IL102153A - Padlock having a removable shackle - Google Patents

Description

A PADLOCK HAVI G A REMOVABLE SHACKLE MUL-T-LOCK LTD, C:14672 102153/2 FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to padlocks generally and more particularly to padlocks having removable shackles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A great variety of padlocks is known in the art, including padlocks having removable shackles. In certain applications,' such as in automobile gear lock applications, it is desirable to prevent a user from leaving the padlock unlocked. Presently available padlocks having removable shackles enable a user to remove the key from the padlock even when the shackle is not locked in place.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to provide a padlock having a removable shackle which is constructed such that in normal use, the key cannot be removed from the padlock unless the shackle is locked in place.

There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a padlock having a removable shackle including a housing defining a pair of shackle receiving bores, a key-operated cylinder disposed in the housing, a locking mechanism operated by the cylinder and having a first operative orientation extending into said shackle receiving bores for locking the shackle therein, when the cylinder is oriented such that the key can be removed therefrom and a second operative orientation not extending into said shackle receiving bores to the same extent as in the first orientation, when the cylinder is oriented such that the key cannot be removed therefrom and blocking apparatus operative to prevent the locking mechanism from being in the first orientation except when the shackle is locked in the shackle receiving bores.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the locking mechanism is in the second operative orientation, it does not extend into the bores.

Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the blocking apparatus includes a pair of spring loaded elements which are seated in the bores and which are operative to block ingress of the locking mechanism into the bores when the shackle is not present thereat.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the shackle has a pair of legs having inward facing notches which are arranged to receive the locking mechanism when the shackle is in locked engagement therewith.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: Fig. 1A is a sectional illustration of a padlock constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention in a locked orientation; Fig. IB is a sectional illustration taken along lines B - B in Fig. 1A; Fig. 2A is a sectional illustration of the padlock of Figs. 1A and IB in an unlocked orientation; Fig. 2B is a sectional illustration taken along lines B - B in Fig. 2A; and Figs. 3A and 3B are illustrations showing the locking mechanism and cylinder of the lock of Figs. 1A - 2B in respective locked and unlocked orientations. 102153/2 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Reference is new made to Figs. 1A - 33, whic illustrate a padlock constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The padlock comprises a housing 10, typically including a hardened outer shell 12 and an inner portion 14 disposed within the outer shell 12.

A removable shackle 20 is formed with a pair of legs 22, each being formed adjacent its end with an inwardly facing notch 24. Shackle receiving bores 26 are provided in housing 10 for accommodating the legs 22 of shackle 20.

A locking mechanism 30 comprises first and second locking elements 32 and 34, which are arranged in mutually slida-ble arrangement and are urged axially apart by means of a spring 36. The locking mechanism 30 is arranged for selectable locking engagement with notches 24 in legs 22 of shackle 20, as seen in Figs. 1A and IB.

The locking mechanism 30 is operated by a lock cylinder 40 which includes a plug 42 defining a keyway 41 in which a key 44 may be inserted-. Lock cylinder 40 may be entirely convent onal and is commercially available from Mul-T-Lock Ltd. of Yavne, Israel. Lock cylinder 40 is characterized that the key 44 can be removed therefrom only when the plug 42. is in a predetermined rotational orientation relative to the remainder of the cylinder 40, wherein the pins of the plug are axially aligned with the pins lying outside thereof. This orientation is shown in Fig. 1A. At all other orientations of the cylinder, the key 44 cannot be removed .

The locking mechanism 30 is arranged in operative 102153/2 engagement with a pair of driving protrusions 50 of the cylinder 40 such that the cylinder 40 can be in the orientation at which the key can be removed only when the locking mechanism 30 extends into bores 26.

The structure and operation of locking mechanism 30 is seen best from a consideration of Figs. 3A and 3B. It is seen that locking elements 32 and 34 are each formed with a generally elongate recess 33. One of the pair of driving protrusions 50 is seated in each of the elongate recesses 33. Recesses 33 extend in mutually perpendicular directions.

The arrangement of the protrusions 50 in the recesses 38 permits lost motion so as to convert the rotational motion of plug 42 to axial motion of locking elements 32 and 34. Figs. 1A, IB and 3A illustrate the locking elements 32 and 34 in their mutually extended orientation, wherein the plug 42 is oriented such that key 44 can be removed. Figs. 2A, 23 and 3B illustrate the locking elements 32 and 43 in their retracted, non-locking orientation, whereby the plug 42 is oriented such that key 44 cannot be removed therefrom.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, blocking apparatus 78 is provided to ensure that when the hackle 20 is not positioned with legs 22 in bores 26, so as to be lockable by the locking mechanism 30, the locking mechanism 30 is prevented from extending into bores 26.

In the illustrated embodiment, the blocking apparatus comprises a ί ore filling element 60, which is seated in each bore 26 and is urged upward towards the bore opening by means of a spring 62. The bore filling element 60 is retained against disengagement by means of a retaining pin 64 which engages a circumferential recess 66 extending axially along part of element 60.

The bore filling element 60 is preferably configured such that in its maximum upward orientation, as shown in Fig. 2A, it fully fills the bore 26 and thus does not permit ingress of either of elements 32 and 34 into the bore. According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, element 60 may be constructed so that it permits partial ingress of element 32 or 34, but not sufficient to enable the cylinder 40 to be oriented so as to permit the key 44 to be removed therefrom.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention is defined only by the claims which follow:

Claims (6)

102153/2 C L A I M S

1. A padlock having a removable shackle comprising: a housing defining a pair of shackle receiving bores; a key-operated cylinder disposed in the housing; a locking mechanism operated by the cylinder and having a first operative orientation extending into said shackle receiving bores for locking the shackle therein, when the cylinder is oriented such that the key can be removed therefrom and a second operative orientation not extending into said shackle receiving bores to the same extent as in the first orientation, when the cylinder · is oriented such that the key cannot be removed therefrom; and blocking elements operative to prevent the locking mechanism from being in the first orientation except when the shackle is locked in the shackle receiving bores.

2. A padlock according to claim 1 and wherein said locking mechanism is characterized in that when it is in the second operative orientation, it does not extend into the bores.

3. A padlock according to either of the preceding claims and wherein said blocking elements include a pair of spring loaded elements which are seated in the bores and are operative to block ingress of the locking mechanism into the bores when the shackle is not present thereat. 102153/2

4. A padlock according to any of the preceding claims and wherein said shackle has a pair of legs having inward facing notches which are arranged to receive the locking mechanism when the shackle is in locked engagement therewith.

5. A padlock according to any of the preceding claims and substantially as described hereinabove.

6. A padlock according to any of the preceding claims and substantially as illustrated in any of the drawings. For the Applicant,