IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0398087
(2012-02-16)
|
등록번호 |
US-8833118
(2014-09-16)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
4 인용 특허 :
20 |
초록
▼
A lock for retrofitting onto a drawer or a door includes a drawer having a front panel. The drawer slidingly engages an item of furniture having a front face that is positioned above the front panel when the drawer is closed. A bracket has a vertically disposed flat front plate, a horizontally dispo
A lock for retrofitting onto a drawer or a door includes a drawer having a front panel. The drawer slidingly engages an item of furniture having a front face that is positioned above the front panel when the drawer is closed. A bracket has a vertically disposed flat front plate, a horizontally disposed flat top plate, a vertically disposed flat back plate, and a horizontally disposed motor platform that extends horizontally into an interior of the drawer. A motor having an output shaft is mounted on the motor platform. A latch supported by the motor platform is engaged by the output shaft. The latch is retracted when the drawer is unlocked and is extended to engage an interior side of the front panel of the furniture item when the drawer is locked.
대표청구항
▼
1. A latch for retrofitting onto a drawer, said drawer lacking a locking means, comprising: said latch releasably engaging an imperforate front panel of a drawer having a front surface;said drawer adapted to slidingly engage a cabinet having a front wall;a bracket releasably secured to said front pa
1. A latch for retrofitting onto a drawer, said drawer lacking a locking means, comprising: said latch releasably engaging an imperforate front panel of a drawer having a front surface;said drawer adapted to slidingly engage a cabinet having a front wall;a bracket releasably secured to said front panel, said bracket having a flat front plate adapted to overlie a predetermined section of the front surface of said front panel, a flat top plate adapted to overlie a top edge of said front panel, and a flat back plate adapted to overlie a predetermined section of an interior surface of said front panel;said latch connected to said bracket and disposed in a vertical plane within an interior of said drawer;said latch having a retracted position when said drawer is unlocked;said latch having an extended position when said drawer is locked;said latch engaging an interior surface of said front wall of said cabinet when said latch is in said extended position;a latch actuator, connected to said bracket, disposed within an interior of said drawer, said latch actuator being manually inoperable when said drawer is closed;a user-operated control device, disposed externally of said interior of said drawer, being in electrical communication with said latch actuator;said latch actuator extending said latch upon receipt of an extend latch signal from said user-operated control device;said latch actuator retracting said latch upon receipt of a retract latch signal from said user-operated control device;said latch and said bracket causing no structural modification to said drawer when attached to and detached from said drawer;said latch providing a locking means for said drawer when said bracket is attached to said drawer. 2. The latch of claim 1, further comprising: said latch actuator being a motor having an output shaft, said latch being engaged by said output shaft so that activation of said motor causes displacement of said latch from said retracted position to said extended position or from said extended position to said retracted position. 3. The latch of claim 1, further comprising: said latch actuator being a solenoid having an armature, said latch being engaged by said armature so that activation of said solenoid causes displacement of said latch from said retracted position to said extended position or from said extended position to said retracted position. 4. The latch of claim 1, further comprising: an opening formed in said flat back plate; anda screw disposed in said opening that engages said flat back plate when tightened;whereby said bracket fits over said front panel and is secured thereto by said screw. 5. The latch of claim 1, further comprising: a spacer disposed in surmounting relation to said latch and releasably engaged to said latch in non-rotating relation thereto;said spacer having a first part that engages said latch and at least one additional part that extends from said latch to an interior surface of said front wall of said cabinet when said latch and said interior surface of said front wall are spaced apart from one another. 6. The latch of claim 5, further comprising: said spacer having an irregular “T”-shape, including a first arm having no length, a second arm having a first length, a third arm having a second length that exceeds said first length, and a fourth arm having a third length that exceeds said second length;said latch having a square transverse cross-section and therefore having first, second, third and fourth sidewalls, each sidewall being disposed at a right angle to its contiguous sidewalls;said latch having a bore formed therein coincident with a vertical axis of said latch;said first part of said spacer being a rod that is slideably and non-rotatably received within said bore in a first position where said first arm having no length is aligned with said first sidewall of said latch so that said first arm abuts said interior surface of said front wall;said rod also being slideably and non-rotatably received within said bore in a second position where said second arm is aligned with said first sidewall of said latch so that said second arm extends to and abuts said interior surface of said front wall;said rod also being slideably and non-rotatably received within said bore in a third position where said third arm is aligned with said first sidewall of said latch so that said third arm extends to and abuts said interior surface of said front wall;said rod also being slideably and non-rotatably received within said bore in a fourth position where said fourth arm is aligned with said first sidewall of said latch so that said fourth arm extends to and abuts said interior surface of said front wall;said spacer being in said first position when said latch is disposed in abutting relation to said interior surface of said front wall;said spacer being in said second position when said latch is spaced a first distance from said interior surface of said front wall;said spacer being in said third position when said latch is spaced a second distance from said interior surface of said front wall, said second distance exceeding said first distance; andsaid spacer being in said fourth position when said latch is spaced a third distance from said interior surface of said front wall, said third distance exceeding said second distance. 7. The latch of claim 1, further comprising: said latch actuator being a motor having an output shaft;said latch being internally threaded;an externally threaded rod secured to said output shaft of said motor for conjoint rotation therewith;said externally threaded rod engaging internal threads formed in said latch;said latch being extended when said output shaft rotates in a first direction; andsaid latch being retracted when said output shaft rotates in a second direction opposite to said first direction. 8. The latch of claim 1, further comprising: a motor platform connected to said flat back plate;a motor mounted on said motor platform;said motor platform extending into an interior of the drawer for a predetermined distance. 9. The latch of claim 8, further comprising: a spring positioned between said motor platform and said motor;said motor being in a position of repose when said spring is in a position of repose so that if said latch is obstructed and cannot be extended to a position where it is adapted to bar movement of a drawer, the motor is driven against the bias of said spring so that the motor is not damaged. 10. The latch of claim 1, further comprising: said latch actuator being a motor having an output shaft;an externally threaded helical gear secured to said output shaft of said motor for conjoint rotation therewith;a plurality of rack teeth formed in said latch;a pinion gear disposed in meshing engagement with said rack teeth;said pinion gear also meshingly engaged with said external threads formed in said helical gear so that said latch is extended when said output shaft rotates in a first direction and so that said latch is retracted when said output shaft rotates in a second direction opposite to said first direction. 11. The latch of claim 1, further comprising: said flat back plate being thickened near a lower end thereof to provide a clamping action that engages said front panel. 12. The latch of claim 2, further comprising: a control housing;said control housing including a battery compartment;said control housing mounted so that it is adapted to abut said front panel;said control housing including a user interface. 13. The latch of claim 12, further comprising: said user interface provided in the form of a keypad having a plurality of keys;said control housing including a controller that receives input from said keypad and produces output signals based upon said input. 14. The latch of claim 13, further comprising: a program set button that projects from an interior face of said control housing;said program set button being biased so that it is depressed when said control housing is adapted to be placed into its operative position relative to said front panel of said drawer and so that said program set button returns to a position of repose when said control housing is removed from said front panel. 15. The latch of claim 14, further comprising: said output shaft of said motor rotating ninety degrees in a first direction when said motor is activated by an extend latch output signal from said control device and ninety degrees in a second direction opposite to said first direction when said motor is activated by a retract latch output signal from said control device. 16. A latch that is retrofit onto a drawer, comprising: a drawer having an imperforate front panel reinforced by an imperforate second panel, said imperforate front panel having a front surface and said imperforate second panel having an interior surface, said first and second panels collectively forming an imperforate reinforced panel;said drawer adapted to slidingly engage a cabinet having a front wall;said drawer having no locking means so that said drawer can be opened without requiring a key or other unlocking means;a bracket releasably secured to said front panel, said bracket having a flat front plate adapted to overlie a predetermined section of the front surface of said imperforate front panel, a flat top plate adapted to overlie a top edge of said imperforate front panel, a flat back plate adapted to overlie a predetermined extent of a back surface of said imperforate front panel, a flat top plate adapted to overlie a top edge of said second imperforate panel, and a flat back plate adapted to overlie a predetermined extent of the interior surface of said second imperforate panel;said latch connected to said bracket and disposed in a vertical plane within an interior of said drawer;said latch having a retracted position when said drawer is unlocked;said latch having an extended position when said drawer is locked;said latch adapted to engage an interior surface of said front wall of said cabinet when said latch is in said extended position;a latch actuator, connected to said bracket, adapted to be disposed within an interior of said drawer, said actuator being manually inoperable when said drawer is closed;a user-operated control device, disposed externally of said interior of said drawer, being in electrical communication with said latch actuator;said latch actuator extending said latch upon receipt of an extend latch signal from said user-operated control device;said actuator retracting said latch upon receipt of a retract latch signal from said user-operated control device;whereby said drawer having no locking can be locked and unlocked by attaching said latch to said drawer;whereby said latch is adapted to be carried by a user, adapted to be temporarily attached by said user to said drawer without alteration of said drawer, and adapted to be removed from said drawer by said user after use; andwhereby said front panel remains unmodified and imperforate after said bracket is secured thereto. 17. A latch retrofitted onto a cabinet having a wall and a door mounted in said wall, comprising: a bracket having a flat front plate that overlies a predetermined section of a front surface of said door, a flat edge plate that overlies an edge of said door, and a flat back plate that overlies a predetermined extent of a back surface of said door;said bracket secured to said door;said door being imperforate and said door lacking a built-in locking means;said latch engaging an interior surface of said wall when extended so that said door cannot be opened and said latch not engaging said interior surface of said wall when retracted so that said door can be opened;a latch actuator, connected to said bracket, disposed within an interior of said cabinet, said actuator being manually inoperable when said door is closed;a user-operated control device, disposed externally of said interior of said cabinet, being in electrical communication with said latch actuator;said latch actuator extending said latch upon receipt of an extend latch signal from said user-operated control device; andsaid latch actuator retracting said latch upon receipt of a retract latch signal from said user-operated control device. 18. A latch retrofitted onto a drawer, comprising: said latch releasably engaging an imperforate front panel of a drawer having a front surface;said drawer slidingly engaging a cabinet having a front wall;a bracket releasably secured to said front panel, said bracket having a flat front plate adapted to overlie a predetermined section of the front surface of said front panel, a flat top plate adapted to overlie a top edge of said front panel, and a flat back plate adapted to overlie a predetermined section of an interior surface of said front panel;said latch connected to said bracket and disposed in a vertical plane within an interior of said drawer;said latch having a retracted position when said drawer is unlocked;said latch having an extended position when said drawer is locked;said latch engaging an interior surface of said front wall of said cabinet when said latch is in said extended position;a latch actuator, connected to said bracket, disposed within an interior of said drawer, said latch actuator being manually inoperable when said drawer is dosed;a user-operated control device, disposed externally of said interior of said drawer, being in electrical communication with said latch actuator;said latch actuator extending said latch upon receipt of an extend latch signal from said user-operated control device;said latch actuator retracting said latch upon receipt of a retract latch signal from said user-operated control device;a spacer disposed in surmounting relation to said latch and releasably engaged to said latch in non-rotating relation thereto;said spacer having a first part that engages said latch and at least one additional part that extends from said latch to an interior surface of said front wall of said cabinet when said latch and said interior surface of said front wall are spaced apart from one another;said spacer having an irregular “T”-shape, including a first arm having no length, a second arm having a first length, a third arm having a second length that exceeds said first length, and a fourth arm having a third length that exceeds said second length;said latch having a square transverse cross-section and therefore having first, second, third and fourth sidewalls, each sidewall being disposed at a right angle to its contiguous sidewalls;said latch having a bore formed therein coincident with a vertical axis of said latch;said first part of said spacer being a rod that is slideably and non-rotatably received within said bore in a first position where said first arm having no length of said spacer is aligned with said first sidewall of said latch so that said first arm abuts said interior surface of said front wall;said rod also being slideably and non-rotatably received within said bore in a second position where said second arm of said spacer is aligned with said first sidewall of said latch so that said second arm extends to and abuts said interior surface of said front wall;said rod also being slideably and non-rotatably received within said bore in a third position where said third arm of said spacer is aligned with said first sidewall of said latch so that said third arm extends to and abuts said interior surface of said front wall;said rod also being slideably and non-rotatably received within said bore in a fourth position where said fourth arm of said spacer is aligned with said first sidewall of said latch so that said fourth arm extends to and abuts said interior surface of said front wall;said spacer being in said first position when said latch is disposed in abutting relation to said interior surface of said front wall;said spacer being in said second position when said latch is spaced a first distance from said interior surface of said front wall;said spacer being in said third position when said latch is spaced a second distance from said interior surface of said front wall, said second distance exceeding said first distance; andsaid spacer being in said fourth position when said latch is spaced a third distance from said interior surface of said front wall, said third distance exceeding said second distance.
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