Patent Publication Number: US-6341513-B1

Title: Two-in-one combination safe lock

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     I. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a two-in-one combination safe lock, especially to the safe lock that includes both a mechanical lock device and an electronic lock device in one box thus the safe door can be open by mechanical or electronic way. 
     II. Description of the Prior Art 
     The conventional mechanical combination lock device includes a lock box disposed at the safe door. A shaft inside the box inserts through the safe door with other components thereof. A numeric dial is mounted on one end of the shaft outside the safe door while several numeric plates and a disc are disposed on the other end of the shaft inside the box. And a lock latch that connects to a crank is set at the top of the box. When a numeric dial is turned to-and-fro for inputting the access code, the numeric plates rotates accordingly. If the access code is correct, the crank catches onto the disc so that that the disc drives the crank to lower down the latch and open the safe door once rotates the numeric dial. 
     The electronic combined lock opens the safe lock by inputting the access code through a circular pushbutton plate to transmit digital signal to the integrated circuit that drives an electromagnetic valve so that a shuttle rod controlled by the electromagnetic valve moves inward and the safe door is open. 
     Yet the access code inputting must be correct when rotating the numeric dial and the mechanical device otherwise the openings and the groove are not aligned so the safe door can&#39;t be opened. The alignment usually does not result in a precise match even though the correct password has been inputted, thus inconveniencing the users. 
     The electronic lock device has to consume battery power and the power of an electronic lock device will lose power gradually until all of the battery power has been consumed. At this time, the safe door cannot be opened thus becoming an inconvenience to the user. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a two-in-one combination safe lock having a mechanical lock device and an electronic lock device thus the safe door is open either by the mechanical lock or the electronic lock. 
     The present invention mainly comprises a mechanical lock device and an electronic lock device in a box. A lock latch is disposed at the top side of the box which can moves back and forth through. The mechanical lock device includes a shaft inserting through the box with a numeric dial thereof set outside the safe door. And several numeric plates having an opening respectively as well as a disc are arranged on the other end of the shaft inside the box. Under the lock latch, an electrical crank is set at the same position coaxial to the mechanical crank and both hinges the lower part of the lock latch. At the upper side of the electrical crank a cut is designed. A shuttle device is disposed at the rear of the electrical crank, having a shuttle rod inside a bushing while a spring set in the front end of the shuttle rod makes the trombone-action shuttle rod hooks to the cut of the electrical crank. The shuttle rod is moved in accordance with the movement of the first rod by an electromagnetic valve being controlled by an integrated circuit that connects to a circular pushbutton plate. One end of the second rod is connected to the front end of the shuttle rod while the other end of the second rod connected with the side of the mechanical crank. In accordance with the above structure, the safe door can be open by rotating the numeric dial or input the access code through the circular pushbutton plate to pull back the lock latch by the mechanical lock device or the electronic lock device. 
     The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 a schematic diagram of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a front assembly view of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken of the lines A—A of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a planar partial diagram of the motion procedure of the present invention by using the electrical lock to open the safe door- 1 ; 
     FIG. 7 is a planar partial diagram of the present invention by using the electrical lock to open the safe door- 2 ; 
     FIG. 8 is a planar partial diagram of the present invention by using the electrical lock to open the safe door- 3 ; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective partial diagram of the motion procedure of the present invention by using the electrical lock to open the safe door- 1 ; 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective partial diagram of the motion procedure of the present invention by using the electrical lock to open the safe door- 2 ; 
     FIG. 11 is a planar partial diagram of the motion procedure of the present invention by using the mechanical lock to open the safe door- 1 ; 
     FIG. 12 is a planar partial diagram of the motion procedure of the present invention by using the mechanical lock to open the safe door- 2 ; 
     FIG. 13 is a planar patrial diagram of the motion procedure of the present invention by using the mechanical lock to open the safe door- 3 ; 
     FIG. 14 is a perspective partial diagram of the motion procedure of the present invention by using the mechanical lock to open the safe door- 1 ; 
     FIG. 15 is a perspective partial diagram of the motion procedure of the present invention by using the mechanical lock to open the safe door- 2 ; 
     FIG. 16 is a perspective partial diagram of the motion procedure of the present invention by using the mechanical lock to open the safe door- 3 ; 
     FIG. 17 is a planar partial diagram of the present invention to avoid destruction. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in FIGS.  1 , 2 , 3 , and  4 , the invention comprises a mechanical lock and an electronic lock in a box  1 , which is mounted at the door edge of safes. The box  1  is separated into the first cabin  12  and the second cabin  13  by a lining  11 , and a rectangular slot  14  is disposed on the top of the box  1  for accommodating the lock latch  15 . 
     Mechanical lock device  2  includes a shaft  21  on the lower part of the box  1  with other components disposed thereon. A numeric dial  22  is disposed on one end of the shaft  21  outside the safe door  4  and a disc  24  with a groove  241  is mounted at the other end of the shaft  21 . And a number of numeric plates  23  that each has a concave opening  231  on its circle are arranged between the numeric dial  22  and the disc  24  on the shaft  21 . Under the lock latch  15  of the box  1 , a mechanical crank  25  with a hook  251  on one end hinges to the latch  15  on the box  1 . And a stop rod  252  is secured to the lateral side of the mechanical crank  25  along the axile thereof. 
     As for electrical lock device  3 , under the lock latch  15 , an electrical crank  31  with a crook  311  at the lower position hinges to the box coaxial to the mechanical rank  25 . A cut  312  is disposed at the upper lateral side of the electrical crank  31  and a torsion spring  32  is set between the mechanical crank  25  and the electrical crank 31 . A shuttle device  33  is secured to the rear side of the electrical crank  31  in the box  1  while the shuttle device  33  includes a bushing  331  with a trombone-action shuttle rod  333  mounted therein and the front end of the shuttle rod  333  which is controlled by a spring  332  can hook to the cut  312  of the electrical crank  31 . One end of the first rod  34  is connected to the middle portion of the shuttle rod  333  and the other end of the first rod  34  is connected to and controlled by an electromagnetic valve  35  located inside the second cabin  13  of the box  1 . Refer to FIG.5, the electromagnetic valve  35  is controlled by an integrated circuit  36  which connects to a circular pushbutton plate  37  that is secured at the outer side of the numeric dial  22 . 
     The second rod  5  with a torsion spring  51  is mounted in the first cabin  12  of the box  1 . And the torsion spring  51  holding one end of the second connection rod  5  pushes that end of the second connection rod  5  toward the lateral side of the mechanical crank  25 , while the other end of the second rod  5  connects with inner side of the shuttle rod  333  of the shuttle device  33 . As the mechanical crank  25  works, the second connection rod  5  moves the shuttle rod  333  of shuttle device  33  inwards to release electric crank  31  which makes the crook  311  thereof and the hook  251  of the mechanical crank  25  hitch onto the groove  241  of the disc  24  and causes the mechanical crank  25  and electrical crank  31  of electrical lock device  3  work simultaneously. 
     With reference to FIG.  6 -FIG. 10, if the safe door  4  is open by the electrical lock device  3 , an access code is input through the circular pushbutton plate  37  in order to initiate the integrated circuit  36  to trigger the electromagnetic valve  35  that drives the first rod  34  to pull the shuttle rod  333  inwards and push the shuttle rod  333  off the cut  312  of the electrical crank  31 . Therefore, the crook  311  of electric crank  31  hooks up to the groove  241  of the disc  24 , and then the safe door  4  is open by rolling the numeric dial  22  to pull down the lock latch  15 , as shown from FIGS. 6 to  10 . 
     When the safe door  4  is open by using mechanical lock device  2 , the numeric dial  22  of mechanical lock device is turned to-and-fro in order to make the openings  231  of each numeric plate  23  of alignment and then the stop rod  252  of the mechanical crank  25  inserts into the opening  231  of the numeric plates  23  so that the hook  251  of the mechanical crank  25  catches onto the groove  241  of the disc  24 . Afterwards, the second rod  5  drives the shuttle rod  333  of the shuttle device  33  to move inwards thus the shuttle rod  333  slips from the cut  312  of the electrical crank  31 . Due to the torsion spring  32  set between the electrical crank  31  and the mechanical crank  25 , the crook  311  of the electrical crank  31  as well as the hook  251  of the mechanical crank  25  hook onto the groove  241  of the disc  24  simultaneously when the electrical crank  31  were released by the shuttle rod  333 , as shown from FIG. 11 to FIG.  16 . Therefore, the safe door is open by rotating the numeric dial  22  that makes the mechanical crank  25  and the electrical crank  31  work concurrently to pull down the latch  15 . 
     For opening the safe door  4 , users can choose to rotate the numeric dial  22  of the mechanical lock device  2  or input the access code either by the circular pushbutton plate  37  of the electrical lock device  3 . If the mechanical lock device  2  malfunctions, the electrical lock device  3  can be used to open the safe door  4 . On the other hand, if the battery power of the electrical lock device  3  has run out, the mechanical lock device  2  can be selected to open the safe door  4 . Hence the chances of not being able to open the safe door can be reduced if one of the lock devices (electrical or mechanical) malfunctions. 
     Please refer to FIG. 17, a cavity  11   a  is disposed on the side of the lining  11  toward the first cabin  11  of the box  1 . A stop edge  313  is mounted on the lower part of the above mentioned electronic crank  31 . If the safe were broken by burglars using tools to push the latch  15  downward, the stop edge  313  of the electrical crank  31  is held on the cavity  11   a  so that the latch  15  can&#39;t be pushed and the safe door can not be open by this way.