EP1471195B1

EP1471195B1 - Lock assembly

Info

Publication number: EP1471195B1
Application number: EP03252637A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Waterson Chen
Original assignee: Waterson Corp
Current assignee: Waterson Corp
Priority date: 2003-04-25
Filing date: 2003-04-25
Publication date: 2009-09-09
Anticipated expiration: 2023-04-25
Also published as: DE60329164D1; ATE442500T1; EP1471195A1

Abstract

A third lobe is arranged in an accommodating space confined by a cover (40). The third lobe is turned away from the first and second lobes of the respective front sidewalls of two mounting seats (10,20). The turning away of the third lobe allows the sliding of a slide seat (30) between engaging and disengaging positions when the cover is moved to an open position after removal of a shackle (52) from the lobes.

Description

The present invention relates to a lock assembly which includes a shackle that can be substantially shielded to achieve an enhanced anti-theft effect.
Lock devices, such as padlocks, are in common use for locking together two objects. Typically, the objects are each provided with a lobe that has a hole formed therethrough. The shackle of a padlock extends through the holes in the lobes for locking together the objects, such as two door panels. To prevent the shackle from being sawn by a thief, the lobe on one of the door panels is provided with a bent guard plate extending integrally therefrom for protecting the shackle.
However, it is found that the bent guard plate often interferes with movement of one of the door panels relative to the other one of the door panels after the padlock is unlocked and is removed from the lobes, and is thus unsatisfactory. It is further found that the shackle is only partly shielded by the guard plate when the padlock is locked. The shackle is still accessible, and can be damaged, such as with the use of a hydraulic cutter.
EP 0281333 discloses a locking system for locking a first member and a second member which are relatively moveable. The system includes a first locking element fixable to the first member and a second locking element fixable to the second member and locking means for locking the first and second elements together. The system includes a cover for the locking elements and the locking means at a juxtaposition of the first and second members.
US 6,494,064 discloses a concealed and enclosed lock device wit ha latch box enclosure. The latch box has a backplate, and a baseplate extending outward from the backplate. The backplate has a lock slot. A guide bar having a channel is attached to the backplate. A link is pivotally attached to the backplate on one end, and has an orifice on the opposite end. A first limiter is also attached to the backplate. A slide assembly is located inside the latch box. The slide assembly has an upper latch slidably located above the guide bar, and a lower latch slidably located above the baseplate. The lower latch has a lock portal. A padlock having a shackle and a lock body with a keyhole is used as the locking device. The top of the shackle passes through the channel of the guide bar and is attached to the upper latch. The body of the padlock passes through the portal and extends into the lock slot.
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a lock assembly which includes a shackle or shackle members that can be substantially shielded when the lock assembly is in a locking state, and which eliminates the need for forming bent guard plates on lobes of adjacent objects that are to be locked together so as to avoid interference to relative movement of the adjacent objects.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a lockassembly includes first and secondmounting seats, a padlock, a slide seat, and a cover member. The first mounting seat is adapted to be mounted on a first object, and has a rear side wall adapted to face the first obj ect, and a front side wall provided with a first lobe that is formed with a first shackle hole therethrough. The first mounting seat is further formed with a first slide channel. The second mounting seat is adapted to be mounted on a second object, and has a rear side wall adapted to face the second object, and a front side wall provided with a second lobe which is formed with a second shackle hole that is axially aligned with the first shackle hole. The second mounting seat is formed with a second slide channel which is aligned and communicated with the first slide channel. The padlock includes a lock body and a U-shaped shackle mounted on the lock body. The slide seat has a sliding rod which is slidable along the first and second slide channels between an engaging position, in which the sliding rod extends into the first and second slide channels for engaging the first and second mounting seats, and a disengaging position, in which the sliding rod is disposed in the first slide channel and is removed from the second slide channel for disengaging from the second mounting seat so as to permit movement of one of the first and second mounting seats with the corresponding object relative to the other one of the first and second mounting seats. The cover member is mounted pivotally on the slide seat. The cover member confines an accommodating space, and is formed with a third lobe that is disposed in the accommodating space. The third lobe is formed with a third shackle hole therethrough. The cover member is pivotable relative to the slide seat for moving between a closed position and an open position. The first and second lobes extend into the accommodating space so as to be covered by the cover member and so as to dispose the third lobe between the first and second lobes and to enable the third shackle hole to align axially with the first and second shackle holes in order to permit extension of the shackle of the padlock through the first, second, and third shackle holes such that the shackle is shielded by the cover member when the cover member is moved to the closed position while the slide seat is disposed in the engaging position. The third lobe is turned away from the first and second lobes to permit sliding movement of the slide seat between the engaging and disengaging positions when the cover member is moved to the open position after removal of the shackle from the first, second and third lobes.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a lock assembly includes first and second mounting seats, a padlock, a slide seat, and a cover member. The first mounting seat is adapted to be mounted on a first object, and has a rear side wall adapted to face the first object, and a front side wall provided with a first lobe that is formed with a first shackle hole therethrough. The first mounting seat is further formed with a first slide channel. The second mounting seat is adapted to be mounted on a second object, and has a rear side wall adapted to face the second object, and a front side wall provided with a second lobe which is formed with a second shackle hole that is axially aligned with the first shackle hole. The second mounting seat is formed with a second slide channel which is aligned and communicated with the first slide channel. The padlock includes a lock body and a shackle mounted on the lock body. The slide seat has a sliding rod which is slidable along the first and second slide channels between an engaging position, in which the sliding rod extends into the first and second slide channels for engaging the first and second mounting seats, and a disengaging position, in which the sliding rod is disposed in the first slide channel and is removed from the second slide channel for disengaging from the second mounting seat so as to permit movement of one of the first and second mounting seats with the corresponding obj ect relative to the other one of the first and second mounting seats. The cover member is mounted pivotally on the slide seat. The cover member has an L-shaped configuration, and includes a first cover portion formed with a central opening, and a second cover portion extending transversely from the first cover portion. The cover member is pivotable relative to the slide seat for moving between a closed position and an open position. The first cover portion is moved to and covers the front side walls of the first and second mounting seats, and enables the first and second lobes to extend through the central opening such that the first and second shackle holes are exposed from the first cover portion in order to permit extension of the shackle of the padlock through the first and second shackle holes when the cover member is moved to the closed position while the slide seat is disposed in the engaging position. The first cover portion is turned away from the first and second lobes to permit sliding movement of the slide seat between the engaging and disengaging positions when the cover member is moved to the open position after removal of the shackle from the first and second lobes.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the lock assembly according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is an inverted partly exploded perspective view of the first preferred embodiment;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment;
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional top view of the first preferred embodiment, where two mounting seats are shown to be mounted respectively on two door panels;
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view, taking along line V-V of Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a schematic view illustrating how the shackle of a padlock can be shielded by a cover member in the first preferred embodiment when the padlock is in a locking state;
Figure 7 is a lateral side view of Figure 6;
Figure 8 is a lateral side view of the first preferred embodiment, illustrating upward turning of the cover member when the padlock is removed;
Figure 9 is a schematic front view of the first preferred embodiment, where the cover member is turned upward and a slide seat is slid rightward to disengage from a left one of the door panels;
Figure 10 is a sectional view of Figure 9, viewed from a front side of the lock assembly;
Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 9, viewed from a bottom side of the lock assembly;
Figure 12 is a schematic front view of a second preferred embodiment of the lock assembly of the present invention when mounted on a left-side-turning door assembly, where a cover member thereof is shown to be turned downward after a slide seat is slid leftward;
Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 12, viewed from a bottom side of the lock assembly;
Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of a lock assembly not part of the present invention, viewed from a bottom side of the lock assembly;
Figure 15 is a vertical sectional view of the lock assembly of Figure 14, viewed from a front side of the lock assembly;
Figure 16 is a perspective view of a third preferred embodiment of the lock assembly according to the present invention, where a cover member is shown to be turned upwardly to an open position;
Figure 17 is another perspective view of the third preferred embodiment when incorporating a padlock, where the cover member is turned downwardly to a closed position;
Figure 18 is a partly-sectioned front view of the third preferred embodiment;
Figure 19 is a perspective view of a fourth preferred embodiment of the lock assembly according to the present invention, where a cover member is shown to be turned upwardly to an open position;
Figure 20 is another perspective view of the fourth preferred embodiment when incorporating a padlock, where the cover member is turned downwardly to a closed position; and
Figure 21 is a partly-sectioned front view of the fourth preferred embodiment

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the first preferred embodiment of the lock assembly according to the present invention is shown to include first and second mounting seats 10, 20, a padlock 50 (see Figure 6) , a slide seat 30, and a cover member 40. Each of the first and second mounting seats 10, 20 is to be mounted on a respective one of two objects to be locked together, such as a door panel and a door frame. In the present embodiment, the lock assembly is illustrated as being used for locking together two door panels 100, 200 (see Figure 4) . Each of the first and second mounting seats 10, 20 is formed with a pair of screw bolt holes 111 for extension of a pair of screw bolts 102 therethrough. A pair of clamping plates 101 are provided behind each of the first and second mounting seats 10, 20. Each of the door panels 100, 200 is disposed between the clamping plates 101 behind a corresponding one of the first and second mounting seats 10, 20 for clamping by the clamping plates 101. The screw bolts 102 extend through the door panels 100, 200, and each has one end engaging a respective nut 103 behind the clamping plates 101 for fastening the first and second mounting seats 10, 20 on the door panels 100, 200, respectively. Each of the first and second mounting seats 10, 20 has a rear side wall 105, 205 adapted to face the corresponding door panel 100, 200, a front side wall 11, 21 opposite to the rear side wall 105, 205, an inner side wall 106, 206 interconnecting inner edges of the front and rear side walls 11, 21, 105, 205, and an outer side wall 104, 204 interconnecting outer edges of the front and rear side walls 11, 21, 105, 205. The mounting seats 10, 20 are disposed on the door panels 100, 200 such that the inner side walls 106, 206 are disposed proximate to and confront each other. The front side wall 11 of the first mounting seat 10 is provided with a first lobe 12 that projects forwardly and that has an oval-shaped first shackle hole 121 formed therethrough. The first mounting seat 10 is further formed with three first slide channels 14 which extend horizontally from the inner side wall 106 toward the outer side wall 104 and which are displaced from one another in a vertical direction. The front side wall 21 of the second mounting seat 20 is provided with a second lobe 22 that has an oval-shaped second shackle hole 221 formed therethrough and aligned with the first shackle hole 121. Each of the first and second lobes 12, 22 has an outer side surface opposite to the other one of the first and second lobes 12, 22 and formed with an indented shackle recess 122, 222 which extends downwardly from the corresponding shackle hole 121, 221 to a lower edge of the corresponding lobe 12, 22. The second mounting seat 20 is further formed with three second slide channels 24 which extend horizontally from the inner side wall 206 toward the outer side wall 204 and which are displaced from one another in a vertical direction. The first slide channels 14 are aligned respectively with the second slide channels 24. Each of the first and second slide channels 14, 24 extends through the inner side wall 106, 206 of the corresponding one of the first and second mounting seats 10, 20. The outer side wall 104 of the first mounting seat 10 is formed with an entrance 13 communicated with each of the first slide channels 14. The outer side wall 204 of the second mounting seat 20 is provided with a cover plate 231 that defines a closed end of each of the second slide channels 24. In another embodiment, the coverplate 231 may be formed integrally with the second mounting seat 20, i.e., integral with the outer side wall 204 of the second mounting seat 20. The rear side wall 105, 205 of each of the first and second mounting seats 10, 20 is formed with a limiting hole 17, 27 that extends along and that is communicated with a middle one of the slide channels 14, 24 in a corresponding one of the mounting seats 10, 20. The limiting holes 17, 27 are aligned with each other. Referring to Figures 4 and 5, each limiting hole 17, 27 has a communicating end 171, 271 formed through the inner side wall 106, 206 of the corresponding mounting seat 10, 20, and an opposite limiting end 172, 272 that is proximate to the outer side wall 104, 204 of the corresponding mounting seat 10, 20 and that is not formed through the outer side wall 104, 204. Referring to Figures 1 and 4, the front side wall 11 of the first mounting seat 10 is further formed with a vertically extending positioning groove 112 which is disposed adjacent to an inner side surface of the first lobe 12 that faces the second lobe 22.
Referring back to Figures 1 to 3, the slide seat 30 has a horizontal top wall 310 formed with a first pivot portion 33 at one end, a connecting rod 319 extending downwardly from the top wall 310, and three parallel sliding rods 315, 316, 317 which are disposed horizontally below the top wall 310 and which are spaced apart vertically from one another. Each of the sliding rods 315, 316, 317 has a connecting end portion connected to the connecting rod 319, and a distal end portion distal from the connecting rod 319. During assembly, the sliding rods 315, 316, 317 are inserted into the first slide channels 14 via the entrance 13. The distal end portion of a middle one of the sliding rods 316 is formed with an engaging hole unit which consists of a pair of engaging holes 311. A stop member 32, which is formed as a U-shaped metal body, engages the engaging hole unit by extending two opposite ends 321 thereof into the pair of engaging holes 311 of the engaging hole unit through one of the limiting holes 17, 27 after the sliding rods 315, 316, 317 are inserted into the slide channels 14. The stop member 32 thus projects from the middle one of the sliding rods 316, and projects into one of the limiting holes 17, 27. The sliding rods 315, 316, 317 are slidable along the first and second slide channels 14, 24. As best illustrated in Figure 4, the stop member 32 is movable with the middle one of the sliding rods 316 between the limiting ends 172, 272 of the limiting holes 17, 27, thereby preventing removal of the slide seat 30 from the first mounting seat 10, and thereby limiting sliding movement of the slide seat 30 between an engaging position and a disengaging position. In the engaging position, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the sliding rods 315, 316, 317 extend into the first slide channels 14 and into the second slide channels 24 for engaging both the first and second mounting seats 10, 20, and the stop member 32 is disposed adjacent to the limiting end 272 of the limiting hole 27 in the second mounting seat 20. In the disengaging position, as shown in Figure 10, the sliding rods 315, 316, 317 extend only into the first slide channels 14 and are removed from the second slide channels 24 for disengaging from the second mounting seat 20, and the stop member 32 is disposed proximate to the limiting end 172 of the limiting hole 17 in the first mounting seat 10.
Referring back to Figures 1 to 3, the cover member 40 has an upper end formed with a second pivot portion 41 which is mounted pivotally on the first pivot portion 33 by means of a horizontal pivot axle 42 such that the cover member 40 is turnable relative to the slide seat 30 about an axis of the pivot axle 42 in an upward direction for moving to an open position and in a downward direction for moving to a closed position. The first pivot portion 33 on the slide seat 30 has a pair of inclined end walls 34 facing the second pivot portion 41, and a pair of pivot tubes 331 projecting integrally from the end walls 34 and formed with aligned pivot holes for extension of the pivot axle 42 therethrough. The inclined end walls 34 incline downwardly and forwardly. Each end wall 34 has a concave surface. The second pivot portion 41 of the cover member 40 is formed integrally with a pair of second pivot tubes 411 which flank the first pivot tubes 331 and which are disposed respectively adjacent to the inclined end walls 34. The cover member 40 is further formed with a third lobe 45 inserted into a clearance formed between the first pivot tubes 331. The second pivot tubes 411 and the third lobe 45 are formed with aligned pivot holes which are aligned with the pivot holes in the first pivot tubes 331 for extension of the pivot axle 42 therethrough. In case there is a thief who tried to damage the lock assembly by cutting the pivot tubes 331, 411 using a saw, the inclined end walls 34 would abut against the saw and may cause bending of the saw during the cutting operation, thereby preventing the thief from successfully damaging the lock assembly.
The cover member 40 is generally formed as a hollow casing with a convex front cover plate 43 and a pair of spaced-apart side cover plates 44 which extend transversely from opposite left and right edges of the front cover plate 43. The side cover plates 44 cooperate with the front cover plate 43 to confine an accommodating space 432. The accommodating space 432 opens downwardly and rearwardly when the cover member 40 is turned downwardly to the closed position. The third lobe 45 is disposed in the accommodating space 432, and extends integrally and rearwardly from an inner surface of the front cover plate 43. The third lobe 45 is formed with a third shackle hole 451. Each of the side cover plates 44 is formed with a slot 441 that has a size corresponding to the size of the shackle 52 of the padlock 50 and that permits extension of the shackle 52 therethrough. When the cover member 40 is turned to the closed position after the slide seat 30 is moved to the engaging position, the first and second lobes 12, 22 extend into the accommodating space 432, and the third lobe 45 extends into a clearance formed between the first and second lobes 12, 22 and is positioned in the positioning groove 112 to enable axial alignment of the third shackle hole 451 with the first and second shackle holes 121, 221. At this time, the shackle 52 of the padlock 50 is extendible through the shackle holes 121, 451, 221 for locking together the first and second mounting seats 10, 20 and the cover member 40, thereby locking together the first and second door panels 100, 200. When the cover member 40 is turned upwardly to the open position after the padlock 50 is unlocked using a corresponding key and is removed from the lobes 12, 22, 45, the third lobe 45 is moved upwardly away from the first and second lobes 12, 22 for removal from the clearance between the first and second lobes 12, 22 so as to permit sliding movement of the slide seat 30 to the disengaging position, where the slide seat 30 is disengaged from the second mounting seat 20 to permit movement of the second mounting seat 20 together with the second door panel 200 relative to the first mounting seat 10 and the first door panel 100.
In use, the slide seat 30 is initially slid to the first mounting seat 10 and is disposed in the disengaging position, as shown in Figure 10. To lock the door panels 100, 200 to each other, the door panels 100, 200 are disposed side by side to align the shackle holes 121, 221 in the first and second lobes 12, 22 with each other. The slide seat 30 is then slid from the first mounting seat 10 toward the second mounting seat 20 with the cover member 40 turned to the open position, such that the sliding rods 315, 316, 317 are extended from the first slide channels 14 into the second slide channels 24 to dispose the slide seat 30 in the engaging position, as shown in Figure 5. The cover member 40 is then turned downwardly to the closed position, where the third lobe 45 is disposed between the first and second lobes 12, 22, and where the shackle hole 451 in the third lobe 45 is aligned with the shackle holes 121, 221 in the first and second lobes 12, 22, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The shackle 52 of the padlock 50, which is in an unlocking state, is extended into the accommodating space 432 through the slots 441, and is extended through the shackle holes 121, 451, 221. The padlock 50 is then locked by simply forcing the padlock 51 upward to engage the shackle 52 with a lock body 51 of the padlock 50 in a known manner, thereby locking together the first and second door panels 100, 200, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. At this time, the shackle 52 is partially buried in the shackle recesses 122, 222, and is substantially shielded by the cover member 40. With the formation of the shackle recesses 122, 222, the lobes 12, 22 can be made thicker to have a higher strength so as to obtain an enhanced anti-theft effect. As the slots 441 in the side cover plates 44 correspond in size with the cross-section of the shackle 52, it is difficult to extend a cutting tool, such as a hydraulic cutter, into the accommodating space 432 through any of the slots 441 to cut the shackle 52. The padlock 50 can thus be effectively prevented from being destroyed by cutting.
Referring to Figures 7 and 8, when the padlock 50 is unlocked using the corresponding key, one end of the shackle 52 is disengaged from the lock body 51 of the padlock 50. The shackle 52 is then removed from the lobes 12, 22, 45, and thus from the first and second mounting seats 10, 20 and the cover member 40. Thereafter, the cover member 40 is turned upwardly for moving to the open position. The slide seat 30 is then slid horizontally toward the first mounting seat 10 for disengaging from the second mounting seat 20, as shown in Figure 10. When the slide seat 30 is moved to the disengaging position, the cover member 40 may be turned downwardly again, and the shackle 52 of the padlock 50 may be extended once again through the third lobe 45 such that the padlock 50 can be carried by the first door panel 100 without interfering with movement of the second door panel 200, as shown in Figures 9 and 11.
The door assembly to which the present embodiment is applied is in the form of a right-side-turning door, in which the right side door panel, i.e. , the first door panel 100, is turnable relative to a door frame or a fixed left-side door panel, i.e. , the second door panel 200, about a vertical axis. In this case, the entrance 13 for access into the first and second slide channels 14, 24 is formed in the outer side wall 104 of the first mounting seat 10, and the slide seat 30 is slid rightwardly to the first mounting seat 10 after the padlock 50 is removed so as to prevent the cover member 40 and the slide seat 30 from hindering or interfering with turning movement of the first door panel 100 relative to the second door panel 200.
Referring to Figures 12 and 13, a second preferred embodiment of the lock assembly of the present invention is shown to be applied to a left-side-turning door assembly, in which a left-side door panel, i.e., the second door panel 200, is turnable relative to a door frame or a fixed right-side door panel, i.e., the first door panel 100. In this embodiment, the outer side wall 104' of the first mounting seat 10' is sealed, and an entrance 23 for access into the slide channels 24, 14 is formed in the outer side wall 204' of the second mounting seat 20'. The connecting rod 319 is disposed at a left end of the slide seat 30' to interconnect left end portions of the sliding rods. The slide seat 30' is slid leftwardly to the second mounting seat 20' after removal of the padlock 50 (see Figure 7) so as to prevent the cover member 40 and the slide seat 30' from interfering with movement of the second door panel 200 relative to the first door panel 100.
It has thus been shown that, with the use of the slide seat 30, 30', which is slidable horizontally, and the cover member 40, which is turnable upwardly and downwardly, the cover member 40 can be prevented from interfering with movement of one of the door panels 100, 200 relative to the other. Moreover, since the slots 441 are sized to permit extension of the shackle 52 while preventing a cutting tool from extending thereinto for cutting the shackle 52, the shackle 52 of the padlock 50 can be safely protected by the cover member 40.
Referring to Figures 14 and 15, a lock assembly not part of the present invention, is shown to be adapted to be applied to a door assembly with a door panel 100' turnable relative to a fixed door frame 300. In this case, both the first and second mounting seats 10, 20' are mounted on the door panel 100'. The slide seat 30a similarly has a top wall 310a, a connecting rod 319a extending downwardly from the top wall 310a, and three horizontally extending sliding rods 315a, 316a, 317a disposed below the top wall 310a and connected to the connecting rod 319a. Each of the sliding rods 315a, 316a, 317a has a connecting end portion connected to the connecting rod 319a, a distal latch end 315b, 316b, 317b opposite to the connecting end portion, and an intermediate portion. The intermediate portion of a middle one of the sliding rods 316a is similarly provided with a stop member 32 to limit sliding movement of the slide seat 30a between the engaging and disengaging positions. A latch seat 60 is adapted to be mounted fixedly on the door frame 300, and is formed with three rectangular latch holes 61 aligned respectively with the second slide channels 24. In the present embodiment, the outer side wall 204' of the second mounting seat 20' is open, and the sliding rods 315a, 316a, 317a of the slide seat 30a extend longer through the outer side wall 204' of the second mounting seats 20' , and project relative to the outer side wall 204' when the slide seat 30a is moved to the engaging position. At this time, the latch ends 315b, 316b, 317b of the sliding rods 315a, 316a, 317a are extendible respectively into the latch holes 61 for locking the door panel 100' to the door frame 300.
Referring to Figures 16 to 18, a third preferred embodiment of the lock assembly according to the present invention is shown to include a first mounting seat 10, a second mounting seat 20, a slide seat 30, a cover member 40b, and a padlock 50b with a U-shaped shackle 52b. Each of the first and second mounting seats 10, 20 and the slide seat 30 has a structure similar to that in the first preferred embodiment shown in Figure 1. The cover member 40b is mounted pivotally on the slide seat 30 so as to be turnable downwardly to a closed position, and to be turnable upwardly to an open position. The cover member 40b has an L-shaped configuration, and includes a first cover portion 41b formed with a central opening 411b, and a second cover portion 42b extending transversely from the first cover portion 41b and formed with a notch 421b communicated with the central opening 411b. When the cover member 40b is turned downwardly to the closed position while the slide seat 30 is slid to the engaging position, the first cover portion 41b is moved to the front side walls 11, 21 of the first and second mounting seats 10, 20, covers the front side walls 11, 21, and enables the first and second lobes 12, 22 to extend through the central opening 411b such that the first and second shackle holes 121, 221 are exposed from the first cover portion 411b. In this manner, the first and second lobes 12, 22 are bound to each other by the first cover portion 41b. At this time, the shackle 52b of the padlock 50b is extendible through the first and second shackle holes 121, 221, with the padlock 50b initially operated to be in an unlocking state. The padlock 50b has a lock body 51b with a U-shaped casing that includes a pair of lateral guarding portions 53b that guard lateral sides of the shackle 52b. When the padlock 50b is subsequently operated to be in the locking state, the shackle 52b is partially buried in the shackle recesses 122, 222, and is substantially shielded in all directions by the guarding portions 53b of the lock body 51b, the first and second lobes 12, 22, and the first cover portion 41b of the cover member 40b, cooperatively, as shown in Figures 17 and 18. In this state, the first and second lobes 12, 22 are extended into the notch 421b in the second cover portion 42b of the cover member 40b. The first cover portion 41b is clamped between the padlock 50b and the front side walls 11, 21 of the first and second mounting seats 10, 20, and is prevented from upward turning for moving to the open position.
Referring to Figures 19 to 21, the fourth preferred embodiment of the lock assembly of the present invention is generally similar to the previous embodiment in construction, and includes first and second mounting seats 10c, 20c, a slide seat 30, a cover member 40c, and a padlock 50c. The padlock 50c includes a U-shaped lock body 51c and a shackle 52c formed as an elongated bar. The first and second lobes 12c, 22c on the first and second mounting seats 10c, 20c are not formed with shackle recesses. The cover member 40c similarly has an L-shaped configuration, and includes a first cover portion 41c for covering front side walls 11c, 21c of the first and secondmounting seats 10c, 20c, and a second cover portion 42c transverse to the first cover portion 41c. The first and second lobes 12c, 22c are extended through a central opening 411c in the first cover portion 41c, and the shackle 52c of the padlock 50c is extendible through shackle holes 121c, 221c in the first and second lobes 12c, 22c when the cover member 40c is moved to the closed position while the slide seat 30c is slid to the engaging position for locking together the first and second mounting seats 10c, 20c and the cover member 40c. Likewise, in this state, the first cover portion 41c is clamped between the padlock 50c and the front side walls 11c, 21c of the first and second mounting seats 10c, 20c to prevent upward turning of the cover member 40c to the open position. In the present embodiment, the second cover portion 42c is formed with a pair of protecting rims 421c which extend downwardly when the cover member 40c is moved to the closed position in order to cover and protect an upper end portion of the lock body 51c of the padlock 50c.

Claims

A lock assembly characterized by:
a first mounting seat (10) adapted to be mounted on a first object (100), said first mounting seat (10) having

a rear side wall (105) adapted to face the first object (100), and a front side wall (11) provided with a first lobe (12) that is formed with a first shackle hole (121) therethrough, said first mounting seat (10) being further formed with a first slide channel (14);

a second mounting seat (20) adapted to be mounted on a second object (200), said second mounting seat (20) having a rear side wall (205) adapted to face the second object (200), and a front side wall (21) provided with

a second lobe (22) which is formed with a second shackle hole (221) that is axially aligned with said first shackle hole (121), said second mounting seat (20) being formed with a second slide channel (24) which is aligned and communicated with said first slide channel (14);

a padlock (50) including a lock body (51) and a U-shaped shackle (52) mounted on said lock body (51);

a slide seat (30) having a sliding rod (316) which is slidable along said first and second slide channels (14, 24) between an engaging position, in which said sliding rod (316) extends into said first and second slide channels (14, 24) for engaging said first and second mounting seats (10, 20), and a disengaging position, in which said sliding rod (316) is disposed in said first slide channel (14) and is removed from said second slide channel (24) for disengaging from said second mounting seat (20) so as to permit movement of one of said first and secondmounting seats (10, 20) with the corresponding object (100, 200) relative to the other one of said first and second mounting seats (10, 20); and

a cover member (40) mounted pivotally on said slide seat (30), said cover member (40) confining an accommodating space (432) and being formed with a third lobe (45) that is disposed in said accommodating space (432), saidthird lobe (45) being formed with a third shackle hole (451) therethrough, said cover member (40) being pivotable relative to said slide seat (30) for moving between a closed position and an open position, said first and

second lobes (12, 22) extending into said accommodating space (432) so as to be covered by said cover member (40) and so as to dispose said third lobe (45) between said first and second lobes (12, 22) and to enable said third shackle hole (451) to align axially with said first and second shackle holes (121, 221) in order to permit extension of said shackle (52) of said padlock (50) through said first, second, and third shackle holes (121, 221, 451) such that said shackle (52) is shielded by said cover member (40) when said cover member (40) is moved to said closed position while said slide seat (30) is disposed in said engaging position, said third lobe (45) being turned away from said first and second lobes (12, 22) to permit sliding movement of said slide seat (30) between said engaging and disengaging positions when said cover member (40) is moved to the open position after removal of said shackle (52) from said first, second and third lobes (12, 22, 45).
The lock assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each of said first and second slide channels (14, 24) extends in a horizontal direction.
The lock assembly as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said rear side wall (105, 205) of each of said first and second mounting seats (10, 20) is formed with an elongated limiting hole (17, 27) therethrough, said limiting hole (17, 27) extending along and being communicated with said slide channel (14, 24) in a corresponding one of said first and second mounting seats (10, 20), said limiting hole (17) in said first mounting seat (10) being aligned with said limiting hole (27) in said second mounting seat (20), each of said first and second mounting seats (10, 20) having an inner side wall (106, 206) proximate to the other one of said first and second mounting seats (10, 20), and an outer side wall (104, 204) opposite to said inner side wall (106, 206), said limiting hole (17, 27) in each of said first and second mounting seats (10, 20) having a communicating end (171, 271) formed through said inner side wall (106, 206) in the corresponding one of said first and second mounting seats (10, 20), and a limiting end (172, 272) opposite to said communicating end (171, 271), said limiting end (172, 272) being disposed proximate to said outer side wall (104, 204) of the corresponding one of said first and second mounting seats (10, 20), said sliding rod (316) being provided with a stop member (32) which projects into said limiting hole (17, 27) in one of said first and second mounting seats (10, 20) and which is movable along said limiting holes (17, 27) in said first and second mounting seats (10, 20) between said limiting ends (172, 272) of said limiting holes (17, 27) for limiting movement of said slide seat (30) between said engaging and disengaging positions.
The lock assembly as claimed in Claim 3, wherein said slide seat (30) has a top wall (310) formed with a first pivot portion (33) for connecting pivotally with said cover member (40), and a connecting rod (319) extending downwardly from said top wall (310), said sliding rod (316) being disposed below said top wall (310) and having a connecting end connected to said connecting rod (319), and a distal end which is distal from said connecting rod (319) and which is formed with an engaging hole unit for engaging said stop member (32).
The lock assembly as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said stop member (32) is formed as a U-shaped body with two opposite ends (321), said engaging hole unit including a pair of engaging holes (311) for engaging said opposite ends (321) of said stop member (32).
The lock assembly as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said cover member (40) has an upper end formed with a second pivot portion (41) which is mounted pivotally on said first pivot portion (33) for pivoting about a horizontal axis, said cover member (40) being turnable upwardly relative to said slide seat (30) for moving to said open position, and being turnable downwardly relative to said slide seat (30) for moving to said closed position, said accommodating space (432) opening in downward and rearward directions when said cover member (40) is moved to said closed position.
The lock assembly as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said first pivot portion (33) of said slide seat (30) has a pair of inclined end walls (34) facing said second pivot portion (41) of said cover member (40), and a pair of first pivot tubes (331) disposed between and projecting from said inclined end walls (34), each of said inclined end walls (34) inclining downwardly and forwardly and having a concave surface, said second pivot portion (41) having a pair of second pivot tubes (411) that flank said first pivot tubes (331) and that are disposed respectively adjacent to said concave surfaces of said inclined end walls (34), said first and second pivot tubes (331, 411) being formed with aligned pivot holes, said lock assembly being further characterized by a pivot axle (42) extending through said pivot holes in said first and second pivot tubes (331, 411) for connecting pivotally said first and second pivot portions (33, 41).
The lock assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said cover member (40) includes a front cover plate (43) with an inner surface facing said accommodating space (432) and two opposite edges, and a pair of side cover plates (44) extending rearwardly from said opposite edges of said front cover plate (43) and cooperating with said front cover plate (43) to confine said accommodating space (432), said third lobe (45) extending rearwardly from said inner surface of said front cover plate (43), each of said side cover plates (44) being formed with a slot (441) that has a size corresponding to size of said shackle (52) of said padlock (50) and that permits extension of said shackle (52) therethrough.
The lock assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each of said first and second lobes (12, 22) has an outer side surface opposite to the other one of said first and second lobes (12, 22), and a lower edge, said outer side surface being formed with an indented shackle recess (122, 222) that extends downwardly from said shackle hole (121, 221) in the corresponding one of said first and second lobes (12, 22) to said lower edge of the corresponding one of said first and second lobes (12, 22), said shackle (52) being partially received in said shackle recesses (122, 222) of said first and second lobes (12, 22) when said shackle (52) is extended through said first, second, and third lobes (12, 22, 45) while said padlock (50) is locked.
The lock assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein each of said first and second lobes (12, 22) has an outer side surface opposite to the other one of said first and second lobes (12, 22), and an inner side surface confronting the other one of said first and second lobes (12, 22), said front side wall (11) of one of said first and second mounting seats (10, 20) being formed with a positioning groove (112) adjacent to said inner side surface of a corresponding one of said first and second lobes (12, 22), said third lobe (45) extending into said positioning groove (112) when said slide seat (30) is disposed in the engaging position while said cover member (40) is moved to the closed position.
A lock assembly characterized by:
a first mounting seat (10) adapted to be mounted on a first object, said first mounting seat (10) having a rear side wall (105) adapted to face the first object, and a front side wall (11) provided with a first lobe (12) that is formed with a first shackle hole (121)

therethrough, said first mounting seat (10) being further formed with a first slide channel (14);

a second mounting seat (20) adapted to be mounted on a second object, said second mounting seat (20) having a rear side wall (205) adapted to face the second object, and a front side wall (21) provided with a second lobe (22) which is formed with a second shackle hole (221) that is axially aligned with said first shackle hole (121), said second mounting seat (20) being formed with a second slide channel (24) which is aligned and communicated with said first slide channel (14);

a padlock (50b) including a lock body and a shackle (52b) mounted on said lock body, one of said lock body and said shackle being U-shaped;

a slide seat (30) having a sliding rod (316) which is slidable along said first and second slide channels (14, 24) between an engaging position, in which said sliding rod (316) extends into said first and second slide channels (14, 24) for engaging said first and second mounting seats (10, 20), and a disengaging position, in which said sliding rod (316) is disposed in said first slide channel (14) and is removed from said second slide channel (24) for disengaging from said second mounting seat (20) so as to permit movement of one of said first and second mounting seats (10, 20) with the corresponding object relative to the other one of said first and second mounting seats (10, 20); and

a cover member (40b) mounted pivotally on said slide seat (30), said cover member (40b) having an L-shaped configuration and including a first cover portion (41b) formed with a central opening (411b), and a second cover portion (42b) extending transversely from said first cover portion (41b), said cover member (40b) being pivotable relative to said slide seat (30) for moving between a closed position and an open position, said first cover portion (41b) being moved to and covering said front side walls (11, 21) of said first and second mounting seats (10, 20) and enabling said first and

second lobes (12, 22) to extend through said central opening (411b) such that said first and second shackle holes (121, 221) are exposed from said first cover portion (41b) in order to permit extension of said shackle (52b) of said padlock (50b) through said first and second shackle holes (121, 221) when said cover member (40b) is moved to said closed position while said slide seat (30) is disposed in said engaging position, said first cover portion (41b) being turned away from said first and second lobes (12, 22) to permit sliding movement of said slide seat (30) between said engaging and disengaging positions when said cover member (40b) is moved to the open position after removal of said shackle (52b) from said first and second lobes (12, 22).
The lock assembly as claimed in Claim 11, wherein said shackle (52b) has a U-shaped configuration, each of said first and second lobes (12, 22) having an outer side surface opposite to the other one of said first and second lobes (12, 22) and further having a lower edge, said outer side surface being formed with an indented shackle recess (122, 222) that extends downwardly from the corresponding one of said first and second shackle holes (121, 221) to said lower edge of the corresponding one of said first and second lobes (12, 22), said shackle (52b) being partially received in said shackle recesses (122, 222) of said first and second lobes (12, 22) when said shackle (52b) is extended through said first and second lobes (12, 22) while said padlock (50b) is locked.
The lock assembly as claimed in Claim 11, wherein said lock body (51c) has a U-shaped configuration, and said shackle (52c) is in the form of an elongated bar.