US 12,392,543 B2
Cooler lock
William Denison, North Barrington, IL (US); and Calin Roatis, Long Grove, IL (US)
Assigned to TriTeq Lock and Security, LLC, Elk Grove Village, IL (US)
Filed by Triteq Lock and Security, LLC, Elk Grove Village, IL (US)
Filed on May 5, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/144,066.
Application 18/144,066 is a continuation of application No. 18/120,712, filed on Mar. 13, 2023.
Application 18/120,712 is a continuation of application No. 17/952,984, filed on Sep. 26, 2022, granted, now 11,629,905, issued on Apr. 18, 2023.
Application 17/952,984 is a continuation of application No. 17/699,681, filed on Mar. 21, 2022, granted, now 11,493,262, issued on Nov. 8, 2022.
Application 17/699,681 is a continuation of application No. 16/750,680, filed on Jan. 23, 2020.
Application 16/750,680 is a continuation of application No. 15/965,322, filed on Apr. 27, 2018, granted, now 10,584,912, issued on Mar. 10, 2020.
Application 15/965,322 is a continuation of application No. 13/930,664, filed on Jun. 28, 2013, granted, now 10,591,201, issued on Mar. 17, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/754,332, filed on Jan. 18, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2023/0272967 A1, Aug. 31, 2023
Int. Cl. E05B 47/00 (2006.01); E05B 47/06 (2006.01); E05B 65/00 (2006.01); E05B 65/08 (2006.01); F25D 23/02 (2006.01); E05B 73/00 (2006.01)
CPC F25D 23/028 (2013.01) [E05B 47/0603 (2013.01); E05B 65/0046 (2013.01); E05B 65/0811 (2013.01); E05B 47/00 (2013.01); E05B 47/0001 (2013.01); E05B 47/0012 (2013.01); E05B 2047/0024 (2013.01); E05B 2047/0069 (2013.01); E05B 73/00 (2013.01); E05B 73/0005 (2013.01); E05B 73/0017 (2013.01); E05B 73/0082 (2013.01); Y10T 70/40 (2015.04); Y10T 70/5009 (2015.04); Y10T 70/625 (2015.04); Y10T 70/70 (2015.04); Y10T 70/7006 (2015.04)] 64 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A food storage vending cabinet access control system for locking an unlocked refrigerated food storage vending cabinet having a food storage vending cabinet body and a food storage vending cabinet door operatively connected to the food storage vending cabinet body, the food storage vending cabinet body having walls forming a refrigerated food storage vending area defined by the walls of the food storage vending cabinet body and the food storage vending cabinet door when closed to the food storage vending cabinet body, wherein the refrigerated food storage vending cabinet includes an air conditioning unit for providing refrigerated air at or below a proper temperature level consistent throughout the refrigerated food storage vending area, wherein the refrigerated food storage vending area is adapted to store a plurality of frozen or refrigerated food products which present a risk of thawing or spoiling when exposed to an elevated air temperature limit, and wherein when the food storage vending cabinet door is closed to the food storage vending cabinet body, the plurality of food products in the refrigerated food storage vending area is conditioned by the refrigerated air provided throughout the refrigerated food storage vending area, the system comprising:
a locking element on a first one of the food storage vending cabinet body and the food storage vending cabinet door;
a locking mechanism mounted to a second one of the food storage vending cabinet body and the food storage vending cabinet door and configured to selectively lock and unlock the food storage vending cabinet door to the food storage vending cabinet body;
a controller configured to operate and communicate parameters of the access control system,
the controller further configured to operate in a normal operation mode to permit public access to the refrigerated food storage vending area by a vendee and further configured to operate in a fault condition to restrict public access to the refrigerated food storage vending area by the vendee, wherein the controller comprises at least one data input port configured for detecting at least one unlock signal;
the controller further configured in the normal operation to maintain the locking mechanism in an unlocked position as the temperature of the refrigerated air in the refrigerated food storage vending area timely transitions from the elevated air temperature limit to the proper temperature level;
the controller further configured in the normal operation to detect an event resulting in a change in the temperature of the refrigerated air in the refrigerated food storage vending area that requires locking the unlocked food storage vending cabinet, wherein the event presents a risk of thawing or spoilage of one or more food products within the refrigerated food storage vending area, and, in response, to transition to the fault condition and to actuate the locking mechanism to lock the food storage vending cabinet door to the food storage vending cabinet body, wherein actuation of the locking mechanism occurs after the temperature of the refrigerated air in the refrigerated food storage vending area exceeds and remains above the elevated air temperature limit for a period of one or more minutes; and
a first unlocking device to selectively unlock the locking mechanism after actuation of the locking mechanism in the fault condition; and
a second unlocking device to selectively unlock the locking mechanism after actuation of the locking mechanism in the fault condition.