Patent Publication Number: US-2019189034-A1

Title: Tamper resistant cable lock

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation of prior application Ser. No.  14 / 688 , 479  filed Apr. 16, 2015. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure relates to a cable lock for a variety of uses. In particular, this disclosure relates to a cable lock with tamper resistant features. 
     Cable locks are used for a variety of purposes. One use is to lock a device such as a shipping container or a water meter. The cable is inserted through the hasp of the container or meter and then locked in place with a cable lock that cannot release the cable without breaking the lock or cable. The only way to release the cable lock once the cable is inserted into the channel of a gripping mechanism is to cut the cable. This arrangement prevents tampering, because tampering is easily detected by the presence of the broken or damaged cable or lock. A cable lock of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,969. 
     While the locking mechanism of the cable lock serves to lock cables in place, many of them can still be tampered with. If the cable is replaced in such a fashion that it no longer looks like the cable has been severed, tamper evidence is hidden. For example, if the cable end adjacent the device is severed and then glued back in place, or replaced with another cable, it is hard to recognize that the cable lock has been tampered with. 
     SUMMARY 
     Disclosed is a cable lock and cable, the lock comprising a body adapted to secure at least one end of a cable therein, the body having a side, and a body opening in the body side and receiving another end of the cable. The lock also includes a boss on the body side, the boss being spaced apart from the body opening and having a cable passing there through. 
     This disclosure provides a cable lock that is ore tamper resistant than conventional cable locks. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side perspective view of a cable lock shell. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of another side of the cable lock shell of FIG. 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the cable lock shell of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the cable lock shell of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is an end view of the cable lock shell on  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic bottom view of a cable lock according to this disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a side perspective view of a cable lock and cable according to this disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective bottom view of a cable lock and cable according to this disclosure. 
     
    
    
     Before one embodiment of the disclosure is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof as used herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Use of “consisting of” and variations thereof as used herein is meant to encompass only the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof. Further, it is to be understood that such terms as “forward”, “rearward”, “left”, “right”, “upward”, “downward”, “side”, “top” and “bottom”, etc., are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now in detail to the drawings, shown in  FIG. 7  is a cable lock  10  adapted to be used with a cable  14 . The cable  14  is formed of a helix of a number of twisted strands, each strand having a predetermined pitch and each of these strands consisting of an equal number of twisted strands. But in other embodiments (not shown), other types of wires or cables can be used. 
     As shown schematically in  FIG. 6 , the cable lock  10  comprises a body  18  adapted to secure at least one end  20  of the cable  14  therein, the body  18  having a side  26  and a body opening  30  in the body side  26  adapted to receive another end  22  of the cable  14 , and a boss  38  on the body side  26 , the boss  38  being spaced apart from the body opening  30  and having a cable passageway  58  there through. More particularly, the body opening  30  is a through hole. But in other embodiments (not shown), the body opening can be a blind hole with a rear wall. Still more particularly, as illustrated in the drawings, the body side is stepped, with a step having an upper step portion, a vertical face, and a lower step portion. In the disclosed embodiment, the upper step portion is parallel to the lower step portion. The body opening  30  extends through the step and extends parallel to the vertical face. 
     More particularly, the body  18  includes a cable lock shell  46 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 5 , and a mechanism  50  (see  FIG. 6 ) for securing the at least one end of a cable  14  therein. The cable lock shell  46  is adapted to receive the mechanism  50 . More particularly, the cable lock shell  46  is in the form of a sleeve that surrounds the mechanism  50 . In the disclosed embodiment, the shell  46  is rectangular and malleable, such as being made of an aluminum alloy. 
     The boss  38  is generally cylindrical, but in other embodiments, such as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , other boss shapes, such as a box shape, can be used. The boss  38  is integral with the remainder of the body  18 , but in other embodiments (not shown), the boss can be attached to the remainder of the body. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the body side has a straight lower portion, and the straight lower portion has an outer edge  54  adjacent the boss  38  at the end of the body side  26 . In the disclosed embodiment, the outer edge  54  is spaced apart from the boss  38 . The boss passageway  58  is coaxial with the body opening  30 , and parallel to the lower portion. In other embodiments (not shown), other body shapes, including shapes with curved sides, can be used. 
     The mechanism  50 , shown schematically in  FIG. 6 , has two passageways there through. In other embodiments (not shown), more or less passageways can be present, depending on the intended use of the cable lock. One passageway  62  is intended to allow a cable end to pass there through, and a second passageway  66 , spaced apart from and parallel to the first,  62  is intended to receive and secure the end of a cable. To this end, a third passageway  70  is angled relative to and in communication with the second passageway  66 , and extends to the end  74  of the mechanism  50 . Received within the third passageway  70  is a ball  78 , positioned adjacent the second passageway  66 , and a spring  82  that extends between the ball  78  and the end  74  of the mechanism. A plug  86  is placed into the third passageway  70 , retaining the ball  78  and spring  82  in place in the third passageway  70 . 
     When an end of a cable is passed into the second passageway  66  from an opposite end of the mechanism, the cable  14  pushes the ball  78  aside, against the bias of the spring  82 . This allows the cable  14  to be inserted into the second passageway  66 . But when trying to remove the cable from the passageway  66 , the spring  82  presses the ball  78  into the side of the cable  14 , securing the cable  14  inside the mechanism  50 . In other embodiments (not shown), other means of securing the cable inside the mechanism can be used. 
     In use, the mechanism  50  is placed inside the cable lock shell  46 , and the end  22  of the cable  14  is passed through the boss  38  and into the body opening  30 . The shell is then indented or swaged  90  as shown in  FIG. 8 , so that the mechanism  50  and the cable  14  cannot be readily removed from the shell  46 , and the boss  38  is swaged or otherwise deformed so the cable  14  is held inside the boss  38 . This is how the cable  14  and the cable lock  10  are then supplied to a cable lock user, as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     When the cable lock  10  is used, the other free end  20  of the cable  14  is then passed through the items intended to be secured by the cable, such as shipping door handles. then passed through one end of the mechanism  50  and through the first passageway  62 , and then out of the other end of the mechanism  50 . The free end of the cable is then passed back into and optionally through the second passageway, where the cable is secured in place inside the mechanism by the ball  78  and spring  82 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     The spacing of the boss  38  from the body opening  30  and from the straight side outer edge  54  is significant, for the following reasons. If one were to attempt to sever and then glue or otherwise replace a cable end back into the body opening  30 , if no boss  38  were present, this would not be too difficult, even if the cable shell  46  was swaged near the opening  30  to the body, for the body mass prevents significant distortion of the entrance to the opening  30 . The boss  38 , on the other hand, can be distorted by swaging, given its lesser mass. This results in a distortion of the boss  38  that prevents the ready reinsertion of the cable end into the boss  38 . The most common method of tampering with the cable lock involves an attempt to drill out a portion of the old cable, and then to replace it. With the small mass of the boss  38 , any attempt to drill through the boss  38  is likely to distort and damage the boss  38 . In other words, the boss  38  is frangible. As a result, it will be readily apparent if anyone has attempted to drill through the boss  38 , for damage to the boss  38  will be evident. And making the boss  38  spaced apart from the end of the body edge  54  discourages the ready severing of the cable  14  near the boss  38 . 
     Various other features of this disclosure are set forth in the following claims.