US 5,715,709 AGranted

Combination lock construction

AssigneeSunrich, Inc.

InventorEric Lai

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Abstract

By forming a plurality of false void zones in a lock housing in association with the tumbler release channel, a combination lock construction is attained which virtually eliminates the ability of trained individuals to gain unwanted access to the lock. Preferably, the combination lock housing also incorporates a plurality of non-releasing open or void zones or slots formed in association with the lock release groove for each rotatable tumbler sleeve. In this way, the desired false click is provided for each rotatable dial in order to thwart unwanted opening of the combination lock of this invention. Furthermore, the lock construction of the present invention is constructed with the interior chambers thereof virtually sealed from ambient surroundings, thereby preventing unwanted contamination from entering the interior of the lock and the rotating components thereof. In this way, degradation by contamination is virtually eliminated. Finally, the present invention preferably employs a minimum number of components in combination with a housing and a movable shackle in order to provide the desired, unique combination lock construction of this invention. As a result, a cost effective, high quality combination lock is attained.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A combination lock constructed for ease of use, while also substantially eliminating the ability of unauthorized persons from opening the lock without knowledge of the combination, said combination lock comprising:

a housing incorporating
an elongated bore,
a plurality of dial receiving zones formed in the housing, each of said receiving zones
extending substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the central bore, and
defined by two juxtaposed, spaced, parallel facing surfaces, each of said surfaces extending perpendicularly to the central axis of the central bore;
and
an elongated release channel formed in the central bore and axially extending therewith, said elongated release channel defining a zone for enabling the opening of the combination lock;
a shackle comprising a generally J-shape, incorporating
a short leg having a terminating end constructed for cooperative locking and unlocking interengagement with the housing, and
a long leg cooperatively mounted in the elongated central bore of the housing for axial movement and pivoting movement relative thereto;
a plurality of tumbler sleeves, each of said tumbler sleeves
rotationally mounted to the long leg of the shackle for rotational movement about the central axis thereof, and
incorporating a radially extending fin formed on the outside surface thereof and constructed for cooperative association with the elongated release channel and the parallel, facing surfaces of the dial-receiving zone for preventing axial movement of the long leg of the shackle as well as enabling axial movement thereof when each of said radial fins are positioned in the elongated release channel;
a plurality of dials each of said dials
mounted in a dial receiving zone of the housing,
peripherally surrounding a tumbler sleeve for cooperating therewith, and
comprising an inside surface formed by-a tumbler locking surface and a rambler release surface;
and
a plurality of slots formed on one of said parallel, facing surfaces of the dial receiving zone for cooperating with the release channel and the radially extending fin of each tumbler sleeve, and constructed for providing a sound simulating the sound produced when the fin of a tumbler is positioned in the release channel;
whereby a combination lock construction is attained which is quickly and easily assembled with a minimum number of components and provides a highly effective combination lock which produces false rambler position sounds, thereby affording the ability of unauthorized persons to open the lock construction without knowledge of the specific combination.

17 more elements

a housing incorporating
an elongated bore,
a plurality of dial receiving zones formed in the housing, each of said receiving zones
extending substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the central bore, and
defined by two juxtaposed, spaced, parallel facing surfaces, each of said surfaces extending perpendicularly to the central axis of the central bore;
and
an elongated release channel formed in the central bore and axially extending therewith, said elongated release channel defining a zone for enabling the opening of the combination lock;
a shackle comprising a generally J-shape, incorporating
a short leg having a terminating end constructed for cooperative locking and unlocking interengagement with the housing,
a long leg cooperatively mounted in the elongated central bore of the housing for axial movement and pivoting movement relative thereto, and
a locking ring receiving slot and two radially extending protrusions formed on an outer surface of the long leg thereof in juxtaposed, spaced, aligned, axial relationship to each other, said slot and one of said protrusions defining a fixed axial length for said long leg;
a plurality of tumbler sleeves, each of said tumbler sleeves
rotationally mounted to the long leg of the shackle for rotational movement about the central axis thereof while being essentially incapable of translational movement along the axis of the long leg of the shackle, and
incorporating a radially extending fin formed on the outside surface thereof and constructed for cooperative association with the elongated release channel and the parallel, facing surfaces of the dial-receiving zone for preventing axial movement of the long leg of the shackle as well as enabling axial movement thereof when each of said radial fins are positioned in the elongated release channel;
a plurality of dials each of said dials
mounted in a dial receiving zone of the housing,
peripherally surrounding a tumbler sleeve for cooperating therewith, and
comprising an inside surface formed by a tumbler locking surface and a tumbler release surface;
a plurality of slots formed on one of said parallel, facing surfaces of the dial receiving zone for cooperating with the release channel and the radially extending fin of each tumbler sleeve, and constructed for providing a sound simulating the sound produced when the fin of a tumbler is positioned in the release channel;
and
a washer, a spacer, and a locking ring, each of which are constructed for cooperating with the plurality of tumbler sleeves mounted to the long leg of the shackle for defining an overall length substantially equivalent to the axial length established between the protrusion and the slot, whereby rotation of each tumbler sleeve is provided, while eliminating axial translational movement thereof;
whereby a combination lock construction is attained which is quickly and easily assembled with a minimum number of components and provides a highly effective combination lock which produces false tumbler position sounds, thereby affording the ability of unauthorized persons to open the lock construction without knowledge of the specific combination.

19 more elements

a housing incorporating
an elongated bore,
a plurality of dial receiving zones formed in the housing, each of said receiving zones
extending substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the central bore, and
defined by two juxtaposed, spaced, parallel facing surfaces, each of said surfaces extending perpendicularly to the central axis of the central bore;
and
an elongated release channel formed in the central bore and axially extending therewith, said elongated release channel defining a zone for enabling the opening of the combination lock;
a shackle comprising a generally J-shape, incorporating
a short leg having a terminating end constructed for cooperative locking and unlocking interengagement with the housing, and
a long leg cooperatively mounted in the elongated central bore of the housing for axial movement and pivoting movement relative thereto;
a plurality of tumbler sleeves, each of said tumbler sleeves
rotationally mounted to the long leg of the shackle for rotational movement about the central axis thereof while being essentially incapable of translational movement along the axis of the long leg of the shackle, and
incorporating a radially extending fin formed on the outside surface thereof and constructed for cooperative association with the elongated release channel and the parallel, facing surfaces of the dial-receiving zone for preventing axial movement of the long leg of the shackle as well as enabling axial movement thereof when each of said radial fins are positioned in the elongated release channel;
a plurality of dials each of said dials
mounted in a dial receiving zone of the housing,
peripherally surrounding a tumbler sleeve for cooperating therewith, and
comprising an inside surface formed by a tumbler locking surface and a tumbler release surface;
a plurality of slots formed on one of said parallel, facing surfaces of the dial receiving zone for cooperating with the release channel and the radially extending fin of each tumbler sleeve, and constructed for providing a sound simulating the sound produced when the fin of a tumbler is positioned in the release channel;
and
a sealing cap mounted in an open end of the elongated bore and constructed for effectively closing the bore with the tumbler sleeves mounted therein, preventing entry of any contamination into said bore.

17 more elements

a housing incorporating
an elongated bore,
a plurality of dial receiving zones formed in the housing, each of said receiving zones
extending substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the central bore, and
defined by two juxtaposed, spaced, parallel facing surfaces, each of said surfaces extending perpendicularly to the central axis of the central bore;
and
an elongated release channel formed in the central bore and axially extending therewith, said elongated release channel defining a zone for enabling the opening of the combination lock;
a shackle comprising a generally J-shape, incorporating
a short leg having a terminating end constructed for cooperative locking and unlocking interengagement with the housing, and
a long leg cooperatively mounted in the elongated central bore of the housing for axial movement and pivoting movement relative thereto;
a plurality of tumbler sleeves, each of said tumbler sleeves
rotationally mounted to the long leg of the shackle for rotational movement about the central axis thereof while being essentially incapable of translational movement along the axis of the long leg of the shackle, and
incorporating a radially extending fin formed on the outside surface thereof constructed for cooperative association with the elongated release channel and the parallel, facing surfaces of the dial-receiving zone for preventing axial movement of the long leg of the shackle as well as enabling axial movement thereof when each of said radial fins are positioned in the elongated release channel, and comprising a longitudinal dimension substantially equivalent to the longitudinal width of the dial, thereby assuring interengagement of the radially extending fin and a radial slot of the dial when the combination lock is in the secured and locked position, thereby providing the ability of both the dial and the tumbler sleeve to freely rotate relative to the axis of the long leg of the shackle;
a plurality of dials each of said dials
mounted in a dial receiving zone of the housing,
peripherally surrounding a tumbler sleeve for cooperating therewith, and
comprising an inside surface formed by a tumbler locking surface and a tumbler release surface, with the tumbler locking surface of each dial comprising a plurality of radial slots formed therein constructed for cooperating interengagement with the radially extending fin of the tumbler sleeve to assure secure, controlled, cooperative interengagement therewith and simultaneous rotation of the tumbler sleeve with the dial when the fin of the tumbler sleeve is engaged with any radial slot of the dial;
a plurality of slots formed on one of said parallel, facing surfaces of the dial receiving zone for cooperating with the release channel and the radially extending fin of each tumbler sleeve, and constructed for providing a sound simulating the sound produced when the fin of a tumbler is positioned in the release channel;
whereby a combination lock construction is attained which is quickly and easily assembled with a minimum number of components and provides a highly effective combination lock which produces false tumbler position sounds, thereby affording the ability of unauthorized persons to open the lock construction without knowledge of the specific combination.

16 more elements

a housing incorporating
an elongated bore having one open end;
a plurality of dial receiving zones formed in the housing, each of said receiving zones
extending substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the central bore, and
defined by two juxtaposed, spaced, parallel facing surfaces, each of said surfaces extending perpendicularly to the central axis of the central bore;
and
an elongated release channel formed in the central bore and axially extending therewith, said elongated release channel defining a zone for enabling the opening of the combination lock;
a shackle comprising a generally J-shape, incorporating
a short leg having a terminating end constructed for cooperative locking and unlocking interengagement with the housing, and
a long leg cooperatively mounted in the elongated central bore of the housing for axial movement and pivoting movement relative thereto and comprising at least one protrusion formed on the outside surface thereof;
a plurality of tumbler sleeves, each of said tumbler sleeves
rotationally mounted to the long leg of the shackle for rotational movement about the central axis thereof, and
incorporating a radially extending fin formed on the outside surface thereof and constructed for cooperative association with the elongated release channel and the parallel, facing surfaces of the dial-receiving zone for preventing axial movement of the long leg of the shackle as well as enabling axial movement thereof when each of said radial fins are positioned in the elongated release channel;
a plurality of dials each of said dials
mounted in a dial receiving zone of the housing,
peripherally surrounding a tumbler sleeve for cooperating therewith, and
comprising an inside surface formed by a tumbler locking surface and a tumbler release surface;
and
a separate and independent sealing cap mounted in the open end of the elongated bore and incorporating a substantially circular shaped aperture formed therein, having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the shackle, and two-radially diametrically opposed radially extending slots constructed for cooperating with the protrusion formed on the outer surface of the shackle, for receiving and retaining the long leg of the shackle in peripheral surrounding axially removable engagement therewith, sealing the bore and the components mounted therein while enabling the shackle to be axially movable;
whereby a combination lock construction is attained which is quickly and easily assembled with a minimum number of components and provides a highly effective combination lock which prevents entry of unwanted contamination into the bore and the operating components therein.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.