# US 11,308,745 B2 · Secured storage system for controlling access to a stored material

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,308,745 B2
- Document ID: US11308745B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/605,137
- Filed: 2017-11-30
- Published: 2021-04-29
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-11-30
- Assignees: Emma Health Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Inrange Systems, Inc.
- Inventors: Christopher E. Bossi; Bruce Allan Moser, Jr.; Jason Christopher Bryant; James Arthur Pike
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11308745B2

## CPC

- G07C 9/00912: {for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like}
- G16H 20/13: delivered from dispensers
- E05B 41/00: Locks with visible indication as to whether the lock is locked or unlocked {(indicator lights E05B17/10)}
- E05B 47/0001: {with electric actuators; Constructional features thereof (for vehicles E05B81/04)}
- E05B 65/006: {for covers or panels (for manholes E02D29/1427; for holes enabling access to installations in buildings E04F19/08; for pressure vessels F16J13/00)}
- E05B 65/46: for drawers
- G06Q 10/0877: {by inventory control or reporting using inventory tracking or counting}
- G07C 9/00571: {operated by interacting with a central unit}
- G16H 40/67: for remote operation
- E05Y 2201/43: Motors
- E05Y 2400/85: User input means
- E05Y 2900/20: for furniture, e.g. cabinets
- G07C 2209/62: Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
- E05B: LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- E05Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF

## Abstract

A secure storage system for limiting access to a stored material, the storage system including a remote access management system including an input device for receiving an access instruction and a transmitting device configured to electronically transmit an access instruction signal based on the access instruction, a cabinet including at least one storage drawer including a first lock, at least one container arranged in the at least one storage drawer each at least one container configured to store a stored material, each at least one container including a second lock for preventing access to the stored material. The second lock is placed in an unlocked state allowing access to the stored material based on the access instruction signal received from the remote access management system. A switch indicates to the remote access management system a locked state or an unlocked state of the respective container.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A secure storage system for controlling access to a stored material, the storage system comprising:
a remote access management system including an input device for receiving an access instruction and a transmitting device configured to electronically transmit an access instruction signal based on the access instruction;
a cabinet including:
at least one storage drawer, each at least one storage drawer including a first lock for locking the drawer in the cabinet wherein the first lock is placed in an unlocked state based on the access instruction signal received from the remote access management system;
at least one container arranged in the at least one storage drawer, each at least one container configured to store the stored material, each at least one container including, an opening, and a lid for controlling access to the stored material via the opening, and a second lock for locking the lid in a closed position covering the opening, wherein the second lock is placed in an unlocked state based on the access instruction signal received from the remote access management system, the unlocked state configured to allow the lid to be changed from a closed position to an open position;
a row circuit board including:
an indicator corresponding to each at least one container, the indicator configured to indicate an unlocked state of a respective second lock; and
a lid switch corresponding to each at least one container for indicating to the remote access management system an open state or a closed state of the respective lid.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The secure storage system according to claim 1, wherein the second lock comprises:
a lid latch catch arranged on the lid;
a latch for engaging/disengaging with the lid latch catch;
a lid panel including a lid panel protrusion for engaging the lid switch for indicating to the remote access management system the open state or the closed state of the lid;
a push button panel attached to the latch and the lid panel and configured to be engaged by a user to be depressed wherein the latch and the lid panel are simultaneously depressed, the push button panel including a push button panel protrusion;
a blocker bar configured to slide on the row circuit board and including at least one aperture for receiving the protrusion of the push button panel for allowing the push button panel to be depressed for releasing the latch catch of the lid from the latch, for opening the lid, wherein a position of the aperture being changed based on the access instruction signal received from the remote access management system.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The secure storage system according to claim 1, wherein the first lock comprises:
a drawer latch catch arranged on each at least one storage drawer;
an electromechanical latch configured to move from a locking position to engage the drawer latch catch and an unlocking position to disengage from the drawer latch catch based on the access instruction signal received from the remote access management system;
a resilient member arranged to propel each at least one storage drawer to an open position upon disengaging the drawer latch catch from the electromechanical latch.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The secure storage system according to claim 1, wherein the cabinet comprises a top cabinet wall, a bottom cabinet wall, and two side cabinet walls and a rear cabinet wall arranged between the top cabinet wall and the bottom cabinet wall.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The secure storage system according to claim 1, wherein each at least one container is a cube including a cube top wall, a cube rear wall, a cube bottom wall, a cube front wall and two cube side walls arranged between the cube rear wall and the cube front wall and between the cube bottom wall and the lid, wherein the opening is arranged in the cube top wall.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The secure storage system according to claim 2, wherein the second lock comprises:
a motor configured to receive the access instruction signal from the remote access management system and change a position of the blocker bar to align the aperture vertically beneath the push button panel protrusion in an unlocked position or align the aperture vertically spaced from the push button panel protrusion in a locked position for preventing the push button panel from being depressed;
at least one sensor for determining a position of the blocker bar.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The secure storage system according to claim 6, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The secure storage system according to claim 2, wherein the lid comprises a resilient hinge which is urged to an open position when the latch catch is released.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The secure storage system according to claim 1, wherein the indicator is an LED and a push button is configured to transmit light from the LED indicator when the respective second lock of the at least one container is unlocked.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The secure storage system according to claim 9, wherein a front wall of the at least one container includes a recessed area which funnels light emitted by the LED indicator for increasing an amount of light transmitted to the push button.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The secure storage system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one storage drawer comprises:
a plurality of storage drawers, wherein only one drawer of the plurality of storage drawers is configured to be unlocked at any one time.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The secure storage system according to claim 2, comprising:
a plurality of rows in each drawer, each row including a plurality of containers;
a row circuit board provided for each row;
a blocker bar provided for each row, each blocker bar including an aperture for each container in a respective row;
wherein only one container is configured to be unlocked at any one time.

### Claim 13 (depends on 2)

The secure storage system according to claim 2, wherein the lid latch catch is configured to reengage the latch when the lid is changed from the open position to the closed position.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The secure storage system according to claim 12, wherein the second lock comprises:
a motor configured to receive the access instruction signal from the remote access management system and change a position of a single blocker bar to align an aperture vertically beneath the push button panel protrusion of the container corresponding to the access instruction signal.

### Claim 15

A secure storage system for limiting access to a stored material, the storage system comprising:
a remote access management system including an input device for receiving an access instruction and a transmitting device configured to electronically transmit an access instruction signal based on the access instruction;
a cabinet including:
at least one storage drawer, each at least one storage drawer including a first lock for locking the drawer in the cabinet wherein the first lock is placed in an unlocked state based on the access instruction signal received from the remote access management system;
at least one container arranged in the at least one storage drawer, each at least one container configured to store the stored material, each at least one container including a second lock for preventing access to the stored material, wherein the second lock is placed in an unlocked state allowing access to the stored material based on the access instruction signal received from the remote access management system; and
a switch corresponding to each at least one container for indicating to the remote access management system a locked state or an unlocked state of the respective container.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The secure storage system according to claim 15, wherein the second lock comprises:
a pocket latch for each at least one container, each pocket latch configured to engage/disengage with a respective latch catch of the at least one container, each pocket latch being rotatable about an axis;
a slide latch assembly including a sliding frame configured to slide and a pawl arranged on the sliding frame and configured to rotate, the pawl having two stable positions, the two stable positions being an extended position and a retracted position;
a motor for positioning the slide latch assembly based on an access instruction signal from the remote access management system;
a pawl extending tab arranged at a first terminal travel position of the slide latch assembly and configured to engage the pawl to be in the extended position;
a pawl retracting tab arranged at a second terminal travel position of the slide latch assembly and configured to engage the pawl to be in the retracted position, wherein the remote access management system is configured to electronically transmit the access instruction signal to the motor, wherein the motor is configured to drive the slide latch assembly from a starting position proximate the first terminal travel position to a position at a container of the at least one container, corresponding to the access instruction signal, wherein the pawl is positioned distal the pocket latch of the container with respect to the first terminal travel position, the motor being configured to reverse a travel direction of the slide latch assembly whereby the pawl engages the pocket latch to rotate the pocket latch to release the respective latch catch of the container.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The secure storage system according to claim 16, wherein the motor is configured to reverse the travel direction of the slide latch assembly again to drive the slide latch assembly to the second terminal travel position for engaging the pawl with the pawl retracting tab to place the pawl in the retracted position;
wherein the motor is configured to reverse the travel direction of the slide latch assembly again to drive the slide latch assembly while the pawl is in the retracted position to the first terminal position for engaging the pawl with the pawl extending tab to place the pawl in the extended position.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The secure storage system according to claim 16, wherein the respective latch catch comprises a hook for engaging the pocket latch and a beveled surface for sliding on the pocket latch.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The secure storage system according to claim 15, wherein the first lock comprises:
a drawer latch catch arranged on each at least one storage drawer;
an electromechanical latch configured to move from a locking position to engage the drawer latch catch and an unlocking position to disengage from the drawer latch catch based on the access instruction signal received from the remote access management system;
a resilient member arranged to propel each at least one storage drawer to an open position upon disengaging the drawer latch catch from the electromechanical latch.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The secure storage system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one storage drawer comprises:
a plurality of storage drawers, wherein only one drawer of the plurality of storage drawers is configured to be unlocked at any one time.

### Claim 21 (depends on 15)

The secure storage system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one container comprises:
a plurality of containers, wherein only one container of the plurality of containers is configured to be unlocked at any one time.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

The secure storage system according to claim 16, wherein the container comprises a resilient hinge which is configured to urge the container to an open position when the respective latch catch is released.

### Claim 23 (depends on 16)

The secure storage system according to claim 16, wherein the respective latch catch is configured to reengage the pocket latch when a lid is changed from an open position to a closed position.

### Claim 24 (depends on 15)

The secure storage system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one container has an open side configured to provide access to the stored material, said open side being accessible only when the at least one container is in the unlocked state.

### Claim 25 (depends on 16)

The secure storage system according to claim 16, wherein the motor is a stepper motor.