Patent Application
20210062541
The present invention relates to a tubular lock that is easy to assemble, and a method for assembling the tubular lock.
A conventional tubular lock comprises a hollow housing, a lock core, a pin seat, and multiple pin assemblies. The lock core is mounted in the housing and has a head portion and a mounting portion. Multiple through holes are separately formed through the head portion and are annularly arranged on the head portion. The mounting portion axially protrudes from a rear end face of the head portion and toward a rear portion of the housing. The pin seat is mounted around the mounting portion of the lock core and is securely connected with the housing. Multiple blind holes are separately formed in a front end face of the pin seat and are annular arranged on the pin seat. The blind holes align with the through holes respectively. The pin assemblies are mounted in the through holes and the blind holes that correspond to each other respectively. Each of the pin assemblies includes an upper pin, a resilient element, and a lower pin.
When assembling the conventional tubular lock, an assembler puts the upper pins of the pin assemblies into the through holes respectively and puts the resilient element and the lower pin of each pin assembly into a corresponding one of the blind holes. Then the assembler takes the lock core and the pin seat with his two hands respectively and allows the mounting portion of the lock core to protrude through the pin seat, i.e. allows the pin seat to be mounted around the mounting portion. Afterwards, the assembler put the lock core as along with the pin seat into the housing and securely connects the housing and the pin seat with a fastening pin.
In order to prevent the upper pins from falling from the lock core and prevent the resilient elements and the lower pins from falling from the pin seat, the assembler has to keep the through holes and the blind holes parallel with the ground when assembling the lock core and the pin seat. Once the lock core or the pin seat tilts, even slightly, the upper pins or the lower pins and the resilient elements would fall from the lock core or the pin seat. Hence, assembling the conventional tubular lock relies heavily on stability of the hands of the assembler and the assembler's ability to perform fine motor. Accordingly, assembling the conventional tubular lock requires the expenditure of effort and also requires the expenditure of time to inexperienced assemblers.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a tubular lock and a method for assembling the tubular lock to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
The main objective of the present invention is to provide a lock tubular that has a hollow housing, a lock core, a pin seat, multiple pin assemblies, and a covering assembly.
The lock core is mounted in the housing and has a head portion, a mounting portion, and multiple upper through holes. The mounting portion axially protrudes from a rear end face of the head portion and toward a rear portion of the housing. The upper through holes are separately formed through the head portion and are arranged around the mounting portion. Each of the upper through holes is defined through a front end face of the head portion and the rear end face of the head portion.
The pin seat is mounted around the mounting portion of the lock core, is securely connected with the housing, and has multiple lower through holes. The lower through holes are separately formed through the pin seat, are arranged around the mounting portion, and align with the upper through holes of the lock core respectively. Each of the lower through holes is defined through a front end face of the pin seat and a rear end face of the pin seat.
Each of the pin assemblies includes an upper pin mounted in the upper through holes respectively, a lower pin mounted in the lower through holes respectively and positioned toward the front end face of the pin seat, and a resilient element mounted in the lower through holes respectively and positioned toward the rear end face of the pin seat.
The covering assembly is securely mounted in the rear portion of the housing and covers the rear end face of the pin seat to cover the lower through holes of the pin seat.
With the lower through holes formed through the front end face and the rear end face of the pin seat, an assembler is able to assemble the housing, the lock core, and the pin seat in a preliminary assembling step. Then the assembler puts the upper pins, the lower pins and the resilient elements of the pin assemblies into the upper through holes and the lower through holes from the rear end face of the pin seat in a detail assembling step. Afterwards, the assembler covers the lower through holes with the covering assembly in a packaging step.
During the assembling steps, the upper pins, the lower pins and the resilient elements do not fall from the upper through holes and the lower through holes easily. Accordingly, the tubular lock of the present invention has simplified assembling steps and lowered difficulty of assembling. Even an inexperienced can also assemble the tubular lock quickly, and thus manufacturing cost of the tubular lock is lowered.
Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
With reference to
The housing 10 is hollow and has a front portion, a rear portion, and a stop protrusion 11. The front portion and the rear portion are oppositely defined on the housing 10. The stop protrusion 11 protrudes from the rear portion of the housing 10.
With further reference to
In the first preferred embodiment as shown in
The pin seat 30 is mounted around the mounting portion 22 of the lock core 20 and is securely connected with the housing 10, such that the pin seat 30 is non-rotatable relative to the housing 10. The pin seat 30 has multiple lower through holes 31. The lower through holes 31 are separately formed through the pin seat 30, are arranged around the mounting portion 22, and align with the upper through holes 23 of the lock core 20 respectively. Each of the lower through holes 31 is defined through a front end face of the pin seat 30 and a rear end face 301 of the pin seat 30. The front end face of the pin seat 30 faces toward the rear end face of the head portion 21 of the lock core 20.
In the first preferred embodiment as shown in
Each of the pin assemblies 40 includes an upper pin 41, a lower pin 42, and a resilient element 43. The upper pins 41 of the pin assemblies 40 are mounted in the upper through holes 23 respectively. The lower pins 42 of the pin assemblies 40 are mounted in the lower through holes 31 respectively and are positioned toward the front end face of the pin seat 30. The resilient elements 43 of the pin assemblies 40 are mounted in the lower through holes 31 respectively and are positioned toward the rear end face 301 of the pin seat 30. Specifically, the resilient element 43 is a compression spring.
The covering assembly 50 is securely mounted in the rear portion of the housing 10 and covers the rear end face 301 of the pin seat 30, so as to cover the lower through holes 31 of the pin seat 30 and to prevent the resilient elements 43, the lower pins 42, and the upper pins 41 from dropping out of the pin seat 30.
With reference to
The limiting ring 60 is disposed outside the rear portion of the housing 10, is securely mounted on the mounting portion 22 of the lock core 20, and has two limiting protrusions 61. The limiting protrusions 61 separately protrude radially from an outer peripheral edge of the limiting ring 60. The stop protrusion 11 of the housing 10 is disposed between the two limiting protrusions 61. Thus, when the lock core 20 rotates, a rotating angle of the lock core 20 can be limited with one of the limiting protrusions 61 abutting against the stop protrusion 11 of the housing 10.
Moreover, the covering sheet 51 further has at least one picking-proof hole 511 formed through the covering sheet 51. Each of the picking proof hole 511 aligns with one of the lower through holes 31. When someone tries to push the pin assemblies 40 from the front portion of the housing 10 with illegal unlocking tool, it is difficult to estimate the distances to push the pin assemblies 40. Therefore, as the lower pin 42 of the pin assembly 40 that corresponds in position to the picking-proof hole 511 is pushed to insert into the picking-proof hole 511, an intersection between the upper pin 41 and the lower pin 42 of the pin assembly 40 that corresponds in position to the picking-proof hole 511 is unable to correspond in position to an intersection between the head portion 21 and the pin seat 30. Accordingly, unlocking the tubular lock of the present invention with the illegal unlocking tool can be stopped.
With reference to
With reference to
Specifically, the retaining ring 54B may be a C-clip and can be pressed and resiliently deformed, so as to be put into the housing 10B. As the retaining ring 54B is released, the retaining ring 54B is restored to its original shape and engages in the annular engaging groove 12B of the housing 10B. Therefore, it is easy to install the retaining ring 54B.
Moreover, the covering sheet 51B may further has at least one picking-proof holes 511B formed through the covering sheet 51B. The function of the at least one picking-proof holes 511BA is the same as described above and therefore is omitted.
With reference to
In the preliminary assembling step 801: mounting the pin seat 30, 30A, 30B around the mounting portion 22, 22A, 22B of the lock core 20, 20A, 2B, aligning the lower through holes 31, 31A, 31B of the pin seat 30, 30A, 30B with the upper through holes 23 of the lock core 20, 20A, 20B respectively, putting the lock core 20, 20A, 20B and the pin seat 30, 30A, 30B into the housing 10, 10A, 10B, and then inserting the fastening pin 32 through the housing 10, 10A, 10B and into the pin seat 30, 30A, 30B to securely connect the housing 10, 10A, 10B and into the pin seat 30, 30A, 30B.
In the detail assembling step 802: putting the upper pins 41, the lower pins 42, and the resilient elements 43 into the lower through holes 31, 31A, 31B and the upper through holes 23 from the rear end face 301, 301A, 301B of the pin seat 30, 30A, 30B, wherein the upper pins 41 are mounted in the upper through holes 23 of the lock core 20, 20A, 20B respectively, the lower pins 42 are mounted in the lower through holes 31 respectively and are positioned toward the front end face of the pin seat 30, 30A, 30B, and the resilient elements 43 are mounted in the lower through holes 31 respectively and are positioned toward the rear end face of the pin seat 30, 30A, 30B.
Specifically, an assembler may put the upper pins 41 of all of the pin assemblies 40, then put the lower pins 42 of all of the pin assemblies 40, and then put the resilient element 43 of all of the pin assemblies 40. Alternatively, the assembler may put the upper pin 41, the lower pin 42, and the resilient element 43 of one pin assembly 40 into the lower through hole 31, 31A, 31B and the upper through hole 23 that align with each other, and then put the upper pin 41, the lower pin 42, and the resilient element 43 of another pin assembly 40 into the lower through hole 31, 31A, 31B and the upper through hole 23 that align with each other. That is, the assembler may put the pin assemblies 40 one at a time.
In the packaging step 803: securely mounting the covering assembly 50, 50A, 50B in the rear portion of the housing 10, 10A, 10B to cover on the rear end face 301, 301A, 301B of the pin seat 30, 30A, 30B and to cover the lower through holes 31, 31A, 31B of the pin seat 30, 30A, 30B.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
With the lower through holes 31, 31A, 31B formed through the front end face and the rear end face 301, 301A, 301B of the pin seat 30, 30A, 30B, the assembler is able to assemble the housing 10, 10A, 10B, the lock core 20, 20A, 20B, and the pin seat 30, 30A, 30B in the preliminary assembling step 801. Then the assembler puts the upper pins 41, the lower pins 42 and the resilient elements 43 of the pin assemblies 40 into the upper through holes 23 and the lower through holes 31, 31A, 31B from the rear end face 301, 301A, 301B of the pin seat 30, 30A, 30B in the detail assembling step 802. Afterwards, the assembler covers the lower through holes 31, 31A, 31B with the covering assembly 50, 50A, 50B in the packaging step 803.
During the assembling steps, the upper pins 41, the lower pins 42 and the resilient elements 43 do not fall from the upper through holes 23 and the lower through holes 31, 31A, 31B easily. Accordingly, the tubular lock of the present invention has simplified assembling steps and lowered difficulty of assembling. Even an inexperienced can also assemble the tubular lock quickly, and thus manufacturing cost of the tubular lock is lowered.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
