GB2414272A

GB2414272A - Holder for a cable lock

Info

Publication number: GB2414272A
Application number: GB0508969A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Erhard Buechel
Original assignee: Buechel & Co Fahrzeugteil GmbH
Current assignee: Buechel & Co Fahrzeugteil GmbH
Priority date: 2004-05-17
Filing date: 2005-05-03
Publication date: 2005-11-23
Anticipated expiration: 2025-05-03
Also published as: GB2414272B; GB0508969D0; DE202004007927U1; FR2870283B3; HK1088935A1; FR2870283A3

Abstract

In a cable lock in combination with a cable lock holder, the cable lock comprises a locking mechanism (6) accommodated in an elongate lock housing (2) at one end of a locking cable (8) and a latch member (4) at the other end of the cable that can be coupled to the locking mechanism. The lock housing (2) has an opening (24) in its side surface through which the latch member (4) may be coupled to the locking mechanism transversely to the longitudinal direction of the lock housing. The holder comprises an attachment member (12) for attaching the holder to a bicycle and a cylindrical tube section (14) into which the lock housing (2) can be inserted from both ends in the longitudinal direction and can be located therein. The lock housing (2) comprises a linear guide for cooperation with a linear guide on the holder. The outer surface of the lock housing (2) is longitudinally convex and the tube section (14) is provided at its two ends with barrier means, such as cams (32, 34, 36), of resilient material which project into its interior and locally reduce its cross-sectional area, whereby the lock housing may only be inserted into the cylindrical tube section by deformation of the barrier means.

Description

Holder for a cable lock The invention refers to a holder for a cable lock

with the cable lock comprising a locking mechanism accommodated in a lock housing on the one end of the locking cable, and comprising a latch piece that can be coupled to the locking mechanism on the other end of the locking cable, wherein the latch piece can be coupled into the locking mechanism transversely to the longitudinal direction of the lock housing through an opening in the lock housing, and wherein the holder comprises an attachment member for attaching the holder to a bicycle, and comprising a cylindrical tube section as a support member into which the lock housing can be inserted from both ends in the longitudinal direction of the support member with a tolerance and can be fixed therein, wherein the lock housing comprises a linear guide for cooperation with a linear guide of the lock holder.

A holder of the above-mentioned type is known from DE 8717397.2 U. In this holder the linear guide is formed in that the cylindrical tube section of the holding member has a mushroom-like cross section and that the lock housing has a projecting collar around the opening for inserting the lock member, said collar fitting into the bulge of the lock holder. The locking mechanism may be inserted from both sides into the holding member and is fixed in the holding member by the latch piece which may be inserted through an opening in the holding member into an opening in the locking mechanism. Through this arrangement it is achieved that the cable lock is held in a rotation-resistant and tilt-resistant manner when the locking mechanism is in arranged the holding member and the latch piece is arranged in the locking mechanism. To insert the latch piece into the lock housing arranged in the holding member, the lock housing must be arranged at a certain position in the holding member and this may particularly be difficult when it is dark or windy.

The object of the invention is to provide a holder for a cable lock in which the lock housing can be inserted from both ends of the holding member into the S holding member and the position at which the latch piece can be inserted into the lock housing through the holding member slightly points thereto.

For this purpose the holder according to the invention is characterized in that the lock housing is formed convexly on the circumference and that barrier means are formed on the holding member on its two end portions, which project over the tolerance into the interior of the holding member in a manner that the lock housing can only sluggishly be slid over the end portions. Since the lock housing can be inserted sluggishly only but still over the barrier means into the holding member, the lock housing may be inserted from both ends of the holding member into the holding member. Since the barrier means are provided at both ends of the holding member in its longitudinal direction, and since the lock housing is formed convexly, wherein the lock housing during insertion into the holding member with the largest diameter of its convex shape positions in the center between the barrier means, when the lock housing was inserted across the first sluggish portion into the holding member and may reach the area of the other sluggish portion, the lock housing may virtually center itself in the holding member, wherein the two ends of the lock housing may project from the holding member.

An advantageous embodiment of the holder according to the invention is characterized in that the barrier means comprise cams at the end portions of the cylindrical tube section of the holding member at the end portions. The cams can easily be connected and are fully suitable to achieve the desired sluggishness in this area.

An advantageous embodiment of the holder according to the invention is characterized in that the barrier means comprise lips at the two end portions of the cylindrical tube sections of the holding member at the end portions. With such lips not only the desired sluggishness can be achieved, but a seal of the space between the lock housing and the holding member is produced whereby a protection against penetration of dust is achieved.

An advantageous embodiment of the holder according the invention is characterized in that the barrier means are formed at the two end portions of the cylindrical tube section of the holding member in that the light width of the holding member is slightly smaller at its two end portions than between the end portions of the cylindrical tube section of the holding member. With this solution the desired sluggishness is achieved by the simplest means.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention will now be described by means of the enclosed drawings.

Figure 1 shows an overall view of the holder with the cable lock according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the holding member of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a perspective exploded view of the lock housing and of the latch piece of the cable lock; Figure 4 shows a cut through the holding member according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 shows a section through the holding member according to a further embodiment of the invention; and Figure 6 shows a section through the holding member according to a further embodiment of the invention.

According to Figure 1 the cable lock comprises a lock housing 2 and a latch piece 4. A locking mechanism 6 is arranged in the lock housing 2, and the lock housing 2 is connected to the latch piece 4 via a latch cable 8.

According to Figure 2 the holder comprises an attachment member 10 with an eye 12 for attaching the holder at the frame of a bicycle. The holder further comprises a cylindrical tube section as a holding member 14, which has a mushroom-like cross section.

As may be seen from Figure 3, the lock housing 2 has an opening 16 through which the latch piece 4 can be inserted with a latch pin 18 into a respective opening of the locking mechanism 6 which is located in the lock housing 2. A collar 20 is formed around the opening 16, said collar fitting onto a bulge 22 of the holding member 14 when the lock housing 2 is inserted into the holding member 14. The bulge 22 is part of the mushroom-like cross section of the holding member, and the projecting collar 20 forms together with the bulge 22 of the holding member the linear guide between the lock housing 2 and the holding member.

As may be seen from Figure 2, the holding member 14 has an opening 24 with a collar 26. The opening 24 enables the insertion of the latch piece 4 into the locking mechanism 6 when the lock housing 2 is arranged in the holder 14. The lock housing 2 is then secured in the linear guide by the abutment of the latch piece 4 at the opening 24 of the holding member 14.

Figure 4 shows a section through the holding member 14 of Figure 2, wherein cams 32, 34, 36 are provided at an end section of the holding member and further cams 52, 53, 56 are provided on the other end portion of the holding member 14 to make the insertion of the lock housing sluggish, which is shown in dotted lines in Figure 4, when the portion of the lock housing 2 with the largest diameter is slid over the end portions with cams 32, 34, 36; 52, 54, 56. The cams therefore form a barrier means which may project into the interior of the holding member over the tolerance in a manner that the lock housing 2 can only be sluggishly slid over the end portions of the holding member 14.

Figure 5 shows a further embodiment of the holding member 14, wherein lips 62, 64 are provided as barrier means at both ends of the holding member 14, which project over the tolerance between the lock housing 2 and the holding member 14 from the holding member 14 inwardly. The lock housing 2 is indicated by dotted lines, and it can be seen that the lips 62, 64 make the insertion of the lock housing 2 into the holding member 14 sluggish when the lock housing 2 with the greatest diameter of its convex shape is slid over the lips.

Finally, Figure 6 shows a further embodiment of the holding member 14, wherein two rotating, flat beads in the end portion of the holding member 14 are provided as barrier means in the sense of the invention.

It must be noted that the cams 32, 34, 36; 52, 54, 56, lips 62, 64 and beads 72, 74 are drawn higher for reasons of clarification than required in reality to achieve the sluggish insertion of the convex lock housing 2 into the holding member 14.

Claims

J

Claims 1. A cable lock in combination with a cable lock holder, wherein the cable lock comprises a locking mechanism accommodated in an elongate lock housing at one end of a locking cable and a latch member at the other end of the locking cable that can be coupled to the locking mechanism, the lock housing having an opening in its side surface through which the latch member may be coupled to the locking mechanism transversely to the longitudinal direction of the lock housing, and wherein the holder comprises an attachment member for attaching the holder to a bicycle and a cylindrical tube section into which the lock housing can be inserted from both ends in the longitudinal direction and can be fixed therein, wherein the lock housing comprises a linear guide for cooperation with a linear guide on the holding member, characterised in that the outer surface of the lock housing is longitudinally convex and that the tube section is provided at its two ends with barrier means of resilient material which project into its interior and locally reduce its cross- sectional area, whereby the lock housing may only be inserted into the cylindrical tube section by deformation of the barrier means.
2. A cable lock as claimed in Claim 1 in which the barrier means comprises cams.
3. A cable lock as claimed in Claim 1 in which the barrier means comprises lips.
4. A cable lock as claimed in Claim 1 in which the barrier means comprises beads.
5. A cable lock as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the lock housing is secured in the linear guide by engagement of the latch member in an opening in the holder.