Furniture having a concealed drawer with a dual stage locking mechanism

A furniture having a concealed drawer with a dual stage locking mechanism for storing and locking particular items in a manner such as to allow two levels of security. The furniture includes a front drawer that is revealed. The front drawer is received within a receptacle defined by a lateral partition disposed proximately at the center of the furniture and a pair of oppositely disposed side aprons. The lateral partition serves to hide the concealed drawer in the event the front drawer is removed. A stop is pivotally mounted to the upper end of the back wall of the front drawer in order to limit the forward travel of the front drawer out of the receptacle. A concealed drawer is disposed behind the lateral partition and on either side or the rear of the furniture. The face of the concealed drawer is configured to look identical to an opposing apron of the furniture, thereby disguising the concealed drawer to anyone who is unaware of its presence. A bottom panel is secured to the bottom of the furniture in order to conceal both the front drawer and the concealed drawer from view from the underneath of the furniture. A first locking mechanism includes a push-button, key-operated lock which is locked simply by pushing a button, and is unlocked using a key. The first locking mechanism may be disposed on either the bottom of the furniture or on the lateral interior partition of the furniture. A second locking mechanism consists of a magnetically operated lock configured to open when a magnet of an opposite pole from a magnet incorporated in the second locking mechanism is placed near the second locking mechanism.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates to the field of furniture. More specifically, this 
invention relates to furniture having a concealed drawer which may be 
locked using a dual stage locking mechanism, thereby providing varied 
levels of security for items placed therein. 
BACKGROUND ART 
In the field of furniture, it is well known to provide concealed enclosures 
in order to store particular items. Concealed enclosures have been 
provided for many different uses including the protection or safe-keeping 
of valuables, the storage of items in otherwise unused space for increased 
efficiency, and the like. One particular concern in the area of concealed 
enclosures is the protection of firearms. It is well known that there are 
many gun owners who keep their weapons in a readily accessible location 
for protection in the event of an intrusion into their home. In the event 
of such an intrusion, the firearm may be reached for protection of the gun 
owner, their family, and perhaps their possessions. As is revealed on 
regular occasions, an unfortunate occurrence is the accidental discharge 
of a firearm when found and played with by an untrained individual, and 
especially a child, often leading to serious injury or death. 
Several types of devices have been developed for protecting valuables, 
clothing articles, or weapons. Typical of the art in concealed furniture 
and other household fixture enclosures are those devices disclosed in the 
following U.S. Patents: 
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Pat. No. Inventor(s) Issue Date 
______________________________________ 
4,010,989 J. R. Klug Mar. 8, 1977 
4,252,387 W. E. Wagner Feb. 24, 1981 
4,838,626 K. D. Parr June 13, 1989 
4,936,038 M. B. Johnson, et al. 
June 26, 1990 
5,048,901 W. E. DeBlaay Sept. 17, 1991 
5,066,079 J. L. Lawrence Nov. 19, 1991 
5,111,755 M. J. Rouse May 12, 1992 
5,590,940 M. B. Richard Jan. 7, 1997 
______________________________________ 
Of these devices, that disclosed by Johnson, et al. ('038), is a handgun 
keeper concealed by a picture frame. The '038 device provides a storage 
compartment configured to receive a handgun and hidden behind a typical 
portrait or other visual work of art. To that extent, the '038 device for 
being hung on a wall. However, accessing the handgun is simple for one who 
discovers the compartment. Specifically, the '038 device is comprised of 
two frame members hinged along one side and magnetically held in a closed 
position. The hinges are visible, thereby allowing for one's curiosity to 
be piqued as to what is in the picture frame when they notice the hinges. 
The '038 device does not provide for any locking mechanism in order to 
prevent access to the compartment. Further, the '038 device does not teach 
a two-stage locking mechanism for allowing easy access to the weapon while 
being locked, or for preventing access to the compartment altogether 
without destruction of the device or a portion thereof 
The '755 device disclosed by Rouse is a gun storage apparatus having a 
child-deterrent latching apparatus. The '755 device includes a dual entry 
locking apparatus comprised of a keypad and a knob. A particular 
combination must first be entered on the keyboard, after which a 
particular sequence of manipulations must be made to the knob in order to 
gain access to the firearm. The '755 device is mounted to a wall. There 
are several weaknesses of this device however. Primarily, the device 
itself is not concealed, nor are the locking devices. For an intruded who 
sees the device on a wall, the device may be quickly pried off of the wall 
and removed from the premises prior to removal of the weapon therefrom. 
More dangerous is the fact that the entry code may be accidentally 
entered, or through trial and error, until the first locking mechanism is 
defeated. The second level of securement is easily defeated by 
manipulating the knob until the receptacle is opened. The '755 device 
clearly does not teach the concealment thereof, nor the concealment of 
either of the locking mechanisms. 
Klug ('989) teaches a lockable drawer compartment having a receptacle in a 
drawer with a cover slidably received over the receptacle. The cover may 
be locked in place by a conventional desk type lock having a latch carried 
by a lock cylinder. The latch is received within a slotted opening in the 
cover when the lock cylinder is operated. However, once the drawer is 
opened, the locked compartment is revealed, and this type of lock is known 
to be easily defeatable. For that matter, it will be obvious to one 
looking at the drawer that a locked compartment is disposed therein. 
The '387 device disclosed by Wagner is a storage chest having a hidden 
compartment. The chest is provided with parallel pieces of trim along the 
bottom of the chest. One piece of trim is removable, while the other is 
hinged in order to allow the portion of the chest wall between the trim 
pieces to open via a hinge to reveal the compartment therein. In order to 
define the compartment, a false bottom is fixed within the chest. There 
are no provisions for a locking mechanism, and especially not a dual 
locking mechanism. Therefore, the compartment may be easily found, for 
example, by someone moving the chest. 
The '079 device disclosed by Lawrence is a hidden compartment within a 
door. While the door is closed, the device is completely hidden. However, 
when the door is opened, a handle for accessing the compartment is visible 
on the edge of the door, Further, in the event a handgun is stored within 
the compartment and the need arises for accessing the handgun, one must 
open the door, thus risking being noticed. 
The '901 device disclosed by DeBlaay is a furniture article having hidden 
compartments for storing relatively small articles. The compartment is 
concealed by a removable panel which is held in place merely by a spring 
which may be easily defeated. Accordingly, there is no real safety 
provided for the storage of a loaded firearm. 
Parr ('626) discloses a security container having a latch assembly operable 
to release a drawer containing protected contents, such as a firearm. 
Because there is not a two stage locking device, the compartment is either 
locked or unlocked, with no provision for protecting the contents of the 
drawer at an intermediate security level. 
Richard ('940) teaches a sliding rack for storing neck ties in a dresser. 
It is not intended for the sliding tie rack to be concealed to the point 
that the rack is not noticed. Nor is it a feature of the '940 device to 
provide any locking mechanism to prevent access to the tie rack. 
None of the above-referenced prior art teaches a storage compartment for 
storing selected articles in a manner such as to allow two levels of 
security. Particularly, none of the cited prior art would allow a gun 
owner to secure a loaded weapon in a concealed compartment to prevent a 
child, for example, from gaining access thereto. When the gun owner is 
present, the prior art does not allow for the unlocking of one locking 
mechanism to allow for quick and easy access to the weapon, while still 
preventing access to children. Then when the gum owner leaves the 
premises, the prior art does not allow for the simple locking of the first 
locking mechanism to prevent access to the compartment without destruction 
of the device. Further, the prior art cited does not disclose such a 
device hidden from view in an otherwise standard article of furniture. 
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a means for storing 
and locking particular items in a manner such as to allow two levels of 
security. 
Particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a 
device whereby a first level of security includes a first locking 
mechanism preventing access to the contents therein without destruction of 
the device itself, and whereby a second level of security includes a 
second locking mechanism which may be quickly operated to open the 
compartment to reveal the contents therein. 
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a device 
which is concealed in a piece of furniture which appears to be a 
conventional piece of furniture, with minimal visual clues as to the 
presence of a hidden compartment. 
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
Other objects and advantages will be accomplished by the present invention 
which is provided for storing and locking particular items in a manner 
such as to allow two levels of security. Particularly, the furniture is 
designed to provide a first level of security including a first locking 
mechanism preventing access to the contents therein without destruction of 
the device itself, and a second level of security including a second 
locking mechanism which may be quickly operated to open the compartment to 
reveal the contents therein. The furniture of the present invention is 
designed to appear to be a conventional piece of furniture. 
The furniture includes a front drawer that is revealed and may be used for 
storing various items for ready access. The front drawer is received 
within a receptacle defined by a lateral partition disposed proximately at 
the center of the furniture and a pair of oppositely disposed side aprons. 
The lateral partition serves to hide the concealed drawer in the event the 
front drawer is removed. A stop is pivotally mounted to the upper end of 
the back apron of the front drawer in order to limit the forward travel of 
the front drawer out of the receptacle. A concealed drawer is disposed 
behind the lateral interior partition and on either side or the rear of 
the furniture. 
The face of the concealed drawer is configured to look identical to an 
opposing apron of the furniture, thereby disguising the concealed drawer 
to anyone who is unaware of its presence. The apron of the furniture 
proximate the concealed drawer face is disposed farther away from the 
outside of the furniture than the opposing apron by a distance equal to 
the thickness of the concealed drawer face such that when the concealed 
drawer is closed, the concealed drawer face appears to be an apron. In 
order to completely conceal the concealed drawer, a bottom panel is 
secured to the bottom of the furniture. In this manner, both the front 
drawer and the concealed drawer are hidden from view from the underneath 
of the furniture. 
The furniture of the present invention includes a dual locking system to 
provide two levels of security. A first locking mechanism includes a 
push-button, key-operated lock which is locked simply by pushing a button, 
and is unlocked using a key. The first locking mechanism may be disposed 
on either the bottom of the furniture or on the lateral interior partition 
of the furniture. In the former embodiment, the first locking mechanism is 
the only visible portion of the concealed drawer which may be seen from 
outside the furniture. In the latter embodiment, the first locking 
mechanism is visible only when the front drawer is removed from the 
device, thereby providing greater secrecy. 
In the former embodiment wherein the first locking mechanism is mounted on 
the bottom of the furniture, a slide is mounted on the bottom of the 
concealed drawer in the direction of travel of the concealed drawer. The 
slide defines an opening positioned to cooperate with a pin carried by the 
first locking mechanism. When the button is depressed, the pin is moved 
into the slide opening until the first locking mechanism is locked. 
Therefore, the concealed drawer is prevented from opening until the pin is 
drawn from receipt in the slide opening. In the latter embodiment wherein 
the first locking mechanism is mounted on the lateral interior partition, 
a side apron of the concealed drawer proximate the interior lateral 
partition defines an opening proximate the first locking mechanism for 
receipt of the locking pin. In either embodiment, the first locking 
mechanism provides the greatest level of security in that it may be opened 
only with the proper key, unless destruction of the furniture is 
accomplished. 
A second locking mechanism consists of a magnetically operated lock 
configured to open when a magnet of an opposite pole from a magnet 
incorporated in the second locking mechanism is placed near the second 
locking mechanism. A latch is normally biased in an open position such 
that it is at least partially disposed behind the furniture side apron. 
When the magnet is placed near the second locking mechanism, the latch is 
pivoted into the second locking mechanism, thus providing clearance 
between the latch and the furniture side apron opening through which the 
concealed drawer is received, thereby allowing the concealed drawer to be 
opened. The second locking mechanism may be maintained in an unlocked 
position if desired in order to further make the contents of the concealed 
drawer more accessible.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
An article of furniture having a concealed drawer with a dual stage locking 
mechanism incorporating various features of the present invention is 
illustrated generally at 10 in the figures. The furniture having a 
concealed drawer with a dual stage locking mechanism, or furniture 10, is 
designed for storing and locking particular items in a manner such as to 
allow at least two levels of security. Particularly, the furniture 10 is 
designed to provide a first level of security including a first locking 
mechanism 50 preventing access to the contents therein without destruction 
of the furniture 10 itself, and a second level of security including a 
second locking mechanism 56 which may be quickly operated to open the 
concealed drawer 32 to reveal the contents therein. It will be seen by 
those skilled in the art that additional locking mechanisms and/or alarms 
may be added to the present invention in order to provide greater security 
for the concealed drawer 32 and/or deterrence from unauthorized entrance 
therein. The furniture 10 of the present invention is further designed to 
appear as a conventional piece of furniture, with minimal visual clues as 
to the presence of a concealed drawer 32. 
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment of the present invention 
is incorporated in an occasional table. However, it will be understood 
that other configurations or types of furniture may be modified to 
incorporated the present invention as well. A substantial portion of the 
furniture top 12 is removed for clarity of the invention. The furniture 10 
includes a front drawer 44 that is revealed and may be used for storing 
various items for ready access. The front drawer 44 is received within a 
receptacle 30 defined by a lateral partition 26 disposed proximately at 
the center of the furniture 10 and a pair of oppositely disposed side 
partitions 28. Although the pair of side partitions 28 illustrated is 
independent of the furniture side aprons 20,24, they may be omitted. 
However, the lateral partition 26 is required in order to hide the 
concealed drawer 32, as will be discussed below, in the event the front 
drawer 44 is removed. A stop 46 is pivotally mounted to the upper end of 
the back apron 48 of the front drawer 44 in order to limit the forward 
travel of the front drawer 44 out of the receptacle 30. The stop 46 
defines a substantially rectangular configuration such that when pivoted 
to a horizontal disposition, the front drawer 44 may be removed. However 
orientation in a vertical disposition prevents removal of the front drawer 
44. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the furniture 
10 of the present invention may be configured without the front drawer 44 
without losing the novelty of the present invention. In such an instance, 
it will be seen that the lateral partition 26 is obviated. 
A concealed drawer 32 is disposed behind the lateral partition 26 and on 
either side 20,24 or the rear 18 of the furniture 10. Typically the 
concealed drawer 32 is disposed on one of the sides 20,24 of the furniture 
10 as the illustrated embodiment is designed to be placed against a wall. 
For ease of discussion, the concealed drawer 32 will herein be described 
as being disposed within an opening 22 defined by the first side apron 20, 
without description of being disposed on the left or right side of the 
furniture 10. Therefore, it will be understood that the concealed drawer 
32 may be disposed on either side of the furniture 10. 
Illustrated in FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the furniture 10 of the 
present invention showing the face 34 of the concealed drawer 32. The face 
34 of the concealed drawer 32 is configured to look identical to the 
second side apron 24 of the furniture 10, thereby disguising the concealed 
drawer 32 to anyone who is unaware of its presence. As better illustrated 
in FIG. 3, the first side apron 20 of the furniture 10 is disposed farther 
away from the outside of the furniture 10 than the second side apron 24 by 
a distance equal to the thickness of the concealed drawer face 34. 
Therefore, when the concealed drawer 32 is closed, the concealed drawer 
face 34 appears identical to the second side apron 24. 
In order to completely conceal the concealed drawer 32, a bottom panel 14 
is secured to the bottom of the furniture 10. In this manner, both the 
front drawer 44 and the concealed drawer 32 are hidden from view from the 
underneath of the furniture 10. Further, the top panel 12 is secured to 
the front, rear and first and second side aprons 16,18,20,24 and interior 
lateral partition 26 such that the concealed drawer 32 is disposed within 
a tightly contained and sturdy construction. 
The furniture 10 of the present invention includes a dual locking system to 
provide two levels of security. A first locking mechanism 50 includes a 
push-button, key-operated lock. Specifically, the first locking mechanism 
50 is locked simply by pushing a button 52, and is unlocked using a key 
(not shown). The first locking mechanism 50 may be disposed on the bottom 
of the furniture 10 as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, or may be disposed on 
the lateral interior partition 26 of the furniture 10 as illustrated in 
FIG. 5. In the former embodiment, the first locking mechanism 50 is the 
only visible portion of the concealed drawer 32 which may be seen from 
outside the furniture 10. In the latter embodiment, the first locking 
mechanism 50 is visible only when the front drawer 44 is removed from the 
furniture 10, thereby providing greater secrecy. 
In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, a slide 40 is mounted on 
the bottom of the concealed drawer 32 in the direction of travel of the 
concealed drawer 32. The slide 40 defines an opening 42 positioned to 
cooperate with a pin 54 carried by the first locking mechanism 50. When 
the button 52 is depressed, the pin 54 is moved into the slide opening 42 
until the first locking mechanism 50 is locked. Therefore, the concealed 
drawer 32 is prevented from opening until the pin 54 is drawn from receipt 
in the slide opening 42. 
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, a concealed drawer side wall 36 
defines an opening 38 proximate the first locking mechanism 50 for receipt 
of the locking pin 54. 
In either embodiment, the first locking mechanism 50 provides the greatest 
level of security in that it may be opened only with the proper key, 
unless destruction of the furniture 10 is accomplished. A gun owner, for 
example, may desire to lock the first locking mechanism 50 while away from 
the residence, and unlock the first locking mechanism 50 only when he is 
in full control of the access to the handgun stored in the concealed 
drawer 32. 
When the first locking mechanism 50 is unlocked, the concealed drawer 
remains locked so long as a second locking mechanism 56 is locked. The 
second locking mechanism 56 of the preferred embodiment is a magnetically 
operated lock configured to open when a magnet 62 of an opposite pole from 
a magnet (not shown) incorporated in the second locking mechanism 56 is 
placed near the second locking mechanism 56. A latch 58 is normally biased 
in an open position such that it is at least partially disposed behind the 
furniture first side apron 20. The latch 58 is so configured such that 
when the concealed drawer 32 is pushed closed, the second locking 
mechanism 56 automatically locks the concealed drawer 32. When the magnet 
62 is placed near the second locking mechanism 56, the latch 58 is pivoted 
into the second locking mechanism 56, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, providing 
clearance between the latch 58 and the first side apron opening 22 through 
which the concealed drawer 32 is received, thereby allowing the concealed 
drawer 32 to be opened. Thus, at selected times when the first locking 
mechanism 50 is unlocked, such as during sleeping hours, when access to 
the concealed drawer 32 is required, the second locking mechanism 56 is 
opened by passing the magnet 62 over the location of the second locking 
mechanism 56 until the latch 58 is opened, and then by pulling the 
concealed drawer 32 open to reveal the contents therein. The second 
locking mechanism 56 may be maintained in an unlocked position if desired 
in order to further make the contents of the concealed drawer 32 more 
accessible. As magnetic locks of the type incorporated are known, most 
provide for a latch stop 60 for maintaining the latch 58 in an open 
position. 
Although the present invention is described as having first and second 
locking mechanisms 50,56 of particular designs, it will be understood that 
other various types of locking mechanisms may be substituted with equal or 
better results. Accordingly, it is not intended that either of these 
locking mechanisms 50,56 be limited to those described, but is intended to 
include any dual locking system which provides at least two levels of 
security for protecting items disposed in the concealed drawer 32. 
From the foregoing description, it will be recognized by those skilled in 
the art that a furniture having a concealed drawer with a dual stage 
locking mechanism offering advantages over the prior art has been 
provided. Specifically, the furniture provides a concealed drawer in a 
piece of furniture whereby valuables, firearms, or other selected items 
may be secretly kept. The present invention includes a dual locking system 
whereby two levels of security may be maintained, including a first 
locking mechanism which may be easily locked by depressing a button, but 
opened only with the appropriate key, and a second locking mechanism 
completely hidden from view and operated magnetically. The present 
invention is designed such that the concealed drawer is completely hidden 
from view, including when looking at the bottom of the furniture, and when 
looking into a receptacle defined within the furniture for receiving a 
front drawer. When both locking mechanisms are engaged, the only manner by 
which one may gain access to the contents of the concealed drawer is to 
either destroy the furniture or use the appropriate key and magnet. 
However, the furniture of the present invention is configured so as to not 
give the appearance that any concealed compartment is present. 
While a preferred embodiment has been shown and described, it will be 
understood that it is not intended to limit the disclosure, but rather it 
is intended to cover all modifications and alternate methods falling 
within the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the 
appended claims. 
Having thus described the aforementioned invention,