Lockbox with multi-position shackle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10648196-B2
Application number	US-201815884521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2018
Priority date	Jan 31, 2018
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

A lock assembly includes a lock body and a U-shaped shackle having a curved portion extending between first and second legs receivable in first and second shackle apertures in an upper portion of the lockbox body. The shackle has a guard wall affixed to an interior surface of the curved portion, the guard wall defining an interior arcuate wall surface extending forward and rearward from a central plane bisecting the shackle. The upper portion of the lock body includes first and second protruding projections at least partially surrounding the first and second shackle apertures and defining first and second upwardly diverging interior surfaces laterally aligned with the curved portion of the shackle. The lock body includes a latching mechanism configured to secure the shackle in a plurality of latched positions to adjust a distance between the first and second upwardly diverging interior surfaces and the curved portion of the shackle. When the shackle is secured around a door handle with the shackle secured in a suitable one of the plurality of latched positions, abutment of the interior arcuate wall surface with a neck portion of the door handle impedes forward and rearward rotation of the lock assembly about a horizontal axis extending through the curved portion of the shackle and abutment of the first and second upwardly diverging interior surfaces with a neck portion of the door handle impedes side-to-side twisting rotation of the lock assembly about a vertical axis extending through the curved portion of the shackle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lock assembly comprising:
a lock body; and
a U-shaped shackle having a curved portion extending between first and second legs receivable in first and second shackle apertures in an upper surface of the lock body, and a guard wall affixed to an interior surface of the curved portion, the guard wall defining an interior arcuate wall surface extending forward and rearward from a central plane bisecting the first and second legs of the shackle and beyond frontmost and rearmost surfaces of the shackle;
wherein the lock body includes a latching mechanism configured to secure the shackle in a plurality of latched positions to adjust a distance between the upper surface of the lock body and the interior arcuate wall surface;
wherein when the shackle is secured around a door handle with the shackle secured in a suitable one of the plurality of latched positions, abutment of the interior arcuate wall surface with a neck portion of the door handle impedes forward and rearward rotation of the lock assembly about a horizontal axis extending through the curved portion of the shackle.

2. The lock assembly of claim 1 wherein the shackle member and guard wall comprise metal.

3. The lock assembly of claim 1 wherein the shackle further comprises a cover which encompasses the guard wall and the curved portion of the shackle member.

4. The lock assembly of claim 3 wherein the cover comprises a molded-over plastic member.

5. The lock assembly of claim 3 wherein the cover encompasses at least a portion of the shackle legs.

6. The lock assembly of claim 1 wherein the lock body comprises an upper casing disposed on an upper wall of the lock body and defining first and second projections partially surrounding the first and second shackle apertures and defining a notch between the first and second protruding projections.

7. The lock assembly of claim 1 wherein the shackle legs include a plurality of notches positioned to define the plurality of latched positions of the shackle.

8. The lock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion of the lock body includes first and second protruding projections at least partially surrounding the first and second shackle apertures and defining first and second upwardly diverging interior surfaces laterally aligned with the curved portion of the shackle, and
wherein when the shackle is secured around a door handle with the shackle secured in a suitable one of the plurality of latched positions, abutment of the first and second upwardly diverging interior surfaces with a neck portion of the door handle impedes side-to-side twisting rotation of the lock assembly about a vertical axis extending through the curved portion of the shackle.

9. The lock assembly of claim 8 wherein the first and second upwardly diverging interior faces are separated by a landing.

10. The lock assembly of claim 8 wherein the first and second upwardly diverging interior faces define a V-shape.

11. The lock assembly of claim 8 wherein the lock body includes an upper casing comprising plastic at least partially surrounding the upper portion of the lock body.

12. The lock assembly of claim 11 wherein the lock body includes a back casing disposed on a rear wall of the lock body.

13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the upper casing and back casing are unitary.

14. A lockbox assembly comprising:
a lockbox body defining an interior cavity for storing an item;
a door lockingly secured with the lockbox body to block access to the interior cavity;
a U-shaped shackle having a curved portion extending between first and second legs receivable in first and second shackle apertures in an upper portion of the lockbox body;
a latching mechanism disposed in the lockbox body and configured to secure the shackle in a plurality of latched positions to adjust a distance between the upper portion of the lockbox and the curved portion of the shackle;
wherein the latching mechanism includes a latch member spring biased into interlocking engagement with an aligned one of a plurality of latch points on at least one of the first and second shackle legs, and a release button disposed in the interior cavity and depressible to disengage the latch member from the aligned one of the plurality of latch points for adjustment of the shackle to a selected position aligning another one of the plurality of latch points with the latch member.

15. The lockbox assembly of claim 14 wherein the lockbox assembly comprises an upper casing disposed on an upper wall of the lockbox body and defining first and second protruding projections extending vertically and at least partially surrounding the first and second shackle apertures.

16. The lockbox assembly of claim 14 wherein the shackle member comprises an upper casing disposed on an upper wall of the lockbox body and having first and second upwardly diverging interior surfaces defining a V-shaped notch.

17. The lockbox assembly of claim 14 wherein the shackle member further comprises a guard wall disposed on an underside of the curved portion of the shackle member and defining an interior arcuate wall surface extending forward and rearward from a central plane bisecting the shackle.

18. The lockbox assembly of claim 14 wherein the shackle further comprises a cover encasing at least the curved portion of the shackle member.

19. The lockbox assembly of claim 14 , wherein the door, when lockingly secured with the lockbox body, blocks user access to the release button.

Assignees

• The Master Lock Company LLC
• Master Lock Co

Inventors

• Neau Michael
• Brown Glen Walter
• Plato Lea Marie

Classifications

• E05B67/063

  Padlocks with removable shackles · CPC title

• E05B37/025

  in padlocks · CPC title

• E05B67/383

  Staples or the like for padlocks; Lock slings; Arrangements on locks to cooperate with padlocks · CPC title

• E05B65/0075

  for safes, strongrooms, vaults, fire-resisting cabinets or the like (safes, closures and fastenings therefor E05G) · CPC title

• E05B19/0005 Primary

  Key safes (E05B35/086 takes precedence) · CPC title