US 12,180,746 B2Granted

Storage apparatus

AssigneeKnoll, Inc.

InventorsBenjamin A. Pardo, Masamichi Udagawa, Sigrid Moeslinger

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Abstract

A storage apparatus having a keyless lock/unlock system. The storage apparatus may including a housing having a storage cavity and a door may be coupled to the housing. A handle is coupled to the door and defines a handle cavity. The locking system includes an electronics assembly and a locking mechanism that are in operable communication. The electronics assembly includes a reader component and an indicator component that are located within the handle cavity. The indicator component is visible through a window in the handle. When the reader component receives credential data which is then authenticated, the locking system transitions between a locked configuration whereby the locking mechanism is locked and the indicator component is in a first display state and an unlocked configuration whereby the locking mechanism is unlocked and the indicator component is in a second display state. The indicator component may be electronic paper.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A storage apparatus comprising:

a housing comprising a storage cavity having an opening;
a door coupled to the housing and alterable between a closed state whereby the door closes the opening of the storage cavity and an open state whereby the opening of the storage cavity is exposed to provide a user with access into the storage cavity;
a handle coupled to the door and configured for engagement with a user's hand to facilitate opening and closing of the door, the handle comprising a handle cavity and a window providing visual access into the handle cavity;
a locking system comprising:
an electronics assembly comprising a reader component and an indicator component that are located within the handle cavity, the indicator component being visible through the window of the handle and being alterable between a first display state and a second display state;
and
a locking mechanism in operable communication with the electronics assembly, the locking mechanism alterable between a locked state whereby the door is prevented from being altered from the closed state to the open state and an unlocked state whereby the door is permitted to be altered between the open and closed states;
wherein upon the reader component receiving credential data and the electronics assembly authenticating the credential data, the locking system is transitioned between:
(1) a locked configuration whereby the locking mechanism is in the locked state and the indicator component is in the first display state;
and (2) an unlocked configuration whereby the locking mechanism is in the unlocked state and the indicator component is in the second display state;
wherein the indicator component comprises electronic paper having a background region and an identifier region which displays a number associated with the storage apparatus, the background region and the number being displayed as different colors;
and
wherein a color of the background region changes when the indicator component is altered between the first display state and the second display state.

10 more elements

A storage apparatus comprising:

a housing comprising a storage cavity;
a door coupled to the housing and configured to close the storage cavity, the door comprising a plurality of apertures that extend from a front surface thereof to a rear surface thereof;
a handle comprising a front surface, a rear surface, a plurality of connection legs protruding from the rear surface, and a lightpipe leg protruding from the rear surface, the lightpipe leg defining a passageway that extends from a distal end of the lightpipe leg to an opening in the front surface of the handle, each of the plurality of connection legs and the lightpipe leg, respectively, extending into one of the plurality of apertures in the door to facilitate coupling the handle to the door;
a locking mechanism comprising a first component coupled to the rear surface of the door and a second component coupled to a sidewall of the housing within the storage cavity, the first component comprising a housing and an illumination element, the illumination element aligned with the passageway of the lightpipe leg of the handle, the locking mechanism alterable between a locked state whereby a first locking feature of the first component engages a second locking feature of the second component and an unlocked state whereby the first and second locking features are not engaged;
a reader component configured to receive credential data;
and
wherein upon the reader component receiving credential data and the credential data being authenticated, the illumination element flashes one or more times within a predetermined time period and the locking mechanism is either altered from the locked state to the unlocked state or from the unlocked state to the locked state.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/741,809Filed 11 May 2022 · us provisional application
Priority: 17 May 2021
Published: US 2022/0364387 A117 Nov 2022
Granted: 31 Dec 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

E05B 17/226
Means for operating or controlling lock or fastening device accessories, i.e. other than the fastening members, e.g. switches, indicators:…
E05B 1/0084
Knobs or handles for wings; Knobs, handles, or press buttons for locks or latches on wings: handles or knobs with displays, signs, labels…
E05B 17/10
Accessories in connection with locks: illuminating devices on or for locks or keys; Transparent or translucent lock parts; Indicator lights
E05B 41/00
Locks with visible indication as to whether the lock is locked or