Locks – Operating mechanism – Combination
Reexamination Certificate
2003-01-22
2004-03-30
Barrett, Suzanne Dino (Department: 3676)
Locks
Operating mechanism
Combination
C070S030000, C070S315000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06711922
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a mechanism for beginning and ending the unlocking numeral-combination changing operation of a combination lock, more particularly one, which, while being moved from the position allowing the combination-changing action back to the normal position, cannot cause unwanted rotational movement of the dials, thus preventing accidental change of the combination after it has been changed to a predetermined one.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Referring to
FIG. 12
, a conventional changeable combination lock includes:
a lock bar
81
, which has a cone-shaped head, a lock rod
813
joined to the head; the cone-shaped head having a trench
812
; the lock rod
813
having spaced apart teeth
8131
, and spaces
8132
between the teeth
8131
;
a spindle
84
, which has a convex edge
841
at a front end, a channel
842
having an upper opening, and flat sides on a bottom and an upper side of a rear end thereof, on which a fixing hole
843
is formed;
a thimble
85
, which has a round disk, and an annular wall around the disk; the disk having a through hole
853
, two protruding blocks
851
,
851
at opposite portions of the inward side thereof, and a stopping block
852
on the outward side thereof;
several dials
87
, each of which has numerals
8705
spaced out on an outer side, an inserting hole
8701
on the middle, spaced teeth
8702
projecting towards the center thereof, spaced convexly curved surfaces
8704
, and withholding spaces
8703
between the teeth
8702
;
several tooth dishes
871
, each of which has an inserting hole
8711
, a gap
8712
, and spaced apart convex teeth
8713
on an outward side thereof;
a spring
844
for biasing the tooth dishes
871
to an engaged position where the convex teeth
8713
engage the teeth
8704
of corresponding dials
87
so that the tooth dishes
871
will be turned together with corresponding dials
87
;
a barrel
83
, which has a cone-shape, a cavity
831
, a hole
832
, a pin hole
833
in communication with the hole
832
, and a trench
834
; the hole
832
having flat upper and lower sides;
a setting push ring
86
, which has a gap
861
, and protruding edges
862
at two opposite portions of an outward side thereof; each of the protruding edges
862
having a slope
8621
; and,
holding elements
88
, each of which has a gap
8801
, and two opposite engaging protrusions
8802
; the holding elements
88
being used for holding respective sliding elements
881
in position, each of which has a gap
8811
, two recesses at two opposite portions of an outward side thereof,
the spindle
84
being passed through the thimble
85
, the setting push ring
86
, a first one of the dials
87
, a first one of the tooth dishes
871
, a first one of the holding elements
88
, a first one of the sliding elements
881
, a second one of the dials
87
, a second one of the tooth dishes
871
and so on, and being finally passed through the spring
844
and inserted into the hole
832
of the barrel
83
; the protruding blocks
851
of the thimble
85
being pressed against the slopes
8621
of the setting push ring
86
; the teeth
8713
of the tooth dishes
871
being engaged with the teeth
8702
of respective dials
87
; a pin
835
being inserted into the pin hole
833
, and the fixing hole
843
to securely join the spindle
84
to the barrel
83
.
Thus, the lock bar
81
is locked with the tooth dishes
871
, and incapable of separating from the spindle
84
when the dials
87
are turned off the unlocking numeral combination.
To change the unlocking numeral combination, first the thimble
85
is turned so that the protruding blocks
851
of the thimble
85
slide on the slopes
8621
of the setting push ring
86
to push the setting push ring
86
, and in turn, the tooth dishes
871
are disengaged from the respective dials
87
. Then, the dials
87
are turned so that orientation of the dials
87
relative to the gaps
8712
of respective tooth dishes
871
is changed. Finally, the thimble
85
is turned back to the original position for allowing the spring
844
to force the tooth dishes
871
to engage the respective dials
87
again.
Referring to
FIG. 3
, another conventional changeable combination lock is substantially like the above one except having folded elastic wires
985
, and holding elements
98
instead of the sliding elements
881
and the holding elements
88
; the folded elastic wires
985
are held in position by means of the holding elements
98
.
Both the conventional changeable combination locks are found to have a disadvantage that when the thimble
85
is being moved back to the normal position after the numeral combination-changing action, undesired rotational movement of the dials are prone to be caused accidentally. In other words, accidental change of the combination is likely to happen after the combination has been changed to a predetermined one, causing the user a lot of inconvenience.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a main object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for beginning and ending the unlocking-numeral combination-changing operation, which is structured such that movement thereof cannot cause rotational movement of the dials accidentally.
The present mechanism includes a pressing block fitted to the front end of a spindle of a changeable combination lock and associated with a pad. The pad has posts contacting a most front one of several spring-loaded tooth dishes, which separably engage respective dials each having numerals spaced on the outer side.
The pressing block is pressed towards a rear end of the spindle so that the posts force all the tooth dishes to move rearwards to disengage respective dials; thus, the dials can be turned relative to the tooth dishes for changing the unlocking numeral combination to a new one; the pressing block is pressed slightly down right after being pushed rearwards so that it can be held in position allowing the tooth dishes to stay disengaged from respective dials. When the combination changing operation is finished, the pressing block is pushed back to the original position for the tooth dishes to engage respective dials again.
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Barrett Suzanne Dino
Jaeyou Co., Ltd.
LandOfFree
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