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(11) | EP 2 586 342 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | A lock for a deposit receptacle and a deposit receptacle |
| (57) A lock for a deposit receptacle comprising a door and the lock for locking the door
in a closed position, the lock comprising: a handle member (53); a latch member (41);
a connection between the handle member (53) and the latch member (41) for the handle
member to move the latch member; a movable preventing member (71) preventing in a
preventing position the handle member from moving the latch member; a triggering member
(51) triggering movement of the preventing member (71) to its preventing position;
and a resetting member (69, 69a) movable to reset the preventing member (71) from
the preventing position.
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[0001] The present invention relates to a lock for a deposit receptacle comprising a door and the lock for locking the door in a closed position, and to a deposit receptacle comprising such a lock.
[0002] Deposit receptacles are e.g. used for delivery of goods to private homes at times when nobody is at home and available to receive the goods. Thus deposit receptacles have been used for daily delivery of milk and deposit receptacles are used for delivery of goods purchased through the Internet. The deposit receptacle may be combined with a mail box for delivery of mail.
[0003] Deposit receptacles of the above art should allow the door to be opened for delivery of goods, which are inserted in the receptacle, whereupon the door is closed, but subsequently an unauthorized person should not be able to open the door.
[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a lock for a deposit receptacle that allows the door to be opened for insertion of goods and subsequently prevents access.
[0005] This is obtained by a lock comprising: a handle member; a latch member; a connection between the handle member and the latch member for the handle member to move the latch member; a movable preventing member preventing in a preventing position the handle member from moving the latch member; a triggering member triggering movement of the preventing member to its preventing position; and a resetting member movable to reset the preventing member from the preventing position. An operator that opens the door of a deposit receptacle comprising the lock may activate the trigger member and subsequent opening is prevented until an authorized person activates the resetting member to reset the preventing member.
[0006] In an embodiment the lock comprises a trigger activating member. This facilitates activating the trigger member.
[0007] In a further embodiment the trigger activating member is connected with the handle member. Hereby is obtained that the trigger member is activated automatically when the handle member is activated e.g. for opening the door providing a safe and user friendly operation.
[0008] In an embodiment the lock comprises a moving element moving the preventing member to its preventing position when triggered by the triggering member, and in a further embodiment the moving member comprises a spring. Hereby the movement of the preventing element is secured in a simple manner.
[0009] In an embodiment the resetting member is movable between a passive position and a resetting position and a second lock secured by a key is provided for preventing movement of the resetting member from its passive position. Hereby it is secured that only an authorized person can activate the resetting member.
[0010] In a further embodiment the second lock is connected to the resetting member for moving the latter between its passive position and its resetting position. Hereby a very easy and user friendly operation may be obtained since opening of the second lock may automatically activate the resetting member.
[0011] In an embodiment the preventing member in its preventing position blocks movement of the handle member. Hereby a simple lock mechanism is obtained.
[0012] In an embodiment the resetting member is connected to a second latch member and the deposit receptacle comprises a separate compartment lockable by said second latch member. Hereby is obtained that the resetting member is activated automatically when the separate compartment, which could be a letter compartment, is opened.
[0013] In a further embodiment a connection between the resetting member and the second latch member is rigid. Hereby a simple construction is obtained.
[0014] In an embodiment the separate compartment is provided by a demountable drawer element. Hereby is obtained that the separate compartment may be removed e.g. temporarily to provide more space in the receptacle.
[0015] In the following the invention will be described in more detail by way of example with reference to the schematic drawing that shown an embodiment and in which
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a deposit receptacle according to the invention,
Fig. 2 is a transparent perspective view of the deposit receptacle,
Fig. 3 is a partially transparent partial perspective view of the upper part of the deposit receptacle,
Fig. 4 is a partial vertical section of the of the deposit receptacle,
Fig. 5 is a partial perspective view of a mail compartment,
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a lock according to the invention,
Fig. 7 is another perspective view of the lock,
Fig. 8 is a top view of the lock,
Fig. 9 is a front view of the lock, and
Fig. 10 shows a section of the lock along line X-X in Fig. 9.
[0016] Figs. 1 to 5 show a deposit receptacle comprising a stand 1 carrying a cabinet 3 with a front door 5 hinged at its left side to the cabinet and a cover 7 hinged at a rear edge 9 to the cabinet. Below the cover 7 the cabinet 3 has a slot 11 for insertion of mail, newspapers, etc. Inside the cabinet 3 a separate compartment 13 for receiving mail etc. inserted through the slot 11 is provided. Figs. 2 and 3 show the cabinet 3 and the compartment 13 in a closed position.
[0017] The separate compartment 13 is formed by a hinged drawer element 15 with a solid front 17 with handle portions 19 comprising locking slots 21 open towards the interior of the compartment 13 at left ends thererof and closed at right ends thereof, as seen in Fig. 5. The drawer element 15 further has a bottom portion with a rear edge 23 from which an upward bent flap 25 is extending to retain items in the compartment 13. A guiding member 27 is mounted on a back wall of the cabinet for preventing items from slipping behind the drawer element 15 to the lower part of the cabinet. For mounting the drawer element 15 in the cabinet 3 pivots 29 are provided to be vertically inserted in U-shaped bearings (not shown) in the cabinet. In the open position the drawer element 15 may be lifted to release the pivots 29 from the U-shaped bearings whereupon the drawer element 15 may be removed from the cabinet 3.
[0018] Beneath a top shield portion 31 of the cabinet 3 a lock 33 is provided. Through a recess 35 with a lining for closing the cabinet (not shown) a handle part 37 and a lock cylinder 39 of the lock 33 are accessible when the cover 7 is lifted (or even removed as shown in Fig. 3).
[0019] In the following "vertical" and "horizontal" as used in relation to the lock refer to a position of use as shown in the Figures. It should be noted that in alternative embodiments the lock may be installed in other positions.
[0020] The lock 33 has an elongate latch member 41, which is movable in its longitudinal (vertical) direction and is provided with a bevel 43 to provide for snap-locking.
[0021] Referring especially to Figs. 5 to 10 the lock 33 comprises a base plate 45 carrying a recessed block 47 housing the latch member 41, the lock cylinder 39, a journal 49 carrying rotatably a triggering member 51 and a handle member 53 comprising the handle part 37, bent out mounting taps 55, and four pins 57 for slidably mounting a slide 59.
[0022] The slide 59 comprises a longitudinal strip bent around a longitudinal line to comprise a vertical part and lower horizontal part. The vertical part has two longitudinal holes or slits 61 receiving either two of the four pins 57 for the slide to be slidable between a passive locking position shown in the Figures and a resetting opening position to be explained below. The slide 59 is secured on the pins by circlips.
[0023] An arm 63 is attached by an end to the lock cylinder 39 for the arm 63 to be rotatable therewith, and an opposite end of the arm 63 is rotatably attached to an end of a link 65 another end of which is rotatably attached to the slide 59. Thus the slide 59 may be moved forth and back by rotating the lock cylinder.
[0024] The slide 59 carries on its lower side two second latch members or locking pins 67 extending downwards from the lower horizontal part. On its upper side the lower horizontal part of the slide 59 carrier a resetting member 69 comprising a wheel 69a.
[0025] The base plate 45 carries a preventing member 71, which is hinged to the mounting taps 55 to be rotatable around a vertical axis 73. A spring 75 is provided between the base plate 45 and the preventing member 71 to force or move a free end thereof away from the base plate 45.
[0026] The preventing member 71 has a recess 77 through which a bent end of the triggering member 51 protrudes. The bent end comprises an elongation 79 extending in front of the surface of the preventing member 71 outside the recess 77, when the triggering member 51 is in a retaining position as shown in Figs. 6, 8 and 9. The bent end further comprises a second bent stop part 80 the function of which will be explained below.
[0027] The handle member 53 comprises a trigger activating member 81 extending opposite the handle part 37 from the journal 49.
[0028] A spring (not shown) forces the triggering member 51 in the clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 9 i.e. the elongation 79 is forced upwards.
[0029] Inside the recessed block 47 (see Fig. 10) a carrier 83 attached to the handle member 53 reaches below a screw 85 fitted in the latch member 41. The screw is accommodated in a slot 87 in the block 47 preventing rotation of the latch member 41. The latch member 41 is forced downwards by a spring 89. Due to the carrier 83 reaching below the screw 85 the latch member 41 may be lifted by a user lifting the handle part 37, the carrier 83 and the screw 85 providing a connection between the handle member 53 and the latch member 41.
[0030] The base plate 45 further comprises a bent out support tap 91 and the block 47 carries a door opening spring 93.
[0031] When mounted in the cabinet 3 the lock 33 works with the deposit receptacle as follows:
The starting position of the deposit receptacle is a closed position having the hinged drawer 15 in a fold in position inside the cabinet 3 and the front door 5 in a closed position. The second latch members or locking pins 67 are received in the locking slots 21 at the closed right ends thereof to lock the separate compartment 13, and the first latch member 41 is received in a locking opening in a fold-in upper edge of the front door 5 to keep the same closed.
[0032] In the starting position of the lock 33 the slide 59 is shifted to the right, as seen in Fig. 6 to place the locking pins 67 at the closed ends of the locking slots 21 as mentioned above, and the slide 59 is locked in that position in the absence of a key fitted in the lock cylinder 39. The preventing member 71 is retained against the force of the spring 75 in a position close to the base plate 45 by the elongation 79 of the triggering member 51. The latch member 41 is in a low position extending into the locking opening of the front door as mentioned above.
[0033] If now a delivery person wishes to deposit some goods in the deposit receptacle he or she will lift the handle part 37 from its horizontal starting position rotating the handle member 53 around the journal 49, whereby the first latch member 41 is raised due to engagement between the carrier 83 and the screw 85 to be lifted out of the locking opening in the front door 5, which consequently will open due to the action of the spring 93. The separate compartment 13 is not accessible at this moment because it is locked by the engagement of the locking pins 67 in the locking slots 21.
[0034] At this time the delivery person may let go the handle part 37 and due to the action of the spring 89 the latch member 41 will return to its low position carrying with it the handle member 53 to its horizontal starting position.
[0035] When the handle part 37 was lifted and the handle member 53 rotated around the journal 49 the trigger activating member 81 was consequently rotated to engage with the elongation 79 of the triggering member 51 to carry the latter along in the rotating movement. Thereby the elongation 81 was lowered to a position aligned with the recess 77 in the preventing member 71 which thus was released from the engagement of the elongation 79 and a movement of the preventing member 71 due to the action of the spring 75 was triggered by the release. Thereby the preventing member 71 rotated around the axis 73 until it made contact with the trigger activating member 81 and was stopped.
[0036] When the handle part 37 was released by the delivery person and the handle member 53 rotated into its horizontal starting position the trigger activating member 81 was lifted above the preventing member 71, which thereby was released to continue its rotation under the influence of the spring 75 until it made contact with either the stop part 80 or the wheel 69a and was stopped.
[0037] Consequently, when the handle part 37 has been lifted to open the front door and the handle part has returned to its horizontal starting position, the preventing member 71 is positioned below the trigger activating member 81 preventing another rotating movement of the handle member 53 to an extent that would raise the latch member 41 sufficiently to lift it out of the locking opening in the front door 5 to open the latter.
[0038] Due to the bevel 43 the front door 5 may be slammed to be latched. Thereafter it is not possible to open the front door 5 by lifting the handle part. In case of an attempt to force the handle part the support tap 93 will support the preventing member 71. It is noted that the latch member 41 may be lifted without the handle member 53 rotating as the carrier 83 and the screw 85 are not interconnected.
[0039] An authorised user may open the door 5 as well as the separate compartment 13 using a key inserted in the lock cylinder 39 and turning the same thereby rotating the arm 63 to shift the slide 59 to the left as seen in Fig. 9. Thereby the wheel 69a together with the other parts of the resetting member 69 will be moved towards the elongation 79 forcing simultaneously the preventing member 71 back to its starting position. When the elongation 79 thereby exits the recess 77 the triggering member 51 will also return to its starting position under the influence of a spring (not shown).
[0040] At this point the second latch members 67 are positioned at the left open ends of the locking slots 21 allowing the drawer element 15 to be rotated for the separate compartment 13 to be opened. Having removed any mail from the separate compartment 13 the user will close the same and turn the key to return the slide 59 to its starting position. The preventing member 71 is now again retained by the elongation 79 of the triggering member 51.
1. A lock (33) for a deposit receptacle comprising a door (5) and the lock (33) for locking
the door in a closed position, the lock comprising: a handle member (53); a latch
member (41); a connection (83, 85) between the handle member (53) and the latch member
(41) for the handle member to move the latch member; a movable preventing member (71)
preventing in a preventing position the handle member from moving the latch member;
a triggering member (51) triggering movement of the preventing member (71) to its
preventing position; and a resetting member (69, 69a) movable to reset the preventing
member (71) from the preventing position.
2. A lock according to claim 1, wherein the lock comprises a trigger activating member
(81).
3. A lock according to claim 2, wherein the trigger activating member (81) is connected
with the handle member (53).
4. A lock according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the lock comprises a moving
element (75) moving the preventing member to its preventing position when triggered
by the triggering member.
5. A lock according to claim 4, wherein the moving member comprises a spring (75).
6. A lock according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the resetting member is movable
between a passive position and a resetting position and a second lock (39) secured
by a key is provided for preventing movement of the resetting member (69, 69a) from
its passive position.
7. A lock according to claim 6, wherein the second lock (39) is connected to the resetting
member (69, 69a) for moving the latter between its passive position and its resetting
position.
8. A lock according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the preventing member (71)
in its preventing position blocks movement of the handle member (53).
9. A lock according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the resetting member (69,
69a) is connected to a second latch member (67).
10. A lock according to claim 9, wherein a connection between the resetting member and
the second latch member is rigid.
11. A deposit receptacle comprising a door and the lock for locking the door in a closed
position, the deposit receptacle comprising a lock according to any of claims 1 to
10.
12. A deposit receptacle according to claim 11 and comprising a lock according to claim
9 or 10, wherein the deposit receptacle comprises a separate compartment (13) lockable
by said second latch member (67).
13. A deposit receptacle according to claim 12, wherein the separate compartment is provided
by a demountable drawer element (15).