WO2012061875A1

WO2012061875A1 - Combination lock, typically a padlock with a set of axially aligned rotating wheels

Info

Publication number: WO2012061875A1
Application number: PCT/AU2011/001432
Authority: WO
Inventors: Theodore Valerio; Stephen Payne
Original assignee: Origineering Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2010-11-12
Filing date: 2011-11-07
Publication date: 2012-05-18

Abstract

A combination lock (10) comprising a housing (12) and a shaft (14) slidable within the housing (12) between a first locked position, a second locked position and an unlocked position. A plurality of wheels (36) are provided within the housing (12) having apertures (38) through which the shaft (14) is received. Each aperture (38) includes a slot (39) on an inner surface thereof and protrusions (41) provided on the shaft (12) are each associated with one of the wheels (36) such that when the wheel (36) is aligned in the correct position, the corresponding protrusion (41) on the shaft (14) is free to slide through the slot (39). A first biasing member (50) is provided in engagement with the shaft (14) such that the first biasing member (50) tends to move the shaft (14) from the second locked position to the first locked position. In the first locked position the protrusions (41) on the shaft (14) engage with the wheels (36) to prevent rotation of the wheels (36) and movement of the shaft (14) to the second locked position allows movement of the wheels (36).

Description

COMBINATION LOCK, TYPICALLY A PADLOCK WITH A SET OF AXIALLY ALIGNED ROTATING WHEELS.

Field of the Invention

[001 ] The present invention relates to a combination lock.

Background to the Invention

[002] Combination locks are commonly used in a variety of applications.

Such locks generally comprise a series of wheels having numbered segments. Dialling the correct combination of numbers aligns apertures in the wheels to allow a shackle to slide through the wheels.

[003] These types of combination locks are often relatively insecure due to their susceptibility to picking. Many of these combination locks may be fairly easily opened by either feel picking or shim picking methods. In the case of feel picking, the wheels are individually turned and then felt while moving the shackle. Due to manufacturing tolerances in the components, this action will result in different movement of a wheel in the correct position that can be felt. By repeating this process for each of the wheels, the combination required to open the lock can be found.

[004] Also, in many locks a shim may be slid between the wheels so that it engages the shackle. By rotating the wheels, movement of the shim can be used to detect the correct position for the wheel to open the lock.

[005] These combination locks are often used by travellers to secure their baggage from unauthorised access. In this application, aside from the risk of theft of property in the baggage, there is also a potentially greater risk of having someone open the bag and insert illegal material for which the traveller could be prosecuted.

[006] The present invention relates to a combination type lock aimed at overcoming at least in part the abovementioned problems. Summary of the Invention

[007] According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a combination lock comprising:

a housing;

a shaft slidable within the housing between a first locked position, a second locked position and an unlocked position;

a plurality of wheels provided within the housing having apertures through which the shaft is received, each aperture including a slot on an inner surface thereof;

protrusions on the shaft each associated with one of the wheels such that when each wheel is aligned in the correct position, the corresponding protrusion on the shaft is free to slide through the slot, the shaft then being in the unlocked position;

a first biasing member in engagement with the shaft such that the first biasing member tends to move the shaft from the second locked position to the first locked position;

wherein in the first locked position the protrusions on the shaft engage with the wheels to prevent rotation of the wheels and movement of the shaft to the second locked position allows movement of the wheels.

[008] Preferably each of the wheels includes a plurality of indents therein adjacent a first side thereof such that when the shaft moves to the first locked position, the protrusions on the shaft are each received in one of the indents in the corresponding wheel such that rotation of the wheel is prevented.

[009] In a preferred embodiment, the combination lock further comprises: a shackle having a first side portion and a second side portion;

a first opening in the housing in which the first side portion of the shackle is slidably received; and

a second opening in the housing, the shackle being moveable between a closed position in which the second side portion of the shackle is received in the second opening, and an open position in which the second side portion moves out of the second opening;

wherein the second opening is coaxial with the shaft such that moving the second side portion of the shackle towards the shaft engages a first end of the shaft and moves the shaft from the unlocked position or the first locked position to the second locked position.

[010] Preferably the first biasing member is located adjacent a second end of the shaft and comprises a resilient disc that is compressed by the shaft.

[01 1 ] Preferably there is provided a latch member received in a latch recess adjacent the second end of the shaft such that movement of the shaft to the first or second locked position moves the latch member to engage with the first side portion of the shackle to retain the shackle in the closed position.

[012] In one embodiment, the latch member comprises an elongate plate slidable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the shaft between a position in which it does not engage the shackle and a position in which an end thereof protrudes into the first opening and engages with a notch provided in the first side portion of the shackle.

[013] The latch member preferably includes a lug adjacent a side of the first biasing member such that compression of the first biasing member bulges the first biasing member outwardly against the lug, thereby moving the latch member towards the first side portion of the shackle.

[014] In a preferred embodiment, there is provided a second biasing member adjacent an endmost wheel such that the second biasing member applies a force to the endmost wheel to keep each of the wheels in engagement with the other wheels.

[015] Preferably the second biasing member is located at an end of the wheels opposite to the first biasing member.

[016] In a preferred embodiment, each of the wheels includes cylindrical flanges on first and second sides extending outwardly from around the periphery of the aperture such that in the first locked position, the cylindrical flanges of each of the wheels engages against the cylindrical flanges of the adjacent wheels.

[017] In one embodiment, the shaft includes a transverse end portion adjacent the first end thereof, the transverse end portion being received in a chamber in the housing extending transversely of the second opening and the width of the chamber in a direction parallel to the shaft being greater than the width of the transverse end portion such that the distance of travel of the shaft is limited.

[018] Preferably the housing includes a plurality of wheel openings therein such that a portion of each of the wheels is accessible through one of the wheel openings.

[019] The wheels preferably include indicia around the peripheries thereof such that location of the correct indicia of each of the wheels in the wheel opening aligns the protrusions on the shaft with the corresponding slots on the wheel.

[020] In one embodiment, the shackle includes an arcuate intermediate portion connecting the first and second side portions.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[021 ] The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the following drawings:

[022] Figure 1 a is a front view of a combination lock in accordance with the present invention;

[023] Figure 1 b is an upper perspective view of the combination lock of Figure 1 a;

[024] Figure 2 is an exploded view of the combination lock of Figure 1 ;

[025] Figure 3a is an upper perspective view of a wheel of the combination lock of Figure 1 ;

[026] Figure 3b is a top view of the wheel of Figure 3a; [027] Figure 3c is a side cross sectional view of the wheel of Figure 3a through the line B-B;

[028] Figure 4a is a side view of the combination lock of Figure 1 in the unlocked position

[029] Figure 4b is a cross sectional view of the combination lock of Figure 4a through the line A-A;

[030] Figure 5a is a side view of the combination lock of Figure 1 part way between the unlocked position and the locked position;

[031 ] Figure 5b is a cross sectional view of the combination lock of Figure 5a through the line A-A;

[032] Figure 6a is a side view of the combination lock of Figure 1 in the second locked position;

[033] Figure 6b is a cross sectional view of the combination lock of Figure 6a through the line A-A;

[034] Figure 7a is a side view of the combination lock of Figure 1 in the second locked position; and

[035] Figure 7b is a cross sectional view of the combination lock of Figure 7a through the line A-A in the second locked position showing scrambling of the wheels;

[036] Figure 8a is a side view of the combination lock of Figure 1 in the first locked position; and

[037] Figure 8b is a cross sectional view of the combination lock of Figure 8a through the line A-A.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

[038] Referring to Figures, there is shown a combination lock 10 comprising a housing 12 having a shackle 14. The shackle 14 comprises a first side portion 16, a second side portion 18 and an arcuate intermediate portion 15 joining the first side portion 16 and the second side portion 18.

[039] The first side portion 16 of the shackle 14 is received in a first opening 17 in the housing 12 and the second side portion 18 is received in a second opening 19 in the housing 12. The first and second side portions 16 and 18 of the shackle 14 are slidable longitudinally within the first and second openings 17 and 19. The first side portion 16 is longer than the second side portion 18 such that the shackle 14 is slidable between a closed position in which both of the first and second side portions 16 and 18 of the shackle 14 are received in the corresponding openings 17 and 19 and an open position in which the first side portion 16 is contained within the first opening 17 but the second side portion 18 has slid out of the second opening 19. That is, the shackle 14 moves between a closed and an open position in the normal manner of a padlock.

[040] The housing 12 in the embodiment shown comprises generally a rectangular prism having a front surface 20 and a parallel rear surface 22. First and second end surfaces 24 and 26 interconnect the front and rear surfaces 20 and 22 at opposite ends thereof and first and second side surfaces 28 and 30 interconnect the front and rear surfaces 20 and 22 at opposite sides thereof. The first and second openings 17 and 19 extend into the housing 12 from the first end surface 24.

[041 ] The housing 12 is provided in two halves. The housing 12 therefore comprises a first housing portion 32 and a second housing portion 34. The first housing portion 32 includes the front surface 20 and part of each of the first and second end surfaces 24 and 26 and the first and second side surfaces 28 and 30. The second housing portion 34 includes the rear surface 22 and part of each of the first and second end surfaces 24 and 26 and the first and second side surfaces 28 and 30.

[042] The housing 12 includes a plurality of wheels 36 each having an aperture 38 therein. The wheels 36 are each arranged coaxially in the housing 12 such that each of the wheels 36 rotates about a common axis. Wheel recesses 37 are provided within the housing 12 each for receiving one of the wheels 36. In the embodiment shown, four wheels 36 are provided.

[043] A shaft 40 is provided also within the housing 12. The shaft 40 extends through the apertures 38 in each of the wheels 36 such that the wheels 36 can rotate about the shaft 40. The shaft 40 is coaxial with the second opening 19 such that a distal end of the second side portion 18 can engage a first end of the shaft 40.

[044] The shaft 40 includes a transverse end portion 45 adjacent the first end thereof. The transverse end portion 45 is received in a chamber 47 in the housing 12 extending transversely of the second opening 19. The width of the chamber 47 in a direction parallel to the shaft 40 is greater than the width of the transverse end portion 45 such that the distance of travel of the shaft 40 is limited. That is, the shaft 40 can move from a first position in which the transverse end portion 45 engages with a first side of the chamber 47 to a second position in which the transverse end portion 45 engages with a second side of the chamber 45.

[045] The front surface 20 of the housing 12 includes a plurality of wheel openings 42 therein such that a portion of each of the wheels 36 is accessible through one of the wheel openings 42. The outer surfaces of each of the wheels 36 includes a plurality of indicia thereon. In the present embodiment, the indicia comprise numbers. The wheels 36 are rotatable in the normal manner of a combination lock such that alignment of the correct series of numbers on the wheels 36 allows opening of the combination lock 10.

[046] The shaft 40 includes a plurality of protrusions 41 thereon, each protrusion 41 being associated with one of the wheels 36. Each of the wheels 36 includes a slot 39 on an inner surface of the aperture 38 extending from a first side of the wheel 36 through to an opposite second side of the wheel 36. The slot 39 is adjacent one of the numbers such that when the wheel 36 is aligned with the correct number facing outward through the wheel opening 42, the corresponding protrusion 41 on the shaft 40 is free to slide through the slot 39.

[047] The combination lock 10 therefore includes an opening combination such that when the numbers of the opening combination are displayed in the wheel openings 42, the shaft 40 is free to slide through the apertures 38 in the wheels 36. The opening combination is not settable by the owner of the combination lock 10. It is envisaged that a card containing the opening combination will be provided to the purchaser of the combination lock 10 to be kept in a secure location.

[048] The combination lock 10 includes also a latch member 44. The latch member 44 comprises an elongate plate received in a latch recess 46 adjacent the second end of the housing 12. The latch member 44 is slidable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the shaft 40 between a position in which it does not engage the shackle 14 and a position in which an end thereof protrudes into the first opening 17 and engages with a notch 48 provided in the first side portion 16 of the shackle 14. When the end of the latch member 44 is received in the notch 48, the shackle 14 is prevented from sliding to the open position.

[049] The combination lock 10 is provided with a first biasing member 50. The first biasing member 50 is located adjacent a second end of the shaft 40, being the end remote from the second side portion 18 of the shackle 14. The first biasing member 50 comprises a resilient deformable disc. The first biasing member is constructed of a suitable resilient deformable material with a shape memory such that it may be compressed and then return to its original shape. The material may be, for example, rubber based.

[050] The first biasing member 50 is received between a side of the latch member 44 and the second end of the shaft 40 such that when the shackle moves to the closed position, the shackle 14 pushes the shaft 40 into the first biasing member 50, thereby deforming the first biasing member 50. On release of the force, the first biasing member 50 returns to its original shape and thereby provides a force against the shaft 40 tending to move the shaft 40 back towards an unlocked position. The second end of the shaft 40 includes a concave portion 62 to receive a portion of the first biasing member 50 when compressed.

[051 ] There is also provided a second biasing member comprising a compression disc 60 located adjacent an endmost of the wheels 36. In the embodiment shown, the second biasing member is located at an end opposite the first biasing member 50. The compression disc 60 engages with the wheels 36 to keep the wheels 36 in engagement with each other. In an alternative embodiment, the second biasing member however may be located at the same end as the first biasing member 50.

[052] The latch member 44 also includes a lug 56 adjacent a side of the first biasing member 50. The lug 56 is located such that compression of the first biasing member 50 bulges the first biasing member 50 outwardly against the lug 56, thereby moving the latch member 44 towards the first side portion 16 of the shackle 14.

[053] Each of the wheels 36 also includes a plurality of indents 52 therein adjacent a first side thereof, the first side of the wheel 36 being the side adjacent the first biasing member 50. An indent 52 is provided adjacent each of the numbers on the wheel 36 and is provided for receiving a portion of the corresponding protrusion 41 on the shaft 40.

[054] Each of the wheels 36 is also provided with cylindrical flanges 54 on first and second sides thereof. The cylindrical flanges 54 extend outwardly from around the periphery of the aperture 38.

[055] The process of moving the shackle 14 from the open position to the closed position will now be described with reference to Figures 4 to 8. In the open position, the wheels 36 are dialled to the opening combination such that the the slots 39 in the wheels 36 are aligned with the protrusions 41 on the shaft 40. The shaft 40 is therefore in an unlocked position in which it is free to slide through the wheels 36.

[056] Figure 4 shows the shackle 14 in the open position, in which the second side portion 18 of the shackle 14 is disengaged from the housing 12. To move the shackle 14 to the closed position, the shackle 14 is depressed so that the second side portion 18 enters the second opening 19 in the housing 12, as can be seen in Figure 5.

[057] As the second side portion 18 of the shackle 14 enters the second opening 19, the distal end thereof engages with the first end of the shaft 40. The shaft 40 is moved towards the first biasing member 50, thereby compressing the first biasing member 50 against the latch member 44. This also pushes the latch member 44 towards the first side portion 16 of the shackle 14 such that the end of the latch member 44 is received in the notch 48.

[058] As can be seen in Figure 6, the wheels 36 can now be rotated to a scrambled position in which the slots 39 do not align with the protrusions 41 on the shaft 40. The pressure on the shackle 14 pushing the shaft 40 downwardly to compress the first biasing member 50 must be maintained to scramble the wheels 36 and the shaft 40 is now in a second locked position. Upon release of the force on the shaft 40, the first biasing member 50 pushes the shaft 40 back to a first locked position, in which the protrusions 41 on the shaft 40 each engage with one of the indents 52 in the wheels 36. In this first locked position, the engagement of the protrusions 41 with the indents 52 prevents rotation of the wheels 36.

[059] Also, in the first locked position, the first biasing member 50 is still partially compressed so it maintains the force on the shaft 40 to keep the protrusions 41 in the indents 52. The action of the shaft 40 also presses all of the wheels 36 together such that each of the wheels 36 is engaged with the adjacent wheels 36. The cylindrical flanges 54 of each of the wheels 36 therefore engages against the cylindrical flanges 54 of the adjacent wheels 36.

[060] The process of moving the shackle 14 to the open position is the reverse of that described. The shackle 14 is first depressed to move the shaft 40 from the first locked position to the second locked position, thereby compressing the first biasing member 50. In the second locked position, the wheels 36 are free to rotate and can be dialled to the opening combination. The shaft 40 can then slide towards the shackle 14, engaging with the second side portion 18 of the shackle 14 and pushing it to the open position.

[061 ] It will be appreciated that in the first locked position, the wheels 36 cannot be rotated. The wheels 36 may only be rotated by pushing the shackle 14 to compress the first biasing member 50. The compression disc 60 maintains the wheels 36 in contact with each other in this position. Due to this contact, any imparted shock loads to the wheels 36 are distributed across the wheels 36.

[062] These features each make the lock more difficult to pick using feel picking. In one method known of feel picking in the case of a standard combination lock, a force is applied outwardly to the shackle to engage the protrusions with the wheels. Due to manufacturing tolerances, one wheel will be engaged first and by rotating this wheel a click can be felt when the slot on the wheel aligns with the protrusion on the wheel. In the present invention, the wheels 36 cannot by rotated unless force is applied to move the shaft in the opposite direction. This method is therefore more difficult to achieve. Further, in the present embodiment of the invention the shackle 14 and shaft 40 are separate so that it is not possible to apply a desired force outwardly on the shaft 40 by pulling on the shackle 14.

[063] It is also potentially possible to feel pick a lock by applying a shock load to the wheels by pulling the shackle and attempting to feel which wheel is not struck because the slot in the wheel is in alignment with the protrusion. In the present invention, if such a method were attempted by pushing the shaft to the second locked position and letting the first biasing member 50 push the shaft back to apply the shock load, as all of the wheels 36 are maintained in engagement by the compression disc 60, the shock would be distributed across all wheels 36, thereby making it difficult to identify any wheel in the correct position.

Further, the use of a resilient deformable disc as the first biasing member 50 also provides a slower and more constant return movement than a spring would. Therefore, applying force to the shackle as mentioned above and releasing does not result in the shaft snapping back but moving slowly back to position, thereby reducing further the possibility of using this method.

[064] Also, the engagement of each of the cylindrical flanges 54 prevents access to the shaft 40 through the spaces around the wheels 36. The combination lock 10 is therefore also less susceptible to shim picking. [065] It will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the relevant arts that various modifications and improvements may be made to the foregoing embodiments, in addition to those already described, without departing from the basic inventive concepts of the present invention.

Claims

1 . A combination lock comprising:

a housing;

2. A combination lock in accordance with claim 1 , wherein each of the wheels includes a plurality of indents therein adjacent a first side thereof such that when the shaft moves to the first locked position, the protrusions on the shaft are each received in one of the indents in the corresponding wheel such that rotation of the wheel is prevented.

3. A combination lock in accordance with claim 2, further comprising: a shackle having a first side portion and a second side portion;

4 A combination lock in accordance with claim 3, wherein the first biasing member is located adjacent a second end of the shaft and comprises a resilient disc that is compressed by the shaft.

5. A combination lock in accordance with claim 4, wherein there is provided a latch member received in a latch recess adjacent the second end of the shaft such that movement of the shaft to the first or second locked position moves the latch member to engage with the first side portion of the shackle to retain the shackle in the closed position.

6. A combination lock in accordance with claim 5, wherein the latch member comprises an elongate plate slidable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the shaft between a position in which it does not engage the shackle and a position in which an end thereof protrudes into the first opening and engages with a notch provided in the first side portion of the shackle.

7. A combination lock in accordance with claim 5 or 6, wherein the latch member includes a lug adjacent a side of the first biasing member such that compression of the first biasing member bulges the first biasing member outwardly against the lug, thereby moving the latch member towards the first side portion of the shackle.

8. A combination lock in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein there is provided a second biasing member adjacent an endmost wheel such that the second biasing member applies a force to the endmost wheel to keep each of the wheels in engagement with the other wheels.

9. A combination lock in accordance with claim 8, wherein the second biasing member is located at an end of the wheels opposite to the first biasing member.

10. A combination lock in accordance with claim 8 or 9, wherein each of the wheels includes cylindrical flanges on first and second sides extending outwardly from around the periphery of the aperture such that in the first locked position, the cylindrical flanges of each of the wheels engages against the cylindrical flanges of the adjacent wheels.

1 1 . A combination lock in accordance with any one of claim 3 to 10, wherein the shaft includes a transverse end portion adjacent the first end thereof, the transverse end portion being received in a chamber in the housing extending transversely of the second opening and the width of the chamber in a direction parallel to the shaft being greater than the width of the transverse end portion such that the distance of travel of the shaft is limited.

12. A combination lock in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing includes a plurality of wheel openings therein such that a portion of each of the wheels is accessible through one of the wheel openings.

13. A combination lock in accordance with claim 12, wherein the wheels include indicia around the peripheries thereof such that location of the correct indicia of each of the wheels in the wheel opening aligns the protrusions on the shaft with the corresponding slots on the wheel.

14. A combination lock in accordance with any one of claims 3 to 13, wherein the shackle includes an arcuate intermediate portion connecting the first and second side portions.