Back to results
US 7,743,935 B2Granted
Lock box
OwnerRandy R. Maidinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self locking enclosure and method of self locking an enclosure which provides an enclosure having a hingedly coupled lid which locks by operation of a latch which allows a first occurrence of the lid in the closed condition and subsequent operation of the lid to the open condition and which locks upon the second occurrence of the lid in the closed condition.
Claims11
A lock box, comprising:
- a. a container;
- b. a lid hingedly coupled to said container, wherein said lid operates between a closed condition and an open condition;
- c. a latch having a first latch part coupled to said container and second latch part coupled to said lid, wherein said first latch part comprises a latch member which rotates about a pivot element fixedly engaged to said container, and wherein a first portion of said latch member responds to a latch member rotation generation element which generates directional rotation of a second portion of said latch member about said pivot element, and wherein said second portion of said latch member provides a latch element and a projection element, and wherein said second latch part comprises a first extension element which extends outwardly from said lid and a second extension element which extends outwardly from said lid, and wherein said first extension element and said projection element have a configuration capable of engagement upon directional rotation of said latch member about said pivot element upon a first occurrence of said lid in said closed condition, and wherein said first extension element and said projection element correspondingly provide a first projection element slide surface and a first extension element slide surface configured to provide a distance of slidable engagement upon operation of said lid element toward said open condition sufficient to avoid locked engagement of said latch element with said second extension element upon disengagement of said first projection element slide surface from said first extension element slide surface which allows further directional rotation of said latch member about said pivot element to engage a stop element, and wherein said second extension element provides a second extension element slide surface and said latch element provides a latch element slide surface which slidely engage upon operation of said lid toward said closed condition to generate rotation of said latch member in said opposite directional rotation sufficient to allow locked engagement of said latch element and said second extension element upon a second occurrence of said lid in said closed condition;
- and
- d. a lock coupled to said first portion of said latch member having a configuration which operates to rotate said second portion of said latch member in said opposite directional rotation to release locked engagement of said latch member and said second extension element.
2 more elements
A method of locking a box, comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a container;
- b. hingedly coupling a lid to said container;
- c. operating said lid between an open condition and a closed condition to establish a first occurrence of said closed condition of said lid;
- d. generating directional rotation of a latch member about a pivot element fixedly engaged to said container toward a stop element;
- e. engaging a projection element of said latch member with a first extension element extending from said lid to stop directional rotation of said latch member about said pivot element;
- f. operating said lid between said closed condition and toward said open condition to slidely disengage said projection element of said latch member from said first extension element, wherein sliding disengagement occurs over a distance sufficient to delay directional rotation toward said stop element to avoid locked engagement of said latch element with a second extension element;
- g. generating directional rotation of said latch member about said pivot element to engage a stop element;
- h. operating said lid between said open condition and said closed condition to establish a second occurrence of said closed condition of said lid thereby slidely engaging a second extension element slide surface with a latch element slide surface to generate opposed directional rotation of said latch member sufficient to allow locking engagement of said latch element of said latch member with a second extension element extending from said lid;
- and
- j. operating a lock which generates opposed directional rotation of said latch member about said pivot element to release locked engagement of said latch element with said second extension element.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.