GB2103700A

GB2103700A - Combination lock

Info

Publication number: GB2103700A
Application number: GB08124878A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kuan Yang Yaw
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-08-14
Filing date: 1981-08-14
Publication date: 1983-02-23
Also published as: GB2103700B

Abstract

A combination lock for attache cases comprises a housing 1 in which is disposed a plurality of numbered wheels 31 rotatable on a shaft 32 and extending through slots in a lock face plate 6. The numbered wheels 31 are associated with respective shaft sleeves 331 which each have a concave groove 334 for engaging abutments 62 on the face plate and a key 332 for coupling the sleeve with a numbered-wheel in hole 312 in a respective numbered wheel. The shaft and sleeves are movable rightwardly by a sliding pushing plate 5 which in turn is connected to slideable push- button 7, movable in aperture 61 in the locking face plate 6, so that the collars 33 and the numbered wheels 31 can be brought into or out of coupling with one another for opening or closing the lock or changing the combination. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Combination lock The invention concerns a combination lock particularly but not exclusively for attache cases.

There are at least two known types of combination lock for attache cases. One said known type of combination lock comprises a lock housing containing a stopper body which acts on a numbered wheel so that it can run idle to enable the combination of the lock to be changed as desired. However, this type of combination lock is inconvenient to use since the attache case to which it is attached has to be opened every time it is desired to change the combination of the lock.

The other of said known types of combination lock to change the combination of the lock, a puching bar has to be depressed with both hand and then pushed to one side in order that the numbered wheel can run idle. Although with this type of combination lock the attache case does not have to be opened to change the combination, people with infirmities of the hands find it difficult to apply sufficient pressure to the pushing bar in order to change the combination of the lock.

A object of the present invention is to provide an improved combination lock which overcomes the difficulties inherent in the known types of combination locks.

With this object in view the present invention provides a combination lock, particularly but not exclusively for attache cases, comprising a lock face plate having a cross type stopping aperture, a pushing bar having a stopping body which has uprights for connection of a pushing plate, said pushing plate being provided for effective unlocking of the pushing plate, stopping equipment to stop the pushing bar at cross type upper and lower apertures under an unlocked condition of the lock and number changing equipment for changing the combination of the lock when numbered wheels thereof a condition of idle running.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the combination lock of the invention; Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of part of a second preferred embodiment of the combination lock of the invention; Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of part of a third preferred embodiment of the combination lock of the invention; Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of part of a fourth preferred embodiment of the combination lock of the invention; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the lock of Fig. 4 in its assembled condition.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1 the first preferred embodiment of the combination lock illustrated therein comprises a lock housing 1, a base plate 2, a numbered wheel assembly 3, a pushing plate 5, a lock face plate 6 and a pushing bar 7.

The base plate 2 is disposed adjacent the bottom of the interior of the lock housing 1 where it rests on a raised portion in the interior of the housing 1 so that there is a space between the bottom of the interior of the housing 1 and the base plate 2. This enables number wheels 31 of the numbered wheel 3 extending through corresponding slots 31 in the base plate 2 to rotate freely in said space.

The numbered wheel assembly 3 consist of three numbered wheels 31 mounted on a locking shaft 32 and a corresponding shaft wheel set 33, the ends of the locking shaft 32 extending respectively through frame plates 34 and 35 having respective springs 36 and 37. A concave part 331 of the shaft wheel set 33 corresponds in size with a respective hole 31 2 in respective numbered wheels 31 on a stopper 332 on the shaft wheel set 33 gears with corresponding slots in the hole 312 so that the shaft wheel set 33 and the number wheels 31 can be locked together.

When the shaft wheel set 33 gears with the numbered wheels 31 they will both rotate together on the locking shaft 32. The numbered wheels 31 are therefore in their locked condition.

When the shaft wheel set 33 does not gear with the numbered wheels 31 i.e. the numbered wheels 31 being in their unlocked condition, said wheels 31 will run idle on the locking shaft 32.

The locking shaft 32 is under the action of the pushing plate 5. The pushing plate 5 is in the form of a frame having a lock reed or rab 51 at one end and a recess 52, the recess 52 contacting one end of the locking shaft 32 in orderto effect movement of said shaft 32. The other end of the pushing plate 5 has a slot 53 which can engage a stopping body 71 of the pushing bar 7.

The lock face plate 6 has a cross-shaped slot 61 through which can extend projections 72, on the stopping body 71, so as to combine with respective holes in combining piece 73. When the projections 72 are combined with the piece 73 the pushing bar 7 can be pushed upward and downward across the cross-shaped slot 61 to move the pushing plate 5.

The operation of the combination lock of Fig. 1 will now be described in detail. The shaft wheel set 33 has a concave groove 334 on its concave part 331. The concave groove 334 may be V-shaped or U-shaped. The lock face plate 6 has concave projecting parts 62 which are aligned with each hole 312 in the numbered wheels 31 and the concave part 331 of the shaft wheel set 33 engages in holes 312.

When the numbered wheels 31 are rotated to move the shaft wheel set 33, the concave groove 334 and the concave part 62 are wrongly unlocked, the concave groove 334 will stop the shaft wheel set 33 from rotating and therefore the lock will be in its locked condition. When the concave groove 334 and the concave part 62 are correspondingly aligned with one another the locked condition will cease in that the shaft wheel set will be pushed by the locking shaft 32.

The second preferred embodiment of the combination lock illustrated in Fig. 2 is of a similar construction to the first embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1. However, the second embodiment operates in a slightly different way from the first embodiment. The holes 312 in the numbered wheels 31 are smaller than the concave part 331 of the shaft wheel set 33 and therefore each concave part 331 is exposed at one side of each numbered wheel 31. The concave projecting parts 62 of the lock face plate 6 are shorter than the corresponding concave projecting parts 62 of the first embodiment. The operation of the grooves 334 of the shaft wheel set 33 prevents wrong unlocking so as to provide for a locking condition of the lock and to provide for an unlocking condition.

The third preferred embodiment of the combination lock illustrated in Fig. 3 is again similar in construction to the first and second preferred embodiment. As with the first preferred embodiment, in the third embodiment of Fig. 3 the holes 312 of the numbered wheels 31 are the same size as the concave parts 331 of the shaft wheel set 33. A flat lock face plate 6 is employed which does not have concave projecting parts 62.

The base plate 2 has concave protuberances 22 and by the stopping action of the concave protuberances 22 the concave part 331 of each locking wheel set 33 can be maintained in their locking condition. They can be released from their locking condition by internegagement with the concave protuberances.

The fourth preferred embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4 is again similar in construction to the other three embodiments. In the fourth embodiment a flat cutting part 333 is provided on the concave part 331 of the shaft wheel set 33. A damper 4 is additionally provided inside the lock housing 1.

The damper 4 is in the form of a frame having three uprights 41,42 and 43. When the damper 4 is placed on the cross-shaped slot 61 of the plate 6 its uprights 41, 42, 43 act as a stop for the concave part 331 so as to lock the shaft wheel set 33. The flat cutting part 333 will also come out of stopping engagement with the damper 4 so as to unlock the shaft wheel set 33.

In the foregoing described embodiments of the combination lock an equal locking effect will be obtained regardless of whether the concave part 331 of the shaft wheel set 33 is stopped by projecting parts 62 of the lock face plate 6 by the protuberances 22 of the base plate 2 or by the damper 4. By mutual correspondance of the concave groove 334 of the shaft wheel set or by releasing it from its stopped position the flat cutting part 333 of the shaft wheel set 33 can push the locking shaft 32 to effect rotation of the number wheels to change the combination of the lock.

Claims

1. A combination lock, particularly but not exclusively for attache cases, comprising a lock face plate having a cross type stopping aperture, a pushing bar having a stopping body which has uprights for connection of a pushing plate, said pushing plate being provided for effecting unlocking of the pushing plate, stopping equipment to stop the pushing bar at cross type upper and lower apertures under an unlocked condition of the lock and number changing equipment for changing the combination of the lock when numbered wheels thereof are in a condition of idle running.

2. A combination lock as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pushing plate comprises at one side thereof a locking reed and pushing pieces and at its other side at least one slot by which the pushing plate can be combined with the uprights of the stopping body of the pusing bar and be moved with the pushing bar.

3. A combination lock as claimed in claims 1 and 2, wherein there is provided a cross-type stopping aperture which can stop the stopping body of the pushing bar at its upper and lower stopping places and fix the uprights under a condition of unlocking so as to facilitate the changing of the combination of the lock.

4. A combination lock as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein there is provided a shaft wheel set having concave grooves, said concave grooves being V-shaped or U-shaped.

5. A combination lock as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the lock face plate has a plurality of concave protuberances which correspond with the concave grooves on the shaft wheel set, the concave protuberances facilitating the stopping of shaft wheels of the shaft wheel set so that the lock is in its locked condition and also the free running of said shaft when the protuberances and grooves corresponded with one another.

6. A combination lock as claimed in any preceding claims wherein the concave protuberances correspond with the concave grooves of the shaft wheel set to facilitate stopping of the concave grooves and the concave part in a locking condition.

7. A combination lock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Fig. 1, or in Fig. 2, or in Fig. 3, or in Figs. 4 and 5.