Locker unit comprising a plurality of lockers

• US 5,219,386 A
• Filed: 01/04/1991
• Issued: 06/15/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: KEBA GmbH & Company
• Original Assignee: KEBA GmbH & Company
• Inventors: Kletzmaier, Karl, Krippner, Gunther
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARRETT, SUZANNE LALE DINO
• Application Number:
  US07/573,012
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 70/277-279, 70/282-284, 70/256, 70/262-264, 70/151, 70/151 R, 70/423-428, 70/432, 70/434, 70/455, 109/6, 109/7, 109/21, 109/24.1, 109/31, 109/45
• US Class Current: 70/277
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/147 electrically-operated
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0603 the detent moving rectilinearly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7062 Electrical type [e.g., solenoid]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7124 Retracted electrically only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8649 Keyhole covers

Abstract

A locker unit comprises a plurality of lockers provided with doors equipped with a locking device. The locking device consists of a mechanical lock and an auxiliary lock having an electric drive for said device. The locking device comprises a rest position which blocks the access to the mechanical lock and/or its movement, and an opening position which frees said access and/or said movement.

Claims

1. A locker unit comprising a plurality of lockers each of which is provided with its own door, each door having a locking device including a mechanical lock and an auxiliary lock attached to the door adjacent to a keyhole in the mechanical lock by attachment means, the auxiliary lock having a rest position blocking access to the mechanical lock and an open position freeing the access, and the auxiliary lock comprising a rotating bolt, a locking plate defining an opening receiving the rotating bolt, an actuating button on the rotating bolt and projecting from the auxiliary lock, locking projections on the rotating bolt and projecting beyond the opening in the locking plate, the locking projections having an open position in alignment with the opening and a closed position in which the locking projections are turned relative to the opening, and a stop device for the rotating bolt, the stop device comprising a spring means biased in the direction of the closed position, a locking element, a bolt cooperating with the locking element, and an electrical drive for actuating the bolt.

2. A locker unit according to claim 1, wherein the attachment means are formed by a self-adhesive glue layer arranged on the auxiliary lock.

3. A locker unit according to claim 1, wherein the attachment means are formed by a holder element which acts together with the mechanical lock in the door.

4. A locker unit according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical lock comprises a locking bolt and the locking device comprises an adjustable locking pin extending perpendicularly to the door, a spring device biasing the locking pin against the locking bolt into a rest position in which the locking pin engages the locking bolt, a locking element holding the locking pin in the rest position, and an electrical drive connected to the locking pin, the electrical drive being arranged perpendicularly adjustable with respect to the locking pin.

5. A locker unit according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical lock comprises a locking bolt and the locking device comprises an adjustable locking pin extending perpendicularly to the door, a spring device biasing the locking pin against the locking bolt into a rest position in which the locking pin engages the locking bolt, and a drive connected to the locking pin for adjusting the locking pin against the bias of the spring device.

6. A locker unit according to claim 1, wherein an opening of the locking device which penetrates the auxiliary lock perpendicular to a door surface is arranged to be aligned to cover the keyhole of the mechanical lock.

7. A locker unit according to claim 6, wherein the auxiliary lock comprises at least one shutter adjustable relative to the keyhole into a rest position and a drive connected to the shutter.

8. A locker unit according to claim 7, further comprising a measurement value sensor associated with the shutter in the test position and actuated when the shutter is moved out of the rest position.

9. A locker unit according to claim 1, further comprising a drive associated with a plurality of said auxiliary locks of a like plurality of said doors, and an actuating device for the drive, the actuating device being adjustable relative to the auxiliary locks and doors.

10. A locker unit according to claim 9, wherein the drive is connected to move with a key for each one of the auxiliary locks, the key having a rest position within the actuating device and a locking position outside the actuating device.

11. A locker unit according to claim 1 wherein measurement value transmitters connected with a control device are assigned to the shutter and/or the auxiliary lock.

12. A locker unit according to claim 11 wherein the measurement value sensor assigned to the auxiliary lock is activated at a distance from the door of the locker.

13. A locker unit according to claim 11 wherein the control device is a locker computer connected by translation components with a communications system for signal transmission between the locker computer and central control unit.

14. A locker unit according to claim 13, wherein the communications system is formed by an armored wall of the locker unit and a line insulated from the armored wall and connected to the control unit.

15. A locker unit according to claim 14 wherein the line is formed by a track arranged on the doors of the lockers, with an insulating layer arranged therebetween.

17. A locker unit according to claim 15 wherein the connection of the track between the doors takes place by means of contact devices.

18. A locker unit according to claim 14, wherein the line is formed by a photoconductor, and transmission elements for wireless connection of the photoconductors are arranged between the doors and the armored wall.

19. A locker unit according to claim 18 wherein the transmission elements are provided with a swivelling lens.

20. A locker unit according to claim 15 wherein two tracks are provided and that a track arranged on the door is switched with the one track when the door is closed and with the other track when the door is open.

21. A locker unit according to claim 13, wherein communications system is wireless.

22. A locker unit according to claim 13, wherein the communications system comprises a signal receiver connected to the control device and a signal transmitter connected to the central control unit and located at a distance from the signal receiver.

23. A locker unit according to claim 13, wherein the communications system comprises a light transmitter and a light receiver, especially for infrared light.

24. A locker unit according to claim 23 wherein the translation component of the communications system has translation elements for superimposition of data on the signal, and for screening of information from the signal, between the central control unit and the auxiliary lock.

25. A locker unit according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary lock covers a keyhole for the mechanical lock arranged in the door.

26. A locker unit according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary lock or a group of auxiliary locks is connected with an input device.

27. A locker unit according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary lock or a group of auxiliary locks is connected with a read device.

28. A locker unit according to claim 23, wherein the lines of the communications systems are arranged in a housing of the auxiliary lock.

29. A locker unit according to claim 1, wherein the housings of the auxiliary locks of adjacent doors are connected with one another by contact devices.

16. A locker unit according to 15 wherein the track consists of an electrically conductive, especially semi-conductive, plastic.

30. A locker unit comprising a plurality of lockers each of which is provided with its own door, each door having a locking device including a mechanical lock and an auxiliary lock attached to the exterior of the door facing away from the interior of the locker adjacent to a keyhole in the mechanical lock by attachment means, the auxiliary lock having a rest position preventing opening of the mechanical lock and an open position allowing opening of the mechanical lock, the mechanical lock having a locking bolt, the auxiliary lock having a locking pin movable in a direction perpendicular to the exterior surface of the door and spring means biasing the locking pin the rest position engaging the locking bolt and holding it closed, the auxiliary lock further including an electric drive coupled to the locking pin for disengaging the locking pin from the locking bolt, the auxiliary locks of the individual lockers being connected by a central control unit.