Attack-resistant and weather-resistant lock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11761233-B2
Application number	US-202016822631-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2020
Priority date	Mar 20, 2019
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

A lock can include attack-resistant and/or weather-resistant features. Attack-resistant features can include a sacrificial link between a locking mechanism and an external keyway covering an exterior face of the locking mechanism. The sacrificial link can break during a torque attack on the lock such that the full force of the torque attack is not applied to the locking mechanism. Weather-resistant features can include drain openings in one or more housing components external to the locking mechanism to facilitate drainage of liquid matter from the lock before the liquid matter reaches the locking mechanism.

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; and
a lock coupled to and extending through the wall or the hinged door, the lock comprising:
a locking mechanism at least partially disposed within the inner volume of the receptacle, the locking mechanism configured to be actuated by a key;
an external keyway disposed external to the inner volume and aligned with a keyway of the locking mechanism;
a sacrificial link comprising a plastic coupling rotationally fixing the external keyway to a metal component of the locking mechanism, the sacrificial link configured to fail when a threshold torque is applied at the external keyway;
a housing at least partially surrounding the locking mechanism, an external section of the housing comprising a first drain opening;
a scalp at least partially covering the external section, the scalp comprising a second drain opening aligned with the first drain opening; and
a cylinder seal disposed at least partially between the scalp and the locking mechanism, the cylinder seal comprising a third drain opening aligned with the first and second drain openings.

2. The securable receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the threshold torque is smaller than a torque required to break or dislodge the locking mechanism.

3. The securable receptacle of claim 1 , further comprising an external housing at least partially surrounding the external keyway and the sacrificial link.

4. The securable receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism remains operable and accessible via the external keyway when the sacrificial link has failed.

5. The securable receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a pin tumbler lock.

6. The securable receptacle of claim 1 , wherein the securable receptacle is a cluster mailbox.

7. An attack-resistant lock comprising:
a housing comprising an internal section and an external section, the external section comprising a first drain opening;
a locking mechanism disposed at least partially within the internal section of the housing, the locking mechanism comprising a keyway configured to receive a key blade for actuating the locking mechanism;
an external keyway structure disposed within the external section of the housing, the external keyway structure comprising:
a faceplate comprising an opening sized and shaped to receive the key blade, the opening aligned with the keyway such that a key blade can be inserted into the keyway through the opening; and
a sacrificial fixing structure comprising a plastic coupling engaged with a metal component of the locking mechanism, the sacrificial fixing structure configured to prevent rotation of the external keyway relative to the locking mechanism;

a scalp at least partially covering the external section, the scalp comprising a second drain opening aligned with the first drain opening; and
a cylinder seal disposed at least partially between the scalp and the locking mechanism, the cylinder seal comprising a third drain opening aligned with the first and second drain openings;
wherein the sacrificial fixing structure is further configured to separate from the external keyway structure when a threshold torque is applied at the opening, and wherein the threshold torque is insufficient to dislodge the locking mechanism from the housing.

8. The attack-resistant lock of claim 7 , wherein the sacrificial fixing structure comprises one or more tabs integrally formed with at least a portion of the external keyway structure, the one or more tabs disposed within tab openings of the locking mechanism configured to retain the one or more tabs such that the tabs break away from the external keyway structure when the threshold torque is applied at the opening.

9. The attack-resistant lock of claim 8 , wherein the portion of the external keyway structure comprises plastic.

10. The attack-resistant lock of claim 7 , wherein separation of the sacrificial structure from the external keyway structure allows the external keyway structure to be rotatable relative to the locking mechanism while being retained within the housing.

11. The attack-resistant lock of claim 10 , wherein the attack-resistant lock remains functional after separation of the sacrificial structure.

12. The attack-resistant lock of claim 7 , wherein the housing comprises an outer scalp coupled to the external section of the housing, and wherein the outer scalp retains the external keyway structure within the housing.

13. The attack-resistant lock of claim 7 , wherein the housing prevents external access to the keyway other than through the external keyway structure.

14. A weather-resistant lock comprising:
a locking mechanism comprising a keyway configured to receive a key blade for actuating the locking mechanism; and
a housing at least partially surrounding the locking mechanism, the housing comprising:
an internal section retaining the locking mechanism and configured to be disposed in an interior volume of a receptacle when the weather-resistant lock is in an installed configuration;
an external section configured to be disposed outside the interior volume, the external section comprising a first drain opening;
a scalp at least partially covering the external section, the scalp comprising a second drain opening aligned with the first drain opening; and
a cylinder seal disposed at least partially between the scalp and the locking mechanism, the cylinder seal comprising a third drain opening aligned with the first and second drain openings;

wherein, in the installed configuration, the drain opening is disposed at a lower height relative to the locking mechanism to facilitate drainage of liquid matter from the housing and to prevent the liquid matter from entering the interior volume of the receptacle; and
wherein the external section is rotationally fixed relative to the locking mechanism by a plastic coupling engaged with a metal component of the locking mechanism, the plastic coupling configured to separate from the external section when a threshold torque is applied at the external section.

15. The weather-resistant lock of claim 14 , further comprising an external keyway structure retained within the external section of the housing, the external keyway structure comprising an external keyway drain opening aligned with the drain opening of the external section to facilitate drainage of liquid matter from the external keyway structure.

16. The weather-resistant lock of claim 14 , further comprising a keyway flap pivotable between an open position and a closed position blocking ingress of foreign matter into the keyway, wherein the keyway flap is biased in the closed position.

Assignees

• United States Postal Service

Inventors

• Tartal William Albert
• Irwin Donald Eugene

Classifications

• E05B17/002 Primary

  Weather or dirt protection (E05B15/029, E05B17/14 take precedence; for vehicle locks E05B77/34) · CPC title

• E05B17/0062 Primary

  with destructive disengagement · CPC title

• E05B17/2084

  Means to prevent forced opening by attack, tampering or jimmying (E05B15/1614 takes precedence; for ignition or steering locks B60R25/023) · CPC title

• E05B17/185

  pivoting about an axis perpendicular to the lock face · CPC title

• E05B2015/1628

  Free-rotating protecting covers or discs · CPC title