Vending machine lock system
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorKenyon A. Hapke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A motorized lock for a vending machine provides a simple lever mechanism that provides two separate points of engagement between the door and the machine to resist tampering and provide for more even pull in of a gasketed door.
Claims24
A motorized vending machine lock for a vending machine providing a cabinet housing a vending apparatus and a door attached to the cabinet to open and close the cabinet, the lock comprising:
- a strike plate attached to one of a door and cabinet of the vending machine;
- at least two bolts attached to an other of the door and cabinet;
- a single electric motor driving an actuator mechanism to:
- (i) in a first operating mode, engage the bolts and the strike at spatially separated points, and then draw the door against the cabinet, and
- (ii) in a second operating mode, release the door from the cabinet, and then disengage the bolts from the strike plate
- wherein the bolts are pivoting hooks having hook ends movable within a plane to engage and disengage with corresponding hook engagement points on the strike plate and movable within the plane to extend and retract along a direction of separation of the door and cabinet.
- wherein the actuator mechanism includes:
- a frame supporting the motor;
- a first and second swing arm pivotally attached to the frame at a first end and at a second end pivotally attached to a first pivot point on a corresponding first and second hooks at a location removed from a hook portion engaging the strike plate, to allow the swing arms and hooks to pivot with respect to each other through a range of acute angles;
- a crank attached to the motor provides a first and second crank end moving with actuation of the motor;
- and
- a first and second drive linkage pivotally attached to corresponding crank ends and pivotally attached to second pivot points on corresponding first and second hooks between the first pivot point and the hook portion.
A motorized vending machine lock for a vending machine providing a cabinet housing a vending apparatus and a door attached to the cabinet to hingeably open and close the cabinet along a separation axis, the lock comprising:
- a strike plate attached to one of a door and cabinet of a vending machine, the strike plate providing hook engagement points;
- at least one motorized bolt attached to the other of the door and cabinet and providing:
- (i) a bolt having a hook end movable within a plane to engage and disengage with the hook engagement point and movable within the plane to extend and retract along a direction of separation of the door and cabinet;
- and
- (ii) an actuator mechanism providing a motor and operating in a first mode when the door is open to move the hook toward the strike plate with translative motion of the hook along the separation axis, engage the strike plate with translative motion of the hook across the separation axis, and pull the strike plate to close the door with translative motion of the hook along the separation axis, and in a second mode when the door is closed to move the hook with translative motion of the hook along the separation axis to open the door, disengage the strike plate with translative motion of the hook across the separation axis, and pull the hook away from the strike plate with translative motion of the hook along the separation axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.