U.S. patent application number 12/137557 was filed with the patent office on 2009-12-17 for locking system.
This patent application is currently assigned to DATAVAN INTERNATIONAL CORP.. Invention is credited to Ping-Ho Cheng, Miao-Tzu Chou, Chia-Yen Hsu.
Application Number | 20090308114 12/137557 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41413513 |
Filed Date | 2009-12-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090308114 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cheng; Ping-Ho ; et
al. |
December 17, 2009 |
LOCKING SYSTEM
Abstract
A linking system includes a machine body having an inside
support frame and a hinged front cover panel with a locating bar, a
retaining bar shaped like an open end spanner and pivotally mounted
inside the machine body and having a push block at the bottom side,
a spring member mounted inside the machine body for biasing the
retaining bar from an unlocking position to a locking position for
securing the locating bar to lock the front cover panel in the
close position, and a lock cylinder mounted on one side of the
machine body and having a swivel bar rotatable with a predetermined
key to move the push block, releasing the locating bar from the
retaining bar and allowing the front cover panel to be
automatically opened.
Inventors: |
Cheng; Ping-Ho; (Jhonghe
City, TW) ; Hsu; Chia-Yen; (Hsin Chuang City, TW)
; Chou; Miao-Tzu; (San-Hsia Town, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DATAVAN INTERNATIONAL CORP.
P.O. BOX 108-00403
TAIPEI
TW
|
Assignee: |
DATAVAN INTERNATIONAL CORP.
Jhonghe City
TW
|
Family ID: |
41413513 |
Appl. No.: |
12/137557 |
Filed: |
June 12, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
70/158 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E05C 3/30 20130101; E05B
65/006 20130101; B41J 29/02 20130101; E05B 17/04 20130101; Y10T
70/554 20150401; B41J 15/042 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
70/158 |
International
Class: |
B65D 55/14 20060101
B65D055/14 |
Claims
1. A locking system, comprising: a machine body, said machine body
comprising a bottom panel, a support frame fixedly provided at a
top side of said bottom panel, a cover shell supported on said
support frame and covering said bottom panel, and a front cover
panel hinged to said bottom panel and biasable between a close
position and an open position, said front cover panel having a
locating bar fixedly provided at a back side thereof; a linking
mechanism, said linking mechanism comprising a retaining bar
pivotally mounted on said support frame and biasable between a
locking position and an unlocking position, said retaining bar
having a retaining notch for securing said locating bar to lock
said front cover panel in said close position, a push block
extending from said retaining bar, and a spring member connected
between said retaining bar and said support frame and adapted for
biasing said retaining bar toward said locking position to force
said retaining notch into engagement with said locating bar; and a
lock cylinder mounted on one side of said cover shell, said lock
cylinder comprising a swivel bar stopped at one side of said push
block and rotatable with a predetermined key to bias said retaining
bar from said locking position to said unlocking position.
2. The linking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said machine
body comprises a paper roll pivotally supported on said bottom
panel, and a printer mounted inside said cover shell and adapted
for printing said paper roll.
3. The locking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retaining
bar has the shape of an open end spanner.
4. The locking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring
member has a V-shaped profile.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates a lock arrangement and more
particularly, to a locking system for use in a numbering or menu
machine for locking/unlocking a hinged front cover panel through a
lock-controlled linking mechanism.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Following fast development of computer electronic
technology, advanced desktop and notebook computers and many other
electronic products have been created to help enterprise
digitalization. Nowadays, many restaurants use a menu machine
instead of handwriting, avoiding human error and facilitating
calculation of charges and accounting. Further, different numbering
machines are intensively used in banks, post offices and many
places so that people requiring a service need not to wait in a
queue. A menu machine or numbering machine has a paper roll loaded
therein. When the paper roll is used up, a new supply is necessary.
At this time, the worker must open the front cover panel of the
machine, for the loading of a new paper roll. According to
conventional designs, the worker needs to insert the finger into
the front gap and pull the front cover panel outwards from the
close position to the open position when unlocked the lock. This
arrangement has drawbacks as follows:
[0005] 1. The gap between the housing of the machine and the front
cover panel is quite narrow, the finger may be injured accidentally
when opening the front cover panel.
[0006] 2. When a repair or maintenance work is necessary, the front
cover panel must be opened or detached from the housing. When
installing the front cover panel after a repair work, the alignment
of the front cover panel must be accurately checked.
[0007] 3. When the lock is unlocked, the worker must press a switch
so that the front cover panel can be opened. This opening procedure
is complicated.
[0008] Therefore, it is desirable to provide a locking system for
menu or numbering machine that eliminates the aforesaid
drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention has been accomplished under the
circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to
provide a locking system for numbering machine or menu machine,
which uses a lock cylinder-controlled linking mechanism to lock a
front cover panel in the close position, allowing the front cover
panel to be automatically opened when the swivel bar of the lock
cylinder is reversed.
[0010] To achieve this and other objects of the present invention,
the locking system comprises a machine body, a linking mechanism
and a lock cylinder. The machine body comprises a bottom panel, a
support frame fixedly provided at the top side of the bottom panel,
a cover shell supported on the support frame and covering the
bottom panel, and a front cover panel hinged to the bottom panel
and biasable between a close position and an open position. The
front cover panel has a locating bar fixedly provided at the back
side. The linking mechanism comprises a retaining bar pivotally
mounted on the support frame and biasable between a locking
position and an unlocking position and having a retaining notch for
securing the locating bar to lock the front cover panel in the
close position, a push block downwardly extending from the
retaining bar, and a spring member connected between the retaining
bar and the support frame and adapted for biasing the retaining bar
toward the locking position to force the retaining notch into
engagement with the locating bar. The lock cylinder is mounted on
one side of the cover shell, comprising a swivel bar stopped at one
side of the push block and rotatable with a predetermined key to
bias the retaining bar from the locking position to the unlocking
position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the preferred embodiment of
the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 corresponds to FIG. 1, showing the front cover panel
opened.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the
present invention, showing the front cover panel opened.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of the preferred embodiment
of the present invention, showing the front cover panel closed.
[0015] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a part of the preferred
embodiment of the present invention, showing the front cover panel
closed.
[0016] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a part of the preferred
embodiment of the present invention, showing the front cover panel
opened.
[0017] FIG. 7 is a sectional side view of the preferred embodiment
of the present invention, showing the front cover panel opened.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1.about.4, a locking system in accordance
with the present invention is shown comprised of a machine body 1,
a linking mechanism 2 and a lock cylinder 3.
[0019] The machine body 1 comprises a bottom panel 11, a support
frame 12 mounted on the bottom panel 11 at one lateral side, a
cover shell 14 covered on the bottom panel 11 and supported on the
support frame 12, a front cover panel 13 hinged to the front side
of the bottom panel 11 and biasable between a close position and an
open position (spring means is provided to impart a biasing force
to the front cover panel 13, forcing the front cover panel 13 from
the close position to the open position), and a locating bar 131
transversely provided at the inner (back) side of the front cover
panel 13, a printer 112 affixed to the inside of the cover shell 14
at the top and disposed near the front cover panel 13, and a paper
roll 111 pivotally mounted on the bottom panel 11 below the printer
112. The leading end of the paper of the paper roll 111 is inserted
through (the input slot and the output slot of) the printer 112 for
printing.
[0020] The linking mechanism 2 is comprised of a retaining bar 21,
a pin 22, a spring member 24 and a push block 25. The retaining bar
21 is shaped like an open end spanner, having a 270 degrees
C-shaped retaining notch 23. The pin 22 is fixedly provided at one
side of the retaining bar 21. The push block 25 extends from the
bottom side of the retaining bar 21.
[0021] The lock cylinder 3 comprises a keyhole 31, a core 32 and a
swivel bar 33. By means of inserting a key (not shown) into the
keyhole 31 to rotate the core 32, the swivel bar 33 is biased
between two positions.
[0022] Referring to FIGS. 1.about.4 again, during installation, the
pin 22 is pivotally connected to the support frame 12, the spring
member 24 is connected between the 270 degrees C-shaped retaining
notch 23 of the retaining bar 21 and the support frame 12 to impart
a biasing force to the retaining bar 21, and the lock cylinder 3 is
mounted in one side of the cover shell 14. According to this
embodiment, the spring member 24 has a V-shaped profile. When the
front cover panel 13 is in the close position, the locating bar 131
is kept secured to the 270 degrees C-shaped retaining notch 23 of
the retaining bar 21, and the swivel bar 33 is stopped against the
push block 25.
[0023] Referring to FIGS. 5.about.7 and FIG. 4 again, when wishing
to open the front cover panel 13, insert a key into the keyhole 31
of the lock cylinder 3, and then rotate the key to bias the swivel
bar 33 in the counter-clockwise to bias the swivel bar 33, causing
the swivel bar 33 to bias the push block 25. At this time, the
retaining bar 21 is biased with the push block 25 relative to the
support frame 12 to such a position that the locating bar 131 is
released from the constraint of the 270 degrees C-shaped retaining
notch 23 of the retaining bar 21, and therefore the front cover
panel 13 is automatically forced outwards by the respective spring
means from the close position to the open position (the arrangement
of this spring means is of the known design, no further detailed
description, illustration is necessary). When the front cover panel
13 is opened, a user can replace the paper roll 111.
[0024] When wishing to close the front cover panel 13, push the
front cover panel 13 from the open position to the close position
directly with the hand, and then insert the key into the keyhole 31
and rotate the key to reverse the swivel bar 33, allowing the
spring member 24 to return the retaining bar 21, forcing the 270
degrees C-shaped retaining notch 23 of the retaining bar 21 into
engagement with the locating bar 131, and therefore the front cover
panel 13 is locked in the close position.
[0025] As stated above, the locking system of the present invention
comprises a machine body 1, which comprises a bottom panel 11, a
support frame 12 provided at the top side of the bottom panel 11, a
cover shell 14 covering the bottom panel 11, and a front cover
panel 13 hinged to the front side of the bottom panel 11 and
provided with a locating bar 131, a lock cylinder 3 mounted on one
lateral side of the cover shell 14, and a linking mechanism 2
pivotally supported on the support frame 12 and controllable by the
lock cylinder 3 for securing the locating bar 131 to lock the front
cover panel 13 in the close position. According to the present
invention, the machine body 1 can be a numbering machine or menu
machine.
[0026] In general, the invention provides a locking system, which
has the following features and advantages:
[0027] 1. By means of operating the lock cylinder 3 to move the
retaining bar 21 of the linking mechanism 2, the front cover panel
13 is rapidly and automatically opened.
[0028] 2. When the swivel bar 33 of the lock cylinder 3 is returned
to its former position, after closing of the front cover panel 13,
the spring member 24 automatically returns the retaining bar 21,
forcing the 270 degrees C-shaped retaining notch 23 of the
retaining bar 21 into engagement with the locating bar 131, and
therefore the front cover panel 13 is locked in the close
position.
[0029] Although a particular embodiment of the invention has 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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