Electronic Locks Particularly for Office Furniture

• US 20140318199A1
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Security People Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Security People Incorporated
• Inventors: Gokcebay, Asil T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,222,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 70/278.1
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0012 with rotary electromotors actuators with rotary electromotors per se H02K7/06, H02K23/68
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/023 the bolt moving pivotally or rotatively
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/06 Controlling mechanically-operated bolts by electro-magnetically-operated detents
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/025 for lockers
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/46 for drawers
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/462 for two or more drawers
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 1/004 parallel to the surface on which the fastener is mounted
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 3/042 the handle being at one side, the bolt at the other side or inside the wing
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/04 Access control involving a hierarchy in access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00666 with dials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7068 Actuated after correct combination recognized [e.g., numerical, alphabetical, or magnet[s] pattern]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/713 Dogging manual operator

Abstract

An electronic cam lock accessible either by PIN code or wirelessly transmitted code from a user'"'"'s credential has a compact electronics housing that fits neatly and unobtrusively in office furniture, including metal or wood file cabinets. The housing has a rear-extending driver, which may be within a cylinder, preferably positioned where the driver of a cam lock of conventional keyed configuration would be located. One form of the lock is front-recess mounted. In another form the housing is inside-mounted, fitted within the usually one-inch top rail or vertical side rail of a file cabinet, with the electronic access terminal and a rotatable knob exposed for the user. The locks can be connected in a wired or wireless network for controlling access by time or by personnel, or for auditing entries.

Claims

1. An electronic cam lock on a door, cabinet, panel or drawer in a cabinet or furniture that provides ingress and no ingress, without a mechanical key, comprising:

a compact housing containing electronics and having an access terminal enabling entry of a code by a user, such code when properly entered causing the electronics to permit access, the housing being affixed to a panel of said door or drawer or other structure of said cabinet or furniture, and the housing having a housing body and a face fixed at the front of the housing body, the face having a peripheral rim that extends outward laterally beyond the housing body, and the housing being front-recess mounted in an opening in the panel which is sized to closely receive the body of the housing and not the rim, such that the rim of the housing is positioned against the front of the panel,

a cam lock cylinder unit extending from a back side of the housing, with a lock driver in the cylinder unit engaged with a cam or latch device at the inside of the panel of the cabinet or furniture, and including a knob or handle on the housing for operating the lock manually without a mechanical key to rotate the lock driver and the cam or latch device when permitted by the electronics, and

a power source connected to power the electronics.

2. The electronic cam lock of claim 1, wherein the housing and the opening to the panel are generally rectangular in shape.

3. The electronic cam lock of claim 1, wherein the panel is of sheet metal, about 12 to 20 gauge, such that the housing body protrudes inwardly into the cabinet or furniture, and including a rear casing at the inside of the panel, covering the housing body from the back, and wherein the housing and rear casing are secured to the panel by fasteners extending through the rear casing and engaged with the housing body.

4. The electronic cam lock of claim 3, wherein the rear casing has a back panel with an opening through which the cam lock cylinder unit extends.

5. The electronic cam lock of claim 3, wherein the power source comprises a battery pack, the battery pack being secured on the inside of the cabinet or furniture and connected by electrical cable through the rear casing and to the housing.

6. The electronic cam lock of claim 3, wherein the rear casing is a part of a combined rear casing and battery power unit, including a battery casing serving as said power source and integrally formed laterally at one end of the rear casing, containing batteries and being connected electrically to the housing.

7. The electronic cam lock of claim 1, wherein the panel of the cabinet or furniture has a thickness of about ⅝

inch to ¾

inch, and wherein the housing body extends into the opening of the panel such that a back side of the housing body is approximately flush with an inside surface of the panel, and wherein a plate is included inside the cabinet or furniture, immediately behind the housing, and the plate and housing being retained on the panel by fasteners extending through the plate and engaged with the housing so that both the plate and the rim of the housing bear against the panel.

8. The electronic cam lock of claim 7, wherein the plate has an opening through which the cam lock cylinder unit extends.

9. The electronic cam lock of claim 8, wherein the power source comprises a battery casing secured to the back side of the plate, containing batteries, and the batteries being connected to power the electronics of the housing.

10. The electronic cam lock of claim 1, wherein the power source is a cable feeding line power to the housing.

11. The electronic cam lock of claim 1, wherein the electronic cam lock is part of a network of similar locks, with a data port on the housing connected by a cable to the network.

12. The electronic cam lock of claim 1, wherein the access terminal includes an RFID reader for a user credential carrying an RFID tag.

13. An electronic cam lock on a door, cabinet, panel or drawer in a metal cabinet or furniture that provides ingress and no ingress, without a mechanical key, comprising:

a compact housing containing electronics and having an access terminal enabling entry of a code by a user, such code when properly entered causing the electronics to permit access, the housing being affixed in a generally U-shaped top rail or vertical side rail of said cabinet or furniture, and the housing having a face at the front of the housing, the housing being inside-mounted, fitted within the top rail or side rail such that a portion of the housing face having the access terminal is exposed through an opening in a front rail piece of the top rail or side rail, and the housing being secured to the inside of the top rail or side rail,

a cam lock cylinder unit extending from a back side of the housing, with a lock driver in the cylinder unit engaged with a cam or latch device at the inside of the panel of the cabinet or furniture, and including a knob or handle secured to the front of the housing through an opening in the front rail piece, for operating the lock manually without a mechanical key to rotate the lock driver and the cam or latch device when permitted by the electronics, and

a power source connected to power the electronics.

14. The electronic cam lock of claim 13, wherein the housing and the opening in the front rail piece are generally rectangular in shape.

15. The electronic cam lock of claim 13, wherein the metal cabinet or furniture is a file cabinet and the power source comprises a battery pack, the battery pack being secured on the inside of the file cabinet and connected by electrical cable to the housing.

16. The electronic cam lock of claim 15, wherein the battery pack is secured against an inside surface of a file cabinet panel forming a part of said top rail or side rail using hook and loop fastener material.

17. The electronic cam lock of claim 13, wherein said opening in the front rail piece for the access terminal is separate from said opening in the front rail piece through which the knob or handle is secured to the housing.

18. The electronic cam lock of claim 13, wherein said portion of the housing face having the access terminal is slightly relieved outwardly from the remainder of the housing face, with a relieved peripheral rim around said portion of the housing face, the rim fitting closely within said opening in the front rail piece.

19. The electronic cam lock of claim 13, wherein the housing includes mounting flanges extending laterally and integrally from the housing, the housing being secured to the inside of the top rail or side rail by fasteners engaged with said mounting flanges.

20. The electronic cam lock of claim 13, wherein the cabinet is a file cabinet and said cam or latch is a lifter cam operating multiple drawers of the file cabinet.

21. The electronic cam lock of claim 13, wherein the U-shaped top rail or vertical side rail in which the housing is positioned has a clearance of about one inch, the housing having a corresponding dimension about 1/16 inch to 1/32 inch less.

22. The electronic cam lock of claim 13, wherein the power source comprises line power wired to the housing.

23. The electronic cam lock of claim 13, wherein the electronic cam lock is part of a network of similar locks, with a data port on the housing connected by a cable to the network.

24. The electronic cam lock of claim 23, wherein the data port also receives line power via the cable, the line power serving as said power source.

25. The electronic cam lock of claim 13, further including an antenna connected to the electronics for network connection with a series of similar locks.

26. The electronic cam lock of claim 13, wherein the access terminal includes an RFID reader for a user credential carrying an RFID tag.

27. The electronic cam lock of claim 13, wherein the access terminal has electrical contacts, and further including a portable key device with a battery and with contacts adapted to fit with the terminal and to make contact with the electrical contacts of the terminal.

28. An electronic cam lock on a door, cabinet, panel or drawer in a cabinet or furniture that provides ingress and no ingress, without a mechanical key, comprising:

a compact housing containing electronics and having an access terminal enabling entry of a code by a user, such code when properly entered causing the electronics to permit access, the housing being affixed to a panel of said door or drawer or other structure of said cabinet or furniture, and the housing having a housing body and a face with said access terminal, the face being fixed at the front of the housing body, the housing being mounted to the panel such that the access terminal is exposed for entry of a code by a user,

a cam lock cylinder unit extending from a back side of the housing, with a lock driver in the cylinder unit engaged with a cam or latch device at the inside of the panel of the cabinet or furniture, and including an electromagnetic actuator in the housing for operating the lock without a mechanical key to rotate the lock driver and a cam or latch device when permitted by the electronics, and

a power source connected to power the lock.

29. The electronic cam lock of claim 28, wherein the face on the housing has a peripheral rim that extends outward laterally beyond the housing body, and the housing being front-recess mounted in an opening in the panel which is sized to closely receive the body of the housing and not the rim, such that the rim of the housing is positioned against the front of the panel.

30. The electronic cam lock of claim 28, wherein the housing is affixed in a generally U-shaped top rail or vertical side rail of said cabinet or furniture, and the housing having a face at the front of the housing, the housing being inside-mounted, fitted within the top rail or side rail such that a portion of the housing face having the access terminal is exposed through an opening in a front rail piece of the top rail or side rail, and the housing being secured to the inside of the top rail or side rail.