Rotary electronic utility box locking system

• US 8,869,576 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2009
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fearn Designs, LLC
• Original Assignee: Fearn Designs, LLC
• Inventors: O'Leary, Kevin Daniel, Contente, Monty Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrett, Suzanne
• Application Number:
  US12/378,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20090217714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,085 Days
• Field of Search: 70/63, 702/57, 702/77, 702/75, 702/64
• US Class Current: 70/257
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0094 Mechanical aspects of remotely controlled locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/023 the bolt moving pivotally or rotatively
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0003 for locking a plurality of wings, e.g. simultaneously E05B65/0017, E05B77/46, E05B65/462, E05C7/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/52 Other locks for chests, boxes, trunks, baskets, travelling bags, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/02 Locks for railway freight-cars, freight containers or the like; Locks for the cargo compartments of commercial lorries, trucks or vans
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/22 for luggage compartments at the side of the vehicle, e.g. of buses or camper vans
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 9/08 with a rotary bar for actuating the fastening means E05B83/10 and E05B65/468 take precedence; for a plurality of drawers E05B65/465
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5031 Receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5115 Multiple bolts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5124 Swinging and hooked end
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5978 With switch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/65 Central control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7051 Using a powered device [e.g., motor]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7062 Electrical type [e.g., solenoid]

Abstract

A rotary electronic locking system for locking utility box or storage compartments installed on trucks or other vehicles, using a remote device like a remote key fob to lock and unlock the storage compartments, or by wiring the system to the vehicle'"'"'s factory-installed electronic door lock system and utilizing the remote device supplied with the factory-installed electronic door lock system to lock and unlock the storage compartments. The rotary electronic locking system operates independently from the existing handles on the storage compartments. It may be used as a primary or secondary locking system, providing additional security. The system includes a rotating rod assembly with strikers, which is rotated by an electronic actuator causing the strikers to engage with or disengage from striker plates attached to the interior of the storage compartments. A wireless remote device is used to signal the electronic actuator to rotate the rotating rod assembly or, if the system is wired into the factory-installed electronic door lock system, the remote device that operates the door locking system may be used to signal the electronic actuator to rotate the rotating rod assembly to lock or unlock the storage compartment doors.

Claims

1. An apparatus for locking and unlocking one or more storage compartments having an interior enclosed with doors, the apparatus comprising:

a rotating rod assembly having a length;

at least two rod mounting plates for mounting the rotating rod assembly to the interior of one or more storage compartments;

one or more striker plates attached to the doors of one or more storage compartments and arranged so that there is one or more striker plate per door;

one or more striker assemblies attached to the rotating rod assembly and positioned along the length of the rotating rod assembly so that each of the one or more striker assemblies aligns with one striker plate;

an electronic actuator for rotating the rotating rod assembly so as to cause the one or more striker assemblies to engage (lock) with and disengage (unlock) from the one or more striker plates;

an electronic control module/receiver electrically connected to the electronic actuator to signal the electronic actuator; and

a wireless key fob for sending a wireless signal to the electronic control module/receiver to signal the electronic control module/receiver to actuate the electronic actuator to rotate the rotating rod assembly and engage (lock) or disengage (unlock) the one or more striker assemblies from the one or more striker plates.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the one or more striker plates are welded to the inside of the one or more storage compartment doors.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the one or more striker plates are bolted to the inside of the one or more storage compartment doors.

4. The apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the rotating rod assembly, at least two rod mounting plates, one or more striker plates, and one or more striker assemblies are made from zinc plated cold rolled steel.

5. The apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the rotating rod assembly, at least two rod mounting plates, one or more striker plates, and one or more striker assemblies are made from zinc plated cold rolled steel.

6. An apparatus for locking and unlocking one or more storage compartments having an interior enclosed with doors, the apparatus comprising:

a rotating rod assembly having a length;

at least two rod mounting plates for mounting the rotating rod assembly to the interior of one or more storage compartments;

one or more striker plates attached to the doors of one or more storage compartments and arranged so that there is one or more striker plate per door;

one or more striker assemblies attached to the rotating rod assembly and positioned along the length of the rotating rod assembly so that each of the one or more striker assemblies aligns with one striker plate; and

an electronic actuator for rotating the rotating rod assembly so as to cause the one or more striker assemblies to engage (lock) with and disengage (unlock) from the one or more striker plates, wherein the electronic actuator is adapted to be electrically connected to the factory-installed electric door lock system of a vehicle such that a wireless signal from a remote device supplied with the factory-installed electric door lock system signals the electronic actuator to rotate the rotating rod assembly and engage (lock) or disengage (unlock) the one or more striker assemblies with or from the one or more striker plates.

7. The apparatus as in claim 6, wherein the one or more striker plates are welded to the inside of the one or more-storage compartment doors.

8. The apparatus as in claim 6, wherein the one or more striker plates are bolted to the inside of the one or more storage compartment doors.

9. The apparatus as in claim 7, further wherein the rotating rod assembly, at least two rod mounting plates, one or more striker plates, and one or more striker assemblies are made from zinc plated cold rolled steel.

10. The apparatus as in claim 8, wherein the rotating rod assembly, at least two rod mounting plates, one or more striker plates, and one or more striker assemblies are made from zinc plated cold rolled steel.

11. An apparatus for locking and unlocking one or more storage compartments having an interior enclosed with doors, the one or more storage components located in a service body, the apparatus comprising:

a rotating rod assembly having a length;

at least two rod mounting plates for mounting the rotating rod assembly to the interior of one or more storage compartments;

one or more striker plates attached to the doors of one or more storage compartments and arranged so that there is one or more striker plates per door;

one or more striker assemblies attached to the rotating rod assembly and positioned along the length of the rotating rod assembly so that each of the one or more striker assemblies aligns with one striker plate;

a manual lock bracket with a bottom hole adapted to receive a padlock or combination lock, the manual lock bracket fixed to the service body; and

a manual lock handle with a tab, the tab having a hole adapted to receive a padlock or combination lock, and the lock handle having a rod extending through the manual lock bracket and connecting to the rotating rod assembly so that manually rotating the lock handle also rotates the rotating rod assembly to engage (lock) or disengage (unlock) the side compartments of the service body, the hole in the tab of the lock handle aligning with the bottom hole of the manual lock bracket when the rotating rod assembly is in its locked position such that a padlock or a combination lock may be placed through both the bottom hole in the manual lock bracket and the hole in the tab of the manual lock handle.

12. The apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the one or more striker plates are welded to the inside of the one or more storage compartment doors.

13. The apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the one or more striker plates are bolted to the inside of the one or more storage compartment doors.

14. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the rotating rod assembly, rod mounting plates, striker plates, striker assemblies, manual lock handle, and manual lock bracket are made from zinc plated cold rolled steel.

15. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the rotating rod assembly, rod mounting plates, striker plates, striker assemblies, manual lock handle, and manual lock bracket are made from zinc plated cold rolled steel.