Patent Publication Number: US-2022235581-A1

Title: Door lock system

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This technology includes door locks for storage lockers. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Storage lockers may be arranged together in a cabinet. Each locker in the cabinet has a door with an individual lock that typically is operated independently of the locks at the other doors. 
     SUMMARY 
     In a given example, a door lock system includes a shaft and a cam. The cam is supported on the shaft for rotation with the shaft, and for movement along the shaft throughout a range of door lock release locations. A selector engages the cam to move the cam along the shaft upon rotation of the selector. An actuator lock has a closed condition blocking rotation of the shaft, and has an open condition permitting rotation of the shaft. The actuator lock prevents rotation of the cam at any of the door lock release locations when the actuator lock is in the closed condition. 
     The door lock system in the given example further includes a plurality of door locks, each of which has a control device at a respective one of the door lock release locations. The cam is configured to engage a control device upon rotation of the cam at the respective one of the door lock release locations. 
     The actuator lock may be configured for use with a key for manually shifting the actuator lock between the open and closed conditions, and for manually rotating the shaft when the actuator lock is in the open condition. The selector may include a lead screw configured for use with a driving tool for manually rotating the lead screw. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a cabinet with a vertical array of lockers and an opening mechanism for locks at the locker doors. 
         FIG. 2  is enlarged partial view of parts shown in  FIG. 1 , including the opening mechanism. 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the opening mechanism of  FIG. 2 , with parts removed for clarity of illustration. 
         FIG. 4  is a separate view of several parts shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a separate view of a part shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The apparatus shown in the drawings has parts that are examples of the elements recited in the claims. The illustrated apparatus thus includes examples of how a person of ordinary skill in the art can make and use the claimed invention. These examples provide enablement and best mode without imposing limitations that are not recited in the claims. One or more elements of one embodiment may be used in combination with, or in substitution for, one or more elements of another embodiment as needed for any particular implementation of the claimed invention. 
     As shown schematically in  FIG. 1 , a locker cabinet  10  includes a frame  12  with corner channels  14 . The cabinet  10  encloses a stack of storage lockers  16 , each of which has a door  18  with a lock  20  mounted in an adjacent corner channel  14 . An opening mechanism  22  also is mounted in a corner channel  14 . Each door lock  20  has a respective control device  24  operatively connected with the opening mechanism  22 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the opening mechanism  22  has a housing  30  with a front end  32  and a side portion  34 . The control devices  24  in the given example are cables reaching downward from the side portion  34  of the housing  30 . A selector  40  is supported in the housing  30  for rotation about a first axis  41 , and is accessible at the front end  32  of the housing  30 . An actuator  46  is supported in the housing  30  for rotation about a second axis  49  parallel to the first axis  41 , and also is accessible at the front end  32  of the housing  30 . 
       FIG. 3  shows that the housing  30  includes a frame  50 . The actuator  46  is shown to include an actuator lock  52  and a shaft  54 . The actuator lock  52  is configured to receive a key for rotation about the second axis  49  between first and second positions defined by first and second notches  56  and  58 . Specifically, the actuator lock  52  is opened by insertion of the key in the first position  56 . The actuator lock  52  can then be rotated clockwise toward the second position  58 . The shaft  54  is supported on the frame  50  for rotation about the second axis  49  with the lock  52 . 
     As further shown in  FIG. 3 , this example of the selector  40  is a lead screw  60  with a hub  62 . The lead screw  60  has a slot  65  for insertion of a screwdriver or other manual driving tool to rotate the lead screw  60  about the first axis  41 . 
     Also shown in  FIG. 3  are a cam  70  and a yoke  72 . As best shown in  FIG. 4 , the yoke  72  has a pair of arms  80 . The shaft  54  reaches through apertures  81  in the arms  80  such that the shaft  54  can rotate relative to the yoke  72 , and the yoke  72  can move axially relative to the shaft  54 . The yoke  72  further has a base  84  with an internal screw thread  86 . The internal screw thread  86  on the yoke  72  mates with an external screw thread  88  on the lead screw  60 . In this arrangement, rotation of the lead screw  60  about the first axis  41  drives the yoke  72  to move axially along both the lead screw  60  and the shaft  54 . 
     The cam  70  is mounted on the shaft  54  with adjoining flats  90 , one of which is shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , for the cam  70  to rotate about the second axis  49  with the shaft  54 . The cam  70  can also move axially relative to the shaft  54 , and is captured between the yoke arms  80  to slide axially along the shaft  54  with the yoke  72 . 
     The control devices  24  ( FIG. 2 ) in the given example are cable assemblies, one of which is shown in  FIG. 5 . Each cable assembly  24  includes a wire  100  that reaches through a sheath  102  and projects outward from anchors  104  at opposite end of the sheath  102 . A spring  106  is compressible between the upper anchor  104  and a button  108  at the upper end of the wire  100 . A tab  110  at the lower end of the wire  100  has a key hole slot  113  for receiving a tripping arm on one of the door locks  20  ( FIG. 1 ). Such door locks  20  with tripping arms are known in the art. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 3 , the frame  50  has a shelf  120  with slots  121  arranged in a row alongside the lead screw  60 . The slots  121  define respective door lock release locations that are spaced apart in a direction parallel to the first axis  41 . Each slot  121  is configured to receive an anchor  104  at the upper end of a corresponding one of the cable assemblies  24  ( FIG. 5 ). Each door lock  20  has a normally locked condition in which the spring  106  at the upper end of the corresponding cable assembly  24  holds the respective button  108  in an uppermost position above the shelf  120  on the frame  50 . 
     With the cable assemblies  24  installed as shown in  FIG. 2 , a user can insert a driving tool into the slot  65  to rotate the lead screw  60  and thereby to move the cam  70  axially into a selected one of the door lock release locations  121  ( FIG. 3 ). This moves the cam  70  into position above the button  108  ( FIG. 5 ) on the cable assembly  24  at that location. The user can then insert the key into the actuator lock  52  in the first position  56  to open the actuator lock  52 . Rotating the key and the actuator lock  52  in the clockwise direction toward the second position  58  likewise rotates the shaft  54  and the cam  70  in the clockwise direction. The cam  70  then pivots downward against the button  108  on the cable assembly  24  to push the button  108  downward against the bias of the respective spring  106 . This shifts the wire  100  and the tab  110  downward to unlock the associated door lock  20 . When the user rotates the key back to the first position  56 , the spring  106  pulls the wire  100  and tab  110  back upward to return the door lock  20  to the locked condition. 
     This written description sets forth the best mode of carrying out the invention, and describes the invention so as to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention, by presenting examples of the elements recited in the claims. The detailed descriptions of those elements do not impose limitations that are not recited in the claims.