AU707330B2 - A remote lock assembly - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: WHITCO PTY. LTD.

009 667 207) Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: CULLEN

CO.,

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

A REMOTE LOCK ASSEMBLY Details of Associated Provisional Application: Nos. PM6931 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: This invention relates to a remote lock assembly and particularly to a remote lock assembly which can be fitted to doors or windows adjacent to an upper or lower portion thereof and which can resist being jemmied.

Security doors and particularly sliding security screen doors can be fitted with multi-point locks. Multi-point locks comprise a more or less standard type of central lock assembly and upper and lower auxiliary or remote locks. The remote locks are spaced near the top and bottom edges of the sliding screen door.

The remote locks can be operated by the central lock and this is typically achieved by rods or cables extending between the central lock and the remote lock.

Most types of known auxiliary locks for sliding doors or windows have a lock tongue which moves into a recessed keeper on the door jamb. The auxiliary lock tongues move in a rotatable manner and are of a hooked or "parrot beak" S.configuration.

A disadvantage with the above lock tongues is that they are susceptible 15 to being broken when being jemmied by an intruder.

The present invention is directed to a locking assembly which can be more difficult to jemmy open, and where the lock tongue does not protrude from the security window or door either in its extended or retracted position.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a lock assembly 20 which may overcome the abovementioned disadvantages or provide the public with a useful or commercial choice.

In one form, the invention resides in a remote lock assembly comprising a lock tongue which is reciprocatably moveable between an extended locking position and a retracted unlocking position, the lock tongue, in use, being located entirely within a door or window frame in either of said positions, and moveable between said positions in a direction which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the door or window frame.

The locking assembly may be operated by a central lock mechanism on the window or door frame. Preferably, connecting rods are located between the central lock mechanism and the remote lock assembly to operate the remote lock assembly.

The lock tongue may extend co-axially with the respective connecting rod, and preferably comprises a free end of the connecting rod, or a co-axial extension thereto. To further resist removal of the lock assembly, the lock tongue may comprise the end of the connecting rod which is fitted with a strengthening sleeve which can effectively extend the cross-sectional size of the rod.

The lock assembly may include a lock body. The lock body may be mounted into a recess on the door or window frame. The lock body suitably includes lock tongue protecting means to resist deliberate bending of the lock tongue, for instance by jemmying of the door. The lock tongue protection means may comprise a bore extending through a solid portion of the lock body, the bore being dimensioned to allow the lock tongue to slide through the bore. Preferably, the bore is dimensioned to be only slightly larger in cross-section than the lock tongue such that the lock tongue cannot appreciably move through the bore other than in a reciprocal manner. The bore is preferably positioned such that the lock tongue is substantially flush within the retracted position and projects from the bore 15 when in its extended locking position. By having the lock tongue protecting means in this area, it can provide resistance to deliberate bending of the lock tongue.

The lock body may be fitted within the frame to be substantially flush with an edge of the frame. To resist removal of the lock body, the body may be provided with a pair of spaced apart walls between which an edge of the recess in 20 the door or window frame can pass. Preferably, the spacing is only just larger than g*.

the thickness of the edge.

A keeper may be provided on the door or window jamb. The keeper may be configured to capture the lock tongue when the lock tongue is in its extended position. The keeper may therefore be provided with a loop into which the lock tongue may pass. The loop may be substantially larger than the crosssection size of the lock tongue to provide a degree of adjustability.

An embodiment of the invention will be illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a view of a multi-point lock having a central locking mechanism and upper and lower remote locks.

Figure 2 is a side view of a remote lock assembly.

Referring to the figures and initially to figure 1, there is shown a lock arrangement comprising a central lock assembly 10 and an upper and lower remote lock assemblies 11,12. Central lock assembly 10 and upper and lower remote lock assemblies 11,12 are mounted to a vertical portion of an aluminium sliding security screen door. Central lock 10 forms no part of the invention apart that it operates remote locks 11 and 12 through rigid connecting rods 13, 14. Rods 13, 14 are made of metal and are typically 4mm in diameter.

The remote lock assemblies 11, 12 are identical. Each assembly includes a lock body 15 (see figure 2) which is mounted to a recess in the door frame. The lock body can be attached by fasteners such as screws 30. Each remote lock assembly includes a reciprocating lock tongue 16, 17 which in the embodiment comprises a free end of connecting rods 13, 14. As these rods are only about 4mm in diameter, the ends are provided with a steel sleeve (not shown) to provide strength to the lock tongue. It can be seen that lock tongues 16, 17 are reciprocatably moveable between extended and retracted positions, the operation of which are governed by the central lock mechanism 10. Keepers 18, 19 are provided on the door jamb. The keepers are made of steel and include a loop 19A into which lock tongue 16 can pass. Loop 19A is significantly larger than the diameter of lock tongue 16 to allow adjustment during fitting of the arrangement.

Lock body 15 is formed from diecast metal and includes a lock tongue protecting 20 means 20. Lock tongue protecting means 20 comprises a solid block of metal through which a bore 21 extends, the bore allowing lock tongue 16 to pass therethrough. Bore 21 is only slightly larger than lock tongue 16 such that the lock tongue is supported for reciprocal movement but not for any appreciable degree of lateral movement. The lock tongue protecting means is located such that lock tongue 16 projects therefrom and into lock body 15 when lock tongue 16 is in the extended position, and when lock tongue 16 is in the retracted position, it is substantially flush or only slightly recessed from inner end 22 of the lock tongue protecting means 20. This arrangement minimises bending of the relatively small dimensioned lock tongue 16 during attempted jemmying of the remote lock assembly.

As a further defence against jemmying, lock body 15 is provided with a pair of spaced apart walls 23, 24 between which an edge 25 of the door frame can locate. This is in contrast to existing remote lock assemblies which can be simply removed from their recess upon removal of the fasteners. An improved antijemmying result is obtained by having the lock tongue protecting means located in the same general area as the pair of spaced walls 23, 24 as is shown in figure 2.

The advantage of the remote lock assembly is that its construction makes it more resistant to jemmying. Also, the lock tongue can have a steel sleeve which together with the lock tongue protecting means 20 makes it extremely difficult to remove the remote lock assembly from the door by an intruder. By having a good strong keeper (preferably steel), it is again extremely difficult to jemmy open the door. The remote lock assembly is further prevented from being ripped away from the door by capturing an edge 25 between opposed walls 23, 24. To remove rod 16 from the keeper, it is virtually necessary to shear the rod away, which requires a oo.° great deal more force than the known "parrot beak" tongues which are much more .easily broken.

15 It should be appreciated that various other changes or modifications may be made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (18)

1. A remote lock assembly having a lock tongue which can reciprocate between an extended keeper locking position, and a retracted free position, the lock tongue in either its extended or retracted position being located entirely within a door or window to which the assembly is attached, and where the reciprocal movement is along a direction which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal edge of the door or window, the lock assembly having a lock tongue protecting means, and at least one keeper configured to capture and protect the lock tongue when the lock tongue is in its extended position.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the lock tongue protecting means comprises a solid metal body having a bore therethrough, the bore being dimensioned to allow the lock tongue to pass therethrough, the metal body resisting shearing of the extended lock tongue.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the bore has a length which is the S15 same or longer than the distance travelled by the lock tongue between its extended and retracted positions.

4. The assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein the assembly is positioned adjacent an upper edge of the door or window. S 0

5. The assembly of any one of the preceding claims wherein the assembly is positioned adjacent a lower edge of the door or window.

6. The assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly is attached to a sliding door.

7. The assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lock tongue is moved between its said positions upon operation of a or part of a central locking assembly.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein at least one control rod is positioned between the central locking assembly and the remote lock assembly, the control rod being operatively connected to the lock tongue to move the lock tongue between its said positions upon movement of the control rod.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the lock tongue is positioned at one end of the control rod.

The assembly of claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the lock tongue is an extension of the end of the control rod.

11. The assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lock tongue is hardened.

12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the lock tongue is hardened by a steel sleeve.

13. The assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lock assembly is substantially recessed into the door or window, and has a cavity into which the keeper can pass upon closing of the door or window, the lock tongue passing into the cavity when in its extended keeper locking position and being substantially retracted from the cavity when in its retracted position.

14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the keeper has a recess to accommodate the lock tongue when the lock tongue is in its extended position.

15 15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the keeper is substantially U- shaped to define an internal passageway into which the lock tongue can pass.

16. The assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lock "assembly has a lock body with two spaced apart walls between which an edge of the door or window can be captured to resist removal of the 20 assembly.

17. A sliding door or window containing one or more assemblies as claimed in any one of the above claims.

18. An assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 14 th day of May 1999 WHITCO PTY LTD (ACN 009 667 207) By their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.