Patent Application
20220372790
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Reserved for a later date, if necessary.
The disclosed subject matter is in the field of locks in general and door-locks in particular.
Presently, a common practice for persons traveling or vacationing for a multi-day trip is to stay or sleep overnight in a private room at a hotel or other accommodation. While in the private room, security and privacy are typically important concerns. That is why travelers are known to lock the door to their room while it is occupied. But, even in a locked room there may be threats to a traveler's security or privacy that include thieves and hotel staff. So, additional protection above and beyond the standard hotel room door locks is desirable and beneficial.
The hotel staff threat to privacy and security can sometimes be reduced by the common practice of hanging a “Privacy Please” sign on the door in addition to locking the door. But, all too often, such signs are ignored, tampered, or disappeared and the result in those cases is a violation of the traveler's privacy since the staff can bypass the lock at will. So, there is a need for a better door lock to protect privacy from staff.
Privacy and security are also necessary when the traveler is not occupying the room because it is common for travelers to leave valuables or personal items inside their hotel room. Even with a locked door, the traveler's items are vulnerable to theft. Currently, no portable security systems exist to augment a lock of an unoccupied room. Therefore, an additional portable layer of security is both desirable and beneficial to a traveler when outside their room.
In view of the foregoing, an object of this specification is to disclose an improved lock that is succinctly described as “sleeve stop lock” or “SSL.” The SSL may suitably be a portable, removable, non-damaging door lock that can be used to augment the door's lock and assist the existing lock in securing almost any inward swinging door from outside the locked room. The SSL is an apparatus and related methods of using the same.
The SSL apparatus generally comprises three components: a sleeve, a stop, and a lock. The sleeve component may suitably be adapted to fit around the edge of a door so that at least one shaft extends at a normal or other oblique angle from the face of the door. The sleeve may be installed while a door is open but after the sleeve is installed the door may be closed to secure it in place between the door and the door frame so that the shaft extends at the normal direction. With the door closed, the stop component may be provided over the shaft until it makes contact with the door frame so that, once securely attached to the shaft of the sleeve via the lock, the stop can prevent the door from swinging inward. The lock mechanism then securely binds all of the components together, e.g., via sandwiching the stop between the lock and sleeve. The combination of these three elements (sleeve, stop and lock) is thought to augment an existing door lock in an attempt to prevent potential intruders (including housekeeping or other staff) from entering and invading the privacy of an unoccupied room.
Other objectives of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the invention has been shown and described. The manner in which these objectives and other desirable characteristics can be obtained is explained in the following description and attached figures in which:
It is to be noted, however, that the appended figures illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments that will be appreciated by those reasonably skilled in the relevant arts. Also, figures are not necessarily made to scale but are representative.
Disclosed is an improved lock referred to herein as “SSL.” The SSL may suitably be a portable, removable, non-damaging door lock that can be used to augment the door's lock and assist the existing lock in securing almost any inward swinging door from outside the locked room. The SSL is an apparatus and related methods of using the same and generally comprises three components: a sleeve, a stop, and a lock. The more detailed description of the disclosed SSL is recited with reference to the attached FIGS.
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In the preferred embodiment, the Stop 120 is made of heavy gauge stainless steel. In other embodiments, the Stop 120 could be made of any strong and durable material. In other embodiments, an inward swinging door or window may also be able to swing outward. For this inward and outward swinging door or window embodiment, an additional stop mechanism may be placed on the interior side of the door in the same manner described above for the outside. Alternatively, for this inward and outward swinging door or window embodiment, an additional stop mechanism may be integrated as a part/extension of the sleeve interior face 401.
In the preferred embodiment, the Lock 130 is self-locking as it glides over the Notches 516 and could involve a Key 132 to unlock the SSL apparatus 100. In other embodiments, the Lock 130 could require a key to attach as well as remove the Lock 130 from the Shaft 115. In yet other embodiments, another locking mechanism may be used, including but not limited to mechanical combination locks, electro-mechanical combination locks, or locks that leverage technology including but not limited to biometric or other sensors, Near-Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth, WiFi, cellular, internet-based connections, the World Wide Web, Web browsers or Apps. In other embodiments, the SSL apparatus 100 may add functionality and technology including but not limited to intrusion detection or other sensors, cameras with audio and video, alarms, Near-Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth, WiFi, cellular, internet based connections, the World Wide Web, Web browsers or Apps.
The following process flow refers to the figures and may define a five step procedure to install a preferred embodiment of an unassembled SSL 100 on a basic Door 140 or window:
The following process flow refers to the figures and may define a four step procedure to remove an assembled SSL 100 from a basic Door 140:
Although the method and apparatus is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features, aspects and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment with which they are described, but instead might be applied, alone or in various combinations, to one or more of the other embodiments of the disclosed method and apparatus, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus the breadth and scope of the claimed invention should not be limited by any of the above-described embodiments.
Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open-ended as opposed to limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” should be read as meaning “including, without limitation” or the like, the term “example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof, the terms “a” or “an” should be read as meaning “at least one,” “one or more,” or the like, and adjectives such as “conventional,” “traditional,” “normal,” “standard,” “known” and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompass conventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that might be available or known now or at any time in the future. Likewise, where this document refers to technologies that would be apparent or known to one of ordinary skill in the art, such technologies encompass those apparent or known to the skilled artisan now or at any time in the future.
The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “at least,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases might be absent. The use of the term “assembly” does not imply that the components or functionality described or claimed as part of the module are all configured in a common package. Indeed, any or all of the various components of a module, whether control logic or other components, might be combined in a single package or separately maintained and might further be distributed across multiple locations.
Additionally, the various embodiments set forth herein are described in terms of exemplary block diagrams, flow charts and other illustrations. As will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this document, the illustrated embodiments and their various alternatives might be implemented without confinement to the illustrated examples. For example, block diagrams and their accompanying description should not be construed as mandating a particular architecture or configuration.
All original claims submitted with this specification are incorporated by reference in their entirety as if fully set forth herein.
