Combination padlock in the shape of an object

Abstract

The object padlock (10) comprises an object-like cover / body shape, at least one dial that controls the unlocking of the padlock (10) as a primary control mechanism referred to as combination mode, a locking means such as a cable (50) having one end (51) that is always inside the padlock (10) and the other end such as a flexible end (52) that can be locked and unlocked by combination dial control, and at least one cylinder (100) that controls the unlocking of the padlock (10) as a secondary control mechanism referred to as unlocking by key mode.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] [CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 296,671, filed January 5, 2022, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. Design Patent Application No. 29 / 839,385, filed May 20, 2022, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] [Technical field] The present invention relates to a combination padlock. [Background technology]

[0003] There are several combination padlocks on the market today that have single locking or even double locking mechanisms, but most of these padlocks are traditional in design and have mechanical combination mechanisms, such as Eric Lai's U.S. Patent No. 5,715,709 and U.S. Patent No. 8,261,583. Summary of the Invention

[0004] However, none of these existing padlocks show a combination padlock that includes the shape of an object such as a car.

[0005] For example, Figs. 1A-22D of the present invention relate to a combination padlock with a double locking mechanism and in the shape of a car. This new invention improves the marketing strategy, for example, the car-shaped padlock includes a newly invented mechanism with four wheels to be a combination padlock. Instead of stacking combinations, this new invention devise a new locking structure that makes these four combination dials act like the wheels of a car with a locking mechanism different from the prior art. This new invention also includes a new reset mechanism and internal linkage to prevent picking, as well as an improved reset mechanism to prevent users from accidentally resetting the lock unintentionally. Details are described below. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1A] FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view of the combination padlock. [Figure 1B] FIG. 2 is a rear cross-sectional view of the combination padlock. [Figure 1C] FIG. 2 is a left rear perspective view of the combination padlock; [Figure 1D] FIG. 2 is a left front perspective view of the combination padlock; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the outer cover of the combination padlock. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the base body of the combination padlock; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view of the inner cover of the combination padlock. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cable of the combination padlock. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bolt of the combination padlock. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cam of the combination padlock. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the extended cam of the combination padlock. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the short cam of the combination padlock. [Figure 10]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cylinder of a combination padlock. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the outer dial of the combination padlock. [Figure 12A] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the inner dial of the combination padlock. [Figure 12B] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the internal dial of a combination padlock. [Figure 13A] FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the clutch of the combination padlock; [Figure 13B] FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of the clutch of the combination padlock; [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wheel cover of the combination padlock; [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the control plate of the combination padlock; [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connection plate of the combination padlock; [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the buttons of a combination padlock. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ratchet pin holder of a combination padlock. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a spring-loaded member of the combination padlock. [Figure 20A] FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of the combination padlock with the flexible end of the cable unlocked (detached from the base body). [Figure 20B] FIG. 13 is a rear cross-sectional view of the combination padlock with the flexible end of the cable unlocked (disengaged from the base body). [Figure 20C] FIG. 13 is a left rear perspective view of the combination padlock with the flexible end of the cable unlocked (disengaged from the base body). [Figure 20D] FIG. 1 is a left front perspective view of the combination padlock with the flexible end of the cable unlocked (detached from the base body). [Figure 21A] FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of the combination padlock with the key inserted to unlock the cable. [Figure 21B]FIG. 1 is a rear cross-sectional view of the combination padlock with the key inserted to unlock the cable. [Figure 21C] FIG. 1 is a left rear perspective view of the combination padlock with the key inserted to unlock the cable. [Figure 21D] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the combination padlock with the key inserted to unlock the cable. [Figure 22A] FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of the combination padlock showing the flexible ends of the cables untethered. [Figure 22B] FIG. 13 is a rear cross-sectional view of the combination padlock showing the flexible ends of the cables untethered. [Figure 22C] FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of the combination padlock with the reset tool inserted into the padlock. [Figure 22D] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the combination padlock with the reset tool inserted into the padlock. [Figure 23A] FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of a second embodiment of a combination padlock depicting an animal such as a dog. [Figure 23B] FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of a second embodiment of a combination padlock depicting an animal such as a dog. [Figure 24A] FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of a second embodiment of a combination-dial of a combination padlock; [Figure 24B] FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of a second embodiment of the combination dial of the combination padlock. [Diagram 25] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a rod of a third embodiment of a combination padlock, the rod replacing a spring-load member. [Figure 26A] FIG. 13 is a front cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a combination padlock; [Figure 26B] FIG. 13 is a rear cross-sectional view of the third embodiment of the combination padlock; [Figure 27A] FIG. 13 is a front cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a combination padlock with the flexible ends of the cables untethered. [Figure 27B] FIG. 13 is a rear cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a combination padlock with the flexible ends of the cables untethered. [Figure 28A] FIG. 13 is a front cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a combination padlock with the key inserted to unlock the cable. [Figure 28B] FIG. 13 is a rear cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a combination padlock with the key inserted to unlock the cable. [Figure 29A] FIG. 13 is a front cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a combination padlock with the key removed after unlocking the padlock. [Figure 29B] FIG. 13 is a rear cross-sectional view of the third embodiment of the combination padlock with the key removed after unlocking the padlock. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] <Detailed explanation (Figs. 1A to 29B)>

[0008] <Captures of Combination Padlock - Figure 1C and 1D - (Lock Mode Figure 1A-19)> This new invention is a padlock 10 with a car-shaped outer cover 20, a base cover 30, and a set of outer dials 110 that function like vehicle tires. Furthermore, a locking means such as a cable 50 with different locking ends (fixed end 51 and flexible end 52) controlled by a mechanical mechanism such as the correct combination code by the dials 110 or the correct key 260 allows the object-shaped (car-shaped) padlock to be locked and unlocked. More than one unlocking function can be added in such a padlock. The invention uses a set of outer dials 110 attached like the tires / wheels of a car to form a car-shaped padlock with a physical function on the wheel. The entire locking mechanism cannot be unlocked through the combination mechanism unless at least one outer dial 110 is in the correct code state. The padlock 10 cannot be unlocked by the wrong key without the correct key 260.

[0009] Button 170 indicates that the lock will be unlocked with the correct code on the exterior dial 110. If the code is not correct as in Figures 1C and 1D, the padlock cannot be opened.

[0010] A wheel cover 140 is attached to the outer dial 110 to serve as a decoration and to cover the internal workings of the combination mechanism.

[0011] In Figures 1C and 1D, the padlock 10 shows a reset mechanism, such as a reset button 135 on the clutch 130 (see Figures 13A, 13B).

[0012] <Design and layout of combination mechanism Fig. 1A~19> The object-shaped padlock 10 is composed of a set of outer dials 110, such as the dial 110 assembled by the inner dial 120. The inner dial 120 is provided with rivets 122, which are assembled into rivet holes 111 of the outer dial 110. When the rivet holes 111 are riveted, the rotational motion from the outer dial 110 is transferred to the inner dial 120. There is a wheel cover 140 assembled to the outer dial 110. The wheel cover 140 has rivet holes 142, which have a larger space to cover the rivets 122 and the rivet holes 111 when the rivets 122 and the rivet holes 111 are riveted together. This allows the outer dial 110 to look beautiful from the outside without showing the rivets 122 and the rivet holes 111, as shown in Figures 1C and 1D.

[0013] The inner ring 120 includes a ratchet groove 124. The ratchet groove 124 receives a ratchet pin 181. The ratchet pin 181 is held in place in the ratchet pin holder 180 by the force of a spring 182. The spring 182 applies a force to keep the ratchet pin 181 in contact with the ratchet pin groove 124 of the inner ring. The ratchet groove 124 is held in place by the internal wheel grooves 30f / 40f of the base body 30 / inner cover 40. With the ratchet groove 124 in place, the riveted outer dial 110 and inner dial 120 cannot be pulled away from the body and cover 20 / 30 / 40.

[0014] The inner wheel 120 further includes a set of teeth 121 that engage with tooth slots 131 of the clutch 130. The teeth are engaged at all times except when in the reset mode. When the tooth slots 131 engage with the teeth 121, the rotation of the outer dial 110 is transferred to the inner dial 120, which transfers the rotational motion to the clutch 130. The clutch 130 includes a reset button 135 that travels through reset holes 123 / 141 / 112 of the inner dial 120 / wheel cover 140 / and outer dial 110. The clutch 130 includes a true gate 132 and a false gate 133. In the locked mode, if the true gate 132 of the clutch 130 is not aligned with the extending fin 153 of the control plate 150, the control plate 150 cannot move and the lock cannot be changed to the unlocked state. In the locked mode, the clutch 130 is rotated so that the false gate 133 is aligned with the extending fin 153. In this case, the control plate 150 can only move a small distance relative to the false gate area. This creates a false signal for an intruder to be unable to easily identify the location of the true gate 132 of the clutch 130 to open the lock. The clutch 130 includes a portion that is assembled in the clutch groove 39 / 48 of the base body 30 / inner cover 40.

[0015] The control plate 150 further comprises a curved surface 151 which contacts the clutch 130 when the padlock 10 is in the locking mode. The clutch 130 further comprises a spring hole 134 which allows the clutch spring 210 to pass through and contact the clutch spring wall 30g of the base body 30. The control plate 150 moves around the control plate groove 38 / 47 in the base body 30 and the inner cover 40, but the shape and design of the clutch spring hole 152 are such that the clutch spring 210 constantly presses the clutch 30 towards the inner dial 120. This ensures that the tooth groove 131 of the clutch 130 constantly engages the tooth 121 of the inner dial 120. The clutch spring 120 does not impede the movement of the control plate 150.

[0016] The control plate 150 also includes at least one connecting plate receiving notch 154 (two notches). One end of the connecting plate receiving notch 154 is connected to the extended pointer 163 of the connecting plate. The other end of the connecting plate receiving notch 154 is connected to the extended-wing 171 of the button 170. This means that the control plate 150, the connecting plate 160 and the button 170 are assembled with the same vertical movement. In this case, the vertical movement of the control plate 150 is mainly performed by aligning the true gate 132 of the clutch with the extended pin 153 of the control plate 150. In the locked mode, the control plate 150 cannot move to the unlocked position because at least the true gate 132 and the extended pin 153 are not aligned. Then the control plate 150 and the contact wall 161 remain in the locked position and therefore do not press the tail 73 of the cam upwards. This means that combination opening is restricted.

[0017] A connecting plate spring 230 is provided between the spring wall 162 of the connecting plate 160 and the connecting plate spring wall 30i. The spring 230 constantly urges the connecting plate 160 / control plate 150 / and button 170 downwards and away from the tail 73 of the cam 70.

[0018] There are two control plates 150, each controlling one side of a set of dials (in this invention two dials). If the padlock contains six wheels, the control plate 150 can be expanded to have three sets of three extending pins 153 and clutch mechanisms on each side.

[0019] The cam 70 has a flat edge 72 which, in the locked mode, is always aligned with the flat end 61 of the bolt 60. The other round end 62 of the bolt engages with the bolt receiving notch 53 of the flexible end 52 of the cable unit 50. As the control plate 150 is stationary, the cam spring 240 urges the cam downward to this locked position. A cam spring hole 71 is provided to receive the cam spring 240 so that the spring always urges the cam downward. Furthermore, the wings 54 of the fixed end 51 of the cable unit 50 are positioned within the wing-slots 30g / 40h of the base body 30 and the inner cover 40. When the wings 54 are positioned, the fixed end 51 of the cable 50 cannot leave the fixed end holes 21 / 31 / 41 of the outer cover 20 / base body 30 / and inner cover 40 in either mode.

[0020] In the locked mode, pressing the reset button 135 of the clutch 130 does not cause the clutch 130 to go into the reset mode because the curved surface 151 of the control plate 150 prevents the clutch 130 from moving inward.

[0021] <Key mechanism design and layout Fig. 1A~19> A cylinder 100 is disposed in the padlock 10. The cylinder is controlled by a stack of wafers. The stack of wafers extending outward can be controlled to prevent the cylinder from rotating and opening the lock in the absence of the correct key 260. The cylinder 100 includes a pin 101 that is assembled into a hole 92 in the short cam 90. The ramp 91 of the short cam 90 contacts the ramp 82 of the extended cam 80 to open the lock by use of the key mechanism. Since the cylinder 100 does not rotate, the short cam 90 and the extended cam 80 do not move. Since the short cam 90 and the extended cam 80 do not move, the cam 70 does not move.

[0022] An extended cam spring 220 is provided between the wall 83 of the extended cam 80 and the extended cam spring wall 30j of the base body 30. This spring 220 constantly urges the extended cam 80 downward so that the tail 81 of the extended cam 80 remains separated from the tail 73 of the cam 70 in the locked mode. The spring 220 also urges the extended cam 80 downward so that the slope 82 of the extended cam 80 engages with the slope 91 of the short cam during the locked mode.

[0023] <Unlocking with a combination code (Fig. 20A-20D)> The user can rotate the external dial 110 so that the internal dial 120 rotates in the same manner as described above, with each rivet 122 held in the external dial rivet hole 111 and assembled in the same rotational motion. The teeth 121 of the internal dial 120 engage with the tooth slots 131 of the clutch 130, and as the internal dial 120 rotates, the clutch 130 rotates as well. As the clutch 130 rotates as well, the user can rotate the external dial 110 / internal dial 120 and the clutch 130 to align the true gate 132 of the clutch 130 with the extending pin 153 of the control plate to be in the unlocking mode according to the position of the combination code. Once the true gate 132 of the clutch 130 and the extending pin 153 of the control plate are aligned, the user can press the button 170 to allow the extending pin 153 of the control plate 150 to move upward into the true gate 132 of the clutch 130. The extension wing 171 of the button 170 is assembled into one of the connecting plate receiving notches 154 of the control plate 150. Thus, when all of the true gates 132 of the clutch 130 are aligned with the extension pins 153 of the control plate 150, the button 170 can be pushed upward to cause the extension pins 153 to enter and move into the true gates 132 of the clutch 130.

[0024] The other end of the connection plate receiving notch 154 is connected to the extended pointer 163 of the connection plate 160. When the button 170 is pressed upward, the control plate 150 and the connection plate 160 are also pressed upward. When the connection plate 160 moves upward, the contact wall 161 contacts the tail 73 of the cam 70 to drive the cam upward. The torque spring 200 is assembled between the torque spring groove 33 / 43 of the base body 30 / inner cover 40 and the torque spring groove 191 of the spring loaded member 190. When the cam 70 moves upward, the torque spring 200 drives the spring loaded member 190 upward. When the spring loaded member 190 moves upward and the cam is pressed upward, the round end 62 of the bolt 60 moves to the left, and the round end 62 of the bolt disengages from the bolt receiving notch 53 of the cable 50. The flexible ends 52 of the cables emerge from the flexible end holes 22 / 32 / 42 in the outer cover 20 / base body 30 and inner cover 40 .

[0025] The spring loaded member 190 includes an extending fin 193 that is assembled within the spring loaded member groove 30e / 40e of the base body 30 and the inner cover 40. This allows the extending fin 193 of the spring loaded member 190 to move within the groove 30e / 40e.

[0026] The rounded end 62 of the bolt contacts the surface 192 of the spring loaded member 190 and the flat end 61 of the bolt 60 is disposed under the ramp 74 of the cam 70 in the unlocking mode via the combination dial.

[0027] On the other hand, when button 170 is pressed upward to open the lock via the combination, two things can happen. 1. Jump to the reset mode as described in the Reset Mode section. 2. When the user releases the push button, the connection plate spring 230 presses the connection plate downwards, and the connection plate 160, the button 170, and the control plate 150 are all pressed downwards with them all connected to each other. The connection plate spring 230 is assembled between the connection plate spring wall 30i of the base body 30 and the spring wall 162 of the connection plate 160. When the user releases the button 170, the above spring presses the connection plate downwards. While the connection plate 160 is pressed downwards, the flat end 61 of the bolt 60 is engaged under the inclined surface 74 of the cam 70. Then, the cam 70 remains in the unlocked position. Meanwhile, the extension pin 153 of the control plate 150 is disengaged from the true gate 132 of the clutch 130. When the extension pin 153 is disengaged, the user can rotate the outer dial 110, which rotates the inner dial 120 and the clutch 130. As these parts rotate, the true gate 132 of the clutch 130 keeps the cam 70 in the unlocked stage, which places the lock in the unlocked mode. However, when the external dial is rotated, the non-unlocked code is displayed, preventing an intruder from spying on the correct code from the unlocked mode, thus improving security.

[0028] When the button 170 / connecting plate 160 / control plate 150 moves downwards, the curved surface 151 blocks the clutch 130 moving towards the reset position, which means that the user cannot press the reset button 135 of the clutch 130 to the reset position.

[0029] Regarding the key mechanism, if the correct key 260 is not present in the cylinder 100, the cylinder will not rotate. Since the cylinder does not rotate, the short cam 90 and the extending cam 80 remain stationary. The extending cam spring 220 presses the wall 83 of the extending cam 80 against the short cam 90 and the cylinder 100. There is no motion from these components during the combination unlock mode.

[0030] To relock, the user can push the flexible end 52 of the cable 50 into the flexible end hole 22 / 32 / 42 of the outer cover 20 / base body 30 / inner cover 40. The flexible end 52 then urges the spring loaded member 190 downward so that the bolt receiving notch 53 aligns with the rounded end 62 of the bolt 50. Once the bolt receiving notch 53 and the rounded end 62 of the bolt 50 are aligned, the cam spring 240 urges the cam 70 downward, causing the ramp 74 of the cam 70 to urge the flat end 61 of the bolt to the right so that the rounded end 62 of the bolt reengages the bolt receiving notch 53 of the cable 50. Once the rounded end 62 of the bolt and the bolt receiving notch 53 of the cable 50 are engaged, the flat end 61 of the bolt 60 contacts the flat edge 72 of the cam 70. This further confirms the engagement between the bolt receiving notch 53 of the cable 50 and the rounded end 62 of the bolt 60. Releasing the button 170 allows the user to immediately scramble the external dial 110 or to readvance scramble the external dial 110, as described above.

[0031] <Unlocking by the key user (Fig. 21A-21D)> When the correct key 260 is inserted into the cylinder 100, the user can rotate the cylinder 100. The pin 101 of the cylinder 100 is assembled into the hole 92 of the short cam 90. When the cylinder 100 rotates, the short cam 90 rotates as well. When the short cam 90 rotates, the slope 91 of the short cam 90 similarly drives the slope 82 of the extended cam 80 upward. The extended cam 80 is disposed inside the extended cam groove 36 of the base body 30. The tail 81 of the extended cam 80 has a square shape, and the groove 36 also has a square shape that prevents the extended cam 80 from rotating, so the groove 36 prevents the extended cam 80 from rotating. Therefore, when the slope 91 of the short cam 90 rotates, the slope 91 of the short cam 90 only drives the slope 82 of the extended cam 80 upward. As the extending cam 80 moves upward, the tail 81 contacts the tail 73 of the cam 70 above.

[0032] As the cam 70 moves upward, the torque spring 200 drives the spring loaded member 190 upward. As the spring loaded member 190 moves upward and pushes the cam upward, the rounded end 62 of the bolt 60 is forced to move leftward and the rounded end 62 of the bolt disengages from the bolt receiving notch 53 of the cable 50. The flexible end 52 of the cable pops out of the flexible end holes 22 / 32 / 42 in the outer cover 20 / base body 30 and inner cover 40.

[0033] The spring loaded member 190 includes an extending fin 193 that is assembled within the spring loaded member groove 30e / 40e of the base body 30 and inner cover 40 such that the extending fin 193 of the spring loaded member 190 moves within the groove 30e / 40e. The rounded end 62 of the bolt contacts the surface 192 of the spring loaded member 190 and the flat end 61 of the bolt 60 is disposed under the ramp 74 of the cam 70.

[0034] A user opening with a key does not need to touch or actuate the following components to open with the key 260: the outer dial 110, the inner dial 120, the clutch 130, the control plate 150, the connecting plate 160, and the button 170. These components remain stationary during key opening.

[0035] The user can continue to rotate the cylinder by controlling the angle using the angle control member 102 of the cylinder 100 and the cylinder rotation angle control groove 40a.

[0036] Once unlocked in the key mode, the key user can withdraw the key from the cylinder 100 and the extended cam spring 220 assembled between the extended cam spring wall 30j and the wall 83 of the extended cam 80, pushing the extended cam 80 downwards back to the locked position and keeping the cam 70 in the unlocked mode. The ramp 82 of the extended cam moves downwards to rotate the ramp 91 of the short cam 90 back to the locked mode. This makes the padlock a key-non-captive design, and the key is not trapped in the lock while unlocked in the key mode.

[0037] To relock, the user pushes the flexible end 52 of the cable 50 into the flexible end hole 22 / 32 / 42 of the outer cover 20 / base body 30 / inner cover 40. The flexible end 52 then pushes the spring loaded member 190 downward so that the bolt receiving notch 53 is aligned with the rounded end 62 of the bolt 50. Once the bolt receiving notch 53 and the rounded end 62 of the bolt 50 are aligned, the cam spring 240 pushes the cam 70 downward, causing the ramp 74 of the cam 70 to push the flat end 61 of the bolt to the right so that the rounded end 62 of the bolt re-engages the bolt receiving notch 53 of the cable 50. Once the rounded end 62 of the bolt and the bolt receiving notch 53 of the cable 50 are engaged, the flat end 61 of the bolt 60 contacts the flat edge 72 of the cam 70. This further confirms the engagement between the bolt-receiving notch 53 of the cable 50 and the rounded end 62 of the bolt 60 .

[0038] When the cam 70 is pressed downward, the tail 73 of the cam 70 returns to the locked mode position, ready for key mode unlocking.

[0039] <Reset combination code (Fig. 22A~22D)> To reset the combination code, the lock must be in the combination unlock code according to the combination unlock. When the combination user presses the button 170 upward in the unlock mode, the user can hold the button 170 and insert a screwdriver or object into the reset stopper hole 172 of the button 170 to prevent the button 170 from moving downward.

[0040] When the button 170 / connection plate 160 / control plate 150 remains in this upward position, the curved surface 151 does not prevent the clutch 130 from moving towards the reset position. The extending pin 153 of the control plate 150 is always engaged with the true gate 132 of the clutch 130 in the reset mode. Because the true gate 132 is longer than the other gates, the extending pin 153 is always in the reset mode. Because the true gate 132 of the clutch 130 is engaged with the extending pin 153, the clutch 130 cannot rotate through the reset mode.

[0041] A user can use a reset tool 250 (see FIGS. 22C, 22D) to push inward the reset button 135 of the clutch 130. As the clutch moves inward, the tooth slots 131 of the clutch 130 move away from the teeth 121 of the inner dial 120.

[0042] While the reset button is pressed inward, the user can rotate the outer dial 110 and the inner dial 120 to rotate in the same way. Once the user has set a new combination code, the user can remove the reset tool 250, and the clutch spring 210 will exert a force such that the tooth groove 131 of the clutch 130 re-engages with the tooth 121 of the inner dial 120. Once all dials are in the new code state, the user can further remove the object inserted in the reset stopper hole 172 of the button 170, so that the button 170 will move downward and return to its original position. As the button 170 moves downward, the control plate 150 moves downward and the extension pin 153 moves away from the true gate 132.

[0043] The user can scramble the code to relock, and the lock will be set to use the new code.

[0044] <Second embodiment, FIGS. 23A-23B> The object shape of the lock does not have to be a car, but may be other objects, such as animals, for example, dogs, as shown in Figures 23A-23B. The combination / key / reset modes of the lock are the same as above.

[0045] <Second embodiment of combination dial, Figs. 24A-24B> A combination dial 270 is shown in Figures 24A-24B with all the correct features of the outer / inner dials 110 / 120 except as regards the rivet holes 111 and rivets 122. The combination dial 270 includes the following important elements: 1. Tooth 271, similar to tooth 121 of inner dial 120 and having the same function as described above; 2. A reset hole 272 similar to the reset hole 112 / 123 of the external / internal dial 110 / 120 and having the same function as described above; 3. A ratchet groove 273 similar to the ratchet groove 124 of the inner dial 120 and having the same function as described above.

[0046] <Third embodiment using combination dial and new rod, Figs. 25-29B> The new rod 280 takes the place of the spring loaded member 190. In this case, the torque spring 200 is replaced by a rod spring 290.

[0047] The third embodiment is improved to push the flexible end 52 of the cable 50 more smoothly and easily by using a combination dial 270 and a new rod 280 in combination with a spring 290. The spring 290 is placed in the spring receiving notch 281 of the rod 280. The spring 290 pushes the rod 280 upwards and pushes the flexible end 52 upwards in the unlocking mode. The function of the rod 280 / rod spring 290 is exactly the same as the spring loaded member 190 / torque spring 200. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] Part Numbering: 10 Padlock 20 outer cover, 21 fixed end hole, 22 flexible end hole, 23 dial cutout, 24 cylinder cutout 30 base body, 31 fixed end hole, 32 flexible end hole, 33 torque spring groove, 34 bolt groove, 35 locking cam groove, 36 extended cam groove, 37 connecting plate groove, 38 control plate groove, 39 clutch groove 30a cylinder groove, 30b ratchet pin groove, 30c extended-pin groove, 30d button slot, 30e spring-loaded member groove, 30f inner wheel groove, 30g clutch spring wall, 30h wing groove, 30i connecting plate spring wall, 30j extended-cam spring wall 40 inner cover, 41 fixed end holes, 42 flexible end holes 43 torque spring groove, 44 bolt groove, 45 locking cam groove, 46 extended cam groove, 47 control plate groove, 48 clutch groove, 49 cylinder groove 40a Cylinder rotation angle control groove, 40b Ratchet pin groove 40c Extended-Pin groove, 40d Wafer reinforcement plate groove, 40e spring-loaded member groove, 40f inner wheel groove, 40g wing groove 50 cable, 51 fixed end, 52 flexible end, 53 bolt receiving cutout, 54 wing 60 Bolt, 61 Flat end, 62 Round end 70 Cam, 71 Cam spring hole, 72 Flat edge, 73 Tail, 74 Slope 80 Extended-Cam, 81 Tail, 82 Slope, 83 Wall 90 Short-Cam, 91 Slope, 92 Hole 100 cylinder, 101 pin, 102 angle control member 110 Exterior-dial, 111 Rivet hole, 112 Reset hole 120 internal dial, 121 teeth, 122 rivet, 123 reset hole, 124 ratchet groove 130 clutch, 131 tooth groove, 132 true gate, 133 false gate, 134 spring hole, 135 reset button 140 wheel cover, 141 reset hole, 142 rivet hole 150 control plate, 151 curved surface, 152 clutch spring hole, 153 extended pin, 154 connecting plate receiving cutout 160 connecting plate, 161 contact wall, 162 spring wall 163 Extended-pointer 170 button, 171 extended wing, 172 reset stopper hole 180 Ratchet pin holder, 181 Ratchet pin, 182 Ratchet spring 190 spring-load member, 191 torque spring groove, 192 surface, 193 extended-fin 200 Torque Spring 210 Clutch spring 220 Extended-Cam Spring 230 Connecting plate spring 240 Cam Spring 250 Reset Tool 260 keys 270 Combined-Dial, 271 Teeth, 272 Reset Hole, 273 Ratchet Groove 280 rod, 281 spring receiving cutout, 282 surface, 283 extending fin 290 Rod Spring

Claims

1. The object is a padlock, i) the shape of the object-like cover / body; ii) at least one dial that controls the opening of the lock as the main control mechanism, called the combination mode; iii) a locking means, such as a cable, having one end which is always in said padlock and another end, such as a flexible end, which can be locked and unlocked by a combination dial control; iv) at least one cylinder that controls the unlocking of said lock as a secondary control mechanism called unlocking by key mode; An object padlock.

2. The object padlock of claim 1 , wherein at least one dial on each side of the lock body / cover forms a padlock in the shape of an object.

3. 3. The object padlock of claim 2, comprising two dials forming a wheel on each side.

4. 3. The object padlock of claim 2 having four wheels, two wheels on each side, said dial being part of said wheels of a vehicle.

5. Each dial has at least two of the following elements: a) an outer dial having mechanisms such as rivet-holes for joining the inner dial; b) an inner dial having a mechanism, such as a rivet, for joining it to the outer dial; c) A wheel cover having a mechanism such as a press-fit for joining with the external dial to cover the rivet marks. The object padlock of claim 1 , comprising:

6. 6. The object padlock of claim 5, wherein said clutch member is assembled to an internal dial for controlling the unlocking of said lock via a control plate.

7. 7. The object padlock of claim 6, wherein the control plate includes an extension pin, the clutch includes a true gate and a false gate to capture the extension pin, the true gate only allows the control plate to move the greatest distance to open the lock, the false gate prevents an intruder from picking the lock by trying the combination dial, and the false gate does not allow the control plate to progress to the unlocked state.

8. 8. The object padlock of claim 7, wherein the control plate has notches to receive the extended pointer of the connecting plate and the wings of the button, such that in such a position movement of either one moves the other two, and the pinched position moves the three parts together.

9. 7. The object padlock of claim 6, wherein each control plate has at least one extending pin for aligning with at least one clutch, and said padlock includes two extending pins for aligning with said clutches (FIGS. 1A-22D).

10. 10. The object padlock of claim 9, wherein in locked mode, the clutch cannot be pressed inwardly to enter a reset mode, and the lock can be placed in a reset mode when the lock is in a combination unlock mode.

11. the control plate has a curved surface that prevents the clutch from moving to the reset position in the locked mode; 11. The object padlock of claim 10, wherein when in combination unlock mode, said control plate is pressed upward such that said curved surface does not block said clutch allowing it to move to said reset position.

12. 9. The object padlock of claim 8, wherein the control plate includes a set of holes for passing the clutch spring without interfering with its function no matter what mode the padlock is in, such as when the lock is in locked mode, combination unlocked state, key unlocked state, and reset mode, and the control plate does not interfere with the function of the clutch spring.

13. 13. The object padlock of claim 12, wherein said clutch further includes tooth grooves for engaging said teeth of said inner dial, such that with said clutch spring biased toward this engaged position, rotation of said outer dial similarly rotates said inner dial and clutch, whereby alignment of said clutch true gate with said extension pin of said control plate is controlled by said outer dial.

14. 14. The object padlock of claim 13, wherein the outer dial includes rivet holes and the inner dial includes rivets so that when they are riveted together, the outer dial and the inner dial are both coupled together and rotate within the cover / body of the padlock to control the primary rotation of the clutch.

15. 9. The object padlock of claim 8, wherein said connecting plate includes a contact wall, and when said button is in an unlocked state in a combination mode, said button is pushed upward, said button further presses said connecting plate upward such that said connecting plate is pushed upward, said contact wall contacting said tail of said cam and pressing said cam upward, whereby movement of said contact wall of said connecting plate is controlled by alignment of said extension pin of said control plate with said true gate of said clutch.

16. 2. The object padlock of claim 1, wherein the primary unlocking member is the external dial, internal dial, clutch, control plate, connecting plate, button, or spring-loaded member that controls movement of a cam and a bolt to engage and disengage the bolt from a bolt-receiving notch in a flexible end of the cable.

17. 17. The object padlock of claim 16, wherein the positions of the outer dial, the inner dial, and the clutch are perpendicular to the positions of the control plate, the connecting plate, and the button.

18. 18. The object padlock of claim 17, wherein the reset button is integral to the clutch, and the outer dial and the inner dial include holes to allow the button to pass therethrough.

19. 20. The object padlock of claim 18, wherein the clutch includes more than one false gate to increase the difficulty of locating a true gate.

20. 20. The object padlock of claim 19, wherein the clutch includes a true gate with deep cutouts that allow the extending fins of the control plate to move during locking in a reset mode.

21. 2. The object padlock of claim 1, wherein a cam is assembled to control a bolt to lock and unlock a bolt receiving notch in the flexible end of the cable, the cam includes a spring that constantly urges the cam towards the locked position, and the cam includes a tail that allows either the primary locking mechanism or the secondary locking mechanism to control the upward movement of the cam, such that the cam is in the unlocked position when the cam is in the upper position, and when the cam is in the upper position, the flat end of the bolt moves down the slope of the cam towards the cam, the round end of the bolt disengages from the bolt receiving notch in the flexible end of the cable, a spring loaded member pops out upward, and the flexible end pops out of the cover / body of the lock to open the padlock.

22. 22. The object padlock of claim 21, wherein the tail of the cam has a shape and size such that the tail of the extending cam is forced upward during unlocking by a secondary unlocking mechanism and does not interfere with the stationary member of the contact wall of the connecting plate.

23. 23. The object padlock of claim 22, wherein the cam tail has a shape and size such that the contact wall of the connecting plate is forced upward during unlocking by a main unlocking mechanism and does not interfere with the stationary member of the extending cam tail.

24. the movement of the contact plate does not interfere with the secondary unlocking member, including the extended cam, short cam, or cylinder; 2. The object padlock of claim 1, wherein the secondary unlocking members control movement of the cam to permit engagement and disengagement of a bolt with a bolt receiving notch in the flexible end of the cable.

25. 25. The object padlock of claim 24, wherein the short cam and the extending cam include at least one ramp that urges the extending cam upwardly and causes the tail of the extending cam to contact the tail of the cam, forcing the cam upwardly to the unlocked position.

26. the extended cam includes a tail feature that limits the rotational movement of the extended cam, so that when the short cam rotates, the ramp of the short cam only pushes the extended cam upwards, rather than rotating; the body cover has a groove for holding the tail of the extension cam so as to allow the extension cam to only have vertical movement and not to rotate the extension cam; 26. The object padlock of claim 25, wherein the shape of the tail of the extending cam and the groove of the body / cover can be square or rectangular in shape.

27. the clutch includes a tooth groove, and the teeth of an internal dial are engaged in the locked mode and disengaged in the primary / secondary modes; the tooth spaces of the clutch and the teeth of the internal dial disengage in the reset mode; 17. The object padlock of claim 16, wherein the user can press the reset button on the clutch, causing the teeth of the clutch to disengage from the teeth of the inner dial, and rotation of the outer dial / the inner dial does not impart rotational movement to the clutch while in the reset mode.

28. 28. The object padlock of claim 27, wherein in the reset mode, the curved surface of the control plate moves away from a position blocking movement of the clutch, into the interior of the lock body, and to the reset position.

29. 28. The object padlock of claim 27, wherein the outer dial and the inner dial are combined as a combination dial having the same function as the outer dial and the inner dial.

30. The object is a padlock, i) the shape of the object-like cover / body; ii) at least one dial that controls the opening of the lock as the main control mechanism, called the combination mode; iii) a locking means, such as a cable, having one end which is always in said padlock and another end, such as a flexible end, which can be locked and unlocked by a combination dial control; iv) at least one cylinder controlling the unlocking of said lock as a secondary control mechanism called key mode unlocking; v) the shape of the object being a car with four dials, the dials functioning as wheels; An object padlock.

31. The object is a padlock, i) the shape of the object-like cover / body; ii) at least one dial that controls the opening of the lock as the main control mechanism, called the combination mode; iii) a locking means such as a cable having one end which is always in said padlock and another end such as a flexible end which can be locked and unlocked by a combination dial control; iv) at least one cylinder controlling the unlocking of said lock as a secondary control mechanism called key mode unlocking; v) An object padlock comprising a shape of the object, which may be an animal having four legs, and each dial functions as a leg.

32. 31. The object padlock of claim 30, wherein a cam is assembled to control the bolt to lock and unlock the bolt receiving notch in the flexible end of the cable, the cam includes a spring that constantly urges the cam towards the locked position, the cam includes a tail that allows either the primary locking mechanism or the secondary locking mechanism to control the upward movement of the cam, and the cam is in the unlocked position when the cam is moved upward, such that when the cam is in the upward position, the flat end of the bolt moves down the slope of the cam towards the cam and the rounded end of the bolt disengages from the bolt receiving notch in the flexible end of the cable, a spring loaded member pops out upward and the flexible end pops out of the cover / body of the lock to open the padlock.

33. 31. The object padlock of claim 30, wherein the primary unlocking member is an external dial, an internal dial, a clutch, a control plate, a connecting plate, a button, or a spring-loaded member that controls movement of the cam and bolt to engage and disengage a bolt from the bolt-receiving notch in the flexible end of the cable unit.

34. 31. The object padlock of claim 30, wherein the tail of the cam is shaped and sized so that when the lock is opened by the secondary control mechanism, the tail of the extending cam is pushed upward and does not interfere with a stationary member of a contact wall of a connecting plate.

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