REMOTE-ACTIVATION LOCK SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20100300159A1
• Filed: 05/21/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proteqt Technologies, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Proteqt Technologies, Incorporated
• Inventors: Howard, John R., Keenan, Paul A., Vogel, David A., Reynolds, Christopher H., Lin, Jibing, Berg, John S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,371,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 70/58
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 163/00 Adhesives based on epoxy resins; Adhesives based on derivatives of epoxy resins
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 175/04 Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 9/02 Electrically-conducting adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0094 Mechanical aspects of remotely controlled locks electronic locks G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/02 Movement of the bolt by electromagnetic means; Adaptation of locks, latches, or parts thereof, for movement of the bolt by electromagnetic means by means in the striker E05B63/248
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/006 for covers or panels for manholes E02D29/1427; for holes enabling access to installations in buildings E04F19/08; for pressure vessels F16J13/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 73/0017 Anti-theft devices, e.g. tags or monitors, fixed to articles, e.g. clothes, and to be removed at the check-out of shops
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/16 Devices holding the wing by magnetic or electromagnetic attraction E05C17/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2848 Three or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5009 For portable articles

Abstract

Remote-activation locks designed to permit unlocking and/or locking of the lock without physical manipulation of the lock are articulated to a product/good in a manner so as to deny one or more benefits associated with the product/good.

Claims

1. An energy-releasable adhesive mixture comprising:

an adhesive base;

at least one polar polymer substantially uniformly dispersed throughout said adhesive base;

at least one non-polar polymer substantially uniformly dispersed throughout said adhesive base; and

at least one electrically conductive material substantially uniformly dispersed throughout said adhesive base;

wherein said adhesive mixture can transition from a first physiochemical state to a second physiochemical state upon application of a transmitted energy.

2. An energy-releasable adhesive mixture of claim 1, wherein the polar polymer is selected from one or more of the group consisting of:

polyether polyols, polyester polyols, polycarbonate polyols, and amine terminated polyols.

3. An energy-releasable adhesive mixture of claim 1, wherein the non-polar polymer is selected from one or more of the group consisting of:

silicone polyols, fluorinated polyols, polybutadiene polyols, carboxy terminated polybutadienes, isocyanate-terminated polybutadienes, and melanized polybutadienes.

4. An energy-releasable adhesive mixture of claim 1, wherein the electrically conducting material is selected from the one or more of the group consisting of:

conductive salts, metal particles, metal wires, nanowires, and carbon nanotubes.

5. An energy-releasable adhesive mixture of claim 1 wherein said adhesive mixture can transition between a first state and a second state upon application of a transmitted specific profile of electro-magnetic energy.

6. An energy-releasable adhesive mixture of claim 1, wherein said first physiochemical state is a first adhesion state and the second physiochemical state is a distinctly different second adhesion state.

7. An energy-releasable adhesive mixture of claim 1, wherein said first physiochemical state is a first density state and the second physiochemical state is a distinctly different second density state.

8. A laminate comprising:

a magnetostrictive layer having a top longitudinal surface and a bottom longitudinal surface;

an electrostrictive layer having a top longitudinal surface and a bottom longitudinal surface, said top longitudinal surface of said electrostrictive layer being coupled to said bottom longitudinal surface of said magnetostrictive layer;

an adhesive mixture layer having a top longitudinal surface and a bottom longitudinal surface, said adhesive mixture layer top longitudinal surface coupled to said bottom longitudinal surface of said electrostrictive layer;

said adhesive mixture layer comprising;

an adhesive base;

at least one polar polymer substantially uniformly dispersed throughout said adhesive base;

at least one non-polar polymer substantially uniformly dispersed throughout said adhesive base; and

at least one electrically conductive material substantially uniformly dispersed throughout said adhesive base;

wherein said adhesive mixture can transition from a first physiochemical state to a second physiochemical state upon application of a transmitted energy.

9. A laminate in accordance with claim 8, wherein said adhesive mixture can transition between a first density and a second density upon application of a transmitted specific profile of electro-magnetic energy.

10. A laminate in accordance with claim 8, wherein said adhesive mixture transitions from a first adhesion state to second adhesion state.

11. A laminate in accordance with claim 8, wherein the polar polymers of said adhesive mixture is selected from the one or more of the group consisting of:

polyether polyols, polyester polyols, polycarbonate polyols, and amine terminated polyols.

12. A laminate in accordance with claim 8, wherein the non-polar polymer of said adhesive mixture is selected from the one or more of the group consisting of:

silicone polyols, fluorinated polyols, polybutadiene polyols, carboxy terminated polybutadienes, isocyanate-terminated polybutadienes, and melanized polybutadienes.

13. A laminate in accordance with claim 8, wherein the electrically conducting material of said adhesive mixture is selected from the one or more of the group consisting of:

conductive salts, metal particles, metal wires, nanowires, and carbon nanotubes.

14. A method for denying full benefit of use of a product until such full benefit is authorized:

obtaining a lock comprising;

an energy-releasable adhesive mixture comprising;

an adhesive base;

at least one polar polymer substantially uniformly dispersed throughout an adhesive base;

at least one non-polar polymer substantially uniformly dispersed throughout an adhesive base; and

at least one electrically conductive material substantially uniformly dispersed throughout said adhesive base;

 

wherein said adhesive mixture is formulated so as to be capable of transition from a first physiochemical state to a second physiochemical state upon application of a transmitted energy;

and

 

a protection structure configured to interact with at least a portion of said product, wherein at least along one surface thereof is configured to contact one or more portions of said product or other part of said protection structure through said adhesive mixture in a manner so as to physically prevent full use of said product when said adhesive is its first physicochemical state but not when it is in its second physiochemical state;

interfacing said lock with said product; and

allowing said adhesive to enter into its first physicochemical state.

15. A method for permitting full benefit of use of a product which is locked by a lock comprising

an energy-releasable adhesive mixture formulated so as to be capable of transition from a first physiochemical state to a second physiochemical state upon application of a transmitted energy;

and

a protection structure configured to interact with at least a portion of said product, wherein at least along one surface thereof is configured to contact one or more portions of said product or other part of said protection structure through said adhesive mixture in a manner so as to physically prevent full use of said product when said adhesive is its first physiochemical state but not when it is in its second physiochemical state;

said method comprising the steps of;

automatically determining the energy necessary for transitioning said adhesive mixture from said first physiochemical state to said second physiochemical state;

automatically transmitting energy to said locked product capable of transitioning said adhesive mixture from its first physiochemical state to its second physiochemical state; and

confirming said protection structure is no longer interacting with said at least one portion of said product so as to interfere with full use of said product.

16. A good comprising:

a lock having

an energy-releasable adhesive mixture said adhesive mixture is formulated so as to be capable of transition from a first physiochemical state to a second physiochemical state upon application of a transmitted energy profile;

and

a protection structure configured to interact with at least a portion of a product, wherein at least along one surface thereof is configured to contact one or more portions of said product or other part of said protection structure through said adhesive mixture in a manner so as to physically prevent full use of said product when said adhesive is its first physiochemical state but not when it is in its second physiochemical state;

and

electronically-readable indicia associated with said good with respect to said transmitted energy profile necessary to transition said adhesive mixture from said first physicochemical state to said second physiochemical state.

17. A system comprising:

an activator configured to generate different energy profiles;

a reader operationally connectioned to said activator, said configured to read indicia associated with a product to detect instruction as to an energy profile necessary to unlock a lock blocking full benefit of a product;

a processor operationally connected to said reader and said activator for processing instruction information from said reader and causing said activator, based on said reader instruction information, to generate an energy profile necessary to unlock a lock blocking full benefit of a product.

18. A product lock assembly comprising:

a first lock having

an energy-releasable adhesive mixture wherein said adhesive mixture is formulated so as to be capable of transition from a first physiochemical state to a second physiochemical state upon application of a transmitted energy profile;

and

a protection structure configured to interact with at least a portion of a product, wherein at least along one surface thereof is configured to contact one or more portions of said product or other part of said protection structure through said adhesive mixture in a manner so as to physically prevent full use of said product when said adhesive is its first physiochemical state but not when it is in its second physiochemical state;

and

a second lock having

an energy-bondable adhesive mixture wherein said adhesive mixture is formulated so as to be capable of transition from a second physiochemical state to a first physiochemical state upon application of a transmitted energy profile;

and

a protection structure configured to interact with at least a portion of a product, wherein at least along one surface thereof is configured to contact one or more portions of said product or other part of said protection structure through said adhesive mixture in a manner so as to physically prevent full use of said product when said adhesive is its first physiochemical state but not when it is in its second physiochemical state;

wherein said first lock is configured such that said adhesive mixture is in its first physiochemical state when said second lock is in its second physiochemical state and wherein said adhesive mixture of said first lock causes a transition from the first physiochemical state to said second physiochemical state upon application of a different transmitted energy profile than said second locks transition from said second physiochemical state to said first physiochemical state.

19. A lock comprising

an adhesive layer comprising energy-releasable adhesive mixture formulated so as to be capable of transition from a first physiochemical state to a second physiochemical state upon application of a transmitted energy, said adhesive layer having a top surface and a bottom surface;

an energy distribution/converter laminated to said bottom surface of said adhesive layer said energy distributor/converter made of a conductive material characterized by electrical and/or magnetic resistivity;

and

a protection structure configured to interact with at least a portion of said product, wherein at least along one surface thereof is configured to contact one or more portions of said product or other part of said protection structure through said adhesive mixture in a manner no as to physically prevent full use of said product when said adhesive is its first physiochemical state but not when it is in its second physiochemical state.

20. A remote activation lock system comprising:

two or more lock elements, each of said lock elements comprising a laminate of an energy-responsive adhesive material layer and a conductive or non-conductive substrate, wherein said adhesive material changes in physiochemical properties when exposed to an energy source form a first physiochemical state to a second physiochemical state, and wherein said substrate surface not laminated to said adhesive material layer is further laminated to an energy-nonresponsive adhesive;

protection structure configured to interact with at least a portion of a product, wherein at least along one surface thereof is configured to contact one or more portions of said product or other part of said protection structure through said lock elements in a manner so as to physically prevent full use of said product when said adhesive is its first physiochemical state but not when it is in its second physiochemical state;

wherein said first lock element is configured such that said adhesive mixture is in its first physiochemical state when said second lock element is in its second physiochemical state and wherein said adhesive mixture of said first lock element causes a transition from the first physiochemical state to said second physiochemical state upon application of a different transmitted energy profile than said second lock element transition from said second physiochemical state to said first physiochemical state.

21. A method for keying adhesive failure of an energy-releasable adhesive lock between two substrates to one or more energy profiles within a desired energy profile range, said method comprising:

(a) obtaining an energy-releasable adhesive mass which is desired to lock two substrate surfaces;

said adhesive mass requiring an energy profile no less than the lowest energy profile in said desired energy profile range to cause adhesive failure between said substrates;

(b) associating said energy-releasable adhesive with a quantum of electrically- or thermally-conductive material by applying the same outside a surface of said adhesive mass and/or approximately evenly throughout said mass;

(c) measuring the energy profile necessary to cause adhesive failure to determine if adhesive failure of the lock between said substrates fails at the one or more energy profiles;

(d) repeating step (b) and (c) until adhesive failure of the lock occurs at said one or more energy profiles within the desired energy profile range.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a receptacle defining an internal cavity, said receptacle having sidewalls, a bottom surface and an aperture defining a top surface;

a sleeve, sized to snugly, but removeably fit into said internal cavity of said receptacle, said sleeve having a containment cavity with a terminal opening;

a bonding composition and/or structure located in contact with said bottom surface of said receptacle, said bonding composition and/or structure characterized by bond release upon exposure to a specific profile of externally applied energy.