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US 5,664,446 AGranted
Combination lock with nonnumerical indicia
OwnerJohn H. Kusmissinventor
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OwnerJohn H. Kusmissinventor
Estimating the term…
An improved combination lock comprises any type of conventional combination lock having nonnumerical indicia thereon including a plurality of patches of different daylight fluorescent colors for indicating a predetermined combination. Alternatively, nonnumerical indicia on the lock can comprise pictures of different animals, or different geometrical patterns including sets of at least three parallel lines. One implementation comprises a rotatable inner portion inside an outer housing, with sequential positioning of the inner portion with respect to the outer housing serving to unlock the lock. A second implementation includes a plurality of individually rotatable portions, the rotation of which to a predetermined configuration of relative orientations unlocks the lock. Other implementations include electromechanical or electronic combination locks utilizing a keypad and keys with nonnumerical combination indicia thereon comprising colors, either daylight fluorescent or ordinary, pictures of different animals, or different geometrical patterns including sets of at least three parallel lines.
A combination lock having no numerical indicia anywhere thereon, and said lock having a single rotatable inner portion inside an outer housing, including a plurality of nonnumerical combination indicia disposed in a plurality of locations on said lock, wherein the sequential positioning of said inner portion with respect to said outer housing in accordance with a predetermined sequence of relative positions of said inner portion and said outer housing determined by said combination indicia serves to unlock said lock, wherein said inner portion includes a circular dial with a central knob on a face of said lock and said nonnumerical indicia comprise a plurality of differently colored adjacent segments extending radially outward from said central knob, said segments terminating in a plurality of points equidistantly spaced on an outer periphery of said circular dial.
A combination lock, said lock having no numerical indicia anywhere thereon, and said lock having a single rotatable inner portion inside an outer housing, including a plurality of nonnumerical combination indicia disposed in a plurality of locations on said lock, wherein the sequential positioning of said inner portion with respect to said outer housing in accordance with a predetermined sequence of relative positions of said inner portion and said outer housing determined by said combination indicia serves to unlock said lock, wherein said inner portion includes a circular dial with a central knob on a face of said lock and said nonnumerical indicia comprise plurality of differently colored adjacent segments on said outer housing, arranged adjacent said inner portion, said segments terminating in a plurality of points equidistantly spaced around said circular dial.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.