Lock assembly for vending machines and method for locking and unlocking same

• US 6,068,305 A
• Filed: 07/08/1998
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CompX International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fort Lock Corporation (CompX International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Caplinger, Paul D., Myers, Gary L., Denison, William D., Roatis, Calin V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walsh, John B.
• Application Number:
  US09/112,027
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 292/201, 292/DIG. 60, 292/341.18, 70/279, 70/278, 70/78-84
• US Class Current: 292/201
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/0029 motor-operated for vehicles E05B81/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/60 Adjustment provisions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5097 Cabinet

Abstract

A lock assembly for a vending machine is provided for locking and unlocking a movable door of the vending machine with a remotely controlled electronic latching mechanism. The lock assembly includes at least one keeper assembly disposed on the door of the vending machine and at least one latching mechanism disposed within the interior of the vending machine and positioned for selective interaction and engagement with the keeper assembly when the door is moved between open, intermediate, and closed positions. When the door is moved from the open position toward the intermediate position, the latching mechanism captures the keeper assembly. Once captured, the latching mechanism is then withdrawn within the vending machine to pull the door into the closed position wherein a gasket disposed between the door and the vending machine is substantially uniformly compressed and sealed around its periphery. The lock assembly is also provided with a remote control unit which provides instructions to the electronic circuitry of the locking mechanism. For example, when the door is in the closed position, the door may be opened by transmitting a remote control signal from the remote control unit to the electronic circuitry of the locking mechanism.

Claims

1. A lock assembly for vending machines comprising:

a keeper assembly for attachment to a movable door of a vending machine;

a latching mechanism mountable within an internal compartment of the vending machine and positioned to interact with the keeper assembly during locking and unlocking of the doors the latching mechanism receiving and capturing the keeper assembly when the door is moved from an open position toward an intermediate position;

supporting means for mounting the latching mechanism for movement relative to the vending machine from an extended position, in which the latching mechanism extends, toward a retracted position, in which the latching mechanism is withdrawn to draw the door into a closed position; and

a remote control unit for selectively disengaging the keeper assembly from the latching mechanism during unlocking of the door.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1, wherein the latching mechanism comprises a rotor latch having cooperating locking and release levers which are movable between locked and unlocked positions to selectively capture and release the keeper assembly during locking and unlocking of the door.

3. The invention set forth in claim 2, wherein the locking and release levers of the latching mechanism are pivotably sandwiched between base and cover portions.

4. The invention set forth in claim 3, wherein the base and cover portions include slots for receiving a cross-member of the keeper assembly.

5. The invention set forth in claim 2, wherein the locking lever includes a cam engagement surface which is adapted to be engaged by the keeper assembly as the door moves inwardly toward the intermediate position, a hook portion which is adapted to capture the keeper assembly when the locking and release levers are in the locked position, and upper and lower engagement surfaces which selectively engage a ratchet tooth formed on the release lever to locate the locking and release levers in the locked and unlocked positions.

6. The invention set forth in claim 5, wherein the locking and release levers are biased toward the unlocked position with a biasing element coupled therebetween.

7. The invention set forth in claim 6, wherein the locking and release levers are movable from the unlocked position toward the locked position by moving the keeper assembly into engagement with the cam engagement surface of the locking lever to counteract the biasing provided by the biasing element and to cause cooperative rotation of the locking and release levers while the ratchet tooth of the release lever moves from the upper engagement surface of the locking lever toward the lower engagement surface of the locking lever.

8. The invention set forth in claim 1, wherein the latching mechanism is slidably carried by a support structure which is adapted to be affixed to an internal side wall of the vending machine.

9. The invention set forth in claim 1, wherein the latching mechanism is moved between the extended and retracted positions with a motor.

10. The invention set forth in claim 2, further comprising:

electronic circuitry operatively connected to a motor for the latching mechanism, the electronic circuitry selectively activating the motor to move the latching mechanism inwardly and outwardly between the extended and retracted positions.

11. The invention set forth in claim 10, wherein the remote control unit transmits a signal to the electronic circuitry which instructs the motor to move the locking and release levers from the locked position toward the unlocked position to expel the keeper assembly from the latching mechanism during unlocking of the door.

12. A vending machine door locking system comprising:

a housing having a movable door;

cooperating latching and locking structures carried by respective ones of the housing and the door, the latching structure capturing the locking structure when the door is moved from an open position toward an intermediate position supporting means for mounting the latching structure for movement relative to the vending machine from an extended position, in which the latching mechanism extends at least partially beyond the side of the vending machine, toward a retracted position, in which the latching mechanism is withdrawn within the vending machine to draw the door into a closed locking position adjacent to the housing; and

electronic circuitry for selectively activating movement of the latching structure between the extended and retracted positions and for selectively disengaging the locking structure from the latching structure during unlocking of the door; and

a remote control unit for transmitting signals to the electronic circuitry during unlocking of the door.

13. The invention set forth in claim 12, wherein the latching structure comprises a rotor latch having cooperating levers.

14. The invention set forth in claim 13, wherein the cooperating levers of the rotor latch are movable between locked and unlocked positions to selectively capture and release the locking structure during locking and unlocking of the door.

15. The invention set forth in claim 12, wherein locking structure comprises a keeper assembly.

16. A method of locking and unlocking a movable door of a vending machine having an internal compartment and a side wall comprising the acts of:

attaching a keeper assembly to a movable door of a vending machine;

mounting a latching mechanism within an internal compartment of the vending machine in substantial alignment with the keeper assembly, said latching mechanism having an extended position and a retracted position;

moving the door inwardly from an open position, wherein the keeper assembly is spaced apart from the latching mechanism, toward an intermediate position, wherein the keeper assembly is received and captured by the latching mechanism; and

locking the door of the vending machine by moving the latching mechanism to a vending machine side wall from the extended position, in which the latching mechanism extends at least partially beyond the side wall of the vending machine, toward the retracted position, in which the latching mechanism is withdrawn within the vending machine to draw the door into a closed position adjacent to a side wall of the vending machine.

17. The method set forth in claim 16, wherein the act of moving the door inwardly from an open position toward an intermediate position comprises:

moving the keeper assembly into engagement with a cooperating levers of the latching mechanism until the levers shift from an unlocked position, wherein a cam engagement surface on one of the levers is positioned for engagement by the inwardly moving keeper assembly, toward a locked position, wherein the keeper assembly is captured between the levers of the latching mechanism.

18. The method set forth in claim 16, further comprising the act of:

unlocking the door of the vending machine by moving cooperating levers of the latching mechanism from a locked position, wherein the keeper assembly is captured between the levers of the latching mechanism, toward an unlocked position, wherein the keeper assembly is expelled from the levers of the latching mechanism.

19. The method set forth in claim 18, wherein the act of unlocking the door by moving cooperating levers of the latching mechanism from a locked position toward an unlocked position comprises:

transmitting a signal from a remote control unit to electronic circuitry for the lock assembly in order to instruct a motor for the latching mechanism to move the levers from the locked position toward the unlocked position so as to expel the keeper assembly from the latching mechanism.