Drink locking unit

Abstract

A drink locking unit providing a means of temporarily blocking off and securing the contents of a previously opened common commercial drinking vessel against the harm of inconspicuous social event drink lacing and the subsequent dangers of drug rape/drug robbery and comprising a shaft (4) activated expandable plug (3) which can be secured in the expanded position within the drinking vessel's orifice (2) by a shaft position locking mechanism (38) and a key (7).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable.

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable.

(2) BACKGROUND—FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a Drink Locking Unit suitable for inserting in, and safely securing of, the open drinking orifice of any previously opened common commercial drinking vessel. The function of the Drink Locking Unit is to PREVENT the inconspicuous introduction of an illegal party Drug/Pill/Powder/Liquid such as GHB or Rohypnol into the unguarded, open drinking orifice of an owner's previously opened, partially full, common commercial drinking vessel by predatory persons having an intent to lace the drink and illegally gain control and eventually assault/rob/drug rape the inattentive, distracted, or temporarily absent drinking vessel's owner.

For the purposes of this application the shapes of common commercial drinking vessels are classified as follows:

• • Class A. Snap-top, twist top, glass/plastic bottles containing beer, soda, juice, iced coffee, iced tea, etc., and screw-top pure drinking water bottles.
  • Class B. Certain bulbous bar drinking glasses such as brandy snifters or modern champagne glasses, and some bulbous tulip shapes of red table wine drinking glasses.
  • Class C. Owner refillable screw or snap topped plastic domestic juice containers,
  • Class D. Flip top metal cans containing soda/beer/juice/ice tea/ice coffee etc.

(3) BACKGROUND—DISCUSSION OF PRIOR ART RELATING TO SOCIAL EVENT ANTI DRINK-LACING/DRUG RAPE/DRUG ROBBERY ACTIVITIES

3.1 Prior art relating to the protection of a social drinker against inconspicuous social drink lacing by any potential drug rape/drug robbery predator consists of the following three methods

• • Method A. By the social drink owner replacing the drinking vessel's originally removed cork or press-on or screw cap, in order to close-off the open drinking vessel's orifice. For bottles with snap-off/twist-off metal caps, various easily removable plastic press-on/press-off replacement caps are also available. In both these examples the original cork, or replacement snap on plastic cap can be easily removed by a predator, the drink laced and the cork or cap replaced without the knowledge of the inattentive or temporarily absent drink owner. The laced drink is identical in appearance and taste to the unlaced drink. The drink contents are not secured. In the cases of bar glasses and opened flip top metal beverage cans there is, at present, no practical or commercially available device which could be used in a safety seeking attempt to close-off and secure the vessel's already opened drinking orifice from lacing by others during the owner's temporary absence.
  • Method B. The Buddy system. Having a Buddy watch over the previously opened drinking vessel during the owner's temporary absence. This method is only as reliable as is the Buddy doing the watching. The Buddy could be a friend, or the barman, or even turn out to be an adjacent sexual predator. The drink contents are not secured.
  • Method C. Devices which allow the social drink owner to attempt to chemically analyze his/her drink contents, after being absent from the open drink's location, and prior to resumption of drinking, using a chemically impregnated indicator which changes color in the presence of a drink contaminated with a lacing agent. Such devices are similar in practice to the well known “litmus test” procedures taught in school chemistry classes. The devices are available in various forms such as straws or coaster mats containing portions of a lacing chemical indicator. These “litmus test” category devices do not in any way attempt to secure the drink contents of the previously opened vessel. They rely solely on the ability of the drink owner to effectively carry out the color test analysis prior to resuming drinking. Once the test has been completed they then require a follow up decision by the drink owner as to whether the test indication is clearly positive or negative and then whether or not to drink or flush the unfinished drink away. They suffer from the lack of visual clarity at the critical color change point. This lack of visual clarity is further exacerbated by:
    • (a) The poor lighting frequently present in most social drinking environments and
    • (b) The basic color of the drink liquid influencing the perceived color change test result
      Both of these factors make the deciphering of the color change test difficult to interpret. Rather than preventing a social drinker from consuming a laced drink these devices can obscure the real issue at hand in that they often tend to provide the drink owner with a false sense of security by reasoning that any apparently borderline test case is probably okay to drink rather than flushing away and purchasing another fresh drink. The drink contents are not secured.

3.2 Conclusion. None of the currently available methods are able to offer the social drinker effective “lace free security” against determined, criminal minded, drug equipped, “new acquaintances” or adjacent social strangers. Such drug oriented people are now becoming frequent predators at many of today's social partying/dancing/drinking events.

(4) OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

(4.1) The Drink Locking Unit is an anti-drug safety device aimed at providing any responsible social/party group drinker with a simple and definitive means of protecting his/her previously opened drink from inconspicuous social event drink lacing and the probable follow-on personal dangers of drug rape/drug robbery.

(4.2) The Drink Locking Unit can be placed into the open orifice in the top of an owner's previously opened common commercial drinking vessel and then easily locked in position by the drink owner. Access to the drinking vessel orifice and to the vessel contents is then blocked.

The locking mechanism of the installed Drink Locking Unit may be activated by either

• • (a) A locking/unlocking mechanism, utilizing a conventional tumbler lock and a dedicated mechanical key, or
  • (b) A locking/unlocking mechanism utilizing an owner memorized symbol combination sequence setting dial, or
  • (c) An electric battery energized locking/unlocking mechanism receiving an electric battery energized remote wireless owner coded signal, or
  • (d) A locking/unlocking mechanism utilizing an owner memorized multi-keyhole location combination and a common mechanical key.

(4.3) Once secured with a Drink Locking Unit, the previously opened drinking vessel and its contents may be left socially unattended by the owner without incurring the threat of inconspicuous drink lacing by other attendees at a social event. Upon return to the secured drinking vessel's standing location, the drink owner is able to easily open the lock and remove the Drink Locking Unit from the vessel's orifice, thus rendering the secured vessel's contents accessible for safe drinking again.

(4.4) The Drink Locking Unit serves as:

• • (a) A guard of the purity of the drink contents of an unattended previously opened, common commercial drinking vessel.
  • (b) A drink tampering/lacing attempt indicator.
  • (c) A drink lacing deterrent.

The Drink Locking Unit does not need to be of a “Fort Knox” security level in order to be effective. In the past, all locking practice has necessitated locks to be made physically strong in order to prevent the lock from being forced or destroyed, prior to the vessel or chamber being opened and the contents stolen. In the case of the Drink Locking Unit, the vessel's contents are essentially worthless and not worth stealing. The value of the Drink Locking Unit lies not in its strength or ability to prevent the vessel's contents from being stolen but in its ability to successfully indicate to the drink owner whether or not a surreptitious attempt has been made to gain access to, and possibly violate rather than steal, the vessel's contents. This is demonstrated by considering any of the following three typical social event drink lacing attempt scenarios:

• • (4.4.1) Should a potential drug rape/drug robbery assailant attack a “locked in” Drink Locking Unit and attempt to forcefully tear it from the common commercial drinking vessel's orifice prior to introducing a lacing agent into the drink contents, the appearance of the now damaged Drink Locking Unit and/or distorted attached drinking vessel will be of sufficient visible indication to alert the returning drink owner to the clear possibility that his/her drink has, in his/her absence, been tampered with and is now unsafe to drink and should be flushed away.
  • (4.4.2) Should a potential drug rape assailant substitute (switch) the owner's locked drinking vessel with another similar in appearance but unlocked and drug laced drinking vessel during the owner's absence—the returning owner will be alerted to the switching activity by the fact that (a) The lock on the switched drinking vessel is already open and has been picked/tampered with, or (b) The opening combination is different from what the owner knows as his/her memorized opening combination. If any of the above two conditions prevail the drink owner can quickly and easily deduce that the drink is now unsafe to drink and therefore should be flushed away.
  • (4.4.3) The visible fact, that an absent drink owner has taken the trouble to installed a Drink Locking Unit on his/her drinking vessel to protect against unauthorized access to the vessel's contents, will provide a potential drug rape/robbery predator with sufficient incentive to leave the drink owner's drink alone and search elsewhere for an easier victim.

In these and similar cases, the Drink Locking Unit is able to provide, for the first time, a device capable of preventing the drink owner from unwittingly consuming a laced drink and becoming the subject of yet another drug rape/robbery crime.

(5) DRAWINGS

Drawing 1 of 8

FIG. 1. General Arrangement Drawing of Drink Locking Unit.

Drawing 2 of 8

FIG. 2. Sectional view of Type 1 Drink Locking Unit in a Class A, B, or C, common commercial drinking vessel in the inserted but as yet unlocked position.

FIG. 3. Sectional view of Type 1 Drink Locking Unit in a Class A, B, or C, common commercial drinking vessel in the inserted and locked position.

Drawing 3 of 8

FIG. 4. Sectional view of Type 2 Drink Locking Unit in a Class D common commercial drinking vessel in the inserted and locked position.

FIG. 5. Sectional-Plan immediately above the opened drinking orifice of a Class D common commercial drinking vessel.

Drawing 4 of 8

FIG. 6. Lockable Shaft for Type 1 Drink Locking Unit.

FIG. 7. Sectional-Plan view of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8. Lockable Shaft for Type 2 Drink Locking Unit.

FIG. 9. Side view of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10. Sectioned plan of FIG. 9.

Drawing 5 of 8

FIG. 15. Example of a Multi-Story Locking Mechanism having THREE Stories and utilizing TWO Sliding Locking Tumblers (36A, 36B.) and ONE Sliding Decoy Tumbler (37).

Drawing 6 of 8

FIG. 20. Keyhole Orientation Option one, Potent Keyholes—Locking K1 Unlocking K4.

FIG. 21. Keyhole Orientation Option two, Potent keyholes—Locking K2. Unlocking K5

FIG. 22. Keyhole Orientation Option three, Potent keyholes—Locking K3. Unlocking K6

FIG. 23. Keyhole Orientation Option four, Potent keyholes—Locking K4. Unlocking K1

FIG. 24. Keyhole Orientation Option five, Potent keyholes—Locking K5. Unlocking K2

FIG. 25. Keyhole Orientation Option six, Potent keyholes—Locking K6. Unlocking K3

Drawing 7 of 8

FIG. 30. Locking Operation—Sliding Locking Tumbler in unlocked position. Common Key in ready position.

FIG. 31. Locking Operation—Common Key pushes Sliding Locking Tumbler towards center of lock in which position it restrains the Lockable Shaft.

FIG. 32. Locking Operation—Sliding Locking Tumbler in final locked position. Common Key has been withdrawn. All keyholes, both potent and impotent, around the perimeter of the lock are now visually indistinguishable and of equal depth.

FIG. 33 Unlocking Operation—Sliding Locking Tumbler in locked position. Common Key in ready position.

FIG. 34 Unlocking Operation—Common Key pushes Sliding Locking Tumbler towards perimeter of lock.

FIG. 35 Unlocking Operation—Sliding Locking Tumbler in final unlocked position. Common Key has been withdrawn. Lockable Shaft is now free to move to contract the Expandable Plug components, thus permitting an owner to remove the Drink Locking Unit from the drinking vessel's orifice.

Drawing 8 of 8

FIG. 36 Typical Story keyhole arrangement for a four keyhole configuration.

FIG. 37 Typical Story keyhole arrangement for a six keyhole configuration.

FIG. 38 Typical Story keyhole arrangement for a eight keyhole configuration.

(6) LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

• 1 A typical previously opened common commercial drinking vessels as identified in Classes A thru. D.
• 2 Drinking orifice of drinking vessel.
• 3 Expandable Plug/Platform.
• 4 Lockable Shaft.
• 5 Lockable Shaft operating Knob or Handle.
• 6 Shaft Position Locking Mechanism.
• 7 Key capable of activating Shaft Position Locking Mechanism.
• 8 Mechanical fasteners which secure components together.
• 9 Sliding Blocks.
• 10 Elastic Loop.
• 11 Typical keyhole
• 30A, 30B, 30C, Story Discs.
• 31 Top Story Disc having keyhole column position marking symbols indicated on it.
• 34A, 34B, 34C, 34D, 34E, 34F. Tumbler Guide Spacers.
• 36A, 36B. Sliding Locking Tumblers.
• 37 Sliding Decoy Tumbler.

(7) SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The Drink Locking Unit is a simple to operate, conveniently sized device which is able to secure the contents of a previously opened common commercial drinking vessel belonging to a temporarily absent or otherwise inattentive drink owner. The Drink Locking Unit thus provides the social drinker with the means to remain safely immune from the possibility of becoming just another social event drug rape/drug robbery statistic.

(8) DETAILED DESCRIPTION—MAIN EMBODIMENT

8.1 Contents of the Drink Locking Unit.

The Drink Locking Unit consists of three interconnected sub-units (reference numerals 3, 4, 6.—page 10) For consistency and ease of later operational description purposes these three sub-units are addressed sequentially in order from the lowest sub-unit up through the topmost sub-unit. The three integrated sub units of the Drink Locking Unit are as follows:

• • (8.1.1) An Expandable Plug/Platform. The lowest sub-unit. The sub-unit which enters, blocks and, when activated by other sub-units, is able to be mechanically anchored by the owner into a common commercial drinking vessel's previously opened drinking orifice.
  • (8.1.2) A Lockable Shaft which provides the owner with control of the anchor/release movement of the Expandable Plug/Platform and which also interfaces with, and can be secured in a fixed position by a Shaft Position Locking Mechanism
  • (8.1.3) A Shaft Position Locking Mechanism which, in conjunction with its key, or memorized combination arrangement, permits the drink owner to lock or unlock the Lockable Shaft in such a position as to activate the Expandable Plug/Platform and secure it in, or release it from, the drinking orifice of the previously opened common commercial drinking vessel.

The shape (but not the function) of any of the above three interconnected sub-units within any specific model of the Drink Locking Unit may vary in order to match up and mate with the various shapes and/or diameters of the drinking orifices popular amongst the vast array of common commercial drinking vessels currently used in today's social/partying/drinking circuits. The lower end portion of the Lockable Shaft which activates the Expandable Plug components may be of such a shape that the motion as necessary to expand the plug can be any motional variety of (a) pull up, (b) press down, or (c) rotate, or any combination of these motions.

8.2 Configuring the Expandable Plug/Platform Component to Fit the Various Opened Orifice Shapes of Previously Opened, Common Commercial Drinking Vessels.

The drinking orifice shapes of the majority of common commercial drinking vessels can be accommodated by using either of two dimensionally different shaped configurations of the Expandable Plug/Platform.

(8.2.1) A Type 1 Drink Locking Unit.

A Type 1 Drink Locking Unit is configured to service those common commercial drinking vessels having circular, flat top drinking orifices such as:

• • Class A. Snap-top, twist top, glass/plastic bottles containing beer, soda, juice, iced coffee, iced tea, etc., and screw-top pure drinking water bottles.
  • Class B. Certain bulbous bar drinking glasses such as brandy snifters or modern champagne glasses, and some bulbous tulip shapes of red table wine drinking glasses.
  • Class C. Owner refillable screw or circular snap topped plastic domestic juice containers.

(8.2.2) A Type 2 Drink Locking Unit.

A Type 2 Drink Locking Unit is configured to service those common commercial drinking vessels listed as Class D i.e. Flip top metal cans containing soda, beer, juice, iced tea, iced coffee, or energy drinks, all of which have eccentric oval/kidney/or equivalent shaped sharp edged metal drinking orifices.

(9) Physical Description of Components of the Drink Locking Unit.

(9.1) The Expandable Plug/Platform.

A plug component of sufficient length and suitable cross sectional shape as necessary to accommodate and block off physical access to the open orifice in the top of the previously opened common commercial drinking vessel selected to be secured. In order to accommodate the above noted two (8.2.1 and 8.2.2) significantly different drinking orifice shape groups existing in today's common commercial drinking vessel market place (i.e. Class A through. C vessels, and Class D vessels) it is necessary to consider two different plug configurations. Each plug configuration has a different top platform and, cross sectional plug shape as necessary to mate with the top surface shapes and orifices shapes of these significantly different drinking vessel groups.

On a vertical axis passing through either of the above Expandable Plug/Platform components is a hole of suitable dimension to permit the movement of the lower end of the Lockable Shaft.

In both Type 1 and Type 2 Drink Locking Units the plug component is of sufficient length to reach through the drinking orifice of the opened common commercial drinking vessel and reach down to a section of the vessel neck or top that is larger in cross section than the vessel drinking orifice. The plug internal volume is of sufficient volume to house one part of a wedge mechanism located in the lower part of the plug. Once the plug has been inserted through the drinking orifice, the plug configuration is such that it can, by the owner's manual movement of an adjacent Lockable Shaft, be enlarged in shape as necessary to anchor the Expandable Plug in place beneath the drinking orifice perimeter.

The Expandable Plug/Platform comprises

• • (a) A Platform. A platform component which adequately covers and restricts access to the top of the drinking vessel orifice,
  • (b) A Plug. A plug component of similar cross sectional shape to the vessel orifice into which it is designed to fit. The plug component contains a securing mechanism which allows the inserted part of the plug below the drinking vessel's orifice perimeter to be expanded in shape and secured, by the owner's manual movement of the Lockable Shaft's Handle (5). The expandable portion of the plug, being below and in a larger cross section of the drinking vessel than the orifice, can be expanded and thus becomes secured beneath the drinking vessel's orifice.

The anchoring mechanism within the Expandable Plug/Platform comprises guide holes which pass through the lower part of the plug and house Sliding Block(s) (9).

• • (c) Sliding Blocks. The cross section of each block matches the female cross section of the guide holes in the plug body and each block is able to slide in its guide hole.

The inner end face of each block interfaces with, and is able to be moved by, the lower face of the Lockable Shaft. The outer end of each block interfaces with the neck or underside of the top of the drinking vessel. There are sufficient Sliding Blocks to securely anchor the plug in the drinking vessel orifice.

Sliding Block material may be:

• • (i) stiff, solid material which does not change cross sectional shape when subject to the locked position horizontal longitudinal compression force generated between the Lockable Shaft and the inner neck surface of the drinking vessel, or
  • (ii) an elastic material (low Young's Modulus) which can increase its transverse cross section when subject to a locked position horizontal longitudinal compressive force as results from compressing the block between the Lockable Shaft and the inner neck surface of the drinking vessel. Any resulting increase in Sliding Block cross section within its guide will cause the Sliding Block to bind in its guide and further improve the ability of the block to remain in its locked position.

(d) An Elastic Loop (10). An elastic band or flexible spring tension chord surrounds the periphery of the plug in such a way as to pressure the Sliding Blocks to remain as centrally close together as possible as they slide in the guide hole(s) within the plug and thus permit easy withdrawal of the unlocked Expandable Plug/Platform from the drinking vessel orifice.

(9.1.1) Expandable Plug/Platform of the Type 1 Drink Locking Unit

The platform component is of such a shape as to cover the top of the drinking vessel. The Expandable Plug component of the Type 1 Drink Locking Unit has a circular cross section as necessary to match, pass through and mate with the common commercial drinking vessels that have circular shaped glass/plastic drinking orifices of the typical bottle neck variety.

(9.1.2)) Expandable Plug/Platform of the Type 2 Drink Locking Unit

The platform component is of such a shape as to cover the top of the drinking vessel. The Expandable Plug component of the Type 2 Drink Locking Unit is off-set from the center of the platform and has an oval/kidney shaped cross section as necessary to match, pass through and mate with the Class D flip top can, off-set, oval/kidney shaped, sharp edge, metal drinking orifice.

(9.2) The Lockable Shaft.

Length. The Lockable Shaft has sufficient length to permit its lower male wedge shaped or cam shaped end to engage the Sliding Blocks in the expandable plug and, when activated by the owner, to move them outwards.

The lower end. The lower wedge/cam shaped end is of such a shape that the Lockable Shaft movement to activate and expand the Sliding Blocks in an outwards motion can be any of the (a) pull up, (b) press down or (c) rotate, motions or any combination of these motions.

The mid portion. The mid portion of the Lockable Shaft is shaped to contain rings, grooves, holes, helixes or lugs or any combination of rings, grooves, holes, helixes or lugs as necessary to enable typical Sliding Tumblers (36 or 37) of the Shaft Position Locking Mechanism to engage with the Lockable Shaft and, depending on the position of its sliding tumblers, secure it in the locked, or release it to the unlocked position.

The top end. The top end of the Lockable Shaft protrudes vertically up above all other unit components and functions as the operator's manual lock/unlock operating Handle or Knob (5).

(9.4) The Shaft Position Locking Mechanism.

The Shaft Position Locking Mechanism is a locking system located above, and secured by fasteners (8) to, the top surface of the Expandable Plug/Platform component with which it interfaces and which allows the sliding or rotating Lockable Shaft to be manually locked or unlocked in a desired position by the Drink Locking Unit's owner.

The Lockable Shaft locking requirement may be achieved by using any of the following:

• • (9.4.1.) A conventional tumbler locking/unlocking single keyhole system activated by a dedicated key,
  • (9.4.2.) A conventional tumbler locking/unlocking system activated by an owner memorized sequenced symbol combination input.
  • (9.4.3.) An electric battery energized locking/unlocking system activated by receipt of an input signal from (a) an electric battery energized remote wireless transmitter or (b) an electronically readable access card.
  • (9.4.4) A low cost “Multi-Story” locking/unlocking mechanism utilizing, multi-keyholes, an owner memorized keyhole location combination, sliding tumblers and a common key.

Locking mechanisms examples (9.4.1.), (9.4.2) and (9.4.3). above, are commonly available locking systems. Each of these three systems is capable of providing the locking means for the Drink Locking Unit's Lockable Shaft. These locking mechanisms are able to interface with rings, grooves, holes, helixes or lugs or any combination of rings, grooves, holes, helixes or lugs on a shaft and prevent the appropriate movement of the shaft as is necessary to lock it in a place. Each is capable of being adapted to serve the purpose of the Drink Locking Unit's locking requirements and can, if selected, be incorporated as part of the overall Drink Locking Unit's design. All these locks are in the public domain and as such their functions will not be described further in this application.

Description of a preferred “Multi-Story” Locking Mechanism.(9.4.4)

The Multi-Story Locking Mechanism is an owner re-settable combination, low cost means of mechanically locking the movement of a shaft, in this case the Lockable Shaft (4) utilizing:

• • (a) Multiple (potent/impotent) keyholes (rather than the conventional single keyhole locking systems currently available in the public domain), and
  • (b) Sliding tumblers, and
  • (c) An owner selected and memorized, keyhole combination symbol opening/closing system, and
  • (d) A common key, (fits and is usable in other similar keyhole shaped multi-story locks) rather than the dedicated key applicable to conventional single keyhole type locks. Covered in 9.4 1

The Multi-Story Locking Mechanism is shown on FIGS. 15, 20-25, and 30-38 and described below.

(9.4.1.1) The Multi-Story Locking Mechanism has six major components:

• • (a) Story Discs.(30, 31)
  • (b) Tumbler Guides/Spacers. (34)
  • (c) Sliding Locking Tumblers. (36)
  • (d) Sliding Decoy Tumblers. (37)
  • (e) Fasteners (Bolts, Nuts, Rivets etc.) as necessary to sandwich and secure components together. (8)
  • (f) Common Key (7) as necessary to lock/unlock a typical Multi Story Locking Mechanism.

(a) Story Discs. Story Discs are of even thickness and have a periphery which may be circular, irregular, or polygon in shape. At the center of each Story Disc is a hole of sufficient size to accept the sliding Lockable Shaft. Near the periphery of each Story Disc are holes to accept the Fasteners used to sandwich the Expandable Plug/Platform and Multi-Story Locking Mechanism components together. All Story discs within any given lock unit can be identical or non-identical in identifying perimeter shape, symbol marking, color, or texture as may be desired for operating or commercial marketing purposes.

(b) Tumbler Tumbler Guides/Spacers are of even thickness as necessary Guides/Spacers to provide vertical spacing between the Story Discs and are of such a shape:

• • (b.1) As to provide sliding guidance and end movement restraint to either a Sliding Locking or a Sliding Decoy, Tumbler, and
  • (b.2) As to provide keyholes, both potent and impotent, and all of which are identical in appearance to a lock picker once the Tumbler Guide Spacers become sandwiched between the top and bottom Story Discs.

(c) Sliding Locking A Sliding Locking Tumbler is of an even thickness, and this Tumbler thickness is slightly less than the thickness of the Tumbler Guide Spacers. The clearance thickness ensures that the top and bottom surfaces of the Sliding Locking Tumbler slide easily between the above and below Story Discs surfaces. The two longest edges of the Sliding Locking Tumbler slide between the corresponding edges of the Tumbler Guide/Spacers. The end movements of the Sliding Tumblers are limited by the Tumbler Guide/Spacers. The Sliding Locking Tumbler has an irregular Lockable Plunger Shaft interference/none-interference hole near its center. The hole functions in either of two slide positions:

• • (c.1) Lock position. When the Locking Tumbler is slid into the lock position, the perimeter of the hole adjacent to the rings, grooves, holes, helixes or lugs of the Lockable Shaft is of such a shape as to restrain the movement of the Lockable Shaft and maintain its position within the overall Drink Locking Unit.
  • (c.2) Unlock position. When the Locking Tumbler is placed in the unlock position, the perimeter of the hole is such that it does not interfere with the movement of the Lockable Shaft.

(d) Sliding Decoy A Sliding Decoy Tumbler is similar in form to the Sliding Locking Tumbler Tumbler except that its Lockable Shaft interference/none interference hole is reversed in operating position to that of a Sliding Locking Tumbler. When the Owner uses the Drink Locking Unit a Sliding Decoy Tumbler remains untouched in the same unlocked, none interference, position during all of the owner's locking/unlocking activities.

• • • A Sliding Decoy Tumbler only comes into play as an additional safety locking function when an illegitimate person, other than the Drink Locking Unit's owner, attempts to pick, decipher, or tamper with, the lock using a common Key. When pushed with a common Key, by a lock picker, the Sliding Decoy Tumbler moves from the unlock, to the lock, position. The function of the Sliding Decoy Tumbler is covered in detail in section 10.4.

(e) Fasteners Bolts, Nuts, Rivets etc. secure the sandwiched layers of the Drink Locking Unit together.

(f) Common Key The common Key (7) is a simple strut piece suitably shaped to fit into any one of the Multi Story Locking Mechanism's keyholes. When inserted into a potent keyhole the Common Key is able to push a Sliding Locking Tumbler or a Sliding Decoy Tumbler from its existing position to its alternate position. When the common Key is pushed into an impotent keyhole, lock picking time is wasted, the Key is ineffective and is unable to influence or make any changes to the overall locking mechanism's condition.

(9.4.2.) Physical Assembly of the Multi-Story Locking Mechanism.

Consider first the physical arrangement of the “first story” of the Multi-Story Locking Mechanism as shown in FIG. 15.

• • (a) The bottom Story Disc (30A) is the horizontal floor of the system and is secured to the Expandable Plug/Platform (3) by a number of radially located vertical Fasteners (8) which pass up through it.
  • (b) Placed onto these Fasteners and resting on top of the Story Disc (30A) are two Tumbler Guide/Spacers (34A&B) arranged in such a way as to allow them to act as restraining guides to a Sliding Locking Tumbler (36A) which can slide between them and on top of the Story Disc (30A).
  • (c) The Tumbler Guide/ Spacers (34A, 34B.) and the Sliding Locking Tumbler (36A) are held in their plane and prevented from moving vertically by placing a second Story Disc (30B) onto and down the Fasteners (8) to form the ceiling of the first story and the floor of the second story of the Multi-Story Locking System.
  • (d) The Sliding Locking Tumbler (36A) being slightly thinner than the Tumbler Guide Spacer is able to be slid along its horizontal movement axis by inserting a common Key (7) into the appropriate keyhole and pushing the tumbler to its alternate position along its sliding axis, all as per FIG. 30, 31, and 32.
  • (e) The restrictive shaped hole in each Sliding Locking Tumbler which, in one position is able to allow the Lockable Shaft to move freely and in the other position interferes with the rings, grooves, holes, helixes, or lugs on the Lockable Shaft in such a way as to restrict its movement.
  • (f) The Sliding Locking Tumbler is able to be moved back from its alternate position to its original position by inserting the common Key (7) into a diametrically opposite keyhole to that originally used in 9.4.2 (d) and then pushing the Sliding Locking Tumbler back along its sliding axis to its original position all as per FIG. 33, 34, 35.
  • (g) The second story components are similar to the first story components. The Tumbler Guide/Spacers (34C, 34D) governing the sliding axis of the next story of the Sliding Locking Tumbler may be indexed similarly or differently from the sliding axial orientation of the first story.
  • (h) The Tumbler Guide/ Spacers (34C, 34D) and the Sliding Decoy Tumbler (37) are held in their plane and prevented from moving vertically by a third Story Disc (30C) which forms the ceiling of the second story and the floor of the third story. The functioning of Sliding Decoy Tumblers is covered in detail in Section 10.4.
  • (i) The third and subsequent story components are similar to the first and second story components. Any pair of Tumbler Guide/Spacers (34) governing the sliding axis of any Sliding Locking Tumbler (36) (or a Sliding Decoy Tumbler 37—see section 10.4) may be axially indexed the same as, or different from, the axial orientation used for any other pair of Tumbler Guide/Spacers in each of the other stories as indicated by FIG. 20 through FIG. 25.
  • (j) There may be any number of stories in the overall locking system.
  • (k) Sliding Decoy Tumblers (37) may, in one or more stories, be substituted for Sliding Locking Tumblers (36) in order to enhance the overall lock picking resistance of the lock system.
  • (l) The periphery of the Tumbler/Guide Spacers are shaped to generate multiple impotent keyholes between the story discs as a means of improving the combination option complexity and security of the lock and hence increase the time taken to decipher and pick the lock. There may be any number of keyholes created by the periphery shapes of the Tumbler Guide Spacers. Examples are given in FIG. 36, 37, and 38.
  • (m) The topmost Story Disc (31) sandwiching the combined stories of the Shaft Position Locking Mechanism between itself and the Expandable Plug/Platform (3) is secured by fasteners (8). The fastener function may be integrated into the topmost Story Disc or be independent of it. This top Story Disc may incorporate symbols or colors as is necessary to permit the owner identify the various relevant and memorized potent keyholes specific to the overall Multi-Story Locking Mechanism being used.

(10) Operation—Main Embodiment

(10.1) The Expandable Plug/Platform.

Each of the two Expandable Plug/Platform configurations, as used in the Types 1 and 2 Drink Locking Units are shaped as necessary to fit the two significantly different marketed common commercial drinking vessels. Both operate in the same manner as described below.

(10.1.1) Operating Means of Securing the Drink Locking Unit in the Common Commercial Drinking Vessel's Previously Opened Orifice.

After inserting the Expandable Plug/Platform component of the Drink Locking Unit in the orifice of the common commercial drinking vessel the overall shape of the Expandable Plug can be changed by manually moving the top of the Lockable Shaft and consequently moving the wedge shaped lower end of the Lockable Shaft against the Sliding Blocks in the plug. This action causes the Sliding Blocks to move outwards and against or beneath the orifice of the common commercial drinking vessel. The so positioned Lockable shaft is then secured in this position by inserting the common Key into the appropriate keyhole and pushing one or more Sliding Locking Tumblers of the Shaft Position Locking Mechanism in such a direction as to interface with the rings, grooves, holes, helixes, or lugs and to prevent the Lockable Shaft from moving.

(10.1.2) Operating Means of Releasing the Anchored Expandable Plug/Platform of the Drink Locking Unit from the Common Commercial Drinking Vessel's Orifice.

The plug is released/unanchored from the open common commercial drinking vessel's orifice by inserting the common Key into the appropriate keyhole and pushing the Sliding Locking Tumblers in such a direction as to free up the Lockable Shaft. Once freed, the owner can manually move the Lockable Shaft by its Handle (5) in such a way as to allow the Sliding Blocks to be returned to their central position by the restoring force of the extended Elastic Loop surrounding them. The Drink Locking Unit's plug can now be withdrawn from the common commercial drinking vessel's orifice.

(10.2) The Owner's Means of Applying and Locking the Drink Locking Unit onto a Previously Opened Common Commercial Drinking Vessel.

Step—“One”

Insert the contracted Expandable Plug/Platform end of the Drink Locking Unit into the drinking vessel's orifice.

Step—“Two”

Move the top end of the Lockable Shaft into the locked position and manually hold it there. The Expandable Plug/Platform is now expanded beneath the open common commercial social drinking vessel's orifice.

Step—“Three”

Sequentially insert the common Key (7) into each of the previously owner memorized potent keyholes harboring Sliding Locking Tumblers (36) and push each Sliding Locking Tumbler from its non-interference with the Lockable Shaft position, to its interference with the Lockable Shaft position (as per FIG. 30,31,32.) The Tumblers now hold the Lockable Shaft in the locked position.

Step—“Four”

Release the manual hold (from Step Two) and put the common key in a safe place. Having carried out the four locking steps the Drink Locking Unit is now secured on the drinking vessel.

(10.3)) The Owner's Means of Releasing the Locked Drink Locking Unit from the top of a Previously Opened Common Commercial Drinking Vessel.

Release Step “One.”

Insert the common Key (7) into each of the diametrically opposite and previously owner memorized keyholes that harbor Sliding Locking Tumblers (36) and push each Sliding Locking Tumbler from its interference to its non-interference position with the Lockable Shaft (as per FIGS. 33, 34, and 35). The Lockable Shaft is now free to move.

Release Step “Two”

Move the Knob of the Lockable Shaft (5) into the release plug position. The Expandable Plug/Platform's securing action beneath the open common commercial social drinking vessel's orifice is released.

Release Step “Three”

Remove the Drink Locking Unit from the drinking orifice of the open common commercial drinking vessel.

Having carried out the three release steps the drinking vessel is now available for drinking use in the owner's customary manner.

(10.4) Functional Purpose of the Sliding Decoy Tumbler

Activity of the Sliding Decoy Tumbler (37) as a means of improving the Multi Story Locking Mechanism's security and further foiling attempts by unauthorized persons to pick and open it is described below:

Depending on the Multi-Story Locking Mechanism's Tumbler Guide Spacer configuration it can have from four to eight or more keyholes per Story as per FIGS. 36, 37, 38. It can also have any practical number of Stories. As an example, this application will consider a typical SIX keyhole per Story (FIG. 37), and a FIVE Story Multi-Story Locking Mechanism configuration.

Such a mechanism will have thirty keyholes (six per story times five stories). Ten (two per Story) of the keyholes will give access to Sliding Tumblers and the remaining twenty keyholes will be impotent. If all of the Tumblers used were Sliding Locking Tumblers, an unauthorized “lock picker” would simply have to sequentially try the common Key into each of the thirty keyholes (i.e. up to thirty straightforward and predictable picking operations) in order to feel the location of, and then, when discovered, push each Story's Sliding Locking Tumbler into its unlocked non-interference position. The lock would then have been successfully picked and the Lockable Shaft could be moved thus permitting the Expandable Plug/Platform component to be withdrawn from the drinking vessel's orifice.

This “thirty pick” operation is not acceptable security against the threat of drink lacing, despite the fact that it would need to be surreptitiously carried out by a lock picker within a crowded social drinking environment.

The number of pick operations as necessary to pick the above example lock may be significantly increased by replacing one (or more) of the Sliding Locking Tumblers (36) with a Sliding Decoy Tumbler(s) (37). A Sliding Decoy Tumbler remains in the un-locked non-interference position until pushed, by a lock picker using a common Key (7), into the interference locking position. The lock picker believing that he/she has found and is pushing a Sliding Locking Tumbler (36) into the un-locked position will, in fact, actually be pushing a Sliding Decoy Tumbler (37) from its unlocked position into the locked position. By this action the Lockable Shaft will remain safely locked even though the other Sliding Locking Tumblers may have been discovered (felt) by the lock picker and then slid into their non-interference (unlocked) positions. At this point in the picking operation the lock picker will have no knowledge as to which of the five (in this example) Sliding Tumblers that he/she has pushed is re-locking and which is un-locking the Lockable Plunger Shaft. By utilizing the concept of substituting one or more Sliding Decoy Tumblers for one or more of the Sliding Locking Tumblers in the original Multi-Story Locking Mechanism, the complexity of the operation required to successfully pick the lock is significantly increased. By this means the Multi-Story Locking Mechanism becomes safely acceptable for use in all predator likely, social drinking, environments whilst still remaining easy and convenient for an owner to use.

In addition to the above, and still considering the example of a Five Story lock, the ratio of use between Sliding Locking, and Sliding Decoy, Tumblers may be varied anywhere from:

• • (a) Four locking Tumblers and One Decoy Tumbler, to
  • (b) Three Locking Tumblers and Two Decoy Tumblers, to
  • (c) Two Locking Tumblers and Three Decoy Tumblers, to
  • (d) One Locking Tumbler and Four Decoy Tumblers.

A potential lock picker ( having no prior knowledge as to which of the above Locking to Decoy Sliding Tumbler ratios has been selected by the owner, and in which Stories, and at what keyhole indexed orientation each has been installed in the owner specific pre-set lock) faces a long and very complex lock picking task.

For Multi-Story Locking Mechanisms having other than the five Story example used above, the ratio of Sliding Locking Tumblers to Sliding Decoy tumblers can also be varied in a similar manner.

Multi-Story Locking Mechanisms utilizing both Sliding Locking and Sliding Decoy Tumblers are easy and quick for an owner (who has memorized and knows the appropriate potent Sliding Locking Tumbler keyhole locations) to lock and unlock while at the same time remaining extremely time consuming for a predator to pick and after picking, return to their original setting (in order to avoid alerting the drink owner to the fact that his/her drink contents have been violated). The Multi-Story Locking Mechanism's degree of complexity ensures that it can be considered safe, secure and acceptable for use as a protective device in all drug rape/drug robbery, predator likely, social drinking environments.

Claims

1-6. (canceled)

7. A method for preventing the inconspicuous party introduction of an illegal party drug/pill/powder/liquid such as ghb, rohypnol, klonopin, ketamine or xanax into the unguarded open drinking orifice of an inattentive or absent owner's previously opened, partially full, common commercial drinking vessel, by predatory persons having the intent to lace contents of said common commercial drinking vessel and thus later illegally gain control of said owner for purposes of assault/robbery/drug rape, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an expandable plug, shaped to be manually insertable into said open drinking orifice of said common commercial drinking vessel, and

(b) inserting said expandable plug into said open drinking orifice, and

(c) blocking off access to said open drinking orifice, and

(d) providing said owner with a manual means to expand and mechanically secure and/or contract and remove said expandable plug in said orifice of said common commercial drinking vessel, and

(e) providing said owner with a means to lock/unlock said expandable plug in position in said orifice of said common commercial drinking vessel by means of a removable key,

whereby said expandable said lockable plug is a means to prevent persons having possession of said illegal party drug/pill/powder/liquid from being able to gain access to and possibly lace said drink of said owner and thus by utilizing said expandable, said lockable plug said owner is able to minimize said owner's vulnerability to common but illegal party acts by others of drink lacing and subsequent acts of assault/robbery/drug rape.