Patent Publication Number: US-2007113607-A1

Title: Indicator of a keylock

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      (a) Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to the indicator of a keylock, more particularly, a keylock that can be opened either by a key A or by a key B, having an indicator for indicating whether the keylock has been opened by said key B, wherein the indicator is capable of displaying a normal first state and a second state.  
      (b) Description of the Prior Art  
      A conventional keylock is only provided with a one-way function of unlocking and locking. As a change of diversified society, this single-function keylock has not been able to satisfy a part of practicers. For example, most of dedicated safe boxes of companies are emplaced with money, valuable objects, or classified documents. If the keylock of the safe box only provides for an opening and closing by a single key, then cashiers and auditors will not be able to manage those objects, and the cashiers will not be able to confirm the objects which have been audited by the auditors. Accordingly, it is indeed necessary to improve the aforementioned conventional keylocks of the safe boxes.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention related to the indicator of a keylock, namely to providing such keylocks with an indicator window in a housing, with the indicator window displaying the indicators of different colors. When users use different keys to unlock the keylock to drive a key tumbler to rotate towards a left or a right, the indicator of different colors in the indicator window will display a current state of the keylock. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention;  
       FIG. 1 ˜ 1  is a perspective exploded view of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a cross section view of the present invention when in a locking position;  
       FIG. 2 ˜ 1  is a bottom view of the tumbler of the present invention when in a locking position;  
       FIG. 3  is a cross section view of the present invention when in an unlocking position, and with the lock opened by key B;  
       FIG. 3 ˜ 1  is a bottom view of the present invention when in an unlocking position, and with the lock opened by key B;  
       FIG. 4  is a cross section view of the present invention when in a locking position;  
       FIG. 4 ˜ 1  is a bottom view of the tumbler of the present invention when in a locking position;  
       FIG. 5  is a cross section view of the present invention when in an unlocking position, and with the lock opened by key A, and the key tumbler in small angle;  
       FIG. 5 ˜ 1  is a bottom view of the present invention when in an unlocking position, and with the lock opened by key A, and the key tumbler in small angle;  
       FIG. 6  is a cross section view of the present invention when in an unlocking position, and with the lock opened by key A, and the key tumbler in wide angle;  
       FIG. 6 ˜ 1  is a bottom view of the present invention when in an unlocking position, and with the lock opened by key A, and the key tumbler in wide angle;  
       FIG. 7  is a cross section view of the present invention when in a locking position; and  
       FIG. 7 ˜ 1  is a bottom view of the tumbler of the present invention when in a locking position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , the present invention comprises a housing  1 , a key tumbler  3 , a stopper  4 , a shackle  5  and two springs  6 ,  7 ; wherein an interior of the housing  1  is provided with a space for emplacing the key tumbler  3 , stopper  4 , two springs  6 , 7 , and a part of the shackle Referring to  FIG. 1 ˜ 1 , a longitudinal sink  11  of the housing  1  is latched with the key tumbler  3 , a top end of the key tumbler  3  which is provided with a plurality of rows of plates  30  is provided with a pushing block  31 , and a bottom end of the key tumbler  3  is provided with a keyhole  32  (as shown in  FIG. 3 ˜ 1 ). An end of the pushing block  31  can be abutted at an end of the stopper  4 , the other end of stopper  4  can squeeze the spring  6 , a bottom of an end of the shackle  5  can squeeze the other spring  7 , and the other end of shackle  5  is provided with a hook-hole  51  having a slant corner (as shown in  FIG. 3 ) for locking a slant locking block  41  of the stopper  4 . The present invention is provided with the characteristics as follows.  
      A transversal sink  12  of the housing  1  can be emplaced with an indicator  33  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ˜ 1 ), the round-shape indicator  33  can provide for a transfixing of the key tumbler  3 , the indicator  33  is provided with a first surface  331  and second surface  332  of two different colors, and a bottom of the indicator  33  is provided with a notch  333  having walls  3331 ,  3332  at two ends of the notch  333 . A pusher  34  is located on the key tumbler  3 , at a position relative to the notch  333 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , the pusher  34  can be displaced in the notch  333 . Moreover, a top of the indicator  33  is provide with a U-shape spring clip  35  which is used to clip the key tumbler  3  for limiting a position when it is rotating. On the other hand, an indicator window  21  is located on the housing  1 , and the indicator window  21  is aligned with the first surface  331  of the second surface  332  on the indicator  33 .  
      Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 2 ˜ 1 , it shows the keylock in a locking position, wherein a color of green will be shown on the first surface  331  when viewing from the indicator window  21 , and the keyhole  32  of key tumbler  3  is in a vertical condition. A company auditor can turn a key B left (it cannot be turned right) to unlock the keylock. Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 3 ˜ 1 , the keyhole  32  of key tumbler  3  is turned left to manifest a slant condition, and the pushing rod  31  of key tumbler  3  pushes the stopper  4  and squeezes the spring  6 , enabling the locking block  41  to escape from the hook-hole  51  of shackle  5 , and the spring  7  of shackle  5  to eject the shackle  5  upward for forming an unlocking position. At this time, the pusher  34  of key tumbler  3  is turned left and pushes a wall  3331  at a left of the notch to drive the indicator  33  to rotate, and a color of red will be shown on the second surface  332  when viewing from the indicator window  21 . The auditor opens a safe box and reconciles, and stamps on a check list to notify that objects in the safe box have been reconciled. Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 4 ˜ 1 , the auditor uses the key B to turn the key tumbler  3  right to its original position (at this time, the pusher  34  is restored to a center position), pulls out the key B, and then presses in the shackle  5  for locking the keylock.  
      When a company cashier takes back the safe box, he or she can know that the auditor has proceeded with the reconciliation by observing the color of red on the second surface  332  when viewing from the indicator window  21 . Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 5 ˜ 1 , in order to look at the reconciliation information and the check list, the company cashier inserts the key A into the key tumbler  3  and turns it right (it cannot be turned left) to unlock the keylock, such that the keyhole  32  manifests a slant condition towards right. At this time, the pusher  34  is deflected towards right, but is not abutted the wall  3332  at a right side of the indicator  33  in a small angle (as shown in  FIG. 5 ˜ 1 ). Therefore, the color of red will still be shown on the second surface  332  when viewing from the indicator window  21 . After correctly checking by the cashier, referring to  FIGS. 6 and 6 ˜ 1 , he or she turns right the key A to a wide angle (the keylock is still opened), and the pusher  34  of key tumbler  3  is turned right to push the wall  3332  at the right side of indicator  33  for driving the indicator  33  to rotate. Therefore, the color on the first surface will be changed from red to green, when viewing from the indicator window  21 . Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 7 ˜ 1 , finally, the cashier uses this key A and turns it left to an original position such that the keyhole  32  manifests a vertical position, and presses in the shackle  5  to lock the keylock, until a next auditing by the auditor.  
      In addition, the indicator  33  of present invention can be designed as a C-shape ring with elasticity to respond to a resistant force generated by an inner wall of the sink  12  of housing  1 . When the housing  1  is squeezed by elastic force of itself or is subjected to external force, the indicator  33  will not rotate freely (having a certain amount of resistant force), and the first and second surfaces  331 ,  332  are of different colors.  
      As will be apparent from the foregoing, the present invention having an indicator window in the housing, in the indicator window the first and second surfaces are of different colors, when the key brings to key tumbler to rotate at a same time, it can bring the indicator to rotate. When viewing from the indicator window, different colors are displayed on the first and second surfaces to manifest the state at that time.  
      It is of course to be understood that the embodiment described herein is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.