Biometric self-contained gravity-operated illuminated tactile gun safe

• US 7,178,370 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2004
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raymond C. Engel
• Original Assignee: Raymond C. Engel
• Inventors: Engel, Raymond C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gall; Lloyd A.
• Application Number:
  US10/998,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20060112741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 70/63, 109 50- 52, 109/17, 109/18, 109/73, 312/242, 312/245, 312/297, 522/05, 522/045.1, 493/60, 224/243, 224/911, 224/912, 206/317, 248551-553, 42/701.1, 211/64
• US Class Current: 70/63
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/066 having means for recognizing biometric parameters, e.g. voice control, finger print or palm print control
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/06 Containers for carrying smallarms, e.g. safety boxes, gun cases F41C33/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00912 for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5031 Receptacle

Abstract

A gun safe is provided. The safe includes a computer system and is readily located and used by a home owner under the darkness of night. The safe permits a loaded ready-to-use firearm to be stored and accessed safely and quickly. The safe door opens silently and uses motive power provided by gravity. The safe door will open only when the safe correlates biometric data of an individual with biometric data stored in the memory of the computer system used to operate the safe.

Claims

1. In combination with a building structure including a floor, a wall having an exterior outer surface, and a ceiling, the wall including and at least one structural support member,

the improvements for safely providing protection for an individual residing in the building structure, said improvements including

(a) a safe mounted in the wall, said safe including

(i) a housing inset in the wall and connected to the structural support member, said housing including a front portion,

(ii) an interior,

(iii) a door slidably mounted on said housing and having a selected weight and movable between at least two operative positions,

a latched first closed position to prevent access to said interior, and

an unlatched second open position to permit access to said interior, said door slidably moving from said first position to said second position under gravity, and

 

said housing inset in the wall such that said front portion extends outwardly away from said wall and from the exterior outer surface a distance sufficient to permit said door to be generally parallel to and adjacent and extend over a portion of the exterior outer surface when said door moves from said first position to said second position,

(iv) a coil spring attached to said door to generate a force acting upwardly on said door to offset at least a portion of said selected weight of said door, said force generally remaining constant when said door moves from said first to said second position and extends said spring; and

,

(b) a loaded ready-to-use firearm in said interior of said safe.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein in said second position said door is less than about one-half inch from the exterior outer surface of the wall.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein in said second position said door is less than about one-eighth inch from the exterior outer surface of the wall.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein in said second position said door is less than about one-sixteenth inch from the exterior outer surface of the wall.

5. A method for accessing a loaded ready-to-use firearm in the dark in a building structure including a floor, a wall, and a ceiling, the wall including an exterior outer surface and at least one structural support member, including the steps of

(a) providing a safe comprising

(i) a housing including a front portion,

(ii) an interior,

(iii) a door slidably mounted on said housing and having a selected weight and movable between at least two operative positions,

a latched first closed position to prevent access to said interior, and

an unlatched second open position to permit access to said interior, said door slidably moving from said first position to said second position under gravity, and

 

said housing shaped and dimensioned to be inset in the wall such that said front portion extends outwardly away from said wall and from the exterior outer surface a distance sufficient to permit said door to be generally parallel to and adjacent and extend over a portion of the exterior outer surface when said door moves from said first position to said second position,

(iv) a coil spring attached to said door to generate a force acting upwardly on said door to offset at least a portion of said selected weight of said door, said force generally remaining constant when said door moves from said first to said second position and extends said spring, said spring having first and second ends,

(v) a light visible in the dark to identify the location in the wall of the safe,

(iv) a programmable control system operable to permit said door to move from said first position to said second position;

(b) installing said safe in the building structure in the wall such that said housing is inset in the wall and said front portion extends outwardly away from said wall and from the exterior outer surface a distance sufficient to permit said door to be generally parallel to and adjacent and extend over a portion of the exterior outer surface and generally flush with and parallel to the outer surface of the wall;

(c) programming said programmable control system;

(d) placing the loaded ready-to-use firearm in said interior of said safe;

(e) locating in the dark with said light the location of said safe in the wall;

(f) using said control system to permit said door to move to said second open position; and

,

(g) removing the loaded firearm from said interior of said safe.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein

(a) said coil spring comprises a flat wound strip;

(b) said door, when moving from said first to said second position, pulls outwardly one of said ends of and uncoils said spring.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein in said second position said door is less than about one-half inch from the exterior outer surface of the wall.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein in said second position said door is less than about one-half inch from the exterior outer surface of the wall.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein in said second position said door is less than about one-eighth inch from the exterior outer surface of the wall.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein in said second position said door is less than about one-eighth inch from the exterior outer surface of the wall.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein in said second position said door is less than about one-sixteenth inch from the exterior outer surface of the wall.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein in said second position said door is less than about one-sixteenth inch from the exterior outer surface of the wall.

13. In combination with a building structure including a floor, a wall having an exterior outer surface, and a ceiling, the wall including and at least one structural support member,

the improvements for safely providing protection for an individual residing in the building structure, said improvements including

(a) a safe mounted in the wall, said safe including

(i) a housing inset in the wall and connected to the structural support member, said housing including a front portion,

(ii) an interior,

(iii) a door slidably mounted on said housing and having a selected weight and movable between at least two operative positions,

a first closed position to prevent access to said interior, and

a second open position to permit access to said interior, said door slidably moving from said first position to said second position under gravity, and

 

said housing inset in the wall such that said door is generally parallel to and adjacent and extends over a portion of the wall when said door moves from said first position to said second position,

(iv) a flat coil spring including first and second ends and attached to said door to generate a force acting upwardly on said door to offset at least a portion of said selected weight of said door,

said force generally remaining constant when said door moves from said first to said second position and extends said spring; and

,

said door, when moving from said first to said second position, uncoiling said spring and pulling outwardly one of said ends of said spring;

(b) a loaded ready-to-use firearm in said interior of said safe.

14. The combination of claim 13 wherein in said second position said door is less than about one-half inch from the wall.

15. The combination of claim 13 wherein in said second position said door is less than about one-eighth inch from the wall.

16. The combination of claim 13 wherein in said second position said door is less than about one-sixteenth inch from the wall.

17. The combination of claim 13 wherein in said second position said door extends over a portion of the exterior outer surface of the wall.