Patent Application
20090282875
This invention relates generally to lock hasps and more particularly to lock hasp overlooking.
Lock hasps of various kinds are known in the art. In this context, a hasp comprises a locking member that can be secured in a locked position by, for example, a padlock, pin, or the like. End user manipulable lock hasps are used, for example, in conjunction with self storage facilities in order to permit a subscribing end user to use their own personal locking device, such as a padlock, to lock the movable barrier that provides access to their assigned storage areas.
Overlocking is also known in the art. Overlocking generally comprises the practice of accommodating an additional lock, such as an additional padlock, when securing a lock hasp in place. Self storage facilities often make use of overlooking in order to prevent a subscriber from gaining access to their assigned storage area when they are in arrears with respect to the terms and conditions of their rental agreement and/or to secure an unassigned storage area from being accessed by unauthorized individuals.
Numerous practical problems are associated with overlooking approaches that make use of a supplemental padlock. Such an approach, for example, can increase manpower requirements for a given self storage facility in order to timely apply and remove overlooking padlocks from individual storage units. As a given facility can have hundreds or even thousands of individual storage units, such servicing can present a considerable logistics challenge.
The above concerns are at least partially met through provision of the method and apparatus pertaining to selectively blocking a lock hasp described in the following detailed description, particularly when studied in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.
Generally speaking, these various embodiments can be deployed in conjunction with a movable barrier and an end user manipulable lock hasp. These embodiments generally provide a movable hasp-blocking member and a transport member that is configured to selectively move that movable hasp-blocking member between a hasp-blocking position (that prevents the hasp from being moved by an end user to an unsecured position that will permit the end user to move the movable barrier to an opened position) and a non-blocking position (that does not prevent the hasp from being moved by the end user to the unsecured position). By one approach, this transport member further comprises a locking component that readily permits the movable hasp-blocking member to be pulled from the hasp-blocking position towards the non-blocking position but that resists pushing of the movable hasp-blocking member towards the non-blocking position. These teachings will also generally provide for a barrier mounting member that is configurable to secure the movable hasp-blocking member and the remotely controllable transport member to the movable barrier.
By one approach, the aforementioned locking component comprises an articulated portion that bears at least one pin, such that when the movable hasp-blocking member is in the hasp-blocking position, the at least one pin resists forced movement of the movable hasp-blocking member towards the non-blocking position.
So configured, those skilled in the art will appreciate that such a movable hasp-blocking member can be selectively manipulated to be placed in proximity to an exterior periphery of the hasp to thereby prevent the hasp from being moved by an end user to an unsecured position and to similarly permit selectively moving the movable hasp-blocking member to a non-proximal location that does not interfere with the exterior periphery of the hasp and hence does not prevent such end user manipulations of the hasp.
These teachings can be readily deployed with respect to new installations but can also be readily used in conjunction with already-installed end user manipulable lock hasps. By one approach the movement of the transport member can be made subject to the receipt of a remote control signal to thereby permit, for example, the manager of a self storage facility to engage or disengage the movable hasp-blocking member with respect to the lock hasp as desired without requiring that manager or another authorized person to personally and physically visit the corresponding self storage unit. These teachings are readily realized using existing technologies and will no doubt also readily accommodate future developments in these regards.
These and other benefits may become clearer upon making a thorough review and study of the following detailed description. Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to
These recessed areas 101 are sometimes used to receive a corresponding end user manipulable lock hasp assembly 200 as illustrated in
This lock hasp assembly 200 also features an end user manipulable lock hasp 204 that can slide back and forth, horizontally, in order to move a hand-manipulable portion 205 at one end and a locking portion 206 at the opposing end. The locking portion 206 can comprise, for example, a blade that fits within a corresponding recess in the movable barrier frame (not shown) and which serves, when so placed, to prevent the movable barrier 100 from being moved vertically. The hand-manipulable portion 205 often includes one or more holes formed therethrough to receive the end user's padlock to thereby permit the end user to lock the locking portion 206 in a locked position.
For the sake of illustration and example, the above-described prior art elements will be used when describing various aspects of various embodiments that accord with these teachings. Those skilled in the art will appreciate and recognize that the use of such examples is intended to serve only as an illustrative example and is not intended to serve as an exhaustive or otherwise limiting example in this regard. In particular, it will be clearly understood that these teachings are readily employed with movable barriers and lock hasp assemblies having differing form factors.
Referring now to
The remaining cylinder 304 has an axially-disposed threaded bore that receives and interacts with a threaded drive shaft 306. This threaded drive shaft 306, in turn, is connected to the output of a motor 307. So configured, rotating the motor's output in one direction will cause the corresponding cylinder 304 to move away from the motor 307 and towards the lock hasp assembly 200 while rotating the motor's output in the opposite direction will cause the corresponding cylinder 304 to move away from the hasp lock assembly 200 and towards the motor 307.
A cover (shown and described further herein) for the apparatus 300 has a track 308 formed therein. This track 308 is, for the most part, parallel to the transport member 302 but also includes at one end a curved portion 309. This track 308 is sized and configured to interact with one or more pins as comprise a part of the transport member 302. These pins and the aforementioned articulated portion 305 will now be described in more detail with reference to
In this illustrative example, this articulated portion 305 comprises a first link 401 that is pivotally connected to the cylinder 304 of the transport member 302 that couples to the motor. This articulated portion 305 then further comprises a second link 402 that is pivotally connected to the remaining cylinder 303 of the transport member 302 (that is, the cylinder that connects to the aforementioned hasp-blocking member 301). This first link 401 and this second link 402 are then pivotally connected to one another to form the articulated portion 305.
As shown in
Referring to each of
More particularly, those skilled in the art will recognize and understand that the second pin 404 will interact with the curved portion 309 of the track to resist forced movement of the movable hasp-blocking member 301 back towards the non-blocking position shown in
Viewed another way, it will be readily appreciated that these teachings provide a locking component that readily permits the movable hasp-blocking member 301 to be pulled from the hasp-locking position (as shown in
Referring now momentarily to
In addition, the assembly 300 has a cover 602 that overlies the above-described elements to protect such elements from unauthorized access and to also provide the aforementioned track. By one approach, this cover 602 can have a portion 603 that also overlies a portion of the lock hasp assembly 200. This can provide further assurance against an unauthorized person unduly interfering with or otherwise frustrating the operation of the apparatus 300 as described.
Referring again to
Those skilled in the art will recognize and appreciate that the aforementioned controller circuit 310 can comprise a fixed-purpose hard-wired platform or can comprise a partially or wholly programmable platform. All of these architectural options are well known and understood in the art and require no further description here. The processing of received remote control instructions and the corresponding operation of the motor 307 to move the hasp-blocking member 301 to blocking and non-blocking positions can be effected via, for example, corresponding programming as will be well understood by those skilled in the art.
Such an apparatus 300 can be readily used with a movable barrier having a corresponding end user manipulable lock hasp that is secured to that movable barrier. It will be appreciated and understood that such an apparatus 300 can be readily secured to the movable barrier and then used to selectively overlock the hasp by using the described transport member to move the movable hasp-blocking member to the hasp-blocking position. It will be further appreciated that such functionality can be achieved, if desired, in response to receiving a wireless remote control message. It will also be appreciated and understood that such an action can be readily reversed by again using the transport member to move the movable hasp-blocking member to the non-blocking position.
These teachings provide a highly cost effective, easily installed, readily maintained, and easily operated overlooking system that can be readily scaled to accommodate essentially any number of lock hasps in, for example, a self service storage facility. It will also be noted that these teachings are readily leveraged through use with any of a wide variety of lock hasp form factors and designs.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of modifications, alterations, and combinations can be made with respect to the above described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that such modifications, alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept. As but one example in this regard, and as suggested by
