Electronic lock and interchangeable shackles
An electronic lock includes a lock body and a shackle selectively securable via one or more ball bearings. An asymmetric cam can be rotated by a key or an electric motor to: a locked state in which the ball bearing secures the shackle within the lock body via at least one lock notch in the shackle, an unlocked state in which the ball bearing is released from the lock notch to unlock the shackle and subsequently engages a revolved notch on a distal end of the shackle to prevent removal of the shackle from the lock body, and a removal state in which the ball bearing is released from the lock notch and the revolved notch to allow the shackle to be removed from the lock body. A shackle detector can detect a shackle in the locked state. Externally accessible electrical contacts allow for jumpstarting a discharged battery.
1. A lock, comprising:
a lock body;
a shackle to be selectively locked, unlocked, and removed from the lock body;
at least one ball bearing;
an asymmetric cam rotatable between:
a locked state in which the ball bearing secures the shackle within the lock body via at least one lock notch in the shackle,
an unlocked state in which the ball bearing is released from the lock notch to unlock the shackle and engages a revolved notch on a distal end of the shackle to prevent removal of the shackle from the lock body, and
a removal state in which the ball bearing is released from the lock notch and the revolved notch to allow the shackle to be removed from the lock body; and
a lock assembly connected to the asymmetric cam, a control circuit of the lock assembly configured to control access to rotation of the asymmetric cam based on an authentication signal,
wherein the lock body further comprises a shackle detector to detect when the shackle is inserted within the lock body in the locked state.
2. The lock of claim 1 , wherein the lock assembly comprises a wirelessly-enabled lock assembly to enable rotation of the asymmetric cam via a motor based on a wirelessly-transmitted unlock signal.
3. The lock of claim 2 , further comprising a computer-implemented software application that enables:
a standard user to send a wireless signal to rotate the asymmetric cam to the unlocked state, and
an admin user to send a wireless signal to rotate the asymmetric cam to the removal state.
4. The lock of claim 1 , wherein the lock assembly comprises a touch sensor to detect an encoded series of touch inputs to control rotation of the asymmetric cam via a motor.
5. The lock of claim 4 , wherein the encoded series of touch inputs comprises a pattern of short actuations and long actuations of the touch sensor.
6. The lock of claim 5 , wherein the touch sensor comprises a capacitive touch sensor.
7. The lock of claim 5 , wherein the touch sensor comprises an electrically actuated button.
8. The lock of claim 1 , wherein the shackle can be replaced with a replacement shackle having a base portion and a tapered portion, wherein the base portion of the replacement shackle has a diameter, lock notch, and revolved notch similar to that of the shackle, and wherein the tapered portion has a narrower diameter.
9. The lock of claim 1 , wherein the asymmetrical cam comprises opposing convex surfaces to contact dual ball bearings in the locked state, and opposing concave recesses to allow the dual ball bearings to retract from dual lock notches in the shackle.
10. An electronic lock, comprising:
a lock body;
a motor to rotate a cam between at least a locked state and an unlocked state; a shackle to be selectively locked to the lock body with the cam is in the locked state and selectively unlocked from the lock body with the cam in the unlocked state;
control circuitry to control rotation of the motor based on an authentication signal;
an internal battery to supply power to the motor and control circuitry, wherein the internal battery cannot be removed or replaced when the shackle is in the locked state; and
externally accessible electrical contacts to enable an external battery to be directly connected without wires to the electronic lock to provide power to the control circuitry and motor at least when the internal battery is discharged,
wherein the lock body further comprises a shackle detector to detect when the shackle is inserted within the lock body in the locked state.
11. The electronic lock of claim 10 , further comprising at least one ball bearing,
wherein the shackle is further configured to be selectively removed from the lock body in addition to being locked and unlocked, and
wherein the cam comprises an asymmetric cam rotatable between:
a locked state in which the ball bearing secures the shackle within the lock body via at least one lock notch in the shackle,
an unlocked state in which the ball bearing is released from the lock notch to unlock the shackle and engage a revolved notch on a distal end of the shackle to prevent removal of the shackle from the lock body, and
a removal state in which the ball bearing is released from the lock notch and the revolved notch to allow the shackle to be removed from the lock body.
12. The electronic lock of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry comprises a Bluetooth-enabled control circuitry to enable rotation of the asymmetric cam via the motor based on a wirelessly-transmitted authentication signal.
13. The electronic lock of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry comprises a touch sensor to detect an encoded series of touch inputs to control rotation of the asymmetric cam via a motor.
14. The electronic lock of claim 13 , wherein the encoded series of touch inputs comprises a pattern of short actuations and long actuations of the touch sensor.
15. The electronic lock of claim 14 , wherein the touch sensor comprises a capacitive touch sensor.
16. The electronic lock of claim 10 , wherein the externally accessible electrical contacts are spaced to receive connectors from a nine-volt battery, and
wherein the electronic lock further comprises circuitry to allow the nine-volt battery to be connected in either polarity.
17. The electronic lock of claim 10 , wherein the shackle comprises a magnetic element in a distal end, and the shackle detector comprises circuitry to detect the magnetic element through one of: an aperture in the lock body proximate the shackle detector, and an electromagnetically transparent window in the lock body proximate the shackle detector.
18. A lock, comprising:
a lock body to selectively receive one of a plurality of interchangeable shackles;
a first interchangeable shackle with a uniform diameter to be selectively locked, unlocked, and removed from the lock body;
a second interchangeable shackle to be selectively locked, unlocked, and removed from the lock body, wherein a base portion of the second interchangeable shackle has a diameter equal to that of the first interchangeable shackle, and wherein a tapered portion of the second interchangeable shackle has a diameter less than that of the first interchangeable shackle; and
a tubular spacer to be selectively inserted within the lock body to receive the tapered portion of the second interchangeable shackle therein, and selectively removed from the lock body for the lock body to receive the first interchangeable shackle.