Patent Publication Number: US-2021194170-A1

Title: Connection lock

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a connection lock. 
     Description of the Prior Art 
     In recent years, the living quality is improving, and people lead a fast-paced life, so people have great demand for getting information instantly. Portable 3C (computer, communication, consumer electronics) products like laptops becomes important in everyday life and workplace. However, 3C products can be easily stolen because they are valuable, light and portable. To prevent 3C products from being stolen, a burglarproof locking device for 3C products is provided. The burglarproof locking device includes a locking member for being inserted and locked within an anti-theft hole of a 3C product. 
     However, in recent years, 3C products have highly developed, while the conventional anti-theft lock for 3C products is merely provided with burglarproof function without any additional functions. As a result, it has not been able to meet the needs in the market. 
     The present invention is, therefore, arisen to obviate or at least mitigate the above-mentioned disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main object of the present invention is to provide a connection lock which is burglarproof and capable of being integral with an electronic transmission unit for adaption of 3C products. 
     To achieve the above and other objects, a connection lock is provided, including: a driving member, movable between a first position and a second position; a locking device by which the driving member is restrictable in the second position; a first housing; an actuating assembly, movably mounted to the first housing and assembled with the driving member; a blocking assembly, mounted to the first housing and movable between a release position and a blocking position, configured to be inserted within an anti-theft hole of a 3C product; an electronic transmission unit, connected to the first housing, configured to be inserted within a transmission port of the 3C product; wherein when the driving member is located in the first position, the actuating assembly is driven by the driving member and the blocking assembly is movable to be in the release position, the blocking assembly is detachable from the anti-theft hole; when the driving member is located in the second position, the driving member drives the actuating assembly and the actuating assembly restricts the blocking assembly to be positioned in the blocking position so that the blocking assembly is undetachable from the anti-theft hole. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment(s) in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a stereogram of a preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a breakdown drawing of a preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a stereogram of a driving member according to a preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  are front views showing operation of a preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 6 and 7  are cross-sectional side views showing operation of a preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a stereogram of another preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a breakdown drawing of the another preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a stereogram of a blocking member according to the another preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a front view showing operation of the another preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is an enlargement of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a partial stereogram of the another preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 14  is a front view showing operation of the another preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 15  is an enlargement of  FIG. 11 ; and 
         FIG. 16  is a partial stereogram showing operation of the another preferable embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 1 to 7  for a preferable embodiment of the present invention. A connection lock  1  of the present invention includes a driving member  1 , a locking device  2 , a first housing  3 , an actuating assembly  4 , a blocking assembly  5  and an electronic transmission unit  6 . 
     The driving member  1  is movable between a first position and a second position. 
     The locking device  2  can be restricted in the second position by the driving member  1 . 
     The actuating assembly  4  is movably mounted to the first housing  3  and assembled with the driving member  1 . 
     The blocking assembly  5  is mounted to the first housing  3  and movable between a release position and a blocking position, and the blocking assembly  5  is configured to be inserted within an anti-theft hole  91  of a 3C product  9  such as a notebook. 
     The electronic transmission unit  6  is connected to the first housing  3  and configured to be inserted within a transmission port  92  of the 3C product  9 . In this embodiment, the electronic transmission unit  6  is fixedly mounted to the first housing  3  so that the electronic transmission unit  6  and the blocking assembly  5  can be inserted into or removed from the 3C product  9 . 
     When the driving member  1  is located in the first position, the actuating assembly  4  is driven by the driving member  1  and the blocking assembly  5  is movable to be in release position, and the blocking assembly  5  is detachable from the anti-theft hole  91 . When the driving member  1  is located in the second position, the driving member  1  drives the actuating assembly  4 , and the actuating assembly  4  restricts the blocking assembly  5  to be positioned in the blocking position so that the blocking assembly  5  is undetachable from the anti-theft hole  91 , which is burglarproof and can be integral with the electronic transmission unit  6 . 
     Specifically, the connection lock further includes a second housing  7 , and the driving member  1  and the actuating assembly  4  are movably mounted to the second housing  7 . Preferably the second housing  7  includes a circuit module  71 , and the electronic transmission unit  6  is electrically connected with the circuit module  71 . In this embodiment, the electronic transmission unit  6  is a Type-C transmission line, the transmission port  92  is a Type-C USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, the second housing  7  further includes a plurality of adapting ports  72 , and the plurality of adapting ports  72  are electrically connected with the circuit module  71 , wherein the plurality of adapting ports  72  includes at least one of USB port, headphone jack and HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) port. Electronic devices can be connected via the plurality of adapting ports  72 , and the signals from the electronic devices can be transmitted to the 3C product  9  through the electronic transmission unit  6  and the transmission port  92 , which reduces usage of many transmission lines. In this embodiment, the locking device  2  includes a locking member  21 , the second housing  7  includes a locking hole  74 , and the driving member  1  includes a restriction hole  11 . When the driving member  1  is located in the second position, the locking member  21  can be inserted within the locking hole  74  and the restriction hole  11  at the same time and be engageable within the restriction hole  11  so that the driving member  1  cannot move to be in the first position. The locking member  21  can be driven to operate by a key, coded ring or the like. 
     Preferably, the connection lock further includes a first elastic member  73 , an end of the first elastic member  73  is connected to the second housing  7 , and another end of the first elastic member  73  is connected to one of the actuating assembly  4  and the driving member  1  so that the driving member  1  is biased toward the first position. When the locking member  21  is withdrawn from the restriction hole  11 , the driving member  1  moves to be in the first position automatically so that the blocking assembly  5  is movable to be in the release position, thus being convenient to operate. In this embodiment, the driving member  1  includes a control member  12  projects out beyond the second housing  7 , and the control member  12  is configured to be operated to drive the driving member  1  to be in the second position, for easy insertion of the locking member  21  into the locking hole  74  and the restriction hole  11 . 
     In this embodiment, the actuating assembly  4  is rotatably connected to the second housing  7 , and two ends of the actuating assembly  4  are respectively connected to the driving member  1  and the blocking assembly  5 . When the driving member  1  is located in the first position, the driving member  1  drives the actuating assembly  4  to rotate, and the actuating assembly  4  drives the blocking assembly  5  to move to be in release position. When the driving member  1  moves to be in the second position, the driving member  1  drives the actuating assembly  4  to rotate, the actuating assembly  4  drives the blocking assembly  5  to move to be in the blocking position. Specifically, the actuating assembly  4  includes an eccentric column  41  inserted within the driving member  1 , and the driving member  1  is slidably connected to the second housing  7  and slidable in a direction lateral to an axis about which the actuating assembly  4  rotates. The blocking assembly  5  and the actuating assembly  4  are rotatably mounted to the first housing  3  and movable with each other. The blocking assembly  5  includes a blocking member  51  having a shape corresponding to a shape of the anti-theft hole  91 . When the blocking assembly  5  is located in the release position, the blocking member  51  is penetrable through the anti-theft hole  91 . When the blocking assembly  5  is rotated to be in the blocking position, the blocking member  51  is blocked within the anti-theft hole  91 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 8-16  for another embodiment, the driving member  1 A is slidably mounted to the second housing  7 A, the actuating assembly  4 A is slidably disposed between the first housing  3 A and the second housing  7 A, and the actuating assembly  4 A and the driving member  1 A are connected with each other. 
     Specifically, the blocking assembly  5 A includes two blocking members  51 A swingably mounted to the first housing  3 A. When the blocking assembly  5 A is located in the release position, the two blocking members  51 A approach to each other and are penetrable through the anti-theft hole  91 A. When the blocking assembly  5 A is located in the blocking position, the two blocking members  51 A swing away from each other and are blocked within the anti-theft hole  91 A. In this embodiment, the transmission port  92 A is located in the anti-theft hole  91 A, and the electronic transmission unit  6  is disposed between the two blocking members  51 A. 
     In this embodiment, each said blocking member  51 A includes a projection  52 , and the actuating assembly  4 A includes a restricting member  42 . When the driving member  1 A is located in the first position, the restricting member  42  does not abut against each said projection  52 , and the two blocking members  51 A are freely swingable. Preferably, each of the two blocking members  51 A includes two inclined faces  53  which are angularly connected and configured to be inserted within the anti-theft hole  91 A. The two inclined faces  53  of each said blocking member  51 A can make each said blocking member  51 A be smoothly inserted into or withdrawn from the anti-theft hole  91 A. When the driving member  1 A moves from the first position toward the second position, the driving member  1 A drives the actuating assembly  4 A and the restricting member  42  to move, the restricting member  42  is abutted against and blocked by each said projection  52  so that the two blocking members  51 A swing away from each other and are not penetrable through the anti-theft hole  91 A. 
     Preferably, a second elastic member  31  is disposed between the first housing  3 A and respective one of the two blocking members  51 A, and each said second elastic member  31  biases the respective one of the two blocking members  51 A so that the two blocking members  51 A swing away from each other. The first housing  3 A includes at least one first blocking portion  32 , the restricting member  42  includes at least one second blocking portion  43 , between each of the at least one first blocking portion  32  and one of the at least one second blocking portion  43  is a third elastic member  33  so that the restricting member  42  is biased in a direction away from the second housing  7 A and so that the restricting member  42  is normally not abutted against each said projection  52 . 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.