A tamper evident locking device

Abstract

The present invention discloses a tamper evident locking device for use with luggage, the device comprising a lock body having a primary locking means with a cover (10) for concealing said primary locking means, the cover (10) being secured in place by a secondary locking means (90), wherein the secondary locking means (90) comprises a frangible portion ((94) which is breakable to release the cover (10).

Description

[0001] A TAMPER EVIDENT LOCKING DEVICE

[0002] FIELD OF INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates to a locking device for use with luggage, more particularly a locking device with anti-tampering capabilities.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Nowadays, a luggage case is fitted with double zippers and a combination lock so that articles stored therein can be well protected. Such locks are particularly important to prevent the luggage case from being forcibly opened during baggage checks in the absence of the baggage owner. The United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at United States airports is authorized to forcibly open locked baggage during inspections unless the lock is indexed as a TSA lock and therefore must be opened and closed without damage by a TSA master key.

[0006] Many technologies related to anti-tampering safety devices have been proposed to further improve the device. For example, a United States patent with publication no. US7273139B2 discloses a collapsible luggage that is easy to transport and easy to store and is provided with security tags to enable the passenger and terminal security officers to determine the last person to seal the luggage, enabling a passenger to determine if the luggage was searched, and enabling security personal to determine whether the luggage was previously searched. A European patent with publication no. EP2008541A2 discloses a lock for double zips of luggage, with a combination lock for the user and a master key lock to be operated by a luggage control authority, whereby both locks are arranged in a housing and operatively connected to a locking mechanism for the zippers. The locks can be unlocked without actuating the combination lock by the master key lock. Further, a receiving space in the housing for slider pull tabs of the zippers that can be hooked therein can be closed by a pivotable flap with a key slider being used to open the flap. Another United States patent with publication no. US20040237605A1 recites a luggage having two zippers whereby in a closed state, tabs of the zippers are put on protuberances. A trigger member is seated across a channel with an outer end thereof projected from the channel, a spring depressible bar disposed in the channel, a cavity ridden on a second rail, and an inner end thereof disposed in a well, a sliding board is disposed on a base with side lugs being aligned so that a padlock is operative to fasten the lugs.

[0007] The aforementioned patent documents describe the many configurations of an antitampering safety device, which is one of the key components in the proposed invention. A major drawback arises therefrom as the devices usually do not have a seal which protects both the TSA combination locks and the zippers.

[0008] There exists a need to provide a safety device of such configuration, particularly being able to conceal both the combination locks and the zippers with a secondary locking mechanism to secure the seal, whereby the secondary locking mechanism provides a means for identification which is also tamper evident.

[0009] SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0010] The main object of the invention is to provide a simple, easily operable, and troublefree means for protecting contents in luggage, that will facilitate security screening measures and provide evidence to the owner whether their luggage has been tampered with, and can be viewed by relevant authorities to determine the most recent individual or organisation to access the luggage.

[0011] The present invention discloses a tamper evident locking device for use with luggage, the device comprising a lock body having a primary locking means with a cover for concealing said primary locking means, the cover is secured in place by a secondary locking means, wherein the secondary locking means comprises a frangible portion which is breakable to release the cover.

[0012] Preferably, the lock body comprises a top casing, a middle casing and a bottom casing.

[0013] Preferably, the top casing, the middle casing, and the bottom casing are secured together using screws and nuts.

[0014] Preferably, one end of the top casing includes a protrusion having a plurality of ribs formed thereon.

[0015] Preferably, the protrusion has a lateral passage for receiving the cover.

[0016] Preferably, the top casing further comprises at least one guide rails formed thereon for receiving the cover.

[0017] Preferably, the top casing is secured onto the middle casing by using a snap-fit locking mechanism.

[0018] Preferably, the bottom casing is incorporated with one or more spikes for gripping onto the luggage.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the cover has at least one transverse passage for receiving the secondary locking means and luggage zippers.

[0020] Preferably, the locking device further comprises a top cap formed with a recess for receiving the secondary locking means. Preferably, the secondary locking means further comprises a plate having one of a protruding ridge or groove which is engageable with another of a complementary groove or protruding ridge respectively on the top cap.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the secondary locking means further comprises a projecting detent which is slidably engageable with a spring-loaded pin disposed on the top casing to prevent removal of the secondary locking means.

[0022] Preferably, the detent is attached to the frangible portion which is breakable to release the detent and allow removal of the cover.

[0023] In one aspect of the invention, the primary locking means comprises a combination lock.

[0024] In another aspect of this invention, the lock body comprising at least one edge hook disposed under the cover, at least one snap-fit pin, a first top casing having at least one snap-fit clasp, a second top casing having at least one peg, and at least one pivoting strut; wherein the first edge engages with the peg on the second top casing while the snap-fit pin engages with the snap-fit clasp on the first top casing and the pivoting struts lean on the first top casing to form the primary locking means.

[0025] One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiment described herein is not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention.

[0026] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the invention, there is illustrated in the accompanying drawing the preferred embodiments from an inspection of which when considered in connection with the following description, the invention, its construction and operation and many of its advantages would be readily understood and appreciated.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a preferred embodiment of a tamper-evident locking device.

[0029] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the device.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cover for the device.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a front view of the cover for the device.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a top view of a top cap for insertion of a secondary locking means.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a front view of the top cap.

[0034] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the top cap.

[0035] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a top casing for a lock body of the device.

[0036] FIG. 9 is a top view of the top casing for the lock body of the device.

[0037] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a bottom casing for the lock body of the device.

[0038] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative bottom casing for the lock body of the device.

[0039] FIG. 12 is an exemplary embodiment of a combination lock used in the device. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a spring-loaded pin for engaging the secondary locking means.

[0040] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the secondary locking means to secure the cover of the device.

[0041] FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating an alternative embodiment of the tamper evident locking device for use with a foldable luggage.

[0042] FIG. 16 is an exploded view of the alternative embodiment of the tamper-evident locking device.

[0043] FIG. 17 is a perspective view illustrating another alternative embodiment of the tamper- evident locking device for application on a buckle of a hard case luggage in a locked state.

[0044] FIG. 18 is a perspective view illustrating the alternative embodiment of the tamper- evident locking device for application on a buckle of a hard case luggage in an unlocked state.

[0045] FIG. 19 is an exploded view illustrating the alternative embodiment of the tamper- evident locking device.

[0046] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the first top casing of the alternate embodiment.

[0047] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the second top casing of the alternate embodiment.

[0048] FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the riveting pins and pivoting struts. FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the top side of the cover.

[0049] FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the bottom side of the cover.

[0050] FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the button.

[0051] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0052] Hereinafter, the invention shall be described according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention and by referring to the accompanying description and drawings. However, it is to be understood that limiting the description to the preferred embodiments of the invention is merely to facilitate discussion of the present invention and it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

[0053] The invention will be now described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings.

[0054] FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a tamper evident locking device for use with luggage, with the device comprising a lock body which is formed by a top casing 30, a middle casing 50 and a bottom casing 60. An assembly of components making up the device is illustrated in an exploded view in FIG. 2. In the preferred embodiment, the tamper evident locking device comprises a lock body having a primary locking means that may be a combination lock. A cover 10 secures said primary locking means in place, while being secured in place by a secondary locking means 90. The secondary locking means 90 comprises a frangible portion 94 as shown in FIG. 14. The frangible portion 94 is breakable to release the cover, while it remains in the top casing 30 to show evidence of tampered.

[0055] Preferably, the top casing 30, the middle casing 50, and the bottom casing 60 are made of materials such as plastic, including polypropylene glassfill, polycarbonate or the like, whereby the materials have fire retardant properties, thus ensuring safety of the device and luggage therewith in the event of emergencies or natural disasters. In a preferred embodiment, the top casing 30, the middle casing 50 and the bottom casing 60 may be secured to each other by fastener means, such as screws 100 and nuts 120 or being snap fit together.

[0056] In a preferred embodiment, the top casing 30 and the middle casing 50 are secured together by the snap fit locking mechanism. Preferably, the bottom casing 60 is fitted onto an inner lining of the luggage and is formed with a recess 61 accommodating the middle casing 50 that is formed with another recess for disposing a combination lock 40 in it. Referring to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the bottom casing 60b includes a configuration to include spikes 64 along a periphery of the recess 61, in which the spikes 63 are for enhancing grip of the bottom casing 60b onto the inner lining of luggage made with fabric material such as nylon, Cordura, polyester or the like. Luggage that are made from ABS plastic may utilise the bottom casing 60a that is without the spikes 63, in which the bottom casing 60a is fastened to the middle casing 50 and the top casing 30 using screws 100 and nuts 120. The bottom casing 60a, 60b comprises of a plurality of threaded apertures 62 for receiving the screws 100. Preferably, the screws 100 are flat headed to prevent any form of tampering once the device is attached to the luggage. Also preferably, the screws 100 and nuts 120 may be made of metallic materials such as stainless steel to prevent rusting or oxidation.

[0057] In a preferred embodiment, the combination lock 40 includes a rectangular body 41 with a pair of interlocking slots 42 for fitting and securing a pair of luggage zippers along with a master key slot 44 which can be accessed by relevant authorities to bypass the combination lock 40 if the luggage is being inspected. The interlocking slots 42 may also be unlocked by pressing a button 43 adjacent to said interlocking slots 42 when a correct combination is made, such as illustrated in FIG. 7. Preferably, the combination lock 40 is any type of combination locks that are administered and certified by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

[0058] With reference to FIG. 8 and 9, the top casing 30 comprises at least one protrusion 31, 33 at each end of the top casing 30, in which one of the protrusions 31 includes an elongate aperture 32 for fixing one end of a cover 10 to be hinged using a riveting pin 110 which is illustrated in FIG. 1. The protrusion 31 may have a plurality of ribs for strengthening integrity and rigidity of said protrusion 31. The hinged end of the cover 10 is also able to slide laterally across the aperture 32, allowing the cover 10 to be in an open configuration and a closed configuration by engaging an elongate portion 13 on a side of the cover 10 with a lateral passage 34 formed on the protrusion 33 at an opposite end of the top casing 30 with the aid of at least one guide rail 36 formed on the surface of the top casing 30. Preferably, a pair of guide rails 36 are formed along two opposing sides of the top casing 30 with the protrusion 31 being in the middle of the guide rails 36. The guide rails 36 stabilizes and properly aligns the cover 10 so that the elongate portion 13 can be received by the lateral passage 34 with ease. Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, disposed between the elongate portion 13 and the main body of the cover 10 is a grip portion 12 with one or more curved indents that define “steps” for allowing better grip when pulling the cover 10 to its unlocked configuration. The cover 10 also has at least one or more indents 16 on its top surface for including prints, for example, brand of manufacturer, additional identification, and many more. Further, the cover 10 may include at least one transverse passage 14, 15 for receiving the luggage zippers and a secondary locking means 90. Additionally, the cover 10 is formed with an opening 17 which may be fitted with a transparent material such as frosted or clear plastic, such that the combination lock is viewable from above. In a particular embodiment, the protrusion 33 on the top casing 30 further includes a recess 35 for receiving a spring loaded pin 70. Referring to FIG. 13, the spring-loaded pin comprises a chamfered end 71, a rod portion 72 around which a spring 80 is loaded, and a collar 73 disposed between the chamfered end 71 and the rod portion 72. The collar 73 acts as a stopper to prevent the rod portion 72 from extending into the transverse passage 14, while allowing the chamfered end 71 to protrude perpendicularly into the transverse passage 14 by force exerted by the spring 70. Preferably, the spring- loaded pin 70 is moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position in which it engages the secondary locking means 90. Further, a top cap 20 is fitted onto the protrusion 33 via snap fitting, ultrasonic welding or a combination of both, to secure the spring-loaded pin 70 in the recess 35 and to provide a means for receiving the secondary locking means 90 which will be discussed further herein.

[0059] In an alternative embodiment, either or both the cover 10 and the top cap 20 is slidably engaged laterally to the luggage, wherein the cover 10 and top cap 20 may slide towards each other to be secured or disengaged away from each other, in which a sliding mechanism [not shown] disposed within the luggage moves along sides of the luggage interior when the cover 10 and top cap 20 are acted upon, thereby acting as a tertiary locking means to unlock the luggage. In another alternative embodiment, a pair of sliding covers are attached to the cover 10 and the top cap 20 whereby both sliding covers are formed with an aperture on its middle portion for receiving the cover 10 and the top cap 20 respectively.

[0060] In FIG. 14, the secondary locking means 90 comprises a detent 91 with a chamfered end 92 that is slidably engageable with the spring-loaded pin 70 for preventing the removal of the secondary locking means 90. Attached to the detent 91 is a frangible end portion 94 which can be torn off to detach the secondary locking means 90 from the device. The secondary locking means 90 further comprises a plate 95 connected to the detent 91 by a lateral portion 97 disposed perpendicularly between the detent 91 and the plate 95. The plate 95 has at least one of a ridge [not shown] or groove which is engageable with a complementary groove 22 on the top cap 20 of the protrusion 33 such as illustrated in FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, whereby the complementary groove 22 guides the insertion of the detent 91 into the transverse passage 14 of the cover 10. Further, the plate 95 rests on a shallow cavity 21 on the top cap 20 when the secondary locking means 90 is fully inserted into the device. A further embodiment of the top cap 20 as in FIG. 7 illustrates the top cap 20 comprising panels 23 on one side of the top cap 20 extending downwards as additional security measures when inserting the protrusion 13 on the cover 10 into the lateral passage 34, coupled with a lip 24 that extends laterally outwards to prevent forced insertion of sharp tools or objects into the top cap 20 in the scenario that a person may try to forcefully open the cover 10. Further, an opening of the transverse passage 14 may also be machined onto one of the panels 23 instead of being on the cover 10.

[0061] To lock the device, the detent 91 of the secondary locking means 90 is inserted into the transverse passage 14 of the cover 10, such that the chamfered end 92 of the detent engages with the chamfered end 71 of the spring-loaded pin 70, in which the spring- loaded pin 70 springs back to engage an undercut 93 of the chamfered end 92 of the detent 91 to prevent removal of the secondary locking means 90. To unlock the device, the detent 91 is torn along the frangible end portion 94 until it is broken off, so that the detent 91 can be pushed through the transverse passage 14 of the cover 10 to disengage from the spring-loaded pin 70, subsequently releasing the secondary locking means 90 and allowing the cover 10 to be removed from the lateral passage 34 on the top casing 30 back into the open configuration.

[0062] In one advantageous embodiment, another frangible end portion 96 connected to the plate 95 of the secondary locking means 90 may be laser printed to include a form of identification such as a barcode, serial number or the like. Preferably, the frangible end portion 96 may be broken off from the plate 95 and kept by the user for identification during redemption of his or her locked luggage. If the identification on said frangible end portion 96 does not match with the identification on the plate 95, this indicates that the device has been tampered with.

[0063] In another embodiment, the invention is incorporated into a buckle for hard case luggage as shown in FIG. 17 and FIG. 18. The hard case luggage may be made of lightweight and durable materials such as ABS plastic, aluminium or the like. FIG. 19 illustrates an exploded view of the embodiment. The buckle comprises a cover 10, a two-part top casing 30a, 30b for each side of the luggage, a plurality of riveting pins 110c, IlOe and at least one pivoting strut HOd. In this embodiment, the top casings 30a, 30b are formed with threaded apertures 62 for receiving screws 100a at their underside while the cover 10 further comprises a button 10a for locking and unlocking the buckle. The screws 100a attach the first top casing 30a on one side of the luggage and the second top casing on the other side of the luggage. As illustrated in FIG. 17 and FIG.18, when the luggage is closed, the top casings 30a, 30b are brought together to be connected through the cover 10 to lock the luggage.

[0064] FIG. 20 illustrates the perspective view of the first top casing 30a. The first top casing 30a further comprises at least one protrusion 31a each formed with an aperture 32a, a block 33a having an aforementioned transverse passage 14, and a snap-fit clasp 40a to engage with the button 10a. FIG. 21 illustrates the second top casing 30b. The second top casing further comprises at least one peg 40c to engage with the cover 10. When the luggage is closed, the first top casing 30a and second top casing 30b are within the proximity of the cover 10. Both the snap-fit clasps 40a and the pegs 40c engage with the cover 10 and the button 10a simultaneously to form the primary locking means 40. FIG. 22 illustrates the riveting pins 110c, IlOe and the pivoting struts HOd. The pivoting struts are formed with apertures 32a, 32b for the riveting pins 110c, IlOe to be inserted therethrough. FIG. 23 and FIG. 24 illustrate the perspective view depicting the top and bottom of the cover 10 respectively. The cover 10 is formed with the aforementioned recess 21, a complementary groove 22, transverse passage 14, and comprises an edge hook 40d, spring-loaded pin 70, and the springs 80, 80b. Referring to FIG. 25, the button 10a comprises at least one snap-fit pin 40b, and a transverse passage 14.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 20, FIG. 22, FIG. 23 and FIG. 24, the first riveting pin 110c skewers through the apertures 32a located on the first top casing 30a and the pivoting struts HOd. This arrangement joins the top casing 30a with the pivoting struts HOd allowing the pivoting struts HOd to rotate about the protrusion 31a within 90° range. Similarly, the second riveting pin IlOe skewers through the apertures 32b located on the pivoting struts HOd and cover 10 to join the pivoting struts HOd to the cover 10. As a result, the cover 10 is connected to the first top casing 30a through the pivoting struts HOd wherein the cover can tilt about the axis of the second riveting pin IlOe. In this particular embodiment, the pivoting struts HOd may further comprise torsion springs IlOf at the connection with the first top casing 30a and the cover 10. The torsion springs IlOf enable the cover 10 to remain upright when it is not buckled, as shown in FIG. 17.

[0066] To establish the primary locking means 40, the luggage is ensured to be closed such that there is no gap between the first top casing 30a and the second top casing 30b. Cover 10 is then brought to the second top casing 30b to engage the edge hooks 40d with the pegs 40c thereon. The cover 10 is then pushed down towards the first top casing 30a to lean the pivoting struts HOd against the first top casing 30a. At the same time, the snap-fit pins 40b engage with the snap-fit clasps 40a to form the primary locking means. At this state, the pivoting struts HOd prevent the cover 10 from sliding across the first top casing 30a and the top casings 30a, 30b are prevented from separating. At the same time, the springs 10b engage the button 10a, preventing the snap-fit pins 40b from releasing from the snap-fit clasps 40a to disengage the edge hook 40d from the peg 40c. The primary locking means is detached by pressing the button 10a disposed at the side of the cover 10 to compress the springs 10b. This releases the snap-fit pins 40b from their respective snap-fit clasps 40a and releases the cover 10 to pivot about the peg 40c. Subsequently, the pivoting struts HOd are tilted from the first top casing 30a to allow the cover 10 to be disengaged from the peg 40c. As mentioned, the torsion springs IlOf extend to push the cover 10 away from the first top casing 30a and maintain the cover 10 parallel to the first top casing 30a.

[0067] While in the locked state, the transverse passage 14 on the cover 10 aligns with the transverse passage 14 on the first top casing 30a. The secondary locking means 90 may further secure the cover 10 in place. The secondary locking means 90 is applied by fully inserting the detent 91 into the transverse passage 14 of the cover 10 and the transverse passage 14 of the first top casing 30a with the aid of the complimentary groove 22 as a guide rail. When applied properly, the plate 95 rests on the recess 21 of the cover 10. In order for the primary locking means to be released, the second locking means 90 must break away at the frangible end portion 94; leaving the detent 91 within the transverse passage 14 of the first top casing 30a as evidence of tampering.

[0068] The present disclosure includes as contained in the appended claims, as well as that of the foregoing description. Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a degree of particularly, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangements of parts may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0069] EXAMPLE

[0070] In an alternative embodiment, the tamper-evident locking device may be used with a foldable and / or collapsible luggage [not shown], wherein the locking device having either or both the cover 10 and the top cap 20 moveable laterally to act as the tertiary locking means for the luggage. Preferably, the foldable luggage includes a front wall, opposing side walls, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a rear wall, such that all of the walls cooperate to define an interior luggage space. The foldable luggage may also be supported and moved by virtue of wheels disposed on the bottom, although as is known in the art the wheels can be positioned on one of the side panels. The wheels are supported typically by a frame unitary with the frame into which the handle supports slide.

[0071] As further illustrated in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 of this alternative embodiment for the tamper evident locking device, the locking device comprises the lock body formed with only a top casing 30 that may be secured to the foldable luggage via the fastener means, such as the screws 100a, 100b as illustrated in the exploded view in FIG. 16. Preferably, the screws 100a may secure the top casing 30 directly to any one of the walls of the foldable luggage, such that the top casing 30 fits over the combination lock 40 which may already be fitted to the foldable luggage. The screws 100a may be secured to the top casing 30 from an inner side of the foldable luggage walls to a bottom portion of the top casing 30.

[0072] In comparison with the top casing 30 of the previous embodiment, the top casing 30 of this alternative embodiment includes a similar protrusion 31 which is configured without a plurality of ribs, with the protrusion 31 being attached to the top casing 30 via the screws 100b as illustrated in FIG. 16. Preferably, the protrusion 31 also includes the elongate aperture 32 for fixing one end of the cover 10 to be hinged using the riveting pin 110a, whereby each opposite end of the riveting pin 110a is enclosed with a riveting pin cover 110b for added protection due to the nature of the foldable luggage being collapsible in a frequent manner. Similarly, the hinged end of the cover 10 is also able to slide laterally across the aperture 32, allowing the cover 10 to be in the open configuration and the closed configuration by engaging the elongate portion 13 on the side of the cover 10 with the protrusion 33 at an opposite end of the top casing 30. Similar to the protrusion 31 which fixes one end of the cover 10 to be hinged, the protrusion 33 at the opposite end of the top casing 30 is attached to said top casing 30 via the screws 100b from the bottom portion of the top casing 30.

[0073] Besides that, the protrusion 33 on the top casing 30 is similarly configured to the previous embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 8, whereby it is formed with the recess 35 for receiving the spring-loaded pin 70, which engages the cover 10 when in the closed configuration. Further, the protrusion 33 is similarly fitted with the top cap 20 via snap fitting, ultrasonic welding or a combination of both, to secure the spring-loaded pin 70 in the recess 35 and to provide a means for disposing the secondary locking means 90 as previously discussed above. The configuration of the secondary locking means 90 is as previously discussed as well.

[0074] Conventionally, a zipper may run therealong the sides of the luggage, however, this embodiment requires none. The walls are secured together by virtue of clips or hooks. Preferably, the walls of the luggage may be made of a durable material, such as polycarbonate, polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or the likes, such that allows the luggage to be collapsed or folded is suitable.

[0075] In this aspect of the embodiment, a zipper is not required as unlocking the luggage will in turn open the luggage for access to the content within the interior of the luggage. In a collapsed configuration, it is preferred that the top wall, bottom wall, and opposing side walls collapse onto the interior of the luggage, with these walls being sandwiched in between the front wall and the rear wall. Preferably, the lock body may be disposed on the front wall, in which the locking device may be engaged to secure the luggage either or both in the collapsed and opened configuration. Likewise, the locking device may also be engaged to unlock the luggage from either one configuration.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A tamper evident locking device for use with luggage, the device comprising a lock body having a primary locking means with a cover (10) for concealing said primary locking means, the cover (10) being secured in place by a secondary locking means (90), wherein the secondary locking means (90) comprises a frangible portion (94) which is breakable to release the cover (10).

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the lock body comprises a top casing (30), a middle casing (50) and a bottom casing (60).

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the top casing (30), the middle casing (50), and the bottom casing (60) are secured together using screws (100) and nuts (120).

4. The device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein one end of the top casing (30) includes a protrusion (31) having a plurality of ribs formed thereon.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the protrusion (31) has a lateral passage (34) for receiving the cover (10).

6. The device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the top casing (30) further comprises at least one guide rail (36) formed thereon for receiving the cover (10).

7. The device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the top casing (30) is secured onto the middle casing (50) by using a snap-fit locking mechanism.

8. The device according to claim 2, wherein the bottom casing (60) is incorporatedwith one or more spikes (63) for gripping onto the luggage.

9. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (10) has at least one transverse passage (14, 15) for receiving the secondary locking means (90) and luggage zippers.

10. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a top cap (20) formed with a recess (21) for receiving the secondary locking means (90).

11. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the secondary locking means (90) further comprises a plate (95) having one of a protruding ridge or groove which is engageable with another of a complementary groove (22) or protruding ridge respectively on the top cap (20).

12. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the secondary locking means (90) further comprises a projecting detent (91) which is slidably engageable with a spring-loaded pin (70) disposed on the top casing (30) to prevent removal of the secondary locking means (90).

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the detent (91) is attached to the frangible portion (94) which is breakable to release the detent (91) and allow removal of the cover (10).

14. The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the primary locking means comprises a combination lock (40).

15. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the lock body comprises at least one edge hook (40d) disposed under the cover (10); at least one snap-fit pin (40b);a first top casing 30a having at least one snap-fit clasp (40a); a second top casing 30b at least one peg (40c); and at least one pivoting strut (1 lOd); wherein the edge hook (40d) engages with the peg (40c) on the second top casing (30b) while the snap-fit pin (40b) engages with the snap-fit clasp (40a) on the first top casing (30a) and the pivoting struts (HOd) lean on the first top casing (30a) to form the primary locking means.

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