Lockable container having an integral and internal locking mechanism and methods of use

A lockable container for securing an asset, comprising:

• a base portion having a locked position receptacle;
• a cover pivotally coupled to the base portion to enclose the asset in the container;
• a locking mate arrangement coupled to at least one of the cover and the base portion, the locking mate arrangement having at least one tab portion;
• and
• a locking member slideably coupled to at least one of the cover and the base portion, the locking member being arranged entirely within the container such that the locking member is inaccessible from an exterior of the lockable container to a physical contact sufficient to slide the locking member from the exterior of the locking container and the locking member and lockable container operable to restrict tampering with the locking member from the exterior of the lockable container, and the locking member is configured to detachably couple to the locking mate arrangement to secure the cover to the base portion, thereby retaining the asset within the container, where the locking member is permanently connected to the lockable container, the locking member further comprising:
• at least one engagement structure configured to engage the at least one tab portion;
• at least one first magnetically attractable portion configured to magnetically interact with a corresponding first magnet arrangement of an external key arrangement;
• at least one resilient locked position flange biased into a locking state and acted on by the first magnetically attractable portion to be moved out of the locking state, the locked position flange being configured to selectively engage the locked position receptacle to prevent the locking member from sliding into an unlocked position once in a locked position;
• and
• wherein the locking member is configured to be acted upon by the external key arrangement via the magnetic field of the first magnet arrangement to selectively position the locking member into one of the locked position and the unlocked position with respect to the locking mate arrangement.

A system for securing and gaining access to an asset, comprising:

• a lockable container for securing an asset having a first cover, a second cover pivotally coupled to the first cover to enclose the asset within the container, a locking mate arrangement coupled to at least one of the first and second covers, and a locking member slideably coupled to at least one of the first and second covers, wherein the locking member is configured to detachably couple to the locking mate arrangement to secure the first cover to second cover, thereby retaining the asset item within the container;
• and
• a key arrangement for at least one of locking and unlocking the container, the key arrangement having a receptacle arrangement configured to receive the container, wherein the receptacle arrangement has at least one magnet arrangement configured to at least one of lock and unlock the container;
• wherein the locking member is configured to be acted upon by the external key arrangement to selectively position the locking member into one of a locked position and an unlocked position with respect to the locking mate arrangement;
• and wherein the entirety of the locking member is internal to the container in the unlocked position and the locked position such that the locking member is inaccessible from an exterior of the lockable container to a physical contact sufficient to slide the locking member between the locked and unlocked positions, whereby the locking member and the lockable container are operable to restrict tampering with the locking member from the exterior of the lockable container and the locking member is permanently connected to the lockable container.

A method for securing an asset within a container, comprising:

• providing a lockable container having a first cover, a second cover pivotally coupled to the first cover to enclose the asset within the container, a locking mate arrangement coupled to at least one of the first and second covers, and a locking member slideably coupled to at least one of the first and second covers, wherein the locking member is in an unlocked position, and wherein the entirety of the locking member is internal to the container when the locking member is in the unlocked position and in a locked position such that the locking member is inaccessible from an exterior of the lockable container to a physical contact sufficient to slide the locking member from the exterior of the lockable container and the locking member and the lockable container operable to restrict tampering with the locking member from the exterior of the locking container, and the locking member is permanently connected to the lockable container;
• providing a key arrangement for unlocking the container, the key arrangement having a receptacle arrangement, wherein the receptacle arrangement has at least one magnet arrangement;
• positioning the container within the receptacle arrangement;
• acting upon the container using the magnetic field of the at least one magnet arrangement to move the locking member from the unlocked position into the locked position with respect to the locking mate arrangement, such that the locking member engages the locking mate arrangement to secure the first cover to the second cover.

A method for providing access to an asset from within a container, comprising:

• providing a lockable container having a first cover, a second cover pivotally coupled to the first cover to enclose the asset within the container, a locking mate arrangement coupled to at least one of the first and second covers, and a locking member slideably coupled to at least one of the first and second covers, wherein
• the entirety of the locking member is internal to the container in an unlocked position and in a locked position such that the locking member is inaccessible from an exterior of the lockable container to a physical contact sufficient to slide the locking member from the exterior of the lockable container and the locking member and the lockable container operable to restrict tampering with the locking member from the exterior of the locking container, and the locking member is permanently connected to the lockable container;
• the locking member engages the locking mate arrangement to secure the first cover to the second cover in a locked position;
• providing a key arrangement for unlocking the container, the key arrangement having a receptacle arrangement, wherein the receptacle arrangement has at least one magnet arrangement;
• positioning the container within the receptacle arrangement;
• acting upon the container with a magnetic field of the at least one magnet arrangement to move the locking member from the locked position into the unlocked position with respect to the locking mate arrangement.

A lockable container for securing an asset, comprising:

• a first cover;
• a second cover coupled to the first cover, the first and second covers configured to move between an open position which allows access to the asset and a closed position which encloses the asset;
• at least one tab portion coupled to the first cover;
• at least one corresponding tab portion coupled to the second cover;
• and
• a locking member operatively coupled to at least one of the first and second covers, wherein the locking member has a trap portion and a release portion, wherein the locking member is configured to move between an unlocked position in which the first and second covers can move to the open position and a locked position which locks the container in the closed position, and wherein the entirety of the locking member is internal to the container in the unlocked position and in the locked position such that the locking member is inaccessible from an exterior of the lockable container to a physical contact sufficient to slide the locking member between the locked and unlocked positions, whereby the locking member and the lockable container are operable to restrict tampering with the locking member from the exterior of the lockable container and the locking member is permanently connected to the lockable container.

A lockable container for securing an asset therein, comprising:

• a receptacle, wherein the receptacle has an open configuration which allows access to the asset and a closed configuration which encloses the asset;
• a locking mate arrangement operatively coupled to the receptacle;
• and
• a locking member, wherein
• the locking member is configured to move between an unlocked position in which the receptacle is in the open configuration and a locked position which locks the receptacle in the closed configuration, and wherein the entirety of the locking member is internal to the container in the unlocked position and in the locked position such that the locking member is inaccessible from an exterior of the lockable container and to a physical contact sufficient to slide the locking member between the locked and unlocked positions, whereby the locking member and the lockable container are operable to restrict tampering with the locking member from the exterior of the lockable container, and the locking member is permanently connected to the lockable container.

A key arrangement for at least one of locking and unlocking a container, the container having a receptacle, wherein the receptacle has an open configuration which allows access to an asset and a closed configuration which encloses the asset, and the container having a locking member that is configured to move between an unlocked position in which the receptacle is in the open configuration, wherein the entirety of the locking member is internal to the container in the unlocked position such that the locking member is inaccessible from an exterior of the lockable container to a physical contact sufficient to slide the locking member between the locked and unlocked positions, whereby the locking member and the lockable container are operable to restrict tampering with the locking member from the exterior of the lockable container, and the locking member is permanently connected to the lockable container, and a locked position which locks the receptacle in the closed configuration, wherein the locking member has at least one magnetically attractable portion, the key arrangement comprising:

• a channel portion, wherein the channel portion is configured to receive the container;
• and at least one magnetic arrangement, wherein the at least one magnetic arrangement is configured to hold the at least one magnetically attractable portion of the locking member within a magnetic field created by the at least one magnetic arrangement while the container slides through the channel, thereby positioning the locking member in at least one of the locked and unlocked positions.

A method for at least one of locking and unlocking a container, the container having a receptacle, wherein the receptacle has an open configuration which allows access to an asset and a closed configuration which encloses the asset, and the container having a locking member that is configured to move between an unlocked position in which the receptacle is in the open configuration, wherein the entirety of the locking member is internal to the container in the unlocked position such that the locking member is inaccessible from an exterior of the lockable container to a physical contact sufficient to slide the locking member between the locked and unlocked positions, whereby the locking member and the lockable container are operable to restrict tampering with the locking member from the exterior of the lockable container, and the locking member is permanently connected to the lockable container, and a locked position which locks the receptacle in the closed configuration, wherein the locking member has at least one magnetically attractable portion, the method comprising:

• providing a key arrangement having a channel portion and at least one magnetic arrangement;
• positioning the container within the channel portion;
• holding the at least one magnetically attractable portion of the locking member within a magnetic field created by the at least one magnetic arrangement;
• and
• while holding the at least one magnetically attractable portion of the locking member within the magnetic field created by the at least one magnetic arrangement, sliding the container through the channel such that the locking member attains at least one of the locked and unlocked positions.