| US 7,467,531 B2 | ||
| Key operated padlock construction with visual indicator | ||
| Eric Lai, Hong Kong (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, The); and Karl Lai, Hong Kong (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, The) | ||
| Assigned to The Sun Lock Company Ltd., Tuen Mun, N.T. (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, The) | ||
| Filed on Apr. 17, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/405,332. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/683208, filed on May 20, 2005. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0260369 A1, Nov. 23, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. E05B 67/22 (2006.01); E05B 41/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 70—38C [70/35; 70/337; 70/432; 70/441] | 18 Claims |
| 1. A padlock incorporating an indicator assembly which provides a positive, readily visible display whenever the padlock has
been opened under specific circumstances, said padlock comprising
A. a housing;
B. locking means in the form of a shackle cooperatively associated with the housing and movable between a first housing engaged
position and a second housing released position;
C. a key controlled locking section
a) mounted in the housing in controlling interengagement with the locking means for maintaining the locking means in its first
housing engaged position and releasing the locking means for providing the second, housing released position, and
b) comprising an arcuately pivotable cylinder assembly mounted in the housing and responsive to the insertion of a first user/owner
key and a second master key for enabling the arcuate movement of the cylinder relative to the housing whenever the first key
or the second key is inserted therein; and
D. a signal/indicator system
a) mounted in the housing in cooperating relationship with the key control locking section and responsive to the use of the
master key for activation thereof,
b) comprising an alert-providing indicator member movable between a first non-alert position and a second alert-providing
position whenever the master key is employed for moving the locking means from its first housing engaged position into its
second housing released position, thereby providing positive notice to the user that the master key has been employed,
c) a support base on which the alert providing indicator member is supportingly retained with said support base comprising
an arcuately curved or grooved lower surface,
d) a control member having an arcuately curved or grooved top surface cooperatively associated with the lower surface of the
support base for being normally in nested interengagement therewith prior to activation, and constructed for forcing the support
base and associated alert-providing indicator member upwardly whenever the control member is arcuately pivoted due to the
camming action of the engaged arcuately curved/grooved surfaces,
e) a locking arm for maintaining the alert indicator member in its raised position until re-set by the user, and
f) a movable arm supporting base mounted in the housing and constructed for being automatically moved with the locking arm
when the indicator member is activated and being returned to its original position by the user thereby disengaging the locking
arm from the indicator member.
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