Abstract:
A safe assembly includes a portable lockable enclosure, a mounting plate for securing the lockable enclosure to a stationary surface, and a latching element actuatable from an interior of the safe assembly to detach the lockable enclosure from the mounting plate for further travel or relocation. The latching element has a latch assembly engaging a pair of brackets extending from the mounting plate into the interior of the safe assembly and a release assembly enabling disengagement of the latch assembly.

Description:
PRIOR APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of Provisional Application of U.S. No. 60/092,745 filed on Jul. 14, 1998 and which is fully incorporated herein by reference thereto. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to safe assemblies, and, in particular, to safe assemblies which can be detachably mounted on a support surface. Specifically, the present invention relates to a dislodge lever assembly capable of disengaging the safe assembly from a mounting plate secured to a support surface in an efficient manner. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In light of an ongoing debate about whether a firearm in the home is more likely to protect or endanger a family of its owner and an owner herself, it is imperative that a firearm safe be securely mounted to a support surface to prevent its relocation by unauthorized persons. The art does supply a number of small portable safes, which may be mounted on support surfaces. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,021 (Ferraro) discloses a portable safe for containing guns including a receptacle which has a bottom providing a mounting plate. The mounting plate has a mounting hole for use in attaching the safe to other structures. A pressure sensitive pad is affixed to the mounting plate at the mounting hole and is positioned to be overlapped by the head of a mounting screw. When unauthorized forceful pulling is applied to the portable safe seeking to dislodge it from the other structures, a bolt head of a fastener mounted on the mounting plate applies a force to a pad that sets off an alarm system. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,342 (Prinz) describes a security container specifically adapted to be mounted to the undersurface of a table, counter or other like structure, in a manner which will support and removably dispose the security container in a position where it is not readily visible. The security container is comprised of a mounting means removably securing the container to the bed frame and comprising two brackets each of which has an elongated mounting arm attached at a common, corresponding end of a head portion. Such attachment of the mounting arms occurs by a plurality of bolt and nut connectors passing through appropriately aligned apertures in the arms into a top of the container. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,466 (Cislo) teaches a safe for pistols having a fastener which allows it to be locked to any of standard bed frames supports. The safe is securely fastened to a bed frame by means of a detachable bracket which can be fixed to the frame only from the safe&#39;s interior by using conventional fasteners, such as bolts and screws. 
     All of the above discussed prior references teach conventional fastening means for attaching a mounting bracket to a housing that requires a screwdriver to dislodge the safe from the mounting bracket or a support surface. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     With a dislodge lever assembly in accordance with the invention one can detach a safe from a mounting plate securing the safe to a support surface without use of a screwdriver or any other tools. 
     This is achieved by one release lever assembly of the invention by providing a safe with an opening receiving a mounting plate, sometimes referred to as a mounting bracket, and a latching element positioned with respect to the opening to releasably engage the mounting bracket. The latching element may be actuated only from an interior of the safe and includes a release lever pivotal to clear the opening upon applying an external force to allow the mounting bracket to slide through the opening out of engagement. 
     It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a lockable enclosure, which is securely attached to a support surface. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide the lockable enclosure, which is detachable from the support surface for further travel or relocation. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide the lockable enclosure with a release lever assembly for detaching the lockable enclosure from the support surface. 
     Yet another object of the invention is to provide a latching element actuatable from an interior of the lockable enclosure in order to release a mounting bracket from engagement. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description of the invention with references made to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 an isometric view of a safe shown in its closed state and positioned on its bottom. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the safe of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a view of the safe shown in FIG. 1 with a portion cut away for clarity. 
     FIG  1  is a cross sectional view of the latch assembly taken along lines IV—IV of FIG. 3 during attachment of the mounting plate to the safe. 
     FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a latch assembly. 
     FIG. 5 is the same cross sectional but showing the safe that is fully attached to the mounting plate. 
     FIG. 6 is the same cross sectional view with a door enabling access to the safe&#39;s inter or open 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a safe  10  is a self-contained, electronically controlled containment system for storing a variety of valuables, such as, for example, guns and the like. The safe  10  can be positioned on any generally flat surface juxtaposed with its bottom  16 . 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the safe  10  shown in its locked state and having a solid cast lockable enclosure  12 . A lid  14 , sometime referred to as a door, is mounted to the enclosure  12  to move to an open position shown in FIG. 2. A formation extends from the lid  14  and defines a recess  21  that receives a keypad system  22  including a plurality of keys or buttons  24  used to customize a user&#39;s personal access code. As better seen in FIG. 3, the buttons are provided with standard numeric digits. By dialing the personal access code, a user may enable the door  14 , as is disclosed in a coopending application Ser. No. 09/352,563 filed concurrently therewith, to gain access to an interior of the enclosure  12 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the safe  10  substantially has a top wall  26  and a receptacle  28 . In an assembled state of the safe  10 , the top wall  26  and receptacle define an interior of the safe sized to receive the valuables. Any suitable fasteners may do assembly of the components of the safe top wall. In an illustrated example, screws  30  traverse aligned holes  32  that are formed in the top wall and the receptacle. 
     The receptacle  28  receives a cushioned receptacle tray  36  receiving the valuables. This cushioned receptacle tray is secured to the receptacle&#39;s bottom  29  and is made of light durable material, for example, plastic. An L-shaped support  27  extending across and from the receptacle&#39;s bottom  29  is fixedly mounted on it adjacent to the cushioned receptacle tray  36 . This L-shaped support provides a bearing structure for various components of the safe  10 . 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the safe  10  further has a mounting bracket  34 , which is removably attached to an underside of the safe&#39;s bottom  16  and which is preferably sized to conform to this bottom. Two spaced hooks  35  extending from a rear side of the mounting plate  34  have free bent ends  37  pointing toward a front side of the and adapted to slidably abut the bottom  29  of the receptacle  28  during assembly of the safe. One of the functions of the mounting plate  34  is to secure the enclosure  12  in a predetermined location, so as to avoid unauthorized relocation of the safe. To implement it, the mounting plate  34  is further provided with two spaced brackets  44  that extend through an opening  46 , which is formed in the bottom  16 , into the interior of the enclosure  12  upon mounting of the safe to a stationary surface (not shown here). Each of the brackets  44  has a main body  43  and U shaped free end  45  that has a thickness greater than that of the body to releasably engage the enclosure  12 , as will be explained hereinbelow. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, which is illustrated in FIG. 3, the safe  10  has a dislodge assembly  38  engaging the brackets  44  in. order to secure engagement between the mounting plate and the enclosure  12 . The dislodge assembly  38  is comprised of a release assembly  40  mounted to the L-shaped support  27  and a latch assembly  42  mounted on the bottom  29  of the receptacle  28 . Both assemblies are positioned close to the opening  46  and, as is shown in FIG. 3, provide engagement between brackets  44  of the mounting plate  34  with the enclosure as will be now explained in detail. 
     Turning to FIGS. 4-6 and, particularly, to FIG. 5, the latch assembly  42  includes a housing  60  fixed to the bottom  29  of the receptacle  28  and positioned adjacent to the opening  46 . The housing  60  receives a latch element  62  which is shaped as a plate and has a beveled end  64  that extends from the housing to cooperate with the brackets  44  of the mounting plate  34  during attachment of the mounting plate  34  to the enclosure  12 . A bias element  66  completes the latch assembly by having its opposite ends braced against the housing  60  and the latch element  62 . As a consequence, the latch element  62  is biased toward the opening  46 , so that when the brackets  44  are inserted into the opening  46  its free ends  45  rest atop the latch element  62  whereas the beveled edge  64  urges against bodies  43  of the brackets. 
     In order to disengage the latch assembly  42 , according to another aspect of the invention, the release assembly  40  is pivotally mounted in the interior of the enclosure  12  to swing in a position wherein it actuates the latch element  62  so it can retract into the housing  60 . Turning to FIG. 3, the release assembly is comprised of two spaced brackets  54  fixed on the L-shaped support  27  and rotatably receiving a pin  52 . Returning to FIG. 4, the release assembly further comprises a release lever  56  receiving the pin  52  fixed to the release lever substantially midway between its opposite ends  50 ,  51 . The release lever substantially has a Z shape with the upper lever end  50  extending through a recess  33  in the L-shaped support  27  into the cushioned receptacle tray  36  and with the lower lever end  51  extending over the opening  46  toward the beveled edge  64  of the latch element  62 . Due to a biased state of the latch element  62 , the lower end  51  is in continuous contact with the beveled edge  64 . Thus, by pushing the upper lever end  50  inwardly toward the bottom  20  the latch element  62  is actuated by the lower lever end  51  to retract into the housing  60 , thereby clearing the opening  46  for further displacement of the brackets  44  therefrom, as is seen in FIG.  6 . 
     A manner in which the safe  10  can be releasably attached the mounting plate  34  is as follows. In order to mount the safe  10  on the bracket, the enclosure  12  is juxtaposed with the mounting plate  34  so as to have the mounting brackets  44  aligned with the opening  46  in the bottom  16  of the safe. As a result of light pressing force, the free ends  45  of the mounting brackets  44  slide against the beveled edge  64  of the latch element  62  into the interior of the safe. Once the free ends  45  have passed the beveled edge  64 , the latch element  62 , due to a spring force exerted by the spring element  66 , moves rearwardly over the opening  46  to press against the bodies  43  of the mounting brackets. Such position of the latch element  62  prevents the brackets from voluntary displacement from the opening  46 . 
     In order to disengage the latch element  62  as shown in FIG. 6, the lid  14  has to be opened after the access code has been entered to enable access into the interior of the enclosure  12 . Upon actuating the upper lever end  50 , which has a T shape, a user pivots the release lever to displace the lower lever end  51  between the brackets toward the housing  60 , thereby making the latch element  62  retract into the housing. Finally, as a result of a lifting force applied to the safe, the user is able to detach the enclosure  12  from the mounting bracket. 
     It is intended that the flowing claims defined the scope of the invention and the structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby.