BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a disassembled front view perspective of a padlock device containing a lock heating assembly of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional angled side view of the padlock device illustrating how a lock housing or an electrically conductive heat conduction element interacts with a heating element and a heating element housing;
FIG. 3 is a front view of a padlock device containing the lock heating assembly;
FIG. 4 is bottom view of the padlock device containing the lock heating assembly; and
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional bottom view of the padlock device containing the lock heating assembly illustrating the relationship of a power supply, the lock housing, the hasp, and the heating element.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIG. 1 and 2, a lock heating assembly for use with a padlock device is generally designated 10. An assembly housing 12 houses a lock housing 14, which in turn, houses a tumbler housing 16. Moveable parts within and around the lock housing 14 and the tumbler housing 16 are susceptible to freezing when moisture enters the assembly housing 12, rendering the padlock device inoperable under frozen conditions. The tumbler housing 16 is pivotable when tumblers are acted upon by a releasing key to align internal pins to a shear line. When the tumblers become fixed and immovable by frozen moisture or liquids, proper alignment becomes impossible to attain.
Now referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the assembly housing 12 is designed to receive a hasp 18 and house the hasp 18 in a secured position 20. In the preferred embodiment, the tumbler housing 16 releases the hasp 18 from its secured position 20 (as shown in FIG. 3) when a releasing key (not shown) is inserted into the tumbler housing 16 and rotated. The hasp 18, when released, is moveable from the secured position 20 within the assembly housing 12 to a released position (not shown). The released position enables the padlock device to become releasable from a fixture or other lockable matter because the hasp 18 becomes rotatable on the assembly housing 12.
The assembly housing 12 is preferably made up of a resilient material capable of withstanding a great deal of pressure and stress to enable the padlock device to act as an effective theft deterrent tool. In the most preferred embodiment, a plurality of assembly plates 24 are placed horizontally and stacked in a vertical manner relative to the tumbler housing 16. The plurality of assembly plates 24 are constructed of a durable metal material such as stainless steel and have etched or punched receiving gaps to accommodate internal features such as the lock housing 14, the hasp 18, and other like additions. To place the plurality of assembly plates 24 into a continuous, inseparable pairing as shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of assembly plates 24 are fastened together by a plurality of rivets 26 used to seal the plurality of assembly plates 24 together so that the assembly housing 12 appears as one continuous housing unit.
Now referring to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the lock heating assembly 10 is designed to add heat to the lock housing 14 by triggering a means of providing an electrical current from a power supply 28 located on or within the assembly housing 12. In the preferred embodiment, the means of providing the electrical current from the power supply 28 is provided by an activation mechanism 30. The power supply 28, therefore, is associated with the activation mechanism 30 for providing power when the activation mechanism 30 is triggered.
The activation mechanism 30 preferably located on an outside perimeter 32 of the assembly housing 12 for easy access and operational use. In the most preferred embodiment, the activation mechanism 30 is a pressable button 34 located on an external bottom surface 36 of the padlock device; however, it is further contemplated that a switch or other acting activation mechanism 30 capable of an “on/off” action may be used as well. By placing the pressable button 34 on the external bottom surface 36, the plurality of assembly plates 24 are more easily manipulated to receive the pressable button 34 and the affiliated components that are associated with the pressable button 34. The pressable button 34 is weatherably protected by a pressable button bezel 37 and is may also be provided with an elastic material 38 such as a rubber or plastic material to help prevent moisture from entering the assembly housing 12.
In the preferred embodiment, the pressable button 34 is resideable in a disengaged position when not triggered or acted on. The disengaged position is the default position created by suspending the activation mechanism on a spring 40 so that power is not inadvertently drained from the power supply 28. The pressable button 34 has a conductive pin 42 on a back side 44 of the pressable button 34 to make contact with the power supply 28. The activation mechanism 30 is triggered when the pressable button 34 is pushed inward to a position where the conductive pin 42 completes a closed electrical circuit defined by the power supply 28, an at least one heating element 46, an electrically conductive heat conduction element 48, the conductive pin 42, and all interconnecting wiring 50.
The power supply 28 is preferably located within the assembly housing 12 and space is made for the power supply 28 in a similar manner as the activation mechanism 30 by punching or machining a hole in a series of the plurality of assembly plates 24 to accommodate the power supply 28. In the preferred embodiment, the power supply 28 is a transportable power source 52 usable within multiple padlock devices. In the most preferred embodiment, the transportable power source 52 comprises a battery cell 54 configured to produce sufficient current such that when the at least one heating element 46 is acted upon, heat is generated. The battery cell 54 is resideable entirely within the assembly housing 12 and is placed in a battery cover 55. The battery cell 54 contemplated in the most preferred embodiment is a standard 1.5 Volt battery that can be bought at most conventional stores and provide a cheap and affordable means of providing power to several padlock devices using the lock heating assembly 10.
It is also contemplated that the power supply 28 might also use a solar battery cell, a liquid or gas fuel cell, or other type of electricity producing device. However, these devices are generally expensive and burdensome to use which make them less practical than the more readily available standard batteries. The battery cell 54 is encased in the battery cover 55 to protect the battery cell 54 from becoming corroded by external elements and insulates the battery cell 54 from coming into contact with electrically conductive parts of the plurality of assembly plates 24. The battery cell 54 can easily be removed by unscrewing the pressable button bezel 37 and removing the spring 40 along with the pressable button 34. The battery cell 54 is free to be removed from the battery cover 55 and replaced when needed.
Now referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, in the preferred embodiment, a power supply outlet wire 56 feeds an electrical current to a receiving end 57 of a heating element contact housing 58 that houses a heating element housing 59 and the at least one heating element 46 when the activation mechanism 30 is triggered. The heating element contact housing 58 provides a simple assembly tool to place the heating element housing 59 and the at least one heating element 46 in an electrical relationship with the power supply 28 and the activation mechanism 30. By doing so, when the activation mechanism 30 is triggered, an electrical current to the receiving end 57 begins to flow. In the most preferred embodiment, only one heating element 46 is used. The at least one heating element 46 resides in heat radiational proximity to the lock housing 14 of the padlock device such that when the electrical current is received by the receiving end 57 of the heating element contact housing 58 to feed electricity to the at least one heating element 46, the at least one heating element 46 is acted upon to induce heat on the lock housing 14.
Now referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, in the most preferred embodiment, the at least one heating element 46 is an electrical resister that resists electricity to produce heat and is provided with a set of electrodes 60 that act as electrically conductive proximity contact points. At the contact points with an electrically conductive object 62, a large amount of heat is created. The electrically conductive object 62 is preferably made of a heat conductive material such as steel, copper, or similar type of metal. The at least one heating element 46 is most preferably a graphite alloy that is better known as Coldheat technology, discussed at length in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,646,228 and 6,797,924. Using this design, the heating element housing 59 is provided to insulate the at least one heating element 46 from unintentionally contacting other metal found within the lock heating assembly 10. The heat element contact housing 58 is employed to ensure a deliberate delivery of electrical current to the at least one heating element 46 found inside the heating element housing 59.
The set of electrodes 60 is in electrical conductive connection with the electrically conductive heat conduction element 48 that is directly heated to warm the lock housing 14. Heat radiates from the electrically conductive heat conduction element 48 and is induced onto the lock housing 14 to warm the lock housing 14, which in turn transfers heat to the tumbler housing 16. In the most preferred embodiment, the electrically conductive heat conduction element 48 is the lock housing 14 itself, where the at least one heating element directly 48 directly engages the lock housing 14 by the set of electrodes 60. This design enables frozen moisture or liquids to quickly thaw out and melt so that the tumbler housing 16 becomes usable again by the releasing key, as the internal temperatures of the lock housing 14 rapidly and greatly exceed temperatures above the freezing point.
Now referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, as a preferred feature, a low power indicator light 64 for indicating when power in the power supply 28 is running low is located on the outside perimeter 32 of the assembly housing 12. A low battery module 66 is inserted into the interconnecting wiring 50 to register a current to the low power indicator light 64 to activate its illumination. In the most preferred embodiment, the low battery module 66 is in a continuous contact state with the power supply 28 so that the activation mechanism 30 does not have to be triggered in order to see whether or not the power supply 28 still maintains sufficient operational power. When illuminated, the low power indicator light 64 tells the user that a new battery will be needed shortly so that a lock heating assembly 10 is not placed with the false reliance that the lock heating assembly 10 will work properly.
While a particular embodiment of the present lock heating assembly has been described herein, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and as set forth in the following claims.
Patent Application
20080078213
