US 4,117,701 AGranted

Electro-thermal lock

OwnerLuigi Giovanni Del Meiinventor

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Abstract

This invention relates to a locking device having a latching element movable between a locking position and an inoperative position, operating means for moving the latching element, a blocking member movable to a blocking position for mechanically preventing the latching element from moving to its inoperative position. According to the invention, a plurality of thermally responsive elements are arranged or are individually bendable to form thermally responsive holding means for adopting a holding condition to temporarily hold the blocking member in the blocking position and, preferably, also to form thermally responsive safety means for normally adopting an inoperative condition. Thermo-electric means are associated with the thermally responsive means for individually and selectively heating the thermally responsive means to move the thermally responsive holding means from the holding condition thereby permitting the blocking member to move from the blocking position and for moving the thermally responsive safety means to a holding condition for holding the blocking member in the blocking position. Thus, the blocking member is permitted to move from said blocking position only on correctly energizing said thermo-electric means. Actuating means are provided for enabling said thermo-electric means to be selectively energized.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A locking device comprising:

a latching element movable between a locking position and an inoperative position;
operating means for moving the latching element from the locking position to the inoperative position;
and
blocking means operable for preventing the operating means from moving the latching element from the locking position to the inoperative position;
wherein the blocking means comprises:
a blocking member movable to a blocking position for mechanically preventing the operating means from moving the latching element from the locking position to the inoperative position;
thermally responsive holding means for adopting a holding condition for temporarily holding the blocking member in the blocking position;
thermo-electric control means for heating said thermally responsive holding means to move said thermally responsive holding means from said holding condition, thereby permitting said blocking member to move from said blocking position;
actuating means operable in a predetermined mode for energising said thermo-electric control means to heat said thermally responsive holding means;
thermally responsive safety means for normally adopting an inoperative condition;
and
thermo-electric safety control means for heating said thermally responsive safety means to move said thermally responsive safety means to a holding condition for temporarily holding the blocking member in the blocking position;
said actuating means including switching means for energising the thermo-electric safety control means upon operation of said actuating means in at least one mode other than said predetermined mode.

10 more elements

A locking device comprising:

a housing;
a latching element located at least partly in said housing and movable between a locking position and an inoperative position;
operating means for moving the latching element from the locking position to the inoperative position;
a blocking member in said housing and movable to a blocking position for mechanically preventing the latching element from moving from the locking position to the inoperative position;
a plurality of bendable thermally responsive elements arranged in the housing, the elements being individually bendable to form thermally responsive holding means for adopting a holding condition to temporarily hold the blocking member in the blocking position and thermally responsive safety means for normally adopting an inoperative condition;
thermo-electric means associated with said thermally responsive holding means and said thermally responsive safety means for individually and selectively heating the thermally responsive means to move the thermally responsive holding means from the holding condition thereby permitting the blockking member to move from the blocking position and for moving the thermally responsive safety means to a holding condition for holding the blocking member in the blocking position, whereby the blocking member is permitted to move from said blocking position only on correctly energising said thermo-electric means;
and
actuating means for enabling said thermo-electric means to be selectively energised.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.