Abstract:
A locking system is provided which can be readily attached to a drawer without the necessity of any carpentry or other alteration of the drawer or associated cabinet. The locking system comprises a first body having at least one side attachable to the front of a drawer, a second body which has a side attachable to a surface of the drawer cabinet adjacent to the movable drawer. A cable or cord is permanently attached to one body and is removably attached to the other body and retained in place by a lock mechanism in this other body. The lock mechanism may be key actuated or may actuated by a combination lock.

Description:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    A variety of locking devices and systems are known for locking drawers such as desk drawers and file cabinets and for locking cupboard and other doors. Such locks require that the drawer or door have openings provided to accommodate the lock device. For example, in a typical drawer lock, openings must be milled out of the drawer front of a size and configuration to accommodate the lock housing and a front facing opening must be provided to accommodate a key. In addition, an opening in the confronting frame of the drawer must be milled to provide a striker plate and opening to accommodate the lock bolt when in a locked position. 
         [0002]    It would be useful and convenient to have a locking system which can be installed on a drawer or door without the necessity of milling or otherwise providing openings in the drawer or associated cabinet. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention provides a locking system which can be readily attached to a drawer without the necessity of any carpentry or other alteration of the drawer or associated cabinet. The locking system comprises a first body having at least one side attachable to the front of a drawer, a second body which has a side attachable to a surface of the drawer cabinet adjacent to the movable drawer. A cable or cord is permanently attached to one body and is removably attached to the other body and retained in place by a lock mechanism in this other body. Typically, the cable is permanently attached to the body which is secured to a cabinet wall, and the detachable end of the cable is lockable in the lock mechanism of the body which is secured to the drawer front. The lock mechanism is actuatable by a user to lock and unlock the mechanism. In the locked position, one end of the cable is secured within the mechanism. In the unlocked position, the end of the cable is releasable from the locking mechanism so that the drawer can be opened. The cable end lockable within the lock mechanism has an end element mateable with one or more cooperative elements of the locking mechanism to retain the cable in the locked position. 
         [0004]    The lock mechanism may be key actuated or may be actuated by a combination lock. The lock mechanism itself can be of any known construction. While the invention is described in a preferred embodiment for use with a desk drawer or other cabinet drawer that is slidably openable and closable, it is contemplated that the invention is also applicable to cupboard and other doors or panels which can be swingably or slidably opened and closed, or box or other enclosure lids or drawers which are moveable in relation to a fixed wall or panel. 
         [0005]    The lock system bodies can be attached respectively to the drawer and to an adjacent cabinet wall by an adhesive sufficiently strong to prevent easy removal of the bodies. Alternatively, the lock system bodies can be fastened to the mounting surfaces of the drawer and cabinet wall by one or more fasteners. The use of fasteners will necessitate the drilling of holes through the walls of the cabinet and drawer to accommodate screws or other fastening elements to achieve a more permanent lock system installation. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic elevation view of the invention installed on a desk and drawer; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a pictorial view of an embodiment of the invention using an adhesive layer; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a cutaway view illustrating another embodiment of the invention using one or more fasteners; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4A  is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention showing a cable end inserted in a lock body before locking; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4B  is a plan view of the embodiment of  FIG. 4A  after locking; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5A  shows an embodiment of the invention using a retractable cable mechanism, shown in retracted position; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5B  shows the embodiment of  FIG. 5A  with the cable in an extended position; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5C  shows the embodiment of  FIGS. 5A and 5B  with the cable in locked position; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5D  is a cutaway plan view showing the cable engaging slot of the embodiment of  FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  5 C; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a pictorial view of a cable end element of cylindrical form; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a pictorial view of a receptacle for receiving the cable end element of  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a pictorial view showing a further embodiment using first and second cables; 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a pictorial view of yet another embodiment using a single cable locked into a single body; 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a pictorial view of an embodiment having a wraparound cable; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  is an embodiment similar to that of  FIG. 10  and having a wraparound cable cooperative with a drawer pull on a drawer. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    A lock system in accordance with the invention is shown in a typical installation in  FIG. 1 . In the illustrated embodiment, the lock system or locking system is shown attached to the slidable draw  10  of a desk  12 . The lock system includes a first body  14  attached to the front of draw  10 , and a second body  16  attached to the side  18  of the desk  12 . A cable or cord  20  is permanently attached to body  16  and releasably attached to body  14  when in the locked position. The body  14  includes a lock mechanism which is actuatable by a user such as by a key or combination lock to lock and unlock the mechanism. In the locked position, the end of the cable captured in body  14  is secured by the lock mechanism. In the unlocked position, the end of the cable retained by the lock mechanism in body  14  is released so that the cable can be removed from the body  14  allowing the draw  10  to be opened and closed by a user. 
         [0023]    The bodies  14  and  16  can be affixed to the respective surfaces of the draw front and desk side by an adhesive material which is sufficiently strong to prevent ready removable of either any of the bodies from the mounting surfaces. In one embodiment, the adhesive can be pre-applied to the mounting surface of each body  14 ,  16  shown in  FIG. 2  as layer  30 , and a release layer  32  can be applied over the adhesive layer to cover the adhesive layer until installation of the lock bodies onto their mounting surfaces. For mounting of the bodies containing an adhesive layer, the release layer  32  is peeled away and the exposed adhesive layer pressed against the respective mounting surfaces to adhere the respective bodies to their mounting surfaces. In another embodiment, an adhesive can be applied to the mounting surface of bodies  14  and  16  from a tube or can of adhesive material just prior to pressing the bodies  14  and  16  onto the mounting surfaces. 
         [0024]    In an alternative embodiment, one or both of the bodies  14  and  16  can be attached to their respective mounting surfaces by one or more fasteners. For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , a fastener  40  such as a machine screw is inserted through an opening provided in the mounting wall of the desk side and/or draw front and threaded into a threaded opening in the lock body  14  and/or  16 . The use of a fastener such as shown in  FIG. 3 , will necessitate the drilling of one or more holes through the walls of the mounting structure to accommodate the screw or other fastening element. For many purposes, the adhesive mounting is preferred as no holes need be drilled in the draw or cabinetry of the mounting structure with which the locking system is employed. 
         [0025]    The cable  20  can be for example a stainless steel flexible cable which may be covered with a plastic, rubber or other relatively soft or pliant material which will not scratch or otherwise mar the confronting surfaces of a desk or other piece of furniture or cabinetry with which the locking system is employed. 
         [0026]    The cable or cord can also be a flexible non-metallic material such as Kevlar. The cable end affixed to body  16  can be secured in the body by any convenient means. For example, the cable end can extend through an opening in a side of body  16  and be retained therein by a clamp or other mechanism in the body which is constructed in a sufficiently robust manner to prevent easy pulling of the cable end from the body. The cable may also be welded or otherwise secured within body  16 , such as by an epoxy adhesive. 
         [0027]    Alternatively, the cable can be a chain of metal or plastic material. In another implementation, a 90° angled bar or rod can be employed instead of a cable, cord or chain. In this version, one end of the bar can be attached to one lock body and the other end of the bar can be releasably attached to the other lock body. The bar can, alternatively, be releasably attached at both ends to respective lock bodies. For purposes of this invention, the term “cable” is intended to mean a flexible cable of cord of any suitable material or a rigid bar or rod of any suitable material. 
         [0028]    The end of the cable  20  lockable within the lock mechanism of body  14  can have an end or retention element mateable with one or more cooperative elements of the locking mechanism for the purposes of retaining the cable in the body when in the locked position. In one embodiment shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the cable  14  has a ball  50  welded or otherwise secured to an end of the cable. The body has a slot  52  provided on the front which can accommodate the cable along its length. The ball  50  fits into a well or recess  54  and is urged and retained in a receptacle area  56  by a bolt  58  of a locking mechanism in the body. The bolt is actuated by a key inserted into keyhole  60 . With the bolt  58  retracted, as shown in  FIG. 4A , the ball  56  can be fitted into the recess  54  of the body. When the bolt  58  is extended into its locked position by operation of the key actuated lock in the body, as seen in  FIG. 4B , the ball  56  is urged under a cover plate  62  or front of the body  14  into a receptacle area of the recess  54  sized to receive the ball  56 . In this locked position, the cable is retained in the body. 
         [0029]    The bodies  14  and  16  are positioned such that the cable  20  is almost taut or slightly slackened so that the drawer  10  cannot be moved outward by a distance sufficient to gain access to the interior of the drawer. It is usually preferable to mount body  14  at the side edge of the drawer to minimize the amount of drawer travel before the cable tightens to prevent further movement. The lock mechanism itself can be of any known construction and can be key actuated or actuated by a combination lock. In some embodiments, a lock bolt may be employed which is spring loaded in a normally outward position. In an unlocked state, the bolt can be pushed inward by a ball or other retention element on the cable and then the bolt can be released to urge the ball or other retention element into the receiving receptacle prior to locking the lock and capturing the ball or other retention element in body  14 . 
         [0030]    In another embodiment, the end of the cable securable in the body  14  need not have a retention or end element, and the cable end can itself be secured in body  14 . For example, the free end of cable  20  can be threaded into an opening in the side of body  14 , and in a locked position, the portion of the cable within the body can be captured by clamping elements to prevent cable removal when the locking mechanism is in its locked position. 
         [0031]    An embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  5 C in which the body attachable to the draw front includes a retractable cable mechanism. In  FIG. 5A , the cable is in a retracted position with end element  70  abutting the housing of the body  14   a.  In  FIG. 5B , the cable  72  is shown in an extended position with the end element  70  in position to be inserted into the receptacle  74  of body  16   a  which is attached to the side of the desk or cabinet adjacent to the slidable draw. In  FIG. 5C , the end element  70  is shown disposed within receptacle  74  and pulled inward into the receptacle by slight retraction of cable  17  into body  14   a.  The body  14   a  includes a lock mechanism  71  such as a combination or key lock which in locked position secures the cable against outward movement which could cause the retaining element to come loose from the receptacle of body  16   a.  The receptacle  74  includes a T-shaped slot illustrated in enlarged form in  FIG. 5D . The end element cooperative with this T-slot is in the form of a disc attached to one end of cable  72  and sized to fit within slot portion  76  and into a recess or chamber below the slot when the cable  72  is moved toward the body  14   a.    
         [0032]      FIG. 6  shows an end element  80  attached to cable  82  and which is in the shape of a cylinder. The cylinder is cooperative and can be retained in the receptacle shown in  FIG. 7  which includes a pair of fingers  84  spaced with a slot  86  sized to receive cable  82  when in a locked position. The cylinder  80  is retained in the slotted area  88  below the fingers  84  in the locked position. 
         [0033]    Another embodiment is shown in  FIG. 8  in which body  14   b  has two cables  20   a  and  20   b  each having an end securable to body  14   b  and each having an outer retention element cooperative with the receptacles of respective second bodies  16   a,  only one being shown.  FIG. 9  shows yet another embodiment in which the body  14   c  has a cable  20   c  which can be looped around a receptacle  21  such as a draw pull on slidable draw  10   c  and locked into the body. In further embodiments, a cable  20   d  can be of sufficient length to wrap around an entire cabinet and across a draw front as shown in  FIG. 10 . In this wraparound version, the cable can pass through a draw pull  21   a  or other such element on the draw front before being locked into the lock body as shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         [0034]    The invention can alternatively be implemented with each of the two lock bodies having a locking mechanism for releasably securing respective ends of the cable when in an unlocked position. 
         [0035]    The invention is not to be limited by what has been particularly shown and described but is to embrace the full scope and spirit of the appended claims.