Internal locking apparatus and methods for making and using same

• US 20070109097A1
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innerloc, LLC
• Original Assignee: Innerloc LLC A Texas Limited Liability Corporation
• Inventors: Coutermarsh, Richard, Eastman, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,284,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.730
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/002 Geared transmissions
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0058 by batteries
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0001 with electric actuators; Constructional features thereof for vehicles E05B81/04
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0012 with rotary electromotors actuators with rotary electromotors per se H02K7/06, H02K23/68
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/026 the bolt moving rectilinearly
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/52 Pneumatic or hydraulic circuits for locking several wings simultaneously E05B77/50
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/02 Locks for railway freight-cars, freight containers or the like; Locks for the cargo compartments of commercial lorries, trucks or vans
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7062 Electrical type [e.g., solenoid]

Abstract

An internal locking system is disclosed, which utilizes electromechanical locking devices to lock and unlock lockable openings.

Claims

1. An internal locking apparatus comprising:

a locking system adapted to be mounted in an interior adjacent an openable member of a container and to transition between a first state and a second state, a locked state and an unlocked state,

an electronic control system includes a command generator component adapted generate commands to the locking system causing the locking system to transition between its two states, and

a power supply adapted to provide electric power to the locking system and the electronic control system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locking system is an electro-mechanical device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electro-mechanical device is selected from the group consisting of a worm screw drive, a linear actuator drive, a cam drive, and mixtures or combinations thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of locking systems adapted to be mounted in the interior of the container in a spaced apart manner adjacent the openable member, where each locking system is capable of independently transitioning between a first state and a second state, a locked state and an unlocked state.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the electronic control system is adapted to issue commands to the plurality of locking systems to cause the locking systems to simultaneously or near simultaneously transition between their two states.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the electronic control system is adapted to issue commands to the plurality of locking systems to cause the locking systems to sequentially transition between their two states.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the container is selected from the group consisting of a truck trailer, a cargo container, a building, a room, and storage area.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the openable member is a door.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic control system further includes a receiver component capable of receiving an activation signal, where the activation signal causes the electronic control system to issue a state transition command to the locking system.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic control system further includes a transmitter component capable of transmitting a completion signal and optionally capable of transmitting on request, intermittently, periodically or continuously a status signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic control system further includes

a receiver component capable of receiving an activation signal and a verification signal, where the activation signal causes the command generator component to either issue a state transition command to the locking system or an authentication command and the verification signal causes the command generator component to issue a state transition command to the locking system, and

a transmitter component capable of transmitting an authentication signal upon receiving an authentication command from the command generation component, where authentication signal is adapted to authenticate the activation signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic control further includes an external entry component where the external entry component is in communication with the other components of the electronic control system and is capable of generating a state transition signal to command generator component, causing the locking system to transition between its two states.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external entry component includes an authentication component for authenticating use of the external entry component.