EP1008121B1

EP1008121B1 - Locker, particularly suitable for hotels, leisure pools and the like

Info

Publication number: EP1008121B1
Application number: EP98939850A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luka Cevc
Original assignee: Metra Inzeniring d o o
Current assignee: Metra Inzeniring d o o
Priority date: 1997-08-29
Filing date: 1998-08-21
Publication date: 2001-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 2018-08-21
Also published as: DE69802199T2; AU8821998A; SI9700225A2; ES2166182T3; DK1008121T3; DE69802199D1; RU2200447C2; EP1008121A1; PT1008121E; WO1999012133A1

Description

The invention relates to a locker, which is foreseen for safe keeping of items in leisure pools, hotels and similar, mainly tourist objects.

The aim of the present invention is to create a locker, which shall be in no doubt useful in leisure pools, hotels and similar tourist objects, and among others e.g. also in the industry, which handling, namely unlocking/locking should be carried out without difficulties by using such means and in such a manner, which are completely compatible and useful for handling with other means and use of these means, which are available for the user in the entire complex of activities in the environment, where the user of the locker is to be found.

A locker, which consists of a frame and more cells or drawers is generally known. In such a locker there are drawers placed alongside, one next to each other, besides the drawers are arranged in more rows, that run one above each other. Each drawer is equipped with a suitable door and a locking mechanism for the door locking. The locking mechanism is performed in a very simple way and comprises a lock and a key, and works in such a way, that it is possible to lock the door and pull the key out only after a suitable card, which is given to a user in a certain place and under certain conditions, is inserted in a special receiving key hole.

In a sense of its basic function such a locker certainly serves its aim, as it is in no doubt possible to keep safe a certain amount of items each time in an available drawer. However the use of such a locker is in spite of all rather unsuitable. The user of the locker can get use of the locker or each time available drawer in it, namely under certain conditions - usually against the payment. He usually needs money for this, so that he gets a card for the use of a locker or its drawer. After the suitable drawer is chosen the user has to insert a card in an appropriate place in the lock and after that to lock the drawer with a key and to pull the key out thereafter. In order to ensure the access possibility to the items, locked in a drawer of a locker, the user has to carry the key with him and to look after it all the time. The key, that has to be looked after by a user as long as it is at his disposal, unfortunately enables opening of the locker only, but it does not enable e.g. beverage ordering in a bar of a health resort or at the swimming pool or in the hotel. For this purpose the user needs money again, which on the other hand he is not usually carrying around while swimming in the pool. This is why the user of such a locker in tourist objects is, while he is resting or during his free time, relatively strongly burdened with unavoidable performance of several inevitably necessary consecutive steps, which are dictated by the use of the equipment, which is why it is obviously inevitably so complicated, so that it would be adjusted to the user's demands and comfort to its best.

An arrangement and method for utilizing a lockable space is described in the EP-A-704 826 A2, where the arrangement comprises a locking device, which is lockable by means of a controllable lock. Besides, the arrangement comprises a reading device adapted for reading an information-bearing card, and the said reading device is connected to the lock and to memory unit for storing of information read by means of the reading device. The reading device comprises means for setting the lock in a locked or unlocked position depending on information read from the card as well as on information stored in the memory unit. The said document is silent with regard to the said locking device, namely its configuration any operation in view of safety locking and avoiding possible jams.

US-A-4857714 describes a credit card storage system, more exactly a credit card operable storage system, by which a plurality of credit card accessed and computer operated safes are communicatively linked to a respective branch computer, which is in turn communicatively linked to a central host computer. The storage system comprises a container for the storage of items and a door associated with the container. The locking mechanism is associated with the door to selectively actuate between a locked position to lock the door in a closed position and an unlocked position to allow the door to open. By one of the embodiments, the locking mechanism comprises a shaft, such as a round steel rod. The shaft is vertically and slidingly mounted in door. A spring is mounted to shaft and acts to urge shaft upwards. The door is free to open when the shaft is urged upwards to its highest position within the door, so that the upper end of the shaft flushes with the top of the door. An electric motor, which is electronically linked to appropriate processor, has a rotating shaft to which is connected a camming device. The camming device mechanically interacts with the top of the firstly mentioned shaft.

Such a locking mechanism may no doubt be used by different safes, which however have to be manufactured as the whole units consisting of a container and a door with incorporated shaft and other parts as required. Accordingly, it is not believed that such a system can be applied e.g. for the purpose of modification the existing lockers in the leisure pools and similar tourist objects. Moreover, when locking the door, the shaft is urged downwards and by unlocking it is biased upwards by means of the spring. When using a safe, people often push the door or may even leave some items within the door opening, which may involve jams by locking or unlocking. Thus, the shaft may stay held or jammed in its downward position, by which the door can not be opened anymore. On the other hand, when the door is closed, the user is not able to see, whether the door is locked or unlocked, which may either e.g. by a hotel safe or by leisure pool locker lead to problems. Namely, the user of a hotel safe may leave the door closed but unlocked, and the user of a leisure locker thus has to try opening numerous door in order to find unlocked one and to put after that his clothes therein.

The invention comprises a locker as defined in the independent claim 1.

The locker is created in such a manner, that it comprises several one next to each other and preferably also one above each other arranged rows of drawers, where each of them comprises a suitable door, equipped with a locking mechanism. Thereby, the locker itself is equipped with a card reader and suitable processor, which is electrically connected with an electrically driven bolt actuator of each lock on each drawer. In such a way it is possible to enable opening and closing of the each time disposable drawer of the locker with the help of the magnetic card or the so called chip-card, which is not useful only for locking/unlocking, but also for many other useful purpose, e.g. for locking/unlocking the hotel room, for noting and settling the accounts for other available hotel services as well as for switching other electric devices and similar. Furthermore, at this present solution, the locking bolt of the locking unit is connectable/disconnectable with the lock plate by means of the electromotor, which can be commanded by the processor on the basis of a signal, received from the card reader. The lock plate of the locking mechanism is preferably equipped with an opening into which, whilst locking, a locking bolt is engaged, which is moved by means of electromotor, eccentric drive and appropriate transmission and which is preferably spherical. Said electromotor is together with the transmission and eccentric drive preferably arranged inside of the housing, where simultaneously a shock-absorber is available, which is foreseen for damping the door slamming when closing or pushing it aside after the unlocking, and which in the most simple case consists of a bar, leant at a suitable compression spring.

The present invention will be described in more detail on the basis of an embodiment shown in the enclosed drawings, where

Fig. 1: is the perspective view of a locker according to the invention; and
Fig. 2: is the front view of a locking unit with the belonging part of the door of the locker at the partially removed housing.

By the embodiment, which is shown in the Fig. 1 and 2, the locker consists of a framework 1, which comprises more (in this case ten) drawers 2, which are placed one next to each other and at the same time in two rows one above each other. Each drawer 2 is equipped with suitable door 21, which is with the help of appropriate hinges (not shown) in each draw 2, swingingly fixed on the framework 1.

According to the present solution the locker is equipped with a card-reader 3 and the processor 4, which are in generally placed anywhere, but the place shall be preferably chosen for the most useful and for the user the most satisfactory way. By this embodiment the card-reader 3 and the processor 4 are foreseen for locking/unlocking of one drawer 2 only in a certain moment; and for this purpose the locker is with regard to its dimensions and arrangement of the drawers 2 designed in such a way, that due the ergonomic limitations access of only one user to the card-reader 3 and placing only one card to the card-reader 3 is enabled.

The card-reader 3 and processor 4 are adjusted for receiving and reading a record of an usual magnetic card or the so called chip-card, which is generally known to those skilled in the art and is therefore not separately shown in more detail. The card-reader 3 is suitable for reading a record memorized on a card and is moreover able to transmit appropriate signal to the processor 4. By means of the pre-programmed processor 4 actuation of the consisting parts of the locking mechanism 5 is controlled, which is placed in the area of each drawer 2 of the locker and foreseen for locking/unlocking the door 21, and which will be hereafter described in more detail.

The locking mechanism 5 generally consists of the lock plate 51, where by this embodiment a locking opening 510 is available and which is preferably fixed on each door 21, as well as of a locking unit 52, which is arranged inside of a suitable housing 520 preferably placed in the area of each drawer 2. In such a manner, also existing lockers may be modified in course of a solution according to the invention.

An appropriate electromotor 521, which is supplied by the electric power via appropriate cable, is built in the housing 520 and controlled by appropriate processor 4 and is moreover by means of appropriate gear 522 (by this embodiment a worm gear) set into co-operation with the eccentric drive 523, wherethrough during locking/unlocking the preferably spherical shaped locking bolt 524 can be engaged into the opening 510 of the lock plate 51 or disengaged therefrom. By this embodiment the electromotor 521 can be e.g. supplied by a continuous current (DC) power.

Moreover, by this embodiment also a shock-absorber 525 is available in the housing 520 of the locking unit 52, comprising thereby a supporting bar 5252 leant at a compression spring 5251.

Thanks to above described arrangement according to the present invention, besides the other activity accomplishment, it is furthermore also enabled to a locker user with a magnetic or so called chip-card a reliable locking or unlocking of the locker. For this purpose the user inserts the card into the card-reader 3, whereupon the processor 4 can receive the corresponding signal therefrom and control the electromotor 521 of the locking unit 52. In such a way by means of transmission 522 and eccentric drive 523 appropriate connection or loosening of the lock plate 51 and locking unit 52 of the locking mechanism 5 is achieved. In addition, after the connection between the lock plate 51 and mechanism 52 is loosened, by means of the shock absorber 525 and especially thanks to the force of the spring 5251 the door 21 is gently pushed and opened.

Thanks to the said shock absorber 525, the door 21 is after unlocking not only unlocked but also opened, so that it is obvious for each user, which drawers 2 are locked (occupied), and which are unlocked and ready to use.

Claims

Locker, particularly suitable for tourist objects, leisure pools and similar objects, said locker is equipped with a card-reader (3) suitable for reading magnetic or the so called chip-cards and a processor (4) and furthermore consists of several drawers (2) equipped with door (21), which can be locked or unlocked by means of appropriate locking mechanism (5), which consists of a lock plate (51) and a locking unit (52), where a locking bolt (524) of the locking unit (52) is connectable/disconnectable with the lock plate (51) by means of an electromotor (521), which is commanded by the said processor (4) on the basis of signals received from the said card-reader (3), characterized by that the lock plate (51) of the locking mechanism (5) is fixed on the door (21) and equipped with an opening (510) into which during locking a spherical locking bolt (524) is engaged being moved thereby by means of the electromotor (521) via an eccentric drive (523) and a transmission (522), and that the locking unit (52) comprises a shock-absorber (525) consisting of a bar (5252) and a spring (5251) to which the bar (5252) is leant.