Patent ID: 8777280

Claim:
A lock device for ensuring a proper unlock sequence for an automated sliding gate, comprising: a keeper including an opening that does not have circular symmetry, the keeper also including an obstacle aligned with the opening and providing a bottoming point for a latch member entering the opening; a frame having both structural and protection encasing functionalities; a latch member projecting out from the frame and having a projection axis, the latch member being rotatable and translatable with respect to the frame respectively around and along the projection axis, the latch member being aligned with a direction of sliding motion of the sliding gate and with the opening of the keeper, the latch member having a lateral protruding tooth that can be axially and non-rotationally displaced across the opening when the lateral protruding tooth is rotationally aligned with a corresponding receiving portion of the opening; a coupling system between the frame and the latch member that links a specific translation of the latch member with a specific rotation of the latch member; a lock system that automatically engages upon a given axial displacement of the latch member into the frame, causing a one-way transition of the lock device from a stable unlocked state to a stable locked state, the stable unlocked state including a position of the latch member which the lateral protruding tooth can be axially and non-rotationally displaced across the opening, the stable locked state excluding a position of the latch member at which the lateral protruding tooth can be axially displaced across the opening, and the engagement of the lock system preventing any reverse transition from the stable locked state to the stable unlocked state by acting only on the latch member; a manual unlock control for independently driving disengagement of the lock system to allow reverse transition from the stable locked state to the stable unlocked state; an electrically controlled actuator for independently driving the disengagement of the lock system to allow the reverse transition from the stable locked state to the stable unlocked state; a control system for causing the disengagement of the lock system that uses an electrical control signal to cause a transition from the stable locked state to a metastable unlocked state that is maintained until the latch member reaches a position of the stable unlocked state, the transition from the metastable unlocked state to the stable unlocked state triggered by a direct or indirect feedback of at least one chosen from the position of the latch member and an expiration of a temporized delay.