DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0045] Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.

[0046] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 , the first preferred embodiment of the lock assembly according to the present invention is shown to include first and second mounting seats 10 , 20 , a padlock 50 (see FIG. 6 ), a slide seat 30 , and a cover member 40 . Each of the first and second mounting seats 10 , 20 is to be mounted on a respective one of two objects to be locked together, such as a door panel and a door frame. In the present embodiment, the lock assembly is illustrated as being used for locking together two door panels 100 , 200 (see FIG. 4 ). Each of the first and second mounting seats 10 , 20 is formed with a pair of screw bolt holes 111 for extension of a pair of screw bolts 102 therethrough. A pair of clamping plates 101 are provided behind each of the first and second mounting seats 10 , 20 . Each of the door panels 100 , 200 is disposed between the clamping plates 101 behind a corresponding one of the first and second mounting seats 10 , 20 for clamping by the clamping plates 101 . The screw bolts 102 extend through the door panels 100 , 200 , and each has one end engaging a respective nut 103 behind the clamping plates 101 for fastening the first and second mounting seats 10 , 20 on the door panels 100 , 200 , respectively. Each of the first and second mounting seats 10 , 20 has a rear side wall 105 , 205 adapted to face the corresponding door panel 100 , 200 , a front side wall 11 , 21 opposite to the rear side wall 105 , 205 , an inner side wall 106 , 206 interconnecting inner edges of the front and rear side walls 11 , 21 , 105 , 205 , and an outer side wall 104 , 204 interconnecting outer edges of the front and rear side walls 11 , 21 , 105 , 205 . The mounting seats 10 , 20 are disposed on the door panels 100 , 200 such that the inner side walls 106 , 206 are disposed proximate to and confront each other. The front side wall 11 of the first mounting seat 10 is provided with a first lobe 12 that projects forwardly and that has an oval-shaped first shackle hole 121 formed therethrough. The first mounting seat 10 is further formed with three first slide channels 14 which extend horizontally from the inner side wall 106 toward the outer side wall 104 and which are displaced from one another in a vertical direction. The front side wall 21 of the second mounting seat 20 is provided with a second lobe 22 that has an oval-shaped second shackle hole 221 formed therethrough and aligned with the first shackle hole 121 . Each of the first and second lobes 12 , 22 has an outer side surface opposite to the other one of the first and second lobes 12 , 22 and formed with an indented shackle recess 122 , 222 which extends downwardly from the corresponding shackle hole 121 , 221 to a lower edge of the corresponding lobe 12 , 22 . The second mounting seat 20 is further formed with three second slide channels 24 which extend horizontally from the inner side wall 206 toward the outer side wall 204 and which are displaced from one another in a vertical direction. The first slide channels 14 are aligned respectively with the second slide channels 24 . Each of the first and second slide channels 14 , 24 extends through the inner sidewall 106 , 206 of the corresponding one of the first and second mounting seats 10 , 20 . The outer side wall 104 of the first mounting seat 10 is formed with an entrance 13 communicated with each of the first slide channels 14 . The outer side wall 204 of the second mounting seat 20 is provided with a cover plate 231 that defines a closed end of each of the second slide channels 24 . In another embodiment, the cover plate 231 may be formed integrally with the second mounting seat 20 , i.e., integral with the outer side wall 204 of the second mounting seat 20 . The rear side wall 105 , 205 of each of the first and second mounting seats 10 , 20 is formed with a limiting hole 17 , 27 that extends along and that is communicated with a middle one of the slide channels 14 , 24 in a corresponding one of the mounting seats 10 , 20 . The limiting holes 17 , 27 are aligned with each other. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 , each limiting hole 17 , 27 has a communicating end 171 , 271 formed through the inner side wall 106 , 206 of the corresponding mounting seat 10 , 20 , and an opposite limiting end 172 , 272 that is proximate to the outer side wall 104 , 204 of the corresponding mounting seat 10 , 20 and that is not formed through the outer side wall 104 , 204 . Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4 , the front side wall 11 of the first mounting seat 10 is further formed with a vertically extending positioning groove 112 which is disposed adjacent to an inner side surface of the first lobe 12 that faces the second lobe 22 .

[0047] Referring back to FIGS. 1 to 3 , the slide seat 30 has a horizontal top wall 310 formed with a first pivot portion 33 at one end, a connecting rod 319 extending downwardly from the top wall 310 , and three parallel sliding rods 315 , 316 , 317 which are disposed horizontally below the top wall 310 and which are spaced apart vertically from one another. Each of the sliding rods 315 , 316 , 317 has a connecting end portion connected to the connecting rod 319 , and a distal end portion distal from the connecting rod 319 . During assembly, the sliding rods 315 , 316 , 317 are inserted into the first slide channels 14 via the entrance 13 . The distal end portion of a middle one of the sliding rods 316 is formed with an engaging hole unit which consists of a pair of engaging holes 311 . A stop member 32 , which is formed as a U-shaped metal body, engages the engaging hole unit by extending two opposite ends 321 thereof into the pair of engaging holes 311 of the engaging hole unit through one of the limiting holes 17 , 27 after the sliding rods 315 , 316 , 317 are inserted into the slide channels 14 . The stop member 32 thus projects from the middle one of the sliding rods 316 , and projects into one of the limiting holes 17 , 27 . The sliding rods 315 , 316 , 317 are slidable along the first and second slide channels 14 , 24 . As best illustrated in FIG. 4 , the stop member 32 is movable with the middle one of the sliding rods 316 between the limiting ends 172 , 272 of the limiting holes 17 , 27 , thereby preventing removal of the slide seat 30 from the first mounting seat 10 , and thereby limiting sliding movement of the slide seat 30 between an engaging position and a disengaging position. In the engaging position, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the sliding rods 315 , 316 , 317 extend into the first slide channels 14 and into the second slide channels 24 for engaging both the first and second mounting seats 10 , 20 , and the stop member 32 is disposed adjacent to the limiting end 272 of the limiting hole 27 in the second mounting seat 20 . In the disengaging position, as shown in FIG. 10 , the sliding rods 315 , 316 , 317 extend only into the first slide channels 14 and are removed from the second slide channels 24 for disengaging from the second mounting seat 20 , and the stop member 32 is disposed proximate to the limiting end 172 of the limiting hole 17 in the first mounting seat 10 .

[0048] Referring back to FIGS. 1 to 3 , the cover member 40 has an upper end formed with a second pivot portion 41 which is mounted pivotally on the first pivot portion 33 by means of a horizontal pivot axle 42 such that the cover member 40 is turnable relative to the slide seat 30 about an axis of the pivot axle 42 in an upward direction for moving to an open position and in a downward direction for moving to a closed position. The first pivot portion 33 on the slide seat 30 has a pair of inclined end walls 34 facing the second pivot portion 41 , and a pair of pivot tubes 331 projecting integrally from the end walls 34 and formed with aligned pivot holes for extension of the pivot axle 42 therethrough. The inclined end walls 34 incline downwardly and forwardly. Each end wall 34 has a concave surface. The second pivot portion 41 of the cover member 40 is formed integrally with a pair of second pivot tubes 411 which flank the first pivot tubes 331 and which are disposed respectively adjacent to the inclined end walls 34 . The cover member 40 is further formed with a third lobe 45 inserted into a clearance formed between the first pivot tubes 331 . The second pivot tubes 411 and the third lobe 45 are formed with aligned pivot holes which are aligned with the pivot holes in the first pivot tubes 331 for extension of the pivot axle 42 therethrough. In case there is a thief who tried to damage the lock assembly by cutting the pivot tubes 331 , 411 using a saw, the inclined end walls 34 would abut against the saw and may cause bending of the saw during the cutting operation, there by preventing the thief from successfully damaging the lock assembly.

[0049] The cover member 30 is generally formed as a hollow casing with a convex front cover plate 43 and a pair of spaced-apart side cover plates 44 which extend transversely from opposite left and right edges of the front cover plate 43 . The side cover plates 44 cooperate with the front cover plate 43 to confine an accommodating space 432 . The accommodating space 432 opens downwardly and rearwardly when the cover member 40 is turned downwardly to the closed position. The third lobe 45 is disposed in the accommodating space 432 , and extends integrally and rearwardly from an inner surface of the front cover plate 43 . The third lobe 45 is formed with a third shackle hole 451 . Each of the side cover plates 44 is formed with a slot 441 that has a size corresponding to the size of the shackle 52 of the padlock 50 and that permits extension of the shackle 52 therethrough. When the cover member 40 is turned to the closed position after the slide seat 30 is moved to the engaging position, the first and second lobes 12 , 22 extend into the accommodating space 432 , and the third lobe 45 extends into a clearance formed between the first and second lobes 12 , 22 and is positioned in the positioning groove 112 to enable axial alignment of the third shackle hole 451 with the first and second shackle holes 121 , 221 . At this time, the shackle 52 of the padlock 50 is extendible through the shackle holes 121 , 451 , 221 for locking together the first and second mounting seats 10 , 20 and the cover member 40 , thereby locking together the first and second door panels 100 , 200 . When the cover member 40 is turned upwardly to the open position after the padlock 50 is unlocked using a corresponding key and is removed from the lobes 12 , 22 , 45 , the third lobe 45 is moved upwardly away from the first and second lobes 12 , 22 for removal from the clearance between the first and second lobes 12 , 22 so as to permit sliding movement of the slide seat 30 to the disengaging position, where the slide seat 30 is disengaged from the second mounting seat 20 to permit movement of the second mounting seat 20 together with the second door panel 200 relative to the first mounting seat 10 and the first door panel 100 .

[0050] In use, the slide seat 30 is initially slid to the first mounting seat 10 and is disposed in the disengaging position, as shown in FIG. 10 . To lock the door panels 100 , 200 to each other, the door panels 100 , 200 are disposed side by side to align the shackle holes 121 , 221 in the first and second lobes 12 , 22 with each other. The slide seat 30 is then slid from the first mounting seat 10 toward the second mounting seat 20 with the cover member 40 turned to the open position, such that the sliding rods 315 , 316 , 317 are extended from the first slide channels 14 into the second slide channels 24 to dispose the slide seat 30 in the engaging position, as shown in FIG. 5 . The cover member 40 is then turned downwardly to the closed position, where the third lobe 45 is disposed between the first and second lobes 12 , 22 , and where the shackle hole 451 in the third lobe 45 is aligned with the shackle holes 121 , 221 in the first and second lobes 12 , 22 , as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 . The shackle 52 of the padlock 50 , which is in an unlocking state, is extended into the accommodating space 432 through the slots 441 , and is extended through the shackle holes 121 , 451 , 221 . The padlock 50 is then locked by simply forcing the padlock 51 upward to engage the shackle 52 with a lock body 51 of the padlock 50 in a known manner, thereby locking together the first and second door panels 100 , 200 , as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 . At this time, the shackle 52 is partially buried in the shackle recesses 122 , 222 , and is substantially shielded by the cover member 40 . With the formation of the shackle recesses 122 , 222 , the lobes 12 , 22 can be made thicker to have a higher strength so as to obtain an enhanced anti-theft effect. As the slots 441 in the side cover plates 44 correspond in size with the cross-section of the shackle 52 , it is difficult to extend a cutting tool, such as a hydraulic cutter, into the accommodating space 432 through any of the slots 441 to cut the shackle 52 . The padlock 50 can thus be effectively prevented from being destroyed by cutting.

[0051] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8 , when the padlock 50 is unlocked using the corresponding key, one end of the shackle 52 is disengaged from the lock body 51 of the padlock 50 . The shackle 52 is then removed from the lobes 12 , 22 , 45 , and thus from the first and second mounting seats 10 , 20 and the cover member 40 . Thereafter, the cover member 40 is turned upwardly for moving to the open position. The slide seat 30 is then slid horizontally toward the first mounting seat 10 for disengaging from the second mounting seat 20 , as shown in FIG. 10 . When the slide seat 30 is moved to the disengaging position, the cover member 40 may be turned downwardly again, and the shackle 52 of the padlock 50 may be extended once again through the third lobe 45 such that the padlock 50 can be carried by the first door panel 100 without interfering with movement of the second door panel 200 , as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11 .

[0052] The door assembly to which the present embodiment is applied is in the form of a right-side-turning door, in which the right side door panel, i.e., the first door panel 100 , is turnable relative to a door frame or a fixed left-side door panel, i.e., the second door panel 200 , about a vertical axis. In this case, the entrance 13 for access into the first and second slide channels 14 , 24 is formed in the outer side wall 104 of the first mounting seat 10 , and the slide seat 30 is slid rightwardly to the first mounting seat 10 after the padlock 50 is removed so as to prevent the cover member 40 and the slide seat 30 from hindering or interfering with turning movement of the first door panel 100 relative to the second door panel 200 .

[0053] Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13 , a second preferred embodiment of the lock assembly of the present invention is shown to be applied to a left-side-turning door assembly, in which a left-side door panel, i.e., the second door panel 200 , is turnable relative to a door frame or a fixed right-side door panel, i.e., the first door panel 100 . In this embodiment, the outer side wall 104 ′ of the first mounting seat 10 ′ is sealed, and an entrance 23 for access into the slide channels 24 , 14 is formed in the outer side wall 204 ′ of the second mounting seat 20 ′. The connecting rod 319 is disposed at a left end of the slide seat 30 ′ to interconnect left end portions of the sliding rods. The slide seat 30 ′ is slid leftwardly to the second mounting seat 20 ′ after removal of the padlock 50 (see FIG. 7 ) so as to prevent the cover member 40 and the slide seat 30 ′ from interfering with movement of the second door panel 200 relative to the first door panel 100 .

[0054] It has thus been shown that, with the use of the slide seat 30 , 30 ′, which is slidable horizontally, and the cover member 40 , which is turnable upwardly and downwardly, the cover member 40 can be prevented from interfering with movement of one of the door panels 100 , 200 relative to the other. Moreover, since the slots 441 are sized to permit extension of the shackle 52 while preventing a cutting tool from extending thereinto for cutting the shackle 52 , the shackle 52 of the padlock 50 can be safely protected by the cover member 40 .

[0055] Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15 , a third preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown to be adapted to be applied to a door assembly with a door panel 100 ′ turnable relative to a fixed door frame 300 . In this case, both the first and second mounting seats 10 , 20 ′ are mounted on the door panel 100 ′. The slide seat 30 a similarly has a top wall 310 a , a connecting rod 319 a extending downwardly from the top wall 310 a , and three horizontally extending sliding rods 315 a , 316 a , 317 a disposed below the top wall 310 a and connected to the connecting rod 319 a . Each of the sliding rods 315 a , 316 a , 317 a has a connecting end portion connected to the connecting rod 319 a , a distal latch end 315 b , 316 b , 317 b opposite to the connecting end portion, and an intermediate portion. The intermediate portion of a middle one of the sliding rods 316 a is similarly provided with a stop member 32 to limit sliding movement of the slide seat 30 a between the engaging and disengaging positions. A latch seat 60 is adapted to be mounted fixedly on the door frame 300 , and is formed with three rectangular latch holes 61 aligned respectively with the second slide channels 24 . In the present embodiment, the outer side wall 204 ′ of the second mounting seat 20 ′ is open, and the sliding rods 315 a , 316 a , 317 a of the slide seat 30 a extend longer through the outer side wall 204 ′ of the second mounting seats 20 ′, and project relative to the outer side wall 204 ′ when the slide seat 30 a is moved to the engaging position. At this time, the latch ends 315 b , 316 b , 317 b of the sliding rods 315 a , 316 a , 317 a are extendible respectively into the latch holes 61 for locking the door panel 100 ′ to the door frame 300 .

[0056] Referring to FIGS. 16 to 18 , a fourth preferred embodiment of the lock assembly according to the present invention is shown to include a first mounting seat 10 , a second mounting seat 20 , a slide seat 30 , a cover member 40 b , and a padlock 50 b with a U-shaped shackle 52 b . Each of the first and second mounting seats 10 , 20 and the slide seat 30 has a structure similar to that in the first preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1 . The cover member 40 b is mounted pivotally on the slide seat 30 so as to be turnable downwardly to a closed position, and to be turnable upwardly to an open position. The cover member 40 b has an L-shaped configuration, and includes a first cover portion 41 b formed with a central opening 411 b , and a second cover portion 42 b extending transversely from the first cover portion 41 b and formed with a notch 421 b communicated with the central opening 411 b . When the cover member 40 b is turned downwardly to the closed position while the slide seat 30 is slid to the engaging position, the first cover portion 41 b is moved to the front side walls 11 , 21 of the first and second mounting seats 10 , 20 , covers the front side walls 11 , 21 , and enables the first and second lobes 12 , 22 to extend through the central opening 411 b such that the first and second shackle holes 121 , 221 are exposed from the first cover portion 411 b . In this manner, the first and second lobes 12 , 22 are bound to each other by the first cover portion 41 b . At this time, the shackle 52 b of the padlock 50 b is extendible through the first and second shackle holes 121 , 221 , with the padlock 50 b initially operated to be in an unlocking state. The padlock 50 b has a lock body 51 b with a U-shaped casing that includes a pair of lateral guarding portions 53 b that guard lateral sides of the shackle 52 b . When the padlock 50 b is subsequently operated to be in the locking state, the shackle 52 b is partially buried in the shackle recesses 122 , 222 , and is substantially shielded in all directions by the guarding portions 53 b of the lock body 51 b , the first and second lobes 12 , 22 , and the first cover portion 41 b of the cover member 40 b, cooperatively, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 . In this state, the first and second lobes 12 , 22 are extended into the notch 421 b in the second cover portion 42 b of the cover member 40 b . The first cover portion 41 b is clamped between the padlock 50 b and the front side walls 11 , 21 of the first and second mounting seats 10 , 20 , and is prevented from upward turning for moving to the open position.

[0057] Referring to FIGS. 19 to 21 , the fifth preferred embodiment of the lock assembly of the present invention is generally similar to the previous embodiment in construction, and includes first and second mounting seats 10 c , 20 c , a slide seat 30 , a cover member 40 c , and a padlock 50 c . The padlock 50 c includes a U-shaped lock body 51 c and a shackle 52 c formed as an elongated bar. The first and second lobes 12 c , 22 c on the first and second mounting seats 10 c , 20 c are not formed with shackle recesses. The cover member 40 c similarly has an L-shaped configuration, and includes a first cover portion 41 c for covering front side walls 11 c, 21 c of the first and second mounting seats 10 c, 20 c , and a second cover portion 42 c transverse to the first cover portion 41 c . The first and second lobes 12 c , 22 c are extended through a central opening 411 c in the first cover portion 41 c , and the shackle 52 c of the padlock 50 c is extendible through shackle holes 121 c , 221 c in the first and second lobes 12 c , 22 c when the cover member 40 c is moved to the closed position while the slide seat 30 c is slid to the engaging position for locking together the first and second mounting seats 10 c, 20 c and the cover member 40 c . Likewise, in this state, the first cover portion 41 c is clamped between the padlock 50 c and the front side walls 11 c, 21 c of the first and second mounting seats 10 c, 20 c to prevent upward turning of the cover member 40 c to the open position. In the present embodiment, the second cover portion 42 c is formed with a pair of protecting rims 421 c which extend downwardly when the cover member 40 c is moved to the closed position in order to cover and protect an upper end portion of the lock body 51 c of the padlock 50 c.

[0058] Referring to FIGS. 22 to 24 , the sixth preferred embodiment of the lock assembly according to the present invention is shown to include a first mounting seat 10 d , a second mounting seat 20 d , a slide seat 30 d , and a lock device 40 d . Each of the first and second mounting seats 10 d , 20 d is adapted to be mounted on a respective one of two objects, such as two door panels, that are to be locked together. Each of the first and second mounting seats 10 d , 20 d has a rear side wall 105 d , 205 d adapted to face the corresponding door panel, a front side wall lid, 21 d opposite to the rear side wall 105 d , 205 d , an inner side wall 106 d , 206 d interconnecting inner edges of the front and rear side walls lid, 21 d , 105 d , 205 d , and an outer side wall 104 d , 204 d interconnecting outer edges of the front and rear side walls lid, 21 d , 105 d , 205 d . The mounting seats 10 d , 20 d are disposed on the door panels such that the inner side walls 106 d , 206 d are disposed proximate to and confront each other. The front side wall lid of the first mounting seat 10 d is formed with an L-shaped first shackle bar 12 d which has a first section 122 d connected to the front side wall lid and perpendicular to the front side wall lid, and a distal second section 121 d extending transversely from the first section 122 d . The first shackle bar 12 d cooperates with the front side wall lid to define a first latch groove 113 d therebetween. The first mounting seat 10 d is further formed with three first slide channels 14 d which extend horizontally from the inner side wall 106 d toward the outer side wall 104 d and which are displaced from one another in a vertical direction. The front side wall 21 d of the second mounting seat 20 d is formed with an L-shaped second shackle bar 22 d which has a first section 222 d connected to the front side wall 21 d and perpendicular to the front side wall 21 d , and a distal second section 221 d extending transversely from the first section 222 d toward the first shackle bar 12 d . The second shackle bar 22 d cooperates with the front side wall 21 d to define a second latch groove 213 d therebetween. The second mounting seat 20 d is further formed with three second slide channels 24 d which extend horizontally from the inner side wall 206 d toward the outer side wall 204 d and which are displaced from one another in a vertical direction. The second slide channels 24 d are aligned respectively with the first slide channels 14 d . Each of the first and second slide channels 14 d , 24 d extends through the inner side wall 106 d , 206 d of the corresponding one of the first and second mounting seats 10 d , 20 d . The outer side wall 104 d of the first mounting seat 10 d is formed with an entrance 13 d communicated with the first slide channels 14 . The outer side wall 204 d of the second mounting seat 20 d defines a closed end of each of the second slide channels 24 d . Referring to FIGS. 22 and 25 , the rear side wall 105 d , 205 d of each of the first and second mounting seats 10 d , 20 d is formed with a limiting hole 17 d , 27 d that extends along and that is communicated with a middle one of the slide channels 14 d , 24 d in a corresponding one of the mounting seats 10 d , 20 d . The limiting holes 17 d , 27 d are aligned with each other. Each limiting hole 17 d , 27 d has a communicating end 171 d , 271 d formed through the inner side wall 106 d , 206 d of the corresponding mounting seat 10 d , 20 d , and an opposite limiting end 172 d , 272 d that is proximate to the outer side wall 104 d , 204 d of the corresponding mounting seat 10 d , 20 d and that is not formed through the outer side wall 104 d , 204 d.

[0059] The slide seat 30 d has a horizontal top wall 310 d , a connecting rod 319 d extending downwardly from the top wall 310 d , and three parallel sliding rods 315 d , 316 d , 317 d which are disposed horizontally below the top wall 310 d and which are spaced apart vertically from one another. Each of the sliding rods 315 d , 316 d , 317 d has a connecting end portion connected to the connecting rod 319 d, and a distal end portion distal from the connecting rod 319 . During assembly, the sliding rods 315 d , 316 d , 317 d are inserted into the first slide channels 14 d through the entrance 13 d . The distal end portion of a middle one of the sliding rods 316 d is formed with an engaging hole unit which consists of a pair of engaging holes 311 d . A stop member 32 , which is formed as a U-shaped metal body, engages the engaging hole unit by extending two opposite ends 321 thereof into the pair of engaging holes 311 d through one of the limiting holes 17 d , 27 d after the sliding rods 315 d , 316 d , 317 d are inserted into the slide channels 14 d . The stop member 32 thus projects from the middle one of the sliding rods 316 d , and projects into one of the limiting holes 17 d , 27 d . The sliding rods 315 d , 316 d , 317 d are slidable along the first and second slide channels 14 d , 24 d . The stop member 32 is movable with the middle one of the sliding rods 316 d between the limiting ends 172 d , 272 d of the limiting holes 17 d , 27 d , thereby preventing removal of the slide seat 30 d from the first mounting seat 10 d , and thereby limiting sliding movement of the slide seat 30 d between an engaging position and a disengaging position. In the engaging position, the sliding rods 315 d , 316 d , 317 d extend into the first slide channels 14 d and into the second slide channels 24 d for engaging both the first and second mounting seats 10 d , 20 d , and the stop member 32 is disposed adjacent to the limiting end 272 d of the limiting hole 27 d in the second mounting seat 20 , as shown in FIG. 25 . In the disengaging position, the sliding rods 315 d , 316 d , 317 d extend only into the first slide channels 14 d and are removed from the second slide channels 24 d for disengaging from the second mounting seat 20 d , and the stop member 32 is disposed proximate to the limiting end 172 d of the limiting hole 17 d in the first mounting seat 10 d.

[0060] The lock device 40 d includes a lock casing 400 d mounted pivotally on one end of the top wall 310 d of the slide seat 30 d so as to be turnable upwardly to an open position and downwardly to a closed position. The lock casing 400 d has a convex front sidewall 407 d formed with a lock core mounting hole 41 d which has a key-operable lock core 50 d mounted therein. The lock core 50 d has one end provided with a latch engaging member 51 d which is formed with a rectangular coupling hole 52 d . The lock core 50 d is operable by its corresponding key to rotate the latch engaging member 51 d about an axis of the lock core 50 d . A latch member 44 d is mounted rotatably inside the lock casing 400 d . The latch member 44 d has two opposite locking end portions 441 d and an intermediate portion 440 d which interconnects the locking end portions 441 d and which is thinner relative to the locking end portions 441 d so as to define a recess 442 d between the locking end portions 441 d for receiving the latch engaging member 51 d of the lock core 50 d . The intermediate portion 440 d is formed with a rectangular coupling protrusion 443 d which extends into and which is coupled with the coupling hole 52 d in the latch engaging member 51 d such that the latch member 44 d is co-rotatable with the latch engaging member 51 d for moving between locking and unlocking positions when the lock core 50 d is operated by its corresponding key. The lock casing 400 d has a mounting beam 43 d formed with a mounting hole 431 d that is co-axial with the lock core 50 d . The intermediate portion 440 d of the latch member 44 d is further formed with a cylindrical mounting stud 445 d on one side opposite to the coupling protrusion 443 d . The mounting stud