Lock Mechanism
First Claim
1. A lock mechanism for use with a component to be locked by the mechanism and which is securable to the lock mechanism or is releasable therefrom, which lock mechanism comprises:
- a housing having a bore;
a retaining member siidably received in said bore for movement between a first position where the retaining member is engagleable with said component and a second position where the retaining member is disposed deeper in the bore and cannot be disengaged from said engaged component;
a catch member movable between active and inactive positions, said catch member being in its inactive position when the retaining member is in its first position but on moving the retaining member to its second position the catch member moves to its active position engaged with the retaining member to hold the retaining member in its second position, and on moving said catch member back to its inactive position again the retaining member is freed for movement to its first position;
an auxiliary lock for the retaining members, auxiliary lock being operable to hold the retaining member in its second position irrespective of operation of the catch member to its inactive position;
an indicator for indicating the locking condition of the mechanism and having at least two indicating states; and
an electronic control unit driving said indicator and having an input derived from said catch member to indicate when the catch member is in its active position, said control unit further being responsive to an external signal to effect sealing of the lock mechanism and to operate the auxiliary lock, whereby a first indicating state of the indicator shows whether sealing of the lock mechanism is intact and a second indicating state shows whether an attempt has been made to release the lock mechanism since the lock mechanism was last sealed.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A lock mechanism for sealing a goods compartment has a housing (10) supporting a shackle (62) movable between open and closed positions to permit hoops on the ends of an elongate sealing member (44) to be connected thereto and then held thereby. The shackle (62) is retained in its closed position by a spying loaded push-button (32) and also by an auxiliary lock (64) including an electric actuator (71) controlled by a control unit (15). The housing (10) has a display device (17,18,19) to indicate the lacking condition and sealing of the mechanism and also has a proximity card reader adapted to read information from a presented smartcard, operation of the auxiliary lock (64) being controlled by presentation of an appropriate smartcard.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A lock mechanism for use with a component to be locked by the mechanism and which is securable to the lock mechanism or is releasable therefrom, which lock mechanism comprises:
-
a housing having a bore; a retaining member siidably received in said bore for movement between a first position where the retaining member is engagleable with said component and a second position where the retaining member is disposed deeper in the bore and cannot be disengaged from said engaged component; a catch member movable between active and inactive positions, said catch member being in its inactive position when the retaining member is in its first position but on moving the retaining member to its second position the catch member moves to its active position engaged with the retaining member to hold the retaining member in its second position, and on moving said catch member back to its inactive position again the retaining member is freed for movement to its first position; an auxiliary lock for the retaining members, auxiliary lock being operable to hold the retaining member in its second position irrespective of operation of the catch member to its inactive position; an indicator for indicating the locking condition of the mechanism and having at least two indicating states; and an electronic control unit driving said indicator and having an input derived from said catch member to indicate when the catch member is in its active position, said control unit further being responsive to an external signal to effect sealing of the lock mechanism and to operate the auxiliary lock, whereby a first indicating state of the indicator shows whether sealing of the lock mechanism is intact and a second indicating state shows whether an attempt has been made to release the lock mechanism since the lock mechanism was last sealed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
Specification