Cluster box mail delivery unit having security features

• US 20060101874A1
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Mikolajczyk, Ryszard K., Baskerville, Taurris D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,661,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 70/84
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/1201 Letter-box assemblies for apartment buildings
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 11/02 before the wing is locked
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/2088 Means to prevent disengagement of lock and keeper E05B63/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2015/023 Keeper shape
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 35/08 operable by a plurality of keys
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 63/0013 Locks with rotary bolt without provision for latching
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 63/14 Arrangement of several locks or locks with several bolts, e.g. arranged one behind the other locks having bolts with multiple head E05B15/108; with provision for latching E05B59/00, E05B61/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 7/04 for wings which abut when closed pillarless vehicle doors E05B83/38
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 9/026 comprising key-operated locks, e.g. a lock cylinder to drive auxiliary deadbolts or latch bolts E05C9/023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 1/08 secured individually
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 5/113 Arrangements at the edges of the wings, e.g. with door guards to prevent the insertion of prying tools protection of the locking region by preventing insertion of a tool E05B17/2003; means to prevent forced opening by attack, tampering or jimmying of lock E05B17/2084; anti-tamper devices arranged on or near the hinges E05D11/0018
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0853 Link and lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0862 Swinging and hooked end, multiple head
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0922 Operating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0946 Link and lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1076 Link and lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/432 Sliding catch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5097 Cabinet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5102 Projecting lug type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5111 Projectable bolt
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5124 : Swinging and hooked end
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5217 : Swinging dead bolt
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5341 : Key operable only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5354 : With hooked end
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5363 : Key operable only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7915 : Tampering prevention or attack defeating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7921 : Armoring

Abstract

An apparatus and method for enhancing the security of a cluster box unit which includes a protective enclosure, internal cabinetry, door, hinge and locking system. The cluster box unit may also include outgoing mail compartment doors that are heavily constructed and rigidly reinforced, with the locks carried thereon protectively shielded, and with the extensible bolts of these locks being engaged by brackets that not only lock the outgoing mail compartment doors but also the master loading doors of the cluster box units. The cluster box unit may also include master loading doors are provided with hinges that extend the full height of the doors—hinges that are defined by pivotally interfitting elements of extrusions that very sturdily mount the master loading doors, that prevent prying or bending the doors in the vicinities of their hinges. The interfitting elements of the hinge extrusions also permit the doors to be installed on their surrounding door frames quickly and easily, and permit one or both of the master loading doors to be quickly and easily removed for service or replacement when necessary.

Claims

1. A latch system for a cluster box mail delivery unit, the cluster box mail delivery unit including a top wall, a bottom wall, two sidewalls, a back side, and a front face having at least one door, comprising:

an upstanding extrusion having a front wall;

a plurality of front wall openings formed through the front wall;

a slide member movably mounted adjacent said upstanding extrusion;

a plurality of slide openings formed through the slide member and disposed proximal the front wall openings;

a plurality of wear plates mounted to said front wall and disposed proximal the front wall openings;

an operating handle connected to the slide member to align the slide openings with the front wall openings; and

a plurality of latch formations configured to align and pass through the front wall openings and slide openings,

the upstanding extrusion being mounted to an internal surface of the cluster box mail delivery unit spanning the top wall and the bottom wall and the latch formations being mounted to the at least one door of the cluster box mail delivery unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the latch formations have an arrowhead shape.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said arrowhead shape is sized to interlock with the slide member when the slide member is passed through the slide openings.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operating handle further comprises:

a front wall substantially parallel to a plane which includes the front wall of the upstanding extrusion; and

an extending handle formation configured to be substantially in a plane perpendicular to the front wall of the operating handle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the slide member is configured to have free falling movement.

6. A cluster box mail delivery unit locking system for retaining a closure in a closed position, comprising:

a cam latch connectable to the closure for pivotal movement about a first pivot axis between a latched position and an unlatched position, the system including a strike for engaging with the cam latch in the latched position, and disengaging from the cam latch in the unlatched position;

a key-turnable member connectable to the closure and connected to an operating arm for pivoting the operating arm relative to the closure about a second pivot axis spaced from the first pivot axis between a normal position and an operated position;

a linkage connectable to the operating arm and the cam latch for pivoting the cam latch from the latched position to the unlatched position in response to pivotal movement of the operating arm from the normal position to the operated position, and for pivoting the cam latch from the unlatched position to the latched position in response to pivotal movement of the operating arm from the operated position to the normal position;

a mounting member connectable to the closure for defining an externally threaded surface that extends substantially concentrically about the first pivot axis; and

,

an internally threaded passage formed through the cam latch and configured to be threaded onto the externally threaded surface of the mounting member for mounting the cam latch on the closure for pivotal movement between the latched and unlatched positions.

7. The locking system of claim 6, wherein the cam latch has a latching portion configured to extend into latched engagement with a first receiving formation of the strike when the cam latch is in the latched position.

8. The locking system of claim 7, wherein the latching portion of the cam latch defines a projection that extends toward the first pivot axis for engaging a second receiving formation of the strike if the cam latch is moved away from the strike while the cam latch is in the latched position.

9. The locking system of claim 6, wherein the strike defines an elongated slot through which a hook-shaped portion of the cam latch extends when the cam latch is pivoted to the latched position, and from which the hook-shaped portion withdraws when the cam latch is pivoted to the unlatched position.

10. The locking system of claim 9, wherein the strike also defines a receiving formation located near the elongated slot, wherein the hook-shaped portion includes an end region that faces toward the receiving formation when the cam latch is pivoted to the latched position, and wherein the receiving formation is configured to receive the end region if force is applied to separate the closure and the strike while the cam latch is in the latched position.

11. The locking system of claim 6, wherein the strike includes an elongated first opening and a second opening located relatively near the first opening, wherein the cam latch has a latching portion that is movable into and out of the first opening when the cam is pivoted to and from the latched position, and wherein the latching portion of the cam latch has a projecting portion that moves through the first opening and extends toward the second opening as the cam latch pivots about the first pivot axis from the unlatched position to the latched position, with the projecting portion being configured to move into the second opening if a closure on which the cam latch is mounted is pried away from a structure to which the strike is connected at a time when the cam latch is in the latched position.

12. The locking system of claim 6, wherein the strike defines a slot through which a latching portion of the cam latch moves when pivoting into and out of the latched position, and wherein the alignment of the latching portion of the cam latch with the slot of the strike can be adjusted by altering the axial position of the cam latch along the first pivot axis by threading the cam latch along the threaded external surface of the mounting member.

13. The locking system of claim 6, wherein the operating arm is configured to move alongside a normally extended but retractable slide bolt of a key operated lock when the key operated lock is installed on the closure, with the operating arm carrying a stop formation configured to engage a side surface of the extended slide bolt when the operating arm is pivoted to the operated position, with the engagement of the stop formation and the side surface of the extended slide bolt preventing the operating arm from pivoting out of the operated position toward the normal position until the retractable slide bolt of the key operated lock is retracted to move the side surface of the slide bolt out of engagement with the stop formation.

14. The locking system of claim 6, wherein the operating arm carries a stop formation configured to engage a side surface of an extended slide bolt of a lock assembly installed on the closure, which engagement blocks pivotal movement of the operating arm from the operated position to the normal position until the slide bolt has been retracted out of a path of movement followed by the stop formation when the operating arm is pivoted from the operated position to the normal position.

15. The locking system of claim 6, further comprising:

an auxiliary mount connectable to the closure for defining an auxiliary threaded surface extending substantially concentrically about a third pivot axis spaced from the first and second pivot axes;

an auxiliary cam configured substantially the same as the cam latch and threaded onto the auxiliary threaded surface; and

an elongated connector pivotally coupled to the cam latch and to the auxiliary cam for pivoting the auxiliary cam between latching and unlatching positions concurrently with pivoting of the cam latch between the latched and unlatched positions, the auxiliary cam being operable to engage the strike when the cam latch engages the strike to assist in retaining the closure in the closed position.

16. A method of accessing a cluster box mail delivery unit including a top wall, a bottom wall, two sidewalls, a back side and a front face having at least one door with a pivotable end and lockable end, comprising:

reaching through an opening of the at least one door;

grasping an operating handle connected to a slide having a plurality of slide openings, wherein, the slide substantially spans the top wall to the bottom wall of the cluster box mail delivery unit, and the at least one door has a plurality of latch formations disposed proximal the lockable end;

moving said operating handle to simultaneously move the slide, and thereby position the slide openings to allow the latch formations to pass therethrough; and

pivoting the at least one door to an open position.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the latch formations have an arrowhead shape.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said arrowhead shape is sized to interlock with the slide when passed through the slide openings.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the operating handle further comprises:

a front wall; and

an extending handle formation configured to be substantially in a plane perpendicular to said front wall.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the slide is configured to have free falling movement.