Locking means for bicycles and the like

Abstract

.[.An anti-theft locking system for bicycles or other portable items utilizes a high strength hollow flexible tether which may be looped around the stationary object and plugged into a locking receiver or socket on the bicycle or, alternately, may be plugged directly into a locking opening provided in a hollow post such as a parking meter post. The tether has retractable spring-urged latches operated by an internal wire controlled by a key-locking mechanism fixed on the cycle or other portable article..]. .Iadd.A locking means for a bicycle or the like consists of a locking unit permanently attached to a frame member of the bicycle. A flexible tether has an end permanently attached to the locking unit and has a plug-in lock element on its free end adapted to enter a receiver on the locking unit after being looped around an anchoring object. .Iaddend.

I claim: 
     
       1. An anti-theft locking means for bicycles or other portable articles comprising a flexible tether attached to the bicycle and adapted to be extended therefrom, a plug-in latch means on the leading end of the tether adapted to be received by an aperture in a wall of an anchoring member to releasably secure the bicycle to such member, and a key activated means on the bicycle connected with said plug-in latch means of the tether and operable to deactivate the plug-in latch means whereby the same can be removed from said aperture, said tether comprising a hollow flexible tether, said plug-in latch means including spring urged latch elements which normally project radially of the tether to interlock with said aperture, and said key activated means including a flexible control element extending through the hollow flexible tether and being movable axially relative thereto and having a connection with said spring urged latch elements to retract such elements when said flexible control element is moved in one direction. 
     
     
       2. An anti-theft locking means according to claim 1, wherein said connection comprises a cup-like camming element for said latch elements on the leading end of said control element. 
     
     
       3. An anti-theft locking means according to claim 2, and a rigid sleeve on the leading end of the hollow flexible tether and having slots in its side wall, leaf springs attached to said sleeve, forwardly tapering latch elements carried by the leaf springs and projecting through said slots of the sleeve, said control element comprising a wire and said wire extending through said sleeve, and said cup-like camming element attached to the leading end of said wire and being rearwardly open and adapted to telescope rearwardly over the leading end of said sleeve to engage said latch elements and collapse them inwardly against the forces exerted by said springs. 
     
     
       4. An anti-theft locking means according to claim 3, and an additional spring means connected with said wire and urging said wire forwardly with said cup-like camming element so that the latter is normally held out of engagement with said latch elements. 
     
     
       5. An anti-theft locking means according to claim 1, and means forming a locking socket on the bicycle adapted to receive said plug-in latch means of the tether when the tether is looped around a stationary anchoring member. 
     
     
       6. An anti-theft locking means for bicycles comprising a key lock unit adapted for secure attachment to a bicycle frame member, a flexible tubular tether attached to the key lock unit and adapted to be extended therefrom for locking engagement with an apertured post or the like, retractable spring-urged latch means on the leading end of the tether insertable through a post aperture into locking engagement with a post wall, and a flexible control element for the retractable latch means having a connection therewith and extending through said tubular tether and being movable relative thereto and connected with a movable member on the key lock unit whose movement is controlled by a key. 
     
     
       7. An anti-theft locking means according to claim 6, and means forming a plug-in locking socket for said latch means on said key lock unit whereby the anti-theft locking means may be utilized in two separate modes of operation. 
     
     
       8. An anti-theft locking means according to claim 6, and a first spring connected with the flexible control element and urging it with said movable member on the key lock unit to an active locking position, and a second spring on the exterior of the tether and engaging a post or the like when said latch means is inserted through said aperture and storing energy for the subsequent automatic removal of the latch means from the aperture when said movable member is moved by a key against the force of the first spring to a latch release position. 
     
     
       9. An anti-theft locking means according to claim 6, and reslient means connected with said control element and biasing it to a latch active position with said movable member on the key lock unit. 
     
     
       10. An anti-theft locking means for bicycles or the like comprising a flexible tether attached to the bicycle and adapted to be extended therefrom, a plug-in latch means on the leading end of the tether adapted to be received by an aperture in a wall of an anchoring member to releasably secure the tether to the anchoring member, a key activated means on the bicycle connected with said plug-in latch means of the tether and operable to deactivate the latch means so that it can be removed from said aperture, and means forming a locking socket on the bicycle adapted to receive the plug-in latch means of the tether when the tether is looped around a stationary anchoring member, said lastnamed means comprising a lock casing attached to a frame member of the bicycle and having a socket element for the reception of the plug-in latch means and having a key lock mechanism on said casing including a movable element connected with the plug-in latch means, and said plug-in latch means including a pair of spring loaded normally extended retractable latch elements, and said movable element being connected with said latch elements to retract them when the movable element is shifted in one direction by said key activated means. .Iadd. 11. A locking means for a bicycle of the like comprising a locking unit having a receiver, means for permanently securing said locking unit to a bicycle frame member, a flexible tether having one end permanently secured to said locking unit and having a plug-in lock element to its free end and adapted to lockingly engage in said receiver, said plug-in lock element having normally extended retractable latch elements thereon, and key operable release means on said locking unit and being connected with said latch elements and operable to retract the latch elements so as to release the plug-in lock element from locked engagement with the receiver. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 12. A locking means for a bicycle or the like as defined in claim 11, and said key operable release means on the locking unit including a movable element connected with said latch elements and being shiftable in a direction to retract the latch elements, and spring means biasing the latch elements toward their normal extended locking positions. .Iaddend.