Lock of deadbolt mechanism having biometric authentication unlocking means

Abstract

To provide a padlock configured to be operated from a lock mode to an unlock mode by a fingerprint panel.SOLUTION: A padlock comprises a lock body, a fingerprint panel configured to operate the padlock from a lock mode to an unlock mode by using an electronic mechanism, a shackle having long and short legs, at least one bolt configured to engage or disengage the shackle, a cam for controlling movement of the at least one bolt, an inclined cam for controlling movement of the cam, and a motor operably connected to the fingerprint panel and having teeth for controlling movement of the inclined cam.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross - Reference to Related Applications] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 431,142, filed on December 8, 2022, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention generally relates to a lock having a deadbolt mechanism, and more particularly to a padlock having a biometric unlocking mechanism for the operation of the deadbolt mechanism.

Background Art

[0003] There are many biometric locks in the market that can be easily opened by attackers as a result of these locks having a latch locking mechanism. The present invention overcomes the attacks commonly used against latch lock mechanisms because the bolt is configured to keep the padlock in the locked mode. This improves the security level of the lock. The bolt has a spring for applying a force that always pushes the bolt towards the locked position, and the cam has only a rotational movement such that the spring pushes the cam into the locked position, which prevents the movement of the bolt unless the cam is rotated to the unlocked position.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a padlock, comprising a padlock body, a fingerprint panel configured to operate the padlock from a locked mode to an unlocked mode by using an electronic mechanism, a shackle having a long leg portion and a short leg portion, at least one bolt configured to engage or disengage from the shackle, a cam for controlling the movement of the at least one bolt, an inclined cam for controlling the movement of the cam, and a motor having teeth operably connected to the fingerprint panel for controlling the movement of the inclined cam.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a padlock configured to operate from a locked mode to an unlocked mode by a fingerprint panel.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a padlock that can be unlocked by presenting an authorized fingerprint to a fingerprint panel.

[0007] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a padlock having a cam configured to rotate within the padlock, and the padlock remaining in the locked mode unless the cam rotates.

[0008] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a padlock in which the cam prevents movement of one or more bolts within the padlock.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a padlock that, in the locked mode, one or more bolts are biased to contact a shackle of the padlock.

[0010] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a padlock having an electric motor for controlling rotation of the cam.

[0011] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a padlock having an additional or alternative mechanism for operating the padlock by use of an electronic device that supplies a signal to the padlock.

[0012] Therefore, these and other objects are achieved by a padlock, the padlock including a lock body, a shackle having a long leg portion and a short leg portion, wherein either or both of the long leg portion and the short leg portion have bolt cutouts formed in either or both of the long leg portion and the short leg portion, the long leg portion of the shackle being held within the lock body, a shackle, at least one bolt, each of the bolts being configured to engage with the bolt cutout on the long leg portion or the short leg portion when the padlock is in the locked mode, each of the bolts being configured to disengage from the bolt cutout on the long leg portion or the short leg portion when the padlock is in the unlocked mode, and a fingerprint panel configured to operate the padlock from the locked mode to the unlocked mode.

[0013] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the padlock further includes a cam configured to rotate within the lock body and having at least one open slot, each of the open slots being configured to receive one of the at least one bolts when the padlock is in the unlocked mode, and the padlock further includes an inclined cam operably coupled to the cam and configured to control the rotational movement of the cam within the lock body.

[0014] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, each of the at least one bolts includes a shackle lock side configured to engage with the bolt cutout on the long leg portion or the short leg portion, and a spring receiving surface, the padlock being located within the lock body and further including a bolt spring for each of the at least one bolts, each of the bolt springs engaging with the spring receiving surface and being configured to bias each of the bolts in a direction toward the bolt cutout on the long leg portion or the short leg portion.

[0015] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the at least one bolt includes two bolts, and a first bolt of the two bolts is configured to engage with the bolt notch on the long leg portion, and a second bolt of the two bolts is configured to engage with the bolt notch on the short leg portion.

[0016] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the short leg portion of the shackle is held within the lock body of the padlock by one of the at least one bolt when the padlock is in the locked mode.

[0017] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the padlock further includes a motor located within the lock body and operably coupled to the inclined cam, and the motor is configured to operate to cause a rotational movement of the inclined cam when an authorized user provides a fingerprint to the fingerprint panel.

[0018] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the cam further includes a tail portion configured to operably engage with the inclined cam, the inclined cam further includes a lock inclined portion and an unlocking inclined portion, the lock inclined portion is configured to engage with the tail portion of the cam when the padlock is in the locked mode, and the unlocking inclined portion is configured to engage with the tail portion of the cam when the padlock is in the unlocked mode.

[0019] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the cam further includes a pole extending from the cam, the pole is located within the lock body, and when the padlock is in the locked mode, the pole is configured to engage with a cam spring configured to bias the pole in a direction such that the tail portion of the cam engages with the lock inclined portion of the inclined cam.

[0020] According to this aspect of the present invention and other exemplary aspects, the above-mentioned safe further includes a motor located within the above-mentioned safe body and operably connected to the above-mentioned inclined cam. The above-mentioned motor is configured to rotate the above-mentioned inclined cam such that when the above-mentioned open inclined portion of the above-mentioned inclined cam contacts the above-mentioned tail portion of the above-mentioned cam, the cam rotates and each of the bolts among the at least one bolt is received by the above-mentioned open slot of the above-mentioned cam.

[0021] According to this aspect of the present invention and other exemplary aspects, the above-mentioned lock inclined portion has a height smaller than the height of the above-mentioned open inclined portion.

[0022] According to this aspect of the present invention and other exemplary aspects, the above-mentioned motor includes teeth, and the above-mentioned inclined cam includes a motor tooth receiving slot configured to operably engage with the above-mentioned teeth of the above-mentioned motor such that the rotational movement of the above-mentioned motor is transmitted to the above-mentioned inclined cam. The above-mentioned motor is configured to rotate when an authorized user provides a fingerprint to the above-mentioned fingerprint panel.

[0023] According to this aspect of the present invention and other exemplary aspects, the above-mentioned safe further includes a shackle spring that engages with the above-mentioned long leg portion of the above-mentioned shackle. The above-mentioned shackle spring is configured to urge the above-mentioned long leg portion in a direction such that the bolt that engages with the above-mentioned notch for bolt on the above-mentioned long leg portion is disengaged from the above-mentioned notch for bolt and the bolt is received by one of the above-mentioned open slots of the above-mentioned cam. The above-mentioned shackle spring is configured to urge the above-mentioned long leg portion in a direction such that the above-mentioned short leg portion of the above-mentioned shackle is removed from the above-mentioned safe body, thereby putting the above-mentioned safe in the above-mentioned unlock mode.

[0024] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the bolt disengaged from the bolt notch on the long leg portion is configured to engage with the bolt notch on the long leg portion when the padlock is in the lock mode, and includes a shackle lock side portion configured to engage with the long leg portion when the padlock is in the unlock mode. The bolt disengaged from the bolt notch on the long leg portion further includes a cam lock side portion configured to engage with one of the release slots of the cam when the padlock is in the unlock mode. In the unlock mode, the bolt disengaged from the bolt notch on the long leg portion is positioned between the long leg portion and one of the release slots of the cam.

[0025] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, when the bolt disengaged from the bolt notch on the long leg portion is positioned between the long leg portion and one of the release slots of the cam, the cam cannot substantially rotate within the lock body of the padlock.

[0026] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, each of the at least one bolt includes a shackle lock side configured to engage with the bolt notch on the long leg or the short leg, and a spring receiving surface. The padlock further includes a bolt spring for each bolt among the at least one bolt. Each of the bolt springs engages with the spring receiving surface and is configured to bias each bolt in a direction toward the bolt notch on the long leg or the short leg. When the bolt notch on the long leg or the short leg is aligned with the shackle lock side of the at least one bolt, the bolt spring is configured to push the cam lock side of the bolt in a direction away from the open slot of the cam. The cam spring is configured to push the pole of the cam to rotate the cam until the tail portion of the cam contacts the lock inclined portion of the inclined cam.

[0027] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, there is a clearance between the lock surface of the cam and the cam lock side of the at least one bolt.

[0028] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the fingerprint panel is configured to receive a signal from an electronic device for operating the padlock from the lock mode to the unlock mode.

[0029] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the bolt further includes a bolt spring for constantly pushing the bolt toward the notch of the shackle during the lock mode.

[0030] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the bolt includes a shackle lock side that always interacts with the bolt notch in the shackle long leg of the shackle, and the bolt also includes a cam lock side that interacts with the cam to control the movement of the bolt from the lock mode where the cam lock side contacts the lock surface of the cam to the unlock mode where the cam lock side engages with the open slot of the cam.

[0031] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the cam includes a tail portion for contacting the lock inclined portion and the open inclined portion of the inclined cam, and the cam spring is disposed within the cam spring slot of the lock body and contacts the pole of the cam to exert a force that causes only rotational movement of the cam toward the lock position so that the tail portion contacts the lock inclined portion of the inclined cam.

[0032] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the inclined cam has a motor tooth receiving slot for receiving the teeth of the motor such that when the correct fingerprint is presented within the panel, the motor and the inclined cam rotate so that the inclined cam is in the lock position when the lock inclined portion contacts the tail portion of the cam, the inclined cam rotates such that the open inclined portion contacts the tail portion, and the cam rotates from the lock mode to the unlock mode.

[0033] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, in the lock mode, the shackle lock side of the bolt engages within the bolt notch of the shackle, the cam lock side of the bolt contacts the lock surface of the cam, and the bolt spring constantly exerts a force that pushes the bolt outward so that the shackle lock side always engages with the bolt notch of the shackle.

[0034] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, in the unlocking mode, the inclined cam is driven such that the opening inclined portion contacts the tail portion of the cam, and when the cam is rotated so that the opening slot aligns with the cam lock side portion of the bolt, the shackle spring exerts a force to push the shackle upward, the shackle lock side portion of the bolt is pushed back, the cam lock side portion of the bolt engages with the opening slot, and thus, at that time, the long shackle leg portion contacts the shackle lock side portion of the bolt. In this clamped position, the cam cannot rotate towards the locking mode, and the short shackle leg portion extends out of the short shackle leg hole of the lock body.

[0035] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the padlock is relocked when the user pushes the short shackle leg portion into the short shackle leg hole of the lock body. Thus, the bolt notch of the shackle realigns with the shackle lock side portion of the bolt, and the bolt spring exerts a force to push the bolt outward towards the bolt notch, which disengages the cam lock side portion of the bolt from the opening slot of the cam. When there is nothing to prevent the cam at this position, the cam spring exerts a force to push the pole of the cam and rotates the cam to the locked position, and the tail portion re - engages the locking inclined portion of the inclined cam to the locked position.

[0036] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the cam includes a hole assembled with the cam pole of the lock body, and when assembled in such a position, the cam can only actuate a rotational movement.

[0037] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, during the lock mode, when the bolt spring pushes the bolt towards the bolt notch of the shackle, the cam lock side portion of the bolt is aligned with the lock surface of the cam so as to have a certain degree of free tolerance and not contact the lock surface of the cam. Thus, when the motor rotates, the inclined cam pushes the tail portion of the cam from the lock mode to the unlock mode. Therefore, during the rotation of the cam from the lock mode to the unlock mode, the cam lock side portion of the bolt contacts the cam and the cam rotates freely as well without hindering the rotational movement of the cam.

[0038] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, in the re-lock mode, when the user pushes the shackle to the lock position, the bolt notch of the shackle is pushed to align with the shackle lock side portion of the bolt. The bolt spring pushes the cam lock side portion of the bolt in a direction away from the open slot of the cam. When nothing hinders the cam, the cam spring pushes the pole of the cam in the lock rotation direction. Thus, the cam rotates until the tail portion of the cam contacts the lock inclined portion of the inclined cam, and the shackle lock side portion of the bolt engages with the notch of the shackle.

[0039] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the inclined cam has a lock inclined portion at one end and an open inclined portion at the other end. Thus, both inclined portions contact the tail portion of the cam for locking and unlocking purposes.

[0040] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the lock inclined portion has a height lower than the height of the open inclined portion.

[0041] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the cam includes a tail portion, the movement of the tail portion is controlled by the inclined cam, and during the lock mode, the lock inclined portion of the inclined cam is always aligned with the tail portion of the cam. When a correct fingerprint is placed within the fingerprint panel, the release inclined portion of the cam pushes the tail portion of the cam into the unlock mode, driving and rotating the motor. Further, the inclined cam is rotated from the lock inclined portion to the release inclined portion that pushes the tail portion of the cam into the unlock mode.

[0042] According to this and other exemplary aspects of the present invention, the fingerprint panel includes another unlocking means, that is, in addition to or instead of the fingerprint for unlocking the padlock, the panel includes a Bluetooth chip for unlocking the padlock by a smartphone application, and the smartphone application can also control and manage fingerprint accessibility.

[0043] It is understood that the exemplary aspects of the present invention described are merely exemplary and that the present invention is not limited to any particular plurality of aspects or combinations thereof. Rather, the present invention encompasses the plurality of individual elements of the plurality of exemplary aspects, alone and in combination with any other plurality of individual elements, whether or not specifically described as exemplary aspects.

[0044] For a deeper understanding of the nature and object of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description, which is to be construed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0045]

Figure 1A

Figure 1B

Figure 1C

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4A

Figure 4B

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9A

Figure 9B

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14A

Figure 14B

Figure 14C

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0046] Next, the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings showing exemplary embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described herein. Like reference numerals represent like components throughout the specification.

[0047] Referring to FIGS. 1A - 1C, FIGS. 2 - 3, FIGS. 4A - 4B, FIGS. 5A - 5B and FIGS. 14A - 14C, shown therein are exemplary padlocks generally designated by reference numeral 10, according to exemplary aspects of the present invention. The padlock 10 may include a cover 20 having an opening 23 formed therein. The opening 23 of the cover 20 may include a shackle through - hole 21 located at either end of the opening 23. The shackle through - hole 21 may be configured to be generally semi - circular. The cover 20 may include one or more fixing holes 22 located within the cover 20. The padlock 10 may include a shackle top cover 30 configured and dimensioned to be received within the opening 23 of the cover 20. The shackle top cover 30 may include a shackle through - hole 31 located at either end of the shackle top cover 30. The shackle through - hole 31 is dimensioned to cooperate with the shackle through - hole 21 of the cover 20 to define a pair of generally circular passages within the cover 20 when the shackle top cover 30 is positioned within the opening 23 of the cover 20. The padlock 10 may be formed from a body front portion 40 and a body rear portion 50. The body front portion 40 and the body rear portion 50 may be fitted together by one or more posts extending from the body front portion 40 and configured to be received within one or more corresponding recesses of the body rear portion 50. When assembled, the body front portion 40 and the body rear portion 50 are configured and dimensioned to be received within the cover 20. The body rear portion 50 may be attached to the cover 20 by one or more fixing pegs 170 inserted into one or more fixing holes 56 of the body rear portion 50 through the fixing holes 22 of the body 20. The fixing pegs 170 are then press - fitted into the fixing holes 22 / 56 of the cover 20 and the body rear portion 50 to secure and integrate all the components to form the padlock 10. The fixing pegs 170 cannot be removed once inserted into the fixing holes 22 / 56.

[0048] Next, referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the front portion 40 of the body of the padlock 10 includes a shackle short leg hole 41 and a shackle long leg hole 42 formed in the front portion 40 of the body. The shackle long leg hole 42 has a shackle fin slot 42a located adjacent to the shackle long leg hole 42, and may have a fin stopper 42b formed in the front portion 40 of the body near the shackle long leg hole 42. The front portion 40 of the body of the padlock 10 may include one or more bolt slots 43 formed in the front portion 40 of the body, located between the shackle short leg hole 41 and the shackle long leg hole 42, and intersecting the shackle short leg hole 41 and the shackle long leg hole 42. Each of the one or more bolt slots 43 may include a bolt spring slot 43a formed adjacent to the bolt slot 43. The front portion 40 may include a cam pole 44 extending from the front portion 40 of the body and located between the one or more bolt slots 43. A cam spring slot 44a may be formed in the front portion 40 of the body adjacent to the cam pole 44. The front portion 40 may include a motor slot 45, a battery slot 48, and a USB slot 49 having a USB cover hole 49a. On the opposite side of the front portion 40 of the body, the front portion 40 of the body may include a panel slot 46 and a flashlight hole 47 formed in the front portion 40 of the body.

[0049] Next, referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the rear portion 50 of the body of the padlock 10 may include a shackle short leg hole 51 and a shackle long leg hole 52 formed in the rear portion 50 of the body. The shackle long leg hole 52 has a shackle fin slot 52a located adjacent to the shackle long leg hole 52, and may have a fin stopper 52b formed in the rear portion 50 of the body near the shackle long leg hole 52. The rear portion 50 of the body of the padlock 10 may include one or more bolt slots 53 formed in the rear portion 50 of the body, located between the shackle short leg hole 51 and the shackle long leg hole 52, and intersecting the shackle short leg hole 51 and the shackle long leg hole 52. The rear portion 50 of the body may include a USB slot 54 and a USB cover hole 55.

[0050] Next, referring to FIGS. 1A - 1C, FIGS. 2 - 3, FIGS. 4A - 4B, FIGS. 5A - 5B, FIGS. 6 - 7 and FIGS. 14A - 14C, the padlock 10 may include a shackle 60 having a shackle short leg portion 63 and a shackle long leg portion 64. During the lock mode, the shackle short leg portion 63 does not exit the hole 41 for the shackle short leg portion. Each of the shackle short leg portion 63 and the shackle long leg portion 64 may have a notch for a bolt formed in the shackle short leg portion 63 and the shackle long leg portion 64. The shackle long leg portion 64 may have at least one extending fin 62 extending from the shackle long leg portion 64. The shackle short leg portion 63 can be received within the padlock 10 within a passage formed by the hole 41 for the shackle short leg portion of the front body portion 40 and the hole 51 for the shackle short leg portion of the rear body portion 50 when the front body portion 40 and the rear body portion 50 are joined to each other. Similarly, the shackle long leg portion 64 can be received within the padlock 10 within a passage formed by the hole 42 for the shackle long leg portion of the front body portion 40 and the hole 52 for the shackle long leg portion of the rear body portion 50 when the front body portion 50 and the rear body portion 50 are joined to each other. The extending fin 62 of the shackle long leg portion 64 can be received within either the shackle fin slot 42a of the front body portion 40 or the shackle fin slot 52a of the rear body portion 50 at the position of the extending fin 62 on the shackle long leg portion 64 according to the position of the extending fin 62. The extending fin 62 enables linear movement of the shackle long leg portion 64 within the padlock 10 as a result of the guiding arrangement of the shackle fin slot 42a and / or the shackle fin slot 52a. The combination of the fin stopper 42b of the front body portion 40 and the fin stopper 52b of the rear body portion 50 prevents removal of the shackle long leg portion 64 from the padlock 10. This is because the extending fin 62 is larger than the passage formed by the hole 42 for the shackle long leg portion and the hole 52 for the shackle long leg portion. The padlock 10 may include a shackle spring 160 positioned to bias the shackle long leg portion 64 in a direction away from the front body portion 40 and the rear body portion 50 when the padlock 10 is in the unlock mode. In the unlock mode, the shackle 60 can pop out and open until the extending fin 62 contacts the fin stopper 42b / 52b as a result of the shackle spring 160 acting on the shackle long leg portion 64.However, the fin stoppers 42b / 52b enable rotational movement of the shackle 60 about the longitudinal axis of the shackle long leg portion 64 when the shackle short leg portion 63 is removed from the padlock 10 as a result of the engagement of the extension fins 62 with the grooves formed by the fin stoppers 42b / 52b. The padlock 10 may include one or more bolts 70 that are located within the padlock 10 and are movable along a passage formed by the bolt slot 43 of the front body portion 40 and the bolt slot 53 of the rear body portion 50 when the front body portion 40 and the rear body portion 50 are joined to each other. The bolt 70 may include a shackle lock side portion 71 that is positioned to engage a bolt notch 61 on the shackle short leg portion 63 or the shackle long leg portion 64. The bolt 70 may also include a cam lock side portion 71 that faces and / or engages the cam 80 located within the padlock 10. The bolt 70 may include a spring receiving surface 73 that is configured to engage a bolt spring 140 that extends from the bolt 70 and is configured to bias the bolt 70 in a direction toward the bolt notch 61. The bolt spring slot 43a of the front body portion 40 is for positioning the bolt spring 140 in contact with the spring receiving surface 73 of the bolt 70. In this arrangement, the bolt 70 is constantly biased by the spring 140 that pushes outwardly and toward the notch 61 of the shackle 60 in the lock mode.

[0051] Next, referring to FIGS. 1A-1C, FIGS. 2-3, FIGS. 4A-4B, FIGS. 5A-5B, FIGS. 6-8, FIGS. 9A-9B, FIG. 10, and FIGS. 14A-14C, the cam 80 of the padlock 10 can be disposed on the cam pole 44 for angular movement about the cam pole 44, and the cam 80 has a hole 81 formed therein for this purpose. The cam pole 44 of the front body portion 40 receives the hole 81 of the cam 80. Once the cam 80 is assembled onto the cam pole 44, the cam 80 only performs a rotational movement. The cam 80 may include one or more open slots 82 configured to form a recess within the cam 80 and receive one or more bolts 70 within the open slots 82. The cam 80 may include one or more locking surfaces 85 positioned adjacent to the bolts 70 and configured to restrict and / or prevent movement of the bolts 70 within the padlock 10 when the bolts 70 are not positioned within the open slots 82 of the cam 80. The cam 80 may include a pole 84 extending from the cam 80, and the pole 84 may be configured to engage with a cam spring 150 configured to angularly bias the cam 80 such that the locking surface 85 is positioned adjacent to the bolts 70. The cam spring slot 44a of the front body portion 40 is configured to bring the cam spring 150 into contact with the pole 84 of the cam 80. The cam spring 150 exerts a force such that the cam 80 always rotates towards the locked position, which gives the padlock 10 an automatic lock-back function once the padlock 10 is unlocked when the shackle short leg portion 63 is moved in a direction away from the shackle short leg portion hole 41 / 51. The cam 80 may include an inclined cam 90 and a tail portion 83 positioned to operably engage therewith. The inclined cam 90 may include a locking inclined portion 91a configured to limit movement of the cam 80 when engaging with the tail portion 83 of the cam 80, and an open inclined portion 91b configured to engage with the tail portion 83 of the cam 80 and allow angular movement of the cam 80 about the cam pole 44. The inclined cam 90 may include a motor tooth receiving slot 92 configured to engage with a tooth 101 of a motor 100 disposed within a motor slot 45 of the front body portion 40. The tooth 101 may be assembled into the motor tooth receiving slot 92 of the inclined cam 90.The motor slot 45 in the front part 40 of the body is for assembling the motor 100 to the padlock 10. The motor 100 is configured to cause the rotation of the inclined cam 90 to bring about the rotation of the cam 80 around the cam pole 44. The lock inclined part 91a of the inclined cam 90 contacts the tail part 83 of the cam 80 during the lock mode of the padlock 10.

[0052] Next, referring to FIGS. 1A - 1C, FIGS. 2 - 3, FIGS. 4A - 4B, FIGS. 5A - 5B, FIGS. 11 - 13, and FIGS. 14A - 14C, the padlock 10 may include a fingerprint panel 110 located behind the panel slot 46 in the front part 40 of the body. The fingerprint panel 110 includes a sensor 111 configured to control the movement of the motor 100 and the inclined cam 90 when the padlock 10 operates between the lock mode and the unlock mode. The flashlight hole 47 in the front part 40 of the body is configured to receive the flashlight 113 of the panel 110 to provide the user with an indication of the mode of the padlock 10. The fingerprint panel 110 may further have features regarding a Bluetooth unlocking application processor in which a Bluetooth processor is integrated into the fingerprint panel 110 such that the control of the motor 100 is not only by fingerprint but also by unlocking via a Bluetooth smartphone through an application. The fingerprint panel 110 may include a USB charging port 112. The USB charging port may be located within the USB slots 49 / 54 in the front part 40 and the rear part 50 of the body. The padlock 10 may include a battery 120 located in the battery slot 48 in the front part 40 of the body, and the battery 120 may be configured to supply power to the fingerprint panel 110 and the motor 100. The battery 120 is rechargeable and may be electrically coupled to the USB charging port 112 to receive the flow of current for recharging the battery 120. The padlock 10 may include a USB cover 130 that covers the USB charging port 112 and is located across the USB cover holes 49a / 55 in the front part 40 and the rear part 50 of the body to provide at least some weather resistance and / or water resistance to the USB charging port 112.

[0053] Next, with reference to FIGS. 1A - 1C, FIGS. 2 - 3, FIGS. 4A - 4B, FIGS. 5A - 5B, FIGS. 6 - 8, FIGS. 9A - 9B, and FIGS. 10 - 13, the lock mode of the padlock 10 will be described. In the lock mode, the bolt notch 61 of the shackle 60 aligns with the shackle lock side 71 of the bolt 70. The bolt spring 140 acts on the spring receiving surface 73 of the bolt 70 during the lock mode, biasing the bolt 70 towards the bolt notch 61 of the shackle 60. Further, the cam lock side 72 of the bolt 70 aligns with the lock surface 85 of the cam 80. Since the cam spring 150 is configured to bias the pole 84 of the cam 80 counterclockwise (e.g., FIG. 1C), the tail portion 83 of the cam 80 contacts the lock inclined portion 91a of the inclined cam 90. The motor tooth receiving slot 92 of the inclined cam 90 engages with the tooth 101 of the motor 100. When the correct fingerprint is not placed on the fingerprint sensor 111 of the fingerprint panel 110, the motor 100 does not operate and the rotational movement of the inclined cam 90 does not occur. As a result, the tail portion 83 of the cam 80 remains in contact with the lock inclined portion 91a of the inclined cam 90, the cam 80 does not rotate about the cam pole 44, and the bolt 70 does not move from the state of being engaged with the bolt notch 61 of the shackle 60. In the lock mode, although the cam lock side 72 of the bolt 70 aligns with the lock surface 85 of the cam 80, some clearance may exist between the cam lock side 72 and the lock surface 85 because the bolt spring 140 pushes the bolt 70 towards the notch 61 of the shackle 60 during the lock mode. When the padlock 10 is operated between the lock mode and the unlock mode by the motor 100, the inclined cam 90 pushes the tail portion 83 of the cam 80 so that the cam 80 rotates without interfering with the rotational movement of the cam 80 from the lock mode to the unlock mode when the cam lock side 72 of the bolt 70 contacts the cam 80.

[0054] Next, with reference to FIGS. 2-3, FIGS. 4A-4B, FIGS. 5A-5B, FIGS. 6-8, FIGS. 9A-9B, FIGS. 10-13, and FIGS. 14A-14C, the unlocking mode of the padlock 10 will be described. The padlock 10 can operate from the locked mode to the unlocked mode by presenting a correct fingerprint to the fingerprint sensor 111 of the fingerprint panel 110. The correct fingerprint is pre-programmed in the padlock 10 by a known procedure for configuring the operation of the padlock 10 by the fingerprint of one or more authorized users. For example, an authorized user can be the owner of the padlock 10 and / or the owner of the place or article to be protected by the padlock 10. The padlock 10 may have the authority for one authorized user to add a plurality of other authorized users to the padlock 10, but the plurality of other authorized users may include different levels of authorization control such that they cannot add a further plurality of authorized users to the padlock 10. The padlock 10 may include a memory (not shown) configured to store the fingerprint(s) of one or more authorized users, and a processor (not shown) configured to retrieve the input fingerprint and / or compare it with the one or more stored authorized fingerprints.

[0055] Furthermore, referring to FIGS. 2 - 3, FIGS. 4A - 4B, FIGS. 5A - 5B, FIGS. 6 - 8, FIGS. 9A - 9B, FIGS. 10 - 13 and FIGS. 14A - 14C, when a correct fingerprint is presented within the fingerprint sensor 111 of the fingerprint panel 110, the motor 100 rotates. When the motor 100 rotates, the tooth 101 engaging with the motor tooth receiving slot 92 transmits the rotational movement of the motor 100 to the inclined cam 90, which rotates similarly. The inclined cam 90 rotates such that the open inclined portion 91b pushes the tail portion 83 of the cam 80 to cause the rotational movement of the cam 80. When the cam 80 is pushed to move clockwise (FIG. 14C), the cam lock side portion 72 of the bolt 70 aligns with the open slot 82 of the cam. When the cam lock side portion 72 of the bolt 70 aligns with the open slot 82 of the cam 80, the shackle spring 160 pushes the shackle long leg portion 64 upward. As a result of the movement of the shackle long leg portion 64, the shackle lock side portion 71 of the bolt 70 is pushed out from the bolt notch 61, and the bolt 70 is pushed in the direction of the open slot 82 of the cam 80. At this position, the cam lock side portion 72 of the bolt 70 engages with the open slot 82 of the cam 80, and the shackle lock side portion 71 contacts the shackle long leg portion 64 of the shackle 60. At this clamped position of the bolt 70, since this clamped position completely engages the open slot 82, the cam lock side portion 72 of the bolt 70 and the shackle long leg portion 64 of the shackle 60, the cam 80 cannot rotate back to the locked position, and the cam spring 150 remains in a compressed state but cannot return to the locked position. The extending fin 62 on the shackle long leg portion 64 of the shackle 60 moves along the shackle fin slot 42a and / or the shackle fin slot 52a until the extending fin 62 contacts the fin stopper 42b / 52b of the front body 40 or the rear body 50. The short leg portion 63 of the shackle 60 moves away from the shackle short leg portion holes 41 / 51 formed by the front body 40 and the rear body 50, and the padlock 10 is placed in the unlock mode.In the unlock mode, as a result of the rotation of the cam 80, the bolt 70 is disengaged from the bolt notch 61 on the shackle short leg portion 63 and the shackle long leg portion 64, enabling the cam lock side portion 72 of the bolt 70 to be received within the release slot 82 of the cam 80. The cam 80 rotates as a result of the release inclined portion 91b of the inclined cam 90 acting on the tail portion 83 of the cam 80 during the rotation of the inclined cam 90 caused by the motor 100. Since the shackle 60 is in the open position, the motor 100 rotates back to the lock position, and the lock inclined portion 91a rotates back toward the lock position. Since the tail portion 83 of the cam 80 is still in the unlocked and sandwiched position, the tail portion 83 of the cam 80 does not contact the lock inclined portion 91a or the release inclined portion 91b of the inclined cam 90.

[0056] Next, referring to FIGS. 1A - 1C, FIGS. 2 - 3, FIGS. 4A - 4B, FIGS. 5A - 5B, FIGS. 6 - 8, FIGS. 9A - 9B, FIGS. 10 - 13, and FIGS. 14A - 14C, to re-lock the padlock 10 and return the padlock 10 from the unlock mode to the lock mode, the user pushes the shackle short leg portion 63 of the shackle 60 into the short leg hole 41 / 51 formed by the front body portion 40 and the rear body portion 50. When the shackle short leg portion 63 is inserted into the short leg hole 41 / 51, the shackle lock side portions 71 of the bolts 70 align with the notch 61 of the shackle 60. Next, the bolt spring 140 pushes the bolt 70 outward toward the notch 61 of the shackle 60. When the shackle lock side portion 71 of the bolt 70 engages with the notch 61 of the shackle 60, the cam lock side portion 72 of the bolt 70 no longer engages with the release slot 82 of the cam 80. The cam spring 150 pushes the pole 84 of the cam 80 so that the tail portion 83 of the cam 80 moves counterclockwise to contact the lock inclined portion 91a of the inclined cam 90. The cam lock side portion 72 of the bolt 70 then aligns with the lock surface 85 of the cam 80. The padlock 10 is now returned to the lock mode. The movement from the unlock mode to the lock mode is mechanically performed without requiring any power for re-locking the padlock 10.

[0057] Therefore, among the things made clear from the above description, since the above-described multiple objects are efficiently achieved and specific changes can be added to the above document without departing from the scope of the present invention, it will be understood that all matters included in this disclosure or shown in the accompanying drawings are intended to be illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is to be understood that the present figures and the accompanying explanatory discussions of the corresponding embodiments are not intended to treat the present invention under consideration completely and rigorously. It is to be understood that the above arrangements merely illustrate the application of the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Explanation of Signs

[0058] 10 Padlock 20 Cover 21 Shackle Through-Hole 22 Fixing Hole 23 Opening 30 Shackle Top Cover 31 Shackle Through-Hole 40 Front Part of Body 41 Hole for Short Leg of Shackle 42 Hole for Long Leg of Shackle 42a Shackle Fin Slot 42b Fin Stopper 43 Bolt Slot 43a Bolt Spring Slot 44 Cam Pole 44a Cam Spring Slot 45 Motor Slot 46 Panel Slot 47 Flashlight Hole 48 Battery Slot 49 USB Slot 49a USB Cover Hole 50 Rear Part of Body 51 Hole for Short Leg of Shackle 52 Hole for Long Leg of Shackle 52a Shackle Fin Slot 52b Fin Stopper 53 Bolt Slot 54 USB Slot 55 USB Cover Hole 56 Fixing Hole 60 Shackle 61 Notch for Bolt 62 Extended Fin 63 Short Leg of Shackle 64 Long Leg of Shackle 70 Bolt 71 Lock Side of Shackle 72 Cam Lock Side 73 Spring Receiving Surface 80 Cam 81 Hole 82 Open Slot 83 Tail Part 84 Pole 85 Lock Surface 90 Tilted Cam 91a Lock Tilted Part 91b Open Tilted Part 92 Motor Tooth Receiving Slot 100 Motor 101 Tooth 110 Fingerprint Panel 111 Fingerprint Sensor 112 USB Charging Port 113 Flashlight 120 Battery 130 USB Cover 140 Bolt Spring 150 Cam Spring 160 Shackle Spring 170 Fixed Peg

Claims

1. A padlock, wherein the padlock comprises: a lock body; a shackle having a long leg portion and a short leg portion, wherein one or both of the long leg portion and the short leg portion have bolt cutouts formed in one or both of the long leg portion and the short leg portion, and the long leg portion of the shackle is held within the lock body; at least one bolt, each of the bolts being configured to engage with the bolt cutout on the long leg portion or the short leg portion when the padlock is in the locked mode, and each of the bolts being configured to disengage from the bolt cutout on the long leg portion or the short leg portion when the padlock is in the unlocked mode; a fingerprint panel configured to operate the padlock from the locked mode to the unlocked mode and comprising: wherein the padlock further comprises: a cam configured to rotate within the lock body and having at least one open slot, each of the open slots being configured to receive one of the at least one bolts when the padlock is in the unlocked mode; an inclined cam operably coupled to the cam and configured to control the rotational movement of the cam within the lock body A padlock.

2. Each of the at least one bolts comprises a shackle lock side configured to engage with the bolt cutout on the long leg portion or the short leg portion, and a spring receiving surface. The padlock is located within the lock body and further comprises a bolt spring for each of the at least one bolts, each of the bolt springs engaging with the spring receiving surface and being configured to bias each of the bolts in a direction towards the bolt cutout on the long leg portion or the short leg portion. The padlock according to claim 1.

3. The at least one bolt comprises two bolts, a first bolt of the two bolts being configured to engage with the bolt cutout on the long leg portion, and a second bolt of the two bolts being configured to engage with the bolt cutout on the short leg portion. The padlock according to claim 1.

4. The short leg portion of the shackle is held within the lock body of the padlock by one of the at least one bolt when the padlock is in the lock mode, the padlock according to claim 1.

5. The padlock further comprises a motor located within the lock body and operably connected to the inclined cam and is configured to operate to cause rotational movement of the inclined cam when an authorized user provides a fingerprint to the fingerprint panel. The padlock according to claim 1.

6. The cam further comprises a tail portion configured to operably engage with the inclined cam, the inclined cam further comprises a lock inclined portion and an unlocking inclined portion, the lock inclined portion is configured to engage with the tail portion of the cam when the padlock is in the lock mode, and the unlocking inclined portion is configured to engage with the tail portion of the cam when the padlock is in the unlock mode, the padlock according to claim 1.

7. The cam further comprises a pole extending from the cam, the pole is located within the lock body and is configured to engage with a cam spring configured to bias the pole in a direction such that the tail portion of the cam engages with the lock inclined portion of the inclined cam when the padlock is in the lock mode, the padlock according to claim 6.

8. The padlock further comprises a motor located within the lock body and operably connected to the inclined cam, the motor is configured to rotate the inclined cam such that the unlocking inclined portion of the inclined cam contacts the tail portion of the cam and rotates the cam so that each of the bolts of the at least one bolt is received by the unlocking slot of the cam. The padlock according to claim 6.

9. The lock inclined portion has a height smaller than the height of the unlocking inclined portion, the padlock according to claim 6.

10. The motor comprises teeth, and the inclined cam comprises motor tooth receiving slots configured to operably engage with the teeth of the motor such that the rotational movement of the motor is transmitted to the inclined cam, the motor is configured to rotate when an authorized user provides a fingerprint to the fingerprint panel, the padlock according to claim 8.

11. The padlock further includes a shackle spring that engages with the long leg portion of the shackle. The shackle spring is configured to bias the long leg portion in a direction such that the bolt that engages with the bolt notch on the long leg portion is disengaged from the bolt notch, and the bolt is received in one of the open slots of the cam. The padlock according to claim 10, wherein the shackle spring is configured to bias the long leg portion in a direction such that the short leg portion of the shackle is removed from the lock body when the padlock is in the unlock mode.

12. The bolt disengaged from the bolt notch on the long leg portion is provided with a shackle lock side portion configured to engage with the bolt notch on the long leg portion when the padlock is in the lock mode, and configured to engage with the long leg portion when the padlock is in the unlock mode. The bolt disengaged from the bolt notch on the long leg portion further includes a cam lock side portion configured to engage with one of the open slots of the cam when the padlock is in the unlock mode. The padlock according to claim 11, wherein in the unlock mode, the bolt disengaged from the bolt notch on the long leg portion is located between the long leg portion and one of the open slots of the cam.

13. The padlock according to claim 12, wherein when the bolt disengaged from the bolt notch on the long leg portion is located between the long leg portion and one of the open slots of the cam, the cam cannot substantially rotate within the lock body of the padlock.

14. Each of the at least one bolt includes a shackle lock side portion configured to engage with the bolt notch on the long leg portion or the short leg portion, a cam lock side portion configured to engage with one of the open slots of the cam when the padlock is in the unlock mode, and a spring receiving surface. The Nanjing lock further includes bolt springs for respective bolts among the at least one bolt, which are arranged inside the lock body. Each of the bolt springs is configured to engage with the spring receiving surface and bias each bolt in a direction toward the bolt notch on the long leg portion or the short leg portion. When the bolt notch on the long leg portion or the short leg portion is aligned with the shackle lock side portion of the at least one bolt, the bolt spring is configured to push the spring receiving surface of the bolt in a direction away from the open slot of the cam. The cam spring is configured to push the pole of the cam to rotate the cam until the tail portion of the cam contacts the lock inclined portion of the inclined cam. The Nanjing lock according to claim 8.

15. The Nanjing lock according to claim 14, having a clearance between the lock surface of the cam and the cam lock side portion of the at least one bolt.

16. The Nanjing lock according to claim 1, wherein the fingerprint panel is configured to receive a signal from an electronic device for operating the Nanjing lock from the lock mode to the unlock mode.

Images