Receptacle locking device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11142928-B2
Application number	US-201916298407-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2019
Priority date	Jul 2, 2014
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

Receptacle locking devices are disclosed. A receptacle locking device having a contact arm and a pivoting feature can be pivoted from a first, unlocked position to a second, locked position, wherein the contact arm prevents opening of the receptacle door when the locking device is in the second, locked position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of locking a receptacle, the method comprising:
inserting, into a recess of an item receptacle, a frame having a contact arm connected to a top portion of the frame;
positioning the contact arm within the recess such that the contact arm contacts a door of the receptacle;
securing the contact arm in position proximate the door such that the contact arm impinges on a front surface of the door; and
preventing opening of the door due to the contact between the contact arm and the front surface of the door.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the contact arm within the recess further comprises positioning the contact arm such that the contact arm is proximate to a roof of the recess.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising contacting a lower portion of the frame within the recess and in contact with an inner side of the recess.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein securing the contact arm in position comprises locking the frame such that there is no relative movement between the contact arm and the lower portion of the frame.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lower portion of the frame comprises a second contact arm.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lower portion of the frame comprises a pair of pivoting second contact arms.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein preventing movement of the door comprises impinging the contact arm on the door and on a roof of the receptacle such that the door is mechanically prohibited from moving about a hinge thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contact arm contacts the door at a point on the door above a handle attached to the door.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein preventing movement of the door comprises preventing the door from opening in a direction perpendicular to a long axis of the contact arm and into the recess.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the item receptacle is a postal collection box.

11. A locking device comprising:
a frame;
a contact arm fixedly attached to an upper portion of the frame, wherein the contact arm extends beyond an edge of the frame, wherein the contact arm is configured to fit within a recess of an item receptacle and contact a front surface of a door of the item receptacle disposed within the recess;
a lower portion of the frame configured to contact an inner surface of the recess to retain the contact arm in position contacting the front surface of the door.

12. The locking device of claim 11 , wherein the lower portion of the frame comprises a second contact arm.

13. The locking device of claim 12 , wherein the lower portion of the frame is moveably attached to the upper portion of the frame.

14. The locking device of claim 13 , further comprising a securement feature configured to prevent movement of the lower portion of the frame relative to the upper portion of the frame.

15. The locking device of claim 13 , wherein the second contact arm extends parallel to the contact arm and is moveable relative to the contact arm via the moveable attachment of the upper portion of the frame to the lower portion of the frame.

16. The locking device of claim 12 , wherein the second contact arm comprises two moveable contact arm segments.

17. The locking device of claim 16 , wherein the two moveable contact arm segments are moveable relative to each other and relative to the contact arm.

18. The locking device of claim 16 , further comprising a securement feature to prevent movement of the two moveable contact arm segments.

19. The locking device of claim 11 , wherein the second contact arm is moveable relative to the contact arm.

20. The locking device of claim 11 , wherein the item receptacle is a postal collection box.

Assignees

• United States Postal Service

Inventors

• Matthews James Edmund
• Shenhar Joram
• Gingell Terry Martin
• Irwin Donald Eugene
• Tartal William Albert

Classifications

• A47G29/1245 Primary

  Letter flap blocking devices · CPC title

• E05B65/0894

  Portable or removable locks (E05B65/0864, E05B65/0888 take precedence) · CPC title

• E05B65/0888 Primary

  Locking bars · CPC title

• E05C19/18

  Portable devices specially adapted for securing wings ({E05C17/54, E05C19/003, E05B65/0894, E05B67/00 take precedence}; preventing operation of handles E05B13/00) · CPC title

• E05B65/0071

  for revolving doors · CPC title