Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6418766
-
Patent Number
6,418,766
-
Date Filed
Friday, April 7, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, July 16, 200222 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 070 371
- 070 367
- 070 368
- 070 370
- 070 448
- 070 449
- 070 451
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A key container has a body with a chamber, an access opening that communicates with the chamber and a cover that can be locked in place over the opening. A key-operated locking assembly is attached to the cover and engagable with the body to lock the cover in place. The cover can be engaged with the body and locked in place without operating the key.
Description
BACKGROUND
This invention relates to key containers, and in particular, to improvements in the operation and installation of key container lock assemblies.
Key containers are known. In general, a key container is a box-like structure positioned at a desired location for allowing authorized users to access keys or other items stored within a locked chamber inside the structure. A typical key container may have a locking front cover connected to a rear portion, with the chamber being accessed by using a key to unlock the cover and thus gain access to the key stored in the chamber.
Key containers are used in a variety of applications. Motor vehicle dealers and valets often use key containers that are attached to vehicles, e.g., by a hanger that suspends the key container over a window of the vehicle (thus preventing easy theft of the key container). In other applications, key containers are mounted on or near buildings or on motor vehicles in a more permanent fashion, e.g., with fasteners.
In typical key containers having a key locking mechanism, the key container must be disassembled to change the locking mechanism. Typically, such disassembly requires tools. A key container owner may wish to change the lock assembly if it becomes damaged or worn, or if the owner wishes to have several such key containers keyed in a particular manner, e.g., such that one key will open a number of key containers.
Also, the locking assembly typically has a rotating locking member that must be rotated to unlock the key container (allowing it to be opened) and then again in the opposite direction to relock the key container (after it has been closed). Thus, the user must operate the key in both the unlocking and locking operations, which can be inconvenient.
It would be advantageous to provide a key box having a lock assembly that could be easily interchanged and easy to operate.
SUMMARY
According to the invention, a key container having a lock assembly for securing a cover in place to restrict access to a chamber is removably coupled to the cover. Thus, the lock assembly may be changed or replaced easily. The lock assembly may be removable from the cover when the key container is open. The lock assembly may be slidably removable from a bore in the cover. The lock assembly may form a snap-fit connection with the cover. The lock assembly may be removable from the cover without requiring the use of tools.
The lock assembly may be configured to “snap shut,” i.e., to lock the cover in a closed position simply by closing the cover (without requiring the use of a key). The lock assembly may have a spring biased bolt that is normally extended, but retracts and then extends again to engage the lock with the body such that the key container is in a locked state.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a front perspective view of a key container according to the invention with an attached hanger for use in securing the key container over a window of a vehicle.
FIG. 2
is an exploded view of the key container of FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3
is a rear perspective view of the key container of FIG.
1
.
FIG. 4
is a right side sectional view of the key container of
FIG. 1
taken along the line IV—IV in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 5
is a rear perspective view similar to
FIG. 3
, except with the key container in a partially opened position, and the lock assembly and lock receiving bore shown partially in section to show the respective mating features.
FIG. 6
is a right side sectional view of the key container of
FIG. 5
taken along the line VI—VI in FIG.
5
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
According to one aspect of the invention, a locking assembly used with the key container is removably coupleable to a portion of the key container such that when the key container is opened, the lock assembly can be easily removed (e.g., for replacement or substitution). According to another aspect of the invention, a key-actuated lock assembly is configured such that the key need not be operated when the key container is reconfigured from an opened position to a closed and locked position.
An embodiment of a key container
10
according to the invention is shown in
FIGS. 1-6
. The key container
10
has a body
12
with a general form of a rectangular solid when the key container
10
is in a closed position. A chamber
17
for storing keys or other items is defined within the body
17
. In the implementation shown in
FIGS. 1
,
3
and
4
, the body
12
has front and rear portions
14
and
16
, respectively, shaped to fit together along their outer edges. Together, the inner surfaces of the front portion
14
and the rear portion
16
define a chamber
17
for storage of keys or other items (not shown).
To position the key container
10
in an opened position and access the chamber
17
, e.g., as shown in
FIGS. 5 and 6
, a cover is moved to expose an access opening. In the illustrated implementation, the “cover” is the front portion
14
, which may be pivoted relative to the rear portion
16
about a hinge
18
as shown to expose the chamber
17
.
The front portion
14
can be locked to the rear portion
16
with a lock assembly
20
. In the illustrated implementation, the lock assembly
20
is actuated using a corresponding key (not shown) of any suitable type. The lock assembly
20
is coupled to the front portion
14
and positioned to engage the body
12
, e.g., the rear portion
16
, when the key container
10
is in the closed position. To open the key container
10
, the lock assembly
20
is unlocked. Further details of the construction and operation of the lock assembly
20
are described below.
As illustrated in the figures, the key container
10
can be used with a hanger
22
that allows the key container to be suspended, e.g., over the edge of a window of a motor vehicle (not shown). The window is first partially opened, a lip
72
of the hanger
22
is positioned over a top edge of the opened window, and the window is then raised to secure the hanger
22
between the window and its frame, therefore reducing the chance of a simple theft of the key container
10
. An end
74
, which may be tubular as shown, is thus positioned adjacent an interior side of the raised window. An elastomeric bumper
76
(
FIG. 2
) can be attached (preferably by an adhesive
77
) to the hanger
22
to prevent damage to the window. Alternatively, the key container
10
can be used without the hanger
22
, e.g., if the key container is to be secured in place to a building or a vehicle with fasteners.
As shown, e.g., in
FIG. 1
, the front portion
14
has a front side
24
a
, top and bottom sides
24
b
,
24
c
, and right and left sides
24
d
,
24
e
, respectively. Inner surfaces of the sides
24
a
-
24
e
define a recess
25
in the front portion. In the illustrated implementation, as shown in
FIG. 4
, the chamber
17
is defined by the recess
25
in the front portion, together with a front surface
50
of the rear portion
16
.
As best shown in
FIG. 5
, the front portion
16
includes a peripheral lip
28
shaped to contact a gasket
66
(
FIG. 2
) that seals the interface between the front portion
14
and the rear portion
16
when the key container
10
is closed. The gasket
66
, which is preferably formed of an elastomeric material and attached to the rear portion
16
by adhesive, is designed to prevent moisture and dust from entering the chamber
17
. The gasket
66
may be formed with apertures
68
that provide clearance for fasteners (e.g., rivets
78
).
As best shown in
FIG. 2
, the front side
24
a
has a lock assembly bore
41
extending inwardly from a lock assembly opening
30
formed in the front side
24
a
. In one implementation, the lock assembly
20
is removably coupled to the front portion
14
. For example, as shown in
FIGS. 2
,
4
and
6
, the lock assembly bore
41
can be dimensioned to slidingly receive the lock assembly
20
.
The lock assembly opening
30
is covered by a cover member
36
. The front side
24
a
has a projecting cover frame
32
formed from right, left and top ribs
34
a
,
34
b
and
34
c
, respectively. Holes
35
in the right and left ribs
34
a
and
34
b
receive pins
37
that extend through a bore
39
in the cover member
36
to pivotably connect the cover member
36
to the cover frame
32
.
Adjacent the bottom side
24
c
, the front portion
14
has a left and right bores
38
a
,
38
b
dimensioned to receive corresponding pins
40
a
,
40
b
, respectively. The pins
40
a
,
40
b
extend into a bore
54
(
FIG. 2
) formed in the rear portion
16
, thereby forming the hinge
18
. Optionally, O-rings
56
may be provided on the pins
40
a
,
40
b
adjacent either side of the bore
54
(FIG.
2
).
The rear portion
16
has a web of supporting ribs
60
extending from the front surface
50
. A catch
62
with a bolt receiving slot
64
extends from the front surface
50
. Apertures
58
are formed in the rear portion
16
. The apertures
58
can receive the rivets
78
to connect the hanger
22
to the key container or fasteners (not shown) for attaching the key container
10
to an object when the hanger
22
is not used. In the figures, the rivets
78
are shown in their full-length state following assembly and prior to being trimmed to an appropriate length (e.g., flush with a rear surface
70
of the hanger
22
).
Following are further details regarding installation and operation of the lock assembly
20
. As described above, the lock assembly is removably coupled to the cover, and, in a specific implementation, the lock assembly
20
is slidingly received in the lock assembly bore
41
of the front portion
14
. As an additional feature, the lock assembly
20
may be configured to allow its removal without the use of tools.
As shown in
FIG. 4
, the lock assembly
20
has a generally cylindrical body
80
that defines an axial direction, a forward end
82
and a flanged rearward end
84
with an access feature
86
(e.g., a key hole shaped to receive a corresponding key as shown in FIG.
2
). In the illustrated implementation, the lock assembly
20
also has a movable locking member or bolt
88
positioned to extend radially from the surface of the body
80
at a point between the forward end
82
and the rearward end
84
. The bolt
88
has an angled forward side
90
and a flat rearward side
92
. The bolt
88
is normally biased in a direction away from the body
80
by a spring
94
. As shown in
FIGS. 4
,
5
and
6
, the forward end
82
has an alignment feature, e.g., a notch
96
, that mates with a corresponding alignment feature formed in the lock assembly bore
41
.
The lock assembly bore
41
has a cylindrical wall
42
joined to an end surface
43
. As illustrated in
FIG. 4
, a bolt receiving opening
44
in the bore
41
is defined by an upper edge
45
of the end surface
43
and a circumferential edge
46
of an upper side
47
of the cylindrical wall
42
. The lock assembly bore
41
also includes the corresponding mating feature, e.g., a step
48
, to engage the notch
96
of the lock assembly
20
.
The lock assembly
20
is assembled in the key container
10
by aligning the forward end
82
with the opening
30
, and pushing the rearward end
84
in the direction A (
FIG. 2
) to slide the lock assembly
20
into the lock assembly bore
41
. As the lock assembly is urged in the direction A, the angled forward side
90
of the bolt
88
allows the lock assembly
20
to continue sliding within the lock assembly bore
41
, with the upper side
47
urging the bolt
88
toward the body
80
against the action of the spring
94
. As the flat side
92
of the bolt
88
is slid past the circumferential edge
46
, and thus the bolt
88
becomes aligned with the bolt receiving opening
44
, the bolt
88
returns to its normal position away from the body
80
under the action of the spring
94
. Also, the forward end
82
of the lock assembly
20
is positioned adjacent the end surface
43
of the lock assembly bore
41
. The engagement between the spring-biased bolt
88
and the bolt receiving opening
44
thus creates a “snap-fit” connection between the locking assembly
20
and the body
12
of the key container
10
.
As shown in
FIG. 4
, the flat side
92
of the bolt
88
engages the bolt receiving slot
64
in the catch
62
to lock the front portion
14
and the rear portion
16
together. In the locked state, this engagement prevents the front portion
14
from being pivoted away from the rear portion
16
. In normal use, the key container
10
is opened by unlocking it, e.g., by inserting a key in the access feature
86
and rotating it counterclockwise. During such an unlocking operation, the key causes a lock cylinder
100
coupled to the bolt
88
to rotate, thereby retracting the bolt
88
and disengaging it from the bolt receiving slot
64
to allow the front portion
14
to be pivoted away from the rear portion
16
and to provide an access opening to the compartment
17
. Rotation of the lock assembly
20
relative to the lock assembly bore
41
is prevented by the engagement between the notch
96
and the step
48
.
With the key container
10
in the opened state, e.g., as shown in
FIG. 5
, the lock assembly
20
can be removed. To remove the lock assembly
20
, the bolt
88
is depressed (e.g., using one's finger) to retract the bolt toward the body
80
until the bolt
88
clears the circumferential edge
46
of the locking assembly bore
41
. The lock assembly
20
is then slid out of the lock assembly bore
41
by pushing the forward end
82
. Thus, the lock assembly
20
is easily removed for replacement or exchange without the use of tools by simply opening the key container
10
in an authorized manner (i.e., with a key) and performing a simple operation. When the lock assembly is being unlocked with a key, the cylinder
100
is configured to retract the bolt
88
only to the extent necessary to clear the bolt receiving slot, and not the additional distance required to clear the circumferential edge
46
, which prevents the lock assembly
20
from being inadvertently removed.
As a further feature, the engagement between the spring-biased bolt
88
and the catch
62
/bolt receiving slot
64
is such that the lock assembly
20
need not be actuated to return the front portion
14
from an opened state (
FIG. 6
) to a closed and locked state (FIG.
4
). In other words, once the key container
10
is opened, it may be closed and locked simply by pivoting the front portion
14
into the closed position against the rear portion
16
, with the bolt
88
being momentarily retracted by engagement with the catch
62
until the bolt
88
becomes aligned with the bolt receiving slot
64
and extends to its normal outwardly biased position, thus locking the key container
10
. Stated differently, the key container
10
is simply “snapped shut” to return it from a opened state to a closed state. Thus, the key to the key container
10
is only required to unlock the key container
10
, not to relock it. This feature saves considerable time for individuals, e.g., parking attendants and valets, who must repeatedly access a number of key containers.
The front portion
14
and the rear portion
16
are preferably formed of a cast material and provided with a suitable finish for weather resistance. In a particular embodiment, the body
12
of the key container
10
has a height of approximately 5 inches, a width of approximately 3.5 inches and a depth of approximately 2 inches.
Having illustrated and described the principles of my invention with reference to several preferred embodiments, it should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. We claim all such modifications which fall within the scope and spirit of the following claims.
Claims
- 1. A locking key container, comprising:a body having an access opening and a chamber within the body in communication with the access opening; a cover engagable with the body to cover the access opening; and a lock assembly removably coupled to the cover by a snap-fit connection and engagable with the body to lock the cover to the body.
- 2. The key container of claim 1, wherein the cover includes a bore dimensioned to receive the lock assembly and defining an axial direction, and wherein the lock assembly is slidingly removable from the bore in the axial direction.
- 3. The key container of claim 2, wherein the bore comprises a cylindrical side surface joined to an end surface and an opening formed in the cylindrical side surface, and wherein the lock assembly includes a retractable locking member engagable with the opening when the lock assembly is received in the bore.
- 4. The key container of claim 3, wherein the locking member is retractable in a radial direction to disengage the locking member from the opening and to allow the lock assembly to be slidingly removed from the bore.
- 5. The key container of claim 3, wherein the end surface of the bore comprises a step extending in the axial direction and the lock assembly has a forward end with a notch dimensioned to receive the step when the lock assembly is rotationally aligned within the bore.
- 6. The key container of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a front portion hingedly connected to a rear portion.
- 7. The key container of claim 6, wherein a portion of the chamber formed in the body is a recess in the rear portion, and wherein the rear portion comprises a catch with which the lock assembly can be engaged to lock the front portion and the rear portion together.
- 8. The key container of claim 7, wherein the catch projects outward from the rear portion and has a slot.
- 9. A key container, comprising:a body having a chamber, an access opening that communicates with the chamber and a cover that can be locked in place to restrict access to the chamber; a key-operated lock assembly attached to the cover and engagable with the body to lock the cover in place, wherein the cover can be engaged with the body and locked in place without operating a key.
- 10. The key container of claim 9, wherein the lock assembly comprises a biased locking member engageable with the body, and wherein the body moves the locking member opposite its biased direction when the cover is moved into place to cover the opening in the body.
- 11. The key container of claim 10, wherein the body includes a catch having a slot, and wherein the locking member contacts the catch and is momentarily retracted as the cover is closed.
- 12. In a key container having a body with a chamber, an opening that communicates with chamber, and a cover with a lock assembly engaged with and locked to the body to prevent access to the chamber, a method of removing the lock from the cover, comprising:using a key to unlock the lock assembly; disengaging the cover from the body to expose a body side of the cover; and manipulating the lock assembly from the body side of the cover to remove the lock assembly from the cover.
- 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the lock assembly includes a biased locking member engaged with the body when the cover is locked to the body, and wherein manipulating includes depressing the biased locking member.
- 14. The method of claim 12, further comprising removing the key from the lock assembly before removing the lock assembly from the cover.
US Referenced Citations (6)