Handgun mini-vault

• US 10,233,687 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2016
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hornady Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Hornady Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Delattre, Thomas, Carson, David, Romeo, Michael, Cunningham, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Boswell, Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US15/333,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20170046899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 1/005 Portable strong boxes, e.g. which may be fixed to a wall or the like E05G1/08, E05G1/14 take precedence; devices to prevent theft or loss of bags, trunks, baskets, or the like A45C13/18; coin boxes for coin freed apparatus G07F9/06
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 1/04 Closure fasteners locks E05B
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/06 Containers for carrying smallarms, e.g. safety boxes, gun cases F41C33/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00912 for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for firearm storage; and more particularly, a safe and secure handgun mini-vault apparatus for a loaded handgun that allows an authorized user rapid, unobstructed and effortless access to the handgun. The handgun mini-vault system of the present invention not only provides for relative ease of assembly and aesthetically appealing appearance, it also permits access to the handgun without the need to manually manipulate a locking device. The locking system of the present invention utilizes RFID technology to allow authorized users to open the mini-vault by simply waiving an RFID chip in proximity to the mini-vault interrogator.

Claims

1. A firearm storage device comprising:

a box assembly having a plurality of side walls and an opening to a hollow inner cavity sized to contain a firearm, said side walls secured together along the edges thereof to form a secure assembly;

a door assembly sized and shaped to cover said opening, said door assembly hingedly connected to said box assembly for movement between an open position and a closed position, said open position allowing access to said hollow inner cavity and said closed position preventing access to said hollow inner cavity,

a latch assembly for retaining said door assembly in said closed position, said latch assembly including at least one lock pin and a catch member secured within said hollow inner cavity, said lock pin having a locked position in which said lock pin overlaps a portion of said catch member to retain said door assembly in said closed position;

a release assembly positioned within said box assembly, said release assembly including an interrogator for wireless communication with a radio frequency identification device, said release assembly being connected to said lock pin to provide movement to said lock pin so that said lock pin no longer overlaps said catch member in response to communication with said radio frequency identification device releasing said door assembly to said open position, said catch member, lock pin and release assembly automatically reset to a locked position upon closing said door assembly.

2. The firearm storage device of claim 1 wherein said box is parallelepiped in shape having five side walls and one open side.

3. The firearm storage device of claim 1 including at least one spring member positioned to bias said door assembly to said open position, whereby said at least one spring is in a deflected position while said door assembly is in said closed position, said spring causing said door assembly to open automatically upon movement of said lock pin from engagement with said catch member.

4. The firearm storage device of claim 1 wherein said release assembly includes an electric motor for moving said lock pin.

5. The firearm storage device of claim 4 wherein said release assembly includes at least one battery for providing electrical power to said electric motor.

6. The firearm storage device of claim 1 including at least one radio frequency identification device for wireless communication with said release assembly, said radio frequency identification device is a radio frequency identification tag.

7. The firearm storage device of claim 6 wherein said radio frequency identification device is hidden within another object so that it is not readily identifiable.

8. The firearm storage device of claim 7 wherein said radio frequency identification device is hidden within a wristband.

9. The firearm storage device of claim 1 including at least one spring member positioned to bias said door assembly to said open position, whereby said at least one spring is in a deflected position while said door assembly is in said closed position, said spring deflection providing a force causing said door assembly to pop open automatically upon release of said latch assembly.

10. A firearm storage device comprising:

a box assembly having a plurality of side walls and an opening to a hollow inner cavity sized to contain a firearm, said side walls secured together along the edges thereof to form a secure assembly;

a door assembly sized and shaped to cover said opening, said door assembly hingedly connected to said box assembly for movement between an open position and a closed position, said open position allowing access to said hollow inner cavity and said closed position preventing access to said hollow inner cavity,

a latch assembly for retaining said door assembly in said closed position, said latch assembly including at least one lock pin and a catch member, said lock pin and said catch member secured within said inner cavity of said firearm storage device for retaining said door assembly in said closed position, said lock pin having a locked position in which said lock pin overlaps a portion of said catch member to retain said door assembly in said closed position;

a release assembly positioned within said box assembly, said release assembly including an interrogator for wireless communication with a radio frequency identification device, said release assembly being constructed and arranged to provide movement of said lock pin so that said lock pin no longer overlaps said catch member in response to communication with said radio frequency identification device releasing said door assembly to said open position, said release assembly resetting to a locked position upon closure of said door assembly.

11. The firearm storage device of claim 10 wherein said release assembly includes an electric motor for moving said lock pin.

12. The firearm storage device of claim 10 wherein said release assembly includes at least one battery for providing electrical power to said interrogator.

13. The firearm storage device of claim 10 wherein said box assembly includes a power inlet jack, said power inlet jack including a power cord constructed and arranged for electrical communication with a power outlet, said power inlet jack in electrical communication with said release assembly for operation thereof.

14. The firearm storage device of claim 10 wherein said at least one radio frequency identification device for wireless communication with said release assembly is a passive radio frequency identification device.

15. The firearm storage device of claim 14 including at least one spring member positioned to bias said door assembly to said open position.

16. A firearm storage device comprising:

a box assembly having a plurality of closed sides and one open side forming a cavity sized to contain at least one firearm therein,

a door assembly sized and shaped to cover said open side, said door assembly connected to said box assembly for movement between an open position and a closed position, said open position allowing access to said cavity and said closed position preventing access to said cavity,

a latch assembly for retaining said door assembly in said closed position, said latch assembly having at least one movable member that overlaps a portion of said box assembly and said door assembly to maintain said closed position,

a release assembly positioned within said firearm storage device, said release assembly including an interrogator for wireless communication with a radio frequency identification device, said release assembly being constructed and arranged to move said moveable member so that said moveable member no longer overlaps both said portion of said box assembly and said door assembly in response to communication with said radio frequency identification device releasing said door assembly to said open position, said latch assembly resetting to a latched and locked position upon closure of said door assembly.