GB2037361A - Security Container - Google Patents

Abstract

A security retainer is constructed after the fashion of a conventional bolt but with the bolt (12) having a reduced cross-section portion (16) and with the keeper housing (11) having a pivoted retainer (23) mounted thereon about a horizontal axis. The retainer (23) has an enlarged opening (26) which receives any portion of the bolt (12) and also has a restricted cross section slot (25) communicating with the opening (26) and capable of slidably receiving only the reduced cross-section neck (16) of the bolt so that a door bearing bolt (12) may be opened only by a restricted amount. Spring detent means (14, 21) are engageable to locate the bolt in a "secure" but unlocked condition in which the neck (16) is permitted restricted sliding movement along the slot (25) of the retainer (23). For complete fastening the bolt (12) may be further shot so that the non-reduced portion (15) is located in opening (26), thus preventing any opening of a door etc. bearing the bolt. The door may be completely freed by retracting bolt (12) into housing (10). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Security Retainer Description of Invention This invention relates to security retainers for hinged panels such as doors or windows.

Security retainers, as that expression is used herein, are intended to safeguard against unauthorised entry through, for example, a door and they permit the door to open only slightly unless positive action is taken by a person inside the door to remove the restraint and to allow the door to open fully. Some such retainers are additionally capable of being operated from outside the door by an authorised person using a key.

The conventional door chain is an example of a security retainer. However, if it is desired to secure the door closed independently of any lock provided thereon, it is necessary to provide a bolt separate from the door chain and there is a temptation to avoid applying the door chain when locking up, if the door is to be bolted. If a caller arrives, the bolt may be released and the door could then be forced open as it is not retained on the chain. Furthermore, door chains tend to be cumbersome and noisy to use and are also capable of being cut by a determined intruder.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a security retainer which overcomes or reduces some or all of these disadvantages.

According to the invention there is provided a security retainer for a hinged panel comprising a housing adapted to be secured to the panel; a bolt slidably mounted in the first housing and having a body portion of full cross-section, a neck portion of reduced cross-section and, at the extreme free end of the bolt, a head portion of full cross section; a retainer pivotally mounted relative to a fixed abutment adjacent the panel about a horizontal pivotal axis, the retainer having receptor means aligned, is use, with the bolt and capable of receiving the full cross-section head and body portions thereof, and a guide means communicating with the receptor means and capable of receiving only the reduced cross section neck portion, the guide means extending along the retainer; the arrangement being such that the bolt can be moved to a "secure" position in which the neck is aligned with the retainer and can slide along the guide means thereof on opening of the door, the bolt also being movable towards the housing to a "free" position in which the bolt is free from the retainer to enable full opening of the door, or away from the housing to a "locked" position in which the full cross-section body portion of the bolt engages the retainer and is unable to slide along the guide means, whereby the door is retained closed.

The security retainer may include a second housing which is adapted to be mounted on the fixed abutment adjacent the panel and which has the retainer pivotally mounted thereon.

A resilient detent may be associated with the bolt and may be releasably engaged when the bolt is in the "secure" position.

The detent may additionally be engaged when the bolt is in the "free" and/or "locked" positions.

The resilient detent may comprise a leaf spring mounted for sliding movement with the bolt and engageable resiliently within one or more recesses in the housing, to define the "secure", "free" and/or "locked" positions of the bolt.

The retainer may comprise a metal plate having a guide means which is in the form of an elongate slot and a receptor means which is in the form of an enlarged opening communicating with the slot.

The invention may reside in any novel feature or novel combination of features described in the following description which is made, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a security retainer; Figure 2 is a similar view with cover parts removed; Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a second housing and retaining member of the security retainer.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 of the drawings, the security retainer comprises a first housing 1 0 and a second housing 11. Each housing comprises an inner extruded section and a decorative cover plate but any suitable construction could be used.

The first housing holds a bolt 12 which is shown in more detail in Figure 2. The bolt is slidably movable by means of a manually operable knob 13 secured to the bolt at 14.

The bolt itself has a circular cross-section body 15, a reduced circular cross-section neck portion 1 6 and a head portion 1 7 which is of the same full circular cross-section as the body 1 5. It will be appreciated that it is not critical for these portions to be of circular cross-section but the body 1 5 is circular in the embodiment to be described so as to be located for sliding movement within a part circular recess generally indicated at 1 8 in the extruded section forming part of the housing. The bolt is capable of sliding movement relative to the housing, this movement being limited by a slot 1 9 cooperating with the manually operable knob 13 as seen in Figure 1.

A transverse bore 20 is drilled through the extruded section so as to intersect the part circular recess 18. A leaf spring 21 is secured to the bolt at the position 14 of attachment of the knob. The leaf spring has a pair of limbs with arcuate end portions which are resiliently urged, as shown in Figure 2, into the open mouths of the transverse bore 20 to provide a non-positive detent. Thus, the bolt can be slid beyond the detent position in either direction up to the limits imposed by the slot 19.

The second housing 11 includes a recess 22, into which the head 1 7 of the bolt can enter. The recess 22 is completely open at the front to enable the bolt head to be moved in and out of the recess.

A retaining member 23is pivotally mounted on a pivot 24 to the second housing 11. The pivot 24 is horizontal and is disposed generally parallel to the bolt in use. The retaining member can be seen most clearly in Figure 3. It includes an elongate slot 25 providing guide means, together with an enlarged opening 26 communicating with the slot 25 and providing receptor means. The enlarged opening 26 is large enough to receive the full cross-section body portion 1 5 and head portion 1 7 of the bolt The remainder of the slot 25 is of reduced size and is incapable of receiving the full cross-section portions of the bolt. However, it is large enough to receive the reduced cross-section neck portion 16.

The first and second housings 10 and 11 are secured by screws or the like to a door and to an abutment adjacent the door respectively. The housings are aligned so that the bolt 12 is aligned with the enlarged opening 26 in the retaining member. The bolt can then be slid along its housing 10 within the part circular recess 1 8 within the limits permitted by the slot 1 9.

When the bolt is in the condition shown in Figure 2, defined by the leaf spring 21 engaging the transverse bore 20, it will be seen that the neck 1 6 of the bolt is disposed within the enlarged opening 26 of the retaining member. If the door is then opened, the reduced crosssection neck portion 1 6 can slide along the slot 25 and the retaining member 23 pivots about its pivot point 24 until the bolt reaches the limit position defined by the end 27 of the slot 25. At this position, the door cannot be opened further so it is secure although it is not locked. To open the door, it is firstly necessary to close the door sufficiently to bring the bolt back into the enlarged opening 26 of the retaining member, whereupon it can be withdrawn.

The door can be completely freed by sliding the bolt in a direction away from the second housing 11 so that the head 1 7 passes completely through the enlarged opening 26 and the bolt is therefore completely clear from the retaining member 23.

By moving the bolt towards the housing 11 from the "secure" position, it is possible to bring the enlarged body portion 1 5 of the bolt into engagement with the enlarged opening 26 of the retaining member. In this condition, any attempt to open the door will be obstructed because the enlarged body 1 5 cannot move through the slots 25 which has a restricted width. In this condition, the bolt is therefore in a "locked" position which prevents opening of the door, even by a small amount, without first withdrawing the bolt.

It is intended that the way in which the device is used is that, when the door is being locked up, the bolt is brought into the "locked" position last described and that, should it be necessary to open the door to a caller, the bolt is moved back only as far as the position where the spring detent engages. In this "secure'' position of the bolt, the door can be opened partially to identify the caller and, if the caller is to be admitted, the door is then closed to enable the bolt to be withdrawn to the "free" position. The door can be used quite normally when the bolt is in this "free" position.

Clearly, it is possible to provide additional transverse bores in the housing 10 to act as additional detents in cooperation with the leaf spring to define the "free" and/or "locked" positions. Alternative forms of detent may also be used.

Although the security retainer described in relation to the drawings includes a second housing 11, it would be possible to omit this housing, merely providing some form of abutment on which the retaining member 23 can pivot about a horizontal axis. The presence of the second housing 11 enables the head 17 of the bolt to be trapped completely in the recess 22 so that the door is held against any possibility of movement. If the housing 11 is omitted, however, when the bolt is in the "locked" position, the door is held locked by engagement of the enlarged body 1 5 in the enlarged opening 26 of the retaining member. Some slight movement may be possible because some clearance nesds to be allowed for in the sizing of the opening 26 and it is therefore preferred that a housing 11 be incorporated so that the security retainer can be operated as a conventional bolt, holding the door in the fully closed and locked condition.

Claims (7)

Claims

1. A security retainer for a hinged panel comprising a housing adapted to be secured to the panel; a bolt slidably mounted in the first housing and having a body portion of full crosssection, a neck portion of reduced cross-section and, at the extreme free end of the bolt, a head portion of full cross-section; a retainer pivotally mounted relative to a fixed abutment adjacent the panel about a horizontal pivotal axis, the retainer having receptor means aligned, in use, with the bolt and capable of receiving the full cross-section head and body portions thereof, and a guide means communicating with the receptor means and capable of receiving only the reduced crosssection neck portion, the guide means extending along the retainer; the arrangement being such that the bolt can be moved to a "secure" position in which the neck is aligned with the retainer and can slide along the guide means thereof on opening of the door, the bolt also being movable towards the housing to a "free" position inwhich the bolt is free from the retainer to enable full opening of the door, or away from the housing to a "locked" position in which the full cross-section body portion of the bolt engages the retainer and is unable to slide along the guide means, whereby the door is retained closed.

2. A security retainer according to Claim 1 wherein a second housing is provided, adapted to be mounted on the fixed abutment adjacent the panel and having the retainer pivotally mounted thereon.

3. A security retainer according to any preceding claim wherein a resilient detent is associated with the bolt and is releasably engaged when the bolt is in the "secure" position.

4. A security retainer according to Claim 3 wherein the detent additionally defines the "free" and "locked" positions of the bolt.

5. A security retainer according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the resilient detent comprises a leaf spring mounted for sliding movement with the bolt and engageable resiliently within one or more recesses in the housing.

6. A security retainer according to any preceding claim wherein the retainer comprises a metal plate having a guide means in the form of an elongate slot and a receptor means in the form of an enlarged opening communicating with the slot.

7. A security retainer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.