Patent ID: 7891222
Filing Date: 2011-02-22
Classification: E05B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An electrically activated locking device for use with an article of furniture selected from the group consisting of file cabinets, desks, and credenzas, each of which comprises a cabinet with side walls, a rear wall and a front, at least one drawer mounted in the front of the cabinet and moveable between an open position and a closed position, and a locking bar slideably mounted to one of the cabinet walls adjacent the interior surface thereof for vertical movement in the space between the one side wall of the cabinet and the adjacent side wall of the at least one drawer for the purpose of locking and unlocking, the locking bar having at least one locking member extending therefrom into locking engagement with the at least one drawer and a lifting pin extending therefrom, the locking device comprising: (a) an electrically powered actuator having an output shaft with a worm gear thereon; (b) a rotatable drop cam operatively connected to the actuator and having a peripheral edge; (c) a trolley in contact with the peripheral edge and vertically moveable by rotation of the cam, the trolley being operationally connected to the locking bar, whereby the locking bar is moveable into one of an unlocked and locked position responsive to rotation of the cam; (d) a speed reducing gear train comprising a plurality of gears having teeth on the periphery thereof operatively connecting the electronically powered actuator and the rotatable cam to increase the torque necessary to lift the locking bar, the worm gear of the output shaft of the electrically powered actuator operatively engaging the peripheral teeth of one of the gears; and (e) the trolley, the electrically powered actuator, the output shaft of the electrically powered actuator, the gears of the speed reducing gear train, and the rotatable cam located in the limited space between one side wall of the cabinet and the adjacent side wall of the at least one drawer and the output shaft of the electrically powered actuator, and the gears of the speed reducing gear train and the rotatable cam being arranged in and moving in planes generally parallel to the cabinet side wall and adjacent drawer side wall.