Portable lock wirelessly connectable to security system

• US 20080066502A1
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas R. Sheehan
• Original Assignee: Thomas R. Sheehan
• Inventors: Sheehan, Thomas R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,543,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 70/49
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 45/005 Chain-locks, cable-locks or padlocks with alarms
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 67/003 Chain, wire or cable locks alarms therefor E05B45/005; E05B69/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/483 Flexible shackle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5004 For antitheft signaling device on protected article
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8216 Tampering detector
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/827 Attention-directing

Abstract

This invention relates to a portable locking device having a wireless transmitter that transmits the condition of the locking device to the receiver of a security system. The locking device comprises non-rigid cable so that it can be easily connected to various objects. Cutting the cable triggers prevents power from reaching the wireless transmitter, and the lack of signal triggers the security system to issue an alarm. The portable locking device comprises parallel armed and disarmed circuits to supply electricity to the wireless transmitter, but the armed circuit is broken if the lock is tampered with or compromised when locked.

Claims

1. A portable locking device comprising:

(a) a housing for retaining a cylindrical latching mechanism, said cylindrical latching mechanism comprising a first end, a first electrically non-conductive spacer, an electrically conductive catch portion, a second electrically non-conductive spacer, and an electrically conductive second end;

(b) said first end of the cylindrical latching mechanism comprising a lock mechanism capable of interacting with a cooperating portion of the housing to lock the cylindrical latching mechanism in place relative to the housing;

(c) said cylindrical latching mechanism positionable between a normal locked position when the lock mechanism is locked, and an unlocked position when the lock mechanism is unlocked;

(d) said housing further defining an opening to the second end of the cylindrical latching mechanism;

(e) said housing further comprising a latch cavity, said latch cavity opening onto the catch portion of the cylindrical latching mechanism;

(f) a flexible cable having proximate and distal ends and an insulated electrically conductive wire within the cable, said insulated wire running from the proximate end to the distal end of the flexible cable, said flexible cable connected at the proximate end to the electrically conductive second end of the cylindrical latching mechanism through the opening in the housing, said flexible cable further connected at the distal end to a latch sized to be removably received within said latch cavity;

(g) said latch comprising an electrically conductive bolt extending therefrom, and one or more magnets about its periphery, said electrically conductive bolt electrically connected to the insulated wire at the distal end of the flexible cable;

(h) said bolt being electrically connected to and retained by contact with the catch portion of the cylindrical latching mechanism when the latch is inserted within the latch cavity and the cylindrical latching mechanism is in the normal locked position, and said bolt not being electrically connected to or retained by the catch portion of the cylindrical latching mechanism when the latch is inserted within the latch cavity and the cylindrical latching mechanism is in the unlocked position;

(i) a wireless transmitter housed within said housing;

a power source housed within said housing;

(k) a normally open magnetic contact switch housed within the housing adjacent to the latch cavity;

(l) an armed circuit and a disarmed circuit, said armed and disarmed circuits being parallel electrical circuits;

(m) said armed circuit being completed only when the latch is inserted within the latch cavity and the cylindrical latching mechanism is in the locked position said armed circuit comprising, in series, the power source, the wireless transmitter, the normally open magnetic contact switch, the catch portion of the cylindrical latching mechanism, the bolt of the latch, the insulated wire of the flexible cable, and the second end of the latching mechanism;

(n) said disarmed circuit being completed only when the cylindrical latching mechanism is in the unlocked position, said disarmed circuit comprising, in series, the power source, the wireless transmitter, and the catch portion of the cylindrical latching mechanism.

2. The portable locking device of claim 1 wherein the wireless transmitter transmits the condition of the portable locking device to a receiver of a security system.

3. The portable locking device of claim 1 wherein the housing further comprises a cylindrical latching mechanism cavity about the latching mechanism, said latching mechanism cavity further comprising a cable contact point, an armed circuit contact point, and first and second disarmed circuit contact points, said electrically conductive catch portion of the cylindrical latching mechanism being in contact with only the armed circuit contact point when the cylindrical latching mechanism is in the locked position, and said electrically conductive catch portion of the cylindrical latching mechanism being in contact with only the first and second disarmed circuit contact points when the cylindrical latching mechanism is in the locked position.

4. The portable locking device of claim 3 wherein the armed circuit further comprises the armed circuit contact point and the cable contact point electrically connected in series.

5. The portable locking device of claim 3 wherein the disarmed circuit further comprises the first and second disarmed circuit contact points electrically connected in series.

6. The portable locking device of claim 1 further comprising a GPS tracking unit housed within the housing, said GPS tracking unit electrically connected to the power source.

7. The portable locking device of claim 1 wherein the housing further comprises a power source cavity for housing the power source, said power source cavity further comprising a removable cavity cover.

8. The portable locking device of claim 7 wherein the removable cavity cover comprises a portion of a wall of the latch cavity.

9. The portable locking device of claim 7 wherein the cavity cover further comprises a solar cell for recharging the power source.

10. The portable locking device of claim 1 wherein the flexible cable has a length between about 4 inches to about 8 feet.

11. The portable locking device of claim 1 wherein the flexible cable comprises an intertwined steel cable with plastic sheeting.

12. A portable locking device comprising:

(a) a hardened housing enclosing a cylindrical latching mechanism cavity, said cylindrical latching mechanism cavity transversing the housing and having openings through the housing at both ends, said openings defined by narrowing abutments at either end of the cylindrical latching mechanism cavity;

(b) said housing further comprising a latch cavity opening into the cylindrical latching mechanism cavity within the housing;

(c) a wireless transmitter housed within an internal transmitter cavity inside said housing;

(d) a power source housed within an internal power source cavity inside said housing, said power source having first and second terminals;

(e) a normally open magnetic contact switch positioned within the housing adjacent to the latch cavity, said normally open magnetic contact switch having first and second terminals;

(f) a cylindrical latching mechanism enclosed within the cylindrical latching mechanism cavity, said cylindrical latching mechanism comprising a first end, said first end adjoined to a first electrically non-conductive spacer, said first electrically non-conductive spacer further adjoining an electrically conductive catch portion, said electrically conductive catch portion further adjoining a second electrically non-conductive spacer, said second electrically non-conductive spacer further adjoining an electrically conductive second end;

(g) said first end of the cylindrical latching mechanism having an internal lock mechanism capable of interacting with a cooperating portion of the housing to lock the cylindrical latching mechanism in place relative to the housing;

(h) said lock mechanism operable between a locked and unlocked condition;

(i) said cylindrical latching mechanism positionable between a normal locked position when the lock mechanism is locked, and an unlocked position when the lock mechanism is unlocked;

(j) said latching mechanism cavity further comprising a cable contact point, an armed circuit contact point, and first and second disarmed circuit contact points, said electrically conductive catch portion of the cylindrical latching mechanism being in contact with only the armed circuit contact point when the cylindrical latching mechanism is in the locked position, and said electrically conductive catch portion of the cylindrical latching mechanism being in contact with only the first and second disarmed circuit contact points when the cylindrical latching mechanism is in the locked position;

(k) a flexible cable having proximate and distal ends and an insulated electrically conductive wire within the cable, said insulated wire running from the proximate end to the distal end of the flexible cable, said flexible cable connected at the proximate end to the electrically conductive second end of the cylindrical latching mechanism through one of the openings in the housing, said flexible cable further connected at the distal end to a latch sized to be removably received within said latch cavity, said latch comprising a base, a top, an electrically conductive bolt extending from the top, and one or more magnets about its periphery between the top and the base, said electrically conductive bolt electrically connected to the insulated wire at the distal end of the flexible cable;

(l) said bolt being electrically connected to and retained by contact with the catch portion of the cylindrical latching mechanism when the latch is inserted within the latch cavity and the cylindrical latching mechanism is in the normal locked position, and said bolt not being electrically connected to or retained by the catch portion of the cylindrical latching mechanism when the latch is inserted within the latch cavity and the cylindrical latching mechanism is in the unlocked position;

(m) parallel armed and disarmed circuits;

(n) said armed circuit comprising a first terminal of the power source, the wireless transmitter, a first terminal of the normally open magnetic contact switch, a second terminal of the normally open magnetic contact switch, the armed circuit contact point, the catch portion of the cylindrical latching mechanism, the bolt of the latch, the insulated wire of the flexible cable, the second end of the latching mechanism, and the second terminal of the power source electrically connected in series;

(o) said armed circuit being completed only when the latch is inserted within the latch cavity and the cylindrical latching mechanism is in the locked position;

(p) said disarmed circuit comprising a first terminal of the power source, the wireless transmitter, the first disarmed circuit contact point, the catch portion of the cylindrical latching mechanism, the second disarmed circuit contact point, and the second terminal of the power source electrically connected in series;

(q) said disarmed circuit being completed only when the cylindrical latching mechanism is in the unlocked position.

13. The portable locking device of claim 12 wherein the wireless transmitter transmits the condition of the portable locking device to a receiver of a security system.

14. The portable locking device of claim 12 wherein the latching mechanism cavity further comprises a cable contact point and wherein the armed circuit further comprises said cable contact point electrically connected in series.

15. The portable locking device of claim 12 further comprising a GPS tracking unit housed within a GPS cavity within the housing, said GPS tracking unit electrically connected to the power source.

16. The portable locking device of claim 12 wherein the power source cavity further comprises a removable cavity cover.

17. The portable locking device of claim 16 wherein the removable cavity cover comprises a portion of a wall of the latch cavity.

18. The portable locking device of claim 16 wherein the cavity cover further comprises a solar cell for recharging the power source.

19. The portable locking device of claim 12 wherein the flexible cable has a length between about 4 inches to about 8 feet.

20. The portable locking device of claim 12 wherein the flexible cable comprises an intertwined steel cable with plastic sheeting.