Theft deterrent system for electronics cabinet door
11180932 · 2021-11-23
Assignee
Inventors
- Alfred W. King (Allen, TX, US)
- Carmen M. Stevenson (Cumby, TX, US)
- Komen Shliker (Plano, TX, US)
- Stephen P. Watson (Richardson, TX, US)
- Wade J. Womack (Allen, TX, US)
Cpc classification
E05B67/383
FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
International classification
Abstract
A theft deterrent system for an electronics cabinet may include a first hasp, which may include a plurality of studs extending from a surface thereof. At least one stud of the plurality of studs may be dimensioned to engage with a padlock ring of the electronics cabinet. The first hasp may have a tab having a shackle hole therein. The theft deterrent system may include a second hasp, which may include a plurality of holes dimensioned to receive a respective one of the plurality of studs. The second hasp may also have a tab having a shackle hole therein. The system may further include a shield retainer dimensioned to surround at least portions of the first hasp and the second hasp. To secure the electronics cabinet, a shackle of a hidden shackle lock may be fed through the shackle holes and the hidden shackle lock may then be locked.
Claims
1. A method comprising: feeding a stud extending from a first hasp into a through-hole in a padlock ring of a handle of an electronics cabinet, wherein the first hasp is adapted to at least partially cover the handle, and wherein the first hasp comprises a first tab having a shackle hole therein; feeding the stud extending from the first hasp into a receiving hole in a second hasp, wherein the second hasp is adapted to at least partially cover the handle, and wherein the second hasp comprises a second tab having a shackle hole therein; aligning a shield retainer to surround at least a portion of the first hasp and at least a portion of the second hasp; inserting a shackle of a lock through the first tab shackle hole and through the second tab shackle hole; and locking the lock.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the shield retainer comprises a slot dimensioned to receive the first tab of the first hasp and the second tab of the second hasp therein, and wherein aligning the shield retainer to surround at least a portion of the first hasp and at least a portion of the second hasp comprises extending the first tab of the first hasp and the second tab of the second hasp through the slot.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising a hidden shackle lock having a shackle, wherein the shackle is received through the first tab shackle hole of the first hasp and the second tab shackle hole of the second hasp.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the shield retainer comprises an adapter that includes a tab having a shackle hole therein.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hasp has a first surface, and wherein the first hasp further comprises a second surface that extends perpendicular to the first surface.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second hasp has a third surface, and wherein the second hasp further comprises a fourth surface that extends perpendicular to the third surface.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hasp and the second hasp comprise galvanized steel.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hasp and second hasp are separate bodies.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(18) The inventive concepts provided in the present disclosure are described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the inventive concepts are shown. These inventive concepts may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive concepts to those skilled in the art.
(19) Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. In the figures, the thickness of certain lines, layers, components, elements or features may be exaggerated for clarity.
(20) The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the inventive concepts. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which these inventive concepts belong. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.
(21) As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, phrases such as “between X and Y” and “between about X and Y” should be interpreted to include X and Y. As used herein, phrases such as “between about X and Y” mean “between about X and about Y.” As used herein, phrases such as “from about X to Y” mean “from about X to about Y.”
(22) It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on,” “attached” to, “connected” to, “coupled” with, “contacting,” etc., another element, it can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled with or contacting the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being, for example, “directly on,” “directly attached” to, “directly connected” to, “directly coupled” with or “directly contacting” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that references to a structure or feature that is disposed “adjacent” another feature may have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent feature.
(23) Spatially relative terms, such as “under,” “below,” “lower,” “over,” “upper,” “lateral,” “left,” “right,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is inverted, elements described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented over” the other elements or features. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the descriptors of relative spatial relationships used herein interpreted accordingly.
(24) Referring now to the drawings, a conventional electronics cabinet, designated broadly at 200, is shown in
(25) In some cabinets, the handle 212 may be arranged in a pocket formed in the door 210. The pocket may protect the handle from environmental conditions that may degrade the handle or latches (e.g., oxidation). A pocket 214 of a cabinet 200 may be best seen in
(26) The handle 212 may include one or more features (not shown) designed to restrict unwanted access to the cabinet 200. One common example is the inclusion of a keyway (or keyhole) on or near the handle. Another example of such a feature includes one or more through-holes in a padlock ring 216 in the handle 212. The one or more through-holes may be dimensioned to receive a shackle of a lock. A padlock ring 216 of a handle 212 may be best seen in
(27) Although padlocks having exposed shackles are known and usable to secure a handle 212 of a door 210, it has been realized that locks having exposed shackles have disadvantages, in that the shackle may be compromised through cutting, prying, melting, drilling or the like. An alternative is a hidden shackle lock. With reference to
(28) The locking mechanism of the hidden shackle lock 300 may be locked and unlocked, and, correspondingly, the shackle 304 thereof may be engaged or disengaged, via one or more actions. For example, a key may be inserted into a keyway 306 located on a side of the lock body 302. As another example, a codephrase (e.g., alphanumeric or numeric combination) may be entered using one or more rotating dials. More recently, a signal may be transmitted to a receiver within the lock body from a remote device (e.g., via a signal transmitted using BLUETOOTH, WI-FI, or other communication protocol). The inventive concepts provided in the present disclosure may be used with padlocks or locks having any type of locking mechanism, and those explicitly recited herein are provided for context, and not as limitations on the scope of the present disclosure.
(29) Conventionally, installation of a hidden shackle lock (e.g., the hidden shackle lock 300) onto a cabinet (e.g., cabinet 200) is as follows. The lock may be unlocked, and the shackle 304 may be disengaged from a locking mechanism within the lock body 302. As a result, the shackle 304 may be slid out to partially extend from the lock body 302. The rear opening 308 of the hidden shackle lock 300 may be positioned over the padlock ring 216 of the handle 212 (or other securing feature of the cabinet 200), such that the travel path of the shackle 304 as it slides into engagement with the locking mechanism will result in the shackle 304 being fed into the receiving through-hole of the padlock ring 216 of the handle 212 of the cabinet door. The shackle 304 may then be re-engaged with the padlock body 302 and the locking mechanism therein.
(30) Although deployment of a hidden shackle lock 300 prevents some instances of unwanted entry into the cabinet, locks and cabinets are susceptible to forced entry attack. Such forced entry attacks may be through using tools such as bolt cutters, chisels, hammers, drills, torches, pry bars or the like, and may permanently damage or destroy the lock. For example, a pipe wrench may be used to exert significant rotational force on the circumferential perimeter of the lock body 302, which may result in a corresponding rotational force being applied to the padlock ring 216 and/or the handle 212. These components may not be able to withstand the force, and may shear or otherwise fail, resulting in unwanted access to the interior of the cabinet, even where the shackle remains intact. In some situations, the handle 212 may be pried off of the cabinet 200, even when padlocked, and access to the latching mechanism coupled to the handle may be achieved, thus allowing opening of the door or door panel.
(31) To address such attacks, the present disclosure provides systems and apparatuses that reduce access to a handle of an electronics cabinet and/or to a padlock attached to a handle of an electronics cabinet.
(32) As shown in
(33) With reference to
(34) The first hasp 120 may include a plurality of tabs, which may include outer tabs 122 and a central tab 124, each of which may extend roughly parallel to the second panel 123 of the first hasp 120. The central tab 124 may be dimensioned to have a different surface area and/or cross-section than the outer tabs 122. The present disclosure is not limited to the number of and dimensions of the outer tabs 122 and the central tab 124 that are shown in
(35) In a similar manner, the second hasp 130 may include a plurality of tabs, which may include outer tabs 132 and a central tab 134, each of which may extend roughly parallel to the second panel 133 of the second hasp 130. The central tab 134 may be dimensioned to have a different surface area or cross-section than the outer tabs 132. The present disclosure is not limited to the number of and dimensions of the outer tabs 132 or the central tab 134 shown in
(36) The outer tabs 122 and 132 of the respective hasps may be spaced apart such that a distance between them is slightly greater than a diameter of a hidden shackle lock 300, as shown in
(37) The first hasp 120 may have a plurality of studs 126 installed therein. In some embodiments, holes (not shown) dimensioned to receive the plurality of studs 126 may be machined or otherwise formed into the second panel 123 of the first hasp 120. In some embodiments, the studs 126 may be self-clinching studs which are pressed into the dimensioned holes such that the studs 126 are retained by the holes in a permanent or near-permanent state. Other methods of assembling or manufacturing the first hasp 120 to include the plurality of studs 126 therein are within the scope of the present disclosure. Each of the plurality of studs 126, or at least a central stud 126 of the plurality of studs 126, may have a similar dimension (e.g., a radius) as that of a shackle 304 of a hidden shackle lock 300 (or other shackle lock).
(38) The second hasp 130 may have a plurality of holes 136 in the second panel 133, each of which may be dimensioned to receive a corresponding one of the plurality of studs 126 of the first hasp 120.
(39) Bends, curves, and/or other features may be provided in the bodies of first hasp 120 and second hasp 130 such that, when installed on a cabinet 200, the tabs 122/124 of the first hasp 120 may sit flush with, or may be otherwise proximate to, the tabs 132/134 of the second hasp 130. Conversely, the first panels 121 and 131 of the hasps, and the second panels 123 and 133 of the respective hasps 120 and 130, may not sit flush with each other, and may instead be spaced apart on either side of the handle 212 of the cabinet 200. As a result, upon installation of the first hasp 120 and the second hasp 130, the handle 212 may be considered to sit within a channel having the second panels of the hasps as sidewalls.
(40) Also provided in the theft deterrent system 100 of
(41) Installation of the theft deterrent system 100 onto a cabinet 200 may proceed as partially shown in
(42) As seen from review of
(43) In some embodiments, the first hasp 120 and the second hasp 130 may be formed together as a single unitary component and machined or manipulated to form the channel into which the handle 212 of the electronics cabinet 200 may be received. In such embodiments, the plurality of studs 126 may be not permanently secured to a portion of the unitary component corresponding to the first hasp 120, and instead at least one stud, rod, screw, or other similar coupling component may be fed through a receiving hole on a first side of the unitary component, through the padlock ring of the handle, and into a receiving hole on a second side of the unitary component. The coupling component may then be secured via a hex nut, cotter pin, or the like to prevent longitudinal sliding.
(44) Although the theft deterrent system 100 of
(45) As shown in
(46) As best seen in
(47) As best seen in
(48) Installation of the theft deterrent system 150 may proceed as follows. First, operations corresponding to
(49) The theft deterrent system 150 may provide greater security of the electronics cabinet 200, because access to the hidden shackle lock 300 is largely prevented. For example, it may be difficult or impossible to apply rotational forces to the hidden shackle lock 300 (e.g., via a pipe wrench) because the hidden shackle lock 300 is seated within the opening 164 of the shield retainer. Prying or other forcible actions may also be prevented by the arrangement of the shield retainer 160, the first and second hasps 120 and 130, and the adapter 140. The first and second hasps 120 and 130, as well as the shield retainer 160 (via the adapter 140) are all secured together via the shackle 304 of the hidden shackle lock 300.
(50) In some embodiments, either the theft deterrent system 100 or the theft deterrent system 150 may be arranged on a door that lacks a pocket 214.
(51) In accordance with the above, parts of the theft deterrent system 100 and parts of the theft deterrent system 150 provided herein may be mounted and secured to the cabinet 200 using only a lock (e.g., the hidden shackle lock 300) and other mounting components or extra hardware may be omitted. Further, it is envisioned that no or little drilling or cutting of either the cabinet or of the components of the theft deterrent system 100 or of the theft deterrent system 150 may be required to install the theft deterrent system 100 or the theft deterrent system 150. The dimensions of the hidden shackle lock 300 and the shackle 304 thereof are incorporated into the design of the theft deterrent system 100 and of the theft deterrent system 150. Accordingly, field installed cabinets may be updated with the theft deterrent system 100 or the theft deterrent system 150 more easily, with minimal retrofitting required.
(52) In accordance with the present disclosure, the theft deterrent systems 100 and 150 may prevent access to an existing handle 212 and/or padlock ring thereof of a cabinet 200 and may be used to increase security. Furthermore, using the theft deterrent systems 100 and 150 may further protect access to the handle 212 and provide additional protection to a hidden shackle lock 300 to prevent damage or removal of the hidden shackle lock 300 or the handle 212 using saws or cutting tools. It is envisioned that in some embodiments the installation process may performed without any tools other than the lock itself and without any modification to an existing cabinet.
(53) In addition to the different embodiments shown above, those of skill in this art will appreciate that other configurations may also be suitable for use. The inventive concepts being thus described, it will be apparent that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the inventive concepts, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.