초록 ▼

A lock mechanism includes a casing having a cavity therein, a shaft with an annular recess insertable into the cavity, a lock tumbler with a rotatable output member, and a spring-biased rigid locking clip pivotally mounted to the casing in the cavity so as to normally engage the recess in the shaft

A lock mechanism includes a casing having a cavity therein, a shaft with an annular recess insertable into the cavity, a lock tumbler with a rotatable output member, and a spring-biased rigid locking clip pivotally mounted to the casing in the cavity so as to normally engage the recess in the shaft to secure the shaft to the casing unless pivoted out of the recess by the output member of the lock tumbler. Such a lock mechanism can used be to solve many different security problems, including securing a ball to the ball socket of a trailer hitch as a deterrent to theft of the trailer.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A locking mechanism comprising:a lock casing having an elongated cavity formed therein with opposing open and closed ends and a hole extending longitudinally into the cavity through the closed end; an elongated shaft having an outer surface thereon with an annular recess formed therein, the shaft

1. A locking mechanism comprising:a lock casing having an elongated cavity formed therein with opposing open and closed ends and a hole extending longitudinally into the cavity through the closed end; an elongated shaft having an outer surface thereon with an annular recess formed therein, the shaft being insertable into the cavity through the hole in the casing so that the annular recess extends into the cavity; a rigid locking clip disposed in the cavity and pivotally pinned to the casing along a pivot axis that extends parallel to and offset from the shaft when the shaft is inserted into the cavity, the clip being adapted to engage the annular recess of the shaft; a lock tumbler attached to the casing in covering relation to the open end of the cavity and including a rotatable output portion thereon extending inside the cavity, the rotatable output portion being adjacent to the locking clip so as to be capable of engaging the locking clip at a point radially offset from the locking clip pivot axis when the rotatable output portion is rotated; and a spring for biasing the locking clip into the annular recess in the shaft unless the rotatable output portion of the tumbler engages and pivots the locking clip out of engagement with the annular recess; whereby the shaft is secured to the casing when the locking clip engages the annular recess and is released from securement to the casing when the rotatable portion of the tumbler overcomes the biasing spring to pivot the locking clip out of the annular recess.