Electronic lockbox
AssigneeSentriLock, LLC
InventorsScott R. Fisher, Alan F. Deardoff, Nancy C. Griffiths, Daniel C. Cambron, Matthew K. Caskey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic lockbox uses a rotary actuator with multiple positions to achieve multiple locking states. Multiple positions of the actuator are detected, using optical sensors. The locking mechanism includes an outer sleeve and an inner cylindrical barrel that are coupled with torsion springs. The lockbox has a shackle and a key bin that are retained by the inner barrel when in the locked state, and the barrel can be rotated to either release the shackle or to release the key bin that typically holds a building's key.
Claims5
A latching apparatus for an electronic lockbox comprising:
- (a) a movable actuator having the general shape of a hollow cylinder with at least two open ends, said hollow cylinder including a first interior protrusion, and a second interior protrusion;
- (b) a cylindrically-shaped rotatable barrel;
- (c) a first latch hook at the distal end of a first latch pin, said first latch hook being sized and shaped to mechanically interface with said first interior protrusion;
- and
- (d) a second latch hook at the distal end of a second latch pin, said second latch hook being sized and shaped to mechanically interface with said second interior protrusion;
- (e) wherein:
- said first interior protrusion is sufficiently wide such that after said first latch pin has been inserted into said barrel and has become latched, the first latch pin does not unlatch itself as said second latch pin is inserted and rotates said rotatable barrel during said second latch pin insertion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.