Hook lock with dual locking function with key captive design
The lock has a hook, a locking finger and a latch. The locking finger is engaged with the hook and the latch when the lock is in the locked mode. The locking finger is disengaged from the hook and the latch when the lock is in the opened mode. The lock can be opened by a combination mechanism or by an overriding key mechanism. The combination mechanism has a button, and a plurality of dials and clutches to control the movement of the button. When the dials are set to a correct combination, the button can be moved to disengage the latch from the locking finger, allowing the locking finger to disengage from the hook. The key mechanism has a cylinder with a key slot to receive a key for rotating the cylinder to disengage the latch from the locking finger, allowing the locking finger to disengage from the hook.
1. A lock operable in a locked mode and in an opened mode, said lock comprising:
a lock body having a first body portion and a second body portion;
a hook having a tip at one end, the hook located in the lock body;
a locking finger having a tip, the locking finger pivotally mounted in the lock body so that when the lock is in the locked mode, the locking finger is in a first finger position wherein the tip of the locking finger contacts the tip of the hook, and when the locking finger is in a second finger position, the lock is in the opened mode and the locking tip of the locking finger is not in contact with the tip of the hook so that the locking finger can be pivoted away from the hook;
a latch operable in a first latch position and a second latch position, wherein when the latch is in the first latch position, the locking finger is prevented from moving from the first finger position to the second finger position, and when the latch is in the second latch position, the locking finger is allowed to move from the first finger position to the second finger position;
a button located in the lock body, the button operable in a first button position and a second button position, wherein when the button is caused to move from the first button position to the second button position, the latch is caused to move from the first latch position to the second latch position, wherein the latch comprises a latch tip and the locking finger comprises a cutout dimensioned to receive the latch tip when the latch is in the first latch position, and when the latch is caused to move from the first latch position to the second latch position, the latch tip is disengaged from the cutout, allowing the locking finger to move from the first finger position to the second finger position, and
a combination mechanism located in the lock body, the combination mechanism comprising a spindle having a longitudinal axis, the spindle comprising a first spindle end and a second spindle end, the first spindle end having a contact surface, wherein when the combination mechanism is set to a correct combination, the spindle can be moved from a first spindle position to a second spindle position in a spindle movement direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and when the combination mechanism is set to the correct combination and the button is moved from the first button position to the second button position, the contact surface is caused to move along with the spindle from the first spindle position to the second spindle position in the spindle movement direction, and the latch is caused to move in a latch movement direction from the first latch position to the second latch position, wherein the latch movement direction is substantially parallel to the spindle movement direction, thereby putting the lock in the opened mode so that the locking finger moves to the second finger position where the locking finger can be pivoted away from the hook.
2. The lock according to claim 1 , wherein the combination mechanism further comprises:
a plurality of clutches disposed around the spindle, and
a plurality of dials engageable with the clutches to control movement of the spindle, the dials having a plurality of indicia to form the correct combination, and wherein the button comprises a button slope positioned in relationship to the contact surface of the spindle and wherein when the button is moved from the first button position to the second button position, the button slope of the button causes the contact surface to move along with the spindle from the first spindle position to the second spindle position in the spindle movement direction.
3. The lock according to claim 2 , wherein the latch further comprises a latch slope and the button is associated with an extended edge having an edge slope positioned in relationship to the latch slope, and wherein when the button is moved from the first button position to the second button position, the edge slope of the extended edge is arranged to cause the latch slope together with the latch to move in the latch movement direction.
4. The lock according to claim 3 further comprising
an overriding key mechanism comprising a cylinder positioned in relationship to the button, the cylinder comprising a first cylinder end and a second cylinder end, wherein the extended edge of the button is fixedly mounted on the second cylinder end, and wherein when the button is moved from the first button position to the second button position, the edge slope of the extended edge and the cylinder is caused to move together with the button.
5. The lock according to claim 4 , wherein the first cylinder end comprises a key slot dimensioned to receive a key and wherein when the button is in the first button position and the key is inserted into the key slot of the cylinder, the cylinder can be caused to rotate from a first cylinder position to a second cylinder position together with the extended edge in a rotation direction relative to the button, the edge slope is arranged to move the latch slope together with the latch in the latch movement direction from the first latch position to the second latch position.
6. The lock according to claim 5 , wherein the locking finger further comprises a restriction wall and the cylinder further comprises a key-captive slot dimensioned to receive the restriction wall of the locking finger, and wherein when the cylinder is in the second cylinder position and the locking finger is in the second finger position, the restriction wall of the locking finger is engaged with the key-captive slot, preventing the cylinder from moving from the second cylinder position to the first cylinder position, and when the cylinder is in the second cylinder position, the key is prevented from moving out of the key slot.
7. The locking according to claim 6 , wherein when the cylinder is in the second cylinder position, the locking finger can be caused to return to the first finger position and the restriction wall of the locking finger is disengaged from the key-captive slot of the cylinder, allowing the cylinder to return to the first cylinder position and the key to be retrieved from the key slot.
8. The lock according to claim 2 , wherein the spindle further comprises a plurality of protrusions and each of the clutches comprises an opening gap associated with the protrusion of a different one of the spindle, and wherein when the dials are set at the correct combination, the opening-gap of each of the clutches is aligned to the associated protrusion of the spindle, allowing the spindle to move from the first spindle position to the second spindle position.
9. The lock according to claim 2 , wherein the lock body further comprises a spring positioned in relationship to the spindle, and when the button is located in the first button position, the spring is arranged to urge the spindle to remain in the first spindle position, and wherein the spindle also has a top edge associated with the contact surface, and the plurality of clutches form a stack of clutches disposed around the spindle, wherein the spring is placed between the top edge of the spindle and the stack of clutches.
10. The lock according to claim 1 , wherein the lock body further comprises:
a coil spring positioned in relationship to the latch, the coil spring arranged to urge the latch to move toward the locking finger, and
a torque spring positioned in relationship to the locking finger, and when the latch tip is disengaged from the cutout of the locking finger, the torque spring is arranged to urge the locking finger to move from the first finger position to the second finger position.
11. The lock according to claim 2 , wherein each of the clutches is associated with a different one of the dials, each of the clutches comprising a plurality of clutch fins, each of the dials comprising a plurality of teeth arranged to engage with the clutch fins for rotation together relative to the spindle, and wherein when the spindle is in the second spindle position, the clutches can be caused to move relative to the spindle and the dials to a reset position so that the clutch fins become disengaged from the teeth while the protrusions of the spindle are engaged with the opening gaps of the clutches, allowing the dials to rotate relative to the clutches, and wherein the clutch fins comprise one or more longer fins, and the lock body further comprises a plurality of notches arranged to receive the longer fins when the clutches are in the reset position, preventing the clutches from rotation relative to the spindle.
12. The lock according to claim 3 , further comprising
a key mechanism comprising a cylinder, the cylinder having a first cylinder end and a second cylinder end, and an extended edge fixedly mounted on the second cylinder end, wherein the first cylinder end comprises a key slot dimensioned to receive a key, and when the key is inserted into the key slot of the cylinder, the cylinder can be caused to rotate from a first cylinder position to a second cylinder position together with the extended edge of the cylinder in a rotation direction relative to the button, and the edge slope of the button is arranged to move the latch slope together with the latch from the first latch position to the second latch position, wherein the locking finger further comprises a restriction wall and the cylinder further comprises a key-captive slot dimensioned to receive the restriction wall of the locking finger, and wherein when the cylinder is in the second cylinder position and the locking finger is in the second finger position, the restriction wall of the locking finger is engaged with the key-captive slot, preventing the cylinder from moving from the second cylinder position to the first cylinder position, and when the cylinder is in the second cylinder position, the key is prevented from moving out of the key slot.
13. A lock operable in a locked mode and in an opened mode, said lock comprising:
a lock body;
a hook fixedly disposed on the lock body;
a locking finger pivotally mounted on the lock body in relationship to the hook, the locking finger operable in a first finger position when the lock is in the locked mode, and in a second finger position when the lock is in the opened mode;
a latch operable in a first latch position and a second latch position, wherein when the latch is in the first latch position, the locking finger is prevented from moving from the first finger position to the second finger position, and when the latch is in the second latch position, the locking finger is allowed to move from the first finger position to the second finger position, wherein the latch comprises a latch tip and the locking finger comprises a cutout dimensioned to receive the latch tip when the latch is in the first latch position, and when the latch is caused to move from the first latch position to the second latch position, the latch tip is disengaged from the cutout, allowing the locking finger to move from the first finger position to the second finger position thereby allowing the locking finger to pivot away from the hook;
a key mechanism comprising a cylinder, the cylinder having a first cylinder end and a second cylinder end, and an extended edge fixedly mounted on the second cylinder end, wherein the first cylinder end comprises a key slot dimensioned to receive a key and when the key is inserted into the key slot of the cylinder, the cylinder can be caused to rotate from a first cylinder position to a second cylinder position together with the extended edge in a rotation direction relative to the lock body, so that the latch can move from the first latch position to the second latch position, wherein the locking finger further comprises a restriction wall and the cylinder further comprises a key-captive slot dimensioned to receive the restriction wall of the locking finger, and wherein when the cylinder is in the second cylinder position and the locking finger is in the second finger position, the restriction wall of the locking finger is engaged with the key-captive slot, preventing the cylinder from moving from the second cylinder position to the first cylinder position, and when the cylinder is in the second cylinder position, the key is prevented from moving out of the key slot.