Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Field of the Invention
The inventions disclosed and taught herein relate generally to systems, devices and methods for storing or containing items, such as weapons and other valuable against unwanted access; and more specifically relate to a disguisable, portable or mobile locker system and method of use.
Description of the Related Art
Art that may or may not be related to my inventions taught herein include the following.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,997, entitled “Gun case including means for suspending the gun case from a support” discloses “[a] gun case including means for suspending the gun case from a support in such a manner that the gun case may be conveniently stored. The gun case includes at least one openable loop securely attached thereto and receivable around a support such as a clothes rod or a hanger to permit the gun case to be suspended from the support. The openable loops supporting the gun case are releasably secured by metal snaps, buckles or Velcro straps. The gun case may be provided with a rigid hanger receiving a pair of spaced openable loops and permitting the gun case to be suspended from the rod of a clothes closet. The gun case may also be provided with means for permitting the gun case to be attached to a belt and thereby form a holster and including a resilient bumper secured to the end of the gun case to protect the muzzle of a gun received in the gun case and zipper-like slidable fastener means which permit access to the gun within the gun case such that the gun therein may be easily removed when the gun case is used as a holster.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,085, entitled “Closet hiding place” discloses that “[t]he closet hiding place includes a plurality of telescopic channels that can be adjusted relative to each other to extend the length of a wall above a closet door. The channels are either generally rectangular or semicircular with an open top and simulate a duct when installed in a closet. The channels are mounted to the wall by the extension of fasteners through slots along the upper edge of the back wall of each channel. The front and bottom walls are longer than the back wall to enable the channel to sit flush against the wall. The open top enables a user to place items in the channels to obscure the items from the view of unauthorized persons such as thieves or small children.”
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20080203860 A1 entitled “Concealed Firearm Curio Cabinet” discloses “[a] curio cabinet apparatus comprised of: a central portion having a top surface, a first side surface, a second side surface, a bottom surface, and a front surface; at least one optically concealed forming an optically concealed firearm storage compartment.”
My inventions disclosed herein are directed to an improved storage system for weapons and other valuables that provides physical security and/or visual security in the form of disguise or camouflage.
Summarized briefly, the inventions taught herein concern a storage system, comprising a body having a cavity therein configured to house one or more items, and an opening defined by the body and providing access to the cavity; a panel configured to mate with the opening and prevent access to the cavity; a first lock system between the body and the panel and providing a locked condition and an unlocked condition in which the panel is not locked to the body thereby allowing access to the cavity; an attachment mechanism coupled to one end of the body and configured to suspend the system; and the body configured to be covered by an article such that if suspended from a clothes rod among other clothes, the body is substantially disguised.
The Figures described above and the written description of specific structures and functions below are not presented to limit the scope of what I have invented or the scope of the appended claims. Rather, the Figures and written description are provided to teach a person skilled in the art to make and use the inventions for which I seek patent protection. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that not all features of a commercial embodiment one or of the inventions are described or shown for the sake of clarity and understanding. Persons of skill in this art will also appreciate that the development of an actual commercial embodiment incorporating one or more aspects of the present inventions will require numerous implementation-specific decisions to achieve the developer's ultimate goal for the commercial embodiment. Such implementation-specific decisions may include, and likely are not limited to, compliance with system-related, business-related, government-related and/or other constraints, which may vary by specific implementation, location and from time to time. While a developer's efforts might be complex and time-consuming in an absolute sense, such efforts would be, nevertheless, a routine undertaking for those of skill in this art having benefit of this disclosure.
It must be understood that the inventions taught herein are susceptible to numerous and various modifications and alternative forms. Indeed, the use of a singular term, such as, but not limited to, “a,” is not intended as limiting of the number of items. Also, the use of relational terms, such as, but not limited to, “top,” “bottom,” “left,” “right,” “upper,” “lower,” “down,” “up,” “side,” and the like are used in the written description for clarity in specific reference to the figures and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention or the appended claims.
As more and more individuals purchase and possess projectile weapons, such and long guns (e.g., rifles, shotguns) and hand guns, and other weapons and valuables; and as more of these weapons and valuables are stored in homes, automobiles and other areas frequented by children, minors, and others untrained in their use, there is a need for an affordable storage system offering at least a threshold of physical security against unauthorized access. In addition, as weapons and other valuables become increasingly restricted or controlled, theft of same, including home break-ins, are expected to increase. There is a need, therefore, for a storage system that not only has a threshold of physical security, but also is not so readily identifiable as a weapon or valuables storage system.
Thus, in general, I have invented a storage system that is affordable, portable and disguisable. The system may comprise a body having one or more cavities therein configured to house or store items that may include long guns, such as rifles and shotguns, handguns, ammunition, jewelry, important papers and other items having value to the storer, or items that pose a risk of harm to others.
Embodiments of my invention may comprise a three-dimensional body, generally, but not necessarily, substantially rectangular in shape and having a thickness of preferably between about 2 and about 5 inches. Of course, the overall 3D shape of the device can be and should be optimized to facilitate the storage of desired items and the disguisabilty of the device. For example, an embodiment can be configured such that an article of clothing, such as a shirt, coat or robe may be hung or draped on the embodiment, much like a clothes hanger. In this way, the device will blend into the other clothes hung in a closet and be relatively hard to discern as a storage system for weapons or valuables.
One portion or end of the device may comprise an attachment component or hook configured to permit the device to be hung from a conventional clothes rod, clothes hook, or other structure that hangs and stores clothing or otherwise can support the embodiment. The attachment component preferably comprises a lock system configured to prevent the embodiment from being removed from were it is hung. Of course, any lock system is only as strong as its weakest link. So, while the embodiment may be locked to, for example, a clothes rod, clothes rod typically may be easily removed from the closet, thereby allowing the storage system to be removed from the rod. Nonetheless, the invention described herein provides a certain measure of physical security from casual access to items stored in the system, or theft of the entire storage system
Embodiments may be constructed from a variety of materials and by a variety of methods of construction, including fiberglass, composite materials, polycarbonate (e.g., Lexan) or acrylic (e.g., plexiglass), metal, expanded metal or other such materials that will impart the necessary structural support and security. It will be appreciated that embodiments of the invention likely will not be, and are not required to be, but may be, impenetrable. Rather, embodiments can be constructed to provide impediment or resistance to access, such as by children, teens, and others who should be denied access, yet who are not intent on destroying the storage system to gain access to the items stored in the device. In addition, a portion of the security provided by the storage system resides in disguising the storage system to not resemble a system for storing valuables or weapons.
Embodiments of the invention can be configured and used to securely store a wide variety of items, such as long guns, hand guns, other weapons, jewelry, important papers, money and the like. For example, and without limiting the appended claims, my inventions may comprise a body having a cavity therein configured to house one or more items, and having an opening defined by the body and providing access to the cavity; a panel configured to mate with the opening and prevent access to the cavity when the panel is mated to the opening; a first lock system operable between the body and the panel and establishing a locked condition in which the panel is secured to the body thereby preventing access to the cavity, and an unlocked condition in which the panel is not secured to the body thereby allowing access to the cavity; an attachment mechanism coupled to one end of the body and configured to suspend the body; a second lock system coupled to the attachment mechanism and configured to lock the device to a suspension device to prevent the body from being removed therefrom; and a disguising structure adapted to cover substantially all of the body and panel so that the portions of the body and panel that are covered and those portions that are uncovered visually blend into the surrounding environment.
Turning now to a description of one of many possible embodiments of my invention,
Returning to
As illustrated in
Also illustrated in
Also illustrated in
Turning to
Skeleton frame 910 may be completely removable from body 902 or may be only partially removable from body 902. In a preferred form, skeleton 910 is completely removable for easy loading with items to be stored. Once the items to be stored are loaded on the skeleton 910, the skeleton may then be inserted along tracks 904 and 906 into the body 902. Panel 912 and adjacent portions of 902 may have one or more lock systems 920 for lockably securing skeleton 910 within the body 902. Alternately, the lock system 920 may be disposed on a distal end of skeleton 902 and a distal end or side of body 902 (i.e., opposite opening 908).
It will be appreciated that skeleton 910 may be configured with any of the foregoing systems for securing or holding items, such as but not limited to barrel stock 702, or rack systems 720, hook and loop systems.
Also shown in
Alternately, a level of physical security can be provided by the embodiment illustrated in
It will be appreciated that the embodiment illustrated in
Having the benefit of this disclosure, those persons having skill in the art will now understand that each feature described with reference to a particular embodiment or figure can be used or combined with one or more features described for another embodiment or figure to create a still further embodiment or embodiments that practice or encompass the inventions taught herein. For example, an alarm system may be used with any embodiment of my inventions. In addition, any embodiment may utilize one or all of the storage devices, such as hook and loop, barrel stocks, racks, soft or rigid containers and the like. Also, embodiments may be camouflaged or disguised with articles of clothing, accessories for clothing, such as laundry bags, hanging suitcases, or any other thing or material that will disguise or camouflage the storage system in its environment.
The inventions have been described in the context of preferred and other embodiments and not every embodiment of the inventions has been described. Discussion of singular elements can include plural elements and vice-versa. Obvious modifications and alterations to the described embodiments are now readily apparent to those of skill in the art. The disclosed and undisclosed embodiments are not intended to limit or restrict the scope or applicability of the invention conceived of by the Applicants, but rather, in conformity with the patent laws, I intend to fully protect all such modifications and improvements that come within the scope or range of equivalent of the following claims.
This application for patent claims benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/803,438, filed on Mar. 19, 2013, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20140284232 A1 | Sep 2014 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61803438 | Mar 2013 | US |