US 12,270,232 B2
Tamper resistant gravity latch
Armin Fink, Ocoee, FL (US); William Kenneth Williams, Lexington, NC (US); and Joseph Oliva, Orlando, FL (US)
Filed by FATH, Inc., Orlando, FL (US)
Filed on Jul. 25, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/872,100.
Prior Publication US 2024/0026711 A1, Jan. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. E05B 65/52 (2006.01); B65F 1/16 (2006.01); E05B 15/00 (2006.01)
CPC E05B 65/5292 (2013.01) [B65F 1/1615 (2013.01); E05B 15/0093 (2013.01); E05B 65/5253 (2013.01); B65F 2210/148 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a hasp assembly comprising: a hasp configured to retain a staple therein when the hasp is in an engaged position; and an actuator that is biased toward a locking position configured to lock the hasp in the engaged position, wherein once the hasp is moved into the engaged position the actuator can reach the locking position;
an actuator weight comprising a concavity and configured to move under the influence of gravity once the apparatus is tilted from an upright orientation by more than an actuator weight threshold amount and to disengage the actuator from the hasp upon reaching an unlocking position with sufficient force; and
a time delay lock assembly configured to be initiated when the apparatus is tilted from the upright orientation by a time delay lock threshold amount of tilt and configured to prevent movement of the actuator weight only after an initiation and a time delay,
wherein movement of the actuator weight into the unlocking position before an end of the time delay disengages the hasp from the engaged position, and expiration of the time delay before the actuator weight reaches the unlocking position prevents the actuator weight from reaching the unlocking position and disengaging the hasp;
wherein an actuator weight range of positions includes a home position, wherein when the apparatus is in the upright orientation the home position is disposed relatively lower than the unlocking position and gravity urges the actuator weight into the home position;
wherein the actuator weight range of positions comprises an interlock position disposed between the home position and the unlocking position;
wherein the actuator weight further comprises an interlock feature that defines the concavity in the actuator weight; and
wherein when the actuator weight is located anywhere from the home position to the interlock position at the end of time delay the time delay lock assembly is configured to engage the interlock feature and thereby block the actuator weight from moving past the interlock position.