Security enclosure for a gun

• US 8,104,313 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wolfe's Den LLC
• Original Assignee: Wolfe's Den LLC
• Inventors: Wolfe, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrett, Suzanne
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOSWELL, CHRISTOPHER J
• Application Number:
  US11/945,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20100212372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 70/63, 70/571, 70/58, 109/47, 109/48, 109/53, 109/54, 109/58, 224/249, 42/10.1, 42/700.1, 42/700.6, 42/700.7, 42/700.9, 42/701.1, 340/5.7, 340/5.73, 340/5.8, 340/5.81, 340/5.82, 340/5.83, 206/317
• US Class Current: 70/63
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 81/00 Cabinets or racks specially adapted for other particular purposes, e.g. for storing guns or skis
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5031 Receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5097 Cabinet

Abstract

A security enclosure for a handgun includes an enclosure base having an opening to an interior portion and a cover configured to selectively cover the opening in the enclosure base. The cover may be configured in a manner to rotate from a first position in which the cover blocks access to the interior portion of the enclosure base to a second position in which the cover allows access to the interior portion of the enclosure base. A gun enclosure may be rotatably disposed within the enclosure base. A biometric recognition device may be configured to operatively unlock the cover when exposed to a required feature of an authorized user.

Claims

1. A security enclosure, comprising:

an enclosure base having inner wall surfaces and an opening to an interior portion defined between the inner wall surfaces;

a cover configured to selectively cover the opening in the enclosure base, the cover being configured in a manner to rotate from a first position in which the cover blocks access to the interior portion of the enclosure base to a second position in which the cover allows access to the interior portion of the enclosure base;

a positioning structure having first and second parallel side walls rigidly connected by a third side wall, the first and second side walls spaced apart from inner wall surfaces of the enclosure base when the positioning structure is within the enclosure base;

a gun positioner housed within the positioning structure and rotatably disposed within the enclosure base to rotatably displace a handgun in a plane defined by the handgun from a first position entirely within the enclosure base to a second position where at least a part of the handgun protrudes out of the opening for grasping by a user, the gun positioner being configured to rotate about a pivot axis substantially transverse to the handgun plane to displace the handgun within the handgun plane; and

a biasing element operating against the cover in a manner that biases the cover to the second position, the biasing element being disposed at least partially between the first and second side walls of the positioning structure.

2. The security enclosure of claim 1 comprising one or more springs configured to rotate the gun positioner relative to the enclosure base.

3. The security enclosure of claim 1 further comprising a mounting plate removably coupled to the enclosure base.

4. The security enclosure of claim 1 wherein the gun positioner comprises a molded holster.

5. The security enclosure of claim 4 wherein the molded holster is formed of Kydex and is custom molded for a particular handgun, and wherein the gun positioner is replaceable within the enclosure base.

6. The security enclosure of claim 1 comprising a biometric recognition device configured to operatively unlock the cover when exposed to a required feature of an authorized user.

7. The security enclosure of claim 6 further comprising means to override the biometric recognition device and unlock the cover.

8. The security enclosure of claim 7 wherein the means to override the biometric recognition device and unlock the cover is one of a key, a keypad, and a combination entry.

9. The security enclosure of claim 1, wherein the gun positioner is housed entirely within the positioning structure.

10. The security enclosure of claim 1, wherein the positioning structure is immovably disposed within the enclosure base.

11. The security enclosure of claim 1, wherein the side walls of the positioning structure are parallel.

12. A security enclosure, comprising:

an enclosure base having inner wall surfaces and an opening to an interior portion defined between the inner wall surfaces;

a cover configured to selectively cover the opening in the enclosure base, the cover being configured in a manner to rotate from a first position in which the cover blocks access to the interior portion of the enclosure base to a second position in which the cover allows access to the interior portion of the enclosure base;

a positioning structure disposable in the opening of the enclosure base, the positioning structure having first and second parallel side walls rigidly connected by a third side wall, the first and second side walls spaced apart from inner wall surfaces of the enclosure base when the positioning structure is within the enclosure base;

a gun positioner housed within the positioning structure and rotatably disposed within the enclosure base, the gun positioner being arranged to secure a handgun such that an end face of a grip of the handgun faces the cover when the cover is in the first position in which the cover blocks access to the interior portion of the enclosure base; and

a biasing element operating against the cover in a manner that biases the cover to the second position.

13. The security enclosure of claim 12 further comprising a rotation mechanism configured to rotate the gun positioner, the rotation mechanism configured to rotate the gun within a range of about 20 to 120 degrees.

14. The security enclosure of claim 12 further comprising one or more springs configured to rotate the gun positioner relative to the enclosure base.

15. The security enclosure of claim 12 further comprising a biometric recognition device to operatively unlock the cover from the enclosure base when exposed to a required feature of an authorized user.

16. The security enclosure of claim 15 wherein the biometric recognition device is one of a fingerprint recognition device and a voice recognition device.

17. The security enclosure of claim 15 further comprising means to override the biometric recognition device and unlock the cover.

18. The security enclosure of claim 17 wherein the means to override the biometric recognition device and unlock the cover is one of a key, a keypad, and a combination entry.

19. The security enclosure of claim 12 further comprising a mounting plate removably coupled to the enclosure base.

20. The security enclosure of claim 19 wherein the molded holster is custom molded of Kydex material for a particular model handgun.

21. The security enclosure of claim 12 further comprising an alarm.

22. The security enclosure of claim 12 wherein the gun positioner further comprises a molded holster.

23. A security enclosure, comprising:

an enclosure base having inner wall surfaces and an opening to an interior portion defined between the inner wall surfaces;

a cover configured to selectively cover the opening in the enclosure base, the cover being configured in a manner to rotate from a first position in which the cover blocks access to the interior portion of the enclosure base to a second position in which the cover allows access to the interior portion of the enclosure base;

a positioning structure disposable in the opening of the enclosure base, the positioning structure having first and second parallel side walls rigidly connected by a third side wall, the first and second side walls spaced apart from inner wall surfaces of the enclosure base;

a gun positioner disposed within the positioning structure and configured to position a handgun, the gun positioner being configured to rotate about a pivot point within the enclosure base to rotatably displace a handgun in a plane defined by the handgun from a first position entirely within the enclosure base to a second position where at least a part of the handgun protrudes out of the opening for grasping by a user; and

a biasing element operating against the cover in a manner that biases the cover to the second position.

24. The security enclosure of claim 23 further comprising a mounting plate removably coupled to the enclosure base.

25. The security enclosure of claim 23 comprising one or more springs configured to rotate the gun positioner relative to the enclosure base.

26. The security enclosure of claim 23 wherein the gun positioner further comprises a Kydex molded holster.

27. A security enclosure for a handgun, comprising:

an enclosure base having inner wall surfaces and an opening to an interior portion defined between the inner wall surfaces;

a cover configured to selectively cover the opening in the enclosure base, the cover being configured in a manner to rotate from a first position in which the cover blocks access to the interior portion of the enclosure base to a second position in which the cover allows access to the interior portion of the enclosure base;

a positioning structure in the enclosure base, the positioning structure having first and second parallel side walls rigidly connected by a third side wall, the first and second side walls spaced apart from inner wall surfaces of the enclosure base;

a biometric fingerprint recognition device configured to operatively unlock the cover from the enclosure base when exposed to a required feature of an authorized user;

a gun enclosure housed within the positioning structure and shaped to receive and hold a handgun that defines a longitudinal handgun plane, the gun enclosure being configured to rotate about a pivot axis substantially normal to the handgun plane through the enclosure base to rotatably displace a handgun from a position within the enclosure base to a position where at least a part of the handgun protrudes out of the opening;

a biasing element disposed at least partially between the first and second side walls of the positioning structure within the enclosure base and being configured to exert a force that results in rotation of the gun enclosure about the pivot axis to move the gun enclosure substantially in the longitudinal handgun plane transverse to the pivot axis, the biasing element operating against the cover in a manner that biases the cover to the second position.