DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] Referring to FIG. 1 , an exploded view showing an embodiment of the paddle lock 10 of the invention is shown. The paddle lock 10 has a housing 12 , a handle 14 , a lock cylinder 16 , a cam 18 , an actuator 24 , and a pivot pin 26 . Housing 12 has a front face 38 and has a well 40 formed therein. Well 40 has a bottom 42 , side walls 44 , and a rim 46 that surrounds the well. Opposite the front face is a back 48 of the housing. Pin apertures 50 are formed in side walls 44 . Well apertures 52 can be formed in bottom 42 of well to receive housing bolts 54 A and 54 B. Other means to attach the housing to the structure with which the paddle lock is attached. A lock aperture 56 is formed in housing, for example on rim 46 . A hollow barrel portion 58 can be provided to extend behind face 38 of housing portion for receipt of lock cylinder 16 . Housing bolt nuts 60 can be used to retain paddle lock affixed to a structure (not shown). An optional lock extension 62 can be provided for attachment to cylinder lock and both are placed through lock aperture 56 and into hollow barrel portion 58 . Lock cylinder has a lock cylinder face 64 which is accessible from front face 38 of housing. A cam screw 22 passes through a cam aperture 102 and is used to connect cam 18 to lock cylinder 16 . Cam aperture 102 is preferably out of round and is fitted to the end of lock extension so as to positively turn as cylinder lock is turned. Cam screw 22 can be used to also prevent lock cylinder 16 from being withdrawn from hollow barrel portion 58 . A cam spring 20 rides on cam 18 and exerts a twisting force on cam 18 and its attached lock cylinder 16 which tends to bias them to their locked position as shown in FIG. 2 - 6 .

[0032] Handle 14 is pivotally positioned in well 40 along an axis of rotation. Handle 14 has sides 32 with handle apertures 30 formed therethrough, a front 34 , and a back side 36 . When assembled, pivot pin 26 passes through an aperture 68 in actuator 24 , through an actuator spacer 66 and first pin apertures 50 in side wall 44 of well, through handle apertures 30 and through second pin apertures 50 in side wall 44 of well. A handle spring 28 can be conveniently fitted to a handle spring engagement portion 72 of pivot pin, and when in place, will exert a twisting force on pivot pin 26 which acts to bias handle such that tends to be rotated out of well 40 . While a spiral spring 28 is shown, other kinds of springs, an elastomer and the like, and their placement can be modified. Spring 28 is used to bias handle 14 to a flipped open position such that the open end of handle is moved outwardly from the well of the housing. Handle apertures 30 can be out of round and be unrotatably engagable with keyed areas of pivot pin 70 and 72 . Alternately, pivot pin 26 can be press fit, welded, glued, etc., to handle to prevent pivot pin 26 from rotating relative to handle apertures 30 . A lever 74 is moveably attached to the back of the housing on a pivot 76 and has an actuator contact 78 at one end and a locking end 80 at the other end. Turning to FIG. 4 , lever spring 84 is provided to bias lever 74 to its locked position. A lever retainer, such as a push on nut 88 , lock bolt, etc., rotatably maintains lever on housing. A key 90 is used with lock cylinder 16 .

[0033] Actuator 24 has a lock position contact surface 92 , an open position contact surface 94 , and a lever actuating portion 96 . Cam 18 has a curved perimeter portion 98 (or locking portion) and a stop surface 100 (unlocking portion). The cam is spring loaded (for example with a torsion spring) so as to bias the lock and the affixed cam to the locked position.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a front perspective of the assembled paddle lock 10 of FIG. 1 in its locked position, with handle 14 retained within well 40 . Lock cylinder face 64 is in its locked position. Actuator 24 is in its locked position such that lock position contact surface 92 of actuator 24 rides on curved perimeter portion 98 of cam 18 . This prevents handle 14 from being flipped open from its locked position. Cam spring 20 biases cam 18 and cylinder lock 16 so that cylinder lock 16 is rotated to this position absent a counteracting turning force applied by key 90 to cylinder lock 16 . In this position, actuator's lever actuating portion 96 is separated by a space D from actuator contact 78 of lever, and lever 74 is in its locked position. Housing bolts 54 A and 54 B are shown extending behind housing 48 , and cam screw 22 is shown retaining lock cylinder 16 within barrel portion 58 .

[0035] FIG. 3 is a front plan view showing paddle handle 10 in its locked position, with handle 14 flipped down into well 40 and cylinder lock 16 in its locked position.

[0036] FIGS. 4 and 5 show a rear view and right side view of paddle handle 10 of FIG. 2 in its locked position. Pivot pin 26 is shown passing though side walls 44 of well and retains actuator 24 in place. Handle spring 28 is located on handle spring engagement portion 72 of pivot pin. Lever 74 is pivotally attached to housing by having its pivot 76 (which can be an aperture) being placed over housing bolt 54 B and is rotatably held in place by lever retainer 88 . Actuator 24 is in its locked position such that lock position contact surface 92 of actuator 24 rides on curved perimeter portion 98 of cam 18 . This prevents handle 14 from being flipped open from its locked position. Cam spring 20 biases cam 18 and cylinder lock 16 so that cylinder lock 16 is rotated to this position absent a counteracting turning force applied by key 90 to cylinder lock 16 . Cam screw 22 is shown retaining lock cylinder 16 within barrel portion 58 .

[0037] FIG. 6 is a left side view showing the paddle handle of FIG. 2 in its locked position. Handle spring 28 is shown engaged with handle spring engagement portion 72 . Handle spring 28 is designed to provide a bias on pivot pin 26 (and thus handle 14 , neither shown) which tends to turn handle 14 to a flipped opened position when its open end is moved out of well 40 .

[0038] FIGS. 7 - 11 show paddle handle 10 of FIG. 2 in its unlocked position with its handle 14 partially flipped open out of well 40 . In this orientation, as key turns lock cylinder 16 , this rotates cam 18 such that curved perimeter portion 98 is moved out of contact with lock position contact surface 92 (not shown) and stop surface 100 of cam moves out of line from actuator. The tension provided by handle spring 28 rotates handle 14 such that actuator 24 is turned so that open position contact surface 94 will provide a surface against which stop surface of cam 18 will contact, and prevent cam 18 and lock cylinder from rotating back to its lock position shown in FIG. 7 . In this position, lever actuating portion 96 of actuator 24 will rest on actuator contact 78 of lever 74 . The spring force of handle spring and lever spring 84 are selected so that the twisting force exerted on actuator 24 at lever actuating portion 96 is less than the opposing force exerted on actuator contact 78 of lever 74 . Thus, in this orientation, handle 14 is partially flipped out of well 40 , but lever 74 is not yet moved out of its closed position. However, in this state, the fact that handle 14 is flipped out of well 40 can be seen from a distance, indicating to a user that the paddle lock is unlocked.

[0039] FIG. 12 - 16 show a back, a front perspective, a right and left side view, respectively, of paddle lock 10 with lever 74 being moved to its opened position flipped out of well 40 position. In this orientation, cam 18 remains in the position such that curved perimeter portion 98 is out of contact with lock position contact surface 92 of actuator 24 and where stop surface 100 of cam is out of line from actuator. By the user lifting up on handle 14 further to overcome the tension exerted on lever 74 by lever spring 84 , actuator's lever actuating portion 96 pushed down onto lever's actuator contact 78 , which moves lever 74 to its open position shown where it rotates so that its locking end 80 moves to the right and up. However, as soon as the user releases handle 14 , the tension provided by lever spring 84 will return it and actuator 24 and handle 14 to their positions shown in FIGS. 7 - 11 .

[0040] FIG. 17 is a rear view showing paddle handle 10 with a latch 110 (shown in phantom) affixed to a back thereof. Paddle handle 10 and latch 110 will interact with each other.

[0041] FIG. 18 is a front perspective view of paddle handle with latch 110 fitted on an exemplary tool box 112 .

[0042] Paddle handle 10 operates in the following manner. In the locked position, handle 14 is flipped down into well 40 of housing 12 . Cam spring 20 biases cam 18 and cylinder lock 16 to the locked position, and in the locked position actuator's lock position contact surface 92 rides on curved perimeter portion 98 of cam 18 , and handle 14 is prevented from being flipped open. As the lock is opened, cam 18 is rotated until curved perimeter portion 98 of cam 18 is moved out of contact with actuator's lock position contact surface 92 . Since handle 14 is no longer prevented from flipping open, handle spring 28 exerts a turning force on handle 14 and moves handle 14 to a flipped open position. At this point, actuator's open position contact surface 94 will make contact with cam's stop surface 100 , and thereby maintains cylinder lock 16 and cam 18 in the unlocked position and with handle 14 in a flipped open position out of well 40 of housing. This orientation of handle 14 relative to housing is readily visually discernable from a distance and provides a user with immediate and irrefutable feedback that paddle lock is unlocked.

[0043] To activate lever 74 (and thereby open paddle lock) and to allow the structure to which paddle lock 10 is attached to and thereby be opened, the user will next flip up handle 14 further. This causes actuator 24 to turn further, such that its lever actuating portion 96 impinges on actuator contact 78 of lever 74 and causes it to move. This movement of lever 78 can be used to activate a latch or other device for opening a door, a panel, a lid, and the like. Since lever 74 itself is spring loaded to bias it in a closed position, and exerts a force that resists further flipping open of handle 14 unless handle 14 is lifted up by the user, latch 110 will remain in the locked position until the user lifts handle 14 up further to activate lever 74 . However, even in this position, handle 14 is flipped out of well 40 of housing 12 . When the user closes the door, panel, etc., lever 74 is capable of moving as necessary (e.g. rotating so that its lock end 80 moves upwardly towards housing bolt 54 A to provide for latching). This movement of lever 74 does not cause the position of handle 14 to move from its flipped up position. To lock paddle lock 10 , all that the user needs to do is to push handle 14 back into well 40 . This causes actuator 24 to be turned such that its open position contact surface 94 moves out of the path of cam stop surface 100 and permits spring loaded cam 18 to turn so that lock 16 returns to the locked position where the actuator's lock position contact surface 92 will again ride on curved perimeter surface 98 of cam 18 . Thus, the paddle lock of the invention provides not only a way to provide visual feedback as to the locked/unlocked state of the lock, but also permits easy locking without needing to use a key. In other words, if handle 14 is flipped up, paddle lock will always be unlocked, and when paddle lock is flipped down completely into well 40 , paddle lock is always locked. The design of the paddle lock can provide for a noticeable snapping sound when cam 18 quickly rotates, further giving a user feedback that the paddle lock 10 is truly locked. Indeed, the spring loading handle 14 further provides a force that tends to return and maintain handle in its opened position until handle is pushed down.

[0044] The housing is mounted within an aperture in the mounting structure such that the well portion of the housing extends through the aperture.

[0045] Although the invention has been described with the handle having a certain shape, any number of shapes of handles and housing, pivot pin or pins, levers, actuators can be provided. Moreover, in lieu of keyed cylinder lock 16 , a combination or other type of lock can be used. The drawings in the foregoing description are not intended to represent the only form of the invention in regard to the details of its construction and manner of operation. In fact, it will be evident to one skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Although specific terms have been employed, they are intended in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.