Resettable combination lock mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9670695-B2
Application number	US-201615051163-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2016
Priority date	Aug 9, 2012
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

A resettable combination lock mechanism includes a plurality of outer lock dials and a plurality of inner lock dials. The rotation of a reset feature changes the relative axial position between the outer lock dials and the inner lock dials, allowing the combination of the lock mechanism to be reset. In one aspect, the outer lock dials are axially displaced upon rotation of the reset feature, exposing a visual indicator that is configured to indicate whether the lock is in a combination reset mode or is in a normal mode. The reset mode allows the combination to be changed. The normal mode allows the lock mechanism to be locked or unlocked to secure or release a desired item. In another aspect, the rotation of the reset feature rotates a visual indicator into alignment with a window to indicate that the lock is the reset mode or the normal mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A resettable combination lock mechanism, comprising:
a male locking post;
a female locking post configured to receive the male locking post;
a plurality of inner lock dials received onto the female locking post;
a plurality of outer lock dials, wherein the outer lock dials and the inner lock dials are configured to rotationally engage and lock to each other when displaced in a first axial direction relative to each other; and wherein the outer lock dials and inner lock dials are configured to disengage and unlock from each other and permit relative rotation therebetween when displaced in a second axial direction relative to each other opposite to the first axial direction;
a reset knob disposed about the female locking post and configured to be rotated by hand; and
a visual indicator,
wherein the resettable combination lock mechanism is configured to one of hide and expose at least a part of the visual indicator from or to the view of an observer viewing the resettable combination lock mechanism when the outer lock dials and/or inner lock dials are moved axially toward axial alignment with each other and engagement with each other; and
wherein the resettable combination lock mechanism is configured to the other of hide and expose the visual indicator relative from or to the view of the observer when the outer lock dials and/or inner lock dials are moved axially away from axial alignment and toward disengagement with each other.

2. The resettable combination lock mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising a knob spacer disposed about the female locking post between the inner lock dials and the reset knob; wherein the knob spacer has a window therein; and wherein the visual indicator is configured to be viewed through the window in the knob spacer to expose the at least the part of the visual indicator to the view of the observer.

3. The resettable combination lock mechanism of claim 1 , configured to expose the at least the part of the visual indicator when the outer lock dials or the inner lock dials are moved in a direction away from axial alignment with each other.

4. The resettable combination lock mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the reset knob is configured to drive the outer lock dials or the inner lock dials in a direction away from axial alignment with each other upon a first rotation; and wherein the reset knob is configured to drive the outer lock dials or the inner lock dials in a direction toward axial alignment with each other upon a second rotation.

5. A resettable combination lock mechanism having a first mode and a second mode, the resettable combination lock mechanism comprising:
a shaft extending along an axis defining a first axial direction and a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction;
a first dial set and a second dial set, wherein one of the first dial set and the second dial set is an inner dial set disposed on the shaft and the other of the first dial set and the second dial set is an outer dial set circumferentially surrounding the inner dial set, wherein the inner dial set includes a plurality of inner lock dials, wherein the outer dial set includes a plurality of outer lock dials, wherein the first dial set has an engaged position in which each of the outer lock dials is rotationally coupled with a corresponding one of the inner lock dials, and a disengaged position in which each of the outer lock dials is rotationally decoupled from the corresponding one of the inner lock dials, and wherein the engaged and disengaged positions are axial positions of the first dial set relative to the second dial set;
a reset knob mounted to the shaft, wherein the reset knob is rotatable relative to the shaft between a first rotational position and a second rotational position, wherein the first rotational position defines the first mode of the resettable combination lock mechanism, and wherein the second rotational position defines the second mode of the resettable combination lock mechanism;
a first sliding component mounted on the shaft, wherein the first sliding component is axially movable relative to the shaft and is restrained from rotation about the shaft, wherein the first sliding component is engaged with the reset knob and the first dial set, and is configured to move the first dial set in the second axial direction toward one of the engaged position and the disengaged position in response to rotation of the reset knob from the first rotational position toward the second rotational position;
a first biasing member engaged with the first dial set, the first biasing member urging the first dial set in the first axial direction, wherein the first biasing member is configured to move the first dial set in the first axial direction toward the other of the engaged position and the disengaged position in response to rotation of the reset knob from the second rotational position toward the first rotational position; and
a visual indicator including a first visual indicium relating to the first mode of the resettable combination lock mechanism;
wherein, with the reset knob in the first rotational position, the first visual indicium is exposed to view; and
wherein, with the reset knob in the second rotational position, the first visual indicium is hidden from view.

6. The resettable combination lock mechanism of claim 5 , wherein the first dial set is the inner dial set, the first sliding component is a reset slide member, the first rotational position of the reset knob is a normal position, the second rotational position of the knob is a reset position, the reset slide member is configured to move the inner dial set in the second axial direction from the engaged position to the disengaged position in response to rotation of the reset knob from the normal position to the reset position, and the first biasing member is configured to move the inner dial set in the first axial direction from the disengaged to the engaged position in response to rotation of the reset knob from the reset position to the normal position.

7. The resettable combination lock mechanism of claim 5 , wherein the first dial set is the outer dial set, the first sliding component is a knob spacer, the first rotational position of the reset knob is a reset position, the second rotational position of the knob is a normal position, the knob spacer is configured to move the outer dial set in the second axial direction from the disengaged position to the engaged position in response to rotation of the reset knob from the reset position to the normal position, and the first biasing member is configured to move the outer dial set in the first axial direction from the engaged position to the disengaged position in response to rotation of the reset knob from the normal position to the reset position.

8. The resettable combination lock mechanism of claim 5 , further comprising:
a second sliding component mounted on the shaft, wherein the second sliding component is axially movable and is restrained from rotation about the shaft, wherein the second sliding component is engaged with the reset knob and the second dial set, and is configured to move the second dial set in the second axial direction in response to rotation of the reset knob from the second rotational position toward the first rotational position; and
a second biasing member engaged with the second dial set, the second biasing member urging the second dial set in the first axial direction, wherein the second biasing member is configured to move the second dial set in the first axial direction in response to rotation of the reset knob from the first rotational position toward the second rotational position.

9. The resettable combination lock mechanism of claim 5 ,

Assignees

• Schlage Lock Co Llc

Inventors

• Zuraski Robert D
• Luong Son M

Classifications

• Y10T70/8027

  Condition indicators · CPC title

• Y10T70/7322

  Permutation · CPC title

• Y10T70/7305

  Manually operable · CPC title

• E05B37/04

  with tumbler discs on a single axis, all the discs being adjustable by rotating a shiftable knob · CPC title

• E05B37/025

  in padlocks · CPC title