High security combination padlock and shackle with advanced pick resistant mechanism

Abstract

A combination padlock comprising a lock body, a true gate, a lock ball, a spindle and a plurality of clutches and dials, a shackle comprising a neck, a locking bolt having a neck, a spindle for controlling the alignment of the locking bolt's shackle opening and the true gate's clutches, a plurality of clutches for preventing the padlock from being opened when the dials are not in the lock open combination, the clutches having an extended tab with a rounded edge, and a plurality of dials for controlling the rotational movement of the clutches, whereby when the extended tab of the clutches is fully aligned with the true gate, the user can pull the knob side of the spindle to the right, whereby the neck of the shackle forces the lock ball to move upward and away from the neck of the shackle, thereby opening the padlock.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 230,230, filed August 6, 2021, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 869,994, filed July 21, 2022, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to an improvement on combination padlocks. Background Technology

[0004] This invention relates to a combination padlock with an advanced anti-pry mechanism enclosed within a lock body / casing. Prior art, U.S. Patent No. 6,883,355, features three extended flaps on the clutch and three true doors on the lock body. However, this setup is very limited in its effectiveness against prying, as there is a 50% chance of finding the true opening position, which is easily pried open. This invention addresses improvements to the anti-pry mechanism. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention incorporates an improved fault-door mechanism that allows for seven fault doors and three true doors (or multiple extended flaps on the clutch as true doors, with the remainder as fault doors). This feature results in a "click" sound at each number when the lock is picked, potentially making it difficult for a pick to locate the true doors. This makes the combination mechanism more difficult to select. The new padlock also incorporates another feature on the extended flaps on the clutch: rounded edges (which may be chamfered), such that when the extended flaps are on the fault doors, the rounded edges will contact the edges of both the fault doors and the true doors, allowing them to remain rotating. This allows the pick to continue rotating the dial without preventing the extended flaps from rotating the clutch, making it impossible for the pick to use his / her tactile sense to determine the exact location of the true doors in the locking mode. This feature also makes it more difficult for a pick to pinpoint which number or letter is part of the correct combination. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1A This is a cross-sectional view of a combination padlock according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0007] Figure 1B It is along Figure 1A The cross-sectional view of the padlock taken from line BB.

[0008] Figure 1C It is along Figure 1A The cross-sectional view of the padlock taken by line CC.

[0009] Figure 1D It is along Figure 1A The cross-sectional view of the padlock taken by line DD.

[0010] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the padlock shown in cross-section.

[0011] Figure 3 It is a perspective view of the spindle and related components.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of one of the clutches of a padlock.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of one of the dials on a padlock.

[0014] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the control plug that forms part of the padlock.

[0015] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the bolts that form part of the padlock.

[0016] Figure 8 This is a perspective view of the spool that forms part of the padlock.

[0017] Figure 9 This is a perspective view of the locking bar that forms part of the padlock.

[0018] Figure 10 This is a perspective view of the locking bar retaining pin, which forms part of the padlock.

[0019] Figure 11 This is a perspective view of the lock bar spring protection device that forms part of the padlock.

[0020] Figure 12 This is a perspective view of the anti-drilling rod that forms part of the padlock.

[0021] Figure 13 This is a perspective view of the reset screw that forms part of the padlock.

[0022] Figure 14A This is a cross-sectional view of the padlock, showing its operation in combined unlocking mode.

[0023] Figure 14B It is along Figure 14A The cross-sectional view of the padlock taken from line BB.

[0024] Figure 14C It is along Figure 14A The cross-sectional view of the padlock taken by line CC.

[0025] Figure 14D It is along Figure 14A The cross-sectional view of the padlock taken by line DD.

[0026] Figure 15A This is a cross-sectional view of the padlock, showing its operation in the current mode.

[0027] Figure 15B It is along Figure 15A The cross-sectional view of the padlock taken from line BB.

[0028] Figure 15C It is along Figure 15A The cross-sectional view of the padlock taken by line CC.

[0029] Figure 15D It is along Figure 15A The cross-sectional view of the padlock taken by line DD.

[0030] Figure 16 This is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the clutch used in the second embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The component numbers for this application are shown below: 10-combination padlock; 20 Lock body; 21 Control plug hole; 22 Spindle hole; 23 Real door; 23A Real door edge; 24 Faulty door; 24A Faulty door edge; 25 Bolt hole; 26 Lock rod hole; 27 Retaining pin hole; 28 Anti-drilling hole; 29 Reset screw hole; 30 Spindle; 31 Pin hole; 32 C-groove; 33 Tail end; 34 Knob side; 40 Clutch; 41 Clutch hole; 42 Extended vane; 43 Circular beveled edge; 44 Flat spot; 50 turntables; 51 teeth; 60 Control plug; 61a Long pin hole; 61b Short pin hole; 62 Reset surface; 63 Reset screw hole; 70 Bolt; 71 Neck; 72 Front surface; 73 Rear side; 80 lock ball; 90 Lock bar; 91 Neck; 92 Groove; 93 Tail; 100 Locking rod retaining pin; 101 Tip; 102 Tail; 110 Locking bar spring protection device; 111 Spring contact side; 120 anti-drilling rod; 130 Reset screw; 131 Thread; 132 Stop edge; 140 C-clamp; 150 pin; 151 long side pin; 160 spindle spring; 170 bolt spring; 180 locking bar spring; 190 locking bar retaining pin spring; The clutch of the second embodiment 400 is a clutch with an inclined plane; 410 clutch hole; 420 extended winglets; 430 bevel edge; 440 flat points Locked mode ( Figures 1A-13 ): Lock 10 includes a lever 90, which is controlled by a combination mechanism. When the lock is in the locked mode, the lever 90 does not move horizontally (relative to the lock body 20), and remains in the lever hole 26 when the combination dial is not in the correct combination combination. A ball 80 engages in the neck 91 of the lever 90. This ball also contacts the front surface 72 of the bolt 70. The bolt 70 has a neck 71 that engages with the tail 33 of the spindle 30. A bolt spring 170 pushes the tail side 73 of the bolt 70 downward, causing the front surface 73 of the bolt 70 to push the ball 80. This arrangement ensures that the ball 80 is always in contact with the neck 91 of the lever 90 to keep the lever in the locked position.

[0032] The tail 93 of the locking bar 90 has a locking bar spring 180 in contact with it. The locking bar spring 180 is assembled with the locking bar spring guard 130. A portion of the locking bar is confined in the spring contact side 111, and all these portions are press-fitted into the end of the locking bar hole 26.

[0033] The spindle 30 includes two C-shaped slots 32 for assembling the control plug 60, spindle spring 160, and clutch 40 within the spindle. The clutch hole 41 of the clutch 40 passes through the spindle 30, and two C-shaped clips 140 are positioned to hold these components within the spindle. The control plug 60 is press-fitted into the control plug hole 21 of the lock body, permanently securing it to the combination padlock 10 in a neutral position. The spindle also includes a pin hole 31 to receive a press-fit pin 150. The pin includes a long-side pin 151, which allows the spindle to be configured with an upper and lower side. If the pin length is the same on each side, then the direction of rotation cannot be distinguished during the reset mode, as will be described below. During the locked mode, the pin 150 is positioned inside the long screw hole 61a and short screw hole 61b of the control plug 60. The reset screw 130 includes threads 131 and is positioned through the reset screw hole 29 of the lock body 20 and the reset screw hole 63 of the control plug 60.

[0034] If at least one turntable 50 is not in the lock-opening assembly, then lock opening will not be permitted. The teeth 51 of the turntable 50 engage with the extended vanes 42 of the clutch 40. In this position, rotation of each turntable 50 will be directly transmitted to the corresponding clutch 40.

[0035] Simultaneously, the lock body 20 includes a series of fault doors 24, wherein the fault doors are deep enough to allow the flat point 44 of the extended flaps 42 of the clutch 40 to contact the fault doors 24 of the lock body 20. Furthermore, each clutch 40 includes a circularly beveled edge 43 that contacts the edge 24A of the fault door, which will slide away from the fault door 24 when a lock pick turns the turntable 50 while pulling the knob side 34 of the main shaft 30 to pry the lock. Even if one or both extended flaps 42 of the clutch 40 are aligned with the true door 23 of the lock body, and at least one extended flap 42 is aligned with the fault door 24, the lock still cannot be opened. Furthermore, when at least one extended flap 42 of the clutch 40 is not aligned with the true door 23, the circularly beveled edge 43 can slide away from both the true door edge 23A and the fault door edge 24A.

[0036] The set of fault doors 24 of the lock body 20 is not only deep enough to lock the flat point 44 of the clutch 40, but also allows the circular beveled edge 43 to slide away from the fault doors 24 of the lock body.

[0037] The padlock 10 also includes a drill-proof bar 120, which is placed inside the drill-proof hole 28 to prevent drilling attacks on the lock.

[0038] The locking lever 90 includes a groove 92 that receives a locking lever retaining pin 100 located in a retaining pin hole 27 of the lock body 20. A locking lever retaining pin spring 190 will always contact a tail 102, which always pushes the tip 101 toward the groove 92 of the locking lever 90. In this assembled position, the locking lever 90 can only move horizontally within the groove 92. Therefore, once assembled, the locking lever 90 can move to the open and closed positions, but cannot be completely disengaged from the combination padlock 10.

[0039] therefore, Figures 1A-15D The key feature of the illustrated embodiment is that the lock body 20 includes a set of fault doors 24 to engage the extension flaps 42 of the clutch 40. This makes the lock difficult to pry open because there are seven fault doors 24 and three extension flaps 42. The extension flaps 42 must be aligned with three true doors 23 to allow the clutch 40 to move around the lock. The number of fault doors 24 and extension flaps 42 can be modified.

[0040] Unlock by combination ( Figures 14A-14D ): In the combined unlocking mode, the wing 42 of the clutch 40 is fully aligned with the true door 23 of the lock body 20. This means that nothing prevents the wing 42 of the clutch 40 from moving horizontally (to the right) to the open position. When the extended wing 42 moves to the right and fully engages with the true door 23, a portion of the extended wing 42 still engages with the teeth 51 of the turntable 50. This prevents the clutch 40 and the turntable 50 from rotating in the open mode. This is a very good feature that prevents the user from accidentally changing the combination.

[0041] As described above, with the spindle 30 clamped in the middle position, the user can pull the knob side 34 of the spindle 30 to the right, causing the spindle to move to the right. The spindle will move to the right until the long side pin 151 of the pin 150 contacts the stop edge 132 of the reset screw 130. As the spindle moves to the right, the tail 33 of the spindle 30 will move away from the neck 71 of the bolt 70. At this time, the locking lever spring 180 will apply a force to the left, causing the neck 91 of the locking lever to force the locking ball 80 to move upward (towards the turntable 50) away from the neck 91 of the locking lever 90. The locking lever 90 continues to move to the left until the tip 101 of the locking lever retaining pin 100 contacts the other end of the groove 92 of the locking lever 90.

[0042] To relock the lock, the user can push the lock lever to the locked position, causing the locking ball 80 to engage back into the neck 91 of the lock lever 90. At this point, the bolt spring 170 will force the bolt 70 to push the front surface 72 and the locking ball 80 downwards toward the neck 91 region, fully engaging the locking ball 80 and the neck 91 of the lock lever 90. Furthermore, the neck 71 of the bolt 70 will now realign with the tail 33 of the spindle 30 to move to the left, causing the tail 33 to engage back into the neck 71. The spindle spring 170 is assembled between the C-clamp 140 and the control plug 60. The control plug 60 does not involve any movement in any mode, as it is press-fitted into the control plug hole 21. Similarly, the reset screw 130 passes through the lock body and the control plug placement, and through the hole 29 / 63 of the lock body / control plug 20 / 60. When the control plug remains stationary, the spindle spring 170 will apply force and push the C-clamp 140 to the left, causing the spindle to move to the left. Therefore, the alignment of the neck 71 of the bolt 70 and the tail 33 of the spindle 30 causes the spindle to move to the left, thereby allowing the two parts to engage.

[0043] Furthermore, upon relocking, the extended flap 42 of the clutch 40 disengages from the true door 23 of the lock body 20, while the extended flap 42 remains engaged with the teeth 51 of the turntable 50. Therefore, when the user turns the turntable 50, it will rotate the clutch 40 in the same manner. When the turntable is scrambled, the extended flap 42 will no longer align with the true door 23 of the lock body 20. Therefore, the user cannot pull the spindle knob 34 to open the lock. The lock now returns to the locked mode.

[0044] Reset mode ( Figures 15A-15D ): In the reset mode, the user must open the lock via the combined unlocking mode by aligning all the extended flaps 42 of the clutch 40 with the true door 23 of the lock body 20. The user then needs to loosen the reset screw 130 from the lock unit 10 so that the stop edge 132 does not obstruct the long side pin 151 of the pin 150. With nothing obstructing the pin, the assembled spindle 30 can move further to the right, causing the extended flaps 42 of the clutch 40 to disengage from the teeth 51 of the turntable 50, thus fully engaging the extended flaps 42 in the true door 23 of the lock body 20. The rotational movement of the turntable 50 does not rotate the clutch 40. The user can continue pulling to the right until the pin passes the reset surface 62 of the control plug 60. The user can then turn the spindle knob 34 so that the long side pin 151 can be placed on the reset surface 62 of the control plug. The user can use both hands to rotate the turntable 50 to set a new password.

[0045] After setting a new password, the user can rotate the knob to align the long side pin 151 with the long screw hole 61a of the control plug 60. Then, the spindle spring 160 applies force, pushing the assembled spindle 30 to the left towards the bolt 70, causing the long side pin 151 to engage back into the long screw hole 61a, and the extended wing 42 to engage with the tooth 51 of the turntable 50. The user can then place the reset screw 130 back into the reset screw holes 29 / 63 of the lock body 20 and the control plug 60. This prevents the user from further pulling the assembled spindle to the right to change the password, as the stop edge 132 of the reset screw 130 will block the long side pin 151 of the pin 150.

[0046] The second embodiment of the clutch ( Figure 16 ): This embodiment features a clutch 400 with a bevel to demonstrate that a circular edge can also be in the form of a beveled edge.

[0047] Figure 16 The second embodiment is shown to have a second embodiment of a sloped clutch 400, a second embodiment of a clutch hole 410, a second embodiment of an extended wing 420, a second embodiment of a sloped edge 430, and a second embodiment of a flat point 440.

[0048] therefore, Figure 16 The second embodiment includes a beveled clutch 400, wherein the clutch bore 410 is identical to 41, the extended vane 420 is identical to 42, and the flat spot 440 is identical to 44. The only difference between the beveled clutch 400 and the clutch 40 is that the beveled edge 430 of the second embodiment is as follows: Figure 16The clutch 40 is configured with a smooth beveled edge, and includes a rounded beveled edge 43. The main feature of the beveled edge 430 is that when a lock pick attempts to pry the lock, it smoothly and quickly slides the extended flap 420 away from the faulty door 24 and the genuine door 23. This is similar to the rounded beveled edge 43, which also smoothly and quickly slides the extended flap 42 away from the faulty door 24 and the genuine door 23 when a lock pick attempts to pry the lock.

[0049] Therefore, the clutch 400 of the second embodiment includes the important component of the inclined surface 430 of the second embodiment. In the locked mode, if a lock pick moves the knob 34 to the right, the flat point 440 of the second embodiment will contact the faulty door 24. This stops the clutch 400 from rotating, thereby stopping the turntable and producing a "click". If the lock pick further rotates the turntable 50, the clutch 400 of the second embodiment rotates in the same way in the locked mode, causing the inclined surface 430 of the second embodiment to contact the edge 24A of the faulty door, and then the clutch 400 will rotate again without stopping, making it difficult for the lock pick to feel the real door. This is an important feature of this application.

Claims

1. A combination padlock, comprising: Lock body, A plurality of clutches and a plurality of turntables, wherein each of the plurality of clutches has a corresponding turntable among the plurality of turntables, the turntables being configured to control the rotational movement of each corresponding clutch. At least one true door for each of the plurality of clutches, formed within the lock body, and at least one fault door for each of the plurality of clutches, formed within the lock body. At least one extended vane is provided for each of the plurality of clutches, wherein the number of at least one valve for each clutch is the same as the number of extended vanes for each clutch. A locking ball, a spindle, and a locking lever, the locking lever having a locking lever neck configured to receive the locking ball, and A locking bolt having a locking bolt neck and configured to operatively engage with the spindle to control the movement of the locking bolt. Each of the at least one extended wing includes a pair of substantially parallel side surfaces, a flat spot at one end of the extended wing, and at least one beveled edge connecting the flat spot to the pair of substantially parallel side surfaces. Wherein, the depth of each of the at least one faulty door is sufficient to allow the flat point of each extended wing to contact the faulty door of the lock body, while allowing the at least one beveled edge to slide away from the faulty door when the corresponding turntable rotates.

2. The combination padlock according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of turntables is provided with a plurality of numbers, and the lock opening combination is composed of a lock opening combination number on each turntable, wherein when each of the plurality of turntables selects the lock opening combination number, the at least one extended wing of the corresponding clutch is aligned with the at least one corresponding door.

3. The combination padlock according to claim 2, wherein the number of at least one faulty door for each of the plurality of clutches is the number of the plurality of numbers on each turntable minus the number of at least one true door for each clutch.

4. The combination padlock according to claim 3, wherein each dial has 10 numbers, each clutch has at least one extension flap with 3 extension flaps, and each clutch has at least one fault door with 7 fault doors.

5. The combination padlock of claim 1, wherein at least one fault door formed in the lock body is configured to allow at least one extension flap of each clutch to contact at least one beveled edge of the extension flap, and to be forced to slide away from the fault door when contacting the edge of the fault door.

6. The combination padlock according to claim 5, wherein at least one extended flap of each clutch has a flat point that, when the flat point contacts one of the corresponding at least one faulty door, the flat point contacts the faulty door in the corresponding at least one faulty door, thereby producing a clicking sound.

7. The combination padlock of claim 5, wherein the beveled edge of the extended flap allows the extended flap to slide away from the faulty door to prevent prying.

8. The combination padlock of claim 6, wherein at least one beveled edge of each of at least one extended flap of each clutch is a smooth beveled edge to allow each of at least one extended flap to slide away from the corresponding faulty door to prevent tampering.

9. The combination padlock of claim 1, wherein the at least one true door forms a passage through the lock body for each clutch at least one corresponding extended flap, and the at least one fault door does not form a passage through the lock body for each clutch at least one corresponding extended flap.

10. The combination padlock of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of turntables comprises a plurality of teeth to engage at least one extended flap of each respective clutch.

11. The combination padlock of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of clutches includes a clutch hole to allow the spindle to be inserted through each clutch, and the combination padlock further includes a pair of C-clamps configured to retain the plurality of clutches on the spindle to form an assembled spindle, wherein, The movement of the multiple clutches is controlled by the movement of the main shaft.

12. The combination padlock according to claim 11, wherein the assembled spindle controls the movement of the locking bolt and the locking ball to further control the movement of the locking bar between the lock open state in the combined unlocking mode and the lock mode state in the locking mode.

13. The combination padlock of claim 12, wherein the lock bar neck is configured to receive the lock ball when the combination padlock is in the locked mode, and the locking bolt is configured to retain the lock ball in the lock bar neck in the locked mode.

14. The combination padlock of claim 8, wherein when the flat point contacts one of the corresponding at least one faulty door, the faulty door prevents the clutch from rotating, thereby allowing the smooth beveled edge to smoothly slide away from the faulty door and the real door.

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