US3739233A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electronic combination lock
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1972-05-26
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Granted: 1973-06-12
•
Expires: 1992-05-26
Abstract
Abstract An electronic combination lock in which a plurality of silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) circuit stages are interconnected by a plurality of manually operable push button switches such that each of the serial stages starting with a first SCR circuit stage must be triggered to a conducting state before a succeeding SCR circuit stage is enabled for triggering. A final and output circuit stage serves as an output lock control means for unlocking a secured area. Thus, a preselected operating sequence of the push button switches is required in order to activate the lock control. Trial and error attempts to break the code are hindered by a plurality of additional push button switches connected to drive each of the SCR circuit stages to their nontriggered or normal condition thereby scrambling the lock and requiring a new application of the entire combination sequence.
Inventors
- 👤 A Edelson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 11:43
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07C; G07C9/00; G07C9/00174; G07C9/00658; G07C9/00674; G07C9/0069
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
210 words
An electronic combination lock, comprising: a plurality of manually operable switching means; a plurality of SCR circuit stages adapted for connection to a source of electrical power and each having an SCR device capable of being triggered from a normal non-conducting state to a conducting state, certain of said switching means connecting said stages in series for manual selective sequential triggering of each SCR device to its conducting state only if the device of the preceding stage is in its conducting state starting with a first serial stage and culminating with an output stage; said first stage SCR device having an anode and cathode and gate, said anode and cathode connected in a series circuit having end terminals adapted for connection across the source of electrical power having plus and minus polarities, one of said certain switching means being associated with the first stage and having contact means connected to said gate for triggering of said first stage device and connection of said first stage device to an anode of a succeeding stage SCR device; and output lock control means connected to said output stage and responsive to the state of the SCR device thereof such that predetermined sequential manual operation of said switch means actuateS said lock control means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
210 words
An electronic combination lock, comprising: a plurality of manually operable switching means; a plurality of SCR circuit stages adapted for connection to a source of electrical power and each having an SCR device capable of being triggered from a normal non-conducting state to a conducting state, certain of said switching means connecting said stages in series for manual selective sequential triggering of each SCR device to its conducting state only if the device of the preceding stage is in its conducting state starting with a first serial stage and culminating with an output stage; said first stage SCR device having an anode and cathode and gate, said anode and cathode connected in a series circuit having end terminals adapted for connection across the source of electrical power having plus and minus polarities, one of said certain switching means being associated with the first stage and having contact means connected to said gate for triggering of said first stage device and connection of said first stage device to an anode of a succeeding stage SCR device; and output lock control means connected to said output stage and responsive to the state of the SCR device thereof such that predetermined sequential manual operation of said switch means actuateS said lock control means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
The electronic lock of claim 1 further defined by at least one of said switching means other than said certain switching means having a scramble switch including connection means extending to said first stage for driving the SCR device thereof to its non-conducting state.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
87 words
The electronic lock of claim 1 at least one intermediate SCR circuit stage connected between said first and output stages, the intermediate stage SCR device having an anode and cathode and gate, said anode and cathode connected in a series circuit having end terminals with the terminal adjacent said cathode connected to the terminal of the first stage series circuit adjacent its cathode and with the terminal end adjacent said intermediate stage anode connected to the contact means of said switching means associated with the first stage.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
184 words
An electronic combination lock, comprising: a plurality of manually operable switching means; a plurality of SCR circuit stages adapted for connection to a source of electrical power and each having an SCR device capable of being triggered from a normal non-conducting state to a conducting state, certain of said switching means connecting said stages in series for manual selective sequential triggering of each SCR device to its conducting state only if the device of the preceding stage is in its conducting state starting with a first serial stage and culminating with an output stage; said first stage SCR device having an anode and cathode and gate, said anode and cathode connected in a series circuit having end terminals adapted for connection across a source of electrical power, one of said certain switching means being associated with the first stage and having normally open contacts connected for connection between said anode and gate to trigger said SCR device and having normally closed contacts the gate of said first stage SCR device to the anode of the succeeding stage SCR device connecting to enable triggering thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
184 words
An electronic combination lock, comprising: a plurality of manually operable switching means; a plurality of SCR circuit stages adapted for connection to a source of electrical power and each having an SCR device capable of being triggered from a normal non-conducting state to a conducting state, certain of said switching means connecting said stages in series for manual selective sequential triggering of each SCR device to its conducting state only if the device of the preceding stage is in its conducting state starting with a first serial stage and culminating with an output stage; said first stage SCR device having an anode and cathode and gate, said anode and cathode connected in a series circuit having end terminals adapted for connection across a source of electrical power, one of said certain switching means being associated with the first stage and having normally open contacts connected for connection between said anode and gate to trigger said SCR device and having normally closed contacts the gate of said first stage SCR device to the anode of the succeeding stage SCR device connecting to enable triggering thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
The electronic lock of claim 4, further defined by at least one of said switching means other than said certain switching means having a scramble switch including normally open contacts connected to said anode and a capacitive-resistive network of said first stage for selectively returning said first stage SCR device to its non-conducting state.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
The electronic lock of claim 5, wherein said capacitive-resistive network is connected in shunt across the anode and cathode of the first stage SCR device and said scramble switch having one of its normally open contacts connected to said anode and said network and the other contact connected to said minus polarity end terminal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
The electronic lock of claim 6, said anode-cathode series circuit comprising a load resistor connected between said anode and the adjacent end terminal for providing an impedance load across the source of power when said scramble switch contacts are closed.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
137 words
The electronic lock of claim 4, at least one intermediate SCR circuit stage connected between said first and output stages, the intermediate stage SCR device having an anode and cathode and gate, said anode and cathode connected in a series circuit having end terminals with the terminal adjacent said cathode connected to the corrresponding terminal of said first stage series circuit and with the terminal adjacent said intermediate stage anode connected to one of the normally closed contacts of said switching means associate with said first stage, another of said certain switching means being associated with said intermediate stage and having normally open contacts connected for selective connection of the anode to the gate of the intermediate stage SCR device for triggering thereof and having normally closed contacts connecting said intermediate stage to a succeeding serial stage.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
64 words
The electronic lock of claim 8, the switching means associated with said first and intermediate stages having a common pole connected to the gate of the associated SCR device for selective mutually exclusive connection to the anode of the same SCR device through said normally open contacts and to the anode of the SCR device of the succeeding stage through said normally closed contacts.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
The electronic lock of claim 8, wherein the succeeding stage is another intermediate stage and said last named normally closed contacts connect said intermediate stage to the anode of the succeeding intermediate stage SCR device.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
84 words
The electronic lock of claim 8, wherein the succeeding stage is the output stage, said output stage SCR device having an anode and a cathode and a gate, said anode and cathode connected in a series circuit having end terminals adapted for connection across a source of power, and another of said certain switching means selectively connecting one of said last named normally closed contacts of said intermediate stage switching means to said gate of said output stage for triggering the SCR device thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
62 words
The electronic lock of claim 4, wherein said output stage SCR device has an anode and a cathode and a gate, said anode and cathode connected in a series circuit and such circuit being adapted for connection across a source of electrical power, one of said certain switching means selectively connecting said gate of said output stage device to a preceding stage.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
The electronic lock of claim 12, another one of said switching means other than said certain switching means connected to said first and output stages for selectively disposing the SCR devices thereof in their non-conducting states.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
59 words
The electronic lock of claim 12, another of said switching means other than said certain switching means being an output disable and scramble switch having normally closed contacts serially connected in said anode-cathode series circuit of said output stage and having normally open contacts extended to and for selectively returning the first stage SCR device to its non-conducting state.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
37 words
The electronic lock of claim 12, said output lock control means having an electrical actuation means connected to said output stage series circuit for actuation in response to said output stage device being in its conducting state.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
62 words
The electronic lock of claim 15, said output lock control means comprising a relay having a coil connected to said output stage series circuit and providing said electrical actuation means, said relay having contact means adapted to be connected to a source of line voltage and output power means connected to contact means for selective connection to the source of line voltage.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
55 words
The electronic lock of claim 4, further comprising power source means, said first and output stages being connected to said power source such that said first stage and each succeeding stage except the stage preceding the output stage selectively extends power from said power source to and for enabling operation of the next succeeding stage.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
60 words
The electronic lock of claim 17, said power source is comprised of a rectification network adapted for connection to an alternating current line, and said output lock means comprises a relay having contact means adapted for connection to said alternating current line and controlled output line means connected to said contact means for controlled connection to said alternating current line.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
199 words
An electronic combination lock, comprising; a plurality of manually operable switching means of the momentary contact type, a plurality of serially cascaded SCR circuit stages each having an SCR device triggerable from a normaly non-conducting state to a conducting state, a source of electrical power, a first and final of said stages connected across said source of power, certain of said switching means being associated with each of said stages and having contact means for extending electrical power from said first stage to each succeeding stage except said final stage to enable triggering thereof and having contact means for selectivE triggering of each stage device, another of said switching means having contact means connected to said final stage for selectively driving the SCR device thereof to its non-conducting state and having contact means connected to said first stage for selectively driving the SCR device thereof to its non-conducting state and thereby terminating electrical power to the succeeding stages, and output lock control means connected to said final stage and responsive to the state of the SCR device thereof, whereby predetermined sequential manual operation of said switching means actuates said lock control means for opening a lock or the like.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
199 words
An electronic combination lock, comprising; a plurality of manually operable switching means of the momentary contact type, a plurality of serially cascaded SCR circuit stages each having an SCR device triggerable from a normaly non-conducting state to a conducting state, a source of electrical power, a first and final of said stages connected across said source of power, certain of said switching means being associated with each of said stages and having contact means for extending electrical power from said first stage to each succeeding stage except said final stage to enable triggering thereof and having contact means for selectivE triggering of each stage device, another of said switching means having contact means connected to said final stage for selectively driving the SCR device thereof to its non-conducting state and having contact means connected to said first stage for selectively driving the SCR device thereof to its non-conducting state and thereby terminating electrical power to the succeeding stages, and output lock control means connected to said final stage and responsive to the state of the SCR device thereof, whereby predetermined sequential manual operation of said switching means actuates said lock control means for opening a lock or the like.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-06-11 | 1976-12-11 | 1977-06-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-06-11 | 1980-12-11 | 1981-06-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-06-11 | 1984-12-11 | 1985-06-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |