EP1878862B1 - Locking mechanism for a window sash - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a latch (6) mounted pivotedly on a shutter type leaf (2) between a locking position and an unlocking position in which the latch cooperates with a stop guard. The latch is controlled in rotation around its vertical pivoting axis under the impulsion of a control unit e.g. electric motor, for opening and closing the leaf. A movable stop (15) is pushed back from an active position into an inactive position for releasing the rotation of the latch under the impulsion of the stop guard when the leaf is in closing position.

Description

The invention relates to a locking device for a leaf, such as a swing shutter, a door, a window or the like, comprising a latch pivotally mounted on the leaf, between a locking position and an unlocked position in which the latch is designed able to cooperate with an organ. gripping latch forming a latch, this latch being able to be controlled in rotation about its pivot axis under the influence of control means opening and closing said leaf.

The present invention relates to the field of the closure of the building and relates, more particularly, to a locking device adapted to maintain closed a leaf, such flap shutter or the like.

The present invention will find a particular interest in the case of a leaf controlled by a suitable drive mechanism, whether manual or motorized.

In this regard, we already know many drive devices comprising a manual or motorized drive means for facilitating the control of opening and closing of a shutter type shutter door leaf , gate, door or other.

Thus, for example, it is known training devices comprising an electric motor for the control in rotation of a compass arm designed to act on a flap to automatically control the opening and closing, it is that is to say without it being necessary to open the doors or windows that closes such a shutter.

In a more simplistic design, the electric motor is replaced by a manual device, crank type for controlling the rotation of the aforementioned arm.

In any event, the holding in the closed position of such a flap or leaf is ensured through the manual or motorized training means itself.

Thus, this drive means can be designed irreversibly. In other words, a direct action on the leaf does not make it possible to open it.

It is also known in the context of a motor drive means, to equip the latter with an electromagnetic brake operating by lack of current. Thus, as soon as the motor is turned off, the activated brake prevents any rotation of the leaf.

In the same principle, maintaining a certain pressure in a pneumatic cylinder and / or hydraulic, it can maintain the closing stop the flap on which it intervenes.

Such holding in the closed position through the only manual or motorized drive means often provides only relative safety.

Thus, for example, the compass arm, through which a motor drives a flap, is able to ensure that a localized maintenance of the flap, for example in the lower part or in the upper part.

By acting on this flap in opposition to the action of this arm, particularly during an attempted break-in, it usually has a sufficient lever arm to remove this flap from its frame and allow the introduction a tool to force opening.

Moreover, it is known, by the document FR-A-2717210 , an automatic locking device for a shutter leaf comprising a latch pivotally mounted about a vertical axis of rotation at the front edge and the inner side of the shutter, this of way able to cooperate, in the closed position of the latter with a latch element at the frame of the door or window that closes said flap.

This latch is subjected to elastic return means ensuring its holding in the unlocked position, while control means are designed capable of pushing it in the locking position against the action of the return spring, these control means being substantially defined by a compass arm which, driven by a geared motor, contributes to the control opening and closing said shutter.

More precisely, the geared motor takes position in the frame of the door or window, on the side of the axis of pivoting of the shutter. This motor acts in rotation on one end of the compass arm whose opposite end cooperates with a slide extending horizontally on the inner side of the flap. Thus, starting from the opening position of this flap, under the effect of the control in rotation of the compass arm, the end of the latter moves in said slide towards the front edge of the flap. When it arrives in the closed position, this end of the compass arm escapes from this slide. It then acts, directly or via a control lever, on a strap and a complementary rotation imparted to said arm of compass results in a pull on said strap, also connected to the rocking latch. Under the effect of this traction exerted by said compass arm, the latch is pivotally controlled in the locking direction to ensure the closed retention of the flap.

It is well understood that such a mechanism, although it comes to answer the aforementioned problem, adopts a particularly complex configuration, therefore relative reliability.

Moreover, the interaction between the compass arm and the traction strap acting on the locking latch must be perfectly controlled so that the control of the latch does not intervene, effectively, once the flap folded.

However, precisely, in the final closing phase of this component, the displacement in relative translation of the end of the compass arm in the slide to which reference has been made above, tends to cancel. In other words, when this end of the compass arm comes out of the slide to reach the pull strap or the lever through which it acts on this strap, the shutter is necessarily still ajar and in the closing phase.

It follows from the foregoing that if the system is functional from a theoretical point of view, its implementation is delicate and requires precise adjustments and adjustments. In the field of construction, however, tolerances are often wide and depend on the laying conditions. In particular, it will be noted that the flap and the drive motor of the compass arm are located, independently, around or in the frame of a door or window. Also, the slightest variation in the installation of the hinges on the walls of the construction or engine in the doorway has an influence on the locking conditions of the flap. It is understandable, then, that the adjustments and adjustments can only be the responsibility of the editor, which, therefore, must have skills and a much higher installation time than for a traditional motorized component. Even to take all these precautions, the lock remains random, especially in time, following deformations that are common in this area of construction.

We still know from the document FR-2755463 a similar locking device, except that the latch is not controlled through a strap but a rod operated, again, by the control arm which acts on the leaf, in this case the flap shutter, to open and close the latter. As in the solution of the document described above, at the end of closing stroke, the end of the control arm leaves the slide in which this end moves to actuate the leaf to cooperate with a fork acting on said rod. The latch is again held in the unlocked position by a spring.

The present invention is intended to meet all the aforementioned drawbacks, this through a locking device for leaf of a very simple operation.

The invention also relates to a door leaf locking device, such as a swing shutter, door, window or the like, comprising a latch pivotally mounted on the leaf, between a locking position and an unlocked position in which the latch is designed capable of cooperating. with a gripping member forming a keeper, this latch being able to be controlled in rotation about its pivot axis under the impulse of control means for opening and closing said leaf, characterized in that it comprises a movable stop definable able to be pushed back, from an unlocked holding active position of the latch, in an inactive unlocking position to release the rotation of this latch under the influence of a suitable control member, when said leaf is brought in the closed position.

Advantageously, this locking device also comprises retaining means designed to provide a resistance force to rotation of the latch under the influence of said control means, at least from the unlocked position of the latch to the locking position.

The advantages resulting from the present invention will become apparent during the reading of the following description relating to an exemplary embodiment.

• la figure 1 représente de manière schématisée, un volet battant équipé de moyens de commande d'ouverture et de fermeture en mesure d'agir sur un loquet d'un dispositif de verrouillage selon l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une représentation schématisée et en perspective illustrant plus en détail le dispositif de verrouillage conforme à l'invention ;
• la figure 3 est une représentation schématisée et en perspective mettant en évidence les moyens de retenue conçus aptes à procurer une force de résistance à la rotation du loquet, cette figure illustrant également la butée mobile définie pour maintenir le loquet en position déverrouillée tant que le volet n'est pas refermé ;
• la figure 4 représente une vue en perspective et partielle du loquet seul ;
• les figures 5, 6 et 7 illustrent, de manière schématisée et en perspective, le principe de fonctionnement de ces moyens de retenue, ainsi que de la butée mobile au cours des différentes phases de fermeture du volet.

The understanding of this description will be facilitated by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• the figure 1 schematically shows a swing shutter equipped with opening and closing control means able to act on a latch of a locking device according to the invention;
• the figure 2 is a schematic and perspective representation illustrating in more detail the locking device according to the invention;
• the figure 3 is a schematic and perspective representation showing the retaining means designed to provide a resistance force to rotation of the latch, this figure also illustrating the movable stop defined to hold the latch in the unlocked position until the flap is not closed;
• the figure 4 represents a perspective and partial view of the latch alone;
• the Figures 5, 6 and 7 illustrate, schematically and in perspective, the operating principle of these retaining means, as well as the movable stop during the different shutter closing phases.

As shown in the figures of the attached drawing and more particularly in the figure 1 The present invention relates to the field of closure systems of the building, more particularly that of leaf, such as a swing shutter, for a door, window or the like, the locking of which must be ensured in the closed position.

Thus, the invention relates to a locking device 1 adapted to such a leaf 2, illustrated in the form of a flap in the figures of the accompanying drawings and which, for reasons of convenience, will often be referred to as a flap in FIG. following the description.

The invention will find a particular interest in the case of a swing flap whose control opening and closing occurs via mechanical control means, including motorized, capable of being manipulated without it being necessary to open the door or window to which said shutter 2 is applied.

In the usual way, such control means 3 comprise, consequently, an electric motor which, via a suitable drive system, acts on the end of a connecting rod or arm 4 whose opposite end 5 is connected directly or indirectly to the flap 2.

To return to the locking device 1, it comprises a latch 6 pivotally mounted, preferably on the inner side 7 of the flap 2, between a locking position which is shown in FIG. figure 7 and an unlocked position which is the one visible in the Figures 2, 4 and 5 .

From now on, it will be observed that the latch 6 may take various embodiments, such as those of a simple bit or a rod corresponding to a cremone acting on one or more locking members, a solution corresponding more to this which is visible in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

It is understood that by pivoting, this bit or this rod is intended to bring said bit or the locking members that includes the rod to cooperate with a complementary fastening member equipping the frame or the splaying or even an adjacent leaf of a door, window or the like.

Thus, in the appended drawings, this complementary fastener 8 has been illustrated in the form of a stopper of the shutter 2, which stop is generally provided at the level of the threshold or lintel of the splaying of said door or window. to limit the closing stroke of the shutter.

Thus, the shutter 2 abuts on the front face 9 of this stopper 8, which then defines a strike at the rear of which is designed to extend the latch 6 or a locking member controlled by the rod of a cremone.

Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, this latch 6 is pivotally mounted about an axis of vertical rotation 10 parallel to the front edge 11 of the leaf 2, knowing that the invention is not limited to such a design and that the latch 6 could be pivotally mounted on the leaf 2 about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the plane of the latter.

In particular, the rotation of the latch 6 is controlled by the control means 3 for opening and closing the shutter 2. Thus, in one example embodiment, the end 5 of the compass arm 4 is made integral, in an articulated manner, with this latch 6 to be able to push it, by pivoting, from its unlocked position in the locking position in closing control phase of the shutter 2 and, conversely, from its locked position in its unlocked position when ordering opening.

However, it is clear that the control of the displacement of the latch 6 under the influence of these control means 3 must intervene at the right moment, in particular when locking, once the leaf 2 completely closed.

For this, the locking device 1 comprises retaining means 12 designed to provide a resistance force to the rotation of the latch 6 under the influence of said control means 3, at least from the unlocked position of the latch 6 to the lock position.

According to an advantageous embodiment, these retaining means 12 are designed in the form of a locking member 13 itself subject to resilient return means designed to push this member 13 into the locking position in which it provides a resistance to the displacement of the latch 6 of a determined intensity which, if it is exceeded, leads to the erasure of said locking member 13, against the action of said elastic return means and finally to the free rotation latch 6.

According to an advantageous embodiment, said retaining means 12 are defined in the form of a spring-loaded ball designed to be pushed into a recess 14 (or figure 4 ) that includes the latch 6 and which, in the unlocked position of the latter, comes to the right of this ball so that it can lodge there.

Thus, it is understood that under the effect of this cooperation of the recess 14 with the locking member 13, here in the form of a ball, the latch 6 is likely to be maintained in the unlocked position, while once the holding resistance has been overcome, the ball comes out of this cavity 14 and rolls freely at the rear face of the latch 6, that is to say, offering less resistance to movement, more exactly at the pivoting of the latter.

Thanks to this rotation resistance of the latch 6 provided by the retaining means 12 when the latch 6 is in the unlocked position, the control means 3, acting on the latter through the compass arm 4, can freely control the opening or closing of the leaf 2 without any other consequence on the locking device 1.

On the other hand, when this shutter 2 comes into closing abutment in this case resting on the stopper 8 as indicated, beforehand, an additional action exerted on the compass arm 4 by a crank or motor is fully reflected on the latch 6 which has no other solution than to rotate about its axis of rotation 10. This rotation occurs at the moment when the retaining force provided by the locking member 13 is overcome.

The invention also relates to a locking device which comprises a movable stop 15 defined capable of being pushed back, from an active position 16 (visible in the Figures 2, 3 and 5 ) of unlocking the latch 6, in an inactive unlocking position 17, shown in FIGS. Figures 6 and 7 to release the rotation of the latch 6, this under the influence of a control member 8 adapted when said leaf 2 is brought into the closed position.

In sum, the movable stop 15 holds the latch 6 in its unlocked position as long as the leaf 2 has not been closed properly through the control means 3. In this closing position of the leaf 2, a control member, here defined by the stopper 8 also corresponding to the complementary attachment member with which is able to cooperate with the latch 6 in the locking position, and pushes this movable stopper 15 in an inactive unlocking position allowing, finally, the latch 6 to gain its locking position under the influence of the control means 3.

For this purpose, the movable abutment 15 comprises, firstly, a locking pin 18 designed to interact with the latch 6 and an unlocking control finger 19 able to cooperate more particularly with the control member 8, in other words the stopper.

In a preferred design of the invention, the latch 6 is pivotally mounted on a fastening support 20 designed adapted to be mounted on the inner side 7 of the leaf 2. Advantageously, this fixing support 20 still receives pivotally the movable stop 15, or the retaining means 12.

To return to the movable stop 15, it is rotatably mounted about a pivot 21 on the mounting bracket 20 so that, under the effect of the thrust exerted by the stopper 8 on the unlocking finger 19 this results in a pivoting of this movable stop 15 resulting in the erasure of the locking finger 18 in front of the latch 6 previously held in unlocked position by it.

As already indicated, the latch 6 can be defined by a bit, itself forming a locking member of a espagnolette as in the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Thus, this bit is rotatably mounted about a vertical axis 10 defined, substantially, by a rod 22 of the espagnolette. This is kept rotating, again, through the fixing support 20.

In a more particular embodiment of the invention, the locking device comprises, in combination, the retaining means 12 and the movable abutment 15. It is precisely this secure configuration which is illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

In such a design, the movable stop 15 is the absolute guarantee that the latch 6, even to serve as a transmission member for the opening and closing of the leaf, in no case risk to pass unexpectedly from its position unlocked in its locking position, as long as leaf 2 is not completely closed.

It could indeed be that during the maneuver this leaf 2 meets a resistance greater than that provided by the retaining means 12 on the latch 6. In this case and in the absence of the aforementioned movable stop, the continuation of the closing maneuver through the control means 3 would result in the locking of the latch 6.

Moreover, said retaining means 12 fully play their role at the time of closing proper. Indeed, the arrival of the leaf 2 against the stopper 8 necessarily results in a shock which, even if it is of lesser importance, may result in a slight rebound of the leaf 2. However, the action of the stop on the unlocking finger 19 has necessarily produced the erasure of the locking finger 18. Consequently, this can result in a pivoting instantaneously in the locking position of the latch 6. Exactly, the retaining means 18 have for the purpose of preventing this rotation and to guarantee that the leaf 2 is held in place on said stopper 8 on which then said latch 6 can be properly locked in a complementary action exerted by the control means 3.

Preferably, this locking device 1 further comprises a stop 23 designed to limit the unlocking stroke of the latch 6, avoiding that under the influence of the control means 3 it does not exceed a predefined stroke. This abutment can again be associated with the fixing support 20 as illustrated in the drawings.

Finally, the invention makes it possible to provide a reliable solution to the problem of locking a door leaf with mechanical opening and closing control, particularly with a motor.

However, this reliability of the lock does not depend on fine adjustments, but a self-adjustment of the locking device to the closing conditions of the leaf.

In view of the foregoing description, it is clearly understood that if the locking device 1 is provided to equip a leaf, it can receive, in a known manner, a covering pan through which it can guarantee the holding closed, simultaneously, an adjacent leaf not equipped with such a locking device.

As can be seen from the foregoing description, the present invention advantageously satisfies the drawbacks resulting from the state of the art.

Claims (10)

1. Locking device for a leaf (2), of the type shutter, door, window or similar, including a latch (6) installed pivoting on the leaf (2), between a locked position and an unlocked position in which said latch (6) is designed capable of co-operating with a hitching element (8) forming a keeper, said latch (6) being capable of being controlled in rotation about its pivoting axis (10) under the action of means for controlling (3) the opening and the closing of said leaf (2), wherein said device includes a movable stop (15) defined capable of being pushed, from an active supporting unlocked position (16) of the latch (6), into an inactive released position (17) in order to release the rotation of said latch (6) under the impulse of a control element (8), when said leaf (2) is brought to the closed position.
2. Locking device according to claim 1, wherein the movable stop (15) includes, on the one hand, a blocking finger (18) designed for interacting with the latch (6) and a finger for controlling the release (19) capable of co-operating with the control element (8), said movable stop (15) being installed in rotation about a pivot (21) so that, under the action of said control element (8), it can pivot and ensure the withdrawal of the blocking finger (18) in the presence of the latch (6) previously maintained in unlocked position.
3. Locking device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said device includes retaining means (12) designed capable of offering resistance to the rotation of the latch (6) under the action of said control means (3), at least from the unlocked position of said latch (6) into the locked position.
4. Locking device according to claim 3, wherein the retaining means (12) are designed in the form of a blocking element (13) subjected to elastic restoring means designed capable of pushing said blocking element (13) into a blocked position in which it offers resistance to the movement of the latch (6).
5. Locking device according to claim 4, wherein said retaining means (12) are defined in the form of an elastic restoring ball designed capable of being pushed into a recess (14) that the latch (6) includes and that, in the unlocked position of the latter, is situated in front of said ball, permitting it to be accommodated therein.
6. Locking device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the latch (6) is installed pivoting on a mounting bracket (20) equipped with the movable stop (15).
7. Locking device according to claims 3 and 6, wherein the mounting bracket (20) includes the retaining means (12).
8. Locking device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the mounting bracket (20) is designed capable of maintaining in rotation a rod (20) defining the pivoting axis (10) of the latch (6).
9. Locking device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said device includes a stop (23) designed for limiting the locking stroke of the latch (6) only under the action of the control means (3).
10. Locking device according to claims 6 and 9, wherein the stop (23) is associated with the mounting bracket (20).

Images