IL166688A - Lockable hasp assembly - Google Patents

Description

166688 p'Ji I 453356 mx ii »i>i ιη>.ή rnsN tt LOCKABLE HASP ASSEMBLY 1525mul.doc 17-Jan-05 LOCKABLE HASP ASSEMBLY FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to locking items with hasps, and particularly to a hasp assembly with members that are lockable together.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Padlocks that have protected hasps are known. For example, US Patent 4,548,058 to Bahry and Dolev describes a padlock assembly in which each side of a door opening, e.g., a hinged door and a jamb, or two sliding doors, is provided with a protective hasp for a lock body and shackle of a lock. Each half of the hasp is so formed that, when mated, as on joining of the doors or closing of the doors, provisions are made for insertion of a lock body into the protective hasp, and insertion of a shackle through the hasp and the lock body to lock the closure. More specifically, the padlock assembly includes two complementary shells, which when abutting each other, enclose the entire padlock. Each shell has an opening from the top for the insertion of one leg of the shackle, and a larger opening from the bottom to house the lock body when the shells abut against each other. The shells provide the attachment means for the padlock on the door and jamb.

PCT Published Patent Application WO 2004/101936 to Dolev describes a pivotal bar-lock that includes an anchor hasp having a locking hub and a first locking element integrally formed with a first mounting plate. A locking hasp is integrally formed with a second mounting plate and has a mating element and a second locking element formed therein. A locking bar is rotatably mounted on the anchor hasp, the locking bar having a cylinder lock encased therein and an engagement element formed therewith. The cylinder lock is operable such that when rotated into an unlocked mode, the locking bar is pivotally enabled to assume one of open, in-transit, and closed positions in interaction with the first and second locking elements. When the cylinder lock is rotated into a locked mode, the engagement element of the locking bar engages the mating element of the locking hasp.. ÷ SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to provide an improved hasp assembly with locking mechanism, having members that are lockable together, as described more in detail hereinbelow. The lock may have other features, such as but not limited to, geometric locking of locking elements that lock the hasp members together.

The term "door" as used throughout the specification and claims encompasses any kind of door, window, gate or panel, for example.

There is thus provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention a hasp assembly including a first hasp member and a second hasp member, the hasp members having mounting provision for attachment to at least one of a door and window, a plug arranged for rotation in one of the hasp members, the plug being rotatable upon insertion into a keyway thereof by a proper key, and one or more locking elements carried inside the first hasp member and adapted to be moved by rotation of the plug into and out of locking engagement with the second hasp member. The locking elements may be adapted to be moved in different directions by rotation of the plug (e.g., generally opposite to each other).

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention each of the locking elements may be connected to the plug by a cam, the cam having a cam face that geometrically locks the locking element when moved into locking engagement with the second hasp member.

Further in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention the locking elements, when in locking engagement with the second hasp member, may have a fit with respect to the second hasp member that permits moving the hasp members with respect to one another in at least three (e.g., six) degrees of freedom.

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: Figs. 1 and 2 are simplified pictorial illustrations of a hasp assembly, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, in respective locked and unlocked positions; Figs. 3 and 4 are simplified illustrations of inner components of the hasp assembly of Figs. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Reference is now made to Figs. 1-4, which illustrate a hasp assembly 10, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Hasp assembly 10 may include a first hasp member 12 and a second hasp member 14. The hasp members 12 and 14 may be constructed of any material suitable for lock housings, such as but not limited to, hardened steel alloy. The hasp members 12 and 14, when locked together as described below and shown in Fig. 1 , may have any shape, such as but not limited to, prismatic, round, elliptic, irregular and many others.

The first hasp member 12 may have a lock housing portion 16, shaped to fit into a lock housing cutout 18 formed in second hasp member 14 (Fig. 3). The second hasp member 14 may have "wing" portions 20 that flank the lock housing cutout 18 and are shaped to fit into corresponding cutouts 22 in first hasp member 12 (Fig. 3). It is noted that this is just one non-limiting configuration for the two hasp members 12 and 14 to fit and mesh together, and many other configurations are possible as well. The hasp members 12 and 14 may have mounting provision 24, such as mounting holes, for attachment to a door 26 (Fig. 1) or window or any other kind of panel, sliding or hinged.

The lock housing portion 16 may have a mounting recess 28 (Fig. 3) for rotatably mounting therein a plug 30. As is well known in the art, plug 30 is rotatable upon insertion into a keyway 32 thereof by a proper key 33 (Figs. 1 and 2). The keyway 32 may be protected by a protector member 34 and cover 36 (Fig. 3).

One or more locking elements 38 may be carried inside the first hasp member 12. Fig. 3 illustrates a non-limiting embodiment of the invention, which is described now in detail for exemplary purposes. As seen in Fig. 3, locking element 38 may be attached to a cam 40, which in turn may be pivotally attached by a pin 42 to a cam wheel 44. Cam wheel 44 may be attached to an end portion of plug 30 by means of a link element 46. The plug assembly may be sealed in mounting recess 28 by means of a closure member 48. A lock- feel assembly may be provided including, without limitation, a spring-biased ball 50 and sleeve 52. The spring-biased ball 50 "clicks" into a detent 54 on cam wheel 44 to give the user a feeling of the locked or unlocked position of the hasp assembly 10.

Rotation of plug 30 moves locking elements 38 into (indicated by arrow 56 in Fig. 4) and out of (indicated by arrow 58 in Fig. 4) locking engagement with recesses 60 formed in the second hasp member 14. In the non-limiting illustrated embodiment, locking elements 38 move in different directions by rotation of plug 30 (e.g., generally opposite to each other) and they move in a linear (not rotary) motion.

As seen in Fig. 4, cam 40 may have a cam face 62 that geometrically locks locking element 38 when moved into locking engagement with recess 60. By "geometric locking" it is meant that the locking element 38 is prevented from moving without action of the key by a geometric shape or arrangement of the cam face 62 with respect to the locking element 38. For example, as long as cam face 62 geometrically locks locking element 38,. the locking element 38 cannot be brought out of the locking engagement by pushing along a longitudinal axis 64, defined by recesses 60, because the cam face 62 blocks such movement and prevents rotation of cam wheel 44.

As seen in Fig. 4, the locking elements 38, when in locking engagement with the recesses 60, may have a fit with respect to the recesses 60 that permits moving the hasp members 12 and 14 with respect to one another in at least three (e.g., six) degrees of freedom. For example, hasp members 12 and 14 may move with respect to one another linearly in either direction along longitudinal axis 64, rotationally about longitudinal axis 64, linearly in either direction along a second axis 66 perpendicular to longitudinal axis 64, rotationally about second axis 66, and linearly in either direction along a third axis 68 perpendicular to longitudinal axis 64 and second axis 66, and rotationally about third axis 68 (Fig. 3). The loose fit may provide ample tolerance for the hasp members 12 and 14 to mesh and fit together when closing the doors 26.

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 includes both combinations and subcombinations of the features described hereinabove as well as modifications and variations thereof which would occur to a person of skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not in the prior art. 166688/2

Claims (5)

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A hasp assembly comprising: a first hasp member and a second hasp member, said hasp members having mounting provision for attachment to a door; a plug arranged for rotation in one of said hasp members; and a plurality of locking elements carried inside said first hasp member and adapted to be moved by rotation of said plug into and out of locking engagement with said second hasp member, wherein said locking elements are adapted to be moved in different directions by rotation of said plug, wherein the directions are generally opposite to each other, and wherein each of said locking elements are connected to said plug by a cam, said cam having a cam face that geometrically locks the locking element when moved into locking engagement with said second hasp member.

2. The hasp assembly according to claim 1, wherein said locking elements, when in locking engagement with said second hasp member, have a fit with respect to said second hasp member that permits moving said hasp members with respect to one another in at least three degrees of freedom.

3. The hasp assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least one of said locking elements is adapted to be moved in a linear motion, by rotation of said plug, into

4. The hasp assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of said locking elements, when in locking engagement with said second hasp member, has a fit with respect to said second hasp member that permits moving said hasp members with respect to one another in at least three degrees of freedom.

5. The hasp assembly according to any of the preceding claims and substantially as shown and described hereinabove. For the Applicant, David Klein, Patent Attorney Dekel Patent Ltd.