US3741619A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Locking apparatus for vending machines or the like
Assignee: SandenVendo America Inc
•
Filing: 1971-10-27
•
Granted: 1973-06-26
•
Expires: 1991-10-27
Abstract
Abstract A locking system for a vending machine cabinet having an inner product area door and an outer security door for closing the cabinet as a whole utilizes the latch operating handle associated with the primary lock on the outer door, which latches the outer door to the cabinet, to conceal and prevent access to the secondary lock, which latches the two doors together with a space for housing control elements confined therebetween. Partial rotation of the handle when the primary lock is unlocked, exposes the secondary lock to permit unlocking of the latter without causing unlatching of the outer door from the cabinet, thus permitting the doors to be unlocked from one another as a prelude to opening of the outer door only for access to said housing space without exposing the storage area of the cabinet to ambient temperature air as would occur upon opening of the inner door also. Release of the primary lock alone permits access to the product area but not to the housing space to prevent unauthorized access to stored coins and tampering with control elements therewithin; while release of both locks permits access to either or both said area and said space, if desired.
Inventors
- 👤 K Dyer
- 👤 J Handley
- 👤 J Smith
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 16:47
CPC Classifications
E; E05; E05B; E05B63/00; E05B63/14; E05B63/143; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T70/00; Y10T70/50; Y10T70/5611; Y10T70/5757; Y10T70/5761
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
284 words
In a vending machine or the like having a cabinet provided with a main access opening, an interior product receiving chamber, a product access opening communicating with said chamber and spaced inwardly from said main access opening, an outer door, an inner door, and means for mounting said doors on said cabinet for independent or concurrent swinging movement thereof to and from positions for closing said main access opening and said product access opening respectively, with said doors presenting a substantially confined space therebetween adapted for housing control elements forming a part of said machine when said doors are either both closed or concurrently opened, an improved locking system comprising: a primary latching assembly having mutually cooperable components on said outer door and said cabinet for releasably holding said outer door in closing relationship to said main access opening; primary locking means on said outer door, accessible from the exterior of said cabinet and operably coupled with said primary latching assembly for locking the latter; a secondary latching assembly having mutually cooperable components on said outer door and said inner door for releasably holding said doors in intercoupled relationship for concurrent opening or closing thereof while maintaining said space substantially confined therebetween; and secondary locking means on said outer door, accessible from the exterior of said cabinet and operably coupled with said secondary latching assembly for locking the latter, whereby said primary locking means alone may be unlocked to permit access to said product receiving chamber without permitting access to said space, or both of said locking means may be unlocked either to permit access to said space without opening said inner door or to permit access to both said chamber and said space.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
284 words
In a vending machine or the like having a cabinet provided with a main access opening, an interior product receiving chamber, a product access opening communicating with said chamber and spaced inwardly from said main access opening, an outer door, an inner door, and means for mounting said doors on said cabinet for independent or concurrent swinging movement thereof to and from positions for closing said main access opening and said product access opening respectively, with said doors presenting a substantially confined space therebetween adapted for housing control elements forming a part of said machine when said doors are either both closed or concurrently opened, an improved locking system comprising: a primary latching assembly having mutually cooperable components on said outer door and said cabinet for releasably holding said outer door in closing relationship to said main access opening; primary locking means on said outer door, accessible from the exterior of said cabinet and operably coupled with said primary latching assembly for locking the latter; a secondary latching assembly having mutually cooperable components on said outer door and said inner door for releasably holding said doors in intercoupled relationship for concurrent opening or closing thereof while maintaining said space substantially confined therebetween; and secondary locking means on said outer door, accessible from the exterior of said cabinet and operably coupled with said secondary latching assembly for locking the latter, whereby said primary locking means alone may be unlocked to permit access to said product receiving chamber without permitting access to said space, or both of said locking means may be unlocked either to permit access to said space without opening said inner door or to permit access to both said chamber and said space.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein is provided means operably coupled with said primary locking means for precluding access to said secondary locking means until said primary locking means is unlocked.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
65 words
The invention of claim 2, wherein said precluding means includes an operating handle shiftably mounted on said outer door, said handle being operably coupled with said primary latching assembly for operating the latter and operably coupled with said primary locking means for releasably holding of said handle in a position obstructing operative access to said secondary locking means while said primary locking means is locked.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The invention of claim 3, wherein said handle is mounted on said outer door for both reciprocal and rotative movement relative to the latter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
The invention of claim 4, wherein said handle is releasably held by said primary locking means against reciprocation of said handle away from a normal, innermost reciprocated position thereof, and there is provided means for blocking rotation of said handle while the latter is in said normal position thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The invention of claim 5, wherein said handle blocking means includes a receptacle for the handle recessed into said outer door.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
The invention of claim 6, wherein said primary locking means is operative, when unlocked, to permit reciprocation of said handle outwardly out of said receptacle for then further permitting rotation of said handle to operate said primary latching assembly.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
75 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein said components of said primary latching assembly include shiftable cam means on the outer door movable between latching and unlatching positions, and mating strike means on the cabinet disposed for engagement with the cam means during movement of the latter toward its latching position, said cam means being operable during said movement to progressively draw the outer door into closing relationship with said main access opening of the cabinet.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The invention of claim 8, wherein said components of said primary latching assembly further include a handle operably coupled with said cam means for shifting the latter into engagement with said strike means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The invention of claim 9, wherein said handle and said cam means are rotatable.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
45 words
The invention of claim 10, wherein said cam means is provided with a dwell portion permitting rotation of said handle to an intermediate disposition exposing said secondary locking means without said cam means clearing said strike means to unlatch the outer door from the cabinet.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
118 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein said components of said primary latching assembly include strike means on the cabinet, cam means rotatably mounted on the outer door for movement between latching and unlatching positions and engageable with the strike means for progressively drawing the outer door into closing relationship with said main access opening as the cam means is moved toward its latching position, a handle on the door operably coupled with said cam means for moving the latter, a secondary latching element mounted on said cam means for rotation with the latter, and retainer means mounted on the cabinet in disposition for receiving and retaining said element when said cam means is moved into its latching position.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
49 words
The invention of claim 12, wherein said retainer means is provided with an open-ended slot, and said element is generally T-shaped and has a shank portion receivable within said slot and an enlarged head portion disposed behind said retainer means when said cam means is in its latching position.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
59 words
The invention of claim 13, wherein said latching element extends radially from said cam means, said retainer means is disposed radially from said cam means, said strike means is disposed laterally from said cam means when the latter is in its latching position, and said cam means is provided with a lateral cam surface for engaging said strike means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-06-25 | 1976-12-25 | 1977-06-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-06-25 | 1980-12-25 | 1981-06-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-06-25 | 1984-12-25 | 1985-06-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |