ES2717658T3 - Padlock - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

Padlock

The invention relates to a lock with a lock housing, with a U-shaped shackle and with a lock cylinder for locking the shackle optionally in the lock housing, in which the lock cylinder has a cylinder axis and it is secured in the lock housing by means of a safety element.

In a lock of this type, the shackle is movably attached to the lock housing. In an open position of the shackle, a free end of the shackle can be passed for example by an eyelet of an object. In a closed position, both ends of the shackle are attached to the lock housing. In said closing position, the shackle can be locked in the lock housing by means of the locking cylinder through an interlocking device. For this, the closing cylinder normally has a cylinder housing and a cylinder core which is supported within the cylinder housing in a rotatable manner with respect to the said cylinder axis and can be operated by means of an assigned key. The aforementioned interlocking device can comprise, for example, a rotary bolt coupled non-rotatably to the rotating cylinder core, as well as two locking balls which, depending on the rotational position of the rotary bolt, engage in shackle interlock deepenings or can back off from these.

The closing cylinder forms a separate unit which is secured in the lock housing by means of a safety element. For this purpose, it is known from patent specification US 6425274B1 to use a safety screw which, parallel to the cylinder axis, is inserted through a shackle receiving channel of the lock housing and is screwed into a core section of the housing. cylinder. A disadvantage of this solution is that for fixing the lock cylinder to the lock housing, at the end of the shackle receiving channel, the security screw must first find the assigned threaded hole and enter it, and then rotate by means of a tool.

A padlock, the cylinder housing of which is secured by means of a safety element prestressed radially outwards by a compression spring with respect to the cylinder axis, which engages in a safety opening on a lower side of the lock housing, it is described in document US3068682A. Furthermore, document US Pat. No. 3,172,279A discloses a padlock according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention has the purpose of providing a padlock of the aforementioned type, in which the locking cylinder can be fixed in a simple manner to the lock casing. In particular, a detachable fastening of the locking cylinder to the lock housing must also be possible, and the padlock must be capable of being manufactured in a compact size. This objective is achieved by a padlock with the features of claim 1.

Therefore, the safety element is not inserted in the closing cylinder parallel to the cylinder axis, but the safety element can move transversely with respect to the cylinder axis, especially in a manner exactly perpendicular to the cylinder axis. The safety element is supported with elastic recovery in the closing cylinder, that is to say that the safety element is prestressed (for example, by means of a compression spring) in the direction towards a safety position in which the safety element it acts in conjunction with a safety opening made in the interior space of the lock housing. By means of such an arrangement, the locking cylinder is automatically secured in the lock housing when the locking cylinder is inserted into the lock housing. In this way, the fastening of the closing cylinder to the lock housing can be carried out particularly comfortably and reliably, especially without the need for a tool.

A special advantage of the mobile safety element transversely with respect to the cylinder axis is that despite the separate embodiment of the closure cylinder (in particular detachably secured in the lock housing, see below) a form of compact construction of the padlock, for example with a width of the lock housing of, for example, a maximum of 35 mm. In particular, it is not necessary for the closing cylinder to be arranged aligned with the corresponding shackle receiving channel of the lock housing, so that a safety screw can be screwed into the cylinder through the corresponding shackle receiving channel. closure, as is known from the patent specification US6425274B1 cited above. In addition, the shackle and the corresponding shackle receiving channel of the lock housing can have a small diameter, since it is not necessary to adapt the diameter of the shackle receiving channel corresponding to the size of a security screw according to the patent memory. US6425274B1. However, a safety screw of this type must have a certain minimum size to ensure sufficient stability of the fastening of the lock cylinder to the lock housing.

In some closing cylinders it is desirable or necessary that a possible turning movement of the cylinder core with respect to the cylinder housing. This is achieved in a simple manner by the fact that the safety element is supported displaceably inside the cylinder housing and prestressed radially outwardly with respect to the cylinder axis by means of a compression spring, with the compression spring resting on it. in a rotary stop member which is likewise movably supported within the cylinder housing and prestressed radially inwardly by means of the compression spring. This turning stop element engages in a recessing of the cylinder core, which extends with respect to the cylinder axis along a limited circumferential angle. By this engagement, the rotational movement of the cylinder core with respect to the cylinder housing is limited. Therefore, contrary to the aforementioned patent specification US 6425274B1, a circumferentially limited meshing groove is provided in the rotating cylinder core, it being possible for the rotary stop element, which engages in said indentation, especially in one channel, to be provided. of reception in the cylinder housing, which in itself is necessary for the aforementioned safety element.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the lock housing has a receiving opening for the closing cylinder which is preferably provided on the lower side of the lock housing. While the safety element is initially displaced to the inside of the closing cylinder, the closing cylinder can be introduced into the reception opening of the lock housing, along the cylinder axis, such that upon reaching a final position, the safety element snaps into the safety opening to secure the locking cylinder in the final position in the lock housing. In this way, an especially easy and safe fastening of the closing cylinder to the lock housing is realized.

Preferably, the security element is arranged in a core section of the cylinder housing of the closure cylinder, said core section also containing the closure maintenance elements of the closure cylinder (e.g., keeper fastening elements ). Preferably, the security element is formed independently of the closure holding elements of the closure cylinder and does not extend into the cylinder core of the closure cylinder.

Furthermore, it is preferable if the closing cylinder has a key insertion opening, in which case, the safety element is arranged at one end, opposite the key insertion opening, of the closing cylinder (or the sealing section). mentioned soul). In particular, the closing cylinder can have several closing holding elements (for example, spigot locking elements), the safety element being arranged behind the last closing holding element with respect to the direction of insertion of the key . At this site, the security element is especially well protected against tampering to prevent unauthorized removal of the lock cylinder from the lock housing.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the safety element is formed by a safety pin which, by means of the compression spring, is prestressed towards a safety position. However, alternatively, the safety element can also be formed, for example, in a single piece as a safety spring which, due to its own elasticity, is prestressed in the direction towards the safety position.

Attaching the closing cylinder to the lock housing is particularly comfortable if the safety element is captively captured in the closing cylinder. For this, it is preferable if the safety element is movably supported in a receiving indentation of the closing cylinder (in particular of the said core section of the cylinder housing), the safety element having a stop section which acts in conjunction with the stop section of the closing cylinder to prevent the safety element from getting out of the receiving indentation. In this way, it is avoided, therefore, that the restrained safety element with elastic recovery falls off or is accidentally ejected from the receiving recess before the closing cylinder is inserted into the lock housing.

The mentioned stop section of the safety element is preferably formed by an increase in diameter of the safety element, the stop section of the closing cylinder being formed by a corresponding diameter reduction of a circumferential limitation of the aforementioned reception indentation. This can be done, for example, in such a way that the reduction in diameter is formed by a stop ring inserted in the receiving indentation of the closing cylinder.

For some applications it is desirable that the closure cylinder be detachably secured in the lock housing in order to be able to replace the closure cylinder later or to subsequently change the closing secret of the closure cylinder. In this way, it is possible for the manufacturer of the lock to make a pre-assembly, making the locksmith (in English: "locksmith") a specific adaptation according to the client before the supply of the padlock to the final user (for example, through the combination one color determined from the lock casing with a certain closing secret). In this way, it can also be achieved that the user has to carry a smaller number of different keys, as explained in the patent specification US 6425274B1 mentioned at the beginning.

For a detachable fastening of this type of the closing cylinder in the lock housing, it is preferable that the lock housing has two shackle receiving channels for receiving a corresponding wing of the shackle, the aforementioned safety opening for the safety element being accessible. on the inner side of the lock housing through one of the two shackle receiving channels and formed in particular by one part of one of the two shackle receiving channels. The corresponding shackle receiving channel is closed by means of the assigned shackle wing, when the shackle is locked in the lock housing. In the closed position of the shackle, the safety element is therefore not accessible. However, when the shackle is unlocked, that is to say, when the closing cylinder has been put into the release position by means of the assigned key, the shackle wing can be removed from the corresponding shackle receiving channel, so that they remain accessible the safety opening and the safety element. The security element can now be pushed back to a release position to optionally re-extract the lock cylinder from the lock housing. A special advantage is that despite the detachable securing of the closure cylinder in the lock housing, a compact construction of the lock is possible, as explained above.

To facilitate the application of a tool for pushing back the safety element, the safety element can have a drive bevel, especially at its free end. A drive bevel of this type can be formed, for example, by a circumferential bevel.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the lock housing is made in one piece and in synthetic material. Using a synthetic lock casing, the padlock is suitable as a so-called "lock-out" lock to secure a switch in an industrial installation, as described for example in patent specification US7278283B2. A "lock-out" lock of this type prevents an accidental activation of the industrial installation while a maintenance operator carries out work on the installation and during this period of time blocks a switch assigned to the industrial installation in a disconnection position by means of the padlock. Since in the padlock according to the invention, the locking cylinder can be introduced in a straight line into the lock housing, until the safety element snaps automatically into the safety opening of the lock housing, unlike the embodiment in two pieces according to patent specification US7278283B2, the lock housing can be made in one piece, which makes the manufacture of the lock housing cheaper.

A one-piece embodiment of the lock housing also contributes to a compact construction. A compact form of construction of the padlock is particularly advantageous for the application as a "lock-out" lock, since frequently, several "lock-out" locks are fixed directly next to one another in a switch cabinet or a fuse box, as shown for example in patent specification US7148435B1 and in patent specification US6388213B1.

In the following, the invention is described by way of example only with reference to the drawings. In these, elements that are the same or identical are designated by the same reference signs.

Figure 1 shows a view in longitudinal section of a first non-claimed embodiment of a padlock.

Figure 2 shows a detail view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a second embodiment of a padlock.

Figure 4 shows a detailed view of figure 3.

Figures 5 and 6 show respectively an exploded view of the second embodiment according to figures 3 and 4.

The padlock shown in FIG. 1 has a lock casing 11 and a U-shaped shackle 13 which is fastened in the lock casing 11 so as to be displaceable in a straight line. The shackle 13 has two shackle wings 15 which are received in a corresponding shackle receiving channel 17 of the lock housing 11.

In addition, the padlock has a closing cylinder 19 which, via a locking device 21, locks the shackle 13 optionally in the lock housing. The closing cylinder 19 has a cylinder housing 23 with a hollow cylindrical core receiving section 25 in which a cylinder core 27 is supported rotatably about a cylinder axis A. The cylinder housing 23 also has a soul section 29 eccentric formed in the core receiving section 25. In the core section 29 and in the core receiving section 25 are arranged several fastener holding elements 31 which act in conjunction with a key 33 which is inserted in the center. the cylinder core 27.

The locking device 21 comprises a rotary bolt 35 which is non-rotatably coupled to the cylinder core 27 and two locking balls 37 which by means of the rotary bolt 35 are optionally pushed into a corresponding locking groove 39 of the two flanges of the latch. shackle 15.

In the web section 29 of the cylinder housing 23, in particular, behind the keeper locking elements 31 with respect to the insertion direction of the key 33, a safety element 41 is provided which secures the cylinder closure 19 in the lock housing 11. For this purpose, the safety element 41 is prestressed by means of a compression spring 43 in the direction towards the safety position shown in FIG. 1, specifically, radially outward with respect to the axis of cylinder A. In said safety position, the safety element 41 engages in a safety opening 45 which is made on the inner side of the lock housing 11 forming an axial extension of one of the two shackle receiving channels 17. , that is to say that the safety opening 45 opens into the corresponding shackle receiving channel 17.

Figure 2 shows the security element 41 and its surroundings in a detail view. It can be seen that the safety element 41 engages behind a step section 47 of the lock housing 11. The safety element 41 is supported in a displaceable manner in a receiving recess 49 of the cylinder housing 23. The safety element The safety 41 is in the form of a spigot and has an axially acting stop section in the form of an increase in diameter 51. The increase in diameter 51 acts in conjunction with a stop ring 53 which is inserted in the reception recess 49. In this manner, despite the prestressing force applied by the compression spring 43, the safety element is prevented from accidentally getting out of the receiving recess 49. In FIG. 2 it is further shown that the tip of the safety element 41 has a drive bevel 55 circumferential.

By means of the prestressed safety element 41 with elastic recovery transversely to the cylinder axis A, ie in the direction towards the safety position, the closure cylinder 19 can be easily and reliably fixed to the lock housing 11. For this, the closing cylinder 19 is introduced, along the axis of the cylinder A, into the lock housing 11 until it reaches the final position shown in FIG. 1, in which the safety element 41 elastically snaps into the opening safety 45 for securing the closing cylinder 19 in the lock housing 11. This type of fixing does not require any tool.

Basically, a separate, closed safety opening 45 could be provided for the safety element 41. However, because in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, the safety opening 45 opens into the assigned shackle receiving channel 17, the safety element 41 is accessible, when, in the unlocked state of the closing cylinder. 19, the shackle 13 is put in its open position in which the corresponding shackle wing 15 is removed from the shackle receiving channel 17. Then, the safety element 41 can be pushed back completely to the reception slot 49 with the aid of a tool, for example to allow the authorized user to remove the closure cylinder 19 for example to change the closing secret. The drive bevel 55 at the tip of the security element 41 facilitates a corresponding attack on the security element 41.

It should also be noted that the represented padlock can be manufactured in a compact construction form (figure 2 is an enlarged view). In particular, the lock housing 11 can have a smaller width, since the core section 29 of the cylinder housing 23 can have a small depth and it is not necessary that the core section 29 be completely arranged in alignment with the channel for receiving the corresponding shackle 17 of the lock housing 11, ie the web section 29 of the cylinder housing 23 only partially engages in the axial extension of the corresponding shackle receiving channel 17. Therefore, the minimum width of the lock casing 11 is determined solely by the minimum dimensions of the lock cylinder 19 (diameter of the cylinder core 17, minimum depth of the core section 29 for the fastener holding elements 31) and the minimum wall thickness in the lateral environment of the closing cylinder 19. Furthermore, the shackle 13 and the corresponding shackle receiving channel 17 of the lock housing 11 can have a small diameter, since there is no need to introduce in the lock housing 11, through the corresponding shackle receiving channel 17, no loose security element with a predetermined minimum size (especially a security screw).

In the non-claimed embodiment, according to FIGS. 1 and 2, the receiving indentation 49 for the security element 41 is embodied as a blind hole, the compression spring 43 resting on the bottom of the blind hole, that is to say on the cylinder housing 23.

Figures 3 to 6, on the other hand, show a claimed embodiment in which the compression spring 43 is supported on a pivot stop element 61. The pivot stop element 61 is likewise movably supported in the indentation of reception 49, the rotation stop element 61 being prestressed radially inwardly with respect to the cylinder axis A and the receiving indentation 49 being carried out as a continuous bore. The turning stop element 61 engages in a meshing groove 63 which is made in the outer wrapping surface of the cylinder core 27 and which serves as a guide groove for the turning stop element 61. The engagement groove 63 extends with with respect to the cylinder axis A along a limited circumferential angle (see Figure 6). In this way, a turning stop for the rotational movement of the cylinder core 27 with respect to the cylinder housing 23 is formed, in a manner similar to that known from the patent specification US6425274B1 mentioned at the beginning (but in reverse arrangement) .

The turning stop element 61 is also designed in the form of a pin and has an axially acting stop section in the form of an increase in diameter 65 which acts in conjunction with a stop section of the cylinder housing 23 in the form of a restriction 67, to prevent the rotation stop element 61 from accidentally coming out of the receiving indentation 49.

By means of the support with elastic recovery of the rotation stop element 61, the described turning stop can even be optionally exceeded in order to be able to make a change of the shank of the closing cylinder 19, as is also known from patent specification US6425274B1. For this purpose, the actuating opening 69 (FIG. 5) serves, by means of which a tool can be inserted to be applied to the tip of the pivot stop element 61 and pushed back out of the meshing groove 63 (FIG. 4). Then, the cylinder core 27 can be placed in a rotational position in which the pin closing maintenance elements 31 can be replaced.

The lock housing 11 of the lock shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 can be made of synthetic material, whereby the lock is particularly suitable as a lock-out lock.

List of reference signs

11 Lock housing

13 Shackle

15 Shackle Wing

17 Shackle receiving channel

19 Closure cylinder

21 Interlocking device

23 Cylinder housing

25 Core reception section

27 Cylinder core

29 Soul Section

31 Spike closure maintenance element

33 Key

35 Rotary latch

37 Blocking ball

39 Interlocking deepening

41 Security element

43 Compression spring

45 Security opening

47 Step section

49 Reception deepening

51 Increase in diameter

53 Stop ring

55 Drive bezel

61 Turning stop element

63 Gear deepening

65 Increase in diameter

67 Strict

69 Drive opening

A Cylinder shaft

Claims (11)

1. - Padlock with a lock housing (11), with a U-shaped shackle (13) and with a locking cylinder (19) to lock the shackle (13) optionally in the lock housing (11), in where the closing cylinder (19) has a cylinder axis (A) and is secured in the lock housing (11) by means of a safety element (41), and wherein the safety element (41) engages in a safety opening (45) on an inner side of the lock housing (11) for securing the closure cylinder (19) in the lock housing (11), and wherein the closure cylinder (19) has a housing of lock (23) and a cylinder core (27) which is supported rotatably within the cylinder housing (23), and wherein the safety element (41) is supported displaceably within the cylinder housing (23) and is prestressed radially outwardly with respect to the cylinder axis (A) by means of a compression spring (43), and wherein the The compression spring (43) is supported on a rotating stop element (61) which is likewise supported displaceably inside the cylinder housing (23) and is prestressed radially inwards with respect to the cylinder axis (A) by means of the compression spring (43), characterized in that the rotation stop element (61) engages in a recess (63) of the closing cylinder (27) to limit a turning movement of the cylinder core (27) with respect to the cylinder housing (23). 2. Padlock according to claim 1, wherein the lock housing (11) has a reception opening for the closing cylinder (19), the closing cylinder being able to be introduced into the reception opening along the axis of the lock. cylinder (A) in such a way that upon reaching a final position, the safety element (41) elastically snaps into the safety opening (45) to secure the closure cylinder in the end position in the lock housing. 3. Padlock according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cylinder core (27) is supported rotatably in a core receiving section (25) of the cylinder housing (23), having the cylinder housing (23) a core section (29) in which the security element (41) is supported. 4. Padlock according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the closing cylinder (19) has a key insertion opening, the safety element (41) being arranged at one end, opposite the key insertion opening. , of the closing cylinder (19). 5. Padlock according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the safety element (41) is formed by a safety pin that is prestressed in the direction towards a safety position by means of the compression spring (43). 6. - Padlock according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the security element (41) is supported in a displaceable manner in a receiving recess (49) of the closure cylinder (19), and wherein the security element ( 41) has a stop section which cooperates with a stop section of the closing cylinder (19) to prevent the safety element (41) from getting out of the receiving indentation (49). 7. - Padlock according to claim 6, wherein the stop section of the security element (41) is formed by an increase in diameter (51) and in which the stop section of the closure cylinder (19) is formed by a diameter reduction of a circumferential limitation of the reception indentation (49). 8. Padlock according to claim 7, wherein the reduction in diameter is formed by a stop ring (53) inserted in the reception indentation. 9. - Padlock according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lock casing (11) has two shackle receiving channels (17) to receive a corresponding wing (15) of the shackle (13), and wherein the opening (45) for the security element (41) is accessible through one of the shackle receiving channels (17). 10. - Padlock according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the security element (41) has a drive bezel (55), to be able to push back the security element optionally into the interior of the closure cylinder (19). 11. - Padlock according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lock casing (11) is made in one piece and made of synthetic material.