Portable lock apparatus with status indicator
AssigneeSchlage Lock Company LLC
InventorsMarco Stunnebrink, Arthur Van Beek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An example ring lock generally includes a housing, a shackle, a lock mechanism, and an indicator. The shackle is mounted to the housing for movement between a first position and a second position. The lock mechanism is configured to selectively retain the shackle in at least one of the first position or the second position. The indicator is operable to selectively display an indicium related to an open/closed state of the ring lock. The indicator is configured to display the indicium when the shackle is in the first position, and is configured to not display the indicium when the shackle is in the second position.
Claims18
A ring lock, comprising:
- a housing;
- a shackle mounted to the housing for movement between a first position and a second position;
- a lock mechanism configured to selectively retain the shackle in at least one of the first position or the second position;
- an actuator coupled with the shackle and operable to move the shackle between the first position and the second position when the lock mechanism is unlocked;
- and
- an indicator operable to selectively display an indicium related to an open/closed condition of the ring lock, wherein the indicator is configured to display the indicium when the shackle is in the first position, and wherein the indicator is configured to not display the indicium when the shackle is in the second position;
- wherein the indicium is not obscured by the actuator when the shackle is in the first position;
- and
- wherein the indicium is obscured by the actuator when the shackle is in the second position.
A portable lock apparatus, comprising:
- a housing;
- a shackle movable relative to the housing between a first position and a second position, wherein one of the first position or the second position is a closed position, and wherein the other of the first position or the second position is an open position;
- an actuator operable to move the shackle between the open position and the closed position;
- and
- an indicator configured to selectively display an indicium;
- wherein the actuator exposes the indicium when the shackle is in the first position;
- and
- wherein the actuator obscures the indicium when the shackle is in the second position.
A method of operating a ring lock including a housing, a shackle movably mounted to the housing, an actuator coupled with the shackle, and an indicium, the method comprising:
- in response to movement of the actuator between a first actuator position and a second actuator position, moving the shackle between a first shackle position and a second shackle position, wherein one of the first shackle position or the second shackle position is a closed position, and wherein the other of the first shackle position or the second shackle position is an open position;
- and
- selectively displaying the indicium, comprising:
- exposing the indicium when the actuator is in the first actuator position, thereby displaying the indicium when the shackle is in the first shackle position;
- and
- covering the indicium with the actuator when the actuator is in the second actuator position, thereby obscuring the indicium when the shackle is in the second shackle position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.