Security housing for vending machines and the like

• US 6,295,767 B1
• Filed: 04/01/1999
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Icon Enclosures, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Icon Enclosures, Inc.
• Inventors: Barnhill, Michael J. Jr., Barnhill, James T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Beth A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): A, PHI DIEU TRAN
• Application Number:
  US09/283,227
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 521/09, 52/64, 52/275, 52/362, 52/791, 52/796, 160/23.1, 109/15, 109/2, 109/5, 109/6, 109/7, 109/11, 109/14
• US Class Current: 52/79.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/10 Casings or parts thereof, e.g. with means for heating or cooling

Abstract

A portable security housing is formed from a framework defining an interior space for enclosing items to be secured, such as vending machines. The framework has a rear wall, opposite side walls, an upper wall, and a front access opening. Opaque panels are secured over at least the side and upper walls to cover the housing, with the rear wall placed against a building wall or the like. A roll-up, sectional door is rotatably mounted at the upper end of the front access opening for movement between a rolled up, storage position above the front opening and an unrolled, downwardly extended deployed position covering and closing the front opening. The housing has floor mounting pads at its base for releasably mounting the housing on a floor or ground surface.

Claims

1. A portable security housing, comprising:

a framework defining an interior space;

the framework being of generally rectangular cross-section and having a rear wall, opposite side walls, an upper wall, and a front wall having a front access opening, the access opening having an upper end and opposite, parallel sides and being of predetermined width, the front and rear walls being larger than the side walls;

opaque panels secured over at least the side and upper walls to cover the housing;

a roll-up, sectional door rotatably mounted at the upper end of the front access opening for movement between a rolled up, storage position in the housing above the front opening and an unrolled, downwardly extended deployed position covering and closing the front opening, whereby objects inside the housing are not visible from outside the housing when the door is deployed;

a locking device for releasably locking the door in the deployed position;

the framework having a base, a plurality of mounting pads on the base for releasably securing the housing to the ground or floor beneath the housing; and

at least two automatic vending machines arranged side-by-side with front faces facing the front access opening;

the framework enclosing the two vending machines;

the width of the access opening being at least equal to the total width of the front faces of two side-by-side vending machines whereby the front faces are completely exposed to permit actuation of the vending machines only when the door is in the storage position.

2. The housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the side walls are arcuate.

3. The housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein a spindle is rotatably mounted in the framework to extend across the opening above the upper end of the opening, the door has an upper end secured to the spindle and opposite sides, and guide channels are provided along the opposite sides of the front access opening for slidably guiding the opposite sides of the door as it moves between the storage and deployed positions.

4. The housing as claimed in claim 3, including a drive motor mounted in the housing adjacent the door spindle and linked to the door spindle for rotating the spindle in opposite directions to raise and lower the door, a door actuating switch for operating the motor linked to the motor, and a key receiving opening on the outside of the housing for receiving a key to operate the switch, the motor comprising said locking device.

5. The housing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the framework is of welded metal tubing construction.

6. A vending machine enclosure assembly, comprising:

at least one portable housing unit releasably secured to a ground or floor surface;

at least two vending machines separate from the housing unit enclosed side-by-side within the housing unit, each vending machine having a front face having means for actuating the vending machine, the front faces of the side-by-side vending machines having a first combined width, and the two vending machines together defining a first rectangular cross-sectional area; and

the housing unit comprising a framework defining an interior space enclosing said at least two vending machines, the interior space being of predetermined, rectangular cross-sectional area matching and slightly greater than the first rectangular cross-sectional area of the machines to be enclosed, the framework having a rear wall, opposite side walls, an upper wall, and a front wall with a front access opening, the vending machines being positioned with their front faces facing and aligned with said front access opening, opaque panels secured over at least the side and upper walls to cover the housing, a door movable between an open position providing access through the front access opening to the front faces of the vending machines and a closed position concealing and preventing access to the machines, the front opening being of predetermined width at least equal to said first combined width of said vending machine front faces, whereby said front faces are exposed and accessible when said door is in the open position, and a locking device for locking the door in the closed position;

whereby said vending machines can only be operated through said access opening when said door is in the open position and said vending machines are inaccessible and cannot be operated when said door is locked in said closed position.

7. The assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein a second housing unit is secured back-to-back with said one housing unit such that the front access opening of each housing unit faces outwardly away from the other housing unit, two additional vending machines being enclosed in said second housing unit with their front faces facing and aligned with the front access opening of said second housing unit.

8. The assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the framework has flat front and rear walls and rounded side walls.

9. The assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the housing unit has a height greater than that of a vending machine to leave an upper chamber in the housing above the vending machines, a roller rotatably mounted in the upper chamber above the front access opening, and the door comprising a sectional panel having an upper end secured to the roller and movable between a storage position in which the entire door panel is rolled up onto the roller, and a deployed position in which the door panel is rolled off the roller downwardly to cover the front access opening.

10. The assembly as claimed in claim 9, including a drive motor mounted in the upper chamber and linked to the roller to rotate the roller in opposite directions to move the door between the storage position and the deployed position, and vice versa, the drive motor comprising said locking device.

11. The assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein the opaque panel covering the upper wall of the framework includes an access door for access to the drive motor.

12. The assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the framework has a height of approximately 98 inches.

13. The assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein the housing has flat front and rear walls each having a length of around 112 inches.

14. The assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein the spacing between the front and rear walls is approximately 42 inches.