The present invention relates in general to a security lock and pertains, more particularly, to an improved locking or securing assembly used primarily for engaging a door or a panel with a housing or cabinet.
Various types of locking devices are known. These devices are typically used for securing a first member such as a door panel in a closed position relative to a second member such as a housing or cabinet. These locking devices may also be referred to as latches or actuators. Prior art examples of these devices are found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,913,908 to Czipri; 6,418,761 to Wytcherley et al.; and 6,623,052 to Hansen. Existing locking devices suffer from one or more of the following drawbacks. They are relatively complex in construction, are too expensive to fabricate, difficult to operate and difficult to install.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved security lock that is relatively simple in construction and that is inexpensive to fabricate.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a locking system that includes a separately disposed rotatable knob and a key-operated lock.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a locking device for securing to a door or the like. The device includes a rotatable knob adapted for mounting at a front surface of the door and having locked and unlocked positions and a locking member adapted for positioning at an opposite rear surface of the door and in alignment with the rotatable knob. The locking member further includes a latch plate integral therewith and means for securing the rotatable knob to the locking member through the door. A key controlled lock is supported at the front surface of the door and has locked and unlocked positions. The key controlled lock is spacedly disposed adjacent the locking member and adapted for engaging, inside the door, with the latch plate. The key controlled lock, in its locked position, engages with the latch plate to prevent rotation of the rotatable knob, and in its unlocked position, disengages from the latch plate to enable rotation of the rotatable knob from its locked position to its unlocked position.
In accordance with other aspects of the present invention there may be provided means for securing the rotatable knob to the locking member including a threaded shaft on the knob engaging with a hole in the locking member; the threaded shaft and the hole may have like non-circular cross-sections and a nut may secure the threaded shaft with the locking member; the locking member may include a locking bar and a transverse leg that interconnects the locking bar and the latch plate; the latch plate may extend from the leg and has a free end that is in alignment with the key controlled lock; the latch plate free end may have a hole that receives a plunger of the key controlled lock when the key controlled lock is in its locked position; the key controlled lock may include a housing having the plunger extending therefrom in the locked position and having the plunger withdrawn from the latch plate hole in the unlocked position; the locking bar may be U-shaped and is adapted to engage a striker plate on the door and the rotatable knob, locking member and key controlled lock are all disposed at a top area of the door and further including a second rotatable knob, second locking member and second key controlled lock at a bottom area of the door.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a locking assembly for securing the door of a cabinet in either an unlocked or locked position. The locking assembly comprises a rotatable knob; means for mounting the rotatable knob at a front surface of the door; the rotatable knob having locked and unlocked positions; a locking member; and means for positioning the locking member at an opposite rear surface of the door and in alignment with the rotatable knob. The locking member further includes a latch bar and a latch plate integral therewith. Means are provided for securing the rotatable knob to the locking member through the door. A key controlled lock is supported at the front surface of the door and has locked and unlocked positions. The latch plate extends radially from the latch bar so that a free end of the latch plate is in alignment with the key controlled lock. The key controlled lock is spacedly disposed from the rotatable knob and adapted for engaging, inside the door, with the free end of the latch plate. The key controlled lock, in its locked position, engages with the latch plate to prevent rotation of the rotatable knob, and in its unlocked position, disengages from the latch plate to enable rotation of the rotatable knob from its locked position to its unlocked position.
In accordance with still other aspects of the present invention the locking member may include a locking bar and a transverse leg that interconnects the locking bar and the latch plate; the latch plate may extend from the leg and has a free end that is in alignment with the key controlled lock; the latch plate free end may have a hole that receives a plunger of the key controlled lock when the key controlled lock is in its locked position; the means for securing the rotatable knob to the locking member may include a threaded shaft on the knob engaging with a hole in the locking member; the threaded shaft and the hole may have like non-circular cross-sections and a nut secures the threaded shaft with the locking member; the key controlled lock may include a housing having the plunger extending therefrom in the locked position and having the plunger withdrawn from the latch plate hole in the unlocked position; the locking bar may be U-shaped and is adapted to engage a striker plate on the door and the rotatable knob, locking member and key controlled lock are all disposed at a top area of the door and further including a second rotatable knob, second locking member and second key controlled lock at a bottom area of the door.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a locking device for securing to a door or the like, and comprising: a rotatable knob adapted for mounting at a front surface of the door and having locked and unlocked positions and a locking member adapted for positioning at an opposite rear surface of the door and in alignment with the rotatable knob. The locking member comprises a locking bar and an integral latch plate having a free end. The locking bar is adapted for engagement with a door striker in the locked position. The rotatable knob is coupled to the locking member through the door. A key controlled lock is supported at the front surface of the door and has locked and unlocked positions. The key controlled lock is spacedly disposed from the locking member and adapted for engaging, inside the door, with the free end of the latch plate. The key controlled lock, in its locked position, engages with the latch plate to prevent rotation of the rotatable knob, and in its unlocked position, disengages from the latch plate to enable rotation of the rotatable knob from its locked position to its unlocked position.
In accordance with still further aspects of the present invention the locking member may include a transverse leg that interconnects the locking bar and the latch plate; the latch plate may extend from the leg and has its free end in alignment with the axis of the key controlled lock; the latch plate free end may have a hole that receives a plunger of the key controlled lock when the key controlled lock is in its locked position and the key controlled lock may include a housing having the plunger extending therefrom in the locked position and having the plunger withdrawn from the latch plate hole in the unlocked position.
Numerous other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will now become apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
This invention relates to a locking assembly for a security housing that is adapted to receive and protect valuable electronic equipment, such as computers or the like. The product to be protected is located inside the housing or cabinet that may, in turn, be bolted or otherwise secured to a desk, floor or other supporting surface. The housing or cabinet has a hinged door 50 which when swung to its open position permits access to the computer or the like. The door has key-operated locking means that permit the door to be either locked or opened when desired. The present invention relates to an improved locking assembly that is illustrated in
The present invention, in one embodiment thereof illustrated herein, comprises a rotatable knob 10 that has a locking bar means in the form of a locking member 20 connected to the back surface thereof, which locking member is adapted to interengage with a fixed structure, such a striker plate 30 illustrated in
The key-controlled lock 70 is disposed, in
With further reference to the drawings, and in particular
The assembly also includes a dished member 16 that carries the markers 13 and 14 and that is adapted to fit within a hole 17 in the door 50.
Reference is now made to
The cross-sectional view of
Reference is now made to
Reference is now made to
Having now described a limited number of embodiments of the present invention, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous other embodiments and modifications thereof are contemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.
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