Electronic lock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11313152-B2
Application number	US-201916412132-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2019
Priority date	May 15, 2018
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

A lock can include a motor assembly, a gear assembly, and an unlocking assembly. The motor assembly can include a motor and a drive shaft. The gear assembly can include a cam, a pinion gear, and a pinion. The pinion gear can include a plurality of teeth disposed along only a portion of a perimeter of the pinion gear. The pinion gear can be configured to engage the pinion. The pinion can be configured to translate laterally to release a biasing member to unlock a door of a container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A securable receptacle comprising:
a wall at least partially surrounding an inner volume of the receptacle;
a hinged door coupled to the receptacle, the door comprising an unlocking member extending from an interior surface of the door toward the interior volume of the receptacle, the unlocking member comprising a shelf portion facing toward the interior surface of the door; and
a lock coupled to an interior surface of the wall, the lock comprising:
a rack comprising a plurality of teeth, the rack being slidable along a longitudinal axis between a locked position in which an end portion of the rack contacts the shelf portion of the unlocking member to retain the door in a closed position, and an unlocked position in which the end portion of the rack does not contact the shelf portion;
a first biasing member configured to exert a linear door-opening force against the unlocking member;
a second biasing member configured to exert a linear force against the rack toward the locked position;
a pinion gear comprising a plurality of teeth configured to engage the teeth of the rack, the plurality of teeth extending along less than the full circumference of the pinion gear such that, in at least one angular orientation, the teeth of the pinion gear do not engage the teeth of the rack;
a motor configured to rotate the pinion gear in a first direction to slide the rack from the locked position to the unlocked position;
a switch proximate at least a portion of the pinion gear, the switch positioned to be contacted by the teeth of the pinion gear to cause, at least in part, deactivation of the motor after the pinion gear reaches the angular orientation in which the teeth of the pinion gear do not engage the teeth of the rack; and
a wireless receiver in communication with the motor, the wireless receiver configured to wirelessly receive electrical power from a mobile device external to the receptacle and to cause the electrical power to be transferred to the motor,
wherein the second biasing member causes the rack to return to the locked position when the pinion gear reaches an angular orientation in which the teeth of the pinion gear do not engage the teeth of the rack.

2. The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the wireless receiver is in communication with a processor configured to cause activation of the motor based at least in part on receiving and verifying a security credential from a mobile device in proximity to the wireless receiver.

3. The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first biasing member and the second biasing member comprises a spring.

4. The receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the rack comprises a protrusion extending from a side of the rack opposite the teeth of the rack, and wherein the receptacle further comprises an override system configured to engage with the protrusion.

5. The receptacle of claim 4 , wherein the override system comprises a key lock and an unlocking arm coupled to the key lock, and wherein turning a key in a first direction in the key lock causes the unlocking arm to engage with the protrusion to slide the rack toward the unlocked position.

6. The receptacle of claim 4 , wherein the override system comprises a secondary lock having a locked configuration in which an unlocking arm engages with the protrusion to prevent the rack from sliding to the unlocked position, and an unlocked configuration in which the unlocking arm does not prevent the rack from sliding to the unlocked position.

7. An electronic lock comprising:
a first gear comprising a plurality of first gear teeth, the first gear being slidable along a longitudinal axis between a locked position in which an end portion of the first gear contacts an outward-facing shelf portion of an unlocking member of a receptacle to retain a door of the receptacle in a closed position, and an unlocked position in which the end portion of the first gear does not contact the shelf portion;
a first biasing member configured to exert a linear force against the unlocking member;
a second biasing member configured to exert a linear force against the first gear toward the locked position;
a second gear comprising a plurality of second gear teeth configured to engage the plurality of first gear teeth, the plurality of second gear teeth extending along less than the full circumference of the second gear such that, in at least one angular orientation, the second gear teeth do not engage the first gear teeth;
a motor configured to rotate the second gear in a first direction to slide the first gear from the locked position to the unlocked position; and
a switch proximate at least a portion of the second gear, the switch comprising a mechanical contact positioned to be contacted by the second gear teeth to cause deactivation of the motor after the second gear reaches the angular orientation in which the second gear teeth do not engage the first gear teeth,
wherein the second biasing member causes the first gear to return to the locked position when the second gear reaches an angular orientation in which the second gear teeth do not engage the first gear teeth.

8. The electronic lock of claim 7 , wherein the unlocking member is attached to an interior surface of the door of the receptacle, and wherein the linear force is an outward linear door-opening force.

9. The electronic lock of claim 7 , wherein the lock is attached to an interior surface of the door of the receptacle, and wherein the linear force is an inward linear door-opening force.

10. The electronic lock of claim 7 , further comprising a wireless receiver in communication with a processor and the motor.

11. The electronic lock of claim 10 , wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive a security credential from a mobile device in proximity to the wireless motor, and wherein the processor is configured to verify the security credential.

12. The electronic lock of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause activation of the motor based at least in part on verifying the security credential.

13. The electronic lock of claim 10 , wherein the wireless receiver is configured to wirelessly receive electrical power and to cause the electrical power to be transferred to the motor.

14. The electronic lock of claim 7 , wherein the first gear comprises a rack gear, and wherein the second gear comprises a pinion gear.

Assignees

• United States Postal Service

Inventors

• Tartal William Albert
• Yessin Gabriel Michael

Classifications

• E05B47/0603 Primary

  the detent moving rectilinearly · CPC title

• E05B2047/0084

  Key or electric means; Emergency release · CPC title

• A47G2029/146

  the receptacle comprising identification means, e.g. a bar code · CPC title

• E05B2047/0017

  with rotary motion · CPC title

• E05B63/0069

  Override systems, e.g. allowing opening from inside without the key, even when locked from outside (E05B65/1086, E05B9/105 take precedence; by movable striker E05B63/246) · CPC title