Patent Publication Number: US-2020291680-A1

Title: Method for operating combination lock with a keybox

Description:
This application is a Continuation-In-Part patent application of applicant&#39;s former patent application Ser. No. 16/100,208, and relates to a method for operating a combination lock with a keybox by multiple ways. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Fields of the Invention 
     2. Descriptions of Related Art 
     The conventional combination lock generally includes 3 to 4 digital wheels and each wheel has 0 to 9 digits, the correct combination requires the pre-set digit shown in each of the digit wheels. Nevertheless, the shortcomings of the conventional combination locks is that the combination of the digits can be decoded, or the users forget the combination. Besides, a surf lock is developed and provides a keybox that is used to safely keep keys in the keybox. The keybox is also controlled by a correct combination. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 9,540,845 and US Pub. No. 2017/0234038 respectively disclose a locking mechanism with a room for keeping keys therein. It is noted that only one combination unit or control unit is available for pivoting the cover or the door between a closed position and an opened position. That is to say, the cover or the door requires one set of combination, and/or the lock requires another set of combination. Applicant believes the disclosed method for operating the lock mechanism still has safety limitation and needs to be improved. 
     The present invention is intended to provide a method for operating a combination lock with a keybox, and the method is designed to eliminate the drawbacks mentioned above. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a method for operating a combination lock. The combination lock includes a body and a shackle. The shackle includes a first end pivotably and movably connected to the body, and a second end of the shackle removably inserted into the body. A keybox is located in the body and includes a cover. A combination device is connected to the body and includes a first control panel, a second control panel and a switch button. The first control panel includes multiple digit wheels rotatably connected thereto. The second control panel includes multiple number buttons and multiple function buttons. The number buttons includes 0 to 9 respectively marked thereon. The first control panel and the second control panel control the shackle and the cover. The switch button is switched to a first position to activate the first control panel. The switch button is switched to a second position to activate the second control panel. The method comprises: 
     a step of setting combinations: a first combination being set to the first control panel, a second combination being set to the second control panel, the second combination being a spare combination; and 
     a step of switching the switch button: when switching the switch button to the first position, the shackle is operated and the cover is opened relative to the keybox by inputting the first combination or the second combination from the first control panel, when switching the switch button to the second position, the shackle is operated and the cover is opened relative to the keybox by inputting the first combination or the second combination from the second control panel. 
     The present invention also provides another method for operating the combination lock, and comprises: 
     a step of setting combination: a first combination and a second combination being respectively set to the first control panel, and 
     a step of switching the switch button: when switching the switch button to the first position, the shackle is operated by inputting the first combination from the first control panel, when switching the switch button to the second position, the cover is opened relative to the keybox by inputting the second combination from the first control panel. 
     The present invention further provides yet another method for operating the combination lock, and comprises: 
     a step of connection: connecting the second control panel to an application (APP) of a smart phone, and 
     a step of setting a combination: setting a combination to the second control panel by operating the application from the smart phone, the shackle being operated and/or the cover being opened relative to the keybox by inputting the combination to the second control panel. 
     Preferably, the shackle is operated and/or the cover is opened relative to the keybox by inputting the combination from the smart phone. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows the front view of the combination lock of the present invention, wherein the combination lock is in locked status; 
         FIG. 2  shows the front view of the combination lock of the present invention, wherein the combination lock is in unlocked status; 
         FIG. 3  shows that the cover is opened relative to the keybox of the combination lock of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  shows the first control way of the combination lock of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  shows the second control way of the combination lock of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  shows the third control way of the combination lock of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  shows the fourth control way of the combination lock of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  shows the fifth control way of the combination lock of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  shows the sixth control way of the combination lock of the present invention, and 
         FIG. 10  shows the sixth control way of the combination lock of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the combination lock of the present invention comprises a body  10  and a shackle  14 , wherein the shackle  14  has the first end pivotably and movably connected to the body  10 , and the second end of the shackle  14  is removably inserted into the body  10 . A keybox  15  is located in the body  10  and includes a room  152  for receiving keys or the like therein. A cover  151  is pivotably connected to the body  10  and is able to close the room  152  for safety reason by any known methods. 
     The combination lock has a combination device connected to the body  10  and includes a first control panel  11 , a second control panel  12  and a switch button  13 . The first control panel  11  has multiple digit wheels  111  rotatably connected thereto. The second control panel  12  has multiple number buttons  121  and multiple function buttons  122 . The number buttons  121  has 0 to 9 respectively marked thereon. The first control panel  11  and the second control panel  12  control the shackle  14  and the cover  151 . The switch button  13  can be switched to a first position P 1  to activate the first control panel  11 , and the switch button  13  can be switched to a second position P 2  to activate the second control panel  12 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the first method for operating the combination lock comprises: 
     a step of setting combinations: a first combination being set to the first control panel  11 , a second combination being set to the second control panel  12 , the second combination being a spare combination; and 
     a step of switching the switch button  13 : when switching the switch button  13  to the first position P 1 , the shackle  14  is operated and the cover  151  is opened relative to the keybox  15  by inputting the first combination or the second combination from the first control panel  11 , when switching the switch button  13  to the second position P 2 , the shackle  14  is operated and the cover  151  is opened relative to the keybox  15  by inputting the first combination or the second combination from the second control panel  12 . 
     The second method is that the first control panels  11  includes a first combination, and the second control panel  12  includes a second combination. The second combination is a spare combination in case the first combination is forgotten. As shown in  FIG. 5 , when the switch button  13  is switched to the first position P 1 , the shackle  14  is operated and the cover  151  is opened relative to the keybox  15  by inputting the first combination from the first control panel  11 . If the first control panel  11  is out of order or the first combination is forgotten, the switch button  13  is switched to the second position P 2 , the shackle  14  is operated and the cover  151  is opened relative to the keybox  15  by inputting the second combination from the second control panel  12 . The first combination can be used as a primary combination and the second combination can be used as a secondary combination. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the third method for operating the combination lock as described above comprises: 
     a step of setting combination: a first combination and a second combination being respectively set to the first control panel  11 , and 
     a step of switching the switch button  13 : when switching the switch button  13  to the first position P 1 , the shackle is operated by inputting the first combination from the first control panel  11 , when switching the switch button  13  to the second position P 2 , the cover  151  is opened relative to the keybox  15  by inputting the second combination from the first control panel  11 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7  which shows the fourth method, wherein the first control panel  11  in the third method can be replaced by the second control panel  12 . That is to say, a first combination and a second combination are respectively set to the second control panel  12 . When switching the switch button  13  to the first position P 1 , the shackle  14  is operated by inputting the first combination from the second control panel  12 . When switching the switch button  13  to the second position P 2 , the cover  151  is opened relative to the keybox  15  by inputting the second combination from the second control panel  12 . 
       FIG. 8  shows the fifth method, wherein a first combination is set to the first control panel  11 , and a second combination is set to the second control panel  12 . A first combined combination is defined by a combination of the first combination and the second combination. Similarly, a third combination is further set to the first control panel  11 , and a fourth combination is further set to the second control panel  12 . A second combined combination is defined by a combination of the third combination and the fourth combination. 
     When the switch button  13  is switched to the first position P 1 , the shackle  14  is operated by inputting the first combined combination from the first control panel  11  and the second control panel  12  respectively. When the switch button  13  is switched to the second position P 2 , the cover  151  is opened relative to the keybox  15  by inputting the second combined combination from the first control panel  11  and the second control panel  12  respectively. The first combined combination may be set to control the cover  151 , and the second combined combination may be set to control the shackle  14 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the sixth method for operating the combination lock as described above comprises: 
     a step of connection: connecting the second control panel  12  to an application (APP) of a smart phone, and 
     a step of setting a combination: setting a combination to the second control panel  12  by operating the application from the smart phone, the shackle  14  being operated and/or the cover  151  being opened relative to the keybox  15  by inputting the combination to the second control panel  12 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , the shackle  14  can also be operated and/or the cover  151  is opened relative to the keybox  15  by inputting the combination from the smart phone. 
     While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.