High security lock
AssigneeLock II, LLC
InventorsJ. Clayton Miller, Donald P. Cooke, Jr., Michael P. Harvey, Brian T. Craycraft, Philip D. Mason, Kenneth H. Mimlitch, Craig Volk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high security lock includes a lock bolt movable between extended and retracted positions, a bolt retraction gear coupled to the lock bolt, and a manually-driven gear. When a controller verifies that user-input information is correct for unlocking the lock, the bolt retraction gear and manually-driven gear are operatively coupled such that the gear can drive the lock bolt from the extended position to the retracted position.
Claims31
A locking mechanism, comprising;
- a lock bolt movable between extended and retracted positions;
- a bolt retraction gear operatively coupled to the lock bolt and movable between engagement and disengagement positions, the bolt retraction gear being biased toward the engagement position;
- a manually-driven gear adapted to engage the bolt retraction gear in the engagement position and drive the lock bolt between the extended and retracted positions;
- a user input device adapted to receive user input information;
- a controller adapted to store authorization information and verify user input information;
- and
- an actuator assembly having a guide element, the guide element operatively movable between a capturing position and a non-capturing position, the guide element in the capturing position inhibiting the movement of the bolt retraction gear, and the guide element in the non-capturing position releasing the movement of the bolt retraction gear,
- wherein the guide element inhibits the movement of the bolt retraction gear toward the engagement position until the controller verifies that the user input information matches the stored authorization information.
A locking mechanism, comprising;
- a lock bolt movable between extended and retracted positions;
- a bolt retraction gear operatively coupled to the lock bolt and movable between engagement and disengagement positions;
- a manually-driven gear adapted to engage the bolt retraction gear in the engagement position and drive the lock bolt between the extended and retracted positions;
- a rotatable lock dial adapted to receive user input information;
- a display for visualizing user input information;
- a sensor configured to sense the rotation of the lock dial;
- and
- a controller adapted to store authorization information and verify user input information, the controller operatively connected to the sensor and the display for converting the rotation of the lock dial into the user input information visualized on the display via an algorithm,
- wherein the bolt retraction gear moves from the disengagement position to the engagement position with the manually-driven gear when the controller verifies that the user input information matches the stored authorization information.
A method of operating a lock including a user input device, a manually-driven gear, a bolt retraction gear biased toward engagement with the manually-drive gear, a lock bolt engaged with the bolt retraction gear, an actuator assembly having a guide element, and a controller, the method comprising:
- capturing the bolt retraction gear with the guide element in a capturing position to inhibit the movement of the bolt retraction gear toward engagement with the manually-driven gear;
- recording user input information from the user input device;
- verifying that the user input information matches authorization information stored in the controller;
- rotating a cam of the actuator assembly to engage the guide element and move the guide element to a non-capturing position;
- disengaging the guide element from the bolt retraction gear to permit engagement of the bolt retraction gear with the manually-driven gear after the user input information has been verified;
- and
- driving the lock bolt to a retracted position by manually driving the gear with the bolt retraction gear.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.