Key retention mechanism for mail lock box
AssigneeCompX International Inc.
InventorRonald McCurry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A customer key actuated lock includes a retention mechanism which prevents counterrotation of the customer key plug to roation from the locked position toward the unlocked position and further includes a release mechanism to disengage the retention mechanism.
Claims9
In a lock including a housing, a lock assembly having a key actuated, rotatable plug, said plug including a key slot for receipt of a customer key to engage the plug to thereby effect rotation of the plug, a bolt attached to the plug and rotatable therewith between a fully locked, key removal position and an unlocked position, said lock including means to prevent removal of the customer key except when the plug is in the fully locked position, the improvement comprising means for preventing the plug from moving to the fully locked position subsequent to actuation of the lock by said customer key by rotating the plug within the housing from the fully locked toward an unlocked position, said means for preventing including a biased tumbler mounted for rotation with the plug, said biased tumbler being biased toward engagement with the housing, said housing including a first surface for engaging the biased tumbler in the fully locked position and a second surface for engaging the biased tumbler in a position other than in the fully locked position, said first and second surfaces separated by a stop surface which engages the biased tumbler and precludes rotation of the plug to the fully locked position;
- and
- releasing means to disable the means for preventing thereby permitting rotation of the plug to the fully locked position and subsequent removal of the customer key.
In a lock including a housing, a first rotatable customer key actuated plug in the housing having a locked and an unlocked position and rotatable about a plug axis, the improvement comprising releasable means for preventing the plug from counterrotation upon the rotation from the locked position, said means including
- a ratchet mounted on the first plug rotatable in response to rotation of the first plug from the locked toward the unlocked position;
- a pawl mounted in the housing biased for engagement with the ratchet to preclude counterrotation of the first plug;
- and
- a separate, second key actuated plug member including a pawl and ratchet release plate mounted thereon and rotatable in response to second key actuated rotation of the second plug;
- and
- a pawl engaging member to engage and release the pawl from the ratchet up rotation of the second plug between a pawl engage and pawl release position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.