Alcohol-Sensitive Safety Locking Mechanism

Abstract

A firearm configured to be selectively discharged by a user is disclosed. The firearm includes a frame including a body portion, a grip, and a trigger guard extending from the body portion to the grip and defining a trigger space therebetween. The firearm further includes a firing mechanism including a trigger, the firing mechanism being disposed at least partially within the frame so that the trigger extends downwardly into the trigger space. The firearm further includes a locking mechanism having a blood alcohol sensor configured to determine or approximate a blood alcohol content of the user based on alcohol within perspiration of the user and a lock assembly configured to receive a control signal that is based on the determined or approximated blood alcohol content of the user. The lock assembly is configured to enable and disable the firing mechanism based upon the received control signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A firearm configured to be selectively discharged by a user, comprising:
 a frame including a body portion, a grip, and a trigger guard extending from the body portion to the grip and defining a trigger space therebetween;   a firing mechanism including a trigger, the firing mechanism being disposed at least partially within the frame so that the trigger extends downwardly into the trigger space; and   a locking mechanism comprising:
 a blood alcohol sensor configured to determine or approximate a blood alcohol content of the user based on alcohol within perspiration of the user; and 
 a lock assembly configured to receive a control signal that is based on the determined or approximated blood alcohol content of the user, wherein the lock assembly is configured to enable and disable the firing mechanism based upon the received control signal. 
   
     
     
         2 . The firearm of  claim 1 , where in the lock assembly is selectively movable between a first state in which the firing mechanism is enabled and a second state in which the firing mechanism is disabled. 
     
     
         3 . The firearm of  claim 2 , wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a battery operably connected to both the blood alcohol sensor and to the lock assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The firearm of  claim 3 , wherein the blood alcohol sensor further comprises a sensing pad configured to contact the user's skin and a processing module for analyzing the alcohol content of the user's perspiration. 
     
     
         5 . The firearm of  claim 4 , wherein the sensing pad of the blood alcohol sensor is disposed on an outer surface of the grip. 
     
     
         6 . The firearm of  claim 3 , further comprising a processing module in communication with the blood alcohol sensor, wherein the processing module is configured to:
 receive a measurement signal corresponding the blood alcohol content of the user; and   send the control signal to the lock assembly when the measurement signal indicates that the blood alcohol content of the user exceeds a threshold value, thereby disabling the firing mechanism.   
     
     
         7 . The firearm of  claim 3 , further comprising a processing module in communication with the blood alcohol sensor, wherein the processing module is configured to:
 receive a measurement signal corresponding the blood alcohol content of the user; and   send the control signal to the lock assembly when the measurement signal indicates that the blood alcohol content of the user is below a threshold value, thereby enabling the firing mechanism.   
     
     
         8 . The firearm of  claim 3 , wherein the lock assembly includes a plunger, wherein the plunger is selectively movable between a first position in which the plunger is withdrawn from the trigger space to a second position in which the plunger extends into the trigger space so that the trigger may not be actuated. 
     
     
         9 . The firearm of  claim 8 , wherein the lock assembly further includes a housing, wherein the plunger is at least partially disposed within the housing, wherein the housing of the lock assembly is mounted to the trigger guard adjacent the grip. 
     
     
         10 . The firearm of  claim 1 , wherein the firearm is one of a handgun or a long gun. 
     
     
         11 . A locking mechanism for use with a firearm including a body portion, a grip, a trigger guard, and a firing mechanism having a trigger, the locking mechanism comprising:
 a blood alcohol sensor configured to determine or approximate a blood alcohol content of a user based on alcohol within perspiration of the user and to produce a measurement signal dependent upon the determined blood alcohol content; and   a lock assembly configured to receive a control signal that is based on the determined or approximated blood alcohol content of the user, wherein the lock assembly is configured to be operably connected to the firearm so that the lock assembly is selectively movable between a first state in which the firing mechanism is enabled and a second state in which the firing mechanism is disabled.   
     
     
         12 . The locking mechanism of  claim 11 , wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a battery operably connected to both the blood alcohol sensor and to the lock assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The locking mechanism of  claim 12 , wherein the blood alcohol sensor further comprises a sensing pad configured to contact the user's skin and a processing module for analyzing the user's perspiration to determine or approximate the blood alcohol content. 
     
     
         14 . The locking mechanism of  claim 13 , wherein the sensing pad of the blood alcohol sensor is disposed on an outer surface of the grip. 
     
     
         15 . The locking mechanism of  claim 13 , further comprising a processing module in communication with the blood alcohol sensor, wherein the processing module is configured to:
 receive the measurement signal from the blood alcohol sensor; and   send the control signal to the lock assembly when the measurement signal indicates that the blood alcohol content of the user exceeds a threshold value, thereby disabling the firing mechanism.   
     
     
         16 . The locking mechanism of  claim 13 , further comprising a processing module in communication with the blood alcohol sensor, wherein the processing module is configured to:
 receive the measurement signal from the blood alcohol sensor; and   send the control signal to the lock assembly when the measurement signal indicates that the blood alcohol content of the user is below a threshold value, thereby enabling the firing mechanism.   
     
     
         17 . The locking mechanism of  claim 13 , wherein the lock assembly further comprises a housing and a plunger that is at least partially disposed within the housing, wherein the housing is mounted to the trigger guard adjacent the grip and the plunger is selectively movable between a first position in which the plunger is withdrawn into the housing to a second position in which the plunger extends into the trigger guard so that the trigger may not be actuated. 
     
     
         18 . The locking mechanism of  claim 11 , wherein the firearm is one of a handgun or a long gun. 
     
     
         19 . A locking mechanism for use with a secured area having a door, the locking mechanism being configured to selectively allow access by a user and comprising:
 a blood alcohol sensor configured to determine or approximate a blood alcohol content of the user based on alcohol within perspiration of the user, wherein the blood alcohol sensor is configured to produce a measurement signal indicative of the determined or approximated blood alcohol content of the user;   a processing module in communication with the blood alcohol sensor and configured to receive the measurement signal from the blood alcohol sensor;   a lock assembly in communication with the processing module, wherein the lock assembly is selectively movable between a first state in which the door cannot be opened and a second state in which the door can be opened,   wherein the processing module is configured to produce a control signal based on the determined or approximated blood alcohol content of the user, and   wherein the lock assembly is configured to move between the first state and the second state based on the control signal.   
     
     
         20 . The locking mechanism of  claim 19 , wherein the secured area is one of a gun case, a gun safe, a lock box, a medication safe, a medication vial, a medication dispensing system, a balcony, or a rooftop.