Coded lock with advanced security mechanism

Abstract

This invention relates to a combination lock, comprising: a fixed padlock piece configured to be mounted to a fixed object by one or more fasteners; a movable padlock piece operably connected to the fixed padlock piece and having a notch formed therein; a knob and an inner body operably connected to a base and configured for rotational movement. The knob has a shape corresponding to the notch in the movable padlock piece, such that the knob is configured to pass through the movable padlock piece for operating the combination lock to an unlocked mode. A lever located within the inner body and the knob, the lever including a lock tail configured to engage with a lock tail notch in the base to prevent rotation of the knob and the inner body relative to the base when the combination lock is in a locked mode.

Description

Cross-references to related applications

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 726,989, filed December 2, 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates generally to a combination lock, and more particularly to a combination lock with advanced security mechanisms. Background Technology

[0003] Currently, products on the market that use combination locks typically require setting the correct combination on the dial and rotating the knob to open the lock. However, an unauthorized intruder can grasp the knob with minimal force and rotate it even if the dial is not aligned with the correct combination. An improvement is needed to overcome this problem, employing an advanced button design to avoid or significantly reduce the likelihood of unauthorized intruders forcibly opening the combination lock. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One object of the present invention is to provide a combination lock that avoids or at least significantly reduces the possibility of an unauthorized intruder forcibly opening the combination lock.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide a combination lock that requires the input of the correct combination of passwords to be opened in a non-destructive manner.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a combination lock with anti-pry function, which includes one or more clutches, each clutch having one or more false doors and a real door, making it more difficult for unauthorized persons to decode the correct combination of the combination lock.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a combination lock that is configured to be fixed to a door or gate in order to control the accessibility of the door or gate.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a combination lock with a combination reset mechanism for resetting and / or reconfiguring the correct combination of the combination lock.

[0009] According to these and other objects of the invention, a combination lock is provided, comprising: a fixed padlock piece configured for mounting to a fixed object by one or more fasteners; a movable padlock piece operably connected to the fixed padlock piece and having a notch formed therein; a knob operably connected to a base having a shape corresponding to the notch in the movable padlock piece, such that the knob is configured to pass through the movable padlock piece for operating the combination lock to an unlocked mode; an inner body configured to attach to the knob and the base to allow rotational movement of the knob and the inner body relative to the base; and a lever located within the inner body and the knob, and including a lock tail.

[0010] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the base may include a lock tail cutout formed therein, the lock tail cutout being configured to receive the lock tail of a lever to prevent the knob and inner body from rotating relative to the base when the combination lock is in the locked mode.

[0011] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the combination lock is configured to be operable to the unlock mode when the tail of the lever disengages from the tail notch of the base.

[0012] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the combination lock may include: a dial positioned for rotational movement within a knob and an inner body; a clutch positioned within the knob and an inner body and configured to rotate in accordance with the dial; and a latch positioned within the knob and an inner body, at least a portion of which is positioned between a lever and a clutch, with the dial positioned within the latch.

[0013] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the base may include a main bore therein, a lock tail cutout positioned adjacent to the main bore, and the base may include a rotary guide extending at least partially around the main bore, and the inner body may include a cylindrical body configured to extend through the main bore of the base, and a motion controller extending from the cylindrical body and configured to engage with the rotary guide of the base.

[0014] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the base may include a locking ring receiving slit formed therein, and the cylindrical body of the inner body may include a locking ring slit formed therein and configured to receive a locking ring, the locking ring being further configured to be disposed within the locking ring receiving slit of the base to secure the inner body to the base while allowing the inner body to rotate relative to the base.

[0015] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the rotating guide rail of the base is configured to allow the motion controller to move between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position, the latch of the lever engages with the latch notch of the base, and in the second position, the knob is positioned to allow the combination lock to operate to the unlock mode.

[0016] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the clutch may include a real door and at least one dummy door.

[0017] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the latch may include a protrusion, and when the protrusion is inside the real door, the tail of the lever may disengage from the tail cutout of the base to operate the combination lock into the unlocked mode, and when the protrusion is engaged with the dummy door, the tail of the lever may not disengage from the tail cutout of the base.

[0018] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the dial may include teeth, and the clutch may include an extended wing configured to engage with the teeth of the dial, such that rotational motion of the dial is transmitted to the clutch.

[0019] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, a combination lock may include a button having an outer surface and a lever tail contact surface, wherein the outer surface extends at least partially from the knob, and the lever tail contact surface is configured to operatively engage with the button contact surface of the lever.

[0020] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the lever may include a latch contact portion located on the lever opposite to the button contact surface, the latch contact portion being configured to operatively engage with the lever contact surface of the latch, and the movement of the button being transmitted to the lever and the latch.

[0021] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the button is configured to perform linear motion within the knob, and the linear motion of the button is converted into linear motion of the latch and lever within the knob and the inner body.

[0022] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, in a first position, the knob is not aligned with the opening cutout of the movable padlock piece, and the movable padlock piece cannot disengage from the base, so that the combination lock is in a locked mode; while in a second position, the knob is aligned with the opening cutout of the movable padlock piece, and the movable padlock piece can disengage from the base, so that the combination lock can be operated to an unlocked mode.

[0023] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the tailstock cutout is positioned adjacent to the main bore of the base, and at least a portion of the periphery of the main bore is configured to push the tailstock of the lever in one direction to maintain operable contact between the lever and the latch, thereby retaining the protrusion in the true door of the clutch to inhibit the rotation of the dial.

[0024] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the combination lock may include a spindle located in the inner body, and the clutch may include a hole formed through itself for receiving the spindle to allow the clutch to rotate about the spindle.

[0025] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the combination lock may include a second dial and a second clutch. The second clutch is operatively connected to the second dial and configured to rotate together with the second dial. Both the dial and the second dial have a plurality of indicators disposed thereon, and one indicator from each of the plurality of indicators on the dial and the second dial together constitutes the correct combination for the combination lock. When the correct combination is entered on the dial and the second dial, the combination lock can be operated to the unlocked mode.

[0026] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the knob may include a rivet configured to engage with a rivet hole in the interior to secure the knob to the interior.

[0027] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the combination lock may also include a spindle spring configured to push the spindle in the direction toward the latch and lever so as to advance the tail of the lever into the tail notch of the base when the combination lock is in the locked mode.

[0028] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, a combination lock is provided, comprising: a fixed padlock piece configured for mounting to a fixed object by one or more fasteners; a movable lock piece partially mounted to the fixed padlock piece and having a notch formed thereon; a knob shaped to allow the notch of the movable padlock piece to pass through for operating the combination lock to an unlocked mode, wherein the knob is configured to rotate to prevent the movable padlock piece from being lifted to open the combination lock to the unlocked mode, and wherein the movement of the movable padlock piece is controlled by rotation of the knob; and a base operably connected to the knob and configured for mounting to a fixed object by one or more fasteners. On a fixed object; an interior body configured to operably connect a knob, a base, and a locking ring inserted into a locking ring notch in the base to ensure that the interior body and the knob function as a single unit; a dial assembly mounted within the interior body, each dial in the assembly being configured to allow rotation of a corresponding clutch among a plurality of clutches, each clutch containing an extended vane that engages with the teeth of the corresponding dial for synchronized rotation in a locked mode; a latch mounted within the interior body, the movement of which is controlled by the plurality of clutches; a button mounted to allow a user to push the button inward when the dial is set to the correct combination of keys; and a lever configured to be controlled by the movement of the latch.

[0029] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the base includes a locking tail notch designed to receive the locking tail from the lever, thereby controlling the rotational movement of the knob from a locked position to an open position.

[0030] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the base includes a rotary guide for accommodating a motion controller of the interior, thereby adjusting the rotation range of the knob.

[0031] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the knob includes a rivet that engages with a rivet hole in the inner body, and wherein the inner body is configured to receive a button, latch, lever, spindle, dial, and clutch.

[0032] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the latch includes a V-shaped protrusion for aligning with the true door of the clutch for unlocking and with a locking surface or false door in the locked mode. The latch also includes a lever contact surface designed to engage with the latch contact surface of the lever and a spindle contact surface designed to engage with the latch contact surface of the spindle, such that when the latch is pushed, the spindle is also pushed, compressing the spindle spring. This compression applies a force that causes the spindle, latch, lever, and button to move outward when the knob is turned to the locked mode, thereby aligning and engaging the tail with the tail notch of the base.

[0033] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, in the unlocking mode, the knob rotates such that its shape aligns with the opening cutout of the movable padlock plate, allowing the movable padlock plate to be lifted and opened; and in order to operate the combination lock into the locking mode, the knob rotates such that its shape is not aligned with the opening cutout of the movable padlock plate, thereby preventing the user from lifting the movable padlock plate to open it.

[0034] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, in the unlocking mode, the tail of the lever is pushed inward without any cuts allowing the tail to extend outward, so that the button, latch and lever are pushed inward, and the V-shaped protrusion of the latch fully engages with the true door of the clutch set, wherein this engagement prevents the user from rotating the dial in the unlocking mode, thereby avoiding accidental changes to the combination of keys.

[0035] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, in the locking mode, the latch tail of the lever is aligned with the latch tail notch of the base, and a spring in the spindle applies force to push the spindle back to the locked position, wherein this movement also pushes the latch, lever, spindle, and button back to the locked position, wherein the V-shaped protrusion of the latch moves away from the true door of the clutch assembly, allowing the user to turn the dial and move the clutch from the true door to the locking surface or dummy door for locking, wherein this action prevents the V-shaped protrusion from having sufficient space to return to the unlocked state, ensuring that the latch tail of the lever always engages with the latch tail notch of the base, thereby securely locking the mechanism.

[0036] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, when the V-shaped protrusion of the latch is aligned with the true door of the clutch assembly, the interaction between the button, lever, latch, and spindle results in a uniform lateral movement from a locked state to an open state, wherein the engagement of the lever's locking tail with the locking tail cutout of the base controls the rotational movement of the knob, wherein the knob cannot rotate when the lever's locking tail is engaged with the locking tail cutout of the base, and wherein the knob can rotate in a specified direction under the guidance of the rotation guide and the motion controller of the inner body when the lever's locking tail disengages from the locking tail cutout of the base.

[0037] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the invention, the interlocking action of the button, lever, latch and spindle allows for a uniform movement back from the unlocked mode to the locked mode. Attached Figure Description

[0038] To gain a more complete understanding of the nature and purpose of this invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1A This is a top view of an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention, wherein the combination lock is in a locked mode; Figure 1B This is a side view of an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention, wherein the combination lock is in a locked mode; Figure 1C It is along Figure 1A A cross-sectional view captured by the CC line; Figure 1D It is along Figure 1B A cross-sectional view taken by line DD; Figure 2 This is a perspective view of an exemplary fixed padlock piece configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a perspective view of an exemplary movable padlock tab configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 4A This is a top perspective view of an exemplary base configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 4B This is a bottom perspective view of an exemplary base configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a bottom perspective view of an exemplary knob configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 6A This is a top perspective view of an exemplary inner body configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 6BThis is a bottom perspective view of an exemplary inner body configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a perspective view of an exemplary button configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 8A This is a bottom perspective view of an exemplary latch configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 8B This is a bottom perspective view of an exemplary fixed padlock piece configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 9A This is a perspective view of an exemplary lever configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 9B This is a perspective view of an exemplary lever configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a perspective view of an exemplary mandrel configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a perspective view of an exemplary dial configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 12A This is a top perspective view of an exemplary standard clutch configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 12B This is a bottom perspective view of an exemplary standard clutch configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 13A This is a top perspective view of an exemplary reset clutch configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 13B This is a bottom perspective view of an exemplary reset clutch configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 14 This is a perspective view of an exemplary lock ring configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention; Figure 15A This is a top view of an exemplary combination lock configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention, wherein the combination lock is in an unlocked mode; Figure 15B This is a side view of an exemplary combination lock configured for an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention, wherein the combination lock is in an unlocked mode; Figure 15C It is along Figure 15A A cross-sectional view captured by the CC line; Figure 15D It is along Figure 15B A cross-sectional view taken by line DD; Figure 15E This is a top view of an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention, wherein the combination lock is in an unlocked mode; Figure 15F This is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention, wherein the combination lock is in an unlocked mode; Figure 15G This is a front view of an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention, wherein the combination lock is in an unlocked mode; Figure 15H It is along Figure 15F A cross-sectional view taken by line DD; Figure 16A This is a top view of an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention, wherein the combination lock is in reset mode; Figure 16B This is a side view of an exemplary combination lock according to one aspect of the present invention, wherein the combination lock is in reset mode; Figure 16C It is along Figure 16A A cross-sectional view taken by the line CC; and Figure 16D It is along Figure 16B The cross-sectional view taken by line DD.

[0039] The reference numerals and corresponding components in the attached figures are summarized below: Detailed Implementation

[0040] The invention will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated. However, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The same reference numerals throughout refer to the same elements.

[0041] Now refer to Figures 1A to 16D The figure illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a combination lock 10 according to one aspect of the invention, generally indicated by reference numeral 10. The combination lock 10 may include a retaining padlock tab 20 having one or more screw holes 21 configured to allow the combination lock 10 to be secured to a fixed object (e.g., a fixed side of a door or a wall adjacent to a door) by one or more fasteners (not shown). At least one screw hole 21 may be positioned such that it is inaccessible during the locked mode of the combination lock 10 (e.g., see [reference needed]). Figure 2This prevents the combination lock 10 from being removed without authorization. The fixed padlock plate 20 may also include a hinge arch 22 configured to engage with the movable padlock plate 30 of the combination lock 10. Figure 2As shown, the hinge arch 22 may include screw holes 21 formed therein, which allow fasteners to secure the padlock plate 20 to one side of a fixed object, which is inaccessible when the combination lock 10 is in the locked mode. The movable padlock plate 30 may include hinge holes 31 configured to engage with the hinge arch 22, and an opening slit 32. The opening slit 32 may have at least substantially the same shape as the knob 50 of the combination lock 10, and the knob 50 may be operatively connected to the base 40 of the combination lock 10. The base 40 includes one or more screw holes 41 configured to allow the base 40 to be secured to an openable object, such as a door or gate, by one or more fasteners (not shown). When the combination lock 10 is in the locked mode, the screw holes 41 may be covered by the movable padlock plate 30 to prevent the fasteners from being removed. The base 40 may further include a main bore 42, a tailstock cutout 43 formed in the base 40 adjacent to the main bore 42, and a rotary guide 44 formed in the base 40 and extending at least partially around the main bore 42. The base 40 may also include a lock ring receiving cutout 45 located on the side of the main bore 42 opposite to the tailstock cutout 43 and the rotary guide 44. A knob 50 may be operably connected to the base 40 via an inner body 60 configured to rotate relative to the base 40. The knob 50 may include a button cutout 51 configured to allow an outer surface 71 of a button 70 to protrude from the knob 50. The knob 50 and the inner body 60 may include corresponding dial cutouts 52 and 61, which are combined to receive a dial 110 and allow the dial 110 to rotate within the dial cutouts 52 and 61. The knob 50 may also include a reset clutch cutout 53 and one or more rivets 54 configured to engage rivet holes 68 in the inner body 60 to secure the knob 50 to the inner body 60. The inner body 60 may include one or more small-diameter clutch cutouts 62 and one or more large-diameter clutch cutouts 63, combinations of which are configured to receive a standard clutch 120 or a reset clutch 130 within the inner body 60, respectively. The inner body 60 may also include a spindle receiving wall 64, a latch plate edge 65, a lever groove 66, and a locking ring cutout 67 configured to receive a locking ring 140. The inner body 60 may also include a motion controller 69 configured to engage a rotary guide rail 44 of the base 40. The button 70 may include a lever tail contact surface 72 configured to engage a button contact surface 91 of the lever 90 to actuate the locking tail 93 of the lever 90. When the combination lock 10 is in the locked mode, the tail 93 of the lever 90 can engage with the tail notch 43 of the base 40 to prevent the knob 50 and the inner body 60 from rotating relative to the base 40. The lever 90 may also include a latch contact surface 92 configured to engage with the lever contact surface 82 of the latch 80 of the combination lock 10.The latch 80 may include one or more V-shaped protrusions 81 and have a spindle contact surface 83 opposite to a lever contact surface 82, the spindle contact surface 83 being configured to engage with a latch contact surface 101 of the spindle 100 of the combination lock 10. The spindle 100 may include a large-diameter portion 102 and a small-diameter portion 103, and a spindle spring 160 may be disposed around the spindle 100. The standard clutch 120 and the reset clutch 130 respectively include bores 122 and 132, which are respectively configured to allow the clutches 120 and 130 to be mounted around the main shaft 100. The clutches 120 and 130 respectively include extended vanes 121 and 131, which are configured to engage with teeth 111 of a corresponding dial 110. Each dial 110 has one or more indicators, which may be in the form of numbers, symbols, letters, colors, etc., corresponding to each tooth of the teeth 111. For example, in the illustrated exemplary embodiment, ten indicators in the form of digits 0-9 are shown, and each dial 110 has ten teeth 111. A dial ratchet plate 150 may be located within the housing 60 to provide indication when different indicators of the combination mechanism have been selected, as the ratchet plate 150 will engage with a notch on the dial 110 located between each indicator. Clutches 120 and 130 respectively include true gates 123 and 133 and one or more false gates 125 and 135. The true gates 123 and 133 and the false gates 125 and 135 are separated by locking surfaces 124 and 134, respectively. The reset clutch 130 may also include a reset tail 136.

[0042] Now for reference Figures 1A to 14The locking mode of the combination lock 10 will now be discussed. The fixed padlock plate 20 of the combination lock 10 can be fixed to a fixed object, such as the fixed side of a door (not shown). The movable padlock plate 30 is configured to be fixed to the fixed padlock plate 20 due to engagement with the hinge hole 31 of the movable padlock plate 30 and the hinge arch 22 of the fixed padlock plate 20. This allows the movable padlock plate 30 to pivot within the area of ​​the hinge arch 22 without falling out of the fixed padlock plate. When the combination mechanism of the combination lock 10 is set to the correct combination (unlocking combination) by selecting the appropriate indicator on the dial 110, causing the indicator on the dial 110 to display the correct combination, the user can rotate the knob 50 so that the shape of the knob 50 aligns and matches the opening cutout 32 of the movable padlock plate 30. This alignment ensures that nothing obstructs the movable padlock plate 30, allowing the user to lift the movable padlock plate 30 and flip it from the locked position (held by the knob 50 and inner base 60) to the open position (the shape of the knob 50 / inner base 60 aligns with the opening cutout 32). When the movable padlock plate 30 is in the locked position, the combination lock 10 is in the locked mode, and when the movable padlock plate 30 can be operated to the open position, the combination lock 10 is in the unlocked mode. In the locked mode, the dial 110 displays all indicators in the correct order of the correct combination, and the knob 50 is in the locked position. In the locked position, the knob 50 is perpendicular to the opening cutout 32 of the movable padlock plate 30, meaning that the shape of the knob 50 is not aligned with or matches the opening cutout 32. Therefore, the user cannot lift the movable padlock plate 30 to open the combination lock 10. The base 40 includes screw holes 41 to allow fasteners (e.g., screws) to secure the base 40 to an openable object, such as a door or gate. This prevents any movement of the base 40. The main hole 42 of the base 40 allows the locking ring cutout 67 of the inner body 60 to pass through the base 40, and the locking ring 140 is inserted into the locking ring cutout 67 to secure the inner body 60 and the base 40 together. The base 40 includes a tail slit 43, which is configured to receive the tail 93 of the lever 90 when the combination lock 10 is in the locked mode. If the tail 93 engages in the tail slit 43, the combination lock 10 is in the locked mode because the knob 50 cannot be rotated to align its shape with the opening cutout 32 of the movable padlock plate 30. The tail 93 of the lever 90 is configured to disengage from the tail slit 43 of the base 40, allowing the knob 50 to be rotated from the locked position to the open position to operate the combination lock 10 from the locked mode to the unlocked mode. Lock tail 93 disengages from lock tail cutout 43, removing any obstruction to cutout 43, allowing knob 50 to rotate from the locked position to the open position. The rotation of knob 50 is controlled by the rotation guide 44 of motion controller 69 within the inner body 60, which facilitates the switching of knob 50 between the locked and open positions.Knob 50 includes a button cutout 51 to allow the outer surface 71 of button 70 to extend to the outside of knob 50, so that when dial 110 is turned to the correct combination, the user can press button 70 to operate combination lock 10 to unlock mode. Rotational movement of knob 50 is transmitted to inner body 60 because rivet 54 is received in rivet hole 68 of inner body 60. Knob 50 also includes a dial cutout 52, which allows dial 110 to extend outward, allowing the user to rotate dial 110 to the correct combination. Furthermore, knob 50 has a reset clutch cutout 53, which allows the user to use a sharp object, such as a pen, to push the reset tail 136 of internal reset clutch 130 to operate combination lock 10 to reset mode, thereby resetting and / or reconfiguring the correct combination. Inner body 60 includes a dial cutout 61 for receiving dial 110, and a small-diameter clutch cutout 62 for receiving standard clutch 120 and reset clutch 130. The inner body 60 may also include a large-diameter clutch cutout 63 to receive a large portion of the locking surfaces 124 or 134 of the clutch 120 or reset clutch 130. The inner body 60 has a latch plate edge 65 designed to position the latch 80 and guide its movement within the inner body 60. Furthermore, the inner body 60 includes a lever groove 66 configured to allow the lever 90 to operate between a locked position and an open position. The button 70 includes a lever tail contact surface 72 designed to contact the button contact surface 91 of the lever 90. When the dial 110 is in the correct combination, the user can push the outer surface 71 of the button 70, causing the lever tail contact surface 72 of the button 70 to contact the button contact surface 91 of the lever 90. As the button 70 continues to be pushed inward, the latch contact surface 92 will push the lever contact surface 82 of the latch 80, causing the latch 80 to move towards the open position. With the correct combination selected on all dials 110, all the true doors 123 / 133 of the standard clutch 120 and reset clutch 130 are aligned with the corresponding V-shaped protrusions 81 of the latch 80, allowing all V-shaped protrusions 81 to push the true doors 123 / 133 inward. When button 70 is pushed inward, lever 90 and latch 80 are also pushed inward. In the locked position, if at least one of the true doors 123 / 133 is not aligned with one of the corresponding V-shaped protrusions 81 of the latch 80, the latch 80 will not move, thus preventing button 70 from being pushed inward to operate the combination lock 10 into the unlocked position. In the locked position, the lock tail 93 of lever 90 engages with the lock tail notch 43 of base 40, restricting any rotational movement of knob 50 / inner body 60. In the locked mode, if at least one V-shaped protrusion 81 contacts the locking surface 124 / 134 of the clutch 120 / 130 or the false door 125 / 135, the latch 80 will not be able to push inward enough to disengage the latch tail 93 of the lever 90 from the latch tail notch 43 of the base 40.When engaged, the combination lock 10 is in the locked mode, and the knob 50 cannot be rotated to prevent it from aligning with the opening cutout 32 of the movable padlock plate 30, thus preventing the combination lock 10 from being opened. The spindle receiving wall 64 of the inner body 60 is designed to receive the spindle 100, allowing the spindle 10 to move within this area. The latch 80 also includes a spindle contact surface 83 designed to contact the latch contact surface 101 of the spindle 100. In the unlocked mode, as described above, when the button 70 is pushed inward, the lever 90 and the latch 80 are also pushed inward. The latch 80 includes the spindle contact surface 83 to press against the latch contact surface 101 of the spindle 100. The spindle 100 also includes a spring 160 located between the large diameter 102 of the spindle and the top of one of the standard clutches 120. When the button 70 is pushed inward to operate the knob 50 to the open position, the stack of standard clutches 120 and reset clutches 130 is pushed inward. When the user relocks the combination lock 10, the user can rotate the knob 50 so that its shape is misaligned with the opening cutout 32 of the movable padlock plate 30. Then, the tail cutout 43 and tail 93 align, and the spring 160 pushes the spindle back to its initial locked position, causing the spindle 100, latch 80, lever 90, and button 70 to return to the locked position, and the tail 93 to engage back into the tail cutout 43. The spindle includes a small diameter section 103 designed to pass through the hole 122 of the standard clutch 120 and the hole 132 of the reset clutch 130.

[0043] Now for reference Figures 15A to 15HThe unlocking mode of the combination lock 10 will now be discussed. The dial 110 includes teeth 111 that engage with the extended flaps 121 / 131 of the clutches 120 / 130 in both the locked and unlocked modes. Rotation of the dial 110 is directly transmitted to the clutches 120 / 130, aligning the V-shaped protrusion 81 of the latch 80 with the true door 123 / 133 of the clutches 120 / 130 to operate the combination lock 10 into the unlocked mode and to rotate the clutches 120 / 130 into the locked mode to engage the V-shaped protrusion 81 with the locking surfaces 124 / 134 or the false door 125 / 135 of the clutches 120 / 130. In the unlocked mode, the true doors 123 / 133 of the stacked clutches 120 / 130 are aligned with the V-shaped protrusion 81. The user can then push the outer surface 71 of button 70, causing the lever tail contact surface 72 of button 70 to push the button contact surface 91 of lever 90. This, in turn, causes the latch contact surface 92 to push the lever contact surface 82 of lever 90, pushing the V-shaped protrusion 81 against the true door 123 / 133 of clutch 120 / 130. When lever 90 is pushed inward, the locking tail 93 of lever 90 moves out of the locking tail cutout 43 of base 40, allowing knob 50 to rotate so that its shape aligns with the opening cutout 32 of movable padlock plate 30. This alignment allows the user to lift movable padlock plate 30 from knob 50 and open the door (not shown). During the unlocked mode, the user cannot rotate dial 110 because the V-shaped protrusion 81 of latch 80 is engaged with the true door 123 / 133 of clutch 120 / 130. Because the tail 93 of lever 90 is pushed, and there is no cutout to allow the tail 93 to be pushed outward, lever 90, button 70, and latch 80 are locked in the inward position throughout the unlocking mode. When the lever tail contact surface 72 of button 70 is pushed inward, the button contact surface 91 of lever 90 is also pushed inward, causing the latch contact surface 92 to contact the lever contact surface 82. This locking occurs because there is no cutout in the base 40 around the main hole 42 to receive the tail 93 during the unlocking mode, resulting in a combined constraint design that prevents the user from rotating the dial 110 in the unlocking mode when the knob shape 50 is aligned with the opening cutout 32 of the movable padlock plate 30. This design helps prevent accidental changes to the correct combination. To relock, the user places the opening cutout 32 back into the knob 50 and then rotates the knob 50 so that the outline of the knob 50 is not aligned with the opening cutout 32 of the movable padlock plate 30. When knob 50 is rotated back to the locked position, lock tail 93 aligns with lock tail notch 43 on the base, and spring 160 pushes latch 80, lever 90, and button 70 into the locked position. The V-shaped protrusion 81 of latch 80 then disengages from the true door 123 / 133 of clutch 120 / 130.The outer surface 71 of the button 70 pops outward from the button cutout 51, allowing the user to toggle the dial 110 and rotate the clutch 120 / 130 so that the door 123 / 133 is not aligned with the V-shaped protrusion 81 of the latch 80.

[0044] Now for reference Figures 16A to 16D The reset mode of the combination lock 10 will now be discussed. When the user rotates all dials 110 to the correct combination, aligning the true gates 123 / 133 of clutches 120 / 130 with the V-shaped protrusions 81 of latch 80, the user can push the reset tail 136 of reset clutch 130 to place the combination lock 10 in the reset mode, allowing the stacked clutches 120 / 130 to move toward the large diameter 102 of spindle 100, thereby compressing spring 160. As clutches 120 / 130 move toward the large diameter 102, extended vanes 121 / 131 disengage from the teeth 111 of dial 110, allowing the user to rotate dial 110 to select the desired new correct combination. After setting, the user releases the reset tail 136, and spring 160 pushes the stack of standard clutches 120 and reset clutches 130 back to their initial position, causing extended vanes 121 / 131 to re-engage with the teeth 111 of dial 110. The ratchet plate 150 is placed to give the dial 110 a ratchet feel with each rotation.

[0045] Therefore, it can be seen that the aforementioned objectives, which are obvious from the foregoing description, have been effectively achieved, and since certain changes can be made to the foregoing without departing from the scope of the invention, everything contained in this disclosure or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative rather than restrictive. It should be understood that all the current drawings and the accompanying descriptive discussions of the corresponding embodiments do not imply a completely rigorous treatment of the invention under consideration. It should be understood that the above arrangements are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Many modifications and alternative arrangements can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A combination lock, comprising: A fixed padlock plate, configured for mounting to a fixed object by one or more fasteners; The movable padlock piece is operably connected to the fixed padlock piece and has a cutout formed on its own; A knob, operably connected to the base, has a shape corresponding to a cutout in the movable padlock piece, such that the knob is configured to pass through the movable padlock piece for operating the combination lock to the unlock mode; The inner body is configured to connect to the knob and the base to allow the knob and the inner body to rotate relative to the base; A lever, located within the inner body and the knob, and the lever includes a locking tail; The base includes a lock tail cutout formed therein, the lock tail cutout being configured to receive the lock tail of the lever to prevent the knob and the inner body from rotating relative to the base when the combination lock is in the locked mode; The combination lock is configured to operate in unlock mode when the lock tail of the lever disengages from the lock tail notch of the base.

2. The combination lock according to claim 1 further includes: The dial is positioned to rotate within the knob and the inner body; The clutch is located within the knob and the inner body and is configured to rotate in accordance with the dial. and A latch is located within the knob and the inner body, wherein at least a portion of the latch is located between the lever and the clutch, and the dial is located within the latch.

3. The combination lock according to claim 1, wherein, The base includes a main hole therein, the lock tail cutout is positioned adjacent to the main hole, and the base also includes a rotary guide extending at least partially around the main hole; and The inner body includes a cylindrical main body and a motion controller. The cylindrical main body is configured to extend through the main hole of the base, and the motion controller extends from the cylindrical main body and is configured to engage with the rotating guide rail of the base.

4. The combination lock according to claim 3, wherein, The base further includes a locking ring receiving notch formed therein, and the cylindrical body of the inner body includes a locking ring notch formed therein, and the locking ring notch is configured to receive a locking ring, wherein the locking ring is further configured to be disposed within the locking ring receiving notch of the base to secure the inner body to the base while allowing the inner body to rotate relative to the base.

5. The combination lock according to claim 3, wherein, The base's rotating guide rail is configured to allow the motion controller to move between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the lever's locking tail engages with the locking tail notch of the base. In the second position, the knob is positioned to allow the combination lock to be operated to an unlocked mode.

6. The combination lock according to claim 2, wherein, The clutch includes a real door and at least one fake door; The latch includes a protrusion, and when the protrusion is located in the real door, the tail of the lever can disengage from the tail notch of the base to operate the combination lock into the unlocked mode; and When the protrusion engages with the dummy door, the lever's tail cannot disengage from the tail cutout of the base.

7. The combination lock according to claim 2, wherein, The dial includes teeth, and the clutch includes an extended vane configured to engage with the teeth of the dial, such that rotational motion of the dial is transmitted to the clutch.

8. The combination lock of claim 2 further includes a button having an outer surface and a lever tail contact surface, wherein the outer surface extends at least partially from the knob, and the lever tail contact surface is configured to operably engage with the button contact surface of the lever; The lever further includes a latch contact portion located on the lever opposite the button contact surface, the latch contact portion being configured to operably engage with the lever contact surface of the latch; and The movement of the button is transmitted to the lever and the latch.

9. The combination lock according to claim 8, wherein, The button is configured to move linearly within the knob, and the linear movement of the button is converted into linear movement of the latch and the lever within the knob and the inner body.

10. The combination lock according to claim 5, wherein, In the first position, the knob is not aligned with the opening cut of the movable padlock piece, and the movable padlock piece cannot detach from the base, so that the combination lock is in the locked mode. In the second position, the knob is aligned with the opening cut of the movable padlock piece, and the movable padlock piece can detach from the base, so that the combination lock can be operated to the unlocked mode.

11. The combination lock according to claim 6, wherein, The tailstock cut is positioned adjacent to the main hole of the base, wherein at least a portion of the periphery of the main hole is configured to push the tailstock of the lever in one direction to maintain operable contact between the lever and the latch, thereby holding the protrusion within the true gate of the clutch to inhibit rotation of the dial.

12. The combination lock of claim 2, further comprising a spindle located in the inner body, and wherein the clutch includes a through-hole for receiving the spindle to allow the clutch to rotate about the spindle.

13. The combination lock of claim 2 further includes a second dial and a second clutch, the second clutch being operably connected to the second dial and configured to rotate together with the second dial, wherein both the dial and the second dial have a plurality of indicators disposed thereon, and each of the plurality of indicators on the dial and the second dial together constitutes a correct combination for the combination lock, and wherein the combination lock can be operated to an unlocked mode when the correct combination is entered on the dial and the second dial.

14. The combination lock according to claim 1, wherein, The knob includes a rivet configured to engage with a rivet hole in the inner body to secure the knob to the inner body.

15. The combination lock of claim 12, further comprising a spindle spring configured to push the spindle in a direction toward the latch and the lever so as to advance the tail of the lever into a tail notch of the base when the combination lock is in a locked mode.

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