SAFE FOR VEHICLE

• US 20100043682A1
• Filed: 08/20/2008
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberley Talmage, William Talmage
• Original Assignee: Kimberley Talmage, William Talmage
• Inventors: Talmage, Kimberley, Talmage, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,020,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 109/50
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 1/00 Safes or strong-rooms for valuables savings boxes A45C1/12; floatable safes B63C7/30; storage containers without attack or fire-retardant features B65D; bank buildings in general, e.g. modular construction or floor plan, E04H1/06; buildings resistant to earthquakes or war action E04H9/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5031 Receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5128 Drawer

Abstract

A safe which is attachable to a motor vehicle. The safe may have a door bearing a lock which is centered on the door so that access to the lock is equal from opposed sides of the safe. The safe may have a slide-out drawer which rides on a track, in which case the track and drawer are centered within the safe. The drawer may be locked by a lock which is centered within one face of the drawer. The safe may have a mounting flange bearing at least one hole for engaging a retention element such as threaded fasteners or a tether.

Claims

1. A safe for a motor vehicle which is mountable in at least two positions on the motor vehicle, comprising:

a receptacle having a horizontal center plane;

a drawer disposed to occupy the receptacle and to move reversibly between a protected location within the receptacle and an exposed position wherein contents of the drawer are exposed to access from outside the safe, wherein the drawer comprises

a floor and a perimetric wall projecting generally perpendicularly from the floor to define a drawer storage space, a horizontal center plane which is generally aligned with the horizontal center plane of the receptacle,

a guide disposed to guide the drawer to move between the concealed location and the exposed position, wherein the guide is generally centered on the respective center planes of the drawer and of the receptacle, and

a lock disposed to selectively lock and unlock the closure;

a closure which is located on one side of the receptacle and which is disposed to surround the drawer and to close the receptacle when the drawer is within the receptacle, wherein the closure comprises a handle exposed to the exterior of the safe; and

a mounting for mounting the receptacle to the motor vehicle.

2. The safe of claim 1, wherein the guide comprises a track.

3. The safe of claim 1, wherein the closure comprises the front wall of the drawer.

4. The safe of claim 1, wherein the lock is a keyed lock which is operable by a key and which comprises an interference member which selectively engages the receptacle to establish interference opposing withdrawal of the drawer from the receptacle, and which selectively moves the interference member out of interference with the receptacle to enable the drawer to be exposed to the exterior of the safe.

5. The safe of claim 1, wherein the receptacle has a vertical longitudinal center plane, and the lock is in a location intersected by the vertical longitudinal center plane.

6. The safe of claim 1, wherein the mounting comprises a flange bearing holes for fasteners.

7. The safe of claim 6, wherein the flange is parallel to the floor of the drawer.

8. A safe for a motor vehicle which is mountable in at least two positions on the motor vehicle, comprising:

a housing comprising a floor, a perimetric side wall having an opening, thereby defining a receptacle within the housing, a top panel, and a vertical longitudinal center plane passing through the opening of the side wall;

a closure which is located on one side of the housing and which is disposed to expose the interior of the receptacle and to close the interior of the receptacle, wherein the closure comprises a handle exposed to the exterior of the safe;

a lock disposed to selectively lock and unlock the closure, wherein the lock is located on the closure at a location which is intersected by vertical center plane; and

a mounting for mounting the housing to the motor vehicle.

9. The safe of claim 8, wherein the closure comprises a door which is pivotally hinged to the housing so as to selectively close and expose the opening of the perimetric side wall.

10. The safe of claim 9, wherein the lock is mounted on the door.

11. The safe of claim 9, wherein the door is removable from the housing.

12. The safe of claim 8, wherein the mounting comprises a flange which is parallel to the floor of the housing, and wherein the flange bears at least one hole for engaging a retention element.

13. The safe of claim 8, wherein the retention element comprises a plurality of threaded fasteners.

14. The safe of claim 8, wherein the retention element comprises a tether having an anchorage for engaging the motor vehicle.