Lockable container having an integral and internal locking mechanism and methods of use
First Claim
1. A lockable container for securing an asset therein, comprising:
- a first cover;
a second cover coupled to the first cover, wherein the first and second covers are configured to move between an open position which allows access to the asset, and a closed position which encloses the asset;
a locking mate arrangement operatively coupled to at least one of the first and second covers; and
a locking member, wherein the locking member is configured to move between an unlocked position in which the first and second covers can move to the open position and a locked position which locks the first and second covers in the closed position, and wherein the entirety of the locking member is internal to the container in the unlocked position.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A lockable container for securing assets that has an integral and internal locking mechanism and methods of use are provided. An illustrative lockable container may include first and second covers configured to move between an open position, which allows access to the asset, and a closed position, which encloses the asset. The locking mechanism of the lockable container may include a locking mate arrangement operatively coupled to at least one of the first and second covers, and a locking member that is configured to move between an unlocked position and a locked position. The entirety of the locking member may be internal to the container when the locking member is in the unlocked position. A magnetic key arrangement may interact with the locking member to move the locking member between the unlocked and locked positions.
128 Citations
130 Claims
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1. A lockable container for securing an asset therein, comprising:
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a first cover;
a second cover coupled to the first cover, wherein the first and second covers are configured to move between an open position which allows access to the asset, and a closed position which encloses the asset;
a locking mate arrangement operatively coupled to at least one of the first and second covers; and
a locking member, wherein the locking member is configured to move between an unlocked position in which the first and second covers can move to the open position and a locked position which locks the first and second covers in the closed position, and wherein the entirety of the locking member is internal to the container in the unlocked position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for securing an asset within a container, comprising:
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providing a lockable container having a first cover, a second cover coupled to the first cover, a locking mate arrangement operatively coupled to at least one of the first and second covers, and a locking member, wherein the first and second covers are in a closed position which encloses the asset, and wherein the locking member is in an unlocked position in which the first and second covers can move to an open position and in which the entirety of the locking member is internal to the container; and
moving the locking member from the unlocked position to a locked position to lock the first and second covers in the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. A method for accessing an asset from within a container, comprising:
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providing a lockable container having a first cover, a second cover coupled to the first cover, a locking mate arrangement operatively coupled to at least one of the first and second covers, and a locking member, wherein the first and second covers are in a closed position which encloses the asset, and wherein the locking member is in a locked position which locks the first and second covers in the closed position; and
moving the locking member from the locked position to an unlocked position in which the first and second covers can move to an open position, wherein the entirety of the locking member is internal to the container in the unlocked position. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95)
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96. A lockable container for securing an asset, comprising:
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a base portion having a locked position receptacle;
a cover pivotally coupled to the base portion to enclose the asset in the container;
a locking mate arrangement coupled to at least one of the cover and the base portion, the locking mate arrangement having at least one tab portion; and
a locking member slideably coupled to at least one of the cover and the base portion, the locking member being arranged entirely within the container and configured to detachably couple to the locking mate arrangement to secure the cover to the base portion, thereby retaining the asset within the container, the locking member further comprising;
at least one engagement structure configured to engage the at least one tab portion;
at least one first magnetically attractable portion configured to magnetically interact with a corresponding first magnet arrangement of an external key arrangement;
at least one resilient locked position flange biased into a locking state, the locked position flange being configured to selectively engage the locked position receptacle to prevent the locking member from sliding into an unlocked position once in a locked position; and
wherein the locking member is configured to be acted upon by the external key arrangement to selectively position the locking member into one of the locked position and the unlocked position with respect to the locking mate arrangement.
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97. A key arrangement for at least one of locking and unlocking a container, comprising:
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a receptacle arrangement configured to receive the container, the receptacle arrangement having at least one magnet arrangement configured to at least one of lock and unlock the container;
a processing arrangement;
a lock/unlock detection arrangement configured to detect a locking state of the container and to communicate a signal to the processing arrangement in accordance with the locking state; and
a user interface arrangement in communication with the processing arrangement and configured to communicate the locking state of the container to a user. - View Dependent Claims (98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106)
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107. A system for securing and gaining access to an asset, comprising:
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a lockable container for securing an asset having a first cover, a second cover pivotally coupled to the first cover to enclose the asset within the container, a locking mate arrangement coupled to at least one of the first and second covers, and a locking member slideably coupled to at least one of the first and second covers, wherein the locking member is configured to detachably couple to the locking mate arrangement to secure the first cover to second cover, thereby retaining the asset item within the container; and
a key arrangement for at least one of locking and unlocking the container, the key arrangement having a receptacle arrangement configured to receive the container, wherein the receptacle arrangement has at least one magnet arrangement configured to at least one of lock and unlock the container;
wherein the locking member is configured to be acted upon by the external key arrangement to selectively position the locking member into one of a locked position and an unlocked position with respect to the locking mate arrangement;
and wherein the entirety of the locking member is internal to the container in the unlocked position.
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108. A method for securing an asset within a container, comprising:
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providing a lockable container having a first cover, a second cover pivotally coupled to the first cover to enclose the asset within the container, a locking mate arrangement coupled to at least one of the first and second covers, and a locking member slideably coupled to at least one of the first and second covers, wherein the locking member is in an unlocked position, and wherein the entirety of the locking member is internal to the container when the locking member is in the unlocked position;
providing a key arrangement for unlocking the container, the key arrangement having a receptacle arrangement, wherein the receptacle arrangement has at least one magnet arrangement;
positioning the container within the receptacle arrangement;
acting upon the container with the at least one magnet arrangement to move the locking member from the unlocked position into a locked position with respect to the locking mate arrangement, such that the locking member engages the locking mate arrangement to secure the first cover to the second cover.
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109. A method for providing access to an asset from within a container, comprising:
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providing a lockable container having a first cover, a second cover pivotally coupled to the first cover to enclose the asset within the container, a locking mate arrangement coupled to at least one of the first and second covers, and a locking member slideably coupled to at least one of the first and second covers, wherein the entirety of the locking member is internal to the container in an unlocked position, and wherein the locking member engages the locking mate arrangement to secure the first cover to the second cover in a locked position;
providing a key arrangement for unlocking the container, the key arrangement having a receptacle arrangement, wherein the receptacle arrangement has at least one magnet arrangement;
positioning the container within the receptacle arrangement;
acting upon the container with the at least one magnet arrangement to move the locking member from the locked position into the unlocked position with respect to the locking mate arrangement.
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110. A lockable container for securing an asset, comprising:
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a first cover;
a second cover coupled to the first cover, the first and second covers configured to move between an open position which allows access to the asset and a closed position which encloses the asset;
at least one tab portion coupled to the first cover;
at least one corresponding tab portion coupled to the second cover; and
a locking member operatively coupled to at least one of the first and second covers, wherein the locking member has a trap portion and a release portion, wherein the locking member is configured to move between an unlocked position in which the first and second covers can move to the open position and a locked position which locks the container in the closed position, and wherein the entirety of the locking member is internal to the container in the unlocked position. - View Dependent Claims (111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121)
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122. A lockable container for securing an asset therein, comprising:
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a receptacle, wherein the receptacle has an open configuration which allows access to the asset and a closed configuration which encloses the asset;
a locking mate arrangement operatively coupled to the receptacle; and
a locking member, wherein the locking member is configured to move between an unlocked position in which the receptacle is in the open configuration and a locked position which locks the receptacle in the closed configuration, and wherein the entirety of the locking member is internal to the container in the unlocked position.
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123. A key arrangement for at least one of locking and unlocking a container, the container having a receptacle, wherein the receptacle has an open configuration which allows access to an asset and a closed configuration which encloses the asset, and the container having a locking member that is configured to move between an unlocked position in which the receptacle is in the open configuration and a locked position which locks the receptacle in the closed configuration, wherein the locking member has at least one magnetically attractable portion, the key arrangement comprising:
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a channel portion, wherein the channel portion is configured to receive the container; and
at least one magnetic arrangement, wherein the at least one magnetic arrangement is configured to hold the at least one magnetically attractable portion of the locking member within a magnetic field created by the at least one magnetic arrangement while the container slides through the channel, thereby positioning the locking member in at least one of the locked and unlocked positions. - View Dependent Claims (124, 125, 126)
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127. A method for at least one of locking and unlocking a container, the container having a receptacle, wherein the receptacle has an open configuration which allows access to an asset and a closed configuration which encloses the asset, and the container having a locking member that is configured to move between an unlocked position in which the receptacle is in the open configuration and a locked position which locks the receptacle in the closed configuration, wherein the locking member has at least one magnetically attractable portion, the method comprising:
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providing a key arrangement having a channel portion and at least one magnetic arrangement;
positioning the container within the channel portion;
holding the at least one magnetically attractable portion of the locking member within a magnetic field created by the at least one magnetic arrangement; and
while holding the at least one magnetically attractable portion of the locking member within the magnetic field created by the at least one magnetic arrangement, sliding the container through the channel such that the locking member attains at least one of the locked and unlocked positions. - View Dependent Claims (128, 129, 130)
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Specification