WO2004074606A1

WO2004074606A1 - Door lock improvements

Info

Publication number: WO2004074606A1
Application number: PCT/AU2004/000234
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Demourtzidis
Original assignee: Trio Hinging Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2003-02-24
Filing date: 2004-02-24
Publication date: 2004-09-02
Also published as: AU2003900800A0

Abstract

A door lock assembly that has both a latch and dead bolt reciprocal between extended and retracted positions. Actuator means for causing operation of the latch and dead bolts. Interconnecting means for operably engaging dead latch actuator means to dead bolt actuator means for simultaneous reciprocation of both latch bolt and dead bolts when the latch bolt is being reciprocated and locking means operative to render dead bolt actuator means inoperable such that when the dead bolt actuator means is locked only the latch bolt is reciprocated when the dead latch actuator means is operated.

Description

DOOR LOCK IMPROVEMENTS

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to door lock assemblies and in particular to assemblies including both a latch bolt and a dead bolt.

BACKGROUND ART

The concept of a deadlock is to provide that, with the deadlock in place and locking a door, it can then only be opened by use of a key whether from the inside or outside.

Reference herein after should be made to the terms "inside and outside" in describing the invention.

The use of these terms is based upon the realisation that the invention has a major application in relation to what is called outside doors where operation of the lock will give access typically to a building from outside.

However, it is appreciated that the locks can have a broader application so that the terms "inside" are intended therefor to be given at least the wider context where the context admits, a broad interpretation.

The problem to which this invention is directed, relates to the now conventional use of deadlocks.

Conventionally, deadlocks use a bolt which is able to be moved from a non interlocking position to an interlocking position within the frame of the door. Further, there is conventionally provided key access uniquely from an outer side where the door lock is fitted to a door, and as well, uniquely key access from an inner side so that withdrawal of the bolt can be effected only by use of a key.

Such an arrangement is considered to be more secure because it can restrict a thief from exiting through a door subsequent to a possibly more awkward access being achieved.

Such a more difficult access might be a window or even a broken pane of glass requiring some greater agility from an escaping thief especially when loaded with goods that have been stolen.

An unfortunate discovery has been made that in some circumstances, such an arrangement causes serious difficulties.

An example of such a serious difficulty has been the event where an older person, in the case of a fire, has not been able to find and use a key from the inside to open the door to escape from the fire. Such an event was the death of the person.

A discovery has been that this problem can be alleviated without unnecessarily prejudicing the advantage of a deadlock in most cases.

It has been realised that if a person is a resident within a building, then the inside limited access is no longer so important.

Accordingly, if a deadlock is arranged so that it has at least one setting where a bolt of the deadlock is adapted to be withdrawn by operation only of a handle on an inside of the lock, then this substantially reduces the problem. This then presumes that there will be at least two settings one of which constrains an opening or closing of the deadlock only by a key in relation to both access from outside or access from inside a door to which the lock is attached, and a second setting where the deadlock will be able to be withdrawn by access merely to a handle on the inside but will only be able to be withdrawn from an interlocking position by use of a key when accessing from outside.

What has been observed is that the significant advantage of having a deadlock on an inside of a door is that a thief, once in, will find it much more difficult then to get out at least carrying goods.

If a person other than thief is within the house, then it could be regarded as being very much less likely that a thief would gain access through the breaking of a window or other potentially noisy techniques where such action is very likely to be heard by the current resident of the house, and even if the thief gains access and is disturbed, it can be a much better result that a thief can quickly escape, presumably not carrying significant stolen goods.

It is an object of this invention to provide a door lock assembly that addresses some, or all of the disadvantages, discussed with the above door lock assemblies or at the least provide the public with an improved door lock assembly having both a latch bolt and a dead bolt.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides for a door lock assembly including:

a latch bolt reciprocal between extended and retracted positions; a dead bolt reciprocal between extended and retracted positions;

a dead latch actuator means for causing operation of said latch bolt thereof;

a dead bolt actuator means for causing operation of said dead bolt thereof;

interconnecting means for operably engaging dead latch actuator means to dead bolt actuator means for simultaneous reciprocation of both latch bolt and dead bolts when the latch bolt is being reciprocated; and

locking means operative to render dead bolt actuator means inoperable such that when the dead bolt actuator means is locked only the latch bolt is reciprocated when the dead latch actuator means is operated.

An advantage of such an arrangement is that the locking assembly has a multiple bolt locking system for added security.

A further advantage is that in situations when the dead bolt actuator means is unlocked, the lock assembly may be fully opened by the operation of only the dead latch actuator means. This is particularly advantageous in panic situations when exit from within inside a building requires urgency and valuable time is saved by the single activation of the dead latch actuator means as opposed to the more time consuming task of separately operating both the dead latch actuator means and the dead bolt actuator means.

A further advantage of such a system is that when the dead bolt actuator means is locked, operation of the dead latch actuator means will no longer simultaneously reciprocate the same movement of the dead bolt with respect to the latch bolt in either the extended or retracted position. Such an arrangement is particularly advantageous when the house is unoccupied and those requiring exit from within the building will be only those having had unauthorised entry.

In preference, the interconnecting means includes a vertically shiftable interconnecting plate, the interconnecting plate cooperating at respective ends , with rotatable drive means for activation of the dead latch and dead bolt actuating means. Preferably the rotation of the dead latch actuator means rotatable drive means, translates to vertical movement of the interconnecting plate for simultaneous reciprocated movement of the latch bolt and the dead bolt.

In preference, the dead latch actuator means includes an interior door knob with a stem projecting inwardly therefrom into a dead latch lock housing assembly containing the dead latch locking mechanism. Preferably the stem includes a slot for receiving a spindle which is inwardly projecting from a handle adapted to be fixed to the exterior of the lock.

Preferably, the external handle activates the dead lock actuator means by the conventional manner of inserting a key into the key slot and rotating.

In preference, only the interior door knob is cooperating with the interconnecting plate.

An advantage of such an arrangement is that the lock assembly utilises a conventional locking system on the exterior of the lock. For example, unlocking of the lock would require the use of a key or the like to separately reciprocate the dead latch and the dead bolt to an extended or retracted position. Advantageously however, when the lock assembly is fully locked to the exterior it may still be opened from inside by a single activation of the dead latch means by turning the interior knob. The turning of the interior knob translates to vertical movement of interconnecting plate activating the dead bolt actuator means thereby simultaneously reciprocating both the dead latch and the dead bolt through the one action.

In situations where the requirement calls for separation between the dead bolt actuator means and the dead latch actuator means, the locking means is utilised on the dead bolt actuator means.

In preference, the dead bolt actuator means includes both an exterior and interior assembly. Preferably, the exterior assembly includes a key cylinder with a key slot mountable to the exterior of the lock assembly. The key cylinder has an axle projecting inwardly therefrom into the dead bolt lock housing assembly containing the dead bolt locking mechanism. Preferably, the axle includes a slot to receive a blade projecting inwardly from an interior turn piece.

Preferably, the exterior assembly operates as a conventional dead bolt locking system where a key is inserted into the key slot to activate the dead bolt actuator means.

In preference, the rotatable drive means cooperating with the dead latch actuator means includes a cam rotatably supported on the rod inwardly projecting from the interior knob. Preferably, the rotatable drive means communicating with the dead bolt actuator means includes a cam rotatably supported on the blade projecting inwardly from the interior turn piece of the lock assembly.

An advantage of such an arrangement is that vertical shifting of interconnecting plate simultaneously rotates both the blade and the rod thereby actuating both the dead latch and dead bolt actuator means to reciprocate the respective dead latch and dead bolt to the extended or retracted position. In preference, the locking means includes a clutch means whereby movement of the clutch means with respect to the blade and the cam serves to disengage or engage the blade with the cam.

The advantage of such an arrangement is that when the clutch means is disengaged from the cam, though the interconnecting plate rotates the cam as it is not engaged with the blade no activation of the dead bolt actuator means is made.

A further advantage of the clutch means is that though the interconnecting plate continues to be vertically shifted by actuation of the dead latch actuator means by turning the interior knob simultaneous rotation of the cam communicating with the dead bolt actuator means is not engaged by the clutch means to the blade and therefore no retraction of the dead bolt is possible when the latch bolt is being reciprocated into the retracted position.

An advantage of such an arrangement is that the locking assembly functions conventionally from the exterior of the lock with respect to the dead latch and dead bolt locking mechanisms.

Further, interconnecting plate allows for communication between the dead latch actuator means and dead bolt actuator means such that though the locking assembly is fully locked from the exterior it may be opened from the inside by a single turn of the interior knob. Still further, however, the clutch means enables independent locking of the security dead bolt locking system. If the clutch means is not engaging the blade any subsequent turning of the interior knob does not translate to simultaneous reciprocated movement of the dead bolt.

In preference, the clutch means includes a slot laterally extended through a segment along the peripheral edge of the cam in rotatable communication with the interconnecting plate and the dead bolt actuator means. The blade projecting inwardly from the interior turn piece includes protruding pin. When the dead bolt actuator means is to be deactivated and locked the pin is withdrawn from the slot of the rotating cam. Preferably, the pin is withdrawn from the slot of the rotating cam by inserting a key into the interior turn piece.

The dead bolt actuator means is unlocked from the interior by positioning the pin within the slot of the rotating cam. Once the in is positioned in the slot subsequent rotating of the cam is simultaneous rotatably translated to the blade with activates the dead bolt actuator means bringing about the retraction of the dead bolt from the locked position.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in detail in the following passages of the specification and referred to in the accompanying drawings. The drawings and description however, are merely illustrative of the invention which might be put into effect, so that the specific form and arrangement of the features shown in the description, are not to be understood as limiting of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 , is a perspective view of the exterior of the locking assembly installed to a door;

Figure 2, is a perspective view of the interior assembly of the locking assembly;

Figure 3, is a perspective view illustrating the rotating of the interior knob simultaneously reciprocating both the dead latch bolt and dead bolt to the retracted position; Figure 4, is a perspective view looking in at the inside components of the interior assembly of the lock;

Figures 5 and 6, are an enlarged perspective view of the cfutch means in the preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figures 6A and 6B are side elevation views of the lock assembly in operation when both the dead latch and dead bolt are simultaneously being reciprocated back into the retracted position;

Figure 7, is a side elevation view of the clutch mechanism being disengaged thereby locking the dead bolt rom the interior and disengaging it from the dead latch actuator means.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUTTHE INVENTION

Referring now the drawings in detail, lock assembly 10 is mounted on and within a door 12. The door 12 includes a typical door frame 14 (not shown). The door frame would include a corresponding plate with an opening into a bore for each of the dead latch bolt and dead bolt that will be discussed in detail below.

Lock assembly 10 includes an exterior mounting cover 16 and an interior mounting cover 18. The exterior and interior mounting covers 16 and 18 are attached to the respective outside and inside of the door 12.

On the outside of the door, the exterior mounting cover 16 includes a door handle 20 within which is positioned a housing assembly for a conventional dead latch lock. From the outside of the door, the dead latch lock is operated by a key 22 (not shown) inserted into a key hole 24. When the key is rotated it has a translated effect of affecting the extension or retraction of the dead latch bolt 25. The exterior mounting cover 16 further includes a dead bolt lock assembly. From the outside the dead bolt lock assembly includes a key cylinder 26 supported within the exterior mounting cover 16 and within the door 12.

From the outside the dead bolt locking assembly is actuated conventionally by a key 28 (not shown) being inserted into the key hole 31 and rotated in a direction to either extend or retract the dead bolt 30 from the bore within the door frame 14.

The interior mounted cover 18 includes an interior operating knob 32. The interior knob 32 is locked by a conventional locking button 34.

A turn piece 36 acts as the inside operating member for a user to activate the dead bolt actuator means for the dead bolt 30.

Interior operating knob 32 has an inwardly projecting spindle 38 therefrom into the dead latch actuator means of the dead latch locking system. A wire retainer 40 provides for a swivel biasing against rotation of the spindle 38.

The spindle 38 rotatably cooperates with a cam 42 that is mounted thereto by a ring 44. A stem 46 (shown in broken lines) projects through into crank opening 48 of the spindle 38 to connect with outside door handle 50 to the dead latch actuator means.

A lever 52 gradially extends from a segment along the peripheral edge 54 of the cam 42. The lever 52 includes two shoulders 56 and 58 for communicating with an interconnecting plate 60.

The turn piece 36 has a rotatable blade 62 projecting inwardly therefrom into the dead bolt housing assembly to access the dead bolt actuator means. The blade 62 includes a crank opening 64 correspondingly shaped to connect with axle 66. The axle 66 connects the dead bolt key cylinder 26 of the dead bolt actuator means.

The blade 62 includes a protruding pin 68. The blade 62 rotatably cooperates with a cam 70 when the pin 68 is positioned within a slot 72 that extends along a portion of the edge 74 of the cam 70.

The cam 70 includes a lever 76 that radially extends out from segment along the peripheral edge 78 of the cam 70. The lever 70 includes shoulders 80 and 82 for communicating with the interconnecting plate 60.

The interconnecting plate 60 is supported by lever 52 and is vertically shiftable upwards by abutting engagement with shoulders 56 and 58. The interior mounted cover 18 includes guides 84 that maintain the interconnecting plates 60 in a central position within the lock assembly 10.

Shoulders 56 and 58 of lever 52, which is rotatably supported on cam 42, the cam 42 itself rotatable by spindle 38, engages protrusions 86a or 86b depending on the direction in which the plate is to be shifted.

As best seen in figures 6a and 6b, the interconnecting plate when vertically shifted upwards by rotation of the spindle 38, for example, by rotating the interior operating knob 32 both cams 42 and 70 rotate simultaneously activating the dead latch and dead bolt actuator means to reciprocate the dead latch bolt 25 and dead bolt 30 to the retracted positions.

As seen in figures 6a and 6b, the pin 68 remains positioned within slot 72 of the rotating cam 70. While the protruding pin 68 remains within the slot 72 any rotating movement of cam 70 by way of the vertical shifting movement of the interconnecting plate 60 will be translated to reciprocated movement of the dead bolt from the extended to retracted position.

The protruding pin 68 acts as a clutch means to engage the cam 70 so that any movement of the interconnecting plate 60 results in activation of the dead bolt actuator means and movement to the dead bolt 30.

While the protruding pin remains positioned within the slot 72 of cam 70, when the interior operating knob 32 is rotated to activate the dead latch actuator means to retract the dead latch bolt 25 this will simultaneously also retract the dead bolt 30.

Figure 7 shows the clutch means whereby the protruding pin 68 has been removed from the slot 72 of cam 70. By locking spindle 38 by rotation of key 88 the protruding pin 68 becomes disengaged from slot 72 of cam 70. This disengagement of the pin 68 with the slot 72 has the effect that any subsequent rotation of the cam 70 brought about by vertical movement of the interconnecting plate 60 will not be translated to the dead bolt 30.

Though the interconnecting plate 60 continues to vertically shift as a consequence of operation of the interior operating knob 32, the rotating cam 70 communicating with the dead lock actuator means is unable to activate movement of the dead bolt 30 as there is no rotatable cooperation between the protruding pin 68 s the clutch means with the cam 70 to activate movement of the dead bolt 30.

This cooperation is only reinstalled when the key 88 is again inserted in order to unlock the dead bolt from the interior thereby reinserting the protruding pin 68 into the slot 72 for rotatable communication between the cam 70 and the interconnecting plate 60 undergoes vertical movement brought about by operation of the dead latch actuator means activation.

It is to be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that numerous variations , and/or modifications may be made to this invention as shown in the specific preferred embodiment described above, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Therefore, the present preferred embodiment is to be considered in all respects as illustrated but not restricted. Particularly, it can be appreciated that there are a wide variety of mechanisms available to interconnect the dead bolt actuator means and dead latch actuator means.

For example, a spindle would be just as effective as a plate. It is also important to note that the clutch means can be provided by a variety of arrangements. The scope of this clutch means is to include all those arrangements whereby locking means deactivates the means by which the dead bolt is retractably extended from that brought about by the movement of the interconnecting plate.

It is the intention of this description to incorporate such other comparable arrangements with respect to the interconnecting means and clutch means as has been described.

Claims

1. A door lock assembly including:

a latch bolt reciprocal between extended and retracted positions;

a dead bolt reciprocal between extended and retracted positions;

a dead latch actuator means for causing operation of said latch bolt thereof;

a dead bolt actuator means for causing operation of said dead bolt thereof;

2. The door lock assembly of claim 1 wherein the interconnecting means includes a vertically shiftable interconnecting plate or spindle with respective opposing ends of said plate or spindle communicating with either the dead latch actuator means or dead bolt actuator means.

3. The door lock assembly of claim 2 wherein the interconnecting plate or spindle is cooperable at respective ends with rotatable drive means for activation of the dead latch and dead bolt actuating means.

4. The door lock assembly of claim 3 wherein the rotation or operation of the dead latch actuator means rotatable drive means, translates to vertical movement of the interconnecting plate for simultaneous reciprocated movement of the latch bolt and the dead bolt.

5. The door lock assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein the locking means includes a clutch means.

6. The door lock assembly of claim 5 wherein the clutch means has a first position to cooperably engage the dead bolt actuating means and a second position for inoperable engagement with said dead bolt actuating means, whereby movement of the clutch means between the first and second positions serves to disengage or engage the locking means with the interconnecting means.

6. The door lock assembly of anyone of the preceding claims wherein the dead latch actuator means includes an interior door knob with a stem projecting inwardly there from into a dead latch lock housing assembly containing the dead latch locking mechanism.

7. The door lock assembly of claim 6 wherein the stem includes a slot for receiving a spindle inwardly projecting from a handle, said handle adapted to be fixed to the exterior of the lock.

8. The door lock assembly of claim 7 wherein the external handle activates the dead lock actuator means by the insertion of a key into a key slot and rotating.

9. The door lock assembly of any one of claims 6 to 8 wherein the interior door knob is cooperating with the interconnecting plate.

10. The door lock assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein the dead bolt actuator means includes both an exterior and interior assembly.

11. The door lock assembly of claim 10 wherein the exterior assembly includes a key cylinder with a key slot mountable to the exterior of the lock assembly.

12. The door lock assembly of claim 11 wherein the key cylinder has an axle projecting inwardly therefrom into a dead bolt lock housing assembly containing the dead bolt locking mechanism.

13. The door lock assembly of claim 12 wherein the exterior assembly operates as a conventional dead bolt locking system where a key is insertable into a key slot to activate the dead bolt actuator means.

14. The door lock assembly of claim 13 wherein the rotatable drive means cooperable with the dead latch actuator means includes a cam rotatably supported on a rod inwardly projecting from the interior knob.

15. The door lock assembly of claim 14 wherein the rotatable drive means communicating with the dead bolt actuator means includes a cam rotatably supported on a blade member or the like projecting inwardly from the interior turn piece of the lock assembly.

16. The door lock assembly of claim 15 wherein the clutch means includes a slot laterally extended through a segment along a peripheral edge of the cam in rotatable communication with the interconnecting plate and the dead bolt actuator means.

17. The door lock assembly of claim 16 wherein the blade projecting inwardly from the interior turn piece includes a protruding pin such that when the dead bolt actuator means is to be deactivated or locked the pin is withdrawn from the slot of the rotating cam.

18. The door lock assembly of claim 17 wherein the pin is withdrawn from the slot of the rotating cam by inserting a key into the interior turn piece and rotating.

19. The door lock assembly of any one of the preceding claims further including an exterior mounting cover and an interior mounting cover such that the exterior and interior mounting covers are mountable to the respective outside and inside faces of a door.

20. A door lock assembly as describe herein in this description with further reference to the illustrated figures and the accompanying claims in whole, part or combinations thereof.

Dated this 24^th day of February 2004

TRIO HINGING AUSTRALIA PTY LTD By their Patent Attorneys COLLISON & CO