Combination lock container

Abstract

A combination lock container (), suitable for accepting a wine bottle, consisting of an upper housing (), a lower housing (), a plurality of tumblers (A-E), and externally applied indicia (). Cylindrical walls, or skirt portions, of each housing nest and engage into one another. Each housing has a key-like feature, consisting of a linear array of tabs with gap spacing between, that projects radially from the outer cylindrical wall surface. The upper housing has a longitudinal slot opening in the cylindrical wall, adjacent to its set of tabs, which can accept the tabs of the lower housing. When the housings are fully assembled, matching tab and gap features on each housing are adjacent and in lateral alignment with respect to each other. A plurality of tumblers, each with an internal annularly formed locking rib, are placed concentrically around the housings. The locking rib wall has a section removed that creates a keyway opening, the width of which is slightly greater than that of the aligned tabs. Located on the tumbler's outer circumference, and directly above the keyway, is a score mark or keyway indicator. Applying a personalized code word to the locking mechanism requires no disassembly. By using the keyway indicator features, indicia may be applied externally such that designated letters of a code word can be applied and aligned directly over the tumbler keyway. Once applied, the indicia conceal the location of the score marks. Locking ribs rotate through and intersect the laterally aligned gaps between the housing tabs, thus axially locking the housings together. When the proper code word is positioned underneath a marker, all keyways fall into alignment with the housing tabs. In this unlocked condition, the housings may be separated and the bottle of wine removed. A slot opening in the upper housing additionally allows the container to be used as a coin bank.