Post office locker
First Claim
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 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
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Citations
5 Claims
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
Specification