Pushbutton combination lock
OwnerCharles E. Germantoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates to electrical combination locks that compare a sequence of input signals with a stored sequence to permit the lock to be opened. The mechanical features of the lock are characterized by an arm and control member within the lock structure that inhibit bolt motion in the absence of the proper combination. The electrical circuit enables the combination to be changed readily and uses very little power.
Claims14
A combination lock comprising a housing, a bolt selectively retractable within said housing, a rotatable arm for retracting said bolt, a rotatable knob journalled in said housing, a remanent control member within said housing for selectively engaging said arm, said control member being rotatable with said knob, a coil surrounding said remanent control member, a circuit means to selectively energize said coil so as to selectively magnetize said remanent control member, a set of two-state memory elements for storing any one of all combinations of said memory elements, and said circuit means being responsive to signals that correspond to said stored combination for engaging and disengaging said remanent control member and said rotatable arm for selective movement with said remanent control member in order to retract said bolt.
A combination lock according to claim 14 further comprising closure means being interlocked with action of said knob for the purpose of impeding unauthorized access through said frontal aperture.
A multiple digit combination lock comprising a housing, a bolt selectively retractable within said housing, a rotatable arm for retracting said bolt, two magnets on said arm, a rotatable knob journalled in said housing, a control member within said housing for selectively engaging said arm, said control member being rotatable with said knob, a magnetizable engaging member in said control member for attraction to and repulsion from said arm magnets in order to engage said arm for selective movement with said engaging member to retract said bolt, circuit means responsive to the stored combination for generating signals to magnetize said engaging member to said arm magnet attraction and repulsion, processing circuitry in said circuit means for generating signals that enable said control member to engage and disengaged said rotatable arm, further switch means activated in response to said knob rotation for enabling said processing circuitry, and tactile switches in said circuit means for producing successive signals that correspond to successive digits of said stored combination to apply said produced signals to said individual processing circuitry to enable said processing circuitry to generate said control member signals for magnetizing said engaging member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.