U.S. patent application number 12/566422 was filed with the patent office on 2010-04-01 for biometric power actuated security drawer.
Invention is credited to Jesse L. Vint.
Application Number | 20100079046 12/566422 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42056667 |
Filed Date | 2010-04-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100079046 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Vint; Jesse L. |
April 1, 2010 |
BIOMETRIC POWER ACTUATED SECURITY DRAWER
Abstract
A security drawer for storing personal property.
Inventors: |
Vint; Jesse L.; (Playa Del
Rey, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DYKAS, SHAVER & NIPPER, LLP
P.O. BOX 877
BOISE
ID
83701-0877
US
|
Family ID: |
42056667 |
Appl. No.: |
12/566422 |
Filed: |
September 24, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61100745 |
Sep 28, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
312/333 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 88/46 20170101;
G06Q 20/40145 20130101; E05Y 2201/21 20130101; A47B 88/40 20170101;
G07C 9/00563 20130101; A47B 88/463 20170101; E05Y 2201/422
20130101; E05G 1/00 20130101; E05G 5/006 20130101; E05Y 2201/462
20130101; G07G 1/0027 20130101; A47B 88/473 20170101; E05Y 2201/264
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/333 |
International
Class: |
A47B 88/04 20060101
A47B088/04 |
Claims
1. A security drawer for storing personal property comprising: a
main housing, said main housing forming a rectangular box with a
top, a bottom, two sides, a back end, and an open front end, said
main housing configured for secure attachment to a surface, said
main housing further comprises guides for slideable engagement with
a drawer; said drawer forming a rectangular box having an open top,
a bottom, two sides, a back end, and a front end, drawer configured
for slideable engagement with said guides in said main housing,
said drawer configured to move between two positions, two said
positions are latched and open; a central component housing for
secure mounting to said back of said drawer, said central component
housing further comprising at least one battery compartment, a
releasable latching mechanism configured to latch said drawer into
said latched position in said main housing when said releasable
latching mechanism is not activated, said releasable latching
mechanism further configured to release said drawer from said main
housing when activated by a wireless device, and at least one push
bar biased to urge said drawer out of said main housing when said
latching mechanism is activated, said battery operationally
connected to said releasable latching mechanism; and a wireless
device for activating said releasable latching mechanism, said
wireless device comprising a programmable biometric fingerprint
reader; said wireless device configured to activate releasable
latching mechanism when said wireless device is a presented a
programmed finger print; said drawer is configured to be manually
pressed into said main housing against said push bar urging said
drawer out of said main housing until said latching mechanism
releasably latches said drawer in said latched position in said
main housing, said drawer remaining latched in said main housing
until said wireless device is presented said programmed finger
print and said wireless device activates said releasable latching
mechanism and said push bar urges said drawer out of said main
housing towards said open position.
Description
PRIORITY/CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the priority date of the provisional
application entitled BIOMETRIC POWER ACTUATED SECURITY DRAWER filed
on Sep. 28, 2008 with application Ser. No. 61/100,745, the
disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Personal safes, vaults and pistol safes are currently and
have been available in many shapes and sizes for hundreds of years
and have typically included a hinged door for access in the case of
a vault or safe and a lid in the case of a pistol safe or personal
lock box as the general preferred embodiment. In citing state of
the art products currently on the market which seek to achieve the
same purpose such as the "BIOVAULT 2.0 Fingerprint Safe" which is
essentially a lockbox/pistol safe with biometric access technology.
When activated via touch pad that verifies the owners fingerprint,
hinged double lid style doors pop open utilizing a spring mechanism
thus allowing access to the items therein. The disadvantage with
this product and many like it is the difficulty of concealment of
the box itself because of necessity of exposure for operation of
the door or lid. Specifically the lockbox and pistol safe products
are typically surface mounted which leaves them in plain sight, and
this tends to invite tampering and theft. Additionally, there are
products on the market that claim to be "drawer safes" but upon
closer examination they are found to be a simple lid-style lock box
that is then mounted into an existing cabinet drawer so that
concealment is attainable, but the process of retrieving valuables
or firearms is complicated by adding an additional step. This is
especially true when time is of the essence. Additionally, the
security factor of a drawer safe is compromised when the entire
drawer can be quickly removed without tools from the cabinet in
which it is housed. In the case of a lock being placed on the
drawer front to thwart theft or tampering, the quick accessibility
factor is further complicated by yet one more additional step,
especially in the case of home defense.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Considered broadly, similar two-part boxes actuated open
from a closed locked position by energy with linear motion are of
the cash register type. This invention is similarly housed with
three main parts, the first being the main housing, a rectangular
box with one side open, and the second being the drawer which
inserts into the main housing via drawer glides providing alignment
and full-extension linear motion. The third main part is the
central component housing which aligns, adapts and connects the
drawer, most advantageously with an opening in the back of the
drawer. The central component housing, which can be a several-part
injection molded box although numerous other constructions are
possible, serves as a multi-function center vital to the operation
of the invention as a whole. The opening in the back of the drawer
is adapted for a dual linear slide push bar built into the central
component housing which provides propulsion for the device and
makes contact with the back wall of the main drawer housing under
spring pressure while the drawer is in the closed and locked
position. Also installed in the central component housing is a
means for unlocking the drawer, most advantageously an electronic
receiver which picks up a signal emitted from a wireless biometric
device activated by its owner outside of the drawer, although
certainly other means can be seen to be readily adaptable. This
signal activates a means for retracting the lock mechanism such as
a solenoid, most advantageously located on the top of the component
housing, from a tab mounted on the ceiling of the main drawer
housing, which then frees the drawer to quickly propel itself out
via spring actuation or other similar means of propulsion to full
extension of the drawer glides; optionally and advantageously, a
second set of similarly-aligned dual linear actuators with shock
and spring, or other soft-stopping means, mounted on top of the
component housing take over, acting as brakes to bring the drawer
and its contents to a soft stop. The device is closed manually.
With the drawer at full extension and in a final, stopped position,
a quick release, advantageously a button on the roof of the main
housing or in the central component housing, releases the entire
drawer from the main housing. Additionally, there is a battery
compartment to power the solenoid, advantageously located in the
component housing. Advantageously, this device is modular, self
contained without exterior power needs and can be mounted virtually
anywhere. The biometric touch pad is wireless and is programmable
with multiple fingerprint scan memory. For the purpose of stealth,
a face plate can be mounted to the drawer front of any kind of
material so as to blend in flush with its surroundings to maximize
concealment and to thwart tampering.
[0004] Additionally, for transportation purposes the drawer can be
entirely removed from the housing, advantageously with the aid of a
quick-release fitting, and be optionally fitted with a cover for
the open side of the drawer, so that its contents can be retained
regardless of how the drawer is oriented once it is removed from
the housing. In a further variation, a briefcase or security
courier case or other portable receptacle could be adapted to
accept and lock the drawer in the same way as the housing does, for
added security and/or concealment during transportation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a 3/4 elevational view of the invention fully
assembled with drawer fully extended.
[0006] FIG. 2A is a 3/4 rear elevational view of the central
component housing.
[0007] FIG. 2B is a transparent side elevational view of the
central component housing.
[0008] FIG. 3 shows parts that make up the central component
housing.
[0009] FIG. 4A is a 3/4 elevational schematic of the quick release
function.
[0010] FIG. 4B is a 3/4 schematic of the upper twin clasp
assembly.
[0011] FIG. 5A is a section view A-A, a side elevational view of
the central component housing.
[0012] FIG. 5B is a section view B-B, a rear elevational view of
the central component housing.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a 3/4 elevational view with parts deleted for
clarity of illustration.
[0014] FIG. 7 is a top view of the central component housing and
upper actuator assembly with the active drawer body in the open
position.
[0015] FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the active drawer body in
closed position with the roof of the main housing deleted for
clarity of illustration.
[0016] FIG. 9 is a 3/4 schematic of the central component housing
in open position with parts deleted for clarity.
[0017] FIG. 10 is a rear elevational view of the central component
housing and active drawer body with parts deleted for clarity.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] In the particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention
illustrated, as seen in FIG. 1, the device is comprised of a main
drawer housing (1), active drawer body (2), drawer glides (4), and
central component housing (3) mounted with fasteners to the active
drawer body (2), in FIG. 6 showing adaptation to a rear opening (5)
in the active drawer body (2) serving as a through way for the
linear motion push bar assembly (6), shown fully extended. The
housing (1) and drawer (2) are stamped and break pressed fourteen
gauge steel sections, including the drawer front (7), and have
through holes for side mount option (8) and under mount option (9).
Through holes (10) are to permit the mounting on the drawer front
(7) of any building material for the purpose of blending in with
surroundings where the invention is mounted, e.g., mounting the
device in a desk or chest of drawers with a drawer-front matching
the woodwork of the surrounding furniture. The central component
housing (3) is comprised of three main parts shown in FIG. 3: a
lower central component housing base (12) is advantageously formed
by injection molding from suitable ABS or glass fiber-reinforced
polyester composition or a blend thereof and is essentially a box
with identical twin elongated U-shaped inwardly projecting ports
(21) serving as rails for the spring powered linear push bar (6).
Battery compartments (14) each house two batteries of the lithium
ion type, stepping back on each side respectively, to power the
solenoid lock retracting mechanism (15) which, when activated via a
wireless biometric device (16), frees the drawer body (2) to be
propelled by compressed springs housed in spring ports (22) via
linear push bar (6) along drawer glide rails (4). The drawer's (2)
travel is arrested by the mating of upper twin posts (17) of the
upper linear actuator assembly (13) with a twin clasp mechanism
(18), mounted on the roof of main drawer housing (1) shown in FIG.
4B. Twin posts (17) have a pivot means and pivot so as to smoothly
lock into the female twin clasp assembly (18). The upper actuator
assembly is also supplied at its leading edge with a fastener (19)
which mates with the female twin clasp assembly (17) and has a
quick release function to permit removal of the entire drawer body
(2) from the main housing (1) for purpose of initial installation
or transport to another similar housing. Once the upper linear
actuator assembly (13) mates with the upper twin clasp assembly
(18, in FIG. 4B), this serves to bring the drawer body to a soft
stop where shocks (20) damp speed in tandem with springs (13),
drawing the drawer body (2) slowly to full extension of the drawer
glides (4). FIG. 5B shows section view B-B of the entire central
component housing fully assembled, and notably the spring powered
linear push bar twin U-shape ports (21) and twin spring ports (22)
and quad battery ports (14), along with the solenoid lock
retracting mechanism (15).
[0019] Once fully extended, the active drawer body (2) is manually
closed, which then releases the twin posts (17) by pivoting from
upper twin clasp assembly (18) back along the drawer glides (4)
where the linear push bar (6) engages the back wall of main drawer
housing (1) then retracting push bar under spring compression
nearly flush to the back of the active drawer body (2) and
re-engaging the lock assembly (15) under spring compression to the
upper ceiling tab (23). Included with this invention will be an AC
adapter plug (FIG. 1, item 26) and note the jack location (25) in
rear of main drawer housing for said adapter.
[0020] It is readily understood by those skilled in the art that
many of the specifics mentioned in this description--the twin clasp
fastener (19), double dual battery holders (14), spring compression
ejection of the drawer, etc.--are merely conveniences or
happenstances of the inventor's development process, and that the
functions they serve can be accomplished in a variety of other
ways, an exhaustive reference to which therefore need not be made
herein.
[0021] In broad terms, anyone skilled in the art could replicate
the functions of this device with other power and guide means and
or materials whilst using a biometric device or other "key" means
to send a wired or wireless transmission for access. Broadly
speaking, this particular invention has the advantageous and unique
configurations (mentioned fore and aft) of a disguisable lockbox
opening with linearity along with the advantage of endless mounting
possibilities with stealth and under its own power. The mentioned
unique blend of function and purpose in their configuration are
currently found nowhere on the market, nor in the current art.
* * * * *