Code-operated catch mechanism for hotel room door

• US 5,850,753 A
• Filed: 10/16/1995
• Issued: 12/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shivendra Varma
• Original Assignee: Shivendra Varma
• Inventors: Varma, Shivendra
• Primary Examiner(s): JAYNE, DARNELL M
• Application Number:
  US08/541,198
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 292/341.16, 292/341.17, 292/92, 292/341.18, 70/278, 70/279, 70/108, 70/92, 340/825.31
• US Class Current: 70/278.7
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0047 Striker rotating about an axis parallel to the wing edge
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/0069 actuated in a predetermined sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00904 for hotels, motels, office buildings or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/699 Motor controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/705 Adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7102 And details of blocking system [e.g., linkage, latch, pawl, spring]

Abstract

A controllable catch mechanism is installed in the door frame of hotel room to engage both a spring-biased latch and a deadbolt associated with the room door. The position of the deadbolt is sensed or a requirement for privacy is otherwise indicated with a switch within the room. An alphanumeric keyboard external to the room allows entry of access codes. If an authorized guest code is entered, a microprocessor-based controller unlocks the catch mechanism regardless of the privacy requirement. The guest code can be changed by the guest, as desired. If a cleaner enters a universal access code, the controller unlocks the catch mechanism only if the bolt is unlocked or no privacy requirement is indicated. Special override codes are provided that unlock the catch mechanism regardless whether the bolt is locked, permitting security staff to handle emergencies. A panic switch within the room causes an alarm signal to be generated and simultaneously releases the catch mechanism to allow security staff or passers-by to intervene. The operation of an HVAC unit and other equipment such as a telephone and television set are controlled in response to access codes.

Claims

1. A system which controls access to a room comprising a door that pivots on a frame between open and closed orientations, the door having a latch mechanism comprising a latch displaceable when the door is closed between a locking position within the frame and an unlocking position clear of the frame, a latch actuator manually operable from within the room to displace the latch from its locking position to its unlocking position and means for urging the latch to its locking position, the system further comprising:

catch means mounted within the frame for receiving the latch when advanced to its locking position, the catch means having a locking state in which the catch means engage the received latch to prevent the door from opening and an unlocking state in which the catch means permit the received latch to displace with the door thereby to allow the door to open; and

,

setting means manually operable from within the room to set a predetermined condition indicating a requirement for privacy; and

,

control means for controlling the state of the catch means in response to the condition and in response to a plurality of access codes, the control means comprising input means external to the room and proximate to the door for receiving codes, the control means being programmed to respond to receipt of one of the access codes by placing the catch means in the unlocking state regardless whether the condition is set and to respond to receipt of another of the access codes by placing the catch means in the unlocking state only if the condition is not set.

2. The system of claim 1 in which:

the input means comprise a keyboard;

the control means comprise storage means for storing the plurality of access codes; and

,

the control means comprise a mode of operation triggered in part in response to composition of a predetermined one of the access code at the keyboard in which the control means replace the predetermined one of the access codes in the storage means with a user-selected access code composed at the keyboard, whereby, the control means place the catch means in the unlocking means in response to composition of the user-selected code at the keyboard and cease to place the catch means in the unlocking state in response to the composition of the replaced access code.

3. The system of claim 2 in which:

the control means comprise means for sensing the open and closed orientations of the door; and

,

the control means respond to the sensing means by resetting the condition in response to opening of the door.

4. The system of claim 1 adapted to control operation of electrically-operated equipment within the room, in which the control means comprise switching means for enabling and disabling operation of the equipment, the control means being programmed to respond to receipt of a predetermined one of the access codes by enabling operation of the equipment and to respond to receipt of another of the access codes by disabling operation the equipment.

5. The system of claim 4 in which the switching means are connected to one of a telephone and television set thereby to enable and disable the one of the telephone and television set.

6. The system of claim 1 adapted to control temperature-adjusting equipment affecting the temperature of the room, the equipment having an energy-conserving mode of operation and a user-preference mode of operation in which the equipment responds to user-set temperature settings, in which the control means are programmed to respond at least in part to receipt of a predetermined one of the access codes by setting the equipment to its user-preference mode of operation and respond to receipt of another of the access codes by leaving the equipment in a current one of its operating modes.

7. The system of claim 6 in which the control mean comprise means for sensing the open and closed orientations of the door and in which the control means are programmed to set the equipment to the user-preference mode of operation in response to receipt of the predetermined one of the access codes and a sensed opening of the door after receipt of the predetermined one of the access codes.

8. The system of claim 1 in which the door comprises a deadbolt mechanism, the deadbolt mechanism comprising a bolt displaceable when the door is closed between a locking position within the frame and an unlocking position clear of the frame, and a bolt actuator located within the room and manually operable to displace the bolt between its locking and unlocking positions, the catch means receiving the bolt when advanced to its locking position, the catch means in the unlocking state engaging the received bolt to prevent the door from opening and the catch means in the unlocking state permitting the received bolt to displace with the door thereby to allow the door to open.

9. The system of claim 8 in which the control means comprise:

a manually-operable alarm switch located within the room; and

,

alarm means for generating an alarm signal when actuated;

the control means actuating the alarm means to generate the alarm signal and placing the catch means in the unlocking state in response to operation of the alarm switch.

10. The system of claim 1 in which the latch mechanism comprises a security pin which is urged to extend toward the frame when the door is closed and which disables displacement of the latch to its unlocking position when the security pin is pushed toward the door, the catch means comprising:

a housing with an opening for receiving the latch and the bolt when displaced to their locking positions;

a stop for engagement with the security pin; and

,

means for securing the stop to the housing at various selectable vertically spaced positions in Which the stop extends into the opening.

11. The system of claim 10 in which the means for securing the stop to the housing comprise an elongate track shaped to seat the stop at the various selectable positions.

12. The system of claim 1 in which:

the control means comprise a switch and storage means for storing the access codes; and

,

the control means are programmed to respond to receipt of a predetermined access code and operation of the switch by removing another predetermined access code from the storage means thereby precluding placing of the catch means in the unlocking state in response to further receipt of the other predetermined access code.

13. Apparatus for controlling access to a room comprising a door that pivots on a frame between open and closed orientations, the door comprising a latch mechanism and a deadbolt mechanism, the latch mechanism comprising a latch displaceable when the door is closed between a locking position within the frame and an unlocking position clear of the frame, a latch actuator manually operable from within the room to displace the latch from its locking position to its unlocking position, means urging the latch to its locking position, a security pin which is urged to extend toward the frame when the door is closed and which disables displacement of the latch to its unlocking position when the security pin is pushed toward the door, the deadbolt mechanism comprising a bolt displaceable when the door is closed between a locking position within the frame and an unlocking position clear of the frame and a bolt actuator manually operable from within the room to displace the bolt between its locking and unlocking positions, the apparatus comprising:

catch means mountable within the frame to receive the latch and the bolt when advanced to their locking positions, the catch means comprising a housing with an opening for receiving both the latch and the bolt, a stop for engagement with the security pin, and means for securing the stop to the housing at various selectable vertically spaced positions in which the stop extends into the opening, the catch means having a locking state in which the catch means engage the received latch and the received bolt to prevent the door from opening and an unlocking state in which the catch means permit the received latch and the received bolt to displace with the door thereby to allow the door to open, the catch means comprising a striking surface positioned to engage a cooperating surface of the latch to displace the latch toward its unlocking orientation as the door is closed thereby to receive the latch within the catch means; and

,

control means for controlling the state of the catch means in response to a plurality of access codes, the control means comprising input means adapted for location external lo the room for receiving the codes.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 in which the means for securing the stop to the housing comprise an elongate track shaped to seat the stop at the various selectable positions.