Electronic padlock

Abstract

An electronic padlock comprises a lock body and a shackle, which can be selectively locked to or detached from the lock body. The lock body includes an electromechanical locking mechanism with a cam rotatable about a pivot axis, and the shackle comprises a first insertion section that can be inserted into the lock body, with a lower retaining section and an upper locking notch. The cam is designed to engage in the upper locking notch of the first insertion section and lock the shackle to the lock body in a locking position, to release the upper locking notch and hold the first insertion section against the lower retaining section in an unlocking position, and to release the lower retaining section of the first insertion section, thereby freeing the shackle from the lock body, in a removal position.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an electronic padlock with a lock body and at least one shackle, which can be selectively locked to the lock body or detachable from the lock body. The lock body comprises a first insertion opening for inserting a first insertion section of the at least one shackle and a second insertion opening for inserting a second insertion section of the at least one shackle into the lock body, wherein the first insertion section of the at least one shackle and the second insertion section of the at least one shackle are connected to one another by a connecting section and can be inserted into the first insertion opening and the second insertion opening along an insertion direction. The lock body further comprises an electromechanical locking device with a cam rotatable about a rotational axis and with an electric motor for driving the cam, as well as a control circuit.

[0002] Such padlocks can be used, in particular, to guide the shackle through or around a portion of an object to be secured, then to form a closed loop between the shackle and the lock body by locking the shackle to the lock body, thereby securing the object. For example, the shackle of a padlock can be guided through an eyelet of a hasp to secure a door or hatch and then locked to the lock body to prevent the door or hatch from opening.Furthermore, padlocks can be used, for example, to secure two-wheelers, especially bicycles, against theft or unauthorized removal. For this purpose, the padlock's shackle can be guided around a frame section of the two-wheeler and around a stationary object, such as a bicycle stand, and then locked to the lock body, so that the frame section of the two-wheeler is securely connected to the stationary object and the two-wheeler is connected to the stationary object. Alternatively, the shackle can also be guided around a spoke of a wheel of the two-wheeler, for example, such that the padlock prevents the wheel from rotating after the shackle is locked and secures the two-wheeler against unauthorized removal.

[0003] Such padlocks are generally known, for example, from DE 10 2019 113 184 B4, CN 110 607 958 A, DE 10 2019 113 163 A1 or DE 10 2021 122250 B3.

[0004] By embodying the padlock disclosed herein as electronic and having an electromechanical locking device, a convenient way for the user to operate the padlock can be created without, for example, having to carry a mechanical key to operate the padlock. However, since padlocks can be used for a variety of different applications, it may be desirable to flexibly adapt the padlock to the requirements of the respective application and to be able to use a single padlock, for example, either to secure a door or hatch or to secure a bicycle.To achieve this, it may be necessary, for example, to be able to connect different shackle elements to the lock body, allowing for different sized loops from the shackle and lock body, for example, allowing a large shackle to be used to conveniently secure a bicycle, while a smaller shackle can be used to conveniently lock a hasp. Furthermore, a reliable and secure locking of the shackle element to the lock body is essential for every application.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an electronic padlock with flexible application possibilities, which also enables a reliable and secure locking of the shackle inserted into the lock body.

[0006] This problem is solved by an electronic padlock having the features of claim 1.

[0007] In the padlock described herein, the first insertion section of the at least one shackle has a lower holding section with respect to the insertion direction and an upper locking notch, and the cam is designed to In a locking rotational position, to engage the upper locking notch of the first insertion portion and to lock the shackle to the lock body; In an unlocking rotational position, to release the upper locking notch and to hold the first insertion portion to the lower holding portion; and In a removal rotational position, to release the lower holding portion of the first insertion portion and thereby the shackle for complete release from the lock body.

[0008] In addition, the control circuit is designed to control the electric motor for driving the cam selectively into the locking rotary position, the unlocking rotary position or the removal rotary position.

[0009] By selectively rotating the cam into the locking rotational position, the unlocking rotational position, or the removal rotational position, the shackle can be selectively locked to the lock body, held to the lock body via the lower holding section of the first insertion section, or completely released for release from the lock body. In particular, the second insertion section can be detachable from the lock body in the unlocking rotational position of the cam, so that the loop formed by the lock body and the shackle in the locked state of the shackle can be opened by moving the cam into the unlocking rotational position, without, however, the shackle having to be completely released from the lock body.

[0010] For example, the shackle can be designed as a substantially U-shaped, rigid U-shackle and have a long leg and a short leg, wherein the long leg can form the first insertion section and the short leg can form the second insertion section. In the unlocking rotational position of the cam, the short leg of the U-shackle can be detachable from the lock body, while the long leg of the shackle is held at the lower holding section by the cam. In particular, the U-shackle held at the lower holding section of the first insertion section on the lock body can be pivoted about the long leg in the unlocking rotational position of the cam in order to be able to guide the shackle comfortably around a section of an object to be secured.

[0011] By reinserting the second insertion section, in particular a short leg of a U-shaped bracket, into the first insertion opening, the first insertion section connected to the second insertion section via the connecting section can also be movable along the insertion direction, so that the upper locking notch can be arranged at the same height as the cam by inserting the bracket and the bracket can then be locked to the lock body by rotating the cam into the locking rotational position and engaging the cam in the locking notch of the first insertion section.

[0012] While the unlocking rotational position of the cam can thus make it possible to release the second insertion section from the lock body in order to release a secured object or to guide the shackle around a section of an object to be secured without the shackle having to be completely separated from the lock body, turning the cam into the removal rotational position also makes it possible to release the lower holding section of the first insertion section and optionally to completely release the shackle from the lock body.

[0013] For example, such a complete release of the shackle can be provided to separate a relatively long or large U-shackle for securing a bicycle from the lock body and conveniently guide it around a frame section of the bicycle and a stationary object. The shackle can then be reinserted into the lock body and locked by turning the cam into the locking position. The removal position of the cam can thus enable convenient operation of the padlock in situations where the lock body and shackle must be brought together from different sides, for example, to secure an object.

[0014] In particular, the removal rotational position of the cam can make it possible to selectively connect different shackle types to the lock body, thereby increasing the flexibility of the electronic padlock. For example, after removing a shackle, a different type of shackle can be inserted, allowing the lock body to be used with a U-shackle, a chain shackle, or a cable shackle, for example. Furthermore, the ability to completely detach the shackle from the lock body allows different shackle types of essentially the same type, such as different U-shackles but of different sizes, materials, and / or diameters, to be selectively connected to the lock body, allowing the use of shackle types tailored to different requirements or conditions.For example, it may be intended to use a U-bolt with a larger diameter and therefore the most stable possible to secure a two-wheeler, whereas a U-bolt with a smaller diameter may be required to be able to use the electronic padlock optionally to secure a relatively small hasp.

[0015] Since the cam is further configured to engage in the upper locking notch of the first insertion section in the locking rotational position, the cam can, in particular, make direct mechanical contact with the locking notch. In this respect, the cam can, in particular, not only be provided to displace a separate intermediate element, in particular a bolt, for example a spherical bolt, in the direction of the first and / or second insertion opening of the lock body or - in the unlocking rotational position or the removal rotational position - to release it for movement radially inward relative to the rotational axis of the cam in order to lock the shackle or to release it for release from the lock body. Rather, the shackle can be locked directly by the cam, without the provision of a further locking element.

[0016] In the same way, the cam can also be designed to directly mechanically contact the lower holding section of the first insertion section in the unlocking rotational position, in order to thereby hold the first insertion section to the lock body. For example, the lower holding section can be designed as a plate-like radial widening of the first insertion section, which strikes the cam during a movement directed outward from the lock body when the cam is in the unlocking rotational position. The first insertion section can thus also be held directly by the cam and not by an intermediate element contacted by the cam, for example a bolt.

[0017] Such direct engagement of the cam in the upper locking notch and direct retention of the lower retaining section allows for secure and reliable locking of the shackle to the lock body, since—unlike padlocks known from the prior art with cam-driven bolts—no intermediate elements are required to lock the shackle, which could in any case fundamentally offer opportunities for manipulation. Rather, the cam can provide a single, stable locking element. The cam can also be axially secured, in particular by a stop on a stable housing of the padlock, so that forces generated, for example, by pulling on the shackle during a break-in attempt can be directly diverted to the housing.In addition, the diameters of the insertion sections can be matched to the diameters of the insertion openings in such a way that any objects intended to manipulate the rotational position of the cam are prevented from being inserted through the insertion openings, and the cam cannot be moved out of the locking rotational position by unauthorized persons. Furthermore, the reduction in the number of components of the electromechanical locking device and the elimination of intermediate elements driven by a cam result in simplified padlock assembly, as fewer components need to be incorporated into the lock body.

[0018] As already explained, the at least one bracket can be designed, in particular, as a rigid U-bracket, wherein the first insertion section and the second insertion section can be formed by respective legs of the U-bracket. In particular, the first insertion section can be formed by a long leg of the U-bracket, and the second insertion section by a short leg of the U-bracket, although embodiments with legs of equal length can also be provided. The connecting section can be formed by a rigid, in particular curved, section that connects the two legs.

[0019] In addition, the shackle can be designed, for example, as a flexible cable or chain shackle, in which the insertion sections can be formed, in particular, by respective blocks that are connected to one another by a flexible connecting section designed as a cable, in particular a wire cable, or chain. In such embodiments, it can also be provided in principle that the cam is designed to continue to engage in the upper locking notch of the first insertion section in the unlocking rotational position, but to release the second insertion section for release from the lock body, since, due to the flexible connection to the second insertion section, a partial release of the first insertion section in a cable or chain lock is not absolutely necessary in order to be able to release the second insertion section from the lock body.Therefore, the first insertion section of a cable or chain lock does not necessarily have to have a lower holding section.

[0020] In addition, in some embodiments, the second insertion section may have a further locking notch and the cam may be configured to also engage the further locking notch in the locking rotational position in order to directly lock both the first insertion section and the second insertion section.

[0021] Further embodiments are explained in the dependent claims, the description and the figures.

[0022] In some embodiments, the second insertion section can be detachable from the lock body in the unlocked rotational position of the cam. As already explained, the second insertion section can be formed, in particular, by a shorter leg of a U-shaped bracket with a long and a short leg, wherein the U-shaped bracket can be pivoted about the lower holding section formed on the long leg, in particular in the unlocked rotational position of the cam. Alternatively, the insertion sections can also be formed by respective blocks connected to one another, for example, by a cable or a chain, wherein the block forming the second insertion section can be detachable from the lock body when the cam is in the unlocked rotational position.

[0023] In general, in some embodiments, the first insertion section may have a greater extension than the second insertion section with respect to the insertion direction, wherein the bracket may be pivotable about the first insertion section in the unlocking rotational position of the cam.

[0024] In some embodiments, the cam may have: a first locking portion projecting radially outward relative to the rotational axis, which is designed to engage the upper locking notch in the locking rotational position of the cam; a blocking portion offset radially inward relative to the first locking portion, which is designed to engage the lower holding portion of the first insertion portion in the unlocking rotational position of the cam; and a release portion offset radially inward relative to the blocking portion, which is oriented in the direction of the first insertion opening in the removal rotational position.

[0025] In particular, the first locking portion can be oriented toward the first insertion opening when the cam is rotated into the locking rotational position, and the blocking portion can be oriented toward the first insertion opening when the cam is rotated into the unlocking rotational position. Furthermore, both the first locking portion and the blocking portion can have a radial extension such that the first locking portion and the blocking portion engage in the first insertion opening when the cam is rotated into the locking rotational position and the unlocking rotational position, respectively.Furthermore, the first locking portion can abut against a boundary, in particular a lower boundary, of the first locking notch when the shackle is inserted into the lock body and the cam is in the locking rotational position, and the blocking portion can abut against the holding portion when the shackle is inserted into the lock body and the cam is in the unlocking rotational position. The release portion, on the other hand, can have a radial extension such that the release portion does not engage in the first insertion opening when the cam is rotated into the removal rotational position, so that the first insertion opening is released in the removal rotational position of the cam, and the first insertion portion can be completely removed from the first insertion opening.

[0026] In some embodiments, the rotational axis of the cam can be aligned parallel to the insertion direction, and the first insertion opening and the second insertion opening can be arranged radially offset from the rotational axis of the cam. The first insertion opening and the second insertion opening can further open into respective insertion channels extending along the insertion direction, into which the first insertion section and the second insertion section of the shackle inserted into the lock body can extend.

[0027] In this respect, the first locking portion can be designed to engage in such an insertion channel when the cam is rotated into the locking rotational position, and the blocking portion can be designed to engage in the insertion channel when the cam is rotated into the unlocking rotational position, whereas the release portion can be designed not to protrude into such an insertion channel when the cam is rotated into the removal rotational position and the release portion is aligned in the direction of the insertion channel.

[0028] In some embodiments, the cam may further comprise a further release section that is offset radially inward relative to the blocking section and is oriented toward the second insertion opening in the removal rotational position of the cam. The further release section may, in particular, have a radial extension relative to the rotational axis of the cam that corresponds to a radial extension of the release section. In particular, the further release section may be configured not to engage the second insertion opening or a second insertion channel when the cam is rotated into the removal rotational position.It can therefore be provided that the cam engages neither in the first insertion opening nor in the second insertion opening in the removal rotational position, so that a removed shackle can be inserted into the lock body without striking the cam and thereby damaging the cam or any other component of the electromechanical locking device.

[0029] In addition, in some embodiments, the cam can have an unlocking section which, in the unlocked rotational position of the cam, is oriented toward the second insertion opening. The extension of the unlocking section of the cam in the radial direction can, in particular, be such that the unlocking section does not engage in the second insertion opening in the unlocked rotational position, so that the second insertion section can be released from the lock body when the cam is in the unlocked rotational position. For this purpose, the unlocking section can, in particular, be offset radially inward relative to the blocking section and / or have a radial extension corresponding to the release section and / or the further release section.

[0030] In some embodiments, the cam can be moved from the locking rotational position by rotation along a first rotational direction into the unlocking rotational position and by rotation along a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction into the removal rotational position. Due to such counter-rotation of the cam during operation of the padlock, that portion of the cam, in particular the aforementioned first locking portion, which engages the upper locking notch of the first insertion portion in the locking rotational position of the cam, can be rotated only slightly, in particular by less than 90 degrees, out of the locking rotational position.

[0031] In particular, the portion of the cam engaging the locking notch can define a maximum radial extension of the cam, which is deflected relative to a connecting line between the insertion openings by rotating the cam out of the locking rotational position. By keeping this deflection small by rotating the cam in opposite directions, the extension of the lock body required to enable the rotational movements of the cam can also be limited along a transverse direction oriented perpendicular to the connecting line between the insertion openings, thus allowing a narrow design of the lock body.In particular, the counter-rotation of the cam enables a reduction in the extension of the lock body in the transverse direction in embodiments explained in more detail below, in which the cam has a second locking section in order to also engage in a locking notch formed on the second insertion section in the locking rotational position, so that the cam is deflected on both sides relative to the connecting line between the insertion openings when rotating starting from the locking rotational position.

[0032] In some embodiments, the cam can be moved from the locking rotational position into the unlocking rotational position by a rotation of less than 45 degrees, in particular by a rotation of 30 degrees or less than 30 degrees. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, the cam can be moved from the locking rotational position into the removal rotational position by a rotation of less than 45 degrees, in particular by a rotation of 30 degrees or less than 30 degrees. Furthermore, in some embodiments, it can be provided alternatively or additionally that the cam can be moved from the unlocking rotational position into the removal rotational position by a rotation of less than 90 degrees, in particular by a rotation of 60 degrees or less than 60 degrees.

[0033] In particular, in embodiments in which the cam can be moved from the locking rotational position into the unlocking rotational position by a rotation along a first rotational direction and into the removal rotational position by a rotation along a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction, a narrow construction of the lock body can be realized by performing only such slight rotational movements.

[0034] In some embodiments, the lock body can have a maximum extension in a transverse direction oriented perpendicular to the insertion direction and perpendicular to a connecting line between the first insertion opening and the second insertion opening, which is less than a maximum extension of the cam in a plane oriented perpendicular to the insertion direction. In this respect, the lock body can be designed to be particularly narrow and extend primarily along the connecting line between the first insertion opening and the second insertion opening. Such a narrow design of the lock body can be achieved in particular in embodiments in which the cam does not have to be rotated by 90 degrees or more along a direction of rotation in order to be moved between the locking rotational position, the unlocking rotational position, and the removal rotational position.

[0035] In some embodiments, the upper locking notch can be rectangular in cross-section and have a flat boundary surface which is designed to bear against a flat stop surface of the cam when the shackle is locked to the lock body. In particular, such a flat contact can enable a positive-locking hold of the first insertion section by the cam. The boundary surface and the stop surface can furthermore be oriented in particular perpendicular to the insertion direction, such that the boundary surface and the stop surface can be oriented in particular perpendicular to a force to be exerted by pulling on the shackle during a break-in attempt in order to prevent a diversion of such a force, which could possibly lead to a torque exerted on the cam, and to achieve secure locking.

[0036] In some embodiments, the second insertion section can have a further locking notch, wherein the cam can be designed to engage in the further locking notch in the locking rotational position and to release the further locking notch in the unlocking rotational position. In particular, the cam can have a second locking section which is designed to engage in the further locking notch in the locking rotational position of the cam. The second locking section can in particular have a radial extension corresponding to a radial extension of the aforementioned first locking section. In addition, the further locking notch can be designed to correspond to the upper locking notch of the first insertion section and, for example, be rectangular in cross-section.In particular, the upper locking notch of the first insertion section and the further locking notch can be arranged axially at the same height with respect to the insertion direction when the shackle is inserted into the lock body.

[0037] In some embodiments, the first locking portion and the aforementioned second locking portion can be offset from one another by less than 180 degrees with respect to the rotational axis. In such embodiments, the rotational axis of the cam can, in particular, be arranged off-center with respect to the lock body and / or not intersect a connecting line from the first insertion opening to the second insertion opening, in particular a connecting line between the respective centers of the insertion openings. Such an off-center arrangement can, in particular, make it possible to provide space for additional components of the electromechanical locking device and / or the control circuit on a side of the lock body facing away from the rotational axis. In particular, a sensor for detecting the shackle and / or the rotational position of the cam can be arranged on this side, as explained in more detail below.

[0038] In some embodiments, the holding section can be formed by a circumferential radial widening of the first insertion section, wherein the holding section can be formed in particular at a lower end section of the first insertion section. Furthermore, the holding section can in particular have a flat contact surface, which can strike the aforementioned stop surface of the cam when the cam is rotated into the unlocking rotational position.

[0039] In some embodiments, the lock body can further comprise a pre-tensioning element designed to pre-tension the shackle inserted into the lock body counter to the insertion direction. In particular, such a pre-tensioning element can force the first insertion section, and thus the shackle as a whole, out of the lock body when the cam is rotated into the unlocking position, so that the user of the lock does not have to separately pull the shackle out of the lock body. In addition, the pre-tensioning element can serve to hold the lower holding section in contact with the cam when the cam is rotated into the unlocking position, for example to enable a U-shackle to pivot about a long leg without the shackle being able to slip back into the lock body. The pre-tensioning element can be designed, for example, as a spring.

[0040] In some embodiments, the lock body may include a lock for the shackle, which is designed to hold the shackle inserted into the lock body against the pretension in the lock body.

[0041] In particular, the lock can be designed to hold the shackle inserted into the lock body in the lock body in such a way that the upper locking notch of the first insertion section is arranged axially with respect to the rotational axis of the cam at the same height as the cam, so that the cam can be moved into the locking rotational position without striking the insertion section. The lock can thus serve, in particular, to hold the shackle against the preload in a position in which the cam is released for trouble-free rotation into the locking rotational position, so that a user of the padlock does not have to specifically hold the inserted shackle against the preload in order to lock the shackle.

[0042] In particular, the lock can be configured to hold the shackle on the lower holding portion of the first insertion portion. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the lock can be arranged in alignment with the first insertion opening in order to be able to hold the shackle in the lock body via the first insertion portion.

[0043] In principle, the lock can be designed solely to hold the shackle in the lock body against the preload, but without performing any security-relevant function with regard to locking. Rather, locking can be achieved by the cam engaging the locking notch. Therefore, in some designs, the lock can be made of die-cast zinc or plastic, making it easy to manufacture.

[0044] In some embodiments, the cam may be configured to contact the lock upon rotation from the locking rotational position to the unlocking rotational position and to move it into a release position in which the lock releases the shackle for release from the lock body.

[0045] In particular, the lock can be pivotable between a locking position, in which the lock holds the shackle inserted into the lock body, in the lock body, and the release position, and the cam can be designed to contact the lock with a driver section of the cam during rotation from the locking rotational position to the unlocking rotational position and to pivot the lock into the release position in order to release the shackle for detachment from the lock body. During a subsequent movement of the shackle along the insertion direction into the lock body, the lock held in the release position by the driver section can be pushed under the cam, in particular by the shackle, and the lock can also be pretensioned towards a locking position, so that the lock can automatically snap back into the locking position and hold the shackle as a result of the pushing under the cam, in particular under the driver section.In particular, a pivot axis of a pivotable lock can be guided axially with respect to the insertion direction in a groove in order to enable an axial movement of the lock to push the lock under the cams and a pivoting of the lock pushed under the cams into the locking position.

[0046] If the cam is rotated into the locking position after the lock has been pushed under the cam, the lock can be moved, in particular axially, counter to the insertion direction as soon as the lock is released for such axial movement by the cam, in particular a driver section of the cam. For this purpose, the lock can be preloaded, in particular, counter to the insertion direction, or the axial movement of the lock released by the cam can occur counter to the insertion direction due to the aforementioned preload of the shackle. The axial movement of the lock counter to the insertion direction can, however, be limited by a boundary surface of the upper locking notch of the first insertion section striking a stop surface of the cam or by a housing stop specifically provided for the lock on a housing of the padlock.In particular, as a result of the rotation of the cam into the locking rotational position, the lock can be arranged axially again in such a way that the lock can be contacted by a driver portion of the cam.

[0047] Because the lock is designed to hold the shackle in the lock body, a change in the axial position of the lock can also affect the axial position of the shackle that is held and connected to the lock. To enable engagement of the cam in the locking notch when the lock is forced under the cam, and in particular under the driver portion, and when the lock is axially arranged such that the lock can be pivoted by the driver portion of the cam, the locking notch can, in some embodiments, have an axial extent that is greater than the axial extent of the cam, so that the cam can engage in the locking notch in various axial positions of the lock and the held shackle.

[0048] In some embodiments, the lock body may include a sensor configured to detect when the shackle is in a locking position in the lock body, in which the shackle can be locked to the lock body, and to detect when the first insertion portion is held on the holding portion by the cam positioned in the unlocking rotational position. The sensor may further be configured to transmit respective detection signals to the control circuit.

[0049] Since the lock body can comprise such a sensor, in particular a locking position of the shackle and an unlocking position can be detected, wherein the control circuit can in particular be designed to distinguish between the respective detection signals. In the locking position, the upper locking notch can be located in particular at the same height as the cam with respect to the insertion direction, so that the cam can be brought into engagement with the upper locking notch without interference by rotating it into the locking rotational position. By detecting the locking position of the shackle, it can thus be ensured that the cam is only rotated into the locking rotational position when such a rotational movement is permitted and not blocked by the first insertion section.Therefore, in some embodiments, the control circuit may be configured to rotate the cam into the locking rotational position only when the sensor detects the bracket in the locking position.

[0050] In some embodiments, the lock body may include a contact element configured to contact the sensor when the shackle is in the locked position and to release the sensor when the shackle is held by the cam on the holding portion.

[0051] In particular, the contact element can be the aforementioned lock, which can contact the sensor in the locked position and release it in the released position. In this respect, the features explained below with regard to the contact element can also be provided in the lock, and in particular also in embodiments that have a lock but no sensor that can be contacted by the lock.

[0052] In some embodiments, the contact element can be arranged in alignment with the first insertion opening. The contact element can therefore be contactable, in particular, by the first insertion section, in order to be influenced by a movement of the first insertion section and to be able to come into contact with the sensor when the first insertion section is inserted far enough into the lock body or the first insertion opening that the locking notch is arranged at the same height as the cam with respect to the insertion direction, and the cam can be rotated into the locking rotational position.

[0053] In some embodiments, the contact element can be pivotable, and the cam can be designed to pivot the contact element with a driver section upon rotation from the locking rotational position to the unlocking rotational position, thereby releasing the contact of the contact element with the sensor. In particular, the contact section can be pivotable about a pivot axis oriented perpendicular to the rotational axis. Furthermore, as already explained, the contact element can act as a lock for the shackle, wherein the contact section or the lock can be pivoted from a locked position to a released position by rotating the cam into the unlocking rotational position, on the one hand to interrupt contact with the sensor and on the other hand to release the shackle for release from the lock body.

[0054] In some embodiments, the contact element can be preloaded toward the sensor and can be pushed beneath the driver section into the locking position by moving the bracket along the insertion direction. The contact element pushed beneath the driver section can further be configured to pivot toward the sensor as a result of the preload and to contact the sensor. In particular, in such embodiments, the contact element can be pushed beneath the driver section when the cam is in the unlocking rotational position.

[0055] Furthermore, the contact element can be designed, in particular, to rest against the driver section below the driver section when the contact element is pushed under the cam and the cam is in the unlocking rotational position. As already explained above with regard to the lock, the contact element can be pivotable, in particular, about an axially displaceable pivot axis to enable movement under the cam on the one hand and pivoting toward the sensor on the other.

[0056] In some embodiments, the control circuit may be configured to control the electric motor to drive the cam from the unlocking rotational position to the locking rotational position when the contact element first releases the sensor and then contacts the sensor.

[0057] If the sensor is released by the contact element, the shackle is not in the locked position, but is held in place by the holding section. However, if such a release of the sensor is followed by contact by the contact element, the shackle has been moved into the locked position or fully inserted into the lock body, so that locking is apparently intended. In this respect, simply moving the shackle into the locked position, thereby bringing the contact element into contact with the sensor, can transmit a locking command to the control circuit, which can implement the locking command accordingly by rotating the cam to the locked position.If the contact element also acts as a lock for the shackle, the contact detected by the sensor can also ensure that the shackle has not come loose from the locking position and that the cam can rotate smoothly into the locking position.

[0058] In some embodiments, the sensor may have an upper sensor portion and a lower sensor portion and be configured to transmit a first detection signal to the control circuit upon contact of the upper sensor portion and a second detection signal upon contact of the lower sensor portion.

[0059] In some embodiments, the control circuit may be configured to distinguish between the first detection signal and the second detection signal.

[0060] In particular, such a design of the sensor with an upper sensor section and a lower sensor section can be provided in embodiments in which the contact element can be pushed under the cam when the cam is in the unlocking rotational position. Due to this pushing under the cam, the contact element can in particular contact the lower sensor section, whereas the contact element can be released for axial movement by rotating the cam into the locking rotational position in order to then contact the upper sensor section. This can in particular also make it possible for the sensor to detect whether the shackle is already locked, since in this case the upper sensor section is contacted, whereas the lower sensor section is contacted when locking is to occur.

[0061] In some embodiments, the contact element can be preloaded toward the upper sensor section. This can be achieved, for example, by a preload element associated with the contact element and / or by preloading the bracket held by the contact element counter to the insertion direction. Such preloading can, in particular, ensure that the contact element contacts the upper sensor section when the contact element is released for axial movement toward the upper sensor section, in particular by the cam.

[0062] In some embodiments, the control circuit may be configured to control the electric motor to drive the cam from the unlocking rotational position to the locking rotational position when the contact element first releases the sensor and then contacts the sensor at the lower sensor portion.

[0063] As already explained, this can be provided in particular in embodiments in which the contact element can be pushed under a driver section of the cam when the cam is in the unlocking rotational position and a locking of the bracket is to take place, so that a locking command can be clearly transmitted and identified as a contact of the lower sensor section following a release of the sensor.

[0064] In some embodiments, the contact element may be configured to contact the sensor on the upper sensor portion as a result of a movement of the cam from the unlocking rotational position to the removal rotational position.

[0065] In particular, it can be provided that the aforementioned driver section of the cam releases the contact element for pivoting upon rotation of the cam into the removal rotational position. For this purpose, a rotational direction of the cam during rotation from the unlocking rotational position to the removal rotational position can be opposite, in particular, to a rotational direction of the cam during rotation from the locking rotational position to the unlocking rotational position. However, as a result of this rotation of the cam, the contact element is only released for pivoting movement, but not forced under the cam, so that the contact element can contact the upper sensor section.If contact is made with the upper but not the lower sensor section when the sensor is released, it can be determined that locking is not intended, but that the cam has been turned into the removal position in which the shackle can be completely released from the lock body.

[0066] In some embodiments, the contact element can be pre-tensioned in the direction of the sensor and pivotable against the pre-tension by inserting the shackle, which has been released from the lock body, into the lock body. In particular, the contact element can be pivoted against the pre-tension by the first insertion section when the shackle is inserted into the lock body. To enable such pivoting, the contact element can in particular have a contact surface for the shackle, in particular the first insertion section, which is inclined with respect to the insertion direction, so that a movement of the shackle along the insertion direction can be redirected into a pivoting movement of the contact element. However, when the shackle reaches the locking position, the contact element can pivot back towards the sensor due to the pre-tension and contact the sensor, so that the locking position can be detected.

[0067] As already explained, the contact element can also form a lock for the shackle, in particular, to hold the shackle in the lock body. The lock, in particular by means of a corresponding obliquely oriented contact surface, can be pivoted from a locking position into a release position by inserting the shackle against a preload, in order to enable insertion of the shackle. However, the lock can also be designed to snap back into the locking position when the shackle reaches the locking position and hold the shackle in the locking position to ensure trouble-free rotation of the cam into the locking rotation position.For this purpose, the lock can in particular have a locking surface which adjoins the inclined contact surface and is oriented perpendicular to the insertion direction and which can cooperate with a contact surface which is formed on the first insertion section, in particular the lower holding section, and which is also oriented perpendicular to the insertion direction, in order to hold the shackle in the lock body.

[0068] In some embodiments, the contact element may be designed to hold the shackle in the locking position in the lock body.

[0069] In some embodiments, the control circuit may be configured to control the electric motor for driving the cam from the removal rotational position into the locking rotational position when the sensor is released from the contact element after transmission of the first detection signal and is then contacted again.

[0070] When the cam is in the removal rotational position and the shackle is completely released from the lock body, in some embodiments the contact element can contact the sensor at the upper sensor portion so that the first detection signal can be transmitted to the control circuit. If the shackle is then inserted into the lock body and the locking position is transferred, the contact element can initially be removed from the sensor, whereby the contact element can contact the sensor again when the shackle reaches the locking position.In this respect, the described sequence of detection signals can detect that a shackle that has been released from the lock body has been inserted into the lock body, so that a locking command can be transmitted immediately by completely inserting the shackle into the lock body and generating the said sequence, whereupon the control circuit can rotate the cam into the locking rotation position.

[0071] In some embodiments, the contact element may be configured to contact the sensor at the upper sensor portion when the shackle is locked to the lock body.

[0072] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the locked bracket can be movable along the insertion direction, and the contact element can be configured to contact the sensor at the lower sensor portion as a result of movement of the locked bracket along the insertion direction. In such embodiments, the control circuit can be configured to control the electric motor to drive the cam from the locking rotational position to the unlocking rotational position when the sensor first transmits the first detection signal and then the second detection signal.

[0073] Since the locked bracket can be moved along the insertion direction, the bracket and thus the contact element can be axially movable by pressing the bracket, so that the sensor that was originally contacted by the contact element at the upper sensor section when the bracket was locked can be contacted at the lower sensor section. The control circuit can be configured to identify the aforementioned sequence of a second detection signal following the first detection signal as an unlocking command and, in response to the unlocking command, to control the electric motor to drive the cam from the locked rotational position to the unlocking rotational position. In this respect, in some embodiments, an unlocking command can be transmitted to the control circuit by pressing the locked bracket.

[0074] In particular, the shackle and the contact element can be coupled with respect to axial movements when the shackle is locked to the lock body. Furthermore, an extension of the upper locking notch along the insertion direction can be greater than an extension of the cam, in particular the first locking portion of the cam, in order to enable an axial movement of the locked shackle relative to the cam. A user thus only needs to move the shackle along the insertion direction to easily transmit an unlocking command to the control circuit.

[0075] In some embodiments, the lock body may further comprise a radio module for receiving control signals, wherein the control circuit may be configured to drive the electric motor to move the cam from the locking rotational position to the unlocking rotational position only when the radio module receives an authentication signal. For example, the radio module may be configured to receive the authentication signal from a mobile opening device, in particular a smartphone, of the authorized user.

[0076] Particularly in embodiments in which an unlocking command can be transmitted by pressing the shackle into the lock body, such an additional authentication signal can ensure that only the authorized user can open the lock. However, in such embodiments, the authentication signal can, in particular, comprise a device identification of an opening device of the user, in particular a smartphone, so that the unlocking command transmitted by pressing the shackle can be executed, in particular, if a connection to the known opening device exists, for example, a Bluetooth connection between the radio module of the padlock and the user's opening device, without the user having to enter their own unlocking command on the opening device.

[0077] Alternatively or additionally, however, it can also be provided that an unlocking command can be transmitted directly from the mobile opening device to the lock's radio module in order to open the lock. For example, such an unlocking command can be selected in a smartphone app of the padlock user and transmitted to the padlock via the app. The control circuit can be configured to control the electric motor as a result of an unlocking command received at the radio module to drive the cam into the unlocking rotational position.

[0078] In some embodiments, the control circuit can be configured to control the electric motor in response to a release command received at the radio module to drive the cam into the removal rotational position. In particular, removing the shackle may require the transmission of a clear release command to the radio module, so that the shackle can always be held against the lock body during normal operation and can only be released from the lock body upon a clear release command. The release command can also be selectable, in particular, in an app on the user's opening device.

[0079] In some embodiments, the control circuit may be configured to drive the electric motor in response to a locking command received at the radio module to drive the cam to the locking rotational position.

[0080] In such embodiments, it can thus be provided that locking can only be carried out by the authorized user, who can transmit the locking command to the padlock, for example, via a corresponding app on a smartphone. The locking command can also be transmitted automatically, for example, if the radio module is connected to a known opening device of the padlock user, so that in such a case, the cam can be automatically rotated into the locking position as a result of the shackle being moved into the locking position. Alternatively, it can be provided that the locking command must be explicitly transmitted to the radio module.

[0081] In other embodiments, however, it may also be provided that no separate locking command is required to lock the lock, but rather the cam can be rotated directly into the locking position when the sensor is contacted after being released by the contact element, in particular at a lower sensor section. In such embodiments, the padlock can thus, in principle, be locked by anyone.

[0082] In some embodiments, the axis of rotation of the cam can be arranged off-center with respect to the lock body. In particular, in such embodiments, the axis of rotation of the cam may not intersect a connecting line oriented perpendicular to the axis of rotation from the first insertion opening to the second insertion opening. Such an off-center arrangement of the axis of rotation of the cam can, in particular, also enable an off-center arrangement of the electric motor, whose axis of rotation can correspond to the axis of rotation of the cam or be aligned parallel to the axis of rotation of the cam, in order to be able to keep space free for the arrangement of the sensor on a side of the lock body facing away from the axis of rotation of the cam.

[0083] In some embodiments, the control circuit can be configured to control the electric motor for driving the cam from the unlocking rotational position to the removal rotational position, but not directly from the locking rotational position to the removal rotational position. In this respect, it can be provided that the cam must always first be driven from the locking rotational position to the unlocking rotational position before the cam can be driven to the removal rotational position and the shackle can be released from the lock body.

[0084] Such a sequence can be provided in particular in embodiments in which a lock is provided for holding the shackle in the lock body, in order to first move the lock from a locked position to a released position by rotating the cam from the locking rotational position to the unlocking rotational position, and to release the shackle for detachment from the lock body. The shackle released by the lock can then be moved, in particular due to a preload, counter to the insertion direction in order to strike the cam with the holding section and be held on the lock body. By subsequently rotating the cam into the removal rotational position, the lock can snap back into the locked position, but cannot re-engage the shackle moved axially relative to the lock, so that the shackle can be released from both the lock and the cam for detachment from the lock body.If, however, in such embodiments the cam were to be rotated directly from the locking rotational position into the removal rotational position, the shackle would still be held by the lock in the lock body, so that it would not be possible to release the shackle from the lock body.

[0085] In some embodiments, the lock body may include a measuring device for measuring the rotational position of the cam. The measuring device may, in particular, be connected to the control circuit. In some embodiments, the measuring device may thus directly communicate the rotational position of the cam to the control circuit, whereby the signals from the measuring device may be taken into account, in particular, in addition to signals from the aforementioned sensor.

[0086] In some embodiments, the lock body may include a power source for supplying the control circuit and / or the electric motor and / or the sensor with electrical energy. Such an electrical energy source may, in particular, be a battery and / or an accumulator. The energy source may, in particular, also be provided for supplying the aforementioned radio module with electrical energy.

[0087] The sensor mentioned may, for example, comprise a mechanical contact switch and / or a capacitive proximity switch and / or an inductive sensor. Furthermore, the control circuit may, in particular, comprise a microprocessor and / or a CPU (central processing unit).

[0088] Furthermore, an electronic padlock is disclosed with a lock body and at least one shackle, which can be selectively inserted into the lock body and locked in a closed position within the lock body or released for movement relative to the lock body from the closed position into an open position. The lock body comprises an electromechanical locking device with a cam rotatable about a rotational axis and with an electric motor for driving the cam, as well as a control circuit. Furthermore, the inserted shackle can be locked in the closed position by rotating the cam into a locking rotational position and can be released for movement into the open position by rotating the cam into an unlocking rotational position. The control circuit is designed to control the electric motor for driving the cam selectively into the locking rotational position or the unlocking rotational position.According to this aspect, the lock body further comprises a lock for holding the shackle inserted into the lock body in a locking position, wherein the cam is rotatable from the unlocking rotational position to the locking rotational position when the shackle is held in the locking position.

[0089] As already explained above, such a lock ensures that the cam can be moved smoothly from the unlocking position to the locking position. In this respect, regardless of whether the cam can also be rotated into a removal position and the shackle can be completely released from the lock body, a lock enables reliable and secure handling and control of the padlock, especially when the shackle is pre-tensioned toward the open position.This can also be achieved both in embodiments in which the cam, as explained above, locks the shackle directly by engaging in a locking notch, and in embodiments in which an intermediate element, for example a bolt, is provided which can be driven by the cam and which engages in a locking notch to lock the shackle and is released by the cam for a radially inward movement when the cam is positioned in the unlocking rotational position and the shackle is to be released from the lock body.

[0090] In general, the lock can be designed as already explained above for the electronic padlock with a cam which is in particular rotatable into a removal rotational position and in the locking rotational position engages directly into a locking notch of a first insertion section of a shackle, and / or like the contact element described in this regard can be designed to contact a sensor, wherein, however, such a sensor, a direct engagement of the cam in a locking notch and a removal rotational position according to the aspect described here do not necessarily have to be provided, but can be.

[0091] In some embodiments, the shackle inserted into the lock body can be pre-tensioned toward the open position. In particular, a spring arranged in the lock body can be provided for this purpose.

[0092] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the shackle can be connected to the lock body in the open position or can be completely detachable from the lock body. In particular, the shackle can be a U-shackle with a long and a short leg, wherein the long leg is held on the lock body in the unlocked rotational position of the cam and the open position of the shackle, and the short leg can be detached from the lock body and / or pivotable about the long leg.

[0093] In some embodiments, the lock may be movable between a locking position in which the lock locks the shackle against movement into the open position and a release position in which the lock releases the shackle for movement into the open position.

[0094] In some embodiments, the cam can be configured to contact the lock upon rotation from the locking position to the unlocking position and to move it from the locking position to the release position. In particular, as already explained, the cam can have a driver portion for this purpose, which contacts the lock upon rotation from the locking position to the unlocking position.

[0095] In some embodiments, the lock can be pivoted from the locked position to the released position. In particular, the lock can be pivoted about a pivot axis oriented perpendicular to the rotational axis of the cam.

[0096] In some embodiments, the lock can be moved from the locked position to the release position by moving the bracket from the open position to the locked position. For this purpose, the lock can, in particular, have an inclined contact surface that can be contacted as a result of the movement of the bracket from the open position to the locked position, allowing the lock to pivot from the locked position to the release position.

[0097] In some embodiments, the lock can be preloaded toward the locked position. This can, in particular, enable the lock to automatically snap into the locked position and thereby hold the shackle in the locked position, provided the lock is released for movement into the locked position. In particular, a lock that can be moved from the locked position to the released position by moving the shackle from the open position to the locked position can be configured to snap into the locked position due to the preload upon reaching the locked position and to hold the shackle in the locked position.

[0098] In some embodiments, the lock can be pushed under the cam by moving the shackle from the open position into the locked position. In particular, the lock can be pushed under the cam when the cam is in the unlocking rotational position. By pushing the lock under the cam, the lock can in particular be brought out of contact with a driver section of the cam, by means of which the lock can be pivoted into the release position upon rotation of the cam into the unlocking position in order to snap into the locked position due to the pretension in the direction of the locked position and thereby hold the shackle in the lock body.

[0099] In some embodiments, the lock can be pre-tensioned against the force under the cams. Such pre-tensioning of the lock toward the open position can, in particular, ensure that the lock can only be pushed into the locking position under the cams by deliberately moving the bracket, but cannot be accidentally moved under the cams and into the locking position.

[0100] In some embodiments, the shackle can be designed to be moved from the open position through the closed position into the locking position. In some embodiments, the shackle can be inserted further into the lock body in the locking position than in the closed position. As already explained, this can be achieved in particular by having a locking notch of the shackle, into which the cam and / or a bolt driven by the cam engages, have a greater axial extent than the cam or a bolt driven by the cam.

[0101] In some embodiments, the lock can be configured to hold the inserted shackle in the closed position when the cam is rotated into the locking rotational position, and to hold it in the locking position when the cam is rotated into the unlocking rotational position. In particular, a housing of the lock can have a housing stop against which the lock rests when the cam is rotated into the locking rotational position, so that the shackle held by the lock is held in the closed position. In the unlocking rotational position of the cam, however, the lock can be pushed under the cam and bear axially against the cam, so that the lock and the shackle held by the lock can be inserted further along the insertion direction into the lock body and the shackle can be held in the locking position.

[0102] In some embodiments, the shackle may have a locking notch and the electromechanical locking device may have an engagement portion which is designed to engage the locking notch of the shackle inserted into the lock body in the locking rotational position of the cam.

[0103] In some embodiments, the cam may further comprise the engagement portion. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the electromechanical locking device may comprise at least one latch that can be driven by the cam and has the engagement portion. Thus, in some embodiments, the shackle may be locked directly by the cam, but in other embodiments, it may be locked by a latch that can be driven by the cam.

[0104] In some embodiments, the extension of the locking notch along the rotational axis of the cam may be greater than the extension of the engagement portion along the rotational axis of the cam.

[0105] In some embodiments, the engagement portion can rest against a lower boundary surface of the locking notch, relative to the direction of insertion of the shackle into the lock body, when the cam is rotated into the locking position. In this respect, the engagement portion can lock the shackle, whereas no force can be transmitted to the locking device if, for example, tensile forces are exerted on the shackle.

[0106] In some embodiments, the shackle moved into the locking position can be transferred from the locking position to the closed position by rotating the cam from the unlocking rotational position to the locking rotational position. In particular, this can be achieved by pre-tensioning the shackle and / or the lock toward the open position, in that the lock can be released by the cam for axial movement toward the open position by rotating the cam into the locking rotational position.

[0107] Therefore, in some embodiments, the lock can be movable together with the shackle during the movement of the shackle from the locking position to the closed position.

[0108] In some embodiments, the shackle inserted into the lock body can be held on the lock body in the unlocking position and can be released by rotating the cam into a removal rotational position for complete release from the lock body, wherein the control circuit can be configured to selectively control the electric motor to drive the cam into the removal rotational position.

[0109] In some embodiments, the lock can be arranged in the locked position when the shackle is removed, wherein the lock can be designed to be moved by the shackle into the release position during a movement of the removed shackle into the locked position in order to enable insertion of the shackle, and to return to the locked position before or upon reaching the locked position and to hold the shackle in the locked position. The lock can also be designed to be moved by the shackle into the release position during a movement of the removed shackle into the closed position and to return to the locked position before or upon reaching the closed position in order to hold the shackle in the closed position. By holding the shackle in the closed position in this way, trouble-free rotation of the cam into the locking rotational position can also be ensured.Holding in the closed position can be provided in particular in embodiments in which the lock can be urged into the locking position under the cam by moving the bracket when the cam is arranged in the unlocking rotational position, but is not restricted with regard to axial movements by the cam when the cam is positioned in the removal rotational position.

[0110] Furthermore, as already explained above, the lock body can have a sensor, wherein the lock can be designed to contact the sensor when the cam is in the locking rotational position and to release the sensor when the cam is in the unlocking rotational position. The lock can therefore have one or more features of the contact element explained above, and the sensor can also have one or more features of the sensor explained above. The shackle can also be designed in principle as explained above, and the lock body can have a first insertion opening and a second insertion opening for inserting respective insertion sections of the shackle.

[0111] The invention is explained below purely by way of example using an embodiment with reference to the drawings.

[0112] They show: Fig. 1 is a schematic external view of an electronic padlock with a lock body and a shackle. Figs. 2A to 2D are respective representations of the padlock with the housing removed and the cam rotated into a locking position, which locks the shackle by engaging with locking notches formed on a first and a second insertion section on the lock body. Figs. 3A and 3B are a side view and a plan view of the padlock with the shackle not shown and the cam rotated into the locking position. Figs. 4A to 4D are respective representations of the padlock with the housing removed and the cam rotated into an unlocking position, in which the shackle is held on a lower holding section of the first insertion section. Figs. 5A and 5B are a side view and a plan view with the shackle removed and the cam rotated into the unlocking position.6A to 6D show respective representations of the padlock with the housing removed and the cam turned into the unlocking position, but the shackle is moved into a locking position in which the cam can be moved into the locking position, Fig. 7 shows a corresponding side view with the shackle removed, Fig. 8A to 8E show respective representations of the padlock with the housing removed and the cam turned into a removal position, with the shackle completely detached from the lock body, Fig. 9A and 9B show respective representations of the padlock with the housing removed and the cam turned into the removal position, but the shackle is brought into the locking position, and Fig.10A to 10E show representations of the padlock with the housing partially shown, with the cam in the locking position, in the unlocking position with the shackle partially released, in the removal rotation position with the shackle removed, in the removal rotation position with the shackle inserted, and in the unlocking position with the shackle inserted, respectively.

[0113] Fig. 1 shows an electronic padlock 11 with a lock body 13 and a shackle 15 inserted into the lock body 13 and located in a closed position G, which shackle 15 can be locked to the lock body 13 in the closed position G or can be released for release from the lock body 13 and transferred into an open position O (see also Fig. 10E ). In the Fig. 1In the closed position G shown, a first insertion section 21 of the shackle 15 is inserted into a first insertion opening 17 of the lock body 13 and a second insertion section 23 of the shackle 15 is inserted into a second insertion opening 19 of the lock body 13, wherein the first insertion section 21 and the second insertion section 23 of the shackle 15 are connected to one another by a connecting section 33, so that the lock body 13 and the shackle 15 form a closed loop in the closed position G of the shackle 15, for example to be able to secure a hasp. The insertion openings 17 and 19 are designed as openings on a housing 93 of the padlock 11, into which the insertion sections 21 and 23 can be inserted along an insertion direction E.

[0114] In order to selectively open the padlock 11 and release the shackle 15 for detachment from the lock body 13, the padlock 11 comprises an electromechanical locking device 25, explained in more detail below. Furthermore, the padlock 11 has a radio module 81 for receiving an authentication signal 83, a release command 85, and / or a locking command 87 from a mobile opening device 97, in particular a smartphone, of a user of the padlock 11 for actuating the electromechanical locking device 25. This will also be explained in more detail below.

[0115] As can be seen from the Figures 2A to 10EAs can be seen, the electromechanical locking device 25 comprises a cam 27 which is rotatable about an axis of rotation D, the cam 27 being connected to an electric motor 29 via a gear 30. The electric motor 29 is designed to rotate the cam 27 selectively into a locking rotational position V, an unlocking rotational position U or a removal rotational position R, the electromechanical locking device 25 additionally comprising a control circuit 31 which is designed to control the electric motor 29 selectively to drive the cam 27 into the locking rotational position V, the unlocking rotational position U or the release rotational position R. The gear 30 can in particular be designed to transmit a rotation of a motor shaft to the cam 27 in a slowed manner in order to enable precise control of the cam 27.In addition, the control circuit 31 can be connected to the radio module 81 in order to be able to take into account the authentication signal 83, the release command 85, and / or the locking command 87 when controlling the electric motor 29 and thus the cam 27. An electrical energy source 91, in particular a battery or accumulator, is also provided to supply power to the electromechanical locking device 25.

[0116] The Figures 2A to 2Dshow the shackle 15 in the closed position G, with the cam 27 rotated into the locking rotational position V. In the locking rotational position V, the cam 27 engages with a first locking portion 39 in an upper locking notch 35 formed on the first insertion portion 21 of the shackle 15. In addition, the cam 27 engages with a second locking portion 41 in a further locking notch 55 formed on the second insertion portion 23, so that the shackle 15 in the closed position G is directly locked on the lock body 13 by the engagement of the cam 27 in the locking notches 35 and 55.

[0117] The shackle 15 is designed here, for example, as a substantially U-shaped, rigid U-shackle 15, wherein the first insertion section 21 forms a long leg of the U-shackle 15 and the second insertion section 23 forms a short leg of the U-shackle 15. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the shackle 15 can also be designed, for example, as a cable or chain shackle, wherein the insertion sections 21 and 23 in such embodiments can be formed by blocks insertable into the lock body 13, which can be connected to one another by a chain forming the connecting section 33 or a cable forming the connecting section 33. Furthermore, a U-shackle with legs of equal length can be provided.

[0118] By engaging the cam 27 in the locking rotational position V in the locking position V in the locking notches 35 and 55, the shackle 15 can be locked directly by the cam 27 to the lock body 13, without any intermediate elements being provided, for example a bolt driven by the cam 27 or released for radially inward movement, which engage in the locking notches 35 and 55. This can in particular enable a reliable locking of the shackle 15 to the lock body 13, in that the cam 27 can be held in a particularly axially fixed manner in the housing 93, so that any tensile forces exerted on the shackle 15 during a break-in attempt can be transmitted from the cam 27 directly to the stable housing 93 of the padlock 11. In addition, for example Fig. 2CIt can be seen that the locking notches 35 and 55 are rectangular in cross-section and have boundary surfaces 51 oriented perpendicular to the insertion direction E, which, in the locking rotational position V, bear against a stop surface 53 of the cam 27, which is also oriented perpendicular to the insertion direction E. Due to this design of the locking notches 35 and 55, the cam 27 can hold the shackle 15 in the lock body 13 in a form-fitting manner, and any tensile forces applied to the shackle 15 counter to the insertion direction E cannot lead to a torque exerted on the cam 27, which could possibly change the rotational position of the cam 27. Furthermore, the direct locking of the shackle 15 by the cam 27 allows the number of components of the electromechanical locking device 25 to be reduced compared to conventional solutions, and the assembly of the padlock 11 to be facilitated.

[0119] In addition to the locking by the cam 27, in particular Fig. 2D It can be seen that the first insertion section 21 is held in the lock body 13 by a lock 59 at a lower holding section 37, which forms a radial widening 38 at a lower end section 40 of the first insertion section 21, against a preload exerted by a preload element 57, for example a spring. For this purpose, the lock 59 has a locking surface 103 oriented perpendicular to the insertion direction E, against which the holding section 37 rests. When the shackle 15 is inserted into the lock body 13, the lock 59 is in a locking position S, in which the lock 59 prevents the shackle 15 from being released from the lock body 13 due to the preload exerted by the preload element 57.

[0120] In addition to holding the shackle 15 in the lock body 13, the lock 59 also functions as a contact element 69, which is designed to contact a sensor 61 with a contact portion 99 when the shackle 15 is locked to the lock body 13 (cf. Fig. 2D This is particularly evident from the Fig. 3A illustrated, in which the bracket 15 is hidden to illustrate the actuation of the sensor 61 by the contact section. As Fig. 3Ashows, the sensor 61 has an upper sensor section 77 and a lower sensor section 79, wherein the contact element 69 contacts the upper sensor section 77 with a contact section 99 which extends like an arm in the direction of the sensor 61 when the cam 27 is in the locking rotational position V and the bracket 15 is in the closed position G. The sensor 61 is designed to transmit a first detection signal 63 to the control circuit 31 when the contact element 69 contacts the upper sensor section 77, so that the control circuit 31 can be provided with information about the position of the contact element 69.

[0121] However, in order to enable the shackle 15 to be released from the lock body 13 and thus the padlock 11 to be opened, the lock 59 can be pivoted about a pivot axis A, which is aligned perpendicular to the rotation axis D of the cam 27, from the locking position S into a release position F, in which the shackle 15 is released from the lock 59 for release from the lock body 13 (cf. Figures 4A to 5B ). The lock 59 is biased by a biasing element 75, again for example a spring, in the direction of the locking position S, and the contact element 69 formed by the lock 59 is biased in the direction of the sensor 61, in particular in the direction of the upper sensor section 77. Furthermore, the axis of rotation D of the cam 27 and the electric motor 29 are arranged off-center with respect to the lock body 13, so that sufficient space for arranging the sensor 61 is available on the side of the lock body 13 facing away from the electric motor 29.

[0122] Fig. 3B1 illustrates in particular the design of the cam 27 in a plan view, wherein it can be seen that in the locking rotational position V shown, the first locking section 39 and the second locking section 41 are aligned in the direction of the insertion openings 17 and 19 in order to be able to engage in the insertion notches 35 and 55 of the insertion sections 21 and 23 inserted into the lock body 13. Since the axis of rotation D is arranged off-center in the lock body 13, the locking sections 39 and 41 are offset from one another by less than 180 degrees with respect to the axis of rotation D. The cam 27 also has a blocking section 43 offset radially inwardly relative to the locking section 39, wherein the blocking section 43 can be aligned in the direction of the first insertion opening 17 by rotating the cam 27 along a first direction of rotation D1, in order to thereby enable unlocking of the shackle 15 (cf. Fig. 5B). By rotating along the first direction of rotation D1, an unlocking section 45 of the cam 27 can also be aligned in the direction of the second insertion opening 19, whereby a complete release of the second insertion section 23 or the short leg of the U-shaped bracket 15 from the lock body 13 can be enabled. This will be explained below with reference to the Figures 4A to 5B explained in more detail.

[0123] As already mentioned Fig. 3AAs can be seen, the cam 27 has a driver section 73 pointing in the direction of the lock 59 or the contact element 69. If the cam 27 is controlled for rotation along the first rotational direction D1 into the unlocking rotational position U, the driver section 73 contacts the lock 59 or the contact element 69, so that the lock 59 or the contact element 69 is pivoted into the release position F against the pretension developed by the pretensioning element 75 and the shackle 15 can thereby be released from the lock 59 for release from the lock body 13 (cf. in particular Fig. 5A ).

[0124] In particular, by pivoting the lock 59, the locking surface 103 of the lock 59 can be disengaged from the lower holding section 37, so that the lower holding section 37 can be moved past the lock 59 counter to the insertion direction E. Due to the pretension of the shackle 13 counter to the insertion direction E, the shackle 13 released by the lock 59 can also be forced directly out of the lock body 13 when the cam 27 is rotated into the unlocking rotational position U, without a user having to transmit a force counter to the insertion direction E to the shackle 13.

[0125] While the lock 59 thus completely releases the shackle in the unlocking rotational position U, the cam 27 is designed to hold the first insertion section 21 in the unlocking rotational position U on the lower holding section 37 and thereby hold the shackle 15 on the lock body 13 (cf. Fig. 4A to 4C). In particular, the blocking section 43 of the cam 27, which in the unlocking rotational position U points in the direction of the first insertion opening 17, has a smaller radial extent than the first locking section 39, so that the upper locking notch 35 of the first insertion section 21 is released by the cam 27, but the blocking section 43 engages in the first insertion opening 17 in the unlocking rotational position U (cf. Fig. 5B ). The holding section 37, which has a greater radial extent than the limits of the locking notch 35, therefore strikes the blocking section 43 due to the prestress developed by the prestressing element 57, so that the first insertion section 21 cannot be completely detached from the lock body 13 and the shackle 15 is held on the lock body 13 when the cam 27 is rotated into the unlocking rotational position U.

[0126] In contrast, the unlocking section 45 of the cam 27, which is oriented toward the second insertion opening 19, does not engage in the second insertion opening 19, so that the second insertion section 23 or the short leg of the shackle 15 can be completely released from the lock body 13 in the unlocking rotational position U of the cam 27. This can, for example, make it possible to guide the shackle 15 through an eyelet of a hasp in order to securely lock the hasp by subsequently locking the shackle 15 to the lock body 13, without the shackle 15 having to be completely released from the lock body 13. To further facilitate the handling of the padlock 11, the shackle 15 can be pivotable in the unlocking rotational position U, in particular about the long leg or the first insertion section 21, which is held on the lock body 13 (see also Fig. 10E ).

[0127] As is also particularly evident from Fig. 5AAs can be seen, the contact element 69 or its contact section 99 does not contact the sensor 61 when the lock 59 or the contact element 69 is in the release position F and the cam 27 is in the unlocking rotational position U. The sensor 61 can consequently transmit a release signal 67 to the control circuit 31, so that the sensor 61 can detect that the shackle 15 is held on the lower holding section 37 and not locked to the lock body 13 in order to transmit a corresponding detection signal, the release signal 67, to the control circuit 31.

[0128] Furthermore, the Figures 10A to 10Eshow, the pivot axis A of the contact element 69 or the lock 59 is guided on the housing 93 of the padlock 11 axially with respect to the rotation axis D in a groove 71, wherein a movement of the lock 59 counter to the insertion direction E is limited in particular by a housing stop 95 formed on the housing 93. This guidance of the pivot axis A in a groove 71 makes it possible to move the shackle 15, which is in the closed position G and locked, together with the lock 59 holding the shackle 15, against the pretension of the pretensioning elements 57 and 75 into a locking position B, in which the shackle 15 is inserted further into the lock body 13 compared to the closed position G (cf. Fig. 6A to 7). This mobility of the locked bracket 15 makes it possible to generate an unlocking command by pressing the locked bracket 15 and to transmit it to the control circuit 31, as a result of which the control circuit 31 can control the electric motor 29 to drive the cam 27 from the locking rotational position V into the unlocking rotational position U.

[0129] By pressing the bracket 15, the bracket 15 can be moved together with the contact element 69 along the insertion direction E, whereby the contact element 69 can consequently contact the lower sensor section 79 of the sensor 61 (cf. in particular Fig. 7). In this respect, an unlocking command can be detected by the control circuit 31 in that the sensor 61 first transmits the first sensor signal 63 and then a second sensor signal 65 to the control circuit 31 when the contact element 69 contacts the lower sensor section 79 as a result of pressing the shackle 15. In order to also ensure that the padlock 11 can only be opened by the authorized user, the control circuit 31 can further be designed to rotate the cam 27 into the unlocking rotational position U only when, in addition to the unlocking command transmitted by pressing the shackle 15, the Fig. 1The authentication signal 83 is received at the radio module 81 by the mobile opening device 97 shown. In particular, it may be sufficient for a radio connection, for example a Bluetooth connection, to be established between the mobile opening device 97 and the radio module 81 to transmit the authentication signal 83, so that the authorized user only needs to move with his mobile opening device 97, in particular a smartphone, near the padlock 11 and press the shackle 15 into the lock body 13 in order to be able to open the padlock 11.

[0130] In addition to transmitting an unlocking command, the axial mobility of the lock 59 or the contact element 69 also allows the bracket 15 released from the lock body 13 to be held in the locking position B after insertion into the lock body 13, in which the cam 27 can be smoothly rotated from the unlocking rotational position U into the locking rotational position V. Figures 6A to 7 illustrate a position of the shackle 15 and the lock 59 after the shackle 15 and in particular its second insertion section 23 have been reinserted into the lock body 13, wherein the cam 27 is in the unlocking rotational position U. As can be seen in particular from the Figures 6D and 7As can be seen, the lock 59 or the contact element 69 can be forced under the cam 27 as a result of the insertion of the bracket 15, in that the inserted bracket 15 moves the lock 59 or the contact element 69 against the pretension of the pretensioning elements 57 and 75 along the insertion direction E. As soon as the lock 59 or the contact element 69 reaches under the driver section 73 of the cam 27, the lock 59 or the contact element 69 is released for movement into the locking position S, so that the lock 59 orthe contact element 69 is pivoted into the locking position S due to the pretension developed by the pretensioning element 75 and engages over the holding section 37 of the bracket 15 with the locking surface 103 in order to hold the bracket 15 in the locking position B, in which the locking notches 35 and 55 are arranged at the same height as the locking sections 39 and 41 of the cam 27, so that the cam 27 can rotate smoothly from the unlocking position U into the locking rotational position V.

[0131] Since the lock 59 or the contact element 69 is arranged below the cam 27 when the shackle 15 is moved into the locking position B, the shackle 15 must be moved, so to speak, beyond the closed position G along the insertion direction E in order to reach the locking position B. In addition, the locking notches 35 and 55 have a greater extension than the cam 27 in an axial direction with respect to the axis of rotation D of the cam 27, so that the cam 27 with the locking sections 39 and 41 can engage in the locking notches 35 and 55 both when the shackle 15 is in the closed position G and when the shackle 15 is in the locking position V.

[0132] Furthermore, in particular Fig. 7that the contact element 69 pushed under the cam 27 contacts the sensor 61 at the lower sensor section 79, so that the sensor 61 emits the second detection signal 65 and transmits it to the control circuit 31. The control circuit 31 can therefore be designed in particular to control the cam 27 directly from the unlocking rotational position U into the locking rotational position V when the control circuit 31 first receives the release signal 67 and then the second detection signal 65. Such a sequence of the release signal 67 and the second detection signal 65 clearly indicates that the contact element 69 was first released from the sensor 61 by moving the cam 27 into the unlocking rotational position U and the bracket 15 has reached the open position O, wherein the subsequent second detection signal 65 indicates that the bracket 15 has been moved into the locking position B and consequently a locking is to take place.In addition, the transmitted second detection signal 65 ensures that the shackle 15 is in the locking position B and the cam 27 can thus be rotated into the locking rotational position V without interference. In principle, the control circuit 31 can be designed to rotate the cam 27 directly from the unlocking rotational position U into the locking rotational position V if the sensor 61 first transmits the release signal 67 and then the second detection signal 65. Alternatively, however, it can also be provided that the control circuit 31 is designed to rotate the cam 27 into the locking rotational position V only if the locking command 87 is additionally received at the radio module 81, so that the padlock 11 can also be locked exclusively by the authorized user.

[0133] While the design of the cam 27 thus initially makes it possible to reliably lock the shackle 15 in the closed position G on the lock body 13 or to release it for movement into the open position O, the cam 27 also has a release section 47 which is radially offset inwards with respect to the blocking section 43, wherein the release section 47 can be aligned by rotating the cam 27 starting from the unlocking rotational position U along a second rotational direction D2 opposite to the first rotational direction D1 in the direction of the first insertion opening 17 and the cam 27 can be transferred into a release rotational position R. As in particular Fig. 8Eshows, in this release rotational position R of the cam 27, the first insertion opening 17 is completely released by the cam 27, so that the lower holding section 37 of the first insertion section 21 is also released by the cam 27 and the bracket 15 can be completely released from the lock body 13 (cf. Figures 8A to 8C and Fig. 10C ). In addition, in the release rotational position R of the cam 27, a second release section 49 is aligned in the direction of the second insertion opening 19, so that the second insertion opening 19 is also released by the cam 27 and the removed shackle 15 can optionally be reinserted into the lock body 13.

[0134] As is particularly evident from Fig. 8DAs can be seen, the lock 59 or the contact element 69 is released by the driver section 73 for movement into the locking position S by rotating the cam 27 along the second direction of rotation D2, so that the contact element 69 comes into contact with the sensor 61 and in particular the upper sensor section 67. The sensor 61 can consequently transmit the first detection signal 63 to the control circuit 31. Furthermore, it can be provided that the control circuit 31 is designed to rotate the cam 27 into the removal rotational position R exclusively in response to the release command 85 received from the mobile opening device 97, so that only the authorized user can release the shackle 15 from the lock body 13.

[0135] Such a complete detachment of the shackle from the lock body 13 can, for example, make it possible to selectively connect a respective shackle 15 from a selection of different shackle 15 to the lock body 13 and to use the padlock 11 flexibly. For example, this option could allow the U-shackle 15 shown in the figures to be replaced by a cable and / or a chain shackle, or a larger or smaller U-shackle and / or a U-shackle with a larger and / or smaller diameter to be connected to the lock body 13. Furthermore, shackle 15 made of different materials can generally be connected to the lock body 13 in order to achieve a security standard appropriate to the specific use of the padlock 11.In addition, in some applications it may be useful to be able to completely detach the shackle 15 from the lock body 13 in order to be able to bring the shackle 15 and the lock body 13 together from different sides and to secure an object.

[0136] In order to enable the removed shackle 15 or another shackle 15 to be reinserted into the lock body 13 when the cam 27 is in the removal rotational position R, but the lock 59 is in the locking position S, the lock 59 has an inclined contact surface 101, so that the lock 59 can be pivoted into the release position F by inserting the shackle 15, which contacts the inclined contact surface 101, against the pretension of the pretensioning element 75. However, as soon as the shackle 15 reaches the closed position G, the lock 59 pivots again into the locking position S due to the pretension, so that the locking surface 103 engages over the holding section 37 and the shackle 15 is held in the closed position G by the lock 59 (see in particular Fig. 9B). In addition, as a result of the insertion of the shackle 15, the contact element 69 contacts the sensor 61, in particular the upper sensor section 77, and the control circuit 31 can be configured to rotate the cam 27 from the removal rotational position R into the locking rotational position V as a result of a briefly interrupted contact of the upper sensor section 77 or as a result of a briefly interrupted first detection signal 63, since the insertion of the removed shackle 15 can be detected by this signal sequence. However, the control circuit 31 can also be configured to drive the cam 27 into the locking rotational position V exclusively in response to a locking command 87 received from the opening device 97. Furthermore, it may be necessary to push the shackle 15 inserted into the lock body 13 again into the locking position B in order to transmit a locking command through the contact of the lower sensor section 79.

[0137] While, in principle, a control based solely on signals from the sensor 61 can be provided, the electromechanical locking device 25 in the embodiment shown further comprises a measuring device 89, which is designed to detect the rotational position of the cam 27. In this respect, information about the rotational position of the cam 27 can be transmitted directly to the control circuit 31 and taken into account in the control. For example, it can therefore also be provided that a user, based on the Figure 9Bshown position, the bracket 15 must move along the insertion direction E so that the sensor 61 is contacted by the contact section 99 of the contact element 69 on the lower sensor section 79, wherein the control circuit 31 can be designed to drive the electric motor 29 for driving the cam 27 from the removal rotational position R into the locking rotational position V when the measuring device 89 detects the removal rotational position R and the sensor 61 transmits the second detection signal 65.

[0138] The design of the padlock 11 with the cam 27 which can be rotated optionally into the locking rotational position V, the unlocking rotational position U and the removal rotational position F thus enables secure locking and flexible use of the padlock 11. Since the cam can also be rotated along opposite rotational directions D1 and D2 from the locking rotational position V into the unlocking rotational position U or the removal rotational position F, the lock body 13 can be designed to be narrow and with a small extension along a transverse direction Q oriented perpendicular to a connecting line between the insertion openings 17 and 19 and perpendicular to the insertion direction E, wherein the extension of the lock body 13 in the transverse direction Q can in particular be less than a maximum extension of the cam 27 in a plane oriented perpendicular to the insertion direction E. List of reference symbols

[0139] 11 Padlock 13 Lock body 15 Shackle 17 First insertion opening 19 Second insertion opening 21 First insertion section 23 Second insertion section 25 Electromechanical locking device 27 Cam 29 Electric motor 30 Gear 31 Control circuit 33 Connecting section 35 Upper locking notch 37 Lower holding section 38 Radial widening 39 First locking section 40 Lower end section 41 Second locking section 43 Blocking section 45 Unlocking section 47 Release section 49 Further release section 51 Limiting surface 53 Stop surface 55 Further locking notch 57 Pre-tensioning element 59 Lock 61 Sensor 63 First detection signal 65 Second detection signal 67 Release signal 69 Contact element 71 Groove 73Carrier section 75Pre-tensioning element 77Upper sensor section 79Lower sensor section 81Radio module 83Authentication signal 85Release command 87Locking command 89Measuring device 91Energy source 93Housing 95Housing stop 97Opening device 99Contact section 101Inclined surface103Restricted area A Swivel axis B Locking position D Rotation axis D1 First direction of rotation D2 Second direction of rotation E Insertion direction F Release position G Closed position O Open position Q Transverse direction R Removal rotation position SS Locking position UI Unlocking rotation position VC Locking rotation position

Claims

1. An electronic padlock (11), comprising a lock body (15) and at least one hoop (15) which can be selectively locked to the lock body (13) or released from the lock body (13), wherein the lock body (13) comprises: a first introduction opening (17) for introducing a first introduction section (21) of the at least one hoop (15) and a second introduction opening (17) for introducing a second introduction section (23) of the at least one hoop (15) into the lock body (13); an electromechanical locking device (25) comprising a cam (27) rotatable about an axis of rotation (D) and an electric motor (29) for driving the cam (27); and a control circuit (31), wherein the first introduction section (21) of the at least one hoop (15) and the second introduction section (23) of the at least one hoop (15) are connected to one another by a connection section (33) and can be introduced along an introduction direction (E) into the first introduction opening (17) and the second introduction opening (17), wherein the first introduction section (21) has a lower holding section (37) with respect to the introduction direction (E) and an upper locking notch (35), wherein the cam (27) is configured, - in a locking rotational position (V), to engage into the upper locking notch (35) of the first introduction section (21) and to lock the hoop (15) to the lock body (13); - in an unlocking rotational position (U), to release the upper locking notch (35) and to hold the first introduction section (21) at the lower holding section (37); and - in a removal rotational position (R), to release the lower holding section (37) of the first introduction section (21) and to thereby release the hoop (15) for a complete detachment from the lock body (13), wherein the control circuit (31) is configured to control the electric motor (29) to selectively drive the cam (27) into the locking rotational position (V), the unlocking rotational position (U) or the removal rotational position (R).

2. An electronic padlock (11) according to claim 1, wherein the second introduction section (23) can be released from the lock body (13) in the unlocking rotational position (U) of the cam (27); and / or wherein the cam (27), starting from the locking rotational position (V), can be moved into the unlocking rotational position (U) by a rotation along a first rotational direction (D1) and can be moved into the removal rotational position (R) by a rotation along a second rotational direction (D2) opposite the first rotational direction (D1).

3. An electronic padlock (11) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cam (27) has: - a first locking section (39) which projects radially outwardly with respect to the axis of rotation (D) and which is configured to engage into the upper locking notch (35) in the locking rotational position (V) of the cam (27); - a blocking section (43) which is radially inwardly offset relative to the first locking section (39) and which is configured to come into contact with the lower holding section (37) of the first introduction section (21) in the unlocking rotational position (U) of the cam (27); and - a release section (47) which is radially inwardly offset relative to the blocking section (43) and which is oriented towards the first introduction opening in the removal rotational position (R).

4. An electronic padlock (11) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cam (27) can be moved, starting from the locking rotational position (V), into the unlocking rotational position (U) by a rotation about less than 45 degrees, in particular by a rotation about 30 degrees or less than 30 degrees; and / or wherein the cam (27) can be moved, starting from the locking rotational position (V), into the removal rotational position (R) by a rotation about less than 45 degrees, in particular by a rotation about 30 degrees or less than 30 degrees; and / or wherein the cam (27) can be moved, starting from the unlocking rotational position (U), into the removal rotational position (R) by a rotation about less than 90 degrees, in particular by a rotation about 60 degrees or less than 60 degrees; and / or wherein the lock body (13) has - in a transverse direction (Q) oriented perpendicular to the introduction direction (E) and perpendicular to a connection line between the first introduction opening and the second introduction opening - a maximum extent which is smaller than a maximum extent of the cam (27) in a plane oriented perpendicular to the introduction direction (E); and / or wherein the axis of rotation (D) of the cam (27) is arranged off-center with respect to the lock body (13).

5. An electronic padlock (11) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lock body (13) further has a preloading element (57) that is configured to preload the hoop (15), which is introduced into the lock body (13), against the introduction direction (E).

6. An electronic padlock (11) according to claim 5, wherein the lock body (13) comprises a detent (59) for the hoop (15) that is configured to hold the hoop (15), which is introduced into the lock body (13), against the preload in the lock body (13) in a locking position in which the cam (27) can be rotated into the locking rotational position (V), wherein the cam (27) is in particular configured to contact the detent (59) on a rotation from the locking rotational position (V) into the unlocking rotational position (U) and to move the detent (59) into a release position (F) in which the detent (59) releases the hoop (15) for a detachment from the lock body (13).

7. An electronic padlock (11) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lock body (13) comprises a sensor (61) which is configured to detect when the hoop (15) is located in the lock body (13) in a locking position (B) in which the hoop (15) can be locked to the lock body (13), and to detect when the first introduction section (21) is held at the holding section (37) by the cam (27) positioned in the unlocking rotational position (U), wherein the sensor (61) is configured to transmit respective detection signals (63, 65, 67) to the control circuit (31).

8. An electronic padlock (11) according to claim 7, wherein the lock body (13) has a contact element (69) which is configured to contact the sensor (61) when the hoop (15) is in the locking position (B) and to release the sensor (61) when the hoop (15) is held at the holding section (37) by the cam (27).

9. An electronic padlock (11) according to claim 8, wherein the contact element (69) is arranged in alignment with the first introduction opening (17); and / or wherein the contact element (69) is preloaded towards the sensor (61) and can be pivoted against the preload by introducing the hoop (15) which is released from the lock body (13) into the lock body (13); and / or wherein the contact element (69) is configured to hold the hoop (15), which is in the locking position (B), in the lock body (13).

10. An electronic padlock (11) according to one of the claims 8 or 9, wherein the contact element (69) is pivotable, and wherein the cam (27) is configured to pivot the contact element (69) with an entrainer section (73) on a rotation from the locking rotational position (V) into the unlocking rotational position (U) and to thereby release the contact of the contact element (69) to the sensor (61), wherein in particular: the contact element (69) is preloaded towards the sensor (61), wherein the contact element (69) can be urged under the entrainer section (73) by moving the hoop (15) along the introduction direction (E) into the locking position (B), and wherein the contact element (69) urged under the entrainer section (73) is configured, as a result of the preload, to pivot towards the sensor (61) and to contact the sensor (61).

11. An electronic padlock (11) according to any one of the claims 8 to 10, wherein the control circuit (31) is configured to control the electric motor (29) to drive the cam (27) from the unlocking rotational position (U) into the locking rotational position (V) in case the contact element (69) first releases the sensor (61) and then contacts the sensor (61).

12. An electronic padlock (11) according to any one of the claims 8 to 11, wherein the sensor (61) has an upper sensor section (77) and a lower sensor section (79) and is configured to transmit a first detection signal (63) to the control circuit (31) when the upper sensor section (77) is contacted and to transmit a second detection signal (65) to the control circuit (31) when the lower sensor section (79) is contacted, wherein the contact element (69) is in particular preloaded towards the upper sensor section (77).

13. An electronic padlock (11) according to claim 12, wherein the control circuit (31) is configured to control the electric motor (29) to drive the cam (27) from the unlocking rotational position (U) into the locking rotational position (V) in case the contact element (69) first releases the sensor (61) and then contacts the sensor (61) at the lower sensor section (79).

14. An electronic padlock (11) according to one of the claims 12 or 13, wherein the contact element (69) is configured to contact the sensor (61) at the upper sensor section (77) as a result of a movement of the cam (27) from the unlocking rotational position (U) into the removal rotational position (R), wherein the control circuit (31) is in particular configured to control the electric motor (29) to drive the cam (27) from the removal rotational position (R) into the locking rotational position (V) in case the sensor (61), after a transmission of the first detection signal (63), is released by the contact element (69) and is then contacted again.

15. An electronic padlock (11) according to any one of the claims 12 to 14, wherein the contact element (69) is configured to contact the sensor (61) at the upper sensor section (77) when the hoop (15) is locked to the lock body (13), wherein the locked hoop (15) can in particular be moved along the introduction direction (E), and wherein the contact element (69) is configured to contact the sensor (61) at the lower sensor section (79) as a result of a movement of the locked hoop (15) along the introduction direction (E), wherein the control circuit (31) is configured to control the electric motor (29) to drive the cam (27) from the locking rotational position (V) into the unlocking rotational position (U) in case the sensor (61) first transmits the first detection signal (63) and then transmits the second detection signal (65).

Images