Handgun lock and alarm means

• US 5,417,000 A
• Filed: 09/07/1994
• Issued: 05/23/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mike Chen
• Original Assignee: Mike Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wesson, Theresa M.
• Application Number:
  US08/301,637
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• Field of Search: 42/1.01, 42/70.06, 42/70.11
• US Class Current: 42/70.06
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/02 Key-operated safeties F41A17/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/54 Protecting-caps for trigger guards; Trigger locking pieces mounted on, or within, the trigger guard

Abstract

A handgun lock and alarm device including a lock body having a movable jaw portion pivotally mounted on the lock body and a fixed jaw portion, with the movable jaw portion and the fixed jaw portion defining a socket for engaging a trigger guard and shielding a trigger of the handgun for safety purposes; a shackle protruding transversely from the movable jaw portion, through an opening in the trigger guard beyond the trigger and into a shackle hole recessed in the fixed jaw portion to be normally locked by a latch held in the lock body for hanging the lock body on the trigger guard; and an alarm having a motion sensor mounted on the lock body, whereby upon moving and vibration of the motion sensor, the alarm will be actuated for warning purposes.

Claims

1. A handgun lock and alarm means comprising:

a lock body having a shackle hung on a trigger guard of a handgun and shielding a trigger defined in the trigger guard of the handgun;

a locking device having a locking mechanism mounted in the lock body and having a latch held in said locking mechanism to be engagable with the shackle of the lock body for locking the lock body to be hanged on said handgun; and

an alarm and control means having an alarm secured on said lock body and having a motion sensor operatively triggering the alarm when moving said lock body, for warning purposes, wherein upon actuation of said alarm and control means to unlock said locking device, said shackle of said lock body can be opened for triggering use.

2. A handgun lock and alarm means according to claim 1, wherein said lock body includes:

a fixed jaw portion protruding upwardly from a casing having the locking device and the alarm and control means stored in the casing;

a movable jaw portion pivotally connected to the casing by a pivot and protruding upwardly from the casing to be juxtapositional to the fixed jaw portion;

said shackle protruding transversely from the movable jaw portion to be inserted into a shackle hole recessed in the fixed jaw portion by passing the shackle through an opening in the trigger guard of the handgun and beyond the trigger for hanging the shackle and the lock body on the trigger guard;

a socket recessed and defined between the fixed jaw portion and the movable jaw portion and engaging with the trigger guard to allow the fixed jaw portion and the movable jaw portion to shield the trigger guard and the trigger of the handgun for preventing unwanted accidental actuation of the trigger for safety purposes;

a tension spring retained in the shackle hole in the fixed jaw portion for tensioning the shackle sideways and for helping the opening of the movable jaw portion when unlocking the locking device;

a limiting stem protruding transversely from the fixed jaw portion towards the movable jaw portion and positioned at an outer end portion of the lock body adjacent to a barrel of the handgun to retard a front end portion of the trigger guard for preventing a forward sliding movement of the lock body, from unshielding of the trigger, and for precluding intrusion of a person'"'"'s finger into the trigger guard;

and a rear block portion formed on a rear end portion of the casing to be retained against a handgrip of the handgun to retard a rearward movement of the lock body to prevent an unwanted triggering of the shackle on the trigger for safety purposes.

3. A handgun lock and alarm means according to claim 2, wherein said locking device includes:

a locking mechanism which is a solenoid switch electrically connected to the alarm and control means and mounted in the casing of the lock body, whereby said latch reciprocatively held in the locking mechanism and having a latch end engageable with a shackle notch recessed in the shackle for locking the shackle with the latch for closing the movable jaw portion to the fixed jaw portion of the lock body for shielding the trigger and trigger guard of the handgun, whereby upon energizing of the solenoid switch, the latch will be electromagnetically attracted downwardly to disengage the latch end from the shackle notch and the tension spring will bias the shackle to open the movable jaw portion for unlocking the handgun for possible triggering use.

4. A handgun lock and alarm means according to claim 3, wherein said alarm and control means includes:

a microprocessor;

a motion sensor for producing a voltage signal when moving the lock body and for triggering an alarm electrically connected to the microprocessor for producing an audible alarm sound;

a keyboard electrically connected to the microprocessor for keying in a pre-set or a re-set combination data into the microprocessor for unlocking the locking device;

a default code set for inputing unlocking combination data into the microprocessor; and

a power source for powering said microprocessor, said alarm, and said solenoid switch, with said microprocessor having an output connected to said solenoid switch of said locking device, whereby upon keying in a correct unlocking combination into the microprocessor to output an unlocking signal to the solenoid switch, the latch will be electromagnetically attracted to unlock the shackle to open the movable jaw portion.

5. A handgun lock and alarm means according to claim 2, wherein said locking device includes:

a locking mechanism of a mechanical lock type selected from a key operated lock and a combination lock A and a latch connected to the locking mechanism and engageable with the shackle on the movable jaw portion, whereby upon unlocking of the locking mechanism, the latch can be retracted to unlock the shackle and the movable jaw portion for opening the locking device.

6. A handgun lock and alarm means according to claim 2, wherein said alarm and control means includes:

a power source electrically connected to an alarm and delay circuit;

a motion sensor; and

an alarm through a first and a second contactor, of which the first contactor is electrically connected between the first pole of the power source, the movable jaw portion and the shackle, and the second contactor is secured to the fixed jaw portion to be connectable to the first contactor when the movable jaw portion is closed to the fixed jaw portion for locking the lock body on the trigger guard and connected to the alarm and delay circuit, the motion sensor and the alarm, whereby upon unlocking of the locking device to open the lock body, the two contactors will be disconnected to de-energize the alarm and delay circuit without actuating the alarm.