1. A method comprising:
obtaining a lock comprising a casing, a hook extending from the casing, a movable bolt proximate the hook, and a pushing element operatively coupled to the movable bolt, wherein the bolt is capable of being in a locked position or an unlocked position, wherein the pushing element is rotatably connected to the bolt;
inserting the hook into a port m an article to be secured;
engaging the hook with the port; and then
pushing the pushing element, thereby causing the bolt to move from the unlocked position to the locked position, wherein the method further comprises
inserting a key into the pushing element; and
turning the key to rotate a portion of the pushing element relative to the bolt, wherein the turning of the key causes the bolt to move from the locked position to the unlocked position.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the pushing element comprises a cylinder and a stem connected to the cylinder.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the casing has an opening and the hook is contiguous with the opening.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein a wire cable is attached to the casing.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the pushing element comprises a stem and wherein the stem comprises cutouts.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the lock comprises a clip and the clip is received in the cutouts when the bolt is in the locked position.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the lock further comprises a spring positioned around the bolt.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A card connector having a first receiving slot for receiving a first card, and a second receiving slot for receiving a second card that has a thickness smaller than the first card, comprising:
a stopper member supported in the first receiving slot by a supporting shaft, the stopper member pivots between a first position where the stopper member blocks the first receiving slot to prevent advancement of the first or second card, and a second position where advancement of the first or second card is unblocked; and
a cam member having a claw that abuts the stopper member to prevent the stopper member from pivoting to the second position and a cam surface that releases the claw from the stopper member when cam-engaged by the first card.
2. The card connector of claim 1, wherein the cam member is pivotally supported in the first receiving slot by a supporting shaft arranged perpendicular to the supporting shaft of the stopper member.
3. The card connector of claim 1, wherein the stopper member is biased toward the first position.
4. The card connector of claim 3, wherein the stopper member is biased by a torsion spring wound around the supporting shaft.
5. The card connector of claim 1, wherein the claw is biased against the stopper member by a torsion spring.
6. The card connector of claim 1, wherein the cam member has symmetrical first and second halves and a space for receiving the second card is formed between the cam surfaces of the halves.
7. The card connector of claim 1, wherein the cam surface protrudes into the first receiving slot.
8. The card connector of claim 1, further comprising a second stopper member and member a second cam arranged on an opposite side of the first receiving slot.
9. A card advance checking device, comprising:
a stopper member supported in a card receiving slot by a supporting shaft, the stopper member pivots between a first position where the stopper member blocks the card receiving slot to prevent advancement of a card therein, and a second position where advancement of the card therein is unblocked; and
a cam member pivotally supported in the card receiving slot by a supporting shaft arranged perpendicular to the supporting shaft of the stopper member, the cam member having a claw that abuts the stopper member to prevent the stopper member from pivoting to the second position, the cam member having a cam surface positioned such that when the card has a desired thickness, the cam member is cam-engaged by the card to release the claw from the stopper member.
10. The card advance checking device of claim 9, wherein the stopper member is biased toward the first position.
11. The card advance checking device of claim 9, wherein the claw is biased against the stopper member by a torsion spring.
12. The card advance checking device of claim 9, wherein the cam member has symmetrical first and second halves and a space for receiving the card with a thickness less than the desired thickness is formed between the cam surfaces of the first and second halves.
13. The card advance checking device of claim 9, wherein the cam surface protrudes into the card receiving slot.
14. The card advance checking device of claim 9, further comprising a second stopper member and a second cam member arranged on an opposite side of the card receiving slot.