Cabinet lock for use with programmable electronic key

Abstract

A cabinet lock for protecting merchandise within a merchandise display cabinet having an inner door and an outer door. The cabinet lock includes a strike plate affixed to the inner door and a lock housing affixed to the outer door such that the cabinet is in a locked configuration that prevents access to the merchandise when the lock housing is operably engaged to the strike plate. A programmable electronic key communicates a security code with the cabinet lock and transfers electrical power to the cabinet lock to operate a lock mechanism between the locked configuration and an unlocked configuration. An indicator is provided for indicating whether the cabinet lock is in the locked configuration or the unlocked configuration. The indicator includes a first segment and a second segment that can be energized to visually indicate the status of the cabinet lock.

That which is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A merchandise security device for protecting merchandise from theft, comprising:
 a lock mechanism adapted to be affixed to a merchandise fixture; and   an indicator for indicating a state of the lock mechanism, wherein the lock mechanism is configured to receive electrical power from an electronic key to operate the lock mechanism between an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration or between the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration, and   wherein the indicator is configured to be energized in response to the lock mechanism receiving electrical power from the electronic key.   
     
     
         2 . The merchandise security device according to  claim 1 , wherein the lock mechanism does not include an internal source of electrical power. 
     
     
         3 . The merchandise security device according to  claim 1 , wherein the lock mechanism is configured to receive electrical power from the electronic key by inductive transfer. 
     
     
         4 . The merchandise security device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a transfer port configured to facilitate communication with the electronic key. 
     
     
         5 . The merchandise security device according to  claim 1 , wherein the indicator is configured to visually indicate one of a plurality of different states of the lock mechanism in response to the lock mechanism receiving electrical power from the electronic key. 
     
     
         6 . The merchandise security device according to  claim 5 , wherein the indicator comprises a plurality of segments, a plurality of different combinations of one or more of the segments being energized is configured to indicate respective states of the lock mechanism, and wherein one or more of the plurality of segments is configured to be energized in response to the lock mechanism receiving electrical power from the electronic key. 
     
     
         7 . The merchandise security device according to  claim 5 , wherein the indicator comprises a plurality of first segments and a plurality of second segments for visually indicating the state of the lock mechanism, and wherein the plurality of first segments or the plurality of second segments is configured to be energized to visually indicate a first state of the lock mechanism, and wherein the plurality of first segments and the plurality of second segments are configured to be energized to visually indicate a second state of the lock mechanism that is different than the first state. 
     
     
         8 . The merchandise security device according to  claim 5 , wherein energizing a portion of the plurality of segments and not energizing a remaining portion of the plurality of segments is indicative of a first state of the lock mechanism, and wherein energizing all of the plurality of segments is indicative of a second state of the lock mechanism that is different than the first state. 
     
     
         9 . The merchandise security device according to  claim 1 , wherein the lock mechanism defines an interior compartment having electronics disposed therein for operating the lock mechanism with the electrical power transferred by the electronic key, and wherein the indicator is electrically connected to the electronics. 
     
     
         10 . The merchandise security device according to  claim 1 , wherein the indicator is configured to be energized in response to the state of the lock mechanism changing from the locked configuration to the unlocked configuration or from the unlocked configuration to the locked configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The merchandise security device according to  claim 1 , wherein the lock mechanism is electrically passive. 
     
     
         12 . A merchandise security device for a merchandise fixture that protects merchandise from theft, comprising:
 a lock housing configured to be affixed to the merchandise fixture, the lock housing comprising a lock mechanism that is movable between an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration or between the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration, the lock housing comprising an indicator for indicating a state of the lock mechanism; and   an electronic key for transferring electrical power to operate the lock mechanism between the unlocked configuration and the locked configuration, wherein the indicator is configured to be energized in response to the lock mechanism receiving electrical power from the electronic key.   
     
     
         13 . The merchandise security device according to  claim 12 , wherein the electronic key is configured to transfer electrical power to the lock mechanism by inductive transfer. 
     
     
         14 . The merchandise security device according to  claim 12 , wherein the electronic key is configured to be programmed with a security code and communicate the security code with the lock mechanism by wireless communication. 
     
     
         15 . The merchandise security device according to  claim 14 , wherein the electronic key is configured to communicate the security code with the lock mechanism by infrared (IR) optical transmission. 
     
     
         16 . The merchandise security device according to  claim 12 , wherein the lock housing defines an interior compartment having electronics disposed therein for operating the lock mechanism with the electrical power transferred by the electronic key, and wherein the indicator is electrically connected to the electronics. 
     
     
         17 . The merchandise security device according to  claim 12 , wherein the indicator is configured to visually indicate one of a plurality of different states of the lock mechanism in response to the lock mechanism receiving electrical power from the electronic key. 
     
     
         18 . The merchandise security device according to  claim 12 , wherein the indicator is configured to be energized in response to the state of the lock mechanism changing from the locked configuration to the unlocked configuration or from the unlocked configuration to the locked configuration. 
     
     
         19 . A method for protecting merchandise from theft, the method comprising:
 affixing a merchandise security device to a merchandise fixture, the merchandise security device comprising a lock mechanism; and   activating an electronic key to transfer electrical power from an internal source of electrical power to the merchandise security device to operate the lock mechanism between an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration or between the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration, wherein the lock comprises an indicator for indicating a state of the lock mechanism, and wherein the indicator is configured to be energized in response to the lock mechanism receiving electrical power from the electronic key.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the indicator is configured to be energized in response to the state of the lock mechanism changing from the locked configuration to the unlocked configuration or from the unlocked configuration to the locked configuration.