Post office locker

• US 4,865,248 A
• Filed: 04/04/1988
• Issued: 09/12/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cki Locker, Llc (American Locker Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Locker Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Barth, Douglas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Jr., Robert W.
• Application Number:
  US07/177,135
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 232/24, 232/25, 232/26, 232/21, 312/215, 70/339, 70/337
• US Class Current: 232/24
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 29/20 with appliances for preventing unauthorised removal of the deposited articles
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 11/00 Devices preventing keys from being removed from the lock ; Devices preventing falling or pushing out of keys preventing turning of the key E05B13/00; keyhole guards E05B17/14; E05B35/086 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 35/086 using a pair of interlocked keys, one of the keys being non-removable; key-storing devices from which only one key can be removed at a time
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7458 Interdependent

Abstract

A post office locker allows for delivery and safe storage until pickup of packages in one or more storage compartments each fitted with an access door provided with a custodian lock under the sole control of a mailman and an access lock adapted to be operated for access door opening purposes by a key supplied by the mailman to an intended recipient of a package. The access lock features an improved latch device arranged to cooperate with the custodian lock for defining two separate latch positions in which the custodian lock is constrained against rotation towards its door locked position.

Claims

1. In a post office locker permitting delivery and safe storage until pickup of packages to tenants, wherein the locker includes at least one package storage compartment accessible only to a given tenant to which a package is to be delivered and to a mailman, each said compartment having an access door, a tenant access lock movable between door locked and unlocked positions for permitting access to its associated compartment by means of an access key placed in the temporary possession of said given tenant by the mailman, said access lock permitting said access key to be inserted into and/or removed therefrom only when said access lock is in said locked position, a custodian lock having a lock bolt movable between a normal locked position and an unlocked position by means of a custodian key in the possession of said mailman, and resiliently deformable latch means, said latch means arranged for engagement with said lock bolt when in said locked position thereof and cooperating therewith for preventing rotation of said access lock from said unlocked position thereof in a direction towards said locked position thereof, while permitting rotation of said access lock from said locked position thereof into said unlocked position thereof, the improvement comprising in combination:

said latch means including first and second parts disposed in a leading and trailing relationship relative to each other in the direction of rotation of said access lock towards said unlocked position thereof and successively engaging and cooperating with said lock bolt for preventing rotation of said access lock from a position intermediate said locked and unlocked positions thereof and said unlocked position thereof in said direction towards said locked position thereof.

2. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said access lock includes a lock bolt and said latch means is carried by said lock bolt of said access lock.

3. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said first and second parts are formed integrally with a common mounting portion fixed to said lock bolt of said access lock.

4. The improvement according to claim 3, wherein said first and second parts and said mounting portion are formed from a plate of resiliently deformable material and said parts extend from said mounting portion in a generally parallel relationship, said parts each being bent along a pair of convergent lines to define generally triangularly shaped inner end portions disposed adjacent said mounting portion and outer end portions disposed in an angularly inclined relationship to said mounting portion, and said outer end portions have trailing edges arranged for abutting engagement with said lock bolt of said custodian lock for preventing rotation of said access lock towards said locked position thereof.

5. The improvement according to claim 4, wherein said trailing edge of said first part is spaced from said mounting portion through a greater distance than said trailing edge of said second part.