Patent ID: 9155682
Filing Date: 2015-10-13
Classification: A61G,A61J,E05B,G16H

Abstract:
1. A locking mechanism for locking and unlocking a drawer supported on a housing of a mobile cart, said locking mechanism comprising; a mounting bracket; a servo motor, which is connected to said mounting bracket for mounting said locking mechanism on a mobile cart, said servo motor including a drive hub which is rotatable by said servo motor about a motor axis through first and second hub positions, said hub including a cam which defines a cam surface on an outer circumferential surface extending about said motor axis which said cam has an eccentric shape; said hub further including a radial drive projection, which projects radially outwardly beyond said cam surface and includes a driving surface which faces away from said motor axis for contact with a drawer for partial opening of the drawer, said drive projection rotating with said hub through said first hub position wherein said drive projection is disengaged from a drawer and said second hub position wherein said drive projection is positioned for contact with a drawer for partial opening thereof; a latch pivotally supported on said mounting bracket so as to be pivotable about a latch axis oriented transverse to said motor axis, said latch including a latch member that projects radially from said latch axis and includes a hook on an outer end thereof for releasably engaging a drawer, said latch member being pivotable in an unlatching direction to an unlatched position so that said hook vertically clears and allows opening and closing of a drawer, and is resiliently-biased in a latching direction opposite to said unlatching direction to a latching position for latching a closed drawer, said unlatching and latching directions being substantially parallel to said motor axis and transverse to said latch axis, said hook including an inclined face, which is configured to contact a drawer being moved to a closed position to pivot said latch in the unlatching direction and then allow pivoting in the latching direction to relatch a closed drawer; said latch including a radial follower arm which projects in said latching direction and has a cam follower, which is slidable circumferentially along said cam surface during rotation of said hub, said latch biasing said cam follower radially against said cam surface wherein said eccentric shape pivots said latch between said latching and unlatched positions during rotation of said hub between said first and second hub positions; and said drive projection being rotatable by said hub and said servo motor to contact and partially-open a drawer when said hub is rotated to said second hub position and said latch is in said unlatched position by rotation of said hub.