Secure public storage lockers

• US 20020095960A1
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven Grover
• Original Assignee: Steven Grover
• Inventors: Grover, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 6,779,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 70/233
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 3/08 involving recesses or channelled rails for embracing the bottom part of a wheel
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/005 Garages for vehicles on two wheels
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0603 the detent moving rectilinearly
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 71/00 Locks specially adapted for bicycles, other than padlocks locks integral with holders for parking or storing bicycles B62H3/00; locks integral with cycles B62H5/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 9/02 with one sliding bar for fastening when moved in one direction and unfastening when moved in opposite direction; with two sliding bars moved in the same direction when fastening or unfastening
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/12 comprising lockable containers, e.g. for accepting clothes to be cleaned
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 52/14 Shelter shaped to article configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/432 Sliding catch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5872 For cycles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7068 Actuated after correct combination recognized [e.g., numerical, alphabetical, or magnet[s] pattern]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7073 Including use of a key

Abstract

Public storage lockers are designed particularly for storage of bicycles, such as at a public transportation terminal. In a preferred embodiment the storage lockers are on-demand, lockable by a user who must unlock the locker using the same electronic key and who must unlock the locker before using the key for any other locker. The lockers are visually open, with a secure screen or mesh on the locker door and optionally on walls and top cover. This reveals that the bike locker is occupied and prevents the use of the locker for unauthorized, privacy-requiring activities. The bike enclosure has a floor wheel guide for conveniently loading the bike, and a special door latch mechanism which provides for security by including a latch bar in a fixed frame, while a latch bar lifter, operable to permit door opening when the lock is unlocked, is on the door. The door lock is always locked, in an available locked mode or an unavailable locked mode, except when unlocked for only a few seconds before the lock automatically locks down the latch bar again, so the door is locked as soon as re-closed. LED status indicator lights can be included. Preferably the lock and the electronic keys have logic which prevents use of the key if the user fails to reopen the lock within a prescribed period of time, and other safeguards.

Claims

1. A locker with a door and latch, comprising:

a locker enclosure,

a door frame outlining an access opening,

a locker door pivotally connected to the frame at one edge, along a vertical axis, and configured to close adjacent to the frame,

a door edge opposite the pivot axis with a movable handle near the door edge, mounted on the door for movement by a user to access the locker when permitted,

a generally vertically oriented latch bar within the frame, with means for urging the latch bar toward a normal position,

a lock mounted in the frame, generally adjacent to the latch bar, the lock being effective to prevent vertical movement of the latch bar except when the lock is accessed to a release mode,

a latch hook secured to the door near said opposite edge, with an angled, sloped-back forward edge and with a back edge opposite the sloped edge such that a high point is defined between the sloped-back forward edge and the back edge, for receiving a latch member against said back edge and preventing opening of the door, and an opening in the frame for entry of the latch hook as the door is closed,

a latch member within the frame, positioned to be engaged by the latch hook when the door is closed, and cam means acting between the latch hook and the latch member for camming the latch hook'"'"'s forward edge over the latch member such that one of the latch hook and the latch member moves as the latch member slides over the latch hook'"'"'s forward edge to accommodate closure of the door until the latch member passes over said high point and reaches said back edge of the latch hook, with spring means for urging the relative positions of the latch member and latch hook such that the latch member engages against said back edge of the latch hook to latch the door closed,

means on the latch bar for moving the latch member clear of the latch hook when the lock is accessed and the latch bar is moved, thus permitting opening of the door, and

the handle having a connected latch bar shifter which extends into the frame when the door is closed and which engages with the latch bar and is effective to shift the position of the latch bar to release the latch member when the handle is moved, as permitted by accessing of the lock.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the latch bar has a normal lower position, retained by gravity as said means for urging the latch bar, with the lock normally preventing lifting of the latch bar, and wherein the handle has a normal lower position and is permitted upward sliding movement when the lock is accessed, allowing the handle, latch bar shifter and latch bar to be lifted upwardly to lift the latch member clear of the latch hook, whereby the latch bar shifter pulls away from and disengages from the latch bar as the door is opened, and the latch bar drops by gravity back to the normal lower position.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the lock has a spring-loaded bolt slidable generally horizontally, the bolt normally engaging adjacent to the latch bar to prevent lifting of the latch bar except when the blocking member is retracted by successfully accessing the lock.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locker door is configured to close into a space surrounded by the frame such that the door and frame surfaces are essentially flush at the outside of the locker when closed.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the latch bar shifter is of a limited length such that it is adapted to pull away from and disengage from the latch bar, allowing the latch bar to return to normal position essentially before said opposite door edge moves fully out from the surrounding frame.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame encases the latch bar, lock and latch member so as to render them inaccessible to a user even when the door is open.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of latch hooks and latch members are included, at vertically spaced locations along the latch bar.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the latch member is positioned generally within the latch bar.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the latch hook comprises a vertically reciprocable plunger having said sloped back forward edge, and including a jamb housing within which the plunger is reciprocable, with a compression spring within the jamb housing urging the plunger in a direction effective to latch the door when the door is closed, and the latch member comprising a member fixed to the latch bar.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the latch member is mounted to permit generally vertical movement in the frame, and said spring means urging the latch member toward a position to latch the door when the door is closed, and the latch hook being fixedly secured to the door.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spring means comprises a compression spring.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame encases the latch bar, lock and latch member so as to render them inaccessible to a user even when the door is open, the frame including an inner side with an access panel secured over the latch bar, lock and latch member, with locking means for returning the access panel in place.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locker enclosure comprises a locker frame defining a shape for the locker, including walls and a roof, and infill material secured to the locker frame to form the enclosure.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the infill material is translucent so as to allow at least some light through and to permit visual observation of the interior of the enclosure.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the locker door includes said infill material.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the infill material comprises a metal mesh.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the infill material comprises transparent plastic.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the locker enclosure is of a shape and size to store a bicycle with the front of the bicycle oriented toward the door.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locker enclosure is of a shape and size to store a bicycle with the front of the bicycle oriented toward the door.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the locker enclosure is generally triangular.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lock comprises an electronic lock.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means on the latch bar for moving the latch member comprises the latch member being fixed to the latch bar.

25. The system of claim 24, further including means in the system for preventing a user with a personal key device from using more than one storage locker in the system at one time.

26. The system of claim 24, further including means associated with each electronic lock for limiting the duration of the unavailable locked mode, and preventing re-accessing of the lock in the unavailable locked mode by said same user after expiration of a preselected period of time.

27. The system of claim 24, further including LEDs connected to each electronic lock, indicating status as unavailable locked mode or available locked mode.

28. The system of claim 24, in combination with a mechanical latch mechanism associated with each door, the latch mechanism being biased to a latched position and the door being spring-biased toward closure such that the open door when released closes and latches to the locked mode.

23. A locker with a door and latch, comprising:

a locker enclosure,

a door frame outlining an access opening,

a locker door pivotally connected to the frame at one edge, and configured to close adjacent to the frame,

a door edge opposite the pivot axis with a movable handle near the door edge, mounted on the door for movement by a user to access the locker when permitted,

a movable latch element within the frame, with means urging the movable latch element toward a normal position,

a lock mounted in the frame, generally adjacent to the movable latch element, the lock being effective to prevent movement of the latch element from its normal position except when the lock is accessed to a release mode,

a latch hook secured to the door near said opposite edge, with an angled, sloped-back forward edge and the latch hook being mounted on the door for reciprocable movement toward and away from a latching position and being spring-biased toward the latching position, and the latch hook having a back edge opposite the sloped edge for receiving a latch member engaged against the back edge so as to prevent opening of the door, and an opening in the frame for entry of the latch hook as the door is closed,

a latch member within the frame, fixed to the latch element and positioned to be engaged by the latch hook when the door is closed and to cam over the sloped edge as the door is closed such that the latch hook is cammed away from the latching position until it passes the latch member and returns to the latching position engaging the back edge of the latch hook against the latch member, so that as the door is closed it briefly cams and shifts the latch hook until the latch hook snaps back, engaged with the back edge of the latch hook,

the latch element being effective when the movable latch element is moved to move the latch member clear of the latch hook, thus permitting opening of the door, and

the handle having a connected latch element shifter which extends into the frame when the door is closed and which engages with the movable latch element and is effective to shift the position of the movable latch element to release the latch member when the handle is moved, as permitted by accessing of the lock.

24. A system of on-demand public storage lockers, comprising:

a series of storage lockers which are locked whenever closed, each said locker having a door and an electronic lock for the door having two locked modes including an available locked mode and an unavailable locked mode,

a series of key devices for accessing the electronic locks of the lockers, each key device being unique and being capable of accessing any of the electronic locks, such that a personal key device can be issued to each of a number of persons to be permitted access to all of the storage lockers, and

each electronic lock having means for storing the unique code of a user'"'"'s key device when opened from the available locked mode, for entering the unavailable locked mode, for allowing re-accessing of that lock by the same user at a later time, and for preventing access to that lock by any other user'"'"'s personal key device prior to re-accessing by the same user.