BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Portable cabinets, such as those used to transport beverages, foods and duty- free items in airplanes, are well known and familiar. Generally these cabinets have a door which may be closed by a cam-actuated mechanism which, by the turn of a handle, selectively inserts bolts into recesses in the frame of the cabinet. Presently, any lock used to lock the cabinet door comprises a lock placed on or in the vicinity of the handle, much like any common door lock.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to provide a locking system for portable cabinets which provides improved security and locking integrity.

There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a cabinet door lock assembly including a cabinet housing, a door hinged to the housing, a longitudinal locking bolt mounted in the door and arranged for sliding movement therein, the longitudinal locking bolt including an upper end located near an upper portion of the cabinet housing and a lower end located near a lower portion of the cabinet housing, the lower end being selectively lockingly engageable with a bolt receiving portion of the cabinet housing, a hub rotatably mounted in the door, the longitudinal locking bolt being attached to the hub, a lateral locking bolt attached to the hub and arranged for generally sliding movement, at an angle relative to the sliding movement of the longitudinal locking bolt, into and out of a recess in the cabinet housing upon suitable rotation of the hub, and a pin mounted in the cabinet housing above the upper end of the longitudinal locking bolt, the pin being arranged for sliding movement generally collinear with the longitudinal locking bolt between an unlocked orientation and a locked orientation, wherein in the unlocked orientation the pin does not protrude from the cabinet housing into the door and wherein in the locked orientation the pin protrudes from the cabinet housing into the door and pushes against the upper end of the longitudinal locking bolt, thereby bringing the lower end of the longitudinal locking bolt into locked engagement with the bolt receiving portion of the cabinet housing, and also causing rotation of the hub so as to lockingly move the lateral locking bolt into the recess of the cabinet housing.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is further provided a cylinder lock which brings a locking tongue into and out of locking engagement with the pin. The cylinder lock may either be key-operated or knob-operated.

Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a guard member is slidingly attached to the cabinet housing and arranged for sliding movement between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the guard member substantially prevent access to the pin and wherein in the second position the guard member permits access to the pin.

Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the guard member in the first position also substantially prevents access to the cylinder lock and wherein in the second position the guard member permits access to the cylinder lock.

Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the guard member is normally in the first position and must be deliberately moved to the second position.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention an upper portion of the pin is fixedly attached to a push button formed with a notch and the guard member includes a tongue which is selectively lockingly receivable in the notch.

Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a door handle is attached to the hub and a door latch is linked to and actuatable by the door handle.

Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the hub includes at least one outer disc and at least one inner disc, wherein the longitudinal locking bolt and the lateral locking bolt are attached to the at least one outer disc and the door latch and the door handle are attached to the at least one inner disc, wherein the at least one outer disc rotates independently of the at least one inner disc, and suitable rotation of the door handle brings the door latch into locking engagement with the cabinet housing.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the door latch is adapted to lockingly engage the cabinet housing even without actuation thereof by the door handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a simplified pictorial illustration of a portable cabinet and door lock therefor, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are simplified, cutaway pictorial illustrations of the door lock of Fig. 1 in respective unlocked and locked orientations, as viewed from inside the cabinet, showing a key-operated cylinder lock and pin which abuts against a longitudinal locking bolt; Figs. 4 and 5 are simplified pictorial illustrations of the door lock of Fig. 1, as viewed from outside the cabinet, showing a hub to which are connected the longitudinal locking bolt, a lateral locking bolt and a door latch; Fig. 6 is a simplified pictorial illustration of the door lock of Fig. 1, as viewed from outside the cabinet, showing a door latch acuatable with or without a door handle; and Fig. 7 is a simplified pictorial illustration of the door lock of Fig. 1, as viewed from outside the cabinet, showing the door latch combined with two lateral locking bolts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Reference is now made to Figs. 1,4 and 5 which illustrates a cabinet 10 and door lock therefor, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Cabinet 10 may be any type of portable or non-portable cabinet, with or without shelves therein.

Cabinet 10 includes a cabinet housing 12 and a door 14 hinged thereto. A longitudinal locking bolt 16 is preferably mounted in door 14 and arranged for sliding movement therein. Longitudinal locking bolt 16 includes an upper end 18 located near an upper portion of cabinet housing 12 and a lower end 20 located near a lower portion of cabinet housing 12. The lower end 20 is selectively lockingly engageable with a bolt receiving portion 22 of cabinet housing 12. Bolt receiving portion 22, for example, may be a socket formed in cabinet housing 12.

A hub 24 is preferably rotatably mounted in door 14, as seen in Figs. 1 and 4.

As seen best in Fig. 5, longitudinal locking bolt 16 is attached to hub 24, preferably by means of a pinned joint 26 so that longitudinal movement of longitudinal locking bolt 16 in the direction of an arrow 28 causes hub 24 to rotate in the direction of an arrow 30.

A lateral locking bolt 32 is also preferably attached to hub 24 and arranged for generally sliding movement, at an angle (most preferably 90°) relative to the sliding movement of longitudinal locking bolt 16, into and out of a recess 34 in cabinet housing 12 upon suitable rotation of hub 24. Longitudinal movement of longitudinal locking bolt 16 in

the direction of arrow 28 causes lateral locking bolt 32 to slide generally in the direction of an arrow 35 into recess 34.

A door handle 36 is preferably attached to hub 24. A door latch 38 is preferably linked to and actuatable by door handle 36. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention hub 24 includes one or more, most preferably two, outer discs 40 and one or more, most preferably one, inner disc 42. Longitudinal locking bolt 16 and lateral locking bolt 32 are attached to outer discs 40, while door latch 38 and door handle 36 are attached to inner disc 42. Outer discs 40 rotate independently of inner disc 42. Rotation of door handle 36 in the direction of arrow 30 moves door latch 38 generally in a direction opposite to arrow 35 and brings door latch 38 out of locking engagement with recess 34 of cabinet housing 12. Conversely, rotation of door handle 36 in a direction opposite to arrow 30 moves door latch 38 generally in the direction of arrow 35 and brings door latch 38 into locking engagement with recess 34 of cabinet housing 12.

Cabinet 10 is brought into a locked orientation by moving longitudinal locking bolt 16 so that it is fixedly received in bolt receiving portion 22, and lateral locking bolt 32 and door latch 38 are in locking engagement with cabinet housing 12. Conversely, cabinet 10 is in an unlocked orientation when longitudinal locking bolt 16 is removed from bolt receiving portion 22, and lateral locking bolt 32 and door latch 38 are not in locking engagement with cabinet housing 12. A biasing device, such as a coil spring 44, is preferably attached to lateral locking bolt 32 in order to impart a returning force to bolt 32 generally in the direction opposite to arrow 35 so as to return lateral locking bolt 32 from the locked orientation to the unlocked orientation. Similarly, a biasing device (not shown) may be disposed in bolt receiving portion 22 or some other suitable location along the length of longitudinal locking bolt 16 in order to impart a generally upward force (opposite to arrow 28) on longitudinal locking bolt 16 in order to return longitudinal locking bolt 16 from the locked orientation to the unlocked orientation.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, a pin 46 is preferably mounted in cabinet housing 12 above the upper end 18 of longitudinal locking bolt 16. Pin 46 is arranged for sliding movement generally collinear with longitudinal locking bolt 16 between an unlocked orientation and a locked orientation. In the unlocked orientation, shown in Fig. 2, pin 46 does not protrude from cabinet housing 12 into door 14. In the locked orientation, shown in Fig. 3, pin 46 protrudes from cabinet housing 12 into door 14 and pushes against upper end 18 of longitudinal locking bolt 16. This action brings lower end 20 of longitudinal locking bolt 16

into locked engagement with bolt receiving portion 22 of cabinet housing 12, and also causes rotation of hub 24 so as to lockingly move lateral locking bolt 32 into recess 34 of cabinet housing 12, as described hereinabove, and thus locks cabinet 10.

As seen in Figs. 2 and 3, a cylinder lock 48 is preferably mounted on cabinet housing 12. In Figs. 1,2 and 3, cylinder lock 48 is operated by a key 50. In Figs. 4,6 and 7, cylinder lock 48 is operated by a knob 52. Pin 46 is preferably fashioned with a lower notch 54 and an upper notch 56 which are engageable with a locking tongue 58 which is preferably spring-loaded. In the unlocked orientation, shown in Fig. 2, tongue 58 lockingly engages lower notch 54. In the locked orientation, shown in Fig. 3, tongue 58 lockingly engages upper notch 56. Pin 46 may be freely pushed down to the locked orientation without the use of the cylinder lock. However, pin 46 cannot be brought out of the locked orientation without unlocking cylinder lock 48 either with key 50 or knob 52. Of course, key 50 or knob 52 can be used to bring locking tongue 58 into locking engagement with pin 46.

A guard member 62 is preferably slidingly attached to cabinet housing 12 and arranged for sliding movement between a first position and a second position. Guard member 62 is preferably normally in the first position and must be deliberately moved to the second position in the direction of an arrow 64. In the first position, seen in Fig. 4, guard member 62 substantially prevents access to pin 46. In the second position, shown in Figs. 1-3, guard member 62 permits access to pin 46. It is appreciated that guard member 62 may be configured to prevent access to a keyway of cylinder lock 48 in the first position as well.

An upper portion of pin 46 is preferably fixedly attached to a push button 66 formed with a notch 68 and guard member 62 includes a tongue 70 which is selectively lockingly receivable in notch 68.

The following is a convenient summary of the typical use of cabinet 10. When a user wishes to lock cabinet 10, the user must push guard member 62 in the direction of arrow 64 from the first position to the second position, thereby exposing the push button 66.

The user then simply pushes down on push button 66 which causes pin 46 to push down on longitudinal locking bolt 16 which causes rotation of hub 24 in the direction of arrow 30 (Fig.

5) and lateral locking bolt 32 to move in the direction of arrow 35 into locking engagement with recess 34 of cabinet housing 12. In this position of push button 66, tongue 58 engages upper notch 56 of pin 46 (Fig. 3), and tongue 70 lockingly engages notch 68 of guard member 62.

When the user wishes to unlock cabinet 10, and a key-operated cylinder lock 48 is employed, the user must push guard member 62 in the direction of arrow 64 from the first position to the second position, thereby exposing the keyway of the cylinder lock 48. The user then turns the key 50 from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby releasing tongue 58 from upper notch 56 of pin 46, and longitudinal locking bolt 16 is free to move upwards, thereby rotating hub 24 in the direction opposite to arrow 30 (Fig. 5) and bring cabinet 10 into an unlocked orientation. In the unlocked orientation, tongue 70 may engage a lower surface of push button 66, as seen in Fig. 4 or 6. With a knob-operated cylinder lock 48, the knob 52 is simply turned the same way as the key 50.

Reference is now made to Fig. 6 which illustrates the door lock of Fig. 1, as viewed from outside the cabinet, with door latch 38 replaced by a different kind of door latch 72. Door latch 72 is preferably a type of door latch which is acuatable with or without door handle 36, that is, door latch 72 may easily engage recess 34 of cabinet housing 12 by simply closing or even slamming door 14 shut. Such door latches are widespread and readily available from a wide variety of manufacturers as is well known in the art.

Reference is now made to Fig. 7 which illustrates the door lock of Fig. 1, as viewed from outside the cabinet, showing the door latch 72 combined with two lateral locking bolts 32 attached to longitudinal locking bolt 16. It is appreciated that Fig. 7 illustrates just one possibility of many possible combinations of bolts which may be used in the lock of the present invention.

It is appreciated that any prior art cabinet may easily retrofitted with the lock elements of the present invention.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the features described hereinabove as well as modifications and variations thereof which would occur to a person of skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not in the prior art.