A BICYCLE LOCKING DEVICE

Abstract

A bicycle locking device including a shackle with first and second arms, a lockable crossbar releasably engaging the first and second arms to form a closed loop with the shackle. The shackle and crossbar including an inner core, with an outer topside and an outer underside. At least one plate of high performance material is secured to the topside and underside of the shackle and crossbar to sandwich the inner core therebetween. The high performance material is harder and more brittle than the inner core.

Claims

1. A bicycle locking device comprising: a shackle comprising first and second arms; a lockable crossbar releasably engaging the first and second arms to form a closed loop with the shackle; the shackle and the crossbar comprising an inner core, with an outer topside and an outer underside, wherein at least one plate of high performance material is secured to the topside and of the shackle and the crossbar, and at least one plate of high performance material is secured to the underside of the shackle and the crossbar, to sandwich the inner core therebetween, and wherein the high performance material is harder and more brittle than the inner core.

2. The bicycle locking device of claim 1, wherein the lockable crossbar releasably engages a free end of the first and second arms to form a closed loop with the shackle.

3. The bicycle locking device of claim 1, wherein, when fastened together, a closed loop of high performance material is created.

4. The bicycle locking device of claim 1, wherein the shackle is U-shaped.

5. The bicycle locking device claim 1, wherein a rigid D-lock is formed when the crossbar is fastened to the shackle.

6. The bicycle locking device claim 1, wherein the topside and underside of the shackle and crossbar are parallel.

7. The bicycle locking device claim 1, wherein the high performance material forms a continuous loop along the topside and underside of the shackle and crossbar.

8. The bicycle locking device claim 1, wherein the high performance material is secured to at least three of the four corner vertices of the shackle and crossbar.

9. The bicycle locking device claim 1, wherein a steel plate is sandwiched between the high performance material and the shackle.

10. The bicycle locking device claim 1, wherein the high performance material is bonded to the shackle via a glue or resin.

11. The bicycle locking device claim 1, wherein a single piece of high performance material runs the length of the crossbar such that, when the crossbar is connected to the shackle, the single piece of high performance material forms part of a continuous loop of high performance material.

12. The bicycle locking device claim 1, wherein two parallel pieces of high performance material run along the length of the crossbar such that, when the crossbar is connected to the shackle, the high performance material forms part of a continuous loop of high performance material along both the topside and underside of the locking device.

13. The bicycle locking device claim 1, wherein a hardened steel shell encloses the crossbar.

14. The bicycle locking device according to claim 13, wherein the hardened steel shell encloses high performance material contained within the crossbar.

15. The bicycle locking device of claim 1, wherein the first arm comprises four pieces of high performance material on the topside and four pieces of high performance material on the underside, the second arm comprises four pieces of high performance material on the topside and four pieces of high performance material on the underside, and the curved portion of the U-shaped shackle comprises three pieces of high performance material on the topside and three pieces of high performance material on the underside.

16. The bicycle locking device claim 1, wherein the pieces of high performance material positioned on the straight portions of the U-shaped shackle are rectangular.

17. The bicycle locking device claim 1, comprising curved pieces of high performance material position on the curved portion of the U-shaped shackle.

18. The bicycle locking device claim 1, wherein the topside and underside of the shackle are opposite to each other with the inner core therebetween.

19. The bicycle locking device claim 1, wherein the topside and underside of the crossbar are opposite to each other with the inner core therebetween.

Description

[0022] A better understanding of the present invention will be obtained from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment. The description is given by way of example only and makes reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bicycle locking device according a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bicycle locking device of FIG. 1 in a locked configuration;

[0025] FIG. 3 is a side view of the bicycle locking device of FIG. 1 in a locked configuration;

[0026] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the bicycle locking device of FIG. 1 in an unlocked configuration;

[0027] FIG. 5 is an alternative exploded view of the bicycle locking device of FIG. 1 in an unlocked configuration;

[0028] FIG. 6 is an exploded side view of the shackle of the bicycle locking device of FIG. 1;

[0029] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the shackle of the bicycle locking device of FIG. 1; and

[0030] FIG. 8 is a plan view of the bicycle locking device of FIG. 1 showing the internal arrangement of the crossbar;

[0031] The orientations top, side, above, below etc. are taken from an arbitrary datum and are intended solely to simplify the description below.

[0032] Referring firstly to FIG. 1, this shows a perspective view of the bicycle locking device 1 of the present invention.

[0033] The device 1 has a U-shaped shackle 2 comprising a curved portion 3 and two parallel arms 4, 5, extending in the same direction and in the same plane. The first arm 4 has a free end 41 and the second arm 5 has a free end 51 (shown best in FIG. 4). These male free ends 41, 51, fasten into complimentary female recesses 42, 52, positioned in a crossbar 6, which connects to the shackle to form a closed loop (shown best in FIG. 8). It is into this closed loop a bicycle is secured. A conventional D-lock locking mechanism 10 is used between the crossbar 6 and the U-shaped shackle 2.

[0034] The shackle 2 is made from hardened steel and is approximately square in cross-section. As can be seen best in FIG. 4, discrete pieces of high performance material 7 are fastened to the uppermost, topside of the shackle 2, and to the opposing underside of the shackle 2. Within the crossbar 6, a further, single piece of high performance material 7 is fastened across the topside of the free ends 41, 51 of the shackle 2 and another single piece fastened across the underside of the free ends 41, 51 of the shackle 2 such that when the lockable crossbar 6 is secured to the shackle 2, a closed loop of high performance material 7 is formed. The high performance material 7 on the crossbar 6 is enclosed in a hardened steel casing 8. This casing 8 surrounds the entire crossbar 6.

[0035] Shown best in FIGS. 6 and 7, a steel plate 9 is sandwiched between the hardened steel shackle 2 and the high performance material 7. This provides further protection against attack.

[0036] The steel plate 9 and discrete pieces of high performance material 7 can be bonded to the shackle 2 using a high performance glue or resin.

[0037] The high performance material 7 may be more brittle than the hardened steel of the shackle 2, but it provides comprehensive protection against angle grinder attack. The steel plate 9 combined with the hardened steel shackle 2 provide protection against the other common forms of destructive attack, such as cutting devices. In combination, the high performance material 7, steel plate 9 and steel shackle 2 provide very high resistance to destructive attack, whilst use of small, discrete, pieces of high performance material 7 fixed to the outer face of the shackle and to the crossbar 6 as described enables this level of protection to be achieved with a minimal use of the high performance material 7. This is advantageous because the high performance material 7, which is harder and more resistant to angle grinder attack than the steel plate 9 and shackle 2, is relatively expensive and so minimal use enables the D-lock to be produced in a cost effective manner.

[0038] This means the high performance locking device of the present invention can be marketed at bicycle owners, and not just at the more high-end motorcycle owners.