Interchangeable face plate

Abstract

A safe is provided with an enclosure, a door, and a face plate. The enclosure includes a front portion having an opening. The door includes front and rear surfaces, upper and lower edges, a hinged portion, and a locking portion. The hinged portion is hingedly mounted to the enclosure for movement between closed and open positions. The locking portion is adapted to lockingly engage the enclosure to cover the front portion opening when the door is in the closed position. The face plate includes a front ornamental surface, a rear door-engaging surface, and at least one mating feature adapted to engage a corresponding mating feature on the door to selectively attach the face plate to the door.

1 . A safe comprising: 
 an enclosure including a front portion having an opening;    a door including front and rear surfaces, upper and lower edges, a hinged portion, and a locking portion, the hinged portion being hingedly mounted to the enclosure for movement between closed and open positions, and the locking portion being adapted to lockingly engage the enclosure to cover the front portion opening when the door is in the closed position; and    a face plate comprising a front ornamental surface, a rear door-engaging surface, and at least one mating feature adapted to engage a corresponding mating feature on the door to selectively attach the face plate to the door.    
   
   
       2 . The safe of  claim 1 , wherein the face plate comprises first and second mating features.  
   
   
       3 . The safe of  claim 1 , wherein the face plate comprises an opening adapted to align with a lock interface feature disposed on the front surface of the door to allow access to the lock interface feature when the face plate is attached to the door.  
   
   
       4 . The safe of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one face plate mating feature comprises a locking tab extending from the door-engaging surface, and the corresponding door mating feature comprises a complementary shaped slot.  
   
   
       5 . The safe of  claim 4 , wherein the locking tab comprises a protrusion, wherein when the locking tab is received in the slot, the protrusion snaps into engagement with a recess in the slot.  
   
   
       6 . The safe of  claim 5 , wherein the recess is open to one of the upper edge, the lower edge, and the rear surface, such that when the face plate is attached to the door, the protrusion may be accessed for disengagement from the recess to detach the face plate from the door.  
   
   
       7 . The safe of  claim 1 , wherein the face plate further comprises at least one alignment feature adapted to engage a corresponding alignment feature on the door to orient the face plate with respect to the door when the face plate is attached to the door.  
   
   
       8 . The safe of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one face plate alignment feature comprises a stake extending from the door-engaging surface, and the corresponding door alignment feature comprises a complementary shaped hole.  
   
   
       9 . The safe of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one face plate mating feature comprises a stake extending from the door-engaging surface, and the corresponding door mating feature comprises a complementary shaped hole.  
   
   
       10 . The safe of  claim 9 , wherein the stake is radially compressible, such that engagement between the stake and the hole comprises an interference fit.  
   
   
       11 . The safe of  claim 10 , wherein the hole comprises an outer portion having a first diameter and an inner portion having a second larger diameter, wherein the inner portion of the hole allows an end portion of the radially compressed stake to expand for locking engagement between the stake and the hole.  
   
   
       12 . The safe of  claim 11 , wherein the end portion of the stake comprises a radially extending protrusion.  
   
   
       13 . The safe of  claim 1 , wherein the face plate comprises plastic.  
   
   
       14 . The safe of  claim 1 , wherein the face plate is sized to substantially cover the front surface of the door.  
   
   
       15 . A customizable safe comprising: 
 an enclosure including a front portion having an opening;    a door including front and rear surfaces, upper and lower edges, a hinged portion, and a locking portion, the hinged portion being hingedly mounted to the enclosure for movement between closed and open positions, and the locking portion being adapted to lockingly engage the enclosure to cover the front portion opening when the door is in the closed position; and    first and second face plates each comprising a front ornamental surface, a rear door-engaging surface, and at least one means for selectively attaching one of the first and second face plates to the door,    wherein the front ornamental surfaces of the first and second face plates are different in appearance, such that detachment of one of the first and second face plates from the door and subsequent attachment of the other of the first and second face plates to the door substantially alters the appearance of the safe.    
   
   
       16 . The customizable safe of  claim 15 , wherein each of the first and second face plates is sized to substantially cover the front surface of the door.  
   
   
       17 . A method for customizing a safe comprising: 
 providing a safe comprising an enclosure including a front portion having an opening, and a door including front and rear surfaces, upper and lower edges, a hinged portion, and a locking portion, the hinged portion being hingedly mounted to the enclosure for movement between closed and open positions, and the locking portion being adapted to lockingly engage the enclosure to cover the front portion opening when the door is in the closed position; and    selectively attaching a face plate to the door to substantially cover the front surface of the door.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein attaching a face plate to the door comprises engaging at least one mating feature on the face plate with a corresponding mating feature on the door.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein engaging at least one mating feature on the face plate with a corresponding mating feature on the door comprises inserting a locking tab on the face plate into a complementary shaped slot in the door.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein engaging at least one mating feature on the face plate with a corresponding mating feature on the door comprises pressing a radially compressible stake on the face plate into a complementary shaped hole in the door.