Gun safe with dual method of gaining access therein

• US 5,701,770 A
• Filed: 01/21/1997
• Issued: 12/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anne M. Murray, Nancy A. Cook
• Original Assignee: Anne M. Murray, Nancy A. Cook
• Inventors: Murray, Anne M., Cook, Nancy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gall, Lloyd A.
• Application Number:
  US08/792,947
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 70/63, 70/279, 70/159-162, 340/825.31, 224/912, 224/913, 206/1.5, 206/317, 382/124, 356/71
• US Class Current: 70/63
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0002 with electromagnets
• 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: F41C 33/06 Containers for carrying smallarms, e.g. safety boxes, gun cases F41C33/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5031 Receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5544 Pivoted
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7107 And alternately mechanically actuated by a key, dial, etc.

Abstract

A gun safe with dual method of gaining access therein including a portable housing having a top face, a bottom face, a pair of side faces and a pair of end faces formed therebetween thereby defining an interior space. One of the end faces is hingably coupled for allowing it to be pivoted between an open orientation and a closed orientation. Also included is a solenoidal locking mechanism situated within the interior space of the gun safe on the top face thereof. Such solenoidal locking mechanism is further situated adjacent an upper end of the hingably coupled end face. Further provided is a fingerprint scanning mechanism positioned within the interior space of the gun safe. The fingerprint scanning mechanism is adapted to detect the placement of a fingerprint adjacent thereto whereat the scanning mechanism is adapted to scan the fingerprint and convert the same into a digital format for processing. Memory is included within the interior space of the gun safe for storing a fingerprint of at least one predetermined authorized user in a digital format. Lastly, a verification mechanism is situated within the interior space of the housing and connected to the locking mechanism, memory, and the fingerprint scanning mechanism. The verification mechanism is adapted to transmit the unlock signal to the locking mechanism upon the matching of a scanned fingerprint with at least one of the fingerprints stored in the memory.

Claims

1. A new and improved gun safe with dual method of gaining access therein comprising, in combination:

a portable gun safe with a rectangular configuration having a top face, a bottom face, a pair of side faces and a pair of end faces formed therebetween thereby defining an interior space, one of the end faces being hingably coupled at a lower end thereof to the bottom face for allowing it to be pivoted between an open orientation and a closed orientation, the gun safe further including a handle having a generally U-shaped configuration with a pair of ends hingably coupled to a central extent of the top face for carrying purposes;

a solenoidal locking mechanism situated within the interior space of the gun safe on the top face thereof adjacent an upper end of the hingably coupled end face, the solenoidal locking mechanism having a pin which is removably situated within an aperture of a tab formed in the upper end of the hingably coupled end face, the pin having a first orientation inserted within the aperture of the tab when the locking mechanism is not in receipt of an unlock signal for precluding access within the interior space of the gun safe and further having a second orientation removed from the aperture of the tab when the locking mechanism is in receipt of the unlock signal for allowing access within the interior space of the gun safe;

said locking mechanism further having a key mechanism situated exterior of the gun safe on the top face thereof, the key mechanism adapted to allow the insertion therein of a key for allowing a user to manually transfer the pin of the locking mechanism from the first orientation to the second orientation thereof;

fingerprint scanning means positioned within the interior space of the gun safe adapted to detect the placement of a fingerprint adjacent thereto whereat the scanning means is adapted to scan the fingerprint and convert the same into a digital format for processing;

said fingerprint scanning means further including a transparent panel situated on the top face of the gun safe adjacent a side face thereof for allowing the temporary placement of a fingerprint of a user thereon to be scanned by the fingerprint scanning means upon the detection thereof;

a plurality of cards each with a rectangular configuration having a top face and a bottom face, the bottom face of each card having a fingerprint of a predetermined authorized user printed pictorially thereon;

said fingerprint scanning means further including a slot formed in a side face of the gun safe adjacent the transparent panel, the slot adapted to allow the insertion of one of the cards therein for being scanned by the fingerprint scanning means upon the detection thereof;

memory means situated within the interior space of the gun safe for storing a fingerprint of at least one predetermined authorized user in a digital format; and

verification means situated within the interior space of the safe and connected to the locking mechanism, memory means, and the fingerprint scanning means, the verification means adapted to transmit the unlock signal to the locking mechanism upon the matching of a scanned fingerprint with at least one of the fingerprints stored in the memory means.

2. A gun safe comprising:

a portable gun safe with a rectangular configuration having a top face, a bottom face, a pair of side faces and a pair of end faces formed therebetween thereby defining an interior space, one of the end faces being hingably coupled at a lower end thereof to the bottom face for allowing it to be pivoted between an open orientation and a closed orientation;

a solenoidal locking mechanism situated within the interior space of the gun safe on the top face thereof adjacent an upper end of the hingably coupled end face, the solenoidal locking mechanism having a first orientation for precluding access within the interior space of the gun safe and further having a second orientation for allowing access within the interior space of the gun safe;

fingerprint scanning means positioned within the interior space of the gun safe adapted to detect the placement of a fingerprint adjacent thereto whereat the scanning means is adapted to scan the fingerprint and convert the same into a digital format for processing;

memory means situated within the interior space of the gun safe for storing a fingerprint of at least one predetermined authorized user in a digital format; and

verification means situated within the interior space of the safe and connected to the locking mechanism, memory means, and the fingerprint scanning means, the verification means adapted to transmit an unlock signal to the locking mechanism upon the matching of a scanned fingerprint with at least one of the fingerprints stored in the memory means;

wherein said fingerprint scanning means further includes a slot formed in a side face of the gun safe adjacent a transparent panel, the slot adapted to allow the insertion of cards therein for being scanned by the fingerprint scanning means upon the detection thereof.

3. A gun safe as set forth in claim 2 wherein the gun safe further includes a handle having a generally U-shaped configuration with a pair of ends hingably coupled to a central extent of the top face for carrying purposes.

4. A gun safe as set forth in claim 2 wherein said locking mechanism further has a key mechanism situated exterior of the gun safe on the top face thereof, the key mechanism adapted to allow the insertion therein of a key for allowing a user to manually transfer a pin of the locking mechanism from the first orientation to the second orientation thereof.

5. A gun safe as set forth in claim 2 wherein said fingerprint scanning means further includes a transparent panel situated on the top face of the gun safe adjacent a side face thereof for allowing the temporary placement of a fingerprint of a user thereon to be scanned by the fingerprint scanning means upon the detection thereof.

6. A gun safe as set forth in claim 2 and further including a plurality of cards each with a rectangular configuration having a top face and a bottom face, the bottom face of each card having a fingerprint of a predetermined authorized user printed pictorially thereon.