1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to locking technology and more particularly, to a locking device for locking a mobile electronic product.
2. Description of the Related Art
With life being faster, many people are becoming more driven and task oriented. To satisfy the demand for real-time information, mobile electronic devices have become the necessities of people. From notebook to tablet computer and smart phone, these mobile electronic devices play an important role in outer daily life. However, due to high demand, high cost and high mobility, these mobile electronic devices are at a high risk of theft.
In the open spaces of 3C stores, different brands of electronic products are exhibited in tables for demonstration and tests. Locking devices are usually used to protect these exhibiting electronic products against theft. A locking device for this purpose is known comprising a metal cord affixed with its one end to a fixed object, and a lock unit located at an opposite end of the metal cord and lockable to an opening or lock hole at a mobile electronic product, for example, notebook computer. Subject to the constraint of the cord member, the notebook computer can simply be moved within a limited range, lowering the risk of theft.
The aforesaid conventional method can reduce the risk of theft of the exhibiting mobile electronic products. However, the locking devices of the aforesaid design consisting of a metal cord and a lock unit are simply applicable to mobile electronic products that have a specifically designed opening or lock hole. They cannot be used to lock a thin thickness mobile electronic product without the said opening or lock hole. For protecting a thin thickness mobile electronic product, a clamping frame may be used to hold the thin thickness mobile electronic product in place and locked by a lock. It is inconvenient and complicated to protect a thin thickness mobile electronic product against theft in this manner.
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a locking device, which is mountable at two opposite sides of a mobile electronic device and insertable into an audio jack or USB jack to lock the mobile electronic device in place.
To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a locking device comprises a clamp, a cord member, a lock module, and a tightening up screw. The clamp is adapted for clamping on one side of a mobile electronic device, comprising a cord mounting hole horizontally disposed near a bottom side thereof. The cord member has one end thereof fastened to the cord mounting hole of the clamp and an opposite end thereof detachably connectable to the lock module. The lock module is attached to and movable along the opposite end of the cord member, comprising a plug member insertable into an opposite side of the mobile electronic device, a cord insertion hole for the passing of the cord member, and a stepped through hole disposed in communication with the cord insertion hole. The tightening up screw is mounted in the stepped through hole of the lock module and rotatable relative to the stepped through hole toward and away from the cord member in the cord insertion hole between a locking position to hold down the cord member in the cord insertion hole tightly and an unlocking position for allowing the cord member to be moved relative to the lock module.
Other advantages and features of the present invention will be fully understood by reference to the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference signs denote like components of structure.
Referring to
The cord member 3 has its one end inserted into the clamp 1, and its other end inserted through the lock module 2.
The clamp 1 comprises a first clamp member 11, a second clamp member 12 and a fastening member, for example, lock screw 13. The first clamp member 11 and the second clamp member 12 both have a substantially L-shaped profile. The first clamp member 11 comprises a cord mounting hole 111 horizontally disposed in a lower part thereof for the mounting of one end of the cord member 3, a vertical insertion slot 112 vertically disposed in an rimmed upper part thereof, and a horizontal through hole, for example, horizontal screw hole 113 extending through a front wall of the rimmed upper part in communication with the vertical insertion slot 112 for the mounting of the lock screw 13. The second clamp member 12 comprises a downwardly extending plug plate 121 for insertion into the vertical insertion slot 112 of the first clamp member 11, and a plurality of recessed holes 122 vertically arranged on a front wall of the downwardly extending plug plate 121 in a line for receiving the front tip of the lock screw 13 selectively to let the second clamp member 12 be locked to the first clamp member 11 in one of a series of vertically spaced positions with a clamping space 14 defined between the first clamp member 11 and the second clamp member 12. Therefore, a height of the clamping space 14 is changed when the lock screw 13 is received in different recessed holes 122.
The lock module 2 comprises a housing 21 formed of two symmetrical halves, a rotating disc assembly 22, a lock pin 23, a spring member 24, a locating block 25, a tightening up screw 26, and a rotary knob 27.
The housing 21 comprises a plurality of wheel seats 211 arranged in parallel and spaced along a longitudinal axis thereof, an accommodation open chamber 212 located at a bottom wall of a front side thereof in front of the wheel seats 211, a shank hole 214 vertically upwardly extended from the accommodation open chamber 212 to a top wall thereof, and a circular sliding slot 213 transversely (horizontally) disposed at the front side in communication between the accommodation open chamber 212 and the shank hole 214. The rotating disc assembly 22 comprises a plurality of rotating discs 221 respectively marked with the ten digits 0 to 9 around the periphery and respectively accommodated in the wheel seats 211 in the housing 21 and rotatable in the respective wheel seats 211 by the user, a set of spring leaves 222 respectively set in the wheel seats 211 and respectively kept in contact with the rotating discs 221 at a bottom side for imparting frictional resistance to the respective rotating discs 221, a lock pin slot 223 axially extending through the center of each of the rotating discs 221, and a plurality of notches 224 respectively located on the respective inner perimeter of the rotating discs 221 in communication with the lock pin slot 223. The rotating discs 221 can be rotated to correspond to the numerals in the correct combination, keeping the notches 224 in alignment. Rotating the rotating discs 221 to adjust the respective positions of the notches 224 is of the known art, and therefore, no further detailed description in this regard is necessary. The lock pin 23 is inserted into the rotating disc assembly 22, comprising a plurality of protruding teeth 231 protruded from the periphery thereof for mating with the notches 224 of the rotating disc assembly 22, and a latch tongue 232 located at one end thereof outside the rotating disc assembly 22. The spring member 24 is a coil spring sleeved onto the lock pin 23 and stopped between the rotating disc assembly 22 and the latch tongue 232 of the lock pin 23.
The locating block 25 is mounted in the front side of the housing 21, comprising a rimmed upper part 251 rotatably coupled to the circular sliding slot 213 of the housing 21 and suspending in the accommodation open chamber 212, a lower part 252 connected to a bottom side of the rimmed upper part 251 and suspending outside the housing 21, a stepped through hole 253 vertically extending through the rimmed upper part 251 and the lower part 252, a cord insertion hole 255 horizontally extending through the lower part 252 across the stepped through hole 253 for the passing of the other end of the cord member 3, and a plug member 254 horizontally extended from the topmost edge of the rimmed upper part 251 through the circular sliding slot 213 to the outside of the housing 21. Further, the stepped through hole 253 defines a small diameter lower end and a big diameter upper end, and the small diameter lower end of the stepped through hole 253 is internally threaded. Further, the plug member 254 in this embodiment is configured subject to the specification of a 3.5 mm audio pin. The tightening up screw 26 is mounted in the stepped through hole 253 and threaded into the internally threaded small diameter lower end of the stepped through hole 253 to lock the other end of the cord member 3 to the lock module 2. The rotary knob 27 comprises a shank 271 inserted into the shank hole 214 of the housing 21, a socket 274 located at one end of the shank 271 and disposed inside the shank hole 214 for rotating the tightening up screw 26, a head 272 located at an opposite end of the shank 271 and disposed outside the housing 21 for operation by the user to rotate the shank 271 and the socket 274, and a neck 273 connected between the shank 271 and the socket 274 and stoppable by the latch tongue 232 of the lock pin 23.
Referring to
Referring to
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20140090428 A1 | Apr 2014 | US |