. In addition, the surface of the recess portion is parallel to the side of the lock body. The restriction device has a restriction button formed with notch on a top of the restriction button and a driving element extended from a bottom of the restriction button. The driving element is mounted in and is movable within the second hole of the surface. In addition, the shackle has a base end and a free end. The base end of the shackle is movably installed within the first hole of the side and the free end of the shackle is engageable and disengageable with the notch of the restriction button. Furthermore, the locking means is installed in the lock body for determining the engagement and disengagement between the free end of the shackle and the notch of the restriction button. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
      The invention will be more clearly understood after referring to the following detailed description read in conjunction with the drawings wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of present invention, showing a lock body;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective assembled view of the first embodiment;  
       FIG. 3 a  perspective exploded view of a first embodiment;  
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the locked first embodiment;  
       FIG. 4 -A is a top view according to  FIG. 4 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the unlocked first embodiment;  
       FIG. 5 -A is a top view according to  FIG. 4 ;  
       FIG. 6 a  perspective assembled view of the first embodiment;  
       FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of the second embodiment;  
       FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view of the unlocked second embodiment;  
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the second embodiment showing the free end of the shackle being released from the notch of the restriction button;  
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a second embodiment, showing a key operated locking means;  
       FIG. 11  is a cross sectional view of the second embodiment showing the shackle being unlocked by a combination locking means;  
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the third embodiment;  
       FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the third embodiment showing the shackle being unlocked by a combination locking means;  
       FIG. 14  is a perspective view showing a restriction button being a cylinder shape;  
       FIG. 15  is a perspective view showing the cylinder shape restriction button being in a unlock position;  
       FIG. 16  is a perspective view showing a restriction button being a block shape;  
       FIG. 17  is a perspective view showing the block shape restriction button being in a unlock position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       FIGS. 1-5  show a first embodiment of the present invention. The padlock of the first embodiment includes a lock body  1 , a shackle  2 , a restriction device  4  and a locking means. In  FIG. 1 , the lock body  1  has a side  10  formed with a first hole  100  and a recess portion  110 . The recess portion  110  has a surface  111  formed with a second hole  113  and a wall  112  connected with the side  10  and the surface  111 . In addition, the surface  111  of the recess portion  110  is parallel to the side  10  of the lock body  1 . The restriction device  4  has a restriction button  40  formed with a notch  43  on a top of the restriction button  40  and a driving element  41  extended from a bottom of the restriction button  40 . The driving element  41  is mounted in and is movable within the second hole  113  of the surface  111 . Therefore, the restriction button  40  is disposed within the recess portion  110  accordingly.  
      In addition, the notch  43  of the restriction button  40  could be varied shape according to its applications, such as a shape of gap, hole and groove etc. In the first embodiment, the notch  43  of the restriction button  40  is preferable to be shaped into a gap for communicating with the center  431  and the periphery  432  of the restriction button  40 . In addition, the wall  112  of the recess portion  110  is a curve wall and the periphery  432  of the restriction button  40  is shaped to match the wall  112  of the recess portion  110 .  
      The shackle  2  has a base end  21  and a free end  22 . The base end  21  of the shackle  2  is movably installed within the first hole  100  of the side  10  and the free end  22  of the shackle  2  is engageable and disengageable with the notch  43  of the restriction button  40 . The shackle  2  of the present invention is preferably a U-shaped shackle. Furthermore, the locking means is installed in the lock body  1  for determining the engagement and disengagement between the free end  22  of the shackle  2  and the notch  43  of the restriction button  40 . In addition, the locking means of the first embodiment further comprises a combination locking means  11 , a linking member  3  and a resilient member  34 . The linking member  3  has a first portion  32  connected with the combination locking means  11  and a second portion  31  connected with the driving element  41  of the restriction device  4 , so as to allow the restriction device  4  being movable when the combination locking means  11  is unlocked. The resilient member  34 , such as a spring, is connected with the linking member  3  for restoring the linking member  3  to its original position, as shown in FIGS.  2  to  5 . For the first embodiment, the locking means could be either the combination locking means  11  or a key operated locking means.  
      In  FIGS. 4 and 4 -A, the padlock of the first embodiment is in a locked status that the free end  22  of the shackle  2  is engaged with the notch  43  of the restriction button  40 . Because to the combination locking means  11  of the locking means is locked, the movement of the linking member  3  is therefore limited, so as to restrict the movement of the restriction device  4  accordingly.  FIGS. 5 and 5 -A show that the padlock of the first embodiment is in an unlocked status that the free end  22  of the shackle  2  is disengaged with the notch  43  of the restriction button  40 . More specifically, when the combination locking means  11  of the locking means is unlocked, the limited linking member  3  is accordingly released. Therefore, the restriction device  4  is allowed to move and the restriction button  40  of the restriction device  4  can be rotated to 90 degrees approximately. Meanwhile, the driving member  41  of the restriction device  4  drives the linking member  3  to press the resilient member  34  downwardly and the resilient member  34  therefore generates a force for restoring the linking member  3  to its original position while locking. As a result, the free end  22  of the shackle  2  can be rotated to an unlocking position about the base end  21  of the shackle  2  and disengaged with the notch  43  of the restriction button  40 .  
       FIGS. 6-11  show a second embodiment of the present invention. The padlock of the second embodiment invention includes a lock body  1   a , a shackle  2   a , a restriction device  4   a  and a locking means. Because the elements of the lock body  1   a , shackle  2   a  and the restriction device  4   a  are as same as the lock body  1 , shackle  2  and the restriction device  4  of the first embodiment except the locking means; therefore, the detailed descriptions of the lock body  1   a , shackle  2   a  and the restriction device  4   a  is omitted from the second embodiment.  
      In  FIGS. 6-9 , the locking means of the second embodiment comprises a combination locking means  11   a  and a key operated locking means  12   a . The combination locking means  11   a  of the locking means is connected with the base end  21   a  of the shackle  2   a , whereby the base end  21   a  of the shackle  2  is free to descend and ascend when the combination locking means  11   a  of the locking means is unlocked. In addition, the key operated locking means  12   a  of the locking means is connected with a driving element  41   a  of the restriction device  4   a , whereby the restriction device  4   a  is rotatable when the key operated locking means  12   a  of the locking means is unlocked by a key  13   a.    
       FIGS. 6 and 7  show the padlock of the second embodiment is in a locked status that a free end  22   a  of the shackle  2   a  is engaged with a notch  43   a  of the restriction button  40   a . Because the combination locking means  11   a  and the key operated locking means  12   a  of the locking means are locked, the movements of the restriction device  4   a  and the shackle  2   a  are restricted accordingly. FIGS.  8  to  10  show the padlock of the second embodiment is in an unlocked status that the free end  22   a  of the shackle  2   a  is disengaged with the notch  43   a  of the restriction button  40   a . More specifically, the key operated locking means  12   a  of the locking means comprises a rotor  120   a , which has a keyhole  121   a  at an end of the rotor  120   a  and a driving portion  122   a  at the other end of the rotor  120   a . The keyhole  121   a  of the rotor  120   a  is provided for inserting the key  13   a  and the driving portion  122   a  is provided for connecting with the driving element  41   a  of the restriction device  4   a  so as to drive the restriction device  4   a . Therefore, when the key operated locking means  12   a  of the locking means is unlocked by the key  13   a , the rotor  120   a  of the key operated locking means  12   a  drives the restriction device  4   a . Therefore, the restriction button  40   a  of the restriction device  4   a  can be rotated to 90 degrees approximately. As a result, the free end  22   a  of the shackle  2   a  can be rotated to an unlocking position about the base end  21   a  of the shackle  2   a  and disengaged with the notch  43   a  of the restriction button  40   a.    
       FIG. 11  shows that the padlock of the second embodiment is unlocked by the combination locking means  11   a . When the combination locking means  11   a  is unlocked, the base end  21   a  of the shackle  2  is free to ascend to a position and the free end  22   a  of the shackle  2   a  can be rotated to an unlocking position about the base end  21   a  of the shackle  2   a  and disengaged with the notch  43   a  of the restriction button  40   a.    
      According to the second embodiment,  FIGS. 12 and 13  show a third embodiment of the present invention, which has the same elements of the second embodiment, such as the lock body  1   a , the shackle  2   a  and the restriction device  4   a  of the second embodiment but the positions of the combination locking means  11   a  and the key operated locking means  12   a  are shifted. More specifically, a key operated locking means (not shown) of the third embodiment is connected with a base end  21   b  of a shackle  2   b , whereby the base end  21   b  of the shackle  2   b  is free to descend and ascend when the key operated locking means of the locking means is unlocked. In addition, a combination locking means  11   b  of the locking means is connected with a driving element (not shown) of a restriction device  4   b , whereby the restriction device  4   b  is rotatable when the combination locking means  11   b  of the locking means is unlocked. In  FIG. 13 , the padlock is unlocked by the combination locking means  11   b.    
      Furthermore, the restriction button of the restriction device also can be varied according the applications of the present invention. As shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , a restriction button  40   c  of a restriction device  4   c  is a cylindrical shape. A notch  43   c  is formed on the top-centered of the restriction button  40   c . When a key operated locking means is unlock by a key  13   c , the restriction button  40   c  of the restriction device  4   c  is descended to a position and a free end  22   c  of the shackle  2   c  is disengaged with the notch  43   c  of the restriction button  40   c . On the contrary, when a combination locking means  11   d  is unlock, a base end  21   c  of the shackle  2   c  is ascended to a position and the free end  22   c  of the shackle  2   c  is disengaged with the notch  43   c  of the restriction button  40   c.    
       FIGS. 16 and 17  show a restriction button  40   d  of a restriction device  4   d  is a block shape. A notch  43   d  is formed on the top of the restriction button  40   d  and the notch  43   d  of the restriction button  40   d  communicates with the center and the periphery of the restriction button  40   d . Similarly, when a key operated locking means is unlock by a key  13   d , the restriction button  40   d  of the restriction device  4   d  is rotated to a position and the free end  22   d  of the shackle  2   d  is disengaged with the notch  43   d  of the restriction button  40   d.    
      The present invention provides with a padlock, which has a restriction device disposed within a recess portion of a lock body that presents a favorable unity appearance. In addition, a padlock with multi-operating functions, such a combination locking means and/or a key operated locking means, satisfies all kinds of consumers. Furthermore, without exposing from the lock body, the restriction device of the present invention prevents the padlock from damages by using tools, so as to have a better security for the consumers.  
      Numerous characteristics and advantages of the invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, and the novel features thereof are pointed out in appended claims. The disclosure, however, is illustrated only, and changes may be made in detail, especially, in matters of shape, size and arrangement of parts, materials and the combination thereof within the principle of the invention, to the full extend indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.