Firearm housing with heavy-duty locking mechanism

• US 7,478,724 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2006
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Albert W. Vor Keller
• Original Assignee: Albert W. Vor Keller
• Inventors: Vor Keller, Albert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Carone; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abdosh; Samir
• Application Number:
  US11/432,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20070051026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 42/701.1, 704/46, 704/49, 206/317, 224911-913, 211/64
• US Class Current: 206/317
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/02 Key-operated safeties F41A17/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 23/18 Rests for supporting smallarms in non-shooting position racks for storage A47B81/00; racks in vehicles B60R7/14
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/06 Containers for carrying smallarms, e.g. safety boxes, gun cases F41C33/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/911 Handgun holder formed of leather, fabric, or other flexible material

Abstract

A safety housing for a firearm includes a biometric or other access authentication device, an enclosure, a frame assembly, a slide assembly, and a door. The frame and the slide assemblies nest within the enclosure, the frame assembly affixes to the enclosure, and the slide assembly moves relative to the frame assembly. The door moves between an open position in which the firearm is removable through an access opening in the housing, and a closed position covering the access opening. The housing has cooperating internal components that operate to lock the door closed when the slide assembly is locked in place, to unlock the door when the slide assembly is released, to move the door open when the slide assembly is moved upwards, and to move the door closed when the slide assembly is moved downwards. Also, the frame assembly has adjustably positionable support elements for different firearms.

Claims

1. A housing for securing a firearm, comprising:

a) a door assembly that moves about a pivot axis and between a closed position preventing the firearm from being withdrawn from the housing and an open position permitting the firearm to be withdrawn from the housing;

b) a slide assembly that moves between a closed position and an open position, wherein the slide assembly includes at least one slide-locking member, wherein the door assembly is pivotally coupled to the slide assembly at the pivot axis;

c) at least one set of first and second cooperating drive surfaces that engage to move the door assembly to the open position in response to the slide assembly moving to the open position, wherein the second drive surface is defined by the door assembly and the first drive surface is fixed and defined by another part of the housing, wherein as the slide assembly moves from the closed position toward the open position the second drive surface is moved into contact with the first drive surface at a location offset from the pivot axis, and wherein as the slide assembly moves farther toward the open position and the first drive surface remains fixed then the resulting lever force of the first drive surface on the second drive surface pivots the door assembly to the open position; and

d) at least one retainer that moves between a locked position engaging the slide-locking member to lock the slide assembly in the closed position and an unlocked position disengaged from the slide-locking member to release the slide assembly from the closed position.

2. The housing of claim 1, further comprising at least one set of first and second cooperating stop surfaces that engage to lock the door in the closed position when the slide assembly is locked in the closed position and that do not engage so that the door assembly is free to move from the closed position when the slide assembly is moved to the open position, wherein the second stop surface is defined by the lever arm of the door assembly and the first stop surface is fixed and defined by another part of the housing.

3. The housing of claim 2, further comprising a frame assembly that defines the first stop surface.

4. The housing of claim 3, wherein the first stop surface is defined by an opening in the frame assembly or by a pin extending from the frame assembly.

5. The housing of claim 3, wherein the door assembly includes at least one lever arm that defines the second stop surface.

6. The housing of claim 2, wherein the door assembly includes at least one lever arm that defines the second stop surface.

7. The housing of claim 6, wherein the second stop surface is defined by a bottom edge of the lever arm or by an opening in the lever arm.

8. The housing of claim 2, wherein the drive surfaces, the stop surfaces, the slide-locking member, and the retainer are internal to the housing and inaccessible to unauthorized users.

9. The housing of claim 1, further comprising a spring element that moves the slide assembly towards the open position upon release of the slide assembly from the locked closed position.

10. The housing of claim 1, further comprising a frame assembly or an enclosure for the frame assembly that defines the first drive surface.

11. The housing of claim 1, wherein the door assembly includes at least one lever arm that defines the second drive surface.

12. The housing of claim 11, wherein the second drive surface is a cam surface defined by the lever arm.

13. The housing of claim 1, further comprising at least one support element that supports the firearm in the housing, wherein the support element is positionable for cooperating with the door to pinch or choke a narrowed section of the firearm to constrain of the firearm when the door is in the closed position and the slide assembly is in the locked closed position.

14. The housing of claim 13, wherein the support element is adjustably positionable for use with other firearms.

15. The housing of claim 1, further comprising means for authenticating an authorized user of the firearm based on biometric information and moving the retainer from the locked position to the unlocked position upon the user authentication.

16. A housing for securing a firearm, comprising:

a) a door assembly including a door and at least one lever arm, wherein the door pivots about a pivot axis and between a closed position preventing the firearm from being withdrawn from the housing and an open position permitting the firearm to be withdrawn from the housing;

b) a fixed frame assembly including at least one support element for supporting the firearm in the housing;

c) a slide assembly that slides relative to the frame assembly between a closed position and an open position, wherein the slide assembly includes at least one slide-locking member, wherein the door is pivotally coupled to the slide assembly at the pivot axis;

d) at least one set of first and second cooperating stop surfaces with the second stop surface defined by the lever arm of the door assembly and with the first stop surface defined by the frame assembly, wherein the stop surfaces engage to lock the door in the closed position when the slide assembly is locked in the closed position and disengage to release the door from the closed position when the slide assembly is moved to the open position;

e) at least one set of first and second cooperating drive surfaces that engage to move the door to the open position in response to the slide assembly moving to the open position, wherein the second drive surface is defined by the lever arm of the door assembly and the first drive surface is defined by the fixed frame assembly, wherein as the slide assembly moves from the closed position toward the open position the second drive surface is moved into contact with the first drive surface at a location offset from the pivot axis, and wherein as the slide assembly moves farther toward the open position and the first drive surface remains fixed then the resulting lever force of the first drive surface on the second drive surface pivots the door to the open position;

f) at least one retainer that moves between a locked position engaging the slide-locking member to lock the slide assembly in the closed position and an unlocked position disengaged from the slide-locking member to release the slide assembly from the closed position;

g) an access authentication device adapted to move the retainer from the locked position to the unlocked position upon authenticating an authorized user of the firearm; and

h) a spring element that moves the slide assembly towards the open position upon release of the slide assembly from the locked closed position.

17. The housing of claim 16, wherein the access authentication device comprises a means for authenticating the authorized user based on biometric information.

18. The housing of claim 16, further comprising an enclosure for the frame assembly, the slide assembly, and the retainer, wherein drive surfaces, the stop surfaces, the slide-locking member, and the retainer are internal to the housing and inaccessible to unauthorized users.