Storage Room Lock

Abstract

To solve the problem that it is troublesome to maintain permission to access a protected storage room, when a storage room security door may require access by various persons concerned.SOLUTION: A storage room lock comprises a lock housing mounted on the storage room door, and a lock mechanism arranged within the lock housing. The lock mechanism includes: a latch selectively operable between a locked position in which the latch extending from the latch housing engages with a door frame supporting the storage room door to inhibit opening of the storage room door, and an unlocked position in which the latch is retracted to the latch housing and disengaged from the door frame, and the storage room door is opened to allow storage; and a latch control system selectively operable between a restricted state that inhibits a movement of the latch released from the locked position, and an unrestricted state that allows the movement of the latch released from the locked position. The latch control system disables the unrestricted state in response to an instruction for over-locking that makes the latch impossible to unlock.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 890,448, filed August 22, 2019, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to devices, systems and methods for locking, and more particularly to devices, systems and methods for locking doors. [Background technology]

[0003] For example, physical security for a storage facility can present interesting challenges regarding proper access to the storage room. With storage room security doors that may require access by various parties, maintaining authorization to access the guarded storage room can be cumbersome. For example, in an owner-tenant relationship, access and / or the infrastructure to support access can be complex. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one aspect of the disclosure, a storage compartment lock for a storage compartment door may include a lock housing for attachment to one of the storage compartment door or a storage compartment frame supporting the storage compartment door, and a lock mechanism disposed within the lock housing. The lock mechanism may include a latch selectively operable between a locked position in which the latch is extended to engage the other of the storage compartment door and the storage compartment frame to prevent opening of the storage compartment door and an unlocked position in which the latch is pulled back to disengage from the other of the storage compartment door and the storage compartment frame to allow the storage compartment door to be opened for access to the storage compartment, and a latch control system selectively operable between a restrictive position to prevent movement of the latch away from the locked position and an unrestrictive position to allow movement of the latch away from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0005] In an exemplary embodiment, the latch control system may include a controller and a latch operator. The controller may be configured to issue instructions to the latch operator to selectively position the key between a restrictive position to prevent movement of the latch away from the locked position and a non-restrictive position to allow movement of the latch away from the locked position to the unlocked position. In an exemplary embodiment, the controller may include a processor that executes instructions stored in a memory to issue commands to the latch operator to perform selective operations based on user input.

[0006] In an exemplary embodiment, the latch control system may include a key selectively operable between a blocking position and an unblocking position corresponding to restrictive and unrestrictive positions of the latch control system. In the blocking position, the key may be positioned to engage the latch to prevent movement of the latch from the locked position to the unlocked position, and in the unblocking position, the key may be positioned disengaged from the latch to allow movement of the latch away from the locked position to the unlocked position. In the blocking position, the key may be positioned within an opening in the latch to prevent movement of the latch away from the locked position. In an exemplary embodiment, the key may be positioned as a pivotable member operable to pivot one end to engage the latch in the blocking position.

[0007] In an exemplary embodiment, the latch control system may include a restrictor selectively operable between a restricting position and an unrestricting position. In the restricting position, the restrictor may be positioned to engage the key to prevent movement of the key out of the blocking position. The restrictor may be formed as a slider for linear movement between the restricting position and the unrestricting position. In an exemplary embodiment, the key may be pivotable between the blocking position and the unblocking position, and the restrictor may be positioned in the restricting position to prevent the key from pivoting out of the blocking position.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, in the non-restricting position, the restrictor may be disposed disengaged from the key to permit movement of the key from the blocking position to the non-blocking position. The latch control system may include a latch operator for driving movement of the restrictor between the restricting and non-restricting positions. The latch operator may include an actuator and a resilient connector engaged between the actuator and the restrictor for transmitting an actuation force from the actuator to the restrictor.

[0009] The resilient connector may be selectively operable between a retracted position and an extended position. The actuator may be selectively operable to apply a restricting force to the resilient connector to bias the restrictor toward the restricting position. In an exemplary embodiment, the resilient connector may be formed as a linear spring.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, under a restricting force with the key in the blocking position, the resilient connector may be actuated to bias the restrictor toward the restricting position while the restrictor remains in the non-restricting position. Under a restricting force with the key in the non-blocking position, the resilient connector may be actuated to bias the restrictor toward the restricting position to move the restrictor toward the restricting position.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a storage room security door system may include a storage room security door including a door and a frame, and a lock secured to one of the door and the frame. The lock may include a latch selectively operable between a locked position in which the latch is engaged with the other of the door and the frame to prevent the door from opening and an unlocked position in which the latch is disengaged from the other of the door and the frame to allow the storage room security door to be opened for access to the storage room, and a latch control system selectively operable between a restrictive position to prevent movement of the latch away from the locked position and a non-restrictive position to allow movement of the latch away from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment, the latch control system may include a controller configured to issue instructions to a latch operator to selectively position the key between a restrictive position to prevent movement of the latch away from the locked position and an unrestricted position to allow movement of the latch away from the locked position to the unlocked position. The controller may include a processor that executes instructions stored in a memory to issue commands to the latch operator for selective operation based on user input. The controller may be operable to communicate with a network to allow remote communication for managing operation of the latch control system between the restrictive and unrestricted positions.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, the latch control system may include a key operable between a blocking position and an unblocking position. In the blocking position, the key may be positioned to engage the latch to prevent movement of the latch from the locked position to the unlocked position, and in the unblocking position, the key may be positioned disengaged from the latch to allow movement of the latch away from the locked position to the unlocked position. In an exemplary embodiment, the latch control system may include a restrictor selectively operable between a restricting position and an unrestricting position. In the restricting position, a slider may be positioned to engage the key to prevent movement of the key away from the blocking position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] The drawings disclose exemplary embodiments, and like reference numerals refer to the same or similar parts throughout the drawings.

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a security door system according to certain aspects of the present disclosure.

[0016] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the locking mechanism of the security door system of FIG. 1 placed in a locked position.

[0017] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the locking mechanism of the security door system of FIG. 2 positioned in an unlocked position.

[0018] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the locking mechanism of the security door system of FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0019] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a side view showing the inner portion of the locking mechanism of FIGS. 2 to 4, disposed in a locked position.

[0020] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view showing the interior portion of the locking mechanism of FIG. 5, disposed in an unlocked position.

[0021] [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing parts of the locking mechanism of FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0022] [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a controller for managing the operation of the locking mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are therefore also described in detail herein as exemplary. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the concepts of the present disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives consistent with the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims.

[0024] For example, physical security for a storage facility can present interesting challenges with respect to proper access to storage rooms. One example may include a rental storage facility where storage units may be rented or leased to users (tenants / lessees), with the units being individual storage rooms that can be secured for each individual tenant. Challenges may arise in providing selective access to the storage units.

[0025] In traditional rental storage facilities, storage unit users (renters) can generally request access to storage rooms at will, but the storage facility owner (renter) may need to maintain overriding or global control of access to each storage unit. For example, the owner may need overriding control to lock out non-paying users from accessing the storage unit according to a contractual agreement. Furthermore, manually providing overriding control over storage unit access can be cumbersome and / or may require individual administrative control for each storage unit. A storage facility may have dozens, hundreds, or thousands of individualized storage units, each of which may face such security challenges.

[0026] Referring now to FIG. 1 , a security door system 12 is shown embodied as an access door to an enclosed space for controlling access to a storage compartment within the space. The security door system 12 illustratively includes a security door 14 and a locking mechanism 16 for selective operation to prevent the security door 14 from being opened. The security door 14 is illustratively embodied as including a corrugated roll-up door 18 with the locking mechanism 16 attached, although in some embodiments, the security door 14 may include any suitable type of security door. The security door 14 includes a frame 20 configured to be articulated with the structure of the storage unit to remain stationary relative to the door 18 itself, and with which the locking mechanism 16 can be selectively engaged to prevent the door 18 from being opened. In the illustrative embodiment, the locking mechanism may be attached to the frame 20 and selectively engageable with the door 18.

[0027] The locking mechanism 16 is illustratively arranged in communication with other locking mechanisms 16 that may be configured to operate with other security doors 14, for example, other security doors 14 for different storage units in the same storage facility. These locking mechanisms 16 are illustratively arranged in communication with one another by forming a mesh network 22. The mesh network 22 is illustratively embodied as a partially connected mesh topology, illustrating that some locking mechanisms may be physically out of direct communication with other locking mechanisms but may adaptively form a fully connected mesh net according to a particular deployment. However, in some embodiments, the mesh network 22 may have any suitable topology, including, but not limited to, ring, star, tree, line, and / or combinations thereof. The locking mechanism 16 is illustratively arranged in communication with a remote network 24, which may be embodied as the Internet. Communication between the locking mechanism 16 and the remote network 24 is embodied as being provided via the mesh network 22, but in some embodiments, it may be provided directly from the individual locking mechanisms 16. The locking mechanism 16 is arranged in communication with a personal mobile device 26, embodied as a smartphone. Communication with mesh network 22 and between locking mechanism 16 and personal mobile device 26 is illustratively provided via low-power Bluetooth, but in some embodiments may include any suitable form of wireless communication, including, but not limited to, infrared, radio frequency, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, 3G / 4G / 5G, and the like.

[0028] Communication between the locking mechanism 16 and the personal mobile device 26 can allow a user to activate the locking mechanism 16, for example, to selectively lock and unlock the security door 14. A user in proximity to the security door 14 may access a menu based on pre-authentication and may select an activation button 28 to operate the locking mechanism between an unrestricted state that disengages the latch for selective operation to unlock the door and a restricted state that maintains the latch in a locked position, as discussed in further detail herein. The user may enter and / or confirm identification information, such as a unit number, user identification, etc., to ensure authorization to operate the particular security door 14. The owner of the security door 14 may remotely access the locking mechanism 16 via a remote network, as discussed in further detail herein.

[0029] 2, in one exemplary embodiment, the locking mechanism 16 includes a latch 30 that extends a first length from the housing 40 to engage the frame 20 of the security door 14 when disposed in a locked position by insertion into an opening 32 in the frame 20. As discussed in more detail herein, the locking mechanism 16 is secured to the door 18 such that alignment of the latch 30 within the opening 32 prevents vertical movement of the door 18 relative to the frame 20 for opening.

[0030] In the exemplary embodiment, the latch 30 includes a latch body 34 and an arm 36 extending outward from the latch body 34 for engagement with a user's hand. The arm 36 provides a physical handle for engagement with a user's hand or finger to slide the latch 30 between the locked and unlocked positions. The locking mechanism 16 illustratively includes a user interface 38 for initiating communication with the locking mechanism 16. The user interface 38 is illustratively embodied as a touch-sensitive pad for receiving contact by a user's finger to input commands, for example, via a predetermined series of long presses and / or short presses. The user interface 38 may include selective illumination as a feedback response, for example, to the user's touch to communicate the received touch input back to the user, and / or to indicate success and / or failure of changing between the restricted and unrestricted states, such as, but not limited to, a series of colored or colorless confirmatory flashes (e.g., green for success and red for failure).

[0031] Referring to FIG. 3 , the latch 30 is disposed in an unlocked position, extending from the housing 40 a second length that is shorter than the first length, and disengaged from the frame opening 32. The locking mechanism 16 illustratively includes a housing 40 secured to the door 18 by a bolt 42 extending through the door 18 and secured to the interior (fixed) side of the door by a fastening nut. The housing 40 illustratively has a contoured shape with a bolt flange for mating engagement with the corrugated shape of the door 18, although in some embodiments, the housing 40 may have any suitable shape for securing the locking mechanism to the door 18. The housing 40 defines an interior space for disposing the components of the locking mechanism 16. The housing 40 includes an opening 44 on its front side for receiving the arm 36 that engages with a user's hand for movement to actuate the latch body 34 between the locked and unlocked positions.

[0032] 4, the housing 40 may include an interface opening 46 for receiving the user interface 38 for user access and a number of fastener openings 48 disposed on bolt flanges 50 for securing the housing 40 with the door 18. The housing 40 includes latch supports 52 extending from the side ends and receiving the slidingly extending latches 30 for selective engagement with the frame 20. The housing 40 includes an outer body 49 having a U-shaped cross-section that connects with each flange 50 at either end.

[0033] The housing 40 includes a sleeve 54 having a sleeve body 56 and a bolt flange 55 with a fastener opening 57 for receiving the bolt 42. The sleeve body 56 includes a front side that is complementary to the outer body 49 and a rear side that is complementary to a groove for complementary mating with the groove in the corrugated door. The sleeve body 56 includes the user interface 38 and defines an opening 59 for the arm 36 of the latch 30. The sleeve 54 defines an inner opening 58 for receiving an end stop 69 that encloses the inner opening 58.

[0034] The sleeve 54 includes a casing 60 that houses a latch control system 62. The casing 60 includes a casing body 64 for securing together with the open back surface (shown by dashed line 61 in FIG. 4 ) of the sleeve 54 to define an extension of the sleeve body 56. The casing 60 includes an internal cavity 66 having an open face for engaging with the back surface of the sleeve 54 to enclose a portion of the latch control system 62. The latch control system 62 includes a controller 68 and a latch operator 70 for selectively limiting movement of the latch 30 pursuant to commands from the controller 68. The driver 72 and / or the controller 68 illustratively receive power from an on-board battery, but in some embodiments may be hard-wired powered from a storage facility.

[0035] Referring to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5 , the latch operator 70 is shown in closer detail for ease of explanation. The latch operator 70 includes a driver 72, illustratively embodied as an electric rotary actuator, but may be any suitable type of actuator, such as a linear actuator, depending on the embodiment. The driver 72 includes an actuator arm 74 formed as a coil and having a spring 77 extending therefrom that resiliently transfers a rotary actuation force from the actuator arm 74 to drive linear movement of a slider 78. The spring 77 is engaged with the slider 78, which is positioned for sliding movement relative to the casing body 64 to selectively limit movement of the latch 30 out of the locked position. The rotational movement of the spring 77 drives the slider 78 into linear movement.

[0036] Slider 78 includes a body 80 having an upper surface 82. Slider 78 includes an arm 84 extending upwardly from surface 82 for engaging spring 77 to receive a rotational drive motion from spring 77 that drives translational movement of slider 78. In Figure 5, slider 78 is shown in a limiting position (to the right) in which upper surface 82 prevents movement of lock key 86 out of engagement with latch 30 to limit movement of latch 30 out of the locked position.

[0037] The lock key 86 is illustratively fixed to the casing 60 via a strut 88 to remain stationary relative to movement of the latch 30 between the locked and unlocked positions. The lock key 86 is pivotable about the pin axis 15 of the strut 88 and is spring-biased to an upwardly tilted position, referred to as the blocking position, as shown in FIG. 5. With the slider 78 in the limiting position (to the right), the surface 82 prevents counterclockwise rotation of the lock key 86 out of the blocking position. In the blocking position of the lock key 86, the lock key 86 extends into an opening 89 in an arm 90 of the latch 30 to limit movement of the latch 30 out of the locked position (to the left).

[0038] 6, slider 78 is driven leftward by driver 72 to the non-restricting position to move lock key 86 to the non-blocking position, where it is released and disengaged from latch 30. In the non-blocking position, lock key 86 (shown in dashed lines) is rotated counterclockwise by latch 30 under a user's force, moving latch 30 to the unlocked position (leftward). In the non-blocking position of lock key 86, aperture 89 is disassociated with lock key 86, thereby disengaging lock key 86 from latch 30 to allow latch 30 to be moved leftward out of the locked position to the unlocked position of FIG. 6. A user may slide latch 30 rightward to the locked position, which similarly places aperture 89 in association with lock key 86, allowing lock key 86 to be biased to rotate to a blocking position within aperture 89 to restrict leftward movement of latch 30. When the lock key 86 is rotated to the blocking position (as shown in FIG. 5), the slider 78 can be shifted rightward to the limiting position, preventing counterclockwise rotation of the lock key 86 out of the blocking position and thus limiting movement of the latch 30 out of the locked position.

[0039] The resilience of spring 77 can allow driver 72 to move arm 74 to apply a driving force (rightward) to slider 78 to urge slider 78 toward the restricting position, even when lock key 86 is disengaged from latch 30 in the non-blocking position as in FIG. 6. Thus, when lock key 86 is in the non-blocking position and latch 30 is previously in the unlocked position, driver 72 can pull back arm 74 to apply a rightward biasing force to slider 78; subsequently, when a user moves latch 30 toward the locked position, the resilience of spring 77 moves slider 78 toward the locked position to prevent rotation of lock key 86.

[0040] 7, a perspective view of a portion of latch operator 70 shows slider 78 in an unrestricted position to release rotation of lock key 86 out of the blocking position. However, in the blocking position, lock key 86 is aligned at an upward angle to extend into opening 89 to prevent movement (to the left) of latch 30 out of the locked position.

[0041] Returning to FIG. 2 , a user may operate the locking mechanism 16 while the latch 30 is in the locked position securing the door 14. The latch operator 70 is now in a default restricted state, with the slider 78 in a restricted position that keeps the lock key 86 in a blocking position, thereby restricting the latch 30 to the locked position. A user may manipulate the latch operator 70 to achieve an unrestricted state. The user communicates through the user interface 38 to operate the latch operator 70, although as previously mentioned, the user may also wirelessly operate the latch operator 70 via a mobile device. The user touches the user interface 38 with a predetermined sequence of touches (such as, but not limited to, long-short-short), and if this predetermined sequence of touch input is successful, the latch operator 70 is changed to the unrestricted state by operation of the driver 72, which moves the slider 78 to the unrestricted position. The user interface may communicate the success of the predetermined sequence of touch input to the user via a flash (such as, but not limited to, three equally timed short green flashes). The user may then use the handle 36 to move the latch 30 to the unlocked position and actuate the lock key 86 to the non-blocking position. The driver 72 may default to biasing the slider 78 toward the limit position with a timeout of, for example, two seconds after placement of the latch 30 in the unlocked position, which may be detected via a position sensor.

[0042] When operating the latch operator 70 via a mobile device, a user may access the locking mechanism 16 while it is in sleep mode and awaken it by touching the user interface 38 to connect with the personal mobile device 26. Once activated and connected to the mobile device 26, the locking application activates the activation button 28 (shown in FIG. 1 ) to move the slider 78 to the non-restrictive position. The user may then move the latch 30 from the locked position to the unlocked position. The driver 72 may default to biasing the slider 78 toward the restrictive position, with a timeout of, for example, two seconds after placement of the latch 30 in the unlocked position, which may be detected via a position sensor.

[0043] Referring now to FIG. 8 , a diagram of controller 68 is shown. Controller 68 includes a processor 92 for executing instructions stored in memory 94 to send commands and / or receive input via communications circuitry 96. Processor 92 is illustratively embodied as a microprocessor, but may include any suitable computing device in some embodiments. Memory 94 is illustratively embodied as flash memory, but may include any suitable form of memory in some embodiments. Controller 68 is illustratively in wired communication with user interface 38 to receive user touch input and with sensors of the lock mechanism, such as position sensors that indicate the position of any one or more of latch 30, lock key 86, slider 78, and driver 72 to controller 68, although in some embodiments such communication may be wireless and may further include a motion sensor to detect the proximity of a user and / or a temperature sensor to determine and / or communicate the lock temperature. Controller 68 is illustratively arranged to communicate with one or more of personal mobile devices, one or more mesh networks of other locking mechanisms, and one or more remote networks, such as the Internet, via communications circuitry 96. Although communications circuitry 96 is represented by a single element in FIG. 8, it may represent any number of components suitable for wired and / or wireless communication via one or more communications protocols.

[0044] The locking mechanisms 16 can be overlocked by the owner (renter). The owner may communicate with each individual locking mechanism 16 to activate and / or deactivate user access. The owner may communicate with each individual locking mechanism 16 via a remote network, a mesh network, or direct communication through a control interface platform, such as a computing device application interface. By selecting, confirming, and / or entering identification information for a particular locking mechanism 16 on such an application interface, the owner is presented with an activation button and / or a deactivation button to toggle the overlock control between an activated state and a deactivated state as desired. In the activated state, the overlock enables user access as discussed herein. In the deactivated state, the overlock can disable user access by disabling user operation of the latch operator 70 via the personal mobile device 26 and / or the user interface 38.

[0045] The devices, systems, and methods within this disclosure may include an electromechanical locking device (lock) that can be attached to a roll-up door, allowing tenants to secure their property without the need for a padlock. The lock may be opened via one or more of three methods: a smart device app (such as, but not limited to, via Bluetooth), a wireless fob (such as, but not limited to, radio frequency), and / or a quick-click code (such as, but not limited to, touching the lock's user interface with a predetermined series of long and short presses). In an exemplary embodiment, the lock may be opened via an attached keypad. The lock may also be used by site operators to overlock tenants, such as those who fail to pay their rent in a timely manner.

[0046] The lock may be battery powered and may communicate via a direct connection between the lock and the smart device or via a wireless mesh network. In an exemplary embodiment, the lock may be hardwired for power and / or communications.

[0047] Traditional access control for locks, such as storage unit door locks, are generally hardwired. Installing and / or maintaining such hardwired locking devices can be a time- and / or resource-intensive process that can result in high costs. Other difficulties can arise when implementing a hardwired solution in an existing facility.

[0048] The devices, systems, and methods within the present disclosure may alleviate challenges with traditional locking systems. For example, padlocks can be cumbersome when users forget and / or lose their keys. Padlocks can be broken by cutting them with bolt cutters. Furthermore, traditional padlocks typically do not remotely communicate their status to site operators, for example. Traditional padlock-type overlocks can require separate and / or additional locks. Traditional locks that are installed in buildings like typical access control systems can be difficult and / or expensive to install and / or generally require each door to be opened on-site and / or may require installers to come to the site one by one to wait for the unit to be emptied, making installation costs prohibitive. Furthermore, existing electronic overlock devices on doors may lack networking (such as, but not limited to, mesh-enabled), and thus, these devices cannot easily report status to site operators and / or may not be designed for simple overlocks and not simple locks.

[0049] The devices, systems, and methods within the present disclosure can be easily installed by removing the (four) bolts on an existing fastener and replacing it with this device using exactly those same bolts and bolt pattern. Such an arrangement can result in a simple installation that anyone can perform and / or allow for rotation of additions to the system as tenants move out. Such an arrangement can provide both simple locking and / or overlocking operation with a single unit. Such an arrangement can provide continuous communication of its status, for example, via a two-way mesh network. Such communication can provide remote locking, remote unlocking, remote and / or automated overlocking, remote removal of overlock without any on-site employee involvement, unit temperature reporting, and motion detection in / out of the unit using two discrete infrared sensors.

[0050] The following numbered clauses include contemplated and non-limiting embodiments.

[0051] Clause 1. A storage compartment lock for a storage compartment door, the storage compartment lock comprising: (a) a lock housing for attachment to the storage compartment door or to a storage compartment frame supporting the storage compartment door; and (b) a lock mechanism disposed within the lock housing, the lock mechanism comprising: (i) a latch selectively operable between a locked position in which the latch is extended to engage the other of the storage compartment door and the storage compartment frame to prevent opening of the storage compartment door, and an unlocked position in which the latch is pulled back to disengage from the other of the storage compartment door and the storage compartment frame to allow the storage compartment door to be opened for access to the storage compartment; and (ii) a latch control system selectively operable between a restrictive position to prevent movement of the latch away from the locked position and a non-restrictive position to allow movement of the latch away from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0052] Clause 2. The storage chamber lock of clause 1, wherein the latch control system includes a controller and a latch operator, and the controller is configured to issue commands to the latch operator to selectively position a key between the restrictive position for preventing movement of the latch away from the locked position and a non-restrictive position for allowing movement of the latch away from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0053] Clause 3. The cellar lock of clause 2, wherein the controller includes a processor that executes instructions stored in a memory to issue commands to the latch operator for selective operation based on user input.

[0054] Clause 4. A storage chamber lock as described in Clause 1, wherein the latch control system includes a key selectively operable between a blocking position and an unblocking position corresponding to restricting and unrestricting positions of the latch control system, wherein in the blocking position the key is positioned to engage the latch to prevent movement of the latch away from the locked position to the unlocked position, and wherein in the unblocking position the key is positioned disengaged from the latch to allow movement of the latch away from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0055] Clause 5. The cellar lock of clause 4, wherein in the blocking position, the key is disposed within an opening in the latch to prevent movement of the latch out of the locked position.

[0056] Clause 6. A storage compartment lock as described in clause 4, wherein the latch control system includes a restrictor selectively operable between a restricting position and a non-restricting position, and in the restricting position, the restrictor is arranged to engage the key to prevent movement of the key out of the blocking position.

[0057] Clause 7. The cellar lock of clause 6, wherein the restrictor is formed as a slider for linear movement between the restricting position and an unrestricting position.

[0058] Clause 8. The cellar lock of clause 6, wherein in the non-restricting position, the restrictor is positioned disengaged from the key to permit movement of the key out of the blocking position to the non-blocking position.

[0059] Clause 9. The cellar lock of clause 4, wherein the latch control system includes a latch operator for actuating movement of the restrictor between the restricting and non-restricting positions.

[0060] Clause 10. The storage compartment lock of clause 9, wherein the latch operator includes an actuator and a resilient connector engaged between the actuator and the restrictor for transmitting an actuation force from the actuator to the restrictor.

[0061] Clause 11. The storage compartment lock of clause 9, wherein the resilient connector is selectively operable between a contracted position and an extended position, and the actuator is selectively operable to apply a restricting force to the resilient connector to urge the restrictor toward the restricting position.

[0062] Clause 12. The cellar lock of clause 11, wherein the resilient connector is formed as a linear spring.

[0063] Clause 13. The cellar lock of clause 11, wherein under the restricting force with the key in the blocking position, the resilient connector is actuated to urge the restrictor towards the restricting position while the restrictor remains in the non-restricting position.

[0064] Clause 14. The cellar lock of clause 13, wherein under the restricting force with the key in the non-blocking position, the resilient connector is actuated to urge the restrictor toward the restricting position to move the restrictor toward the restricting position.

[0065] Clause 15. A storeroom security door system comprising: (a) a storeroom security door including a door and a frame; and (b) a lock secured to one of the door and the frame, the lock comprising: (i) a latch selectively operable between a locked position in which the latch is engaged with the other of the door and the frame to prevent opening of the door and an unlocked position in which the latch is disengaged from the other of the door and the frame to allow the storeroom security door to be opened for access to a storeroom; and (ii) a latch control system selectively operable between a restrictive position to prevent movement of the latch away from the locked position and a non-restrictive position to allow movement of the latch away from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0066] Clause 16. The cellar lock of clause 15, wherein the latch control system includes a controller configured to issue commands to the latch operator to selectively position a key between the restrictive position for preventing movement of the latch away from the locked position and a non-restrictive position for allowing movement of the latch away from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0067] Clause 17. The cellar lock of clause 16, wherein the controller includes a processor that executes instructions stored in a memory to issue commands to the latch operator for selective operation based on user input.

[0068] Clause 18. The cellar lock of clause 17, wherein the controller is operable to communicate with a network to allow remote communication for managing operation of the latch control system between the restricting and non-restricting positions.

[0069] Clause 19. The storage compartment lock of clause 15, wherein the latch control system includes a key operable between a blocking position and an unblocking position, wherein in the blocking position the key is positioned to engage the latch to prevent movement of the latch away from the locked position to the unlocked position, and wherein in the unblocking position the key is positioned disengaged from the latch to allow movement of the latch away from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0070] Clause 20. A cellar lock as described in clause 19, wherein the latch control system includes a restrictor selectively operable between a restricting position and a non-restricting position, and in the restricting position, the slider is positioned to engage the key to prevent movement of the key out of the blocking position.

[0071] While the drawings and the foregoing specification have detailed certain exemplary embodiments, it is understood that such illustration and description should be considered illustrative and not restrictive in nature, and that the embodiments shown and described are merely exemplary, and that all modifications and variations that fall within the spirit of the disclosure are therefore desired to be protected. There are multiple advantages to the present disclosure that flow from various features of the methods, systems, and articles described herein. It will be noted that alternative embodiments of the methods, systems, and articles of the present disclosure may not include all of the described features, but will still benefit from at least some of the advantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art may readily devise their own implementations of these methods, systems, and articles that incorporate one or more of the features of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. 1. A cellar lock for a cellar door, said cellar lock comprising: a lock housing attached to the storage compartment door; a lock mechanism disposed within the lock housing, The locking mechanism is a latch that is selectively slidably operable between a locked position in which the latch extends from the lock housing and engages with a door frame supporting the storage compartment door to prevent the storage compartment door from being opened, and an unlocked position in which the latch is returned to the lock housing and disengaged from the door frame to open the storage compartment door and permit storage; a latch control system including a latch operator having an electric actuator selectively operable between a restrictive state that prevents movement of the latch out of the locked position and an unrestricted state that allows movement of the latch out of the locked position, the electric actuator selectively allowing and preventing movement of the latch out of the locked position; wherein the latch control system, in response to an instruction for overlock that disables unlocking of the latch from the locked position, disables operation of the electrical actuator that permits movement of the latch away from the locked position, thereby disabling operation of the latch operator to the unrestricted state.

2. 2. The storage compartment lock of claim 1, wherein the latch control system includes a restrictor coupled to the electrical actuator, the restrictor selectively operable between a restricting position and an unrestricting position, the restrictor configured to prevent movement of the latch away from the locked position when in the restricting position.

3. 10. The vault lock of claim 1, wherein the latch control system comprises a processor that executes instructions stored in memory and operates communication circuitry to communicate with at least one of other devices and other networks.

4. 4. The cellar lock of claim 3, wherein the latch control system is configured to receive a remote instruction to overlock the latch, disabling unlocking of the latch.

5. 5. The cellar lock of claim 4, wherein the latch control system communicates with the overlock via a mesh network.

6. 5. The cellar lock of claim 4, wherein said latch control system communicates with said overlock via the internet.

7. 5. The cellar lock of claim 4, wherein the latch control system communicates with the overlock via a nearby mobile device.

8. 8. The cellar lock of claim 7, wherein the latch control system immediately transitions to the unrestricted state upon receiving an unlock command from the mobile device, allowing movement of the latch out of the locked position.

9. 9. The storage compartment lock of claim 8, wherein in response to an overlock command that disables unlocking of the latch, the latch control system performs an operation that disables the non-restricted state from being attained by the unlock command.

10. 1. A storage room door system comprising: a storage compartment door assembly including a storage compartment door and a door frame supporting the storage compartment door; a storage compartment lock assembly for selectively locking the storage compartment door assembly to prevent the storage compartment door from being opened, the storage compartment lock assembly comprising: a lock housing attached to the storage compartment door; a lock mechanism disposed within the lock housing, a latch that is selectively slidably operable between a locked position in which the latch extends from the lock housing and engages with a door frame supporting the storage compartment door to prevent the storage compartment door from being opened, and an unlocked position in which the latch is returned to the lock housing and disengaged from the door frame to open the storage compartment door and permit storage; a latch control system comprising a latch operator having an electric actuator selectively operable between a restrictive state that prevents movement of the latch out of the locked position and an unrestricted state that allows movement of the latch out of the locked position, the electric actuator selectively allowing and preventing movement of the latch out of the locked position; wherein the latch control system disables operation of the electrical actuator that permits movement of the latch away from the locked position in response to an instruction for overlock that disables unlocking of the latch from the locked position, thereby disabling operation of the latch operator to the unrestricted state.

11. 11. The door system of claim 10, wherein the latch control system includes a restrictor coupled to the electrical actuator, the restrictor selectively operable between a restricting position and an unrestricting position, the restrictor configured to prevent movement of the latch away from the locked position when in the restricting position.

12. 11. The door system of claim 10, wherein the latch control system comprises a processor that executes instructions stored in memory and operates communication circuitry to communicate with at least one of other devices and other networks.

13. 13. The cellar lock of claim 12, wherein the latch control system is configured to receive a remote instruction to overlock the latch, rendering it unable to be unlocked.

14. 14. The door system of claim 13, wherein the latch control system communicates with the overlock over a mesh network.

15. 14. The door system of claim 13, wherein the latch control system communicates with the overlock via the internet.

16. 14. The door system of claim 13, wherein the latch control system communicates the overlock via a nearby mobile device.

17. 17. The door system of claim 16, wherein the latch control system immediately transitions to the unrestricted state upon receiving an unlock command from the mobile device, allowing movement of the latch out of the locked position.

18. 18. The door system of claim 17, wherein in response to an overlock command that disables unlocking of the latch, the latch control system takes action to disable the unlock command from entering the non-restricted state.

19. 18. The door system of claim 17, wherein in response to an overlock indication that disables the latch from being unlocked, the latch control system operates to disable the non-restricted state from being reached by an unlock indication obtained via a local user interface at the storage compartment lock assembly.

20. A storeroom lock for a storeroom door, said storeroom lock comprising: a lock housing attached to the storage compartment door; a lock mechanism disposed within the lock housing, The locking mechanism is a latch that is selectively slidably operable between a locked position in which the latch extends from the lock housing and engages with a door frame supporting the storage compartment door to prevent the storage compartment door from being opened, and an unlocked position in which the latch is returned to the lock housing and disengaged from the door frame to open the storage compartment door and permit storage; a latch control system selectively operable between a restrictive state that prevents movement of the latch out of the locked position and an unrestricted state that allows movement of the latch out of the locked position, the latch control system disabling operation to the unrestricted state in response to an instruction for overlock that disables unlocking of the latch; The storeroom lock, wherein the latch includes a latch body and an arm extending from the latch body for engagement with a user's hand.

21. A storage room door system, comprising: a storage compartment door assembly including a storage compartment door and a door frame supporting the storage compartment door; a storage compartment lock assembly for selectively locking the storage compartment door assembly to prevent the storage compartment door from being opened, the storage compartment lock assembly comprising: a lock housing attached to the storage compartment door; a lock mechanism disposed within the lock housing, a latch that is selectively slidably operable between a locked position in which the latch extends from the lock housing and engages with a door frame supporting the storage compartment door to prevent the storage compartment door from being opened, and an unlocked position in which the latch is returned to the lock housing and disengaged from the door frame to open the storage compartment door and permit storage; a latch control system selectively operable between a restrictive state that prevents movement of the latch out of the locked position and an unrestricted state that allows movement of the latch out of the locked position, the latch control system disabling operation to the unrestricted state in response to an instruction for overlock that disables unlocking of the latch; The door system, wherein the latch includes a latch body and an arm extending from the latch body for engagement with a user's hand.

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