Back to results
US 10,184,277 B2Granted
Lock mechanism for securing a lockable volume
AssigneeUnited States Postal Service
InventorsDonald E. Irwin, Nan K. McKenzie, William Albert Tartal, Victoria K. Stephen, Michael J. Amato
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lock and method of locking a lockable volume is described. The lock may be located on a door of a lockable volume, such as a locker configured to hold an item. The lock may comprise a post and a cam, the cam having an opening corresponding to the size and shape of the post. The cam is rotatable about an axis, wherein the rotation of the cam about the axis releasably secures the post within the opening, thereby locking the door to which the post is attached.
Claims10
A lock mechanism comprising:
- a frame defining an outer and an inner side and configured to support components of the lock mechanism;
- an actuator mounted on the inner side of the frame, comprising a housing and a piston which is extendable from the housing such that a forward portion of the piston travels along a longitudinal axis of the piston outward from a retracted position near the housing to an extended position;
- a first linkage member rotatably connected at a first end portion to the forward portion of the piston;
- a second linkage member rotatably connected to the inner side of the frame at a fixed position, the second linkage member rotatably connected at a first end portion to a second end portion of the first linkage member, the second linkage member comprising a portion that rests on a section of the first linkage member when the piston is in the extended position and will move out of the section along a surface of the first linkage member when the piston is in the retracted position;
- a third linkage member rotatably connected at a first end portion to a second end portion of the second linkage member;
- a rotatable cam connected at its axis of rotation to the frame, the rotatable cam having a receiving portion that is exposed to the outer side of the frame and a rotating plate at the inner side of the frame, the receiving portion configured to receive and secure a member of a lock structure in a locked position, wherein the rotatable cam is rotatably connected at a mid outer portion of the rotating plate to a second end portion of the third linkage member.
3 more elements
A lock mechanism comprising:
- a frame defining an outer and an inner side;
- an actuator mounted on the inner side of the frame, the actuator comprising a piston that travels from a retracted position to an extended position;
- a first linkage member mechanically connected at a first end to the piston;
- a second linkage member mechanically connected to the first linkage member and mechanically connected to a guide member so as to rotate about the guide member, wherein the guide member rests on a portion of the first linkage when the piston is in the extended position and is moved out of the portion along a surface of the first linkage when the piston is in the retracted position;
- a third linkage member mechanically connected to the second linkage member;
- and
- a rotatable cam having a receiving portion that is exposed to the outer side of the frame and a rotating plate at the inner side of the frame that is mechanically connected to the third linkage member such that extension of the piston from the retracted position to the extended position transfers a force through the first, second and third linkage members to the rotatable cam to cause rotation of the rotatable cam from a first position to a second position;
- wherein the receiving portion is configured to receive and secure a member of a lock structure in a locked position.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.