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US 10,280,647 B2Granted
Combination lock
AssigneeKeyless.Co LLC
InventorJoe Hollman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A programmable combination lock with keyed lock override is disclosed. The lock employs a stack of rings and dial wheels, with a mechanism for coupling and decoupling the rings and dial wheels. A user can program a custom code by unlocking the combination and rotating the inner and outer dial wheels until the desired code is indicated, and then locking the combination lock to set the code. A keyed lock with a master key couples to the combination lock and can override a combination lock in the locked state. The keyed lock allows multiple keys to lock and unlock the combination lock. In the event that a user loses the master key, the user can use the second key to create a new lock combination to operate the lock, yet render the lost master key inoperable.
Claims20
A programmable combination lock assembly comprising:
- a base plate;
- a spring positioned above the base plate;
- a stack of rotatable rings including a first ring and a second ring, each of the first and second rings having a notch formed in the interior circumference and a series of protrusions formed around the outer perimeter, the first ring positioned immediately above the spring, the second ring positioned immediately above the first ring, wherein the spring is urging the stack of rotatable rings away from the base plate;
- a stack of dial wheels including a first dial wheel and a second dial wheel, each of the first and second dial wheels having an interior wall having a series of concave indentations configured to receive and release the protrusions of the rotatable rings, the first dial wheel configured to receive the first ring, the second dial wheel configured to receive the second ring;
- a compression assembly for compressing and releasing the first and second rings, the compression assembly positioning the first and second rings so that the first and second rings may be received or released by the first and second dial wheels respectively;
- an ring engagement assembly having spring-loaded pins extending radially outward from a center axis toward the interior aperture of the rotatable rings, the ring engagement assembly unlocking the lock when the pins are aligned with the notches of the rotatable rings, the ring engagement assembly securing the rings when the pins align with the notches of the rotatable rings;
- a locking assembly coupled to the ring engagement assembly, the locking assembly rotatable from a locked position to an unlocked position;
- and,
- a keyed lock coupled to the ring engagement assembly configured to selectively unlock the combination lock.
6 more elements
A programmable combination lock assembly comprising:
- a base plate;
- a spring positioned above the base plate;
- a stack of rotatable rings having a notch formed in the interior circumference and a series of protrusions formed around the outer perimeter, the rings positioned above the spring, wherein the spring is urging the stack of rotatable rings away from the base plate;
- a stack of dial wheels having an interior wall having a series of concave indentations configured to receive and release the protrusions of the rotatable rings, each dial wheel placed immediately above the associated rotatable ring;
- a compression assembly for compressing and releasing the rotatable rings, the compression assembly positioning the rotatable rings so that the rings may be received or released by the dial wheels;
- an ring engagement assembly having spring-loaded pins extending radially toward the interior aperture of the rotatable rings, the ring engagement assembly unlocking the lock when the pins are aligned with the notches of the rotatable rings, the ring engagement assembly securing the rings when the pins align with the notches of the rotatable rings;
- a locking assembly coupled to the ring engagement assembly, the locking assembly rotatable from a locked position to an unlocked position;
- and,
- a keyed lock coupled to the ring engagement assembly configured to selectively unlock the combination lock.
6 more elements
A programmable combination lock assembly comprising:
- a base plate having a circular well formed by a raised shoulder near the perimeter of the base plate, the center of the circular well defining a center axis which extends away from the base plate perpendicular;
- a spring positioned within the well of the base plate, the spring formed as a flat wire compression spring;
- a stack of rotatable rings including a first ring and a second ring, each of the first and second rings having a notch formed in the interior circumference and a series of protrusions formed around the outer perimeter, the first ring positioned immediately above the spring, the second ring positioned immediately above the first ring, wherein the spring is urging the stack of rotatable rings away from the base plate;
- a stack of dial wheels including a first dial wheel and a second dial wheel, each of the first and second dial wheels having an interior wall having a series of concave indentations configured to receive and release the protrusions of the rotatable rings, the first dial wheel configured to receive the first ring, the second dial wheel configured to receive the second ring;
- a compression assembly for compressing and releasing the first and second rings, the compression assembly positioning the first and second rings so that the first and second rings may be received or released by the first and second dial wheels respectively, the compression assembly comprises a two piece disk assembly comprising an outer disk having an aperture and an inner disk sized to be received within the outer disk, the inner disk having three teeth protruding away from the inner disk, each of the three teeth having a slopped surface and a nearly vertical surface, the outer disk having a channel formed in the inner circumference, the channel flat in one region and having three indentations, the channel shaped to receive the inner disk;
- an ring engagement assembly having spring-loaded pins extending radially outward from a center axis toward the interior aperture of the rotatable rings, the ring engagement assembly unlocking the lock when the pins are aligned with the notches of the rotatable rings, the ring engagement assembly securing the rings when the pins align with the notches of the rotatable rings;
- a locking assembly coupled to the ring engagement assembly, the locking assembly rotatable from a locked position to an unlocked position;
- and,
- a keyed lock coupled to the ring engagement assembly configured to selectively unlock the combination lock.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.