WO1987007669A1

WO1987007669A1 - Waterproof padlock cover

Info

Publication number: WO1987007669A1
Application number: PCT/US1986/001802
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jeannine Hampton
Original assignee: Jeannine Hampton
Priority date: 1986-06-16
Filing date: 1986-09-12
Publication date: 1987-12-17
Also published as: JPS62296078A

Abstract

Protective jacket for sealing a padlock against admission of water that includes an upper lid (13) with sealable shackle-receiving ports (27) therein, which lid is permanently bonded and sealed to the top of a protective shell (15) which encases the sides and bottom of the padlock housing. The shell bottom features a key-way access opening (40) adapted to threadingly engage a cap (17) for sealing the key-way opening, which cap is mounted within one end of a holding strap (19) for free 360 degree rotation relative to the strap, the other end of the strap being affixed to the jacket.

Description

V.'ATΞRPROOF PADLOCK COVER BACKGROUND OF THΞ INVENTION

! • Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to new and useful improvements in a protective jacket for a padlock and more particularly to a jacket having improved means for releasably sealing the keyway access opening in the jacket bottom. 2. Prior Art

Popular conventional designs of watertight jackets for padlocks, such- as disclosed in U.S. Patents OS. 3,δ58, 19, if,22if,813, and 4,226,100 employ a hollow pliable plastic padlock case-enclosing sleeve having a snap-on lid and bottom, the latter being removable for access to the keyway and sometimes connected to the lid by an integral strap extending therebetween. Although these patents feature effective means for providing a weather-tight seal of the shackle-re¬ ceiving bores of their protective covers, there is much to be improved with respect to means for sealing the top lid to the sleeve and particularly with respect to means for releasably sealing the keyway opening of the padlock bottom. The snap-on lid and bottom of the aforementioned prior art examples form sealing junctures that extend for a distance roughly equal to the sleeve perimeter. By virtue*Of this relatively extensive joint size it is more suscept¬ ible than a smaller seal to leakage causing damage or imperfections, as well as spots of incomplete snapping together. It is also noted that the effect¬ iveness of such seals is somewhat limited by the sealing pressure exerted by the resiliently deformed connecting edges of the snap-on lid and bottom. V/hen the bottom lid of one of these prior devices is removed to give access to the keyway, some of the weatherproofing purpose is thwarted because the entire metallic bottom of the padlock is then exposed to any airborne dust and moisture in the immediate environment. An additional shortcoming shared by the earlier patented units is the bothersome mani¬ pulative exertion required in opening the bottom lid which does not offer much of a grasping edge.

SUMMARY OF TH5 INVEN ION

In view of the foregoing it is a general object of the present invention to provide a watertight jacket for a padlock which is greatly improved in its waterproofing effectiveness. Another object of the present invention is to provide a padlock protective jacket that has an upper lid that is permanently bonded and sealed to a lock enclosing sleeve.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a padlocking protective jacket in which access to the lock keyway is obtained through an opening of minimal size.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a protective padlock jacket having a keyway cover that is easy to open and close. Another object of the invention is to furnish a releasable keyway cover that is sealable to a high degree of tightness.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a method of permanently jacketing a padlock housing.

Additional objects and advantages of the invent¬ ion will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following summary and detailed 1 description, or may be learned by the operation of the invention.

Accordingly the foregoing objects are attained by the present invention which may be generally 5 described as an improvement on a protective padlock jacket that has an improved construction beyond the provision of sealing means for shackle passing bores of the jacket. Briefly, the invention features a top protective lid for a padlock jacket that is per- 0 manently bonded and sealed to the upper end of a protective shell that embraces the sides and bottom of a padlock housing. Just as significant is the use of a threaded keyway opening in the shell bottom which is of minimal size, instead of a removable lid 5 that spans the entire bottom of the enclosed lock. There is a cap with mating threads that can releas¬ ably seal the keyway opening. An interconnecting strap is affixed at one of its ends to the jacket and its other end is adapted to rotatably mount the 0 cap so that it may turn freely relative to the strap, which holds the unlocked cap in a position to one side and below the keyway opening, v/ith its threaded port¬ ion generally facing the keyway opening.

5RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 5 A more detailed description of the invention may be obtained by reference to the description of the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of a water¬ tight padlock jacket according to the invention; ^■ZQ FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a jacketed padlock according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the 33 line 3-3 of FIG. 2; FIG. ^ is a partial fragmented isometric view illustrating a varient of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 5-3 of FIG. ; FIG. 6 is a partial side cross-sectional view of another varient of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Now, referring to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the invention nay be viewed in FIG. 1 in exploded view to show the main components of the jacket of the invention which is generally designated by reference numeral 11 and which includes lid 13_» shell 15, keyway cap 1? and interconnecting strap 19» FIGS. 2 and 3 show cover 11 enclosing padlock housing 23 which mounts inverted U-shaped shackle 2.^ of a padlock generally designated by reference numeral 21 _• Padlock 21 is of conventional design and shackle 25 in the preferred embodiment has been modified somewhat in a manner to be briefly described herein presently.

As FIG. 3 shows, the rectangular hollow shell 15, which is molded of a fairly rigid plastic as is lid 15 ana cap 17, has side walls 5 and bottom 0» As partially shown in FIG. 1 there are integrally formed ribs 33 provided on the insides of sidewalls 25»

These ribs 33 reinforce sidewalls 29 and engage the walls of padlock housing 23 and ensure a frictional fit of padlock housing 23 within shell 15» Lid 13 has a lip portion 31 which is mate bly received by the shoulder portion >h of shell 15 as best shown in FIG. 3» In this configuration the lip portion 3¹ is bond¬ ed and hermetically . sealed to shell shoulder by application of localized heat and pressure thereto in a manner known in the plastics fabrication industry. Chemical bonding which may be achieved by application of a suitable plastic softening solvent to the mating surfaces is another desirable known method of bonding these components. The view in FIG. 3 shows how the underside of lid 13 engages the top of padlock housing 23 and positions it with the aid of a centering ridge 24. An integral strap receiving terminal 32 with opening 35 is located on one side of lip 31 _• In order to ensure that the shackle receiving bores 27 in lid 13 will be sealed against admission of water, dust and other contaminating agents when shackle 25 is locked, the invention preferrably utilizes shackle leg seals in the manner taught in U.S. Patents 4,224,813 and 4,226,100. The shell bottom 30 is provided with a circular opening 37 v/hich is no larger than necessary to permit access to the keyway of padlock housing 23 by a key 38. This con¬ struction minimizes the exposure to airborne conta- minents when opening 36 is uncovered during opening of padlock 23 by key >^>» A neck 40 that encircles open¬ ing 36 has a leading circular edge 42 and is equipped with internal threads 41 • Again following FIGS. 2 and 3 there is shown cap 17 having an externally threaded portion 43, and featuring an elastomer sealing ring 45 which is fit within the confines of annular groove 7• The sealing ring 45 has a generally semicircular cross-sectional configuration which fits the curved bottom 1 of groove 47• A radially out- wardly facing groove 61 circumscribes the outside of cap 1 and there is also a knob portion 46 with an embossed grasping edge. The interconnecting strap 19 h s an upper end with a barbed tip 3 which is snap fit within the opening 35 of terminal 32. The other end of strap 19 terminates in an integral mounting ring 57 which is seated within groove 61 with a fit v/hich retains cap 17 to strap 19 yet permits free rotation of cap 17 relative to strap 19» At locations 64 and 65, seen in FIG. 3, the strap 19 is thinned to facilitate bending. Strap 13 is fabricated of a flexible plastic material having sufficient rigidity to suspend the cap 17 at an approximate region below shell bottom 30 and to one side of opening 36, with its threaded portion 43 generally facing the opening 36. Thus the unlocked cap 17 is held so as not to interfere with insertion and removal of key 38 yet is always conven- iently located adjacent neck 40.

Opening 36 is closed byplacing cap 17 over neck 40 with threaded cap portion 43 engaging the internal neck threads 41 • The aforedescribed free wheeling cap mounting allows cap 17 to easily and quickly be screwed un o neck 40 and tightened without strap interference. Opening 36 is hermetically sealed λvhen the circular leading edge 42 of neck 40 is urged into engagement with the sealing ring 45 under axial pressure exerted by the tightened cap 17« Opening and closing is made easy by providing knob 46 with a large enough diameter to provide a mechanical advantage sufficient for easy manual turning.

A varient of the invention is shown in FIG. 4 in which ≤hell bottom 69 has neck 71 that is externally threaded at 73 and has a leading sealing edge 75«

This version employs cap 77 which is rotatably mounted to an interconnecting strap 79 in the manner of the previously described embodiment and which is internally threaded at 81 • FIG 5. illustrates the elastomer sealing ring 84 residing in annular slot 86_* When cap 77 is εcrev/ed unto neck 71 , the leading edge 75 engages sealing ring 84 to make a water-tight seal.

A further modification of the invention is shown in FIG. 6 wherein shell bottom 91 has an internally threaded neck 93 similar in construction to neck 40 of FIG. 3; however, here there is an outwardly facing circular slot 95 located around the periphery of the base of neck 93_• The inter¬ connecting strap 97, which at one end free-wheelingly mounts an externally threaded cap 99, has an integral ring 101 at its other end. Neck slot 95 receives ring 101 with a fit that retains ring 101 v/hile permitting it to freely rotate through 360° relative to neck 93• Note the thinned areas 103 which facilitate bending of strap 97•

It should be appreciated that various changes, modifications and other uses may be made of the invention without departing from the nature and scope of the invention which is limited only by the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1 _• Protective jacket for a padlock having a housing which mounts an inverted U-shaped shackle, the improved jacket comprising: a) a shell enclosing the sides and bottom of said padlock, the shell bottom having a threaded mouth therein for providing a keyway opening; b) a shell lid having shackle-receiving bores therein and said shackle being adapted to make sealing engagement with said bores when said shackle is in locked condition, said lid ateably received by the top of said shell and permanently bonded and sealed thereto; c) a threaded cap for releasably engaging and sealing said mouth; and d) a connecting strap attached at one end to said bonded lid and shell and having a second end comprising a ring for retaining and mounting said cap for free rotation about the screw axis of its threads relative to said strap.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said threaded mouth extends from the shell bottom and has an annular tip portion, and wherein said cap mounts a circular seal which makes sealing engagement with said tip portion when said cap is screwed unto said mouth.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 v/herein said cap has external threads and an annular groove lying adjacent and radially outwardly of said cap threads that holds said seal.

4« Apparatus as defined in claim 2 v/herein said mouth has external threads and said cap has internal threads.

5« Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said cap has a circular groove in its outer periphery in v/hich said strap ring is mounted.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said strap one end is affixed to said shell lid and said strap extends downwardly to resiliently hold said cap below and to the side of said mouth.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 v/herein said one end of said strap comprises a ring v/hich is rotat- ably mounted within an outv/ardly facing circular groove lying at the base of said mouth.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 v/herein said cap has external threads and an annular groove lying adjacent and radially outwardly of said cap threads ' which holds said seal.