Patent Application
20070240468
Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The Detailed Description of the Invention merely describes preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the specification or claims in any way. Indeed, the invention as described is broader than and unlimited by the preferred embodiments, and the terms in the claims have their full ordinary meaning.
This invention and disclosure are directed to methods and devices for identifying access to or usage of a lock, such as, for example, a receiver lock secured to a receiver on a vehicle. Such usage includes, for example, removal of a receiver lock from a receiver on a towing vehicle or attempts to manipulate a lock interface in an effort to remove the lock. When the lock is inspected regularly, an indication of usage can be evidence of the individuals or circumstances involved in the alleged usage. For example, if a single person was responsible for or had possession of the lock between two inspection points, an indication of lock usage at the second inspection point is evidence that usage of the lock occurred while the lock was under the control of the responsible person.
The present application describes inventive features for providing visual indication of usage of a lock, such as, for example, usage of a receiver lock to unhitch a trailer from a vehicle. According to an inventive aspect of the present application, a usage indicator may be assembled with a lock body to cover a lock interface (for example, a keyway or combination dial) such that the lock cannot be unlocked without moving or removing the usage indicator. The usage indicator may be assembled with the lock body using a severable seal member, such that removal of the usage indicator from the lock body requires severing the seal member. Examples of severable seal members include continuous bands, zip ties, adhesive seals, shrink-wrapped coverings, or other such components, which may require permanently cutting, tearing, breaking or otherwise severing the seal member, such that the seal member may not be reused to affix the usage indicator to the lock body without some visual indication of prior removal. As used herein, the term permanently severable describes a seal member that may not be readily reformed or reassembled for connecting with the lock body, without some visual indication that the seal member had been severed and reformed.
A usage indicator may be provided in many different shapes, configurations, and combinations, for assembly with many different types of locks. In one embodiment, a usage indicator may be configured for assembly with a lock body having a side wall extending to first and second end faces, with a lock interface disposed on at least one of the first end face, the second end face, and the side wall, and a lock body engaging member extending from the second end face of the lock body. As one example, a usage indicator is configured for assembly with a receiver lock 10 (see
The bracket shaped member 52 of the illustrated embodiment is sized to fit onto the lock body 16 to cover the lock interface 18. The bracket shaped member 52 includes a spanner portion 56, and first and second flanged portions 60, 58 extending laterally from first and second end portions 64, 62 of the spanner portion 56. The first flange portion 60 covers, contacts, or otherwise engages a first end face 17 of the lock body 16, while the second flange portion 58 covers, contacts, or otherwise engages at least one of a second end face 19 and a locking member (such as, for example, a shackle or retainer pin 12) extending from the second end face 19. As shown, the second flange portion 58 may be shaped to accommodate the receiver pin 12, for example, with a U-shape. When the bracket-shaped member 52 of the usage indicator is fitted on the lock body 16, the U-shaped second flange portion 58 fits around the pin 12 where the pin 12 enters the lock body 16, and the first flange portion 60 covers the keyway 18 such that a key cannot be inserted into the keyway 18 when the bracket-shaped member 52 is assembled onto the lock body 16.
The spanner portion 56 is configured to accommodate at least one seal member 54 (such as, for example, a one way cable tie or zip tie), which may be wrapped around a portion of the spanner portion 56 and the lock body 16 to secure the bracket shaped member 52 to the lock body 16 in an orientation covering the lock interface or keyway 18. The spanner portion 56 may be provided with a variety of shapes or configurations for accommodating the seal member 54, including, for example, one or more notches, cutouts, hooks, loops or openings for receiving the seal member therethrough, such that the seal member 54 may not be slid or slipped off of the lock body 16 and bracket shaped member 52. In the illustrated embodiment, the spanner portion 56 includes first and second openings or slots 66, 68 sized to accommodate one or more of a variety of suitable seal members. The seal member 54 may be configured such that it may be tightened around the lock body 16 and spanner portion 56 while being prevented from loosening, thereby requiring that the seal member 54 be cut, torn, or otherwise severed to remove the usage indicator 50 from the lock body 16 for access to the keyway. While many different types of seal members may be utilized, in the exemplary embodiment, the seal member 54 comprises a cable tie or zip tie fastened into a loop or ring shape around the lock body 16 and spanner portion 56. As best seen in
By requiring that the seal member 54 be permanently severed to access the keyway, a visual indication of access to the keyway (or “usage” of the lock) may be provided, as the severed seal member may not be adequately repaired or reformed for reassembly with the bracket shaped member 52 and lock body 16 without some visual indication that the seal member 54 has been compromised. To distinguish the severed seal member 54 from a replacement seal member installed by an individual with access to the lock, the original or authorized seal member may be provided with a distinguishing or source identifying feature, such as, for example, an identifiable marking (such as a code, symbol, or logo) or a non-standard color or material. The seal member 54 may be constructed of many different suitable materials, including, for example, nylon.
The usage indicator 50 may also include a tether arrangement, such that the bracket shaped member 52 remains connected with the lock 10 after the seal member 54 has been severed, for example, to prevent loss of the bracket member 52. In the illustrated embodiment, the usage indicator 50 includes a lanyard 70 coupled to an aperture 72 in the main body 56 of the bracket 52. The lanyard 70 may be fabricated from a durable material that is less susceptible to accidental or intentional damage, such as, for example, a metal wire. The lanyard 70 may be manipulated to form a loop 74 and a connecting wire 76 to secure the loop 74 to the bracket 52. As seen in
The bracket shaped member 52 may be constructed using many different materials or manufacturing techniques, including, for example, fabrication from a flat metal sheet by bending the metal sheet to form first and second flange portions 58 and 60. The slots 66 and 68 and tether aperture 72 may be stamped or cut into the metal sheet. As another example, the bracket shaped member may be formed from injection or compression molded plastic.
Although the indicator strap has been illustrated and described as a one-way cable tie, indicator straps or general methods of indicating activity regarding the receiver lock are not limited in any way to one-way cable ties. Any apparatus or method that allows an inspector to discern whether an indicator mechanism has been altered in any way is included in this invention. For example, tape or adhesive strips that can only be adhered once can be utilized in accordance with the present invention. In another example, plastic sheeting can be shrink wrapped over a bracket to form an indicator mechanism.
While various inventive aspects, concepts and features of the inventions may be described and illustrated herein as embodied in combination in the exemplary embodiments, these various aspects, concepts and features may be used in many alternative embodiments, either individually or in various combinations and sub-combinations thereof. Unless expressly excluded herein all such combinations and sub-combinations are intended to be within the scope of the present inventions. Still further, while various alternative embodiments as to the various aspects, concepts and features of the inventions--such as alternative materials, structures, configurations, methods, circuits, devices and components, software, hardware, control logic, alternatives as to form, fit and function, and so on--may be described herein, such descriptions are not intended to be a complete or exhaustive list of available alternative embodiments, whether presently known or later developed. Those skilled in the art may readily adopt one or more of the inventive aspects, concepts or features into additional embodiments and uses within the scope of the present inventions even if such embodiments are not expressly disclosed herein. Additionally, even though some features, concepts or aspects of the inventions may be described herein as being a preferred arrangement or method, such description is not intended to suggest that such feature is required or necessary unless expressly so stated. Still further, exemplary or representative values and ranges may be included to assist in understanding the present disclosure; however, such values and ranges are not to be construed in a limiting sense and are intended to be critical values or ranges only if so expressly stated. Moreover, while various aspects, features and concepts may be expressly identified herein as being inventive or forming part of an invention, such identification is not intended to be exclusive, but rather there may be inventive aspects, concepts and features that are fully described herein without being expressly identified as such or as part of a specific invention. Descriptions of exemplary methods or processes are not limited to inclusion of all steps as being required in all cases, nor is the order that the steps are presented to be construed as required or necessary unless expressly so stated.
This application claims the benefit of the U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/792,530, entitled “Receiver Lock Activity Indicator” and filed Apr. 17, 2006, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, to the extent that it is not conflicting with the present application.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60792530 | Apr 2006 | US |
